Transformers: Prime (known as Transformers: Prime – Beast Hunters during its third and final season) is an American animated television series based on the Transformers toy franchise by Hasbro that aired on the Hub Network from November 29, 2010, to July 26, 2013. The series focuses on the Autobots of "Team Prime", consisting of Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead, and their human allies as they attempt to protect the Earth from the villainous Decepticons and their leader Megatron.
Set in the timeframe after the novels and video games preceding the television series (also known as the Aligned Continuity), Prime began with a five-part mini-series titled "Darkness Rising", which served to introduce the main characters and provide a back story on the Transformers and their war.
Cast and characters[]
Autobots[]
- Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) is the leader of the Autobots who is aided by Team Prime in his mission to protect Earth.
- Ratchet (voiced by Jeffrey Combs) is Team Prime's medical officer and an old friend of Optimus.
- Bumblebee (voiced by Will Friedle) is Team Prime's scout and youngest member. Similar to the live-action films, Bumblebee is mute throughout most of the series and communicates through beeps due to a damaged voice box. However, in the series finale, Bumblebee's voice box is restored.
- Bulkhead (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) is Team Prime's muscle and a former Wrecker.
- Arcee (voiced by Sumalee Montano) is Team Prime's only female bot and their most agile fighter.
- Wheeljack (voiced by James Horan) is a Wrecker and an old friend of Bulkhead. While initially appearing for one episode in season one, Wheeljack joins Team Prime in the latter half of season two.
- Smokescreen (voiced by Nolan North) is a rookie Autobot soldier and an acquaintance of Optimus' mentor Alpha Trion.
- Ultra Magnus (voiced by Michael Ironside) is Optimus' second-in-command who is far stricter than him and comes to Earth and reunites Team Prime after they are separated.
- Cliffjumper (voiced by Dwayne Johnson in season 1 and Billy Brown in season 2) is Arcee's partner who is captured by the Decepticons and killed by Starscream in the series premiere.
Human allies[]
- Jack Darby (voiced by Josh Keaton) is a high schooler and only child who works at the local burger joint and bonds with Arcee and Smokescreen.
- Miko Nakadai (voiced by Tania Gunadi) is a reckless Japanese exchange student who bonds with Bulkhead and Wheeljack.
- Rafael "Raf" Esquivel (voiced by Andy Pessoa) is a young programming genius who can understand Bumblebee and bonds with him and Ratchet.
- June Darby (voiced by Markie Post) is Jack's single mother and a nurse at the local hospital.
- Special Agent William Fowler (voiced by Ernie Hudson) is a retired Army Ranger and Team Prime's connection to the U.S. government.
Decepticons[]
- Megatron (voiced by Frank Welker) is the tyrannical leader of the Decepticons.
- Starscream (voiced by Steve Blum) is the treacherous second-in-command of the Decepticons who seeks to usurp Megatron.
- Soundwave (voiced by Frank Welker) is the cold and emotionless communication officer of the Decepticons with an undying loyalty towards Megatron. Soundwave remains silent in almost all of his appearances, and chooses to replicate other characters' voices to communicate.
- Knock Out (voiced by Daran Norris) is the Decepticons' narcissistic medical officer.
- Breakdown (voiced by Adam Baldwin) is Knock Out's brutish partner who shares a rivalry with Bulkhead.
- Airachnid (voiced by Gina Torres) is Arcee's nemesis and a sadistic murderer who temporarily joins Megatron's ranks.
- Dreadwing (voiced by Tony Todd) is a loyal Seeker commander who becomes Megatron's second-in-command after Starscream goes rogue.
- Shockwave (voiced by David Sobolov) is the Decepticons' mad scientist. Originally featured only in one flashback episode, Shockwave joins the Decepticons in the third season.
- Predaking (voiced by Peter Mensah) is a Predacon clone created by Shockwave to serve Megatron.
- Skyquake (voiced by Richard Green) is a Decepticon warrior loyal to Megatron and Dreadwing's twin brother who immediately after his awakening engaged Optimus and Bumblebee in battle and perished until Starscream brought him back to life as a Terrorcon.
- Hardshell (voiced by David Kaye) is the leader of the Insecticons serving Megatron who was killed by Wheeljack and Miko.
Miscellaneous[]
- Leland "Silas" Bishop (voiced by Clancy Brown) is a renegade military agent and leader of the terrorist group M.E.C.H. who seek to conquer the world using military tech.
- Unicron "the Chaos Bringer" (voiced by John Noble) is the ancient enemy of the Transformers and their creator Primus, his brother, who unwillingly became the core of Earth after his defeat. Unicron's "blood", Dark Energon, which can bring machines to life as terrorcons and empower the Transformers with crippling side effects, is a recurring plot element in the series.
- Thunderwing (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes) is a herald of Unicron created for the purpose of destroying the Matrix of Leadership and appears as the final boss of the video game based on the series.
- Alpha Trion (voiced by George Takei) is a member of the thirteen (the original primes) and Optimus' deceased mentor who appears before him as a vision.