#tfp analysis

[dat-lil-shark]

I found more TFP Characters Stats and they are VERY Interesting

So over a week ago I found out that in the Japanese airing of Transformer Prime, they put up these commercials in between episodes that displays the characters stats. Back then I only found Soundwave’s, but now I’ve found almost everyone.

Again, I have no guarantee that these are canon enough, cause it's made by Japanese, who made Airachnid a yandere.

But it’s fun to assume they are.

(SPOILERS ALERT)

First of all. MEGATRON ACTUALLY HAVE HIGHER INTELLIGENCE STATS THAN OPTIMUS!!!??? (Op got 8 and MT got 9)

Not only that but also higher speed and firepower TOO (OP got 7 speed and 9 firepower, and MT got 9 speed and 10 firepower).

Sure Optimus got bigger courage and skills but in battlefields if MT is not so dr**ed up he might just win a lot more.

And speaking of unexpected intelligence.

Compared to Arcee, Airachnid also got WAY higher intelligence (AH 9 and RC 7) and slightly higher strength (AH 5 and RC 4) AND FIREPOWER (AH 5 and RC 4).

I was at first surprised how Airachnid could be so smart but then it did made sense since she was able to always lure Arcee into her fun cave to beat her up and was able to easily kill Breakdown.

(And I know technically this was supposed to be the Japanese yandere Airachnid but— let’s just ignore that— maybe let’s pretend it’s the normal Airachnid okay? Please?)

But Arcee got 9 on courage.

Airachnid might got the cunning but at least Arcee got the feral.

And the way Arcee only got 7 on the intelligence out here is breaking stereotypes that the only girl in the group has to be smart.

Luckily not all Autobot and Decepticon rivalry ends in a Decepticon topping the Autobot.

For example.

Bulkhead is a lot— AND I MEAN A LOT better than Breakdown is.

He’s got higher strength (BH 10 and BD 9), intelligence(BH 5 and BD 4), courage (BH 8 and BD7), rank (BH 6 and BD 4) AND firepower (BH 7 and BD 6)

Bruh Breakdown is competing with Bulkhead just because he is insecure 😂😂😂😅😅

Bulkhead can actually sweep the floor with Breakdown if he wanna!

also I think Breakdown got the lowest stat in intelligence and rank than any other characters here.

This actually does explain how Breakdown could be killed so easily by Airachnid, honestly, since Airachnid got more than twice as much intelligence as him.

Well at least we know Knockout married him for true love.

And speaking of Knockout.

He’s SO WEAK!! 😂😂😂😂

Dude Knockout is an absolute LOOSER!! (At least according to the Japanese)

He LITTERALLY GOT 5 SKILLS, ENDOURANCE, AND 4 COURAGE!!

THAT IS ALMOST THE SAME ENDOURANCE AND ALMOST HALF THE COURAGE AS ARCEE (who is about only 1/2 of his body size btw) (his buff armours are just for shows) AND HALF THE SKILL OF RATCHET!!

HOW DID KNOCKOUT EVEN MANAGED TO BE A MEDIC!!

He is only a bit good on speeds. Now no wonder he loves racing ITS THE ONLY THING HE IS GOOD AT!! Bro litterally covers himself in makeups cause he’s too self aware 😂😂😂!

I wondered how he managed to lie so perfectly on his job resume.

And speaking of medics.

Ratchet is WAY better in everything than I expected.

He’s more than twice the medic Knockout would ever be.

He actually got EIGHT endurance which is surprising, cause that is only one star lower than Bulkhead!

The doctor might be old but he’s still got armors and bones as strong as boulders.

No wonder he kept getting beaten up in this serie but just got up fine and never snap his back once like my own grandpa after standing up from his chair.

Wheeljack on the other hand is also not bad at all.

He got 9 skills. I guess that’s what got him to be able to make all his terrorist toys.

Also it’s funny cause he’s only got 8 endurance, that’s 2 stars lower than Ratchet.

Could you just IMAGINE Wheeljack and Ratchet fist bumping as hard as they could but it was Wheeljack who ended up having to grab his fists in pain??

Also he only got 6 intelligence?? That’s honestly far lower than I excepted tbh. That is only one star higher than Bulkhead.

No wonder Ultra Magnus has such a bad time.

(it’s also funny how Arcee criticized Wheeljack for impulsively going to avenge Bulkhead when she herself is only like, one stat smarter, and does that with Airachnid on a daily basis (sure she didn’t drag any humans in but she is still barely better).

(Also by the way, speaking of Ultra Magnus, he doesn’t have a stat page unfortunately cause the Japanese TFP never got a season 3, it just ends at Optimus breaking the Alpha lock and that’s it, which means Ultra Magnus never appeared, and neither did Shockwave (beside that one Arcee flashback) and Predaking unfortunately).

Oh and the Dreadwing Skyquake twins are over powered.

Just look at them!

