#i'm going to give him all the information i can find on the mutineers and save his life twice and hang out with him 🙂🤩😉

[realpersonfacts]

ugh guys i think they're gonna Get me 😑

[rocksinmuffin]

aa thank you. I'm trying to write a thing for mtmte perceptor but I've never really had a very good feel for his character so I'm struggling a bit. I was hoping you could help me by kind of just telling me what he's like?

So, admitedly, Perceptor isn’t a ‘bot I’m all that familiar with. He has some exposure in MTMTE but he’s not as prominent a character as some of the other characters. First, let me link you to his page on tfwiki, because I cannot overestimate how valuable a source it has been for me countless times when it comes to answering requests for characters I’m not familiar with or who I have not been able to read the comics for: http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Perceptor_(G1)/IDW_Generation_1_continuity

So, using that link as a source, let’s go over the basics. Please, keep in mind, that while my overview is going to be based off information listed in the wiki page, some of what I say will be my opinion and personal interpretation versus Word of God facts.

Perceptor is described as dour; stern and gloomy in his manner and appearance. This is to be expected of a mech whose love of science and new discoveries has to be cast aside from the necessities of war. It’s hard for me to say if the war is the only thing to blame for this or if he’s always been stern and grim, but it’s pretty evident that he allows the war to change him.

Perceptor is willing to do things that he morally objects to because of it. Under Prowl’s orders, he installs subroutines into Kup that would allow Prowl to take control of him. Perceptor makes it known he does not approve of this but not enough to disobey orders. Though, with my understanding of Perceptor’s character, I find it more likely that his reluctant agreement is less about following orders and more about understanding Prowl’s motivations. The ends don’t always justify the means but that does not make them any less necessary.

Additionally, after being severely injured on a mission, Perceptor deigns to use his knowledge and abilities to improve himself to be a better warrior, upgrading his frame by both improving himself durability as well as his deadly aim with a sniper. This is where we see the beginnings of No Mercy Percy, a deadly and skilled warrior capable of taking out his targets with little effort. There’s a change I need Perceptor, one that Ratchet laments when Perceptor chooses to set up a turret rather than assist in Optimus Prime’s repairs.

By the time we get to MTMTE, we get to see a little more of the old Perceptor shine through. Aboard the Lost Light and no longer on the front lines of war, Perceptor is able to return to his first love, SCIENCE. Any time something crazy happens aboard the Lost Light, Perceptor is there to offer a long-winded explanation full of technical terms that the majority of his peers will not understand. He seems to express a distaste for having to dumb down his explanations which is probably why he mostly tolerates Brainstorm and his bad jokes, if only to be able to be around a mech he considers to be on his level.

And, SPOILER WARNINGS for anyone who has not read the last few chapters of MTMTE…

I think it’s important to note that Perceptor is among the ‘bots who mutineer against Rodimus. Perceptor has seen a lot of bad things during the war, things that changed him, and while some might be able to forgive Megatron for what he’s done, I can’t imagine Perceptor would sit well with it. Megatron has performed atrocities and what little he contributes to the search for the Knights of Cybertron does not make up for his actions nor does it justify the Light punishment he has gotten away with.

It’s not ideal. Some of Megatron’s greatest sympathizers are comrades he respects. Brainstorm, for certain. But, if it means that Megatron gets what’s coming to him, turning his back on his friends with questionable choices is a necessary means to an end.

…and that’s my understanding of Perceptor’s character. I’m sure there are Percy fans out there who can give a more descriptive and knowledgeable overview but hopefully this helps you with your writing! :)