Western Animation / Transformers: EarthSpark

Transformers: EarthSpark is an action-comedy 3DCG animated series in Hasbro's Transformers franchise. Produced by Ant Ward (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Nicole Dubuc (Transformers: Rescue Bots), it will be the first series in the franchise to debut on the Paramount+ streaming service. It is co-developed by Hasbro's Entertainment One and Nickelodeon, with animation services provided by Icon Creative Studios (Monsters at Work).

In the 1980s, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons relocated to Earth, as is tradition. However, things take an unexpected turn when Optimus Prime, seeking to protect the universe from the Decepticons' never-ending desire for conquest, makes the bold decision to destroy the Space Bridge connecting Earth to Cybertron, stranding himself and all the other Cybertronians currently on the planet. Megatron, finally seeing Optimus' view on things, allies himself with the Autobots and works with them to peacefully coexist with the humans... much to the disagreement of many within the Decepticons, who would continue to pester the Autobots over the decades following the end of the war.

In the present day, Dot Malto, a former human combatant in the Cybertronian War, takes up a job as a park ranger and relocates her family - husband Alex, son Robby, and daughter Morgan - from Philadelphia to the small town of Witwicky. It soon comes to pass that the park ranger position is merely a cover for her real job: working alongside Optimus, Megatron and the Autobots as part of the secret military organization G.H.O.S.T. to ensure peaceful human-Transformer relations. As if that weren't enough, Robby and Morgan inadvertently gain two Transformer "siblings" in the form of Twitch and Thrash — the first Transformers to be born on Earth. With the help of Bumblebee and their new-found family in the Maltos, these newborn "Terrans" will have to find their places in the aftermath of the war, while also helping to thwart the machinations of both the Decepticons skulking about the area and anti-Cybertronian scientist Dr. Meridian (nicknamed "Mandroid" by the bots).

The series was first announced in February 2021, alongside the Netflix original series Transformers: BotBots. A year later, a 30-second teaser trailer debuted during Paramount Global's annual Investor Event, paired with an updated press release with photos.

The voice cast includes Danny Pudi as Bumblebee, Sydney Mikayla as Robby Malto, Zion Broadnax as Morgan Malto, Kathreen Khavari as Twitch, Zeno Robinson as Thrash, Benni Latham & Jon Jon Briones as Dot & Alex Malto, Diedrich Bader as Dr. Meridian/Mandroid, Alan Tudyk as Optimus Prime, Cissy Jones as Elita-1, and Rory McCann as Megatron.

The series debuted on Paramount+ on November 11, 2022. A second season has been ordered.

A tie-in video game titled Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition that takes place after the first season and features a completely new voice cast was released on October 13th, 2023.

Previews: Teaser, Trailer

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This series provides examples of:

• Abandoned Warehouse: There are a lot of dilapidated warehouses in Witwicky, it seems. Mandroid frequently uses them as hide-outs and laboratories.
• Action Mom: Robby & Mo's mother Dot appears as a park ranger. The teaser quickly highlights her shooting a sci-fi rifle beside the Autobots at an off-screen threat. Another teaser reveals that she was a soldier in her younger days, and even fought alongside the Autobots during the war. G.H.O.S.T. created the ranger job, unbeknownst to her at the time, as part of a ploy to recruit her.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In previous Transformers media, Soundwave is depicted to be Megatron's most loyal lieutenant, willing to follow his leader to the end no matter how insane his plans may be. Here, Soundwave used to be Megatron's most loyal follower but became disillusioned when Megatron joined forces with the Autobots, seeing it as a betrayal to the Decepticons and him personally. Now, Soundwave is a sworn Arch-Enemy to Megatron, seeking to deal with the former Decepticon leader himself.
• Adaptational Sympathy: Zig-zagged. While previous incarnations had hinted that the Decepticons had understandable reasons for rising up against the Autobots, they remained Obviously Evil villains at large. EarthSpark frequently hints that there might be more than meets the eye to both the Transformers War and the Decepticons' part in it and examines the Autobots' bias against them, down to having Megatron outright question the treatment Decepticons get from G.H.O.S.T. post-war. That being said, the majority of Decepticons appearing in the series are still Card-Carrying Villains with only few exceptions.
• Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed and Justified with Megatron. His days as the Big Bad are long over and he's making an effort to be less ruthless and make peace with the humans, which results in him being less brutal in fights. That said, he's still a very capable combatant and won't hesitate to let loose if the situation calls for it.
• Adorably Precocious Child: Mo is a chipper little girl and very enthusiastic about her training with the Terrans.
• Air-Vent Passageway: Used by Dot to avoid Mandroid's arrachnamechs in "Age of Evolution".
• Aliens Speaking English: Every Cybertronian in the series speaks flawless English. Justified, since the Cybertronians have been on Earth for a good while and the Transformers War seems to have taken place primarily in the United States. Subverted with the Casseticons Laserbeak and Ravage, who only make animal noises.
• All-CGI Cartoon: As seen in the teaser and press photos, this is another modern Transformers series adapted for the 3DCG medium. The art style is cartoony, though it takes a different approach from Cyberverse's brighter color palette.
• Aloof Ally: G.H.O.S.T. is this to the Autobots. Optimus implies he's had to make several concessions to get their help after the war was over (including the indefinite imprisonment of any Decepticon except Megatron).
• And I Must Scream: Restraining bolts invoke this for any Transformer, as they mode-lock whoever they're attached to into their alt-mode, unable to change back or communicate. Megatron is disgusted by and refuses to use them for that very reason.
• Animating Artifact: The Ember Stone is capable of giving life to Terrans, a completely new species of Transformer that's partly organic. It creates Twitch and Thrash at the beginning of the series, then Hashtag, Nightshade and Jawbreaker in the mid-season finale.
• Art Shift: The flashback scene narrated by Alex Malto (the father of Robby and Mo), where the Transformers arrive on Earth and eventually end their war, is animated in the same style as the original cartoon, right down to using the original G1 designs and an 80s-style aspect ratio.
• Ascended Extra: Elita-1's appearances in previous mainstream series had her either relegated to background character or put on the villains' side under a different name. In EarthSpark she's been promoted to Optimus Prime's Number Two and a prominent member of the main Autobot team.
• Awesome, but Impractical: Twitch can emit an EMP that paralyzes other Transformers, but it runs off her power supply.
• Back-to-Back Badasses: Megatron and Shockwave do this in "The Battle for Witwicky."
• Badass Normal:
  • Dot Malto is an ex-soldier who fought in the Transformers War. She still got it in the series' present and remains a valuable ally to the Autobots and Megatron.
  • Alex Malto is a downplayed version. He's mainly a Non-Action Guy, but occasionally gets moments of badassery. Like in "Traditions", where he fights off several arrachnamechs with nothing but two bamboo sticks.
• Bait-and-Switch: Dot is having a tense discussion with Optimus and Elita, then forboding music starts up, a tiltrotor VTOL descends and transforms into none other than the mighty Megatron, who snatches Dot up... and greets her warmly. It would've counted as a Wham Shot had his Heel–Face Turn not already been revealed.