They are almost the exact same in stats except Skyquake got more endourance and Dreadwing got more fire power.! If Megatron had both of them at the same time they could just deep fry the Autobots in episode 10!

RIP Skyquake you had SO much POTENCIALS man. And to think that even the PRIME HIMSELF ALONE can’t take you out without major help from Bumblebee.

And speaking of Bumblebee.

HE MAXED OUT ON COURAGE.

Listen no one else in this whole list got courage 10 except Bumblebee.

Not Arcee, not Optimus, not Ratchet, not Smokescreen, and not even Wheeljack.

HE IS FERAL!!

Damn it man now thinking back I don’t think I recall a SINGLE MOMENT in the entire show, although it wasn’t obvious first time through, that Bumblebee actually considered for his own safety before doing anything. And it’s not even in an “I am willing to sacrifice my own safety for the greater good” way but a “Oh I’m gonna lose a leg for this but it’ll be nice? Sign me up!” Way! “Psyc link into Megatron? Count me in!” “Jump on top of Skyquake? You bet!” “Run straight toward Silas when you can litterally wait for 5 more minutes but then you can get your t cog back for five more minute earlier? I’m coming!!”

If it’s not for the fact that Bumblebee got a good dad that he’s happy to listen to he will be a bigger disaster than Wheeljack is.

The other kid, Smokescreen, is just a tad bit weaker. But he’s way better than I expected since he only just joined this war. (*cough cough* way better than Knockout).

However,

on the other servo.

Starscream is OVERPOWERED.

Bro has got EIGHT STRENGTH despite his skinny arms (same as Skyquake & Dreadwing), NINE SPEED (faster than Megatron), NINE FIREPOWER (same as Optimus) and TEN FRAGGING SKILLS (same as RATCHET)

Honestly. If it weren’t for the 3 courage, DUDE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE A CHANCE TAKING OVER MEGATRON!!! He

is

strong.

He honestly doesn’t even need the apex armour tbh! And there are countless times he got defeated probably only because he froze in fear or else he could have absolutely fought back and won!!

That 3 courage ruined him.

Also they don’t have Cliffjumper too and that is very unfair tbh cause Skyquake also appeared for only one episode but got his, and pretty unfortunate cause I really wanna see how strong exactly Cliff was before his death.

[tfp-is-my-lifeblood-lol]

I saw a Youtube comment talking about how, in the episode "Crosscross," Silas was able to track Jack's location and personal info via social media, so why didn't the Decepticons just do THAT all this time, so they could track the humans/Autobot base?

Then all the commenters agreed that it's because the CAPTCHA "I am not a robot" thing actually works on Decepticons, because they are, in fact robots.

I love this and it shall now be my crack headcanon.

(In all seriousness, I actually don't think it's a plot hole. I think it's a great example of the Decepticons' characterization.

The real reason Decepticons never tried social media tracking is because they're too proud to use human technology. To them, it's considered "inferior."

I'm fascinated by the idea that, if they hadn't underestimated human technology, they could have found all these Autobot secrets, like the location of their base and humans, EASILY. But they never bothered, because "oh, that's worthless human tech."

Keep in mind, in one episode, Starscream actually did explore the human internet, and almost located Bumblebee that way, but the others made fun of him for it (the tap-dancing monkey incident) so we can see they don't respect it enough to give it their time.

It also kinda shows how MECH, to some extent, has an advantage against the Autobots because they're all humans, and are therefore better aquatinted with Earth. Even Airachnid didn't realize social media would be a useful weapon until Silas explained it to her. The Decepticons are obviously more powerful since they're giant aliens, but MECH uses their humanity and Earth knowledge as their greatest strength. It's kinda neat.

[energon-depo]

WOOO HOO CHARACTER ANALYSIS TIME this is about how optimus sees smokescreen n jack :)

(btw this my first analysis) ANYWAYS LET'S GO

just a heads up this is a LONG LONG POST to get ready! also i HAVENT SEEN THE ENDING OF PRIME YET

