The following contains spoilers for Transformers One, now playing in theatersTransformers Oneincludes a sly reference to one of their biggest original rivals, over thirty years after they defeated and absorbed them. Debuting in 1984,Transformershas been a consistent element in western pop-culture for decades, with the robotic heroes and villains of Cybertron coming to life in several different iterations across film, television, animation, video games, and comics. What makes that success unique is the fact thatTransformerswas actually beaten to the market by another similar franchise, that even shared a lot of core concepts.
Despite being the second one to launch,Transformersbecame a far more successful franchise, while the rival eventually went defunct and got bought out by the company that producedTransformers, Hasbro. Since then, those characters and concepts have faded into obscurity while the latest version of thecharacters fromTransformers Onehighlight the adaptability and enduring qualities ofTransformers. Their latest film even makes reference to those thwarted foes, slyly using their name as a go-to insult on Cybertron. It’s a clever moment that could quietly hint at their existence within the universe set up byTransformers One’s ending.
Transformers One’s Post-Credits Scenes Explained: What They Set Up
Transformers One has multiple post-credits scenes, and they help set up the franchise’s future after Optimus Prime and Megatron’s origin story.
Transformers One References GoBots & Makes Them An Insult
Gobots Apparently Count As An Insult InTransformers One
GoBotsare referenced inTransformers Oneas an apparent insult used on Cybertron, highlighting the old rivalry that one existed between the franchises. After Orion Pax, D-16, and Bumblebee inadvertently drag Elita-1 into their mission to the surface, she lays into them with a number of insults. This isn’t a huge change from her previous attitude towards Orion, especially when they previously worked together. Orion’s efforts to save Jazz ended up getting Elita-1 removed from her position in the Energon mines, leading her to casually insult him throughout the film.
While on the train that goes from Iacon City to the surface,one of Elita-1’s insults refers to Orion and his friends as “GoBots.“It’s a small throwaway line that serves as a clever easter egg for longtime fans ofTransformers, referencing the overall history of the series. However, the fact that it’s used as an insult takes on new meaning given the existence ofGoBotsin the real world as a rival franchise toTransformersthat ultimately couldn’t compete with the robots in disguise.
Transformers & GoBot’s History & Rivalry Explained
How GoBots Fought (And Lost) To Transformers
Hitting the market a year beforeTransformers,GoBotswere the greatest rival toTransformers’success in the 1980s. Produced by the Tonka company through a branding deal with Bandai between 1983 through 1987, the GoBots were functionally a similar idea that had a similar original conception, focusing on a war between heroic and villainous alien cyborgs. The GooBts received an animated series —Challenge of the GoBots— and an animated film,GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords. Although they initially sold well, their success was quickly dwarfed byTransformers, which debuted the following year with a similar gimmick and concept.
Eventually, Tonka was bought out by Hasbro and absorbed into their company, giving Hasbro the rights to the characters and storylines from theGoBotsfranchise (although the actual toys were only ever licensed from Bandai by Tonka and could not be recreated by Hasbro).Transformers’effectively killed their greatest rival in 1987and acquired them in 1991. As such, “GoBot” could be seen as a term synonymous with “loser” on Cybertron, explaining why Elita-1 used it as a go-to insult about Orion.
This Movie With 95% On RT Proves Transformers One Is Right To Break A 38-Year Pattern
While the recent Transformers blockbusters have had disappointing receptions, the upcoming installment is daring to restore the series.
Do GoBots Exist In Transformers One’s Universe?
TransformersAnimated Films Could Quietly Be The Perfect Way To Bring BackGoBots
The reference toGoBotscould also be seen as a sly hint to the broader universe ofTransformers One. The universe has a number of differences between the original franchise lore seen in otherTransformersmovies, hinting that other new tweaks could exist in this animated take on theTransformerslore.That includes GoBots, whose stories and characters could be reimagined within the new universe. Their apparent designation as an insult among the Cybertronians suggests that if they do exist in theTransformers Oneuniverse, they aren’t very well-regarded.
It’s interesting to see the GoBots brought back in some form, even as an in-universe gag that reveals their adventures are mocked or fictional in-universe. It’s possible thatGoBotscould even find redemption in anew animatedTransformerstimeline, which could incorporate elements of that franchise more overtly into a shared universe alongside Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the rest of the iconic Cybertronians. While the reference toGoBotsinTransformers Onemight just be a sly reference to the past, it could also set up a return for the long-defunct series.
Transformers One
Cast
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