• BFG: Megatron's Arm Cannon. Optimus also equips Nightshade, Jawbreaker and Hashtag with some for the assault on Mandroid's lair in "Age of Evolution".
• Big Bad: Dr. Meridian/Mandroid is set up by the trailers as the main antagonist, desiring to wipe the Cybertronians off of Earth.
• Big Brother Instinct: Robby is very protective of Mo and the Terrans.
• Breaking Old Trends: Instead of taking place during war between the Autobots and Decepticons, the series is set after it ended, with Megatron having made a Heel–Face Turn. Instead the main threat is a human who wants to wipe the Cybertronians off the planet, though Decepticons unwilling to accept the faction's defeat do also appear.
• Brother–Sister Team: Robby and Mo, as well as Twitch and Thrash.
• The Cameo: Blitzwing and Astrotrain (in shuttle mode) make an appearance on a memorial in Warzone depicting a battle scene of them attacking the White House with the Seekers.
• Cast of Snowflakes: Both the humans and the Transformers have very diverse and unique designs.
• Category Traitor: It's implied most of the Decepticons view Megatron as this ever since he made an Alliance with Optimus and G.H.O.S.T.
• Composite Character:
  • Optimus Prime's design is a fusion of past incarnations of the character - his robot mode is heavily based on that of his G1 counterpart, but his alternate mode is a long-nosed truck cab not unlike that of his Transformers: Prime counterpart. Additionally, his mouthplate is retractable just like past incarnations of the character.
  • Like his Cyberverse counterpart before him, Bumblebee is based on his evergreen design (itself a hybrid of his G1 and movie designs. Personality-wise, this Bumblebee is a hybrid of his Robots In Disguise (2015) counterpart (Kid Hero All Grown-Up and Only Sane Man who is still Not So Above It All) and his Transformers: Animated counterpart (an impulsive and impatient Speed Demon, though less obnoxious).
  • As stated in the Mythology Gag page, Megatron's design and personality traits are a fusion of past incarnations of his character (namely his G1 and Animated selves).
• Cool Car: Invoked with both Bumblebes' and Arcee's vehicle-forms. Bumblebee's being a sportscar based on the Ford GT and Arcee's being a muscle car inspired by the Chevrolet Bel-Air. This is lampshaded in "Classified" where Agent Schloder takes a good while gushing over Bumblebee's vehicle-form and then promptly confiscates it for his mission.
• Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: Mandroid uses living Cybertronians' parts to augment himself, so he can have a fighting chance against them. It's implied he's gotten a bit addicted to it by the time of "Age of Evolution". When he reappears in "Home", it's revealed that he's become dependent on Energon to survive. This comes to its logical conclusion in "Last Hope" where the only thing organic left of him is his perpetually rotting head and his goals have shifted from protecting Earth and humankind from Transformers to eradicating every Transformer on Earth and damn the consequences for humanity.
• Cyborg: The Terrans, a new species of Transformers, are this according to Mandroid's analysis of them. They're part Cybertronian and organic material from Earth.
• Dark Action Girl: Skywarp and Nova Storm, Mandroid's two seeker-underlings. Both put up one heck of a fight against Megatron and Optimus.
• David vs. Goliath: Any Transformers battle that has humans participating invokes this, as the Cybertronians tower over the humans, who in most cases barely reach their kneecaps.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: The anti-Transformers discrimination in "Home" and Stevie's comments echo many anti-immigrant prejudices.
• Don't Split Us Up: The Malto kids' (especially Robby's) greatest fear is that G.H.O.S.T. will catch wind of the Terrans and take them away.
• Drives Like Crazy: Bumblebee doesn't pay much attention to traffic laws in "Moo-ving In", speeding like a lunatic while still in town and overtaking several other vehicles with little regard for their drivers.
• Earworm: The song the kids and Terrans make up in "Decoy". Megatron even catches himself singing it after hearing it from Bumblebee.
• Enemy Mine: Due to being declared Public Enemy #1, some Decepticons actively team up with Mandroid, who accepts their help primarily because they make for useful Mooks.
• Everyone Has Standards: While Megatron has defected from the Decepticons' original purpose of conquest, his time working with the Autobots has made him a much more caring leader. How does he show it? By bluntly expressing his displeasure over G.H.O.S.T.'s treatment of the rogue Decepticons.
• Evil Duo:
  • Swindle and Hardtop, two energon thieves and former Decepticon soldiers.