okay remember when ratchet said "optimus wasn't always before he was a prime -he was more like jack" AND REMEMBER HOW HE GAVE HIM THE MARTIX KEY? yeah optimus's sees a lot of former self in jack. he CLEARLY DOES same with smokescreen! the first time we saw smokescreen we knew he was a strategist, and prime knew that aswell. when smokey told him he was under the guidance of prime's MENTOR? yeah optimus knew both of them were destined for great things. all they did needed was guidance and maturity. because BOTH did something stupid that was motivated by brashness, remember when Jack was beefing with a bully? he was being immature, BUT he apologized! he took fault for his actions! same with smokey, remember when he took jack(best bros) with him to a mission? yeah well he did and he was sorry! he even apologized to acree directly knowing he scared her the most with that stunt! he didn't even blame jack for going with(he could've, and jack would have gladly took the blame)BUT HE DIDNT! these two know when their wrong and will IMMEDIATELY backpedal if they hurt anyone of their family physically or emotionally! AND THIS IS WERE WE COME TO OPTIMUS! prime knows those two have their heart and spark in the right place, heck! smokey is literally destiny's child. prime REALLY REALLY REALLY sees his former self in these two. and he treated them as EQUALS to team prime not a human child, not a rookie soldier.(could also go for how he treats miko and raf aswell, he sees their potential. miko's high comparison for other's and raf's talent in tech) so when prime gave jack the "ground bridge key"(the matrix key thing), he was confident that jack will not only keep it safe but also figure out what to do with it when the time comes. if he'd given it to let's say acree she would've probably denied it, said ratchet is a better fit due to the fact she has knowledge about it's real purpose. the OTHER reason why he gave it to jack is because; he's a kid, a Human kid, he doesn't know it's real properties. his thoughts were "optimus gave me an important job to keep the ground bridge key safe, with me. I can't let him down" It's his first real solo task! heck he even said "shouldn't ratchet have this?" but prime assured him its his task to bare. as for smokescreen? prime was THIS CLOSE to giving him the matrix. when he was in the worst shape possible and losing hope, he's (nearly) dying words was bestowing smokey with the matrix. smokescreen kept refusing he CAN'T be a prime, if he was a prime that mean optimus is dead and he doesn't want optimus to die, he's his leader, his idol, his hero. he already went out of order with coming back, and he brought optimus the forge of solang(i think? i forgot it's name it the yellow hammer) he's train of thought was "get the hammer from the cons, give to prime, prime fixes himself and its all good!"when optimus told him "the hammer must be used to fix the omega locks -the life of one is not important as the lives of many"[paraphrasing]. smokescreen stuck with his gut, his original train of thought and his compassion for his (found)family. he went out of order again putting the hammer in prime's hand REFUSING that this is the end for Optimus prime. he was rewarded with ya know prime coming back and not dying and practically saving earth basically average day for the goat smokey. i would like to also mention when smokescreen was getting chewed out by acree, prime was trying to get her to stop(no hate towards the based queen acree btw she's awesome) and when smokey stormed off he let him leave, knowing he had some reflecting he needed to do. ALSO when jack backed down from team prime, he understood that, he was upset of course he gotten attached to those humans, but he respected his opinion and didn't force him at all.

Moral of the story prime is best dad, jack and smokey are bros4life and prime team is best family(cheers)

[kzele]

Just to say before I sign off for the night, Smokescreen's backstory is undergoing some changes in my new universe.

But thank you for finding my posts for him, I can hardly find anyone else who cares for him!!!

I know!!! He's so underrated with so much untapped potential for storylines. It's so weird when I see AUs of him being captured or beaten up easily because if he was untalented, he wouldn't have been put on missions so quickly. Like, if you want to have him be captured or bested in combat, give a reason for it. Like, "oh no Megatron is gonna shoot one of the team if I don't intervene." Don't do it to just overly-babify him.

Funnily enough, Smokescreen has a better track record than most of the team but I do NOT think he's a "Gary Stu". Honestly, I think it's because he doesn't have the emotional baggage or grudges that the majority of the team has. He's not rushing off for revenge against someone, doesn't have longstanding bitter rivalries, past friendships turned sour, or even an inflexible way of doing things that cause him friction. He hears Starscream has invulnerable armor and is wrecking scrap and he goes "oh we have a workaround right in base, imma get that now before I leave to fight."

The Autobots barring Smokescreen rarely used relics once they were acquired. Optimus used the Star Saber until it broke. Magnus used the Forge after it ran out of power and then until THAT broke at the hands of Predaking. Most of the other members barely touched anything until the season 2 finale. And his sneakiness kept the Shifter out of Con hands for most of the show. The one time he lost it in the show proper, he snagged it back.

[tfp-is-my-lifeblood-lol]

It gets even more interesting when you consider Arcee actually experienced the Cortical Psychic Patch before, during her flashback in "Out of the Past."

She had Decepticons invade her mind against her will, and was probably traumatized from that, which is why she never wanted to use it again.

Which makes it even sweeter that Bumblebee volunteered. Assuming he knew that story, he was probably like: "Hey, it's ok, Arcee. I know you've had bad a experience with the Cortical Psychic Patch. I'll do it instead."

Not to mention how, if Arcee had gone instead of Bumblebee, Megatron would have followed Arcee into HER mind, and SHE would've gotten possessed by Megatron instead of Bumblebee in "Out of His Head," and that would've been WILD.

I've always wondered what that would've been like, since Arcee can talk. Like, would she speak in her voice, or Megatron's?

This short exchange says so much about each of them.

Ratchet: I love Optimus, but my hatred for Megatron is bigger. Both blind me to any consideration for Arcee’s and Bumblebee’s safety.

Arcee: My love for Optimus is more important than Ratchet’s hatred for Megatron, but doubts about my safety make me hesitate.

