Transformers: The Last Knight ends director Michael Bay’s time as architect of the Transformers movies, while also launching a whole new (and very expansive) chapter of the franchise.
Like with any new Transformers film, we get a slew of new Autobot and Decepticon characters; however, The Last Knight introduces new characters that could have major impact on both the upcoming Transformers sequels, and the planned spinoff films that are already in the works.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Take a look at all of The New Transformers Revealed in Transformers: The Last Knight.
Aurthurian Knight Autobots
The expandedย Transformersย lore inย The Last Knightย reaches back to Medieval Times to chronicle how King Arthur and his legendary Knights of the Round Tableย defeated the barbaric Saxons in the Dark Ages… with help from the Transformers.ย
As the film tells it, Arthur’s sorcerer adviser Merlin was actually a con artist drunk, who happened to know that a team of Transformers were stranded on Earth after their ship crashed. The Transformers team was comprised of twelve Autobotsย who patterned themselves after Medieval Knights, and could combine into a fearsome three-headed dragon called Dragonstorm. These Autobotsย became the secret members of the Arthurian Round Table, standing behind the famous Knights of Legend (Lancelot, Gawain, Percival, etc…).
After Arthur and Merlin’s time ends, the twelve Transformer Knights go dormant in their ship, waiting for a “Thirteenth Knight” that will supposedly arrive to restore them.
Quintessa
Quintessaย is an ancient Transformers God who has apparently just been hanging out on Cybertronย all this time. She claims to be the ‘life-giver’ who created the Transformers race – though she doesn’t prove to be very benevolent, as she instantly enslaves Optimusย Prime and sets out to destroy Earth/Unicron.ย
The Autobotsย and their human allies ultimately win the battle against Quintessa, destroying Quintessa’sย ship and the weapon, and leaving Cybertronย under the control of the Autobots. Optimus Prime takes his team and leaves to rebuild Cybertronย – but what the Autobotsย don’t know is that Quintessaย has survived the battle (and a seeminglyย fatal shot from Bumblebee) and is now hiding out on Earth,ย with a big twist to her powers that Autobotsย will never see coming…
MORE: Quintessa’sย Secret Power Revealed
Canopy
Canopy is the Autobotย that takes up residence (literally) with young tech prodigy/orphan Izabella (Isabelaย Moner), in the abandoned quarantine zone of Chicago.ย
Canopy gets his name from the rubble and debris he wears as a turtle-like camouflage, while also serving as a hideout/home for Izabella.ย
Canopy dies when the TRFย (Transformers-hunting military force) discovers his presence in the Chicagoย quarantine and swiftly eliminates him. Cade and Izabellaย try to save the benevolent Autobot, but it’s too little, too late…
Cogman
It’s not made clear whatย Cogman’sย (Jim Carter) origin is. What we do know is that this butler-like robot is a Steampunk-style Transformer in service to the Order of Witwiccans. He doesn’t have a vehicle mode, but is highly intelligent and adaptable, and programmed with a variety of deductive and combat skills.ย
Cogmanย aids Cadeย and Vivian Wembleyย in their quest to fulfill Aurthurianย destiny and take control of the ancient Transformers power source. However, at the end of the film, Cogmanย is “orphaned” (so to speak), when his master, Sir Edmund Burton, is killed.ย
Cogmanย would presumably become the protector of Vivian, as she is now the last of the Witwiccans.ย
Hot Rod
During Transformers 5, it is revealed that Hot Rod wasย assignedย by the secret order of the “Witwiccans” to be the personal guardian of Vivian Wembley (Laura Haddock), who is revealed to be the last living descendant of King Arhturย Legend, Merlin.ย Hot Rod hangs around Vivian disguised as a 1963 Citroรซnย DS that belonged to her father. When he finally reveals himself to be her Autobotย protecto, he takes on the form of an orange-and-blackย Lamborghini Centenario.
This movie version of Hot Rod speaks with a French accent (just because he likes it), and has the unique weapon of a “Time Blaster,” which allows him to project a bubble of compressed time (or something), which slows down time for anyone, or anything, trapped within the bubble.ย
Unicron
One of several big twists inย Transformers: The Last Knightย is the revelation that Earth, itself, is actually a planet-sized Transformer. Specifically, an ancient Transformers God known as Unicron.ย
Unicronย is one of the most famous and iconic villains in the franchise – and was the “big bad” featured in the 1986ย Transformerย animated movie. This movie version of Unicronย is certainly a new take, and thoughย The Last Knightย only teases the iconic character, we expect thatย Transformers 6ย will show him in full grandeur.ย
MORE: How Unicronย Sets Up the Future of Transformers
New Decepticons
Transformers: The Last Knightย goes to great length to outfit Megatronย with an entire new team of Decepticonsย – and then wipes them all out with little to no fanfare or significance.ย
The new Decepticonsย that come (and quickly go) inย Transformers 5ย are listed below:ย
- Dreadnaught
- Nitroย Zeus
- Onslaught
- Mohawk
- *Infernatusย (sp?) – Quintessa’sย combiner henchman isn’t technically a Decepticon, but he does fight alongside them and is another “easy come, easy go” character in the story.ย
*Nemesis Prime
In Transformers G1 lore, Nemesis Prime is a clone of Optimusย Prime who is as skilled as the Autobotย leader – just without the moral restraint. He was created by Doctor Arkeville or Straxus (depending on the version of the canon you find), but the point was always to give the side of evil a leader who was greater than Megatron, using Optimusย Primes own image as a blueprint.ย
Inย Transformers: The Last Knightย it is revealed that “Nemesis Prime” is the name that Optimusย Prime takes for himself, after Quintessa’sย influence makes him into an evil, purple-eyed monster version of his former noble self.
Borrowing a page fromย Batman v Superman’sย infamous “Martha Moment,” Nemesis Prime is defeated (and Optimusย Prime restored) whenย Bumblebeeย goes through a pivotal change that snaps Optimusย back into his right mind, out of concern and love for his oldest friend.ย
MORE: Bumblebee’s Big Change inย Transformers 5ย
More Transformers News
In Transformers: The Last Knight, humans are at war with the Transformers, and Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving the future lies buried in the secrets of the past and the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Now, it’s up to the unlikely alliance of Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), Bumblebee, an English lord (Anthony Hopkins) and an Oxford professor (Laura Haddock) to save the world.
Transformers: The Last Knight is directed by Michael Bay. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci reprising their roles from Transformers: Age of Extinction, with Josh Duhamel, and John Turturro reprising roles from the first three Transformers movies.
Transformers: The Last Knight’s voice cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, John Goodman as Hound, and John DiMaggio as Crosshairs. Other transformers appearing the film include Bumblebee, Drift, Hot Rod, Cogman, Canopy, Sqweeks, Grimlock, Megatron, Barricade, Onslaught, Hooligan, and Mohawk.
Transformers: The Last Knight is now in theaters.
MOREย News:
- Transformers 5 Official Review
- How Unicron’s Reveal Sets up Transformers 6
- The Big Change to Bumblebee inย Transformers 5
- Does Nemesis Prime Appear inย Transformers 5?ย
- Transformers 5’s Unicronย Explain
- The Big Twist In the Transformers Origin Story
- Transformers 5 Is the Worst Reviewed Movie in the Franchise
- Who Dies in Transformers 5?
- Transformers 5 Post-Credits Scene Explained