  • Skywarp and Nova Storm, Mandroid's Cybertronian henchwomen.
• Evil Gloating: Mandroid is very fond of bragging about his plans to anyone willing or forced to listen. Though he himself doesn't view what he's doing as "evil".
• Fanboy: Dr. Alex Malto practically worships Bumblebee.
• Fantastic Racism: As seen in his character preview, Dr. Meridian views Cybertronians as an invasive species on Earth, hence his antagonism of them. This is also likewise true for the rogue Decepticons, who not only despise the Autobots for being what they see as disgraces to their race, but also see humans as pests and vermin. Unfortunately, a lot of humans have also seen disdain for all Cybertronians, if the anti-Transformer graffiti in Philadelphia is anything to go by.
• Fun with Acronyms: G.H.O.S.T., whose acronym stands for "Global Hazard and Ordinance Strike Team". It just so happens to describe their shady Ambiguously Evil -ness as well.
• Gender Flip:
  • Just like in the last cartoon, Cyberverse, the Decepticon Skywarp will be a female in this continuity as opposed to the usual male portrayal. The same also goes to fellow female seeker Nova Storm, though IDW's 2019 continuity would also establish the character as female.
  • Frenzy, Soundwave's cassette minion, is a female in this show.
• Great Offscreen War: Central to the backstory of the series is the Transformers War, the classic battles between Autobots and Decepticons. While it remains unshown, key events include the destruction of the space bridge to Cybertron, Megatron's Heel–Face Turn, Dot Malto fighting in the war and befriending Megatron, and an epic battle in San Francisco where Meridian lost his arm and began his grudge against Transformers.
• Good Eyes, Evil Eyes: Zig-zagged. The Autobots' optics are a friendly shade of blue, while the Decepticons spot menacing red and purple optics. However, Megatron's optics, who in this series has undergone a Heel–Face Turn, remain red and some of the good-aligned Transformes, like Twitch, have optics in different colors. In Twitch's case yellow.
• Gotta Catch Them All: One of G.H.O.S.T.'s stated goals is to locate and incarcerate all rogue Decepticons remaining from the war.
• Happily Adopted: The Terrans have pretty much been adopted into the Malto family, to the point where they refer to the kids as their siblings and call Dot and Alex "Mom" and "Dad".
• Heel–Face Turn: MEGATRON of all people is now a good guy, even being on good terms with Dot, the human mom. Yes. Really. It is worth noting that this isn't exactly new territory for the franchise, though it hasn't really been explored in an all-ages capacity before now. As stated earlier, however, he isn't exactly fond of how the human operatives at G.H.O.S.T. treat his former troops.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: While there are plenty villainous Decepticons, "Home" reveals that there's an underground fight club for Decepticons called "Bot Brawl", with said bots forced to battle each other for Energon, and Executive Agent Croft is the one ultimately behind it. The Terrans are shocked that humans could even do something like that.
• It's Personal: Soundwave clearly didn't take Megatron deciding to work with Optimus and the Autobots well. In episode 8, he homes in on Megatron to attack him multiple times.
  Megatron: Do not make this personal, Soundwave!
  Soundwave: It already is.
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Said almost word-for-word by Twitch to Hashtag when the latter is under control of Mandroid.
• Kid-Appeal Character: Parodied with Bumblebee, who reacts appalled when he sees just how much merchandise there is of him and complains that some of it got his features completely wrong.
• Knight of Cerebus: The show has multiple. Episodes are usually light-hearted and fun, but expect a severe Mood Whiplash whenever the Decepticons or Dr. Meridian/Mandroid get involved.
• The Load: Averted with Mo and Robby, which is unusual for kid characters. While they pose no physical threat to the majority of the Terrans' opponents, their Psychic Link with the Terrans allows them to empower and guide them when the going gets tough and they prove crucial for several things that aren't fighting, like helping to disable Mandroid's fort in "Age of Evolution".
• Macross Missile Massacre: Nova Storm can let loose a barrage of missiles from her chest plate. She does just that to destroy the cave the Terrans were born in out of spite.
• Mad Scientist: Mandroid's hatred for Cybertronians has evidently overwritten his empathy and common sense, since he sees nothing wrong with experimenting on and dismantling sentient beings or endangering other humans in his quest for vengeance.
• Mama Bear: Dot Malto is this to both her human and Terran children. She's also more than capable of handling herself in battle due to being a retired soldier.
