Transformers changed Optimus Prime to avoid copying a devastating decision 38 years later

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Transformers One.

While Transformers one has been touted as one of the best adaptations in the Transformers franchise, the film still contains key differences to the source material that change the story of the characters and the direction of the story. Tells the story of Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) before they become Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively, Transformers one has enjoyed a broadly positive critical reception. With the tumultuous history of the theater Transformers Releases, changes are likely to cause some controversy, but the alterations to Transformers One’s History has been widely accepted.

Many of these changes were made for the sake of telling the story, for the movie to feel like a complete experience without the need to understand the backstory to the broader Transformers Timeline. However, many of the changes are likely to be aimed at Avoid the same reactions that Transformers: The Movie (1986) evidenced by some of its viewers When it was first released; Specifically around the backlash to the death of Optimus Prime.

Optimus Prime’s origin in Transformers One does not include him dying

Orion Pax wasn’t killed outright in Transformers One

In the original Transformers G1 continuity, Orion Pax is not simply Optimus Prime – he needs to be rebuilt as the great hero. He had an unfortunate chance encounter with Megatron, III Orion Pax was killed by the Decepticons For trying to stop him from stealing the energy he was guarding. His body is brought to Alpha Trion, who takes the parts of Orion Pax and combines them with the Matrix of Leadership to create a new Transformer, who is then given the name Optimus Prime.

This origin is different from Transformers oneLike Orion and D-16 were close friends before they even became Optimus and Megatron. While the two characters have to clash with each other by the end of the movie, Transformers one Different in how the story comes to this point, Opt not to have Orion Pax killedBut instead just have him killed before he officially becomes the best Prime the audience knows.

Transformers couldn’t kill Optimus Prime again after Transformers: The Movie

Young Transformers fans will not have to relive the trauma

While Transformers one And Transformers: The Movie (1986) exist in completely different universes under completely different circumstances, Transformers one Wanted to avoid creating the same situation that the original animated film did when it killed Optimus Prime. Early in Transformers: The MovieDuring a fierce battle with Megatron, Optimus Prime is mortally wounded, giving his matrix to Ultra Magnus Before he succumbed to his wounds and died. Unlike what many would expect from a show aimed at younger audiences, this isn’t a fake-out or a misdirection – Optimus is truly gone.

Killing off the main, beloved character of a cartoon understandably devastated the audience, especially younger viewers. Children who see their favorite cartoon character on Saturday morning brutally killed in an act of violence stuck with many people for a long time, and Transformers one Wanted to avoid filling his younger audience with the same sense of dread. The movie is keen to ensure that his younger audience thoroughly enjoys their time with the film, helping to earn Transformers one Widespread acclaim.

Optimus Prime’s new origin sees him reborn in Transformers One

Orion Pax still transforms into Optimus Prime

Even if Orion Pax wasn’t killed outright in transformers one, The filmmakers still ensure that Optimus Prime is not just Orion Pax with a new coat of paint. He is reborn as a new TransformerWithout telling the same story as the previous murders. In the climax of the movie, Orion Pax is thought to be dead after Megatron drops him, similar to the way he was killed at Old Age Transformers Media. However, he was brought back by the spirits of the Primes, not as Orion Pax, but as Optimus Prime, reborn as the ultimate savior of Cybertron.

This new beginning for the character still retains the heart of his story, where A simple worker turned into the hero Optimus PrimeWithout the baggage of showing a bunch of children their favorite character’s death. Orion Pax still technically meets its end, however Transformers one shows that without having to resort to actually killing the character, and the film still gets the best of both worlds, in a gripping story about a character’s transformation that still allows viewers of all kinds to enjoy it, all while leaving room for a hope Transformers one Sequel.