Bumblebee: My love for Optimus is more important than Ratchet’s hatred for Megatron, and my safety.

In no way do I fault Ratchet for falling back on his hatred, or Arcee for falling back on self-preservation.

However, I wonder if either of them had any regrets after the fact…or if Optimus was conscious during the exchange, did it affect how he saw them?

[dailymothanon]

My TFP Soundwave ramblings (be warned cuz there are many words)

I was gonna draw today but the prospect of it felt overwhelming for some reason so instead I’m just gonna talk about TFP Soundwave’s alt mode (a UAV/ reaper drone) just cuz I was reading about it and I like how I could link stuff between how he is and how reaper drones are.

So basically, one of the first things I wanna mention is that reaper drones/UAVs are unmanned aerial vehicles (given the whole “drone” thing and what UAV even means) but to me that just sorta makes sense for Soundwave in regard to his more.. Unsettling, robotic/alien-like behavior and movements? As well as his silence and usual distance from the front lines and his lack of showing face/(social?) detachment from like everyone else other than Laserbeak (don’t ask, it just makes sense to me). Reaper drones were also made to work at first only in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles; but eventually additionally a hunter-killer role which you can kinda see in Soundwave’s character in the show (my best example is the scene where he retrieves Laserbeak from Ratchet, super cool creepy behavior from him, just waiting for something or someone to make any noise or any movement). When he has a mission, he’s most definitely getting it done, he stalks and lurks and takes action when the time is just Right; he’s very pinpoint accurate in Prime. 

Reaper drones were also made to provide “deadly persistence” capability, being able to fly over areas night and day waiting for a target to present itself, or to survey for LONG long amounts of time. Which to me correlates to how he’s able to stand still and do work and wait and listen and watch and do everything for So Long as he does in the show (and tolerate Starscream— or like everyone actually for so long 🙄). 

Reapers also utilize satellite communications for command and control (as in, they kinda literally have satellite dishes in them I think that’s what that is?), so that to me also easily parallels Soundwave's abilities with the space bridges and kind of his visor being computer-like as well (and that time he used an. Antenna satellite thing? To look for signals or whatever). They also use other multiple sensors to target and observe, which include optical (high resolution imagery for identification and target acquisition), infrared, and radar systems (enables the drone to locate and track targets regardless of weather conditions or visibility). Which imo links to how Soundwave is described as the “eyes and ears of the decepticons”.

They carry many weapons but I’m not really gonna get into that tbh cuz. Idk. Don’t wanna. Also TFP Soundwave doesn’t fight often anyways and when he does it’s mostly just straight hands (and data cables). And this is as far as my not the most accurate of ramblings most likely but just one I wanted to make because there’s just a Lot from so Little of TFP Soundwave I just love to think about it. Was I geeked out writing this? Maybe, so what 😒

[sublimati0ns]

daily koss #13: hot mess aka they’re bad at this aka I can’t even label this “low-effort” or “shitpost” anymore 🥲 … bsky

I imagine they both like and yearn for physical intimacy, but are insanely neurotic about it… I love them and I had fun colouring this/// (also I know I forgor KO’s arm decal I just got too lazy to draw it… I’m sorry for taking your drip king…)

[theangrycomet]

i love how it's an established part of Bulkhead's character to get attached to a tiny pigtailed menace who actively gets herself involved in the "cool" dangerous activities and gets him interested in Earth arts

it's like the cat-distribution system only with kid sisters/daughters

[fran4flan]

Mm, I had never considered it from that angle. I think I’m sold 🤔

REALLY MEGATRON REALLY!!!!🤬🤬🤬

[eashgirl]

You know something I enjoy about Skywarp's teleportation across different continuities is that it's rarely the same. The mechanics of his teleportation vary in nearly every continuity, and there are different limits to how it works. In G1, for example, it’s portrayed as a sharp purple flash, accompanied by a distortion of time and space, as Skywarp is able to teleport in an instant. Kind of confused why he doesn't use it that much.

The same appears to be the case in both IDW1 and Shattered glass.

In IDW2 it does appear to seem as though Skywarp can create portals to facilitate his teleportation, though this doesn't appear to be a necessity, as he can simply warp without forming a portal. In this continuity, his teleportation is depicted with a golden hue, and it leaves behind a trail of what looks like mystical smoke (or something similar) as he disappears. I kind of like how much he uses his teleportation in this continuity to be a menace not gonna lie.

In Skybound, Skywarp only uses his teleportation once, but it’s a pretty cool twist. Instead of just teleporting to another spot, he creates these mini portals or disks that stay in place. He then reaches through them to mess with Optimus. The teleportation has a green hue here, which makes for a pretty neat iteration of his powers because imagine if he can use it to just steal important weapons or stuff like that without even trying to move. On paper it's less riskier than actually teleporting there himself. And funnier ngl.

