Transformer War For Cybertron Trilogy Earthrise is now streaming on Netflix and while this title feels longer than the series itself but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to unpack from it. Throughout this post, we’re gonna be breaking down our thoughts on its story, ending, and what we can expect in Part 3 which we now know is titled Kingdom.
Obviously, there will be Heavy Spoilers here so if you haven’t had a chance to check out the series yet then I highly recommend that you check out now.
First Chapter Recap
The first chapter Siege saw the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as both sides tried to race to get the Allspark. At the end of the season, Optimus Prime threw it into the Spacebridge which hurtled it across the universe in a moment that was very, well if I can’t play with the ball no one can.
Using the Ark that was supposed to take him and the rest of the Autobots away from Cybertron he journeyed into the bridge with a small sect of soldiers whilst other ones remained on the planet and they become some key characters in the entry.
The Spacebridge itself actually exploded and though it seemed like the main characters might be dead, all the Optimusts…ey…held out hope. Thankfully the post-credits scene revealed that they were indeed still alive though where exactly they were was unknown.
I know some of you just wanna learn about the ending rather than having a full recap so I’ve left that timestamped in the video in case you wanna jump ahead.
The Quintessons
Anyway as we predicted last time, The Quintessons sort of play a big role in the entry and we watch as a group of mercenaries hired by them end up rescuing the Autobots.
This is a big told you so for everyone who said I was wrong last time but ey…there was a toyline so I’m not even that smart I just know how to use Google. Now in case you don’t know, The Quintessons are actually an ancient race that is known as Galaxy Wide traders and businessmen. They possess advanced technology and travel the universe looking for life forms to deal with so it does make sense that they just happen upon the Ark.
This sets up the key storylines with the Autobots which sees them trying to locate the Allspark and retrieve it so they can help their allies back home. That kinda ties into the next focus which centres on Alita-1 who remained on Cybertron at the end of Seige. She’s pretty much stepped into the shoes of Optimus Prime and leads the resistance.
Leaving Cybertron
Now the old phrase is ‘Decepticons Keep on Decepticonning’ and we discover that Megatron has been putting both the Autobots and his allies in prison camps. Realising that Cybertron is a dying world he has decided that the best way to survive is to vacate the planet and you very much get the strategist side of him in this season rather than simply being a ruthless dictator.
Early on we discover that he has been harvesting the spark from both Autobots and Decepticons to power a ship known as the Nemesis. He even altered the fighting arena into a giant laboratory and this idea of something once filled with action and entertainment being made into something more cerebral actually reflects the storyline itself.
The Dark Lord heads up his own Empire, tries to get the protagonist to join his side and though he could be seen as evil cares only for his race’s survival which makes him a really compelling villain. The Star Wars comparisons don’t stop there either.
Star Wars Similarities
Because we know this is a trilogy you kinda go into the mindstate that this will leave a lot of things up in the air and it certainly feels like a middle chapter throughout. I hate the phrase “it’s the empire strikes back of blah blah blah” so I’ll use a better one…it’s the Attack Of The Clones Of the series and by that I mean it’s far more grounded than the first episode and instead of all-out action it focuses on character development and the key characters going on their own arcs in their own groups.
Ey ey that’s The Empire Strikes Back.
Now I don’t wanna FORCE the Star Wars comparisons anymore but if Alita-1 and co are the Han Solo’s of the story then Optimus Prime is very much the Luke Skywalker.
Deeseus
Captured by Doubledealers Mercenaries they are taken before Deeseus who operates in the shadows as one of the villains in the entry. I love how they referred to him as the breaker of Shackles and I dunno if that’s a reference to Daenerys in Game Of Thrones becoming the big bad but it was appreciated. Like Dany, it freed a lot of lifeforms such as the Autobots and Decepticons so that they would not have to live lowly lives. However, they rose up against the Quintessons and Deeseus very much wants to get revenge for what it sees as an act of betrayal.
Now what I always loved about the design of this character is the fact that it’s pretty much a living council that has to deliberate over decisions. This allowed for multiple personalities to come forth and made for some excellent dialogue scenes, however, we don’t really catch the character in its Prime ey? and pretty early on the dominant personality takes control.
Now like Deeseus this had me split and I wish they’d not had the other characters head off so early as I’d been looking forward to their appearance for a while. I get how this idea of one person making all of the decisions instead of democratically was reflected in Megatron but I’m not sure if it was completely the right decision.
The main one is pretty fun to watch though so I can’t complain too much.
Escape to Find the Allspark
Now after turning down Megatrons offer, Alita-1 and co escape as does Optimus from Deeseus. After being helped out by the mercenaries they flee to find the Allspark. They’re forced to travel to a stalled space bridge in the Nebulon system which has a space station keeping it open. This Mary Celeste-esque star cruiser is completely abandoned all but for Scorponok.
This fan favourite actually hails from generation one and it was binary bonded to Lord Zarak who was the leader of a faction of Nebulons. Scorponok is actually a triple changer that can alternate between a giant scorpion which is how we are first introduced to the character, a giant and a Defense base.
We only really see the Scorpion and default form but I just thought I’d add that in to be as informative as possible.
Decepticons Catch Up
After tracking the ark through what seems like the help of Doubledealer, the Decepticons arrive just as Optimus is about to blow the station and as always it’s amazing seeing the two opposing leaders face off against each other. This fight made me realise that they want the same thing and though they view rule and order differently, all both want is for their people to live no matter what.
