History Sandbox / TransformersShadowsOfThePast

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Solus Prime isn't killed by Megatronus here, being merely wounded by the Requiem Blaster [[CrazyPrepared thanks to a failsafe she installed]] in case Megatronus ever used it in anger.

** Solus has her Forgehammer. She doesn't have a weapon, since her Forgehammer is already so powerful.

** Onyx has the Tryp

* AdaptationalSpeciesChange: Quintessa is a Quintesson here, while she has no confirmed species in the films, implied to be either a [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction Creator]], a Quintesson, or something else.

* ArtifactOfPower: Each of the Thirteen have an associated artifact gifted to them by Primus, and a weapon crafted by Solus.

** Quintessa has a pet three-headed dragon that she refers to as her "Guardian Knight", a reference to Dragonstorm, the combined form of the Knights of Iacon from ''The Last Knight''.

* AmbiguousSituation: While the Thirteen recognize Optimus as the Thirteenth Prime, they each note something about him is just off enough that they're not fully sure if he really is the Thirteenth. Liege Maximo refuses to acknowledge Optimus as the Thirteenth and says he's dead, but given [[ConsumateLiar it's Liege Maximo saying so]], his word is ignored.

* AllLovingHero: Optimus Prime, as usual. His saintly kindness, understanding, and willingness to forgive is helps him convince the Quintessons to give up their revenge, and he even talks down Quintessa from killing Liege Maximo, despite acknowledging that she and the Quintessons have every reason to want him dead.

* StaffOfAuthority: Quintus created the Staff of Merlin (or [[AdaptationalNameChange Staff of Quintessence]]) for Quintessa to wield as her symbol of leadership among the Quintessons. She later modified it to have its film ability to drain life force.

* AllLovingHero: Optimus Prime, as usual. His saintly patience, constant understanding, and willingness to forgive is helps him convince the Quintessons to abandon their revenge, and he even talks down Quintessa from killing Liege Maximo, despite acknowledging that she and the Quintessons have every reason to want him dead.
* AmbiguousSituation: While twelve of the Thirteen recognize Optimus as the Thirteenth Prime, they each note something about him is just off enough that they're not fully sure if he really is the Thirteenth reborn. Liege Maximo refuses to acknowledge him as the Thirteenth and says he's dead, but given Liege is the one who caused the Thirteenth to be reincarnated by sending him into Well of the [=AllSpark=], his word is ignored.
* AntagonistTitle: The Quintessons are the titular "Shadows of the Past", the abandoned creations of the Thirteen Primes, returned to haunt the Cybertronians and destroy their creators.

** During the Thirteen's trial, Klementia declares Liege Maximo "innocent" before sentencing him to death, and declares the rest of the Thirteen "guilty" before letting them go. The reason Quintessons reverse the meanings of the words varies, usually to mock their victims, but here, they genuinely believe innocent means guilty and vice-versa. [[spoiler:In the final chapter, Quintessa declares every Cybertronian guilty, revealing she knows the true meaning of the words, but reversed them to match the other Quintessons.]]

** Cybertronians are brought to life by sparks granted to them by the [=AllSpark=]. This is treated as being truly alive. Cybertronians animated in other ways, such as the Matrix or Vector Sigma, are treated as "alive, but lesser", which is what motivated Megatron to start the Great War.

* {{Reincarnation}}: During the Age of the Thirteen, Liege Maximo kicked the Thirteenth Prime into the Well of the [=AllSpark=], and it's noted he was reincarnated. It's kept ambiguous whether he was reincarnated as Optimus Prime.

* ThatManIsDead: Liege Maximo completely rejects his old name of Liege Prime.
* TitleDrop: In the final chapter, when Quintessa tries to destroy the [=AllSpark=].
-->'''Quintessa:''' ''"Cybertron! Eons ago, the Thirteen Primes abandoned us, and banished us to Unspace! We lost everything! Our planet! Our creators! OUR PURPOSE! For too long you have all basked in the light of Primus, while we were cast into the darkness! But now, our retribution has arrived! I, Quintessa, leader of the Quintessons, have reached my verdict! I judge you all '''GUILTY!''' Your sentence: The destruction of the [=AllSpark=], and the death of every Cybertronian! '''''THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST SHALL CONSUME THE LIGHT OF YOUR FUTURE!'''''"''

* LastDitchMove: When it seems like Edge has all but lost, [[spoiler:he activates the Prosecutor network self-destruct, in an effort to destroy as many Cybertronians as possible one final time]].

** Edge is an incredibly strong Prosecutor, which were merely [[MechaMooks hordes of drones]] in ''Cyberverse'', and has the unique ability to [[HiveMind transfer his mind into the body of any Prosecutor]].

* CompositeCharacter: Klementia's face of Cruelty is combined with the Quintesson face of Wrath.