Then there’s Earthspark, where his- or her teleportation is really something..... In this version, her teleportation is ridiculously fast, almost like lightning itself. The whole thing happens so quickly that it looks like she literally transforms into lightning, streaking across the space with this red glow. It’s almost like she’s not even teleporting in the traditional sense; she’s just zipping through reality so fast that she becomes a bolt of lightning, visually it looks pretty great.

But at the same time something I love about giving a charecter a pretty overpowered ability like this is as usual it usually comes with a fair share of drawbacks. Or rules that pertain how it functions.

In the Aligned Continuity, or the pre canon TFP novels, Skywarp’s teleportation has this limitation. He has to plan out his destination at least five seconds before jumping, or else he could end up teleporting somewhere completely random, which could be pretty disastrous according to him. Starscream took advantage of this weakness to set him up,which ended up getting him killed. This version of Skywarp’s ability really relies on him being able to think ahead and stay grounded, because if he tries to teleport on the fly, he’s basically gambling with his own life

However, other continuities don’t seem to have this same limitation. For instance, in Earthspark, Skywarp is shown teleporting randomly to different locations within the span of just a second. Her limitation in this version, though, is that she can’t warp through solid objects, which means if she's trapped in a room with no way out—she’s effectively cornered.

Then there's IDW1 Skywarp—though I wouldn’t really call this a limitation- as this happened due to an incident rather than it always being inherently present, but when he gets stabbed by Arcee during a jump, he loses control over his physical form. He essentially becomes incorporeal, existing almost like a ghost, and has to struggle to keep himself anchored in reality. Messing with space time kind of does that I suppose.

IDW2 Skywarp went through something somewhat similar. He attempted to teleport all the way to Cybertron after he was banished, but ended up getting caught in unspace, where he was trapped for thousands of years. He eventually managed to latch onto Jumpstream and escape, only to be thrown right back into unspace in the end, low-key karma since he was pretty much just changing allegiances on merry whim just to have fun(valid), but also sucks for him. Honestly, a miracle he didn't completely lose his mind after all that time alone- then again he probably did. Unspace was to my knowledge mostly accessible by teleporters such as Skywarp and Jumpstream in this continuity.

So, the moral of the story is—teleportation is fun, but also kind of sucks, at least for Skywarp. Seriously, why are G1 and Earthspark the only shows where he actually gets to teleport? It’s literally in his name—just let him teleport already, I beg of you!

[rescuebabiesau]

Cybertron's Atmosphere

A bit of a lore inconsistency of the aligned series is whether or not Cybertron has an atmosphere capable of sustaining humans.

Transformers Prime indicates that the planet lacks a breathable atmosphere, as Jack has to wear a suit when he visits Cybertron to get access to Vector Sigma-

-and the Decepticons even use the kids for ransom, threatening to expose them to Cybertron's atmosphere if the Autobots don't comply (which wouldn't be a threat if they were able to breathe)

However, we do see at least one evidence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere in Rescue Bots Academy, when Medix brings his bat friend to Cybertron on a field trip and it causes some chaos.

So does it, or does it not?

Well, based on timing, I would say that Dead Cybertron definitely does not have a breathable atmosphere, which is the version the Prime humans encounter. However, perhaps prior to its "Death" before Prime's beginning, and following its reawakening at the end, it was able to produce enough oxygen for organics to visit it.

Plus, there's plenty of references in other continuities about Cybertron having green, organic origins...

Oxygen is also needed for typical rust to form, which is mentioned quite a bit throughout the series on top of the "Cosmic Rust" virus.

So ultimately, I think Cybertron has oxygen when it is active and healthy, so maybe the Prime kids could come back to visit it some time minus the death-trap of before.

[tfp-is-my-lifeblood-lol]

Can we talk about how TFP Arcee has a catchphrase, just Ratchet's "I needed that," "yep yep, yep," and "puh-lease!" Shockwave's "Logic" and Knockout's obsession with "luster" and his finish?

Like, am I wrong that Arcee constantly saying "it could be a trap" is a running joke? I feel like no one talks about that, which makes me sad because it's hilarious.

They even acknowledge it (I forget what episode, not gonna lie) when Arcee goes: "I know, I know, broken record, but...it COULD be a trap."

I just freaking love how Arcee thinks literally everything is a trap. And it's so justified, because 99% of the time, she's right.

[energon-depo]

Why I think Arcee and Smokescreen are peak duo material

(Note: This is all in a platonic sense!!! I see them as cool aunt and nephew!! like elita and bee in tfo!!)

this will be a half analysis on one episode in particular, with some other things that happen after. and why I think these two are swell together.

Okay now yes, Arcee Was a “hater”(emphasis on the quotes)of smokescreen at first and I’d like to analysis that, in the episode hard knocks(s2 E22) we got to remember smokescreen was brash ESPECIALLY in that episode.

