Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Transformers One
There are a few very important reasons why Megatron’s eyes turn red near the end ofTransformers One. As seen in the new animated movie,Transformersdetails the origins of Orion Pax and his transformation into Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. However, the movie is also about D-16’s corruption into Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. While both experience key visual upgrades as they gradually evolve, Megatron’s new eye color is certainly one of the more striking changes.
Set long before the Cybertronian Great War makes its way to Earth, Orion Pax and D-16 were once brothers before the truth about their planet and its resources sees them embracing their destinies on either side of the conflict. As such,Transformers Oneis a dynamicre-telling of their origins and how they became Optimus Prime and Megatron.However, the animated movie also respects theTransformerslore that has come before, a primary reason why D-16’s eyes change once he becomes Megatron inTransformers One.
Megatron’s Eyes Turn Red When He Tries To Kill Optimus Prime
Shooting Prime Before Dropping Him Down Cybertron’s Core
Upon learning thatCybertron’s leader Sentinel Primehad been lying to the entire planet, D-16 and Orion Pax had very different perspectives on what should be done inTransformers One. While Pax believes the exposure of the truth would convince Cybertron to unite, D-16 doesn’t believe it’s enough.D-16 wants Sentinel to pay for his deception with his life, arguing that his betrayal would be met with vengeance.
By the movie’s end, D-16 gets his chance to execute Sentinel Prime, having beendarkly upgraded with the transformation cog of the fallen Megatronus Prime. However, Orion gets in the line of fire at the last moment. Surprised and angered by his friend’s actions, D-16 drops the injured Pax down a chasm that runs straight to Cybertron’s core.D-16’s eyes then turn from yellow to red as he takes the name Megatron, promising his fellow Cybertronians a new world order as he rips Sentinel Prime in two.
Megatron’s Eyes Turning Red Shows That He Is Evil
A Symbolic Change To Depict His Full Corruption
D-16’s eyes turning red is a deeply symbolic change, one that visually confirms that his corruption into Megatron inTransformers Oneis now complete. He’s made his decision to embrace his newfound darkness by dropping Orion and killing Sentinel Prime, choosing to become a new ruler for Cybertron with the belief that the only leader he could ever trust is himself following Sentinel’s betrayal. As such,Megatron’s new red eyes accentuate this change as something that will have permanent ramifications for Cybertron in the years to come.
Transformers One’s Autobots & Decepticons Meaning Explained
Transformers One offers a deeper meaning behind the “Autobots” led by Orion Pax’s Optimus Prime and the “Decepticons” ruled by D-16’s Megatron.
Of course, the eye color change itself is a very classic movie trope that’s certainlynot exclusive to the ending ofTransformers One. Especially when a character becomes corrupted by evil or the “dark side”, an eye color change is quite common. However, the specific change from yellow to red does have a basis in existingTransformerslore.
Megatron’s Red Eyes Connect To His Decepticon Design
Nearly All Decepticons Have Red Eyes In The Original Transformers Lore
As seen in theoriginalTransformerscontinuity first established by the 1984 animated seriesand toy line, the vast majority of Decepticons have red eyes, while the Autobots all have blue eyes.Case in point, Orion/Optimus, B-127, and Elita-1 all have blue eyes, while D-16 is the only one with yellow eyes, further showing how he was set apart and seemingly destined for a darker destiny than his fellow bots. While this was originally an easy visual design to help young viewers distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys, not all continuities have held so strictly to this idea.
Decepticon Lockdown is one such rare exception to the “red eye” rule, possessing a singular green eye instead.
That being said, it’s notable that the classic red and blue eye color distinction is maintained inTransformers One, given its status as a prequel to the rest of the expectedTransformerstimeline where theAutobots and Decepticons will more than likely go to war. At any rate, the red eye color change for Megatron is an easily overlooked part of his corruption in this new animated movie.However, it communicates volumes about just how far D-16 fell by the end ofTransformers Onewhile his former brother rose to become one of Cybertron’s greatest heroes.
Transformers One
Cast
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
