Transformers One's Sentinel Prime Defined: Backstory, Plan, and Powers

Warning: There are spoilers forward for Transformers One.

Transformers One is primarily the origin story of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16/Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), but it surely additionally explores different distinguished Transformers, together with Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm). Though he hasn't been within the franchise so long as Optimus Prime and Megatron, Sentinel Prime nonetheless has a wealthy historical past and has appeared in lots of mediums lengthy earlier than his depiction within the earlier animated movie.. Its inclusion in Transformers One additional cements its vital place within the franchise's historical past.

As is the case in a few of his earlier portrayals, Sentinel Prime's true motivations and his altering allegiances within the prequel drive a lot of the story. Regardless of his origins as an Autobot, he isn't merely an Autobot, nor merely a Decepticon, and as an alternative has a extra sophisticated position within the Transformers One and in different earlier tales. The most recent movie within the franchise makes him an antagonist, and it's not the primary time his character has adopted this narrative trajectory.

Sentinel Prime's Transformers story defined

There have been many iterations of his character

Sentinel Prime was first talked about in concern #65 of Marvel's Transformers comicslaunched in 1990. This primary point out established him as a significant determine in Autobot historical past, because it referred to the truth that he possessed the Matrix of Management earlier than Optimus Prime. Sentinel is usually portrayed because the chief of the Autobots earlier than Optimus. Within the years that adopted, Sentry gained additional notoriety as he appeared in numerous media retailers over the following few years, together with his position within the Animated Transformers collection, which noticed him come into battle with Optimus.

Its live-action debut got here in 2011 Transformers: Darkish of the Moonvoiced by Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy, who voiced Galvatron in 1986 The Transformers: The Film. With Sentinel betraying the Autobots and siding with the DecepticonsNimoy as soon as once more expressed a Transformers villain. After Darkness of the Moon and earlier than Transformers OneSentinel continues to seem in lots of tales, together with his roles in The Transformers: greater than meets the attention comedian collection and Transformers: Battle for Cybertron online game.

Sentinel Prime's Plan in Transformers One Defined

He's allied with the Quintessons

In Transformers OneSentinel Prime is the chief of town of Iacon. Regardless of the hardships many voters of Iacon Metropolis face as a result of Energon scarcity, Sentinel is broadly revered, partially due to his standing because the final Prime, and retains the inhabitants distracted with the Iacon 5000 race. Sentinel is donating a lot of the mined Energon to the villainous Quintessons in alternate for permitting him to rule town of Iacon.

With out the Matrix of Management, solely a finite quantity of Energon might be recovered, leaving the Sentinel struggling to satisfy the Quintessons' calls for. This led him to strip the working lessons, together with Orion and D-16, of their transformation gears, and have them mine Energon. He deliberate proceed manipulating the working lessons and handing over Energon to keep up their energy. He perpetuated lies concerning the seek for the Matrix of Management to supply false hope and as one other technique to maintain the lots distracted.

Why Sentinel Prime betrayed the Primes in Transformers One

He wished energy and glory for himself

When Orion, D-16, Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson), and B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key) journey to the floor of Cybertron, they uncover that Sentinel Prime isn't the benevolent chief they believed him to be, and in As a substitute, that they had. betrayed the Elder Primes way back. He wasn't even a Prime and solely anointed himself with this title after luring the actual Primes right into a entice and killing all of them. Sentry betrayed the Primes as a result of he wished their energy for himselfand he didn't agree with how they selected to steer Cybertron.

He tried to take the Matrix of Management for himself as nicely, however she rejected him as a result of he was unworthy of its energy and never a real Prime. With nobody left to problem his authority, he grew to become Sentinel Prime, and for generations, all The Transformers have been led to imagine that the Primes died instantly by the hands of the Quintessons and that the Management Matrix had been misplaced. This betrayal couldn't turn into public information, as it could destroy the facade that the Sentinel had cultivated, which ended up being his undoing.

Sentinel Prime's powers in Transformers One

He's a formidable particular person

Not like Orion, D-16, Elita-1, B-127 and the remainder of the working class, Sentinel Prime's transformation gear has not been eliminated in Transformers One. This permits him to remodel into a variety of varieties, which he makes use of for present when making a grand entrance earlier than the beginning of the Iacon 5000 race and in fight when dealing with Optimus, Megatron, and others who insurgent in opposition to him. One other helpful characteristic is its wings, which permit it to fly in its numerous varieties.

