Transformers: The Last Knight - Optimus Prime gone bad? Why in the new blockbuster "Transformers: The Last Knight" Optimus Prime became a villain.

This week, a new, fifth series of the blockbuster epic “Transformers” is released in Russian rentals. It promises a new war between humans and giant robots, as well as an unexpected plot twist. Optimus Prime, once a noble leader of the Autobots and a loyal ally of humanity, will turn to the side of evil and fight his former comrades. Why did the writers of Transformers, at the same time as the creators of Fast and Furious 8, decide that their main characters should become villains? This is worth looking into.

When we humans invent heroes for ourselves, we endow them with our best qualities, among which one of the most important is loyalty. Loyalty to ideals, loyalty to family, loyalty to homeland, loyalty to friends and comrades. On the contrary, villains often turn out to be traitors, because it is difficult to think of a worse moral quality than the tendency to treason. A secret enemy who shoots in the back is much worse than an open enemy who aims at the chest.

Therefore, at first glance, it seems completely incredible that two of the most popular film cycles this year turned their main characters into villains. First, “Fast and Furious 8” pitted Dominic Toretto against his comrades, with whom the House went through thick and thin, and now “Transformers: The Last Knight” sent the powerful robot Optimus Prime to the side of evil. What's happening? Why do producers, writers and directors think that the public will tolerate and accept this? Isn't the beauty of such films that the heroes overcome any adversity and remain true friends, no matter how the villains try to separate them?

Undoubtedly, “team” blockbuster series like “Fast and the Furious” and “Transformers” are, first of all, stories about loyal comrades. They may have friction and contradictions, but friendship should win every time. That's right - but it's boring. When the epic reaches the fifth, or even the eighth episode, both the audience and the creators get tired of the all-conquering correctness. They begin to want plot “hooliganism”, the spectacular destruction of fossilized cliches. And what could be more dramatic than the betrayal of the one who seems to be the cornerstone of the epic?

It is clear that this plot device was not invented now. It can be found even in the New Testament, where after the crucifixion Christ is betrayed not by anyone, but by the most faithful apostle Peter, whose nickname translated from Greek means “stone” (in the sense of “cornerstone”, “foundation stone”). True, Peter immediately repents of his betrayal, and he, unlike Judas, does not have time to harm anyone. But the moral lesson is clear - no one is immune from sin.

Unlike the New Testament, "Fast and the Furious", "Transformers" and others are created not so much for the sake of moral lessons, but for the sake of grandiose action. Therefore, there, betrayal cannot be a momentary weakness. Betrayed? Fight! Fight with your former comrades! Show the audience fights that they have never seen before and that they did not expect to see! Thus, in the trailers for The Last Knight we see Optimus and Bumblebee fighting, and this is a gift for those fans who like to speculate about the relative strength of popular characters. Let's remember the excitement that accompanied the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Many wanted to see this fight and find out who, in the opinion of the creators of the blockbuster, would be stronger.

However, action is action, and the moral and spiritual dimension of blockbusters also matters. As we wrote when we assessed “Batman v Superman” and “Captain America: Civil War,” the Marvel blockbuster turned out to be more dramatic, because in its climax it was not just two powerful super-warriors who fought, but former friends and associates. Moreover, “Confrontation” was arranged in such a way that one could empathize with both Iron Man and Captain America. Therefore, the outcome of their fight was not predetermined by strict plot logic. How often does this happen in Hollywood movies? Usually the outcome of any on-screen battle can be predicted before it even begins - simply by who is fighting and what minute of the film it is.

Still from the movie "Transformers: The Last Knight"

“Fast and Furious 8” and “The Last Knight” are simpler in this regard. There, the heroes go over to the side of evil, rather than simply disagreeing on an ambiguous issue. But it’s still more dramatic and entertaining than the usual and already boring confrontation between heroes and inveterate scoundrels. After all, the hero’s transition to the side of evil raises many questions: “How far will he go? Will he be able to return? How morally justifiable and explainable is his crime? How will his relationship with his former comrades develop further if these relationships continue?” Audience cinema is an emotional art, and it wins if it provides the audience with a variety of different experiences, and does not boil down to “I wonder how exactly our people will win?”

