Transformers One Reveals Optimus Prime's Unlikely Origin

Transformers One gave Optimus Prime a new origin story in the new overhaul

By Nick Valdez

Transformers One has restarted the Transformers franchise story from the very beginning with a brand new take, and with it has revealed the unliked origin of Optimus Prime. If there is one thing that fans might know about the Transformers universe throughout the years of its movies, TV shows, video games, toys, and more, it's that Optimus Prime stands at the center of it all as its main hero. This figure is the leader of the Autobots, and fights against Megatron to protect Cybertron and later, Earth. This is the character we've seen in action through decades of media at this point. 

But it's all much different in Transformers One. The new animated film takes the lore in a whole new direction and reboots the story from the very beginning. With it, fans are introduced to who Optimus Prime was before he became the Prime fans all know today. With Chris Hemsworth voicing this new character, Orion Pax, the film follows him as he steadily learns more about the dark truth of his life on Cybertron and rises up to one day save all of the other robots from their terrible burden to become the Autobots in the future. 

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(Photo:

Optimus Prime in Transformers One

- Paramount Pictures)

Transformers One: Who Is Orion Pax? 

Orion Pax is a robot who was seemingly activated without a gear that would allow him to transform like some of the other Transformers seen across Cybertron. Without a gear, Orion and other robots like him instead mine the depths of Cybertron for Energon to help their leader, Sentinel Prime, in the search for the Matrix of Leadership. It's explained that this device was one held by the legendary warriors known as the Primes, who have since loss their lives in the war against a deadly invading force known as the Quintessons. 

Wanting to help Sentinel find the Matrix of Leadership, and knowing there must be a bigger purpose for him, he and his best friend, D-16, head to the surface to find it. It's throughout all of this that they discover that Sentinel Prime had actually lied to them all, and they've been mining Energon for the Quintessons as part of some shady deal. After seeing the truth of their planet, Orion gets a core with the ability to transform and starts fighting back. But he doesn't become a Prime that we all know until much later. 

Related:

How Optimus Prime Was Born

Orion Pax and D-16 fight over how to handle Sentinel Prime's betrayal, and D-16 decides to kill him. Taking a shot at him, he shoots Orion by mistake. Then sending Orion's lifeless body into the depths of the planet, it's here that Orion is recognized by the god of Cybertron, Primus. The past Primes and Primus all recognize Orion as someone worthy of holding the Matrix of Leadership, and thus Orion is granted this new power to officially become Optimus Prime. At the same time, D-16 kills Sentinel Prime and takes his gear (which once belonged to Megatronus Prime) to become Megatron. 

It's here that Optimus Prime is now in full force with the full look and abilities (such as laser axes) that fans have seen him use across the franchise's movies, TV shows, and more over the years. It took a little longer to get there with this new origin story, but it's clear that he rose through adversity and a full death that Optimus Prime has worked all the way back from all of this to becoming the prominent leader fans know and love today. 

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