The Autobots stumble upon a quadrant lock belonging to the Quintessons and are trapped on the primitive world of Zamojin. Perceptor is separated from the group and is stuck in his alt-mode as he's taken in by a local blacksmith. The Quintessons, also stranded on Zamojin, ally themselves with Cyclonus to steal Perceptor's universal emulator so they can return home, unaware that it's been used to serve as the face of the blacksmith's robot Nijika.
Tropes
- Bilingual Bonus: All the Japanese words used in this episode are accurate to how they’re applied here.
- Failed a Spot Check: Cyclonus and the Quintesson Magistrate are able to walk in plain sight among the Zamojin despite them harbouring an immense hatred towards the "demons" that stole the stars from them. The Zamojin are wearing masks depicting the Quintessons during the ceremony, suggesting they believe the two are simply in costume, but their masks are hard to due to make out thanks to them sharing the same colour as their skin.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The Quintessons open up the quadrant lock so they can trap the Autobots and Decepticons on Zamojin. However, their ship is pulled into the lock as well thanks to Zamojin's gravity and leaves them stranded after their isolator key is damaged.
- Horse of a Different Color: The Zamojin have giant shaggy lizards as mounts and ride them wherever they go. Katsu Don has one that he calls Bruta Lo.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: One of the Quintessons shoots the rope that's been hanging Blurr over a pit of molten liquid. Blurr lands in the pit, but actually finds the hot liquid is just what was needed to get the kinks out of his systems and get him back to his normal speed.
- Plug 'n' Play Technology: Perceptor's universal emulator can apparently adapt itself to whatever technology it's plugged into. The Quintessons wish to steal it so they can replace their isolator key to open the quadrant lock again, while Katsu Don uses to repair Nijika's face (and unwittingly transfers Perceptor's consciousness into her).
- Rock Beats Laser: Katsu Don, a blacksmith whose only weapon is a sword, is able to beat up a pair of Sharkticons using his bare hands. This scares the Quintessons enough that they don't want to risk engaging in open warfare against the Zamojin again despite their superior tech.
- Worf Had the Flu: Blurr is seriously damaged after crash-landing on Zamojin and is unable to use his super speed. He urges Rodimus and Ultra Magnus to leave him behind to find Perceptor, and is captured by a group of Zamojin and sentenced to be publicly executed.
- Wutai: Zamojin has many influences from ancient East-Asian cultures, from their Buddha-inspired statues, their outfits that resemble samurai garb, and Nijika herself resembling a traditional geisha.