True, betrayal remains betrayal - the most terrible crime. But still, betrayal and betrayal are different. When, at the beginning of The Legend of King Arthur, Prince Vortigern betrays his brother the king to usurp the throne, it is an unprovoked and unforgivable act of treachery that clearly brands Vortigern as a villain deserving of death. On the contrary, when Dominic in "Fast and Furious 8" goes over to Cypher's side, he, as it turns out over the course of the film, does what many would do in his place. And the audience, when they find out the whole truth, readily forgives him. It is quite possible that something similar will happen in “The Last Knight” - Optimus’s betrayal will not put an end to him. So in the end, fans will have nothing to complain about or be offended by. The reputation of their pet will not be seriously damaged.

However, other scenarios are also possible. Let's not forget that, for all the importance of Optimus Prime, the main Autobot hero in Michael Bay's Transformers was always Bumblebee. He began the adventures in the very first film, and he remains on the side of people in The Last Knight. Optimus isn't as important to the Transformers narrative as Dominic is to the Fast and the Furious narrative, which gives the writers more freedom to use him. And although it is unlikely that he will go over to the side of evil as completely and absolutely as Vortigern, the intrigue remains. What does the series need like air, which has already reached its fifth episode and which, as its authors hope, will delight viewers and the treasurers of the Paramount studio for a long time.

The film "Transformers: Age of Extinction" ends with Optimus going into outer space to find the Creators and give them a message from the Autobots. There, in the abyss of the stars, he could encounter Unicron, one of the main villains of this universe. This transformer has the ability to subjugate other robots to its will.

He was probably able to have some influence on Optimus Prime, but Unicron was unable to completely suppress his essence. In the first video of the film "Transformers: The Last Knight" we clearly hear that Optimus Prime, attacking Bumblebee, asks for his forgiveness.

It seems that Unicron was not completely able to subjugate the leader of the Autobots to his will, so the color of his eyes turned purple. As you know, Autobots have blue eyes, and Decepticons have red eyes (if you mix red and blue, you get purple). In the new TV trailer, we're given another clue - a mysterious female voice asks Optimus if he's looking for redemption, to which Prime replies, "Yes, my creator."

Optimus Prime died during his journey - this is confirmed by footage that captures the lifeless body of the transformer. In space, he met Unicron, whose blood (dark energon) returned the robot to the world of the living, and then the Autobot brought his, as he himself believes, creator to Earth.

The main roles in the film "Transformers: The Last Knight" were performed by: Isabella Moner, Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Stanley Tucci, Laura Haddock and others.

Budget: $260,000,000.

Meanwhile, rumors that Michael Bay would say goodbye to the Transformers franchise after completing work on the fifth film appeared several months ago - and the director recently fueled them by publishing an open letter in which he said goodbye to the film crew and writers "Transformers 5".

Bay did not directly say that Transformers: The Last Knight is his last film in the franchise, but the letter seemed to say goodbye to the series:

“I've been living this franchise for over ten years now. After every film I said that it would be my last. But I see 120 million fans around the world going to see it at the movies, I see the lines at the theme parks, I see the children who come to our set - and it all keeps me coming back again and again. I really love making these films. But this time it could really be the end,” the director says in his letter.

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Every sequel needs to have a twist that sets it apart from the previous films in the franchise. The gimmick of Transformers: The Last Knight is “What if Optimus Prime turns evil?”

On the movie posters you can read: “Re-evaluate your heroes.” In we see the purple eye of Optimus, who is trying to kill his former comrades: Bumblebee and Mark Wahlberg. “For my world to live, your world must die,” Prime whispers in the voice of actor Peter Cullen.

If Optimus' betrayal is meant to be a shocking twist, it doesn't work. Optimus Prime may have been intended to be a noble character, but in recent years Michael Bay has dragged him to the dark side. Regardless, whether Optimus was good or bad, he was always the dark horse in the films.