Past transformation and escape, Sentinel wields a strong sword and has superior bodily power. It was with this sword that he slaughtered a lot of the Elder Primes and why he was capable of overpower them past his subterfuge. He additionally has superior sturdiness, however is actually not invincible, as Megatron finally ends up killing Sentinel throughout Transformer Oneis ending. Sentry is highly effective, however with out the Matrix of Management, he has by no means been as highly effective as he would really like.

How Transformers One's Sentinel Prime Compares To Darkish Of The Moon

They play the identical narrative position

In Transformers OneSentinel is allied with the Transformers' sworn enemies, the Quintessons, whereas Darkness of the MoonSentinel is secretly aligned with the Autobots' enemies, the Decepticons. Sentinel kills the Elder Primes in Transformers One and kills Ironhide in Darkness of the Moon and believes these murders are justified. Each betrayals are preceded by Sentry presenting himself as a clever and skilled chief. Darkness of the Moon later, Optimus and Megatron unexpectedly labored collectively to defeat Sentinel.

Megatron is the one murderer in Transformers Onewith Optimus even sacrificing himself in an try to forestall Megatron from making a darkish selection. Nimoy and Henry ship distinct voice performances, with the previous sounding worthy of an historical chief, whereas the latter belongs to a younger man who's simply starting to embrace his future. There may be additionally a big distinction of their visible aesthetics, with Transformers OneThe film Sentinel is blue, silver, and gold, and the live-action Sentinel is crimson and silver. Nonetheless, each Sentinels are finally villainswho place their very own wishes above what's morally proper.

The place Sentinel Prime Ranks Amongst Transformers Film Villains

Transformers One villain isn't Optimus Prime's strongest or iconic foe

As highly effective as Transformers villains go, Sentinel Prime is indisputably a power to be reckoned with. Each Transformers One and Darkness of the Moon highlighted how a lot of a menace Sentinel Prime might be and the vital position he performs in Transformers canon and the start of the eventual struggle between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Nonetheless, as highly effective because the villain Sentinel Prime is, he's removed from probably the most formidable enemy confronted by Optimus Prime and the opposite protagonists of the Transformers universe. He's additionally removed from probably the most iconic.

With regards to probably the most highly effective villain in Transformers, Unicron arguably takes the highest spot. Most just lately showing in 2023 Transformers: Rise of the Beasts after being a staple of the franchise for the reason that 1984-1987 days Transformers animated TV collection, Unicron is a transformer the dimensions of a planet (and takes the form of 1). Unicron is actually a Cybertronian god by way of energy degree. As sturdy as Sentinel Prime is Transformers One and Darkness of the Moon, he actually doesn't come near matching how a lot of a menace Unicron poses to the Autobots (or, certainly, the remainder of the universe).

There's additionally a powerful argument that Megatron can be extra highly effective than Sentinel Prime, relying on the iteration. Though this was not the case in Transformers One, Different depictions of Megatron later within the Decepticon chief's life present him to be on par with many Primes, together with Sentinel and Optimus. Nonetheless, the comparability right here is extraordinarily depending on the particular model of Megatron. Though it may be stated that Megatron is extra highly effective than Sentinel Prime in some Transformers films and TV reveals, in others it's clear that the Decepticon boss could be no match for the Sentinel.

Nonetheless, energy ranges are only one facet to think about. By way of iconic villain, Sentinel Prime is on the decrease finish of the dimensions in Transformers universe. The truth is, it's honest to say that Transformers One and Darkness of the Moon put Sentinel Prime within the highlight in a means that different items of Transformers the media by no means did. So far as infamy goes, Megatron is arguably probably the most acknowledged villain in Transformers, with the likes of Unicron, Starscream and Galvatron following on their heels.

Though he was an incredible villain in Transformers One, There's additionally an argument that the animated movie went fairly in-depth Transformers custom to search out its important antagonist. Though the 2024 prequel to Transformers undoubtedly helped Sentinel Prime turn into extra well known as one of many franchise's villains (particularly in comparison with Darkness of the Moon), he was not an antagonist whose popularity preceded them for many viewers.