In 2020, Hasbro Entertainment and Paramount Animation worked together to produce a long awaited prequel to the Transformers franchise: Transformers One (2024).
After the release of the 1984 show, the world of Transformers evolved from a toy commercial to the globally loved phenomenon it is now revered as. Transformers One is a stand-alone work with no direct relations to other media within the continuity, although takes inspiration from the original 1980 show and movie.
Following famed characters Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry), Transformers One shows the backstory of these characters, displaying their growth into the personalities we know and love. As low-caste miners, Orion Pax and D-16 have dreams of choosing their own paths and discovering the world otherwise blocked off to them. Despite this unideal situation, both hold a pride for their jobs and a love for their leader, Sentinel Prime. In an attempt to earn his favor, Orion and D-16 are joined by B-127 (Keegen Micheal-Key) and Elita (Scarlett Johansson) on a journey to discover the lost Matrix of Leadership.
Unknown to them, this journey starts the chain reaction that will lead to the war the Transformers franchise is known for. With the reveal of a lie hidden for generations, Orion and D-16 wished to expose the truth and save their home. However, the friends held different ideals on how the situation should be handled: Orion fought for peaceful action, while D-16 wanted to take the course of violence. This disagreement sparked the “heartbreaking” destruction of their friendship and triggered the start of a millennia long war.
With the beautiful art style and engaging plot, One has been credited with “revitalizing” the Transformers franchise. TF:One has managed to take a famed story and create something unique while staying true to the original story. Despite poor advertising leading to lower viewership, Transformers One has gained many high ratings, labelled as “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 88%. These high ratings from many long time and new fans has inspired producers to tease plans for future sequels following the war’s progression.