In the cartoons, Optimus Prime was different. In the old Generation One cartoon series from the 1980s, Prime was a warrior for good. Speaking about the filming of Transformers: Age of Extinction, Cullen mentioned that he came up with Prime's voice based on his brother's voice, which conveyed honor, dignity, strength, reliability, responsibility and nobility. This is how Optimus Prime was generally portrayed in the 1980s.

By the way, before we forget. There are not many resources on the Internet now that provide meaningful analytics on films and TV series. Among them is the telegram channel @SciFiNews, whose authors write the most useful analytical materials - analyzes and theories of fans, interpretations of post-credit scenes, as well as the secrets of bomb franchises, like films MARVEL And " Game of Thrones" Subscribe so you don’t have to search later - @SciFiNews. However, back to our topic...

In the cartoons, Optimus seemed like a father, even a grandfather, to young viewers, thanks to Cullen's deep voice. The closest the movie Prime came to this image was in Michael Bay's early films, where the character was still idealistic enough to say things like "freedom is the right of all living things."

Bay's Transformers featured much more violence than the cartoons. But at first, Prime seemed to still regret the bloodshed: “You left me no choice,” he says over Megatron’s lifeless corpse. It also memorializes one of the fallen Autobots and praises their newfound allies. In the first movie, Prime seems like good old Prime.

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Changes began in the first sequel, Revenge of the Fallen. Although the Transformers still cooperate with the Earth's military, this alliance is gradually weakening. Optimus admits that he is hiding new powers from the US government as he has witnessed humanity's predisposition to war.

As Prime's frustration with humanity grows, he increasingly resorts to violence. Instead of "you left me no choice", he screams "give me your face" when he rips off the head of the main antagonist in Revenge of the Fallen. This time he has a choice and he chooses a face.

“I rise, you fall!” is a phrase that shows that the hero has completely turned into a killer. Two years later, in Dark of the Moon, Optimus regularly kills people and proudly utters phrases like "We'll kill them all!"

When Prime engages Megatron and Sentinel Prime, the former leader of the Autobots who betrays his comrades in an attempt to resurrect their home planet Cybertron, Optimus brutally decapitates Megatron. Of course, this is the main enemy and this is the height of the battle, so his actions are justified. But then Optimus executes Sentinel Prime by shooting him in the back and then in the head.

At this moment, Optimus Prime, the hero of millions of children in the 1980s, executes defenseless enemies. Is this Transformers or a Dirty Harry reboot?

In "Dark Side of the Moon", Prime promises that "The day will come when we leave this planet and its people." In 2014's Age of Extinction, Optimus regrets helping humanity ("How many more treasures will I have to sacrifice to atone for my mistakes?"), fantasizes about sadistic revenge ("They killed Ratchet... I'll tear them apart!"), and then recruits the Dinobots under threat of death. “We give you freedom!” he tells Grimlock, punching him in the face. After defeating Tyrannosaurus in battle, Optimus raises his sword over Dinobot's head and says, "You protect us or you die!" Yes, this is real freedom!

By the time Optimus proclaimed the inspiring slogan “Autobots! We will prove who we are and why we are here!”, his bright image was largely flushed down the toilet. Optimus completely regrets collaborating with humanity and threatens to give up everything. He kills his enemies in cold blood and he likes it. When bad Optimus appears in The Last Knight, will we know the difference?

Already the fifth part "Transformers" from the master of chaos, explosions and endless action Michael Bay has already appeared online. I took out my still warm scissors to tell you what was shown in the trailer "Transformers: The Last Knight".

To begin with, I would like to note that with the release of this part the series will cross the ten-year mark; the first film about these metal men was released back in 2007. (give me back my 2007). And the series, over the course of 4 films, has gone through a lot of changes, but the fifth part, judging by the setting and history, will be able to surprise us quite well. And this trailer has already given us a lot of hints about it.

