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This Villain was proposed and approved by Villains Wiki's Pure Evil Proposals Thread. Any act of removing this villain from the category without a Removal Proposal shall be considered vandalism (or a futile "heroic" attempt of redemption) and the user will have high chances of being | ||
Note: This page is only about the original film and IDW comic incarnations of Sentinel Prime. His novel incarnation can be found here: Sentinel Prime (2011 Novelization).
| “ | Indeed I am! What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is we were never going to win the war. For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made… with Megatron! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime revealing his true colors and betraying the Autobots - his most famous quote. |
Sentinel Prime is the main antagonist of the 2011 sci-fi action film Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third installment of the original continuity of the Transformers live-action film series.
He was the original Leader of the Autobots and Optimus Prime's mentor, before going missing in action during the Great War. After his revival, it is revealed that he betrayed the Autobots and made a deal with Megatron so that he could restore Cybertron as his domain to rule with all of humanity his slaves. Sentinel Prime becomes the most hated arch-nemesis of Optimus Prime.
He was voiced by the late Leonard Nimoy, who also played Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie, Mirror Spock and Henoch in Star Trek: The Original Series, Dr. Barry Mayfield in Columbo, Mr. Hyde in The Pagemaster, The Zarn in Land of the Lost, David Kibner in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Master Xehanort in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Personality
Sentinel Prime, at first, seemed to be a heroic figure and a symbol of freedom for Optimus Prime, but later, he becomes a malevolent and corrupt lunatic who wishes to dictate to everyone else, whether or not they are Cybertronians or humans.
As an Autobot, Sentinel had taught the value of freedom as everyone's right to Optimus when the latter was the former's student. However, over the years, Sentinel Prime has come to prefer having power and authority much more than imposing freedom for all. Optimus states that Earth should be the new home of his race, as humans welcomed them, although Sentinel, being discriminatory, despised the idea of sharing a planet with weaker and smaller organic beings and instead , wanted to restore Cybertron. He was more than willing to kill his former student and his fellow Cybertronians if it meant getting his way.
Sentinel, for all his claims as a noble extremist who desires the survival of his species, slowly reveals his true colors to both the Autobots and Decepticons as nothing more than a power-hungry narcissist as he supplants Megatron's authority over the humans. Decepticons and tries to kill Optimus in a blind rage while ranting about how Cybertron is just his domain to rule as God. Despite the brief succession, it ultimately led to his own downfall as Megatron, having been convinced by Carly that he would only be one of Sentinel's pawns, realized that Sentinel was using him and saved Optimus while incapacitating seriously to Sentinel with minimal effort, leaving him. Helpless enough for Optimus to execute him when he realized the master he respected is dead to him.
Before dying, Sentinel showed another side of himself: a pathetic, cowardly and mediocre being. He tried to justify his actions and swore that everything he had done was for the Cybertronian race when what his actions caused was the deaths of several Autobots and Decepticons alike, in addition to having betrayed all the principles he taught Optimus, his former student.
Sentinel did not even attempt to show dignity in his death, but instead panicked and whimpered for a mercy he was unworthy of and never had with anyone around him; whether it was the Autobots he betrayed, the humans he was meant to protect, or the Decepticons he was an ally of.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Cybertronian Physiology: As the last of the Primes, Sentinel is one of the most, if not the most powerful Cybertronian, with seemingly only Megatron and Optimus being on par. His powers and abilities include:
- Superhuman Strength: To be added
- Superhuman Durability: To be added
- Superhuman Speed: To be added
- Superhuman Agility: To be added
- Superhuman Stamina: To be added
- Superhuman Reflexes: To be added
- Longevity: Sentinel Prime has been around for millennia, and still active without negative effects.
- Space Bridge Formation: To be added
Abilities
- Master Combatant: Sentinel Prime was an excellent fighter, able to even beat a Decepticon in combat. He is also skilled with his melee weapon the Primax Blade. During his final battle with Optimus he was able to hold against his former student (however he did use dirty tactics like ordering all Decepticon ships to fire at Optimus). He also singled-handling took most of the Autobots and N.E.S.T. Troops and later on on a bridge he gain the upper hand, due to Optimus being blinded by anger, and manage to cripple his arm and almost killed him until Megatron intervened.
- Master Leader: Sentinel Prime led Cybertron when it was the crown jewel of the galaxy.