Both have regrets and they actually have quite a good exchange in the aftermath of their fight which cements that both are pillars of their societies, opposite ends of the spectrum that create a necessary balance.
Through Scroponok we discover that the Quintessons ruled over him and his people and that they controlled them with an iron fist. Scorponok sees the Decepticon and Autobot war as being nothing but a game for the Quintesson and this sets up the latter part of the series.
It ends with the Autobots and Decepticons arriving above Earth before they’re ambushed by Deeseus and they crash land on the planet.
Here we watch as Dinobot discovers the ark and this obviously hints toward a lot of things going forward.
The Matrix
Now to fully discuss this, we have to talk about one of the big flashbacks of the series.
There is a point where catch Alpha Try-on and Sky Lynx fighting for The Matrix and the former banishes the latter to dead space. This is similar to the original run in which he was cast out and like that the character has gone on an inner journey in which he has conquered his own demons. His opposition to Trion is of course mirrored in Optimus and Megatron and through him, we discover that the Matrix is within Optimus. Believing that the bearer of the Matrix is the key to saving Cybertron he helps the group and Megatron also discovers Galvatron who very much acts as a guide for the antagonist.
Now Megatron and Galvatron are very much one and the same with the latter being what I’d consider the future version of the character in many respects.
There’s very much a reflection of the good guys and villains having their own people from the who want to guide the next generation down a certain path and this introspective look at what’s come before and what arguably feels like the most human part of the season.
I actually believe that we see the end of their arcs played out here and I think that in Kingdom, when Optimus gains the Matrix back that he will see how corrupting it is once more.
Sky Lynx stated that he will have a choice and I think that the Matrix will corrupt him even further but that he will fight against this and eventually succumb to what it does.
Sky Lynx says he must either allow the Matrix to find its next path and sacrifice himself or usher in a darker future.
New Identities
Now doing the first choice will allow for an alternate version of him to step forth. Much in the same way that we were introduced to Galvatron, I think that Optimus could emerge in a new form and this could be why Megatron calls him Orion.
Now Orion was before Optimus and the chronology is off a bit on that when compared to the original run I know but personally, I think this idea of dual identities is hinting toward things coming down the line.
Now I’m not gonna put my Amazon Prime on it being Orion instead of Optimus but obviously let me know if you think he will take on a different version.
Now we know that Megatron needs to become Galvatron at some point and I think the Matrix may actually be the key to this. We’ve already seen how it changed Optimus and made him give into his darker side so when coupled with Megatron who knows what’s gonna happen.
Again I know that’s sort of different to what’s come before but those are sort of where I see things going.
Different Timelines
Now Galvatron clearly comes from a timeline in which he is a slave to Unicron who I believe will become the big bad of Kingdom. In case you don’t know, this planet-sized machine is actually a supervillain that has appeared in many Transformer timelines and he should be seen as sort of a God. Unicron can devour realities and it brings chaos wherever it goes. Thus I think the new forms of Optimus and Galvatron may have to combine to take it down.
Now in the original timeline, Megatron is clearly lost but this journeying of his past shows that he wants to prepare his younger self for what is to come.
He instils this idea of hatred further into Megatron and thus he may destroy Unicron before he ever comes to power.
Galvatron also passes forward the Golden Disk which is a very important object in Transformer lore. This carries a message on it not only about Earth but it’s also the key to unlocking Transwarp technology.
Season Ending
The season ends with us seeing Dinobot and in the Beast Wars animated show, he was actually part of a group of Predacons that stole the Golden disk. This was their mission and I kinda have a feeling that in the first timeline they succeeded. This disk was then likely given to Megatron which is why he was able to take it and then pass it to his past self.
Now, this is a lot of timey whimey wibbly wobbly stuff but by my count, that means that there are two disks in the past, the first one and then the one from the alternate timeline in which it was given to Megatron.
We know from the future version that he does eventually get it but him handing it over to his past self means that he never needs to send Dinobot which…yeah…creates an alternate timeline.
I’m as lost as you are.
However, this does leave room for Dinobot to question what side he’s on and I think that similar to the Beast Wars Animated series that he will switch sides because of this alteration.
What Can We Expect from the Next Part?
Now the synopsis that we have for Kingdom states:
“Worlds collide when the Maximals and Predacons join the fight, coming together with the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle that will alter their destiny forever.”
This not only hints at the Predacons and Maximals being a big part of it but the word alters also signifies to me that things are going to change a lot.
We have already got leaked toys for the next season which show the characters in their beast wars form including Optimus Primal and more. So this idea of altered states is further coming through but whether we have time to do another switch I don’t know.
Now I actually think that the show will go beyond the trilogy and after the War, For Cybertron one ends, we will get a new one that carries on from it though that is still unannounced. I think this is where Galvatron will be dropped and so on as next season will probably be too tight to introduce it along with the beast wars stuff.
I know some of these theories probably sound a bit off but clearly, things are changing and stepping back and looking at everything that’s what makes the most sense to me.
Review
Now as for the show itself, I did really enjoy it and I think so far they’ve done a great job of rebooting the franchise.
I love the way that they’re pulling Beast Wars into it too and this feels like a complete and concise collection of the Chronology.
Though the characters on Cybertron kinda got put on the backfoot I still feel like this entry did a lot in terms of character development and I’m really hyped to see what happens next time.
The last series dropped in August so it won’t be too long before we get the next one and if it was here before the summer I think that would be amazing.
Anyway, this was great and I’m scoring it an 8/10
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