The trailer reveals an unusual "Transformers" shot: we see blood dripping from the cross. However, this is not just a cross, it is the hilt of a sword, which we can see in the film's logo. Most likely, this is the legendary sword of King Arthur, but what are the two of them?! In the legend of King Arthur there are two swords, Excalibur, a magical sword obtained by Arthur with the help of the wizard Merlin, and Clarent, a sword in the stone, by obtaining which Arthur proved his right to the throne. However, in modern versions of this story, these two swords are often identified, so it may be Excalibur in the stone.

And there is a huge possibility that the Excalibur in the film will be the film version of the Primes' family sword - the Star Sword. In the animated series "Transformers Prime" Megatron found this sword buried under a rock and was unable to pull it out of the stone, which is very reminiscent of the story of King Arthur. The Star Sword is an incredibly powerful weapon that can cause damage to an entire planet, and given that we were given a hint of planet-scale villain Unicron in this trailer, the Star Sword would come in handy.

We then see some army marching through the forest. Horses, banners, and the whole general spirit of the scene clearly tell us that this is a medieval past.

Even after photos from the filming leaked online, and even after the announcement of the film’s subtitle, it became clear that dinosaurs were not enough for the creators, and this time they will show us a story related to the knights of King Arthur’s round table. It is already known that Liam Garrigan will play the role of King Arthur in the film, it is noteworthy that he plays the same role in the Once Upon a Time series, I hope this is not a sign of one cinematic universe. You feel how the trend is spreading to all corners of pop culture, “Game of Thrones” set the fashion for the Middle Ages and now even the battles in “Transformers” look like footage from the HBO channel.

Then we see what the Serpent Gorynych looks like from Michael Bay. We see the same three-headed dragon that Optimus Prime fought on the film poster. In general, these mythical creatures will likely join the prehistoric cast in the form of Dinobots, who also promise to return. Now I would like to make a joke about the mother of metal dragons. I wouldn’t be surprised if the film tells us that the legends about dragons are real stories about Transformers.

It’s still difficult to say what kind of Transformer this is. But judging by its appearance, it could be a Decepticon named Skurge, or Whip, from the third and final series of the Unicron trilogy, called Cybetron, who also transformed into a three-headed dragon.

It is noteworthy that in the lore "Transformers" There are several Decepticons named Skurge and the first one is— this is an ex Thundercracker, who was transformed by Unicron into Whiplash in Generation One, the largest Transformers canon. Perhaps in the film this three-headed mechanical monster is also Unicron's creation. But there is another possibility— it could be Megatron, leader of the Predacons faction, descendants of the Decepticons from the animated series "Transformers: Beast Wars" he also turned into a dragon.

And then they show us Nazi Germany, it is obvious that this time "Transformers" were inspired not only "Game of Thrones", but also old school Kung Fury. In general, it looks like there will be several flashbacks here. In general, Michael Bay and his team seem to have decided to rewrite not only mythology, but also history.

An auto-tuned melody starts playing in the background. Soundtrack, as you already know, plays a big role in trailers and sometimes it’s music determines the sympathy of the audience. We've heard famous covers of famous songs in trailers before, even in the recent Logan and Michael Bay decided to follow this trend.

We hear a cover song Do You Realize? groups Flaming Lips performed Ursine Vulpine. Ursine Vulpine is the pseudonym of composer and director Frederick Lloyd, who writes soundtracks for films and trailers. It was his modified Imperial March that we heard in the final trailer."Star Wars: The Force Awakens» . ​ However, the composer of the soundtrack for the film will remain the same Stephen Jablonski, who wrote the music for each part of the franchise. I wonder if Stephen's style will change under the influence of such melancholy notes from Frederick, I think this could shake up the series well.

We see the director’s signature touches: explosions, sparks and silhouettes taking off as if on jetpacks. We then see the stadium littered with debris, judging by the rocket engine.— a plane crashed here, and quite recently. However, the giant hole clearly indicates that there was something more here, and knowing Michael Bay and his name camera Bayham or Bayezdets, we can confidently say that a complete Beezdets passed here. Scenes with stadiums beautifully convey the scale of battles, we have already seen this in« X-Men" and in« The Dark Knight Returns» .