“I’m going to be a great warrior someday, like Optimus” -smokescreen

“well, train hard, and gain some wisdom along the way and I’m sure It’ll happen” -bulkhead

“Oh, It will. It’s my destiny” -Smokescreen

Very, VERY confident, boarding on egotistical, actually. whiles yes Smokescreen is just a kiddo, very young and doesn’t grasp at the current WAR going. We gotta admit, he’s got it over his head(this is coming from the girl who’s favorite character IS smokescreen So there’s no way I hate him LOL)

as a refresher, bee and arcee go to find an Omega-key. To Smokescreen’s disgruntlement, as he REALLY wanted to do the mission(saying “last one to the ground-bridge must scrub the energon tanks for a week!”)

Arcee throws a jab at Smokescreen, saying “keep your engines idle, kid. Come bee, destiny awaits” which I personally think, It’s lighthearted :) Like ain’t no way arcee HATES his guts, she’s just messing!…But a lil too aggressive, Of course.

but after that interaction, action show does it’s thing with knockout BRUTALITY defending The key from the two autobots(with the help of Soundwave’s weapons he borrowed)the end result is victory on the Deception’s side.

after recouping, The team discuss what happened. and Smokescreen is a lil too zealous with his commentary on things.

“Man, it must’ve been crazy with knockout going all sonic. Oh I wish I’d been there! I would’ve-“

“Would’ve what? Recovered the key like you did the first one?”- Arcee

“maybe? who knows! I just want us to be firing on all cylinders! you know, now that the star saber’s gone! and I have a pretty good track record”- smokescreen, you can see he’s been VERY ignorant. Not to his blame, but you got to keep in mind, this kid Just showed up. being this “confident” about his abilities, especially after a CRUCIAL lost is something that will peeve anyone.

Arcee gives him this look, before promptly taking her battered frame and storming off.

again, no one here at fault. after that smokescreen feels remorse about if his words offended arcee, he clearly doesn’t mean to insult her. And arcee isn’t wrong or cruel for being upset!

(note: I freaking love these characters, wowie zowie such good emotions from looks and words!)

later on, Optimus finds another location for different omega-key. this time Bulkhead and smokescreen are in-charge in finding it.

smokescreen says “I’m gonna bring back that key” and warms himself up before entering the ground-bridge, upon noticing Arcee’s graze he slouches remembering the last interaction they had and leaves.

Arcee gets the attention of bulkhead to have a few words. she tells him “make sure you keep an eye on destiny’s child, okay?” a quant reminder, clearly from a place of concern. if she hated him, she would’ve been praying he’d get hurt.

But no, she’s concerned. she sees a kid in war far too eager for his own good.

“compared to watching miko? piece of cake” -bulkhead, funny quip and also a cute jab.

again, action show gotta action. this time dreadwing(remember him?) ambushes the two, smokescreen runs to get the key, while bulkhead distracts.

In the end, starscream actually shows up and steals the key from under smokescreen’s non-existent nose.

after rejoining the team, Smokescreen beats himself up on losing the key(to which is not at fault)

“some great warrior I’m turning out to be” -smokescreen

and now entering, arcee's very important statement.

“you still don’t get it do you?" she starts "a couple of victories aren’t going to make you a legend" talking about his first victory he's been bragging about "and not every mission results in success." he's current “fail” "Not for me, not for bee, not even for Optimus” targeting his idols, bee he's older brother(check project predacon s3 e5) and he's hero(check literally every-time smokey talks about him)

“we’ve gained relics, and we’ve lost some. we’ve also lost friends, we’ve even lost a world. but this one time we get a do-over." hammering in the stakes "we have a chance to bring back cybertron, and everyone in this room needs to be in-sync. this isn’t about you or your destiny” like it or not he NEEDED to hear this, he needs to focus. and if no one is going to step up and say it then arcee will.

Optimus interjects by saying “Arcee, you made your point” concerned at the rising tension.

to which Arcee Objects “Optimus, he needs to hear this” to assert her (aggressive)guidance to the young bot.

“you might actually become a great warrior one day, and I sincerely hope you do." A genuine wish"But greatness beings and ends wit putting the team first, not your personal scorecard” doubling down.

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you guys” smokescreen attempts to explain, to which arcee stops him “then stop trying to be a hero, and start being an autobot” THAT LINE was the finisher, and I really can’t find fault in that whole statement she said. yes she did sound aggressive, but how would he know?

would you rather someone like optimus? to tell him to his face he isn’t focused?

someone needed to tell him, and that someone Cared for him. if arcee hated him she would’ve have said any of that!

she would chewed him out with saying something like “you only care about yourself! about your stupid destiny! about nothing but your personal scorecard!” but no she doesn’t word it like that.

she sees him and the whole team as family(check THE FIRST episode)

she wants to guide him.

but is frustrated that he doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation.

she sees him like bumblebee, expect more people can understand him.(or jack, they have similar quirks)

she sees herself in him, and she doesn’t want him to fall into the traps she fell into(outcasting himself from the team, doing reckless missions alone, and thinking he can handle it)

she could’ve done it better, but stuff reached a boiling point that can’t be ignored.

after that, seeing everyone’s optics on him. smokescreen withdraws saying “You know what, maybe I’m just not good enough” and dashes out of the base.

