Transformers: Rise of the Beastsis finally in theaters, kicking off anew trilogythat issupposed to reboot theTransformerscinematic universe. As expected, the movie features some fan-favorite robots in disguise, including Optimus Prime (voiced byPeter Cullen) and Bumblebee. However, to breathe fresh air into the franchise,Rise of the Beastsalso marks the cinematic debut of two Transformers factions, the Maximals and the Terrorcons, each with its fair number of warriors. Finally, there are a few new Autobots added to the mix. With so many new and returning characters, it can be overwhelming to remember what each Transformer is fighting for. So, now thatRise of the Beastsis available let’s break down the movie’s main factions and explain who each Transformer is.
The Autobots
The heroes of theTransformerscinematic universe remain the Autobots. For those needing a reminder, the Autobots are honorable warriors who fought to save their home planet Cybertron from the tyranny of the Decepticons, their sworn enemies. Most of the stories in theTransformersfranchise revolve around the never-ending war between Autobots and Decepticons, butRise of the Beastsdoesn’t feature those classic enemies. Still, the fan-favorite heroes return to protect Earth from a new cosmic threat, a planet-devouring Transformer known as Unicron (voiced byColman Domingo).
As expected, the leader of the Autobots inRise of the Beastsis Optimus Prime. Prime is the one who sends Bumblebee to Earth in the 1980s, during the events of 2018’sBumblebee. His goal was to use our tiny blue planet as a refuge for Autobots, where they could regroup before returning to Cybertron to fight the Decepticons. However, while Bumblebee manages to establish Earth as an Autobot base,Rise of the Beastsreveals the faction has been stranded on our planet for seven years.
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Joining Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are Arcee (voiced byLiza Koshy) and Mirage (voiced byPete Davidson). Arcee is known for taking the shape of motorcycles and had a brief cameo in the introduction scene ofBumblebee, where she fought alongside Optimus Prime in Cybertron. In theMichael Bayera of theTransformersCinematic Universe, Arcee has also appeared inTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Mirage favors expensive vehicles as his alternate form, and inRise of the Beasts, he shows up as a Porshe. In the Bay era, Mirage’s only appearance in the Bay era happened inTransformers: Dark of the Moon.
As the movie unfolds, the Autobots will also get two additional backups. First, we have Stratosphere (voiced byJohn DiMaggio), who transforms into a carrier plane and help the Autobots to travel around the world. Then, there’s Wheeljack (voiced byCristo Fernandez), who takes the shape of a van to spread peace and love whenever he goes.Rise of the Beastsmarks the first cinematic adventure of Stratosphere, while Wheeljack had a cameo inBumblebee.
Unicron and the Terrorcons
While the Decepticons are nowhere to be seen inRise of the Beats, Optimus Prime and his Autobots will still have to fight for their lives after the Terrorcons come to Earth. In the movie, the Terrorcons are elite warriors controlled by Unicron, a Transformer so powerful that he’s often described as a dark god. Unicron needs to devour planets rich in Energon to fuel himself. However, since Unicron is bigger than a planet, he needs the Transwarp Key to travel and find new targets to satiate his hunger. The Transwarp Key is an artifact capable of creating portals in space and time.
Unicron has the power to corrupt other Transformers' souls, and he uses this power to keep a short leash on his Terrorcons, brutal warriors who do the bidding of their dark master. Leading the Terrorcons in the search for the Transwarp Key is Scourge (voiced byPeter Dinklage), who likes to take trophies from his victims and add them to his armor. Scourge travels to Earth with Nightbird (voiced byMJ Rodriguez) and Battletrap (voiced byDavid Sobolov). Nightbird looks like a ninja wielding double swords, can fly, and turns into a jet plane. Battletrap disguises himself as a construction vehicle, using heavy weights to overthrow his enemies.
The Maximals
The final faction of Transformers introduced inRise of the Beastsis the Maximals. These Transformers come from a distant planet where there were no vehicles. So, they take the shape of giant metallic animals. WhenRise of the Beastsbegins, the Maximals are led by Apelinq (voiced by David Sobolov), a gorilla-based Maximal. After the Maximals decide to hide the Transwarp Key from Unicron in order to protect the universe, Apelinq stays behind to delay Scourge while his friends escape through a space-time portal. After Apelinq’s sacrifice, the Maximals are led by Optimus Primal (voiced byRon Perlman), another Transformer who looks like a gorilla.
When they reach Earth, the Maximals split the Transwarp Key in two, hiding each half in a different corner of the planet. Half the Transwarp Key is taken to Sudan by Airazor (voiced byMichelle Yeoh), a Maximal resembling a giant eagle. The second half stays with Optimus Primal, who takes it to Peru. These events happened at least five thousand years beforeRise of the Beasts. But by the time the Autobots get to Peru, we learn Optimus Prime lives in the jungle with two other Maximals, Cheetor (voiced byTongayi Chirisa) and Rhinox (voiced by David Sobolov). As their names betray, Cheetor is shaped after a cheetah, while Rhinox takes the form of a rhinoceros.
In the originalTransformersmythology, the Maximals are distant descendants of the Autobots. The Maximals emerged after the Great War, which ended the Autobots and Decepticons' conflict. They resemble animals because their bodies evolved to the point where they emulate organic matter.Rise of the Beastsdoesn’t explain the origins of the cinematic version of the Maximals, but the movie teases they traveled through time to escape Unicron. For starters, we know the Transwarp Key allows travel through space and time. Then, Airazor tells the Autobots the Maximals are their past and future. Finally, Optimus Primal was named after Optimus Prime. The Maximals will undoubtedly return for the sequel toRise of the Beasts. Hopefully, this upcoming film will better explore the faction’s origins.