** Liege Maximo is the least moral member of the Thirteen, constantly doing morally questionable or utterly reprehensible acts, and [[spoiler:even before his mind was poisoned by Unicron]], he wouldn't hesitate to do something the other Thirteen considered wrong.
** Klementia's Faces of Death and Cruelty are the most violent and , and also the ones quickest to turn violent, which Klementia's other three faces object to.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Klementia's Faces of , thanks to their
* TransformationOfThePossessed: Any Prosecutor that Edge takes over gains his size, silver plating, and yellow eyes.

** Quintessa is now a PhysicalGod able to cyberform whole planets, create miniature suns, resurrect Sparks, and many more esoteric powers.

** Edge is an incredibly strong Prosecutor, which were merely [[MechaMooks hordes of drones]] in ''Cyberverse'', and has the unique power to [[HiveMind transfer his mind into the body of any Prosecutor]].

* GodzillaThreshold: Solus' Forgehammer has its [[AllThereInTheManual stated power source of a neutron star]] as a secret weapon she unleashes as a last resort, since it takes a long time to recharge without Energon, and the hammer is left powerless during that time.

** Quintessa is now a PhysicalGod able to cyberform whole planets with her hands, create miniature suns, resurrect Sparks, and many more esoteric powers.

* AdaptationalBadass: Multiple characters, especially the Quintessons.

** Cybertronians are brought to life by sparks granted to them by the [=AllSpark=]. This is treated as being truly alive. Cybertronians animated in other ways, such as the Matrix or Vector Sigma, are treated as "alive, but lesser", which is what motivated Megatron to create the Decepticons.

* LastDitchMove: When it seems like Edge has all but lost, [[spoiler:he activates the Prosecutor network self-destruct, in an effort to destroy the Cybertronians one final time]].

* TheSoulless: Quintessons don't have sparks, since they were originally constructs created by Quintus and brought to life by [[AnimatingArtifact the Emberstone]], rather than the [=AllSpark=]. Liege Maximo used this as an excuse to treat them like slaves, since in his eyes, they were never truly alive to begin with.

** Downplayed with Edge. He is the Tetrad member most obsessed with revenge on the Thirteen, refusing to hear them out or entertain the idea of them being anything other than "innocent" (guilty), and continuing to fight when the other Quintessons make peace before Quintessa makes him stop.

* AdaptationalNameChange: Before taking on his more familiar name, Liege Maximo was known as Liege Prime, before changing it to stand out amongst his siblings.

-->'''Quintessa:''' ''"Cybertron! Eons ago, the Thirteen Primes abandoned us, and banished us to Unspace! We lost everything! Our planet! Our creators! OUR PURPOSE! For too long you have all basked in the light of Primus, while we were cast into the darkness! But now, our retribution has arrived! I, Quintessa, leader of the Quintessons, have reached my verdict! I judge you all: '''GUILTY!''' Your sentence: The destruction of the [=AllSpark=], and the death of every Cybertronian! '''''THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST SHALL CONSUME THE LIGHT OF YOUR FUTURE!'''''"''

* TheSoulless: Quintessons don't have sparks, since they were originally constructs created by Quintus and brought to life by [[AnimatingArtifact the Emberstone]], rather than the [=AllSpark=]. Liege Maximo used this as an excuse to treat them like non-sentient slaves, since in his eyes, they were never truly alive to begin with.

* TheSoulless: Sparkless in this case. Quintessons don't have sparks, since they were originally constructs created by Quintus and brought to life by [[AnimatingArtifact the Emberstone]]. Liege Maximo used this as an excuse to treat them like non-sentient slaves, since in his eyes, they were never truly alive to begin with.

** Vector has the Blades of Time, and Rhisling, his SignatureWeapon from Anime/TransformersCybertron.

** Solus Prime's Forgehammer has its [[AllThereInTheManual stated power source of a neutron star]] as a readily available secret weapon she unleashes as a last resort.

** Already based on the ''Cyberverse'' Judge, Klementia can also detach their faces into individual bodies to operate.
** Cerebro isn't a GlassCannon like the ''Cyberverse'' Scientist, being able to take multiple hits and a point-blank sound blast from Soundwave, which was enough to offline his remote bodies. However, this increased durability came with the trade-off not having remote bodies.

* MookLieutenant: Edge looks like a standard Prosecutor, but he is [[EvilIsBigger much larger]], has silver plating, yellow eyes, and can speak.

-->'''Quintessa:''' ''"Cybertron! Years ago, the Thirteen Primes abandoned us, and banished us to Unspace! We lost everything! Our planet! Our creators! OUR PURPOSE! For too long you have all basked in the light of Primus, while we were cast into the darkness! But now, our retribution has arrived! I, Quintessa, leader of the Quintessons, have reached my verdict! I judge you all: '''GUILTY!''' Your sentence: The destruction of the [=AllSpark=], and the death of every Cybertronian! '''''THE SHADOWS OF THE PAST SHALL CONSUME THE LIGHT OF YOUR FUTURE!'''''"''

** During the Thirteen's trial, Klementia declares Liege Maximo "innocent" before sentencing him to death, and declares the rest of the Thirteen "guilty" before letting them go. The reason Quintessons reverse the meanings of the words varies, usually to mock their victims, but here, they genuinely believe innocent means guilty and vice-versa.