Equipment
- Primax Blade: The Primax Blade was the ancient double-bladed sword owned and used by Sentinel Prime as his main melee weapon of choice. It's versatile enough to have two configurations: while Sentinel can wield it one-handed in its long dual-bladed form, it also has a half-length mode which he can wave around just as easily. He stows it on his back when it's not in use. Sentinel Prime's bladed staff is able to be folded up into a single sword in the film. It was used by Sentinel to fight Optimus Prime, and was lost in the Chicago River after Sentinel was beaten down by Megatron.
- Shield: Sentinel Prime also carries a large shield which he used to defend himself against multiple enemies.
- Cosmic Rust Cannon: Sentinel Prime carries a Cosmic Rust cannon that causes any metal it fires upon to rust and crumple away. He used it to murder Ironhide. It is a powerful weapon and doesn't just infect him with cosmic rust, but causes horrific exterior damage to Ironhide, killing him in just three shots and the effect rusts the Autobot veteran away with his body falling apart. His action shows that he revealed his true colors — Sentinel had made a deal with Megatron. Although this weapon is never used to its full potential. As for the weapon in general, not many Autobots like it, as they thought it was something the Decepticons would likely use, and wasn't up to their honorable standard. In the film, he lost it during his final battle when he was hit with a rocket launcher. In the comic adaptation, it is a second configuration for his shield, and was used by Optimus to kill him.
- Pillars: The Pillars were a set of transport devices created by Sentinel Prime. Together, the Pillars formed a Space Bridge, which could transport matter through time and space. The Control Pillar was the primary Pillar that controlled the rest to form the Space Bridge, and when it was destroyed during the Battle of Chicago, the other Pillars shut off, most falling into and burning up in orbit, but at least one found it's way into the hands of Edmund Burton.
Victims
- Ironhide (all versions)
- Bumblebee (all versions; attempted)
- Skids (comic; accidental)
- Mudflap (comic)
- Most of William Lennox's troops
- Numerous counts of unnamed Chicagoans (caused)
- Izabella's parents (film; indirectly caused)
- James Savoy's sister (film; indirectly caused)
- Wheeljack/Que (film; indirectly caused)
- Mirage/Dino (comic; indirectly caused)
- Optimus Prime (all versions; attempted)
- Megatron (comic; attempted)
Quotes
| “ | I hereby discharge you from duty! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime just as he kills Ironhide. |
| “ | I am a Prime. I do not take orders from you. | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime to Charlotte Mearing. |
| “ | Optimus Prime: Why, Sentinel?! Why?! Sentinel Prime: For Cybertron! Or our home! Wht war destroyed, we can rebuild. But only if we join with the Decepticons! Optimus Prime: No, that's not the only way! This is our home. We must defend the humans! Sentinel Prime: So lost you are, Optimus. On Cybertron we were gods, and here they call us machines! [aims his Cosmic Rust Cannon at Optimus' chest] Let the humans serve us, or perish! You're lucky I didn't kill you. In time, you'll see. |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime displaying his true nature to Optimus Prime while explaining why he joined the Decepticons in the first place. |
| “ | I have deigned to work with you that our planet may survive! I will never work FOR you! And you'll be wise to remember the difference. | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime tells Megatron, indirectly revealing his intention to take over the Decepticon army. |
| “ | How doomed you, Autobots. You simply fail to understand, that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Activating the bridge. | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime before activating the Space Bridge. |
| “ | It's our world now! Commence transport! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime commencing the transport of Cybertron. |
| “ | Optimus! You forget your place! I bring you Cybertron, your home, and still you choose humanity! | „ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime before his final fight with Optimus. |
| “ | Sentinel Prime: Always the bravest of us, but you could never make the hard decisions! Our planet WILL survive! Optimus Prime: No! Sentinel Prime: [severs Optimus right arm before dragging him across the drawbridge] We were gods once! All of us! But here... Optimus Prime: Please! Sentinel Prime: There will only be one! |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime during his fight with Optimus before Megatron's intervention. |
| “ | Sentinel Prime: Optimus... all I ever wanted... was the survival of our race... You must see why I had to betray you. Optimus Prime: You didn't betray me. You betrayed yourself. Sentinel Prime: NO, OPTIMUS! |
„ |
| ~ Sentinel Prime's last words before Optimus kills him with Megatron's gun. |
Trivia
- This is the fourth incarnation of Sentinel Prime to be portrayed in a negative light, alongside his original IDW Generation One continuity, Transformers Animated, and Aligned continuity incarnations.