Then we are shown a new heroine of the film named Isabel, she was played by Isabela Moner. Well, just like Benedict Wong in Wong's swarms. I used to think that only Jackie Chan plays characters named Jackie in films. She watches how, apparently, the Autobot she knows dies.

Further, just like in the trailer« Far Side of the Moon» , we are shown how people explore some massive metal structure. Only instead of the Moon, it is located in the depths of the ocean. It is still unknown what this thing is, but it is certainly another proof of the visit of Transformers in the distant past of our planet.

And then we see a lifeless body floating in weightlessness, covered with frost. Optimus Prime. The words of Anthony Hopkins' character confirm the loss of the series' main leader. Hopkins is standing in some kind of temple, among a huge amount of knightly paraphernalia, probably he is a member of some order, whose motto is engraved on the shield that he strokes. Inscription victoria sin apparently part of the Latin inscription non victoria sine sacrificio, which translates exactly like the phrase he says: “there is no victory without sacrifices”.

Pay attention to the letter A, this is most likely the logo of their order, which still exists today. We can see the A drawn on the car in this frame, as well as on this robot. It is obvious that this order is somehow connected with King Arthur. By the way, pay attention to the fact that the letter A is stylized and does not have a line in the middle, more reminiscent of the letter L. And just in the updated logo of the film, this A has a similar style. It reminded me of Assassin's Creed and Abstergo.

And then we see Isabela and the headlight of her moped. It's Squeaks, her Transformer friend, who transforms into a Vespa moped that looks like a Disney cartoon character.

We then see Mark Wahlberg in Max Payne's leather jacket. A view from space of the Death Star of a smoker, or Unicron approaching the Moon, a view of him from the ground and an awesome fight between Bumblebee and some kind of walker. How could we be without this handsome guy, he is one of the most popular Transformers in the world and there will even be a spin-off about him with age rated R (18+) in 2018. Of course, these are still rumors, but they are already worthy of attention.

We see Bumbley blowing this two-legged robot to pieces. Apparently, someone has invested a lot of money in a mechanical army for the war against Transformers and, most likely, according to the laws of the genre, this army will join the Autobots in the war against a common enemy.

Then a cool trunk from a tough guy, a child's chair against the backdrop of a fiery orgy and Megatron. Yes, it’s him, or Galvatron after« Ages of Extermination» , like anyone.

We have already been presented with his image as part of the promotional campaign "Transformers" and his appearance has changed greatly. He looked like Ultron, to be honest, and in general he was given a knightly look to match the film, obviously these are not just cosmetic changes, this will definitely have a huge significance in the plot. Perhaps he is the very last knight from the title, although there is one interesting theory about the Last Knight.

If you pay attention to the font of the film, you can see that it is very different from the one in the previous parts of the franchise, previously the title of the film was written in the same font as the original toys.

"The Last Knight" the title may refer not to the famous Transformer of the series, but to someone from a completely different universe. This could be a hint at a crossover "Transformers" with the famous Hasbro toy series - "ROM Space Knight". Font ROMA looks almost exactly the same as the new Transformers font. And even a word "Knight » under the letters O R M as if they are hinting at a space knight ROMA.

Paramount Pictures recently announced the merger of its franchises with Hasbro into one cinematic universe. "Transformers" belong to Paramount, so it may happen that "Transformers" will enter the same cinematic universe with G.I. Joe,"Micronauts" And RUM. And in the film we will see Star Knight. It’s unlikely, most likely it’s SPSGS, let’s move on.

Then, after some explosive action at some alien ruins in some volcanic crater, we see our old friend Lennox. Despite the fact that the fourth part was a restart of the series, its events took place in the same universe and the return of characters is quite acceptable. It would be great to see a Shia LaBeouf cameo, but it's unlikely, since he has more important things to do.

Next we are shown the new Lamborghini Centenario racing along the highway, judging by its taillights. And all Transformers experts recognized him as a new member of the Autobot team - Hot Rod. We have already been shown his alien form in one of the promotional materials. He is a close friend and partner Bumblebee. And then we see the knight Megatron with a giant sword in his hands.He looks intimidating, but this scene is quite strange, it is obvious that this man on the right, who looks like Lennox, is negotiating something with him, perhaps Megatron had to make some kind of deal at that moment, that he hit the ground with his sword out of anger.