  Dot: "Mom Rule #1: DON'T MESS WITH MY BABIES!"
• Mythology Gag: See here
• The Nicknamer: In Mandroid's character preview, we learn the villain's alias was an on-the-spot improvisation courtesy of Thrash. Mandroid is also the one to coin the term "Terran" as a name for this new Earth-born, partially organic subspecies of Cybertronian, which both Twitch and Thrash are quick to note is the only thing they like about him.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Mo and Thrash vouch for and give Swindle the benefit of the doubt in "H.O.U.S.E. Rules", even promising him to help him find his missing brother Hardtop. Swindle turns out to be a brute and a thug who only used them in order to get his grabbers on G.H.O.S.T. equipment and almost kills them both when they catch on.
• Noodle Incident: In "Friends and Family" Bumblebee recalls a moment during the Transformers War where Soundwave was so energon-deprived he exploded one of his Cassetticons while trying to eject them.
• The Noseless: Averted. Despite not needing to breathe on account of being robots, most Cybertronians have facial features resembling human noses.
• No Social Skills: Bumblebee isn't really a people person and tends to come off as an arrogant Know-It-All. It's so bad that he has to get advice from four separate Cybertronians and humans on how to deal with the Terrans in "Moo-ving In".
• Official Couple: Dot and Alex are Happily Married.
• Painted CGI: A lot of background is shaded in a paint-like fashion. Also, certain effects like explosions, electricity, energy blasts, fire, water, smoke and dust are depicted using 2D animation, similar to Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015).
• Pintsized Powerhouse: The Terrans are tiny compared to the Cybertronians, but are capable of impressive feats of physical strength.
• Raised by Robots: Inverted. The Terrans, a new species of Transformer who are more Cyborg then full-robot, are raised by the human Malto-family.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Zig-zagged. Decepticons' optics tend to be red and the majority of them are portrayed as dangerous war criminals and/or petty thugs. However, there are hints that not all Decepticons are as nasty as G.H.O.S.T. and the Autobots make them out to be. Megatron is the best example: despite having long joined the good guys by the time the series starts, his optics are still red.
• Reformed, but Not Tamed: Even if he is now on the side of the Autobots, Megatron is still a shameless Blood Knight. He even still sports a Decepticon insignia, indicating that while he is willing to work with the Autobots, this Megatron isn't keen on the idea of actually joining them.
  Megatron: By all means, resist. It's my favorite part.
  • Also:
  Optimus Prime: Autobots, Roll Out!
  Megatron: I can never tell if he means me.
• Retraux: Alex’s explanation of the Transformers War in episode one is told in a hand-drawn art style resembling the original 80s cartoon, complete with an Aspect Ratio Switch to the 4:3 ratio used by analog televisions of the time and inconsistent animation and artwork.
• Revisiting the Roots: The returning element of human companions having a role with the Autobots on Earth. The previous Transformers series (Transformers: Cyberverse, Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy) had severely downplayed or phased out the inclusion of humans. However, as stressed in the teaser, the African-American-Filipino Malto family will be important in nurturing this new generation of Earth-born Transformers.
• The Remnant: Even though they've lost the war and seem to have no formal organization, many Decepticons continue to keep up the fight such as Soundwave and Shockwave. It doesn't help that G.H.O.S.T. seems to be consider all unimprisoned Decepticons, regardless of their threat level, to be wanted criminals.
• Robo Family:
  • The Terrans all see themselves as siblings.
  • Nova Storm and Skywarp are sisters.
  • Swindle and Hardtop refer to each other as brothers.
• She's a Man in Japan: Though the show Gender Flipped Frenzy from a boy to a girl, the Hungarian dub changed "her" back to a male.
• Shown Their Work: As if to highlight his Filipino heritage, Alex is shown to be trained, and trains Bee in, in the traditional martial art of the Philippines, interchangeably called arnis, escrima, or kali, complete with the signature pair of (usually) rattan wood-made sticks. For reference, this is the exact twin stick fighting style used by Nightwing.
• Silent Partner: Of the Casseticons, Frenzy is the only one to actually speak, with Ravage and Laserbeak only making cat- and bird-noises respectively.
• Spell My Name With An S:
  • Promo material parses Soundwave's name as "Sound Wave".
  • Special Agent Jon Schloder introduces himself with "Jon without the 'H'".
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Autobots capture, but don't kill the rogue Decepticons. The possibility isn't even brought up.