(ratchet says “when Optimus says to stop, you should listen” which like gee ratchet thanks for the heads up gramps go back to playing candy crush)

Optimus stops bulkhead on getting him, allowing the young bot to get sometime to reflect.

sometime passed, and optimus finished finding the location on the key. turns out it was smokescreen was the location, and soundwave with lazerbeak get to him first.

entertaining episode inside job(s2 e23, my favorite episode actually!)

action show does it’s thing AGAIN. smokescreen managed to escape but is now in free-fall from leaving the ship.

He gets in-contact with ratchet to open a ground-bridge to save himself, to which Megatron thwarts his trajectory, failing the rescue.

“you missed!?” -Arcee

“open another one! fast!” -bulkhead

both of these two are barking orders at a stressed ratchet, because they Care that much(to the point of ignoring logic and letting their emotions control LOL)

after Smokescreen clever use of the phase-shifter, saving himself and returning the keys. he indulges in his victory.

“destiny! Alpha-trion Knew I’d keep it safe!” -smokescreen

(the GOOFIEST face to ever be seen)

“nice work, kid” -arcee

look me in the eyes/optics and tell me, TELL ME she hates him!!!! that’s a look of pride here!

later later on they have very brief interactions, but I can’t help but imagine them being pals!(especially since they’re both jack’s designated vehicles)

I can’t help but imagining these two having fun interactions with their love of quips, messing with jack, bee and bulkhead with lighthearted jabs. or making jokes on the expense of ratchet (“I bet He saw primus transform with his own two optics!”) but then they’ll look behind themselves and see ratchet staring at them and go “😰”

I’d like to think after the events of prime, these two (and wheeljack) they go on lil adventures together with their absence in RID15!

My headcanon is they took care of Airachnid on the moon of Cybertron(remember that? I Do!) and build something there.

or if he became a prime in season 3 she would’ve supported him in his grief, like what she did with miko(pushing down her own(since optimus went Bye bye) to help him express his emotions and focus on what’s important).

If they weren’t in a war, Smokescreen(and bee in extension)would’ve been Optimus’s kid and would be worrying about math exams with ratchet, instead of primus’s test he cursed him with💔

in conclusion, Arcee deeply cares for smokey and wants the best for him like a lil nephew. and Smokescreen sees her as a cool aunt!

[witchofthesouls]

I love the "humans into Cybertronians" trope, so we should have more work about the weirdness that's humanity, especially as an animal, and how it translates into their Cybertronian frame.

I mean, Earth is very much a Death Planet/Space Australia goes really well with the "Unicron is Earth" subplot. Might as well lean really into it.

Like tolerance to toxins and disease, so it's not just a wider range of possible substances to consume but even capable of figuring out how to prepare toxic ingredients into edible dishes that won't kill other Cybertronians as well as greater resistance towards certain pathogens as infectious disease a massive driving force when it comes to evolution. I think it would be fascinating to explore the effects of the genetic mutations transferring over, like how the very genes that increased survival with bubonic plague (Black Death) is capable of withstanding of the Cybertronian-equivalent, Rust Plague or Cosmic Rust. Funny enough, those mutations that allow that resistance to plague are also associated with developing autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

So now, more potential storylines for disabilities and how they're perceived between humans and Cybertronians, especially how each side approaches it.

Transformation capabilities are incredibly important to them. It's deeply entwined in their cultural/societal framework, so a cyberformed!human with no T-cog is the disability to them.

Look at the massive difference between Ultra Magnus losing a hand versus Starscream and Bumblebee losing their T-cogs; physical disabilities have workarounds or even straight-up fixes as long there are enough resources (Breakdown's eyepatch and Ultra Magnus' claw).

It doesn't matter the training or capabilities. Agent Fowler's military record and June Darby's medical experience would be considered secondary as they're severely handicapped and more vulnerable compared to them. Then there are other angles to utilize of the biological and cultural differences, especially with the popular fandom idea of sparklings and canon Functionism, so would it really be a huge surprise if those cyberformed!humans were coddled or infantilized since humans barely last a single year in a Cybertronian lifetime? That has to be beyond frustrating on so many levels.

And vice versa, like imagine a humanized Megatron gets taken out by celiac disease or being severely lactose intolerant?

[novafire-is-thinking]

While it’s definitely an intentional design choice on the part of the production team to make him more friendly, you bring up some excellent in-universe points!

