{"id":2956,"date":"2021-01-05T22:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T13:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biggestinjapan.com\/?p=2956"},"modified":"2021-01-05T15:28:37","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T06:28:37","slug":"megatron-continues-to-be-the-most-interesting-character-in-earthrise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biggestinjapan.com\/index.php\/2021\/01\/05\/megatron-continues-to-be-the-most-interesting-character-in-earthrise\/","title":{"rendered":"Megatron Continues to Be the Most Interesting Character in Earthrise<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"

In <\/span>Siege<\/span><\/i>, the first part of the War for Cybertron Trilogy, Optimus Prime is a deeply flawed character–and an absolutely terrible leader. Even as the first episode of the trilogy begins, the war is already lost. Megatron\u2019s offering of amnesty to all remaining Autobots is about the best end to the war anyone could hope for at that point. Unfortunately, Optimus refuses to stop fighting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoping to end the war quickly, Megatron latches onto increasingly immoral plans and Optimus ends up sending the AllSpark–the living soul of Cybertron and source of all Transformer life–through a random wormhole to keep it out of Megatron\u2019s hands. But, as we see in <\/span>Earthrise<\/span><\/i>, this act all but dooms the planet and everyone on it. Already pushed to its limits by the war, Cybertron is no longer capable of supporting Transformer life without the assistance of the AllSpark.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Image source: NX<\/a> on Twitter<\/em><\/p>\n

In <\/span>Earthrise<\/span><\/i>, Megatron continues down the slippery slope of evil. Back in <\/span>Seige<\/span><\/i>, he kept escalating–breaking his moral code time and time again–due to Shockwave\u2019s repeated promises that this one last evil thing would bring peace to his people so they could begin rebuilding. However, after the final battle of <\/span>Siege<\/span><\/i>, rebuilding is impossible. His people are impoverished, starving, and stranded on a dying world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their only hope is to build a ship and escape the planet. Of course, if they don\u2019t have the energy to feed themselves, building and powering a giant spaceship is all but impossible. However, there is one untapped power source on the planet, the robotic souls of the Transformers themselves. So first Megatron orders the deaths of all captured Autobots–and when that proves to not be enough, any non-essential Decepticons are harvested for their energy as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

While horrible, this pragmatic plan does end up working. The ship is completed and the Decepticons are free to leave their dying world to begin again. Hope is not completely lost: if the AllSpark were to be recovered, new Transformer life could be created.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, Megatron is unable to accept the evil he has done to save his people. So when Optimus is discovered to still be alive, he gets the scapegoat his soul so desperately needs–and a goal that he knows how to obtain (revenge) rather than one he does not (the salvation of his people).<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes down to it, Megatron still sees himself as the hero of the people, the gladiator who rose up to topple an empire and bring freedom to everyone. He is incapable of seeing himself as the villain he has become. To compromise–to make peace with Optimus at this point–would mean that all the terrible things he did were not needed after all. It\u2019s far easier to get lost in his own anger than accept responsibility.<\/span><\/p>\n