- In the comic book adaptation of the film, it's revealed that Sentinel killed Ironhide first just because he was a Thetacon (the Cybertronian equivalent to indigenous people), saying, "I never really liked his kind.", which means he's xenophobic towards any type of Cybertronians that aren't "normal". This is unlike the film and novelization, which never explained why Sentinel chose Ironhide as his first victim in the first place.
- Sentinel Prime's voice actor, the late Leonard Nimoy, is most famously known for portraying Mr. Spock in the Star Trek franchise. Coincidentally, Spock's voice is also heard in the first Transformers film, as audio from Bumblebee's radio.
- In the beginning of Dark of the Moon itself, Sam is seen watching an episode of Star Trek, which Wheelie comments is "The one where Spock goes nuts", foreshadowing Sentinel's eventual betrayal.
- One of Sentinel Prime's lines, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few", references a similar quote from Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn.
- Nimoy was previously considered to voice The Fallen in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen.
- Nimoy had previously voiced Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie.
- Sentinel's facial features were based off of the late Sean Connery, who worked with Michael Bay in The Rock. When Leonard Nimoy was cast as the character's voice, his own features were incorporated into Sentinel's face as well.
- In an early draft of Transformers, time stops as Sam Witwicky falls down the building Megatron smashed, and Sentinel appears to him via the AllSpark. Sentinel would've clarified the history of the war and the relationship between Optimus and Megatron (expanding on their history as siblings) and given him a clue to defeating Megatron with the Cube.
- Concept art referred to Sentinel Prime as "Ultra Magnus", a failed Prime from The Transformers: The Movie and a protagonist in third season of the television show. It was presumably done this way to hide spoilers from the film.
- Sentinel Prime is colored gold and silver in the teaser trailer of Dark of the Moon. This shot was redone for the movie proper, and he consistently appears red throughout the film, though the uncorrected trailer footage was still used for the menu on the home video release of the film.
- The Rosenbauer Panther fire truck cast as Sentinel Prime was entirely repainted specifically for the film, at a cost of thousands of dollars; real-world aircraft fire-fighting vehicles are required by FAA regulations to have a much lighter color scheme. It was repainted and given to a different airport, where it remained active. At some point it ended up in use at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
- Earlier drafts of the film that were used for the comic book adaptation and novelization depicts Seninel Prime as an even greater and menacing threat:
- After killing Ironhide, Sentinel Prime tried to kill Bumblebee but instead killed Skids who got in the way and then Mudflap after he tried to avenge his twin brother. It was cut due to negative views about the said Autobots.
- During their battle at the Lincoln Memorial, Sentinel was willing to kill Optimus, but was forced to spare him to protect the Space Bridge Pillars when they came under attack. This is unlike the film, in which he chose to spare Optimus because he was actually setting up a more effective trap to kill him and the Autobots in one fell swoop while leaving Optimus with a threat.
- After the Control Pillar was shot down from the cupola it was housed in, Sentinel falsely accused Megatron of doing nothing to prevent Optimus Prime from doing so and knocked him off from the top of the 35 East Wacker, before engaging Optimus.
- When Optimus and Megatron joined forces to fight him, Sentinel tried to kill them both.
- Though he is portrayed as a villain, Sentinel Prime's film appearance and alternate mode has been applied to many other incarnations of his outside the Transformers universe, such as the Kre-O version and the Angry Birds version.
- Because of his actions, Sentinel Prime is the opposite of Jetfire from from the previous film:
- The former was an Autobot turned Decepticon, while the latter was the opposite.
- Sentinel Prime was against the human race (for a former Autobot), while Jetfire was supportive for them (for a former Decepticon).
- All of his toys classified him as an Autobot to hide spoilers from the movie, with his toy bio claiming that the Decepticons' final defeat was closer than expected thanks to his return (which makes sense, considering that DOTM was supposed to be the final chapter of the film series). For the Studio Series toyline, his box features a Decepticon insignia while his backdrop features an Autobot one due to his selfish betrayal in the film, despite not actually being a Decepticon himself.
- Walmart had exclusive retailer rights to use this incarnation of Sentinel Prime in their signage and marketing as part of their "Power of the Primes" campaign.
- Attinger's playing card of Sentinel Prime was barely visible in AOE. It wasn't until a prop auction for the Transformers film series held in 2019 that a clearer view of the card was shown.
External Links
- Sentinel Prime on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Sentinel Prime on TFWiki