Ratchet wasn’t originally a medic. He came online during the Age of Origins—a time in Cybertron’s history when bots had a bit more flexibility to choose who they wanted to become, and what work they wanted to do:

Among these was Ratchet, whom many of you will already have heard of, though it will surprise you to learn perhaps that Ratchet is a very old bot, who came walking to lacon across half the world, every step a pilgrimage from the primitive village of his origins to the citadel of self-improvement that he longed to find in lacon. And find it he did, for there was not a single arena of knowledge that was not already in development there. He came directly to the medical units and applied to be taken on as a student under the then-chief of surgery, Remedy. Thus he learned his trade, right from the infancy of science on our world, and took part in its development to the refined and exacting discipline that it is today. (from The Covenant of Primus)

As for the Age of Origins specifically, these are the circumstances Ratchet was “born” into:

The surviving Cybertronians are quick to rebuild their wounded world. In the era that follows, many small settlements and villages form as protection from marauding warlords and barbarian armies. (TFwiki)

Ratchet’s hands appear to be good for manual labor, which would have been important for survival at the time. It’s possible he at least had some combat training, in case he had to take up arms and defend his village. If I recall correctly, Ratchet never uses a blaster once in the entire show. He only fights with his blades, and, like you said, he’s good at it. This makes sense if that’s what he trained with in his younger years, before anyone knew what a blaster was.

When it comes to Ratchet’s attachment to his tools, that can be explained by the fact that the lack of resources makes tools difficult-to-impossible to replace. However, it’s definitely possible that it’s also due to his hands not being the best for meticulous medical and mechanical tasks.

That’s where Raf’s help comes in, like you said.

Even though Ratchet has gotten by just fine with whatever he has, I’m sure it was nice for him to have extra small hands to help every now and then.

Raf’s hands are too small to be able to operate Cybertronian computers as they are, but he had no problem linking up his laptop and taking things from there on more than one occasion.

Overall, I like the speculative additions. I don’t think of Ratchet often, but you’ve given me at least one idea to work with in a future story of mine.

Transformers: Prime Decepticons - Hands

So, I was looking at hands, as one does when they’re bored, and I noticed a few things:

Every single ‘Con has claws, except Soundwave and Breakdown.

Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, Dreadwing, Skyquake, Knockout, and Airachnid have 5 fingers.

Soundwave, Breakdown, Insecticons, Predaking, Darksteel, and Skylynx have 4 fingers.

Vehicons only have 3 fingers.

Predacon claws are flawless in form and aesthetic.

While I know Soundwave has spindly fingers for practical reasons, it’s the perfect symbolic representation of how he declawed himself for the sake of the Cause, giving up much of his power to follow Megatron.

Kudos to the character designers for crafting each Decepticon’s hands to match their function:

Megatron, Dreadwing, Skyquake: Sharp and wide for various combat situations

Soundwave: Thin and straight for work with computers and tech

Starscream: Light and “bony,” perfect for a flight frame

Shockwave, Knockout, and Airachnid: Sharp and delicate for scientific and/or medical work

Breakdown: Wide and blunt for brute force attacks

Vehicons: Useless

Insecticons: Wide and curved for digging and slashing

Predacons: Sharp with additional armor plating for evisceration (help I love this word so much)

The Autobots could only dream of having hands this masterfully crafted ✨

[mochifiction]

As someone who agrees with a decent amount of the pre-war Decepticon party’s views in certain continuities, some of y’all new fans are starting to piss me off with your belief that D-16 was correct in Transformers One. As someone who does a lot of community organizing and writes on sociopolitical theory vs. practice, especially within the context of the anti-colonial struggle (as well as the Black struggle simultaneously or separately depending on the context), a lot of the reasons you all choose to support D-16 and diss on Orion are actually obscene and you need to crack open a book. I normally don’t like shoving theory in people’s faces, as I think that it comes with a pedantic demeanor that relies on belittling people and feeding a moral superiority complex amongst academics. However, this is one of the cases where I think a lot of people truly need to take the time to read into why D-16’s emotions and initial reactions are valid, but the decisions he makes in providing solutions are wrong. That being said, I will be writing a paper on D-16’s fall from grace in conversation with Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed,” because a lot of the ways in which Freire discusses how the oppressed become their oppressors in the name of liberation, which is no fault of their own in some areas, is relevant to D-16’s transformation into Megatron. A lot of you are thinking with a more pathos-based means of societal change without thinking about realism, practicality, and actually analyzing D-16’s character and why he does what he does. It is more so an attempt at self-preservation and closure from embarrassment (specifically from taking the bait and living as a conformist) than an actual attempt at political change. I also encourage new fans to get more acquainted with Transformers continuities to better round their perspectives, as a lot of this is turning into the “Killmonger was right” discourse, which is problematic for a lot of reasons as a Black scholar who discusses Blackness, representation, and political discourse often in their writing. Seeing these really bad takes spread online, not only hurts how people interact with Transformers media in the future, but arguably indicates a rise of certain short-sighted political philosophies that translate directly into activism.