• Token Mini-Moe: Mo, who is the only little girl in the main cast and has notably bigger eyes than the other human characters. She also serves as The Heart for the Terran team.
• Took a Level in Badass: Under Bumblebee's tutelage, Twitch and Thrash slowly go from Naive Newcomers to capable warriors of their own.
• Trailers Always Spoil: The pilot two-parter treats Megatron being a good guy as a major reveal in a Bait-and-Switch moment. Too bad the official trailers already had his Heel–Face Turn front and center.
• Trainstopping: In the climax of "Moo-ving In", Bumblebee tries (and fails) to stop a G.H.O.S.T. transport train, so it won't drive over Twitch, who's gotten stuck on the tracks.
• Transforming Mecha: Naturally, considering the franchise. The teaser shows two examples: Twitch changing into a red aerial drone, and a motorcycle changing into Thrash. In the series proper we see every Cybertronian transform at least once, with the 'Bots favoring ground-based vehicles while the 'Cons lean more towards aircraft.
• Uncertain Doom: After Megatron threw the Allspark into the Spacebridge back to Cybertron, Optimus blew it up shortly after. Megatron has feared ever since that the explosion destroyed the Allspark, rendering Cybertronians a Dying Race and dooming their world.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: While EarthSpark is by no means meant for a preschool audience, it is still regarded as a children's show, filling in the same niche as Prime, Robots in Disguise and Cyberverse. That being said, the human villains in this series are far more threatening than even those from the live action films, and little punches are pulled whenever things get serious. Mandroid's behavior after receiving Brawl's arm does little to dissuade opinions.
• Villain: Exit, Stage Left:
  • In "Secret Legacy". When it becomes obvious the jig is up, Mandroid flees his laboratory and has his Decepticon Mooks and arachnamechs cover his escape.
  • When both Dot and Bumblebee arrive at the scene to fight him, Swindle quickly vacates the premises.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Mandroid, according to himself. He wants the Cybertronians off Earth believing they are threat to humanity and is willing to resort to drastic measures to do so.
• Wham Line: From the trailer, revealing an element from IDW's original metaseries and the end of Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy would be adapted.
  Robbie: Wasn't Megatron a bad guy?
  Bumblebee: Not anymore.
  • Then in the episode "Traditions", we get this from Alex as foreshadowing about Mandroid:
    Alex: Strange... I used to have a colleague who used similar technology.
    • Come "Age of Evolution":
    Mandroid: There you are! (zooms in on Alex Malto) Alex? Alex?!
• Wham Shot: The final scene of the eighth episode reveals that Starscream is already under G.H.O.S.T. custody.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Megatron, of all 'bots, questions Optimus on the indefinite detainment of Decepticons by G.H.O.S.T. and the use of restraining bolts that mode-lock Transformers into their alt-modes.
  Megatron: Optimus... does it not concern you that our human allies control where Decepticons live and what form they take? Even in times of so-called peace... this is not freedom.
• Where It All Began: The mid-season finale "Age of Evolution" has the Maltos, the Terrans, Bumblebee and Optimus return to the cave Twitch and Thrash where created in, in hopes of getting some answers.
• World-Healing Wave: After Mandroid is defeated, Robby and Mo uses their Cybersleeves and Mandroid’s tower to restore all the damage that he had caused.
• World-Wrecking Wave: In the climax of season 1, Mandroid uses a weapon hidden beneath the G.H.O.S.T. base to send out an energy wave that disrupts every energon-based lifeform on Earth.
• Would Hurt a Child:
  • Swindle has absolutely no issues with threatening and trying to kill Thrash and Mo, both of which are very young children.
  • In a similar vein, Nova Storm spitefully destroys the cave containing the Ember Stone, knowing that the Terrans and the Malto-kids are still inside.
• Year Inside, Hour Outside: In the climax of season 1, Mandroid travels through a Spacebridge, and when he returns he estimates that he's been gone about a year, while on Earth only an hour or so has passed.
• You Can't Go Home Again: The Transformers are basically stranded on Earth following the destruction of the space bridge to Cybertron.
• You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Almost happens to Nova Storm and Skywarp after they fail to get Mandroid Optimus' and Megatron's special arms. Luckily for them, Mandroid decides at the last second that he has some use for them after all - as bait.

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