Then again an explosive bacchanalia with Mark Waldberg chilling in the open case of Bumblebee. Then blue-eyed Optimus Prime, Megan Fox cosplay and the most hotly discussed moment of the trailer - the fight between two comrades - Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. It is still difficult to say why Prime became evil and why his eyes turned purple, but there are several theories.

There is a possibility that Optimus became a dark clone Nemesis Prime, who also had purple eyes according to canon. But, most likely, there is something else here. And it's time for theories.

At the end of the fourth film, Optimus went in search of the creators to convey his message to them. Apparently, he did meet someone and entered into a fight, in which he lost. And his lifeless body flew away to roam the expanses of space. But what is the chance that one of the most important characters - the permanent leader and bearer of the name Prime - will leave the franchise forever, it would seem small, if not for one fact.

The trailer showed us Hot Rod. This is the character's first appearance in the MCU, and it's surprising that he's only showing up now. And the thing is that, according to canon, it was Hot Rod who became the new leader of the Autobots by transforming into Rodaimus Priam after Optimus Prime died. As you already know, in this film the most important villain in the universe will most likely appear before us. "Transformers" — Unicron. And it was Rodaimus who defeated Unicron according to canon.

Unicron is the largest Transformer to ever exist. It surpasses many planets in size. Its goal is dominion over the Universe, and the path to achieving it is the absorption of worlds. In the trailer, we actually see a structure approaching our satellite, the Moon.

It is still unclear how exactly Unicron will interact with the characters in the film, since in this trailer we were shown a lot of scenes with parts similar to him. Look how incredibly similar this sand-covered horn is to Unicron's horns. Unicron is also known for his ability to remake Transformers and bend them to his will. It was he who remade Thundercracker into Scourge so that he would help Galvatron, a modified Megatron, destroy Prime. This could explain Optimus Prime fighting Bumblebee with an unusual purple the color of his eyes.

And as you know, the eyes of Transformers give away their side - the Autobots have blue eyes, while the Decepticons have red ones. So, purple is a mixture of red and blue, maybe Optimus did not succumb to Unicron’s complete reworking and did not become a Decepticon, retaining part of the blue spectrum of the Autobots. He fights with Bumblebee, making an attempt on his life and at the same time asking for his forgiveness - this is an obvious sign of internal struggle.

But there is also a possibility that the Autobot has Dark Energon. This purple substance, which can bring Transformers back to life and subdue it, is inextricably linked with Unicron and also has a purple color. Perhaps Unicron brought Optimus's lifeless body back to life with the help of dark energon and subjugated it to his will.

What do you think is the reason for Optimus' strange behavior? Well, that's all!

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People got tired of all these transformers, some good and some bad, who constantly create some kind of hellish meat, and they decided to cut them all out, both good and evil. Well, this is so as not to bother too much. And they more or less succeed, Optimus Prime is missing.

Centuries ago, King Arthur leads his knights and soldiers into a battle they cannot hope to win. Realizing this, he asks the magician Merlin for help, who talks with the Cybertronian Knight, Stilbane. The Knight gives Merlin a staff that has absolute power, and he has the ability to summon a huge mechanical dragon, Dragonstorm, to aid Merlin. Dragonstorm comes to the aid of the knighthood, destroying their opponents.

In the present time, Optimus Prime flew away in the previous part, and transformers are becoming outcasts on Earth. However, various new Transformers arrive and arrive on the planet. People create TRF units designed to track down and destroy Transformers of any faction. In a war-torn Chicago area, a group of children stumble upon a crashed alien ship with Stilbane inside. He and the children are attacked by a TRF wolfer, who is destroyed by Isabella, one of the survivors of the Battle of Chicago. Isabella and her Autobot buddies, Squeaks and Canopy, urge the kids to run when a TRF drone shoots at Canopy, killing him. Bumblebee and Cade Yeager come to the rescue and save the children. Yeager finds the dying Stilbane, who gives him the metal talisman.

At the same time, the home planet of the Transformers, Cybertron, is already approaching Earth. Optimus Prime crashes onto the planet. Finding Cybertron dead, Optimus battles his creator, a powerful sorceress named Quintessa; She uses magic to lure Prime to her side, declaring that her goal is to destroy the Earth so that Cybertron can come to life. Lennox, a former NEST agent who now works for TRF, tells General Morshower, his former superior, that there is ancient alien technology on Earth. This technology could help bring Cybertron into Earth's atmosphere, but only if used with Merlin's Staff. TRF makes a deal with Megatron, who demands the release of his Decepticon team - Onslot, Mohawk, Nitro, Dreadbot and Berserker. Megatron and his team leave to find Yeager.

Yeager hides in a junkyard that serves as a hideout for many of the surviving Autobots - Bumblebee, Hound, Drift, Crosshairs, Grimlock, Wiley and many others. Isabella tracks them down. Yeager tells her to leave, but Isabella wants to stay and fight. Megatron's Decepticons break into the scrapyard and attack the Autobots; in the chaos, most of Megatron's warriors die except for Nitro and Barricade. Yeager is captured by Cogman, and at the same time, Oxford professor Vivian is kidnapped by the Autobot Hot Rod. Both are taken to England to meet Sir Edmund Burton, the last living member of the Vician Order. Burton tells Cade and Vivian about the origins of the Transformers, warning that Cybertron's collision with Earth would mean certain doom. He tasks Vivian, the last of Merlin's line, with obtaining the staff so they can stop the ancient rendezvous technology from activating. Burton tells Yeager that he, as a man of honor and dignity, is the last knight. The trio are forced to flee Burton's house when TRF units show up.

With Yeager's help, Vivian awakens her father's memories, and discovers that they must take an Alliance submarine out to sea to find the staff inside an ancient ship. Bumblebee, Yeager, and Vivian set off on the Alliance to sea. They are discovered by a TRF submarine. The squad enters the ancient device, where Vivian and Yeager find sleeping Cybertronian knights, as well as Merlin's staff. One knight, Skullitron, awakens and attacks them. The arriving TRF forces attack Skullitron, at which time Vivian activates her staff and the ship rises to the surface of the ocean. The knights awaken and intervene in the fight. Optimus appears, renamed "Nemesis Prime" by Quintessa, gets into the fight and takes the staff from Vivian in order to restore his home planet.

Bumblebee begins to fight with Optimus on top of the car. Optimus wins and is about to kill Bumblebee, but he convinces Prime to remember who he is. Optimus frees himself from Quintessa's control, but Megatron flies in and intercepts the staff from Optimus. The Cabertron Knights attack Optimus, accusing him of treason, but Yeager - whose talisman becomes Excalibur - stops the fight. The Knights obey Yeager, who calls upon Optimus to protect Earth once more.

At Stonehenge, Megatron works for Quintessa and uses the staff to activate the machine, controlling Cybertron. The military appears, Megatron shoots Barton, who dies in Cogman's arms. Optimus unites the Knights, Autobots, and TRF soldiers together. Using the Lockdown ship, they travel together to Cybertron to stop Cybertron's collision with Earth. A hot battle begins on Cybertron against the Decepticons and Infernocons, the soldiers of Quintessa. The Autobot and TRF fighters destroy the Infernocons and clear the way for Vivian and Cade to reach the staff. Quintessa begins the resurrection of Cybertron, the Autobots fight Megatron, who is wounded by Drift and defeated by Optimus. Quintessa is defeated by Bumblebee and Vivian takes the staff, stopping the collision between Cybertron and Earth.

The Autobots reunite after the battle, and Optimus declares that his faith in humanity has been restored. The Autobots use the spaceship to return to Cybertron.

In a mid-credits scene, scientists examine part of Unicron. Quintessa, who has taken the form of a man, comes and offers them a way to destroy him.