« Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Earthrise »
You wanna get to him, you go through us!
Episode 1
Production company	Allspark Animation, Rooster Teeth, Entertainment One
Airdate	December 30, 2020 (Netflix)
Written by	Gavin Hignight
Director	Takashi Kamei
Animation studio	Polygon Pictures
Watch this episode on Netflix

With the loss of Optimus Prime, Elita-1's team of Autobots attempt to liberate Cybertron, while Megatron makes a choice between Decepticon pride and retribution.

Synopsis

At a Decepticon prison, two Seeker guards open a cell and drag a hapless, damaged Decepticon out. The Decepticon protests, citing loyalty to the cause, but Seekers merely jeer and coldly reply that their captive is bound for the arena, a fate no one survives. Suddenly, the Seekers are shot down, but the saviors emerging from the fog are Elita-1 and her Autobot team: Chromia, Red Alert, and the converted Jetfire. Elita is as confused as the rescued Scrapface; she wonders why the Decepticons would be locking up their own troops. She gets no answers as she frees the imprisoned Decepticons.

Elsewhere, Megatron monologues to the inert head of his former colleague, cursing the departed Optimus Prime for the loss of the Allspark. He laments that the Decepticons, once powerful and feared, are laid low and forced to witness the end of Cybertron, which is dying without the Allspark. Soundwave then summons Megatron on behalf of Shockwave, who points out that Sector 12 is producing energy under quota. Megatron understands that this is no mere accounting decision: Shockwave wants the inhabitants of Section 12 killed so that their energon can power Project Nemesis. Megatron, stunned by Shockwave's ruthless practicality, deflects the decision until he can inspect the facility for himself, and departs for Sector 12 immediately.

At the Decepticon prison, Jetfire questions Elita's desire to free their enemies. After all, each raid puts them at great risk and their numbers are small, especially after the loss of Optimus Prime. Elita replies that she believes in a free Cybertron, and that ideologically, Megatron needs a war, even against his own faction. Jetfire is more interested in practicality: he thinks they should be focused on freeing Autobots and leave the imprisoned Decepticons to the consequences of their choices. Even Optimus Prime's motto doesn't sway Jetfire; he feels today's freed Decepticon can only backstab them tomorrow. Elita will not be swayed either, and the liberation of Decepticons—and of all Cybertronians—will continue.

At Sector 12, Shamble and other Decepticons are surprised and elated when Megatron himself arrives to oversee their operations. Shamble's excitement and bright optics only serve to darken Megatron's mood, as he learns that Sector 12 is producing just over a fifth of its former output, despite the competent management and fervent Decepticon pride. Shamble is nervous when Megatron observes the infirmary, with less than ten percent of the crew able to work. Having seen enough, Megatron departs. As Shamble happily waves goodbye, Megatron orders Shockwave to deactivate Sector 12, to the horror of the Decepticons stationed there. Later, Shockwave informs him that Project Nemesis—the harvesting of sparks for energon—is now on schedule due to the sacrifice of Sector 12.

Meanwhile, Red Alert presents Elita with intel from Steeljaw, who has infiltrated one of the largest camps deep in Kaon. Unable to deny that Jetfire's concerns have merit, she nevertheless orders Chromia to prepare to raid the prison camp, and orders Red Alert to prepare for survivors. Unfortunately for the Autobots, Steeljaw is long-dead, and Starscream has used his remains to transmit false intel to the Autobots and lure them into a trap!

At the camp, the Autobots suspect something is awry due to the lack of guards, but engage the Decepticons in battle anyway. On the ground, the Autobots eventually overtake the prison, while Jetfire takes out Seekers overhead. The Autobots press on deeper into the prison and notice that most of the cells are empty as they track an Autobot signal. But after a brief skirmish, they realize they've been had: Starscream springs his trap and the Autobots are surrounded.

Starscream presents the captive Autobots to Megatron, and orders them taken to the arena, once a symbol of Decepticon fame and power, now a harvesting ground of the weak. Megatron taunts Elita for her tenacity and charisma, but once she witnesses Shamble and the Sector 12 Decepticons dying after having their sparks removed, she begs to know how he could have fallen so low. Ignoring his inner struggle, Megatron blames the current state of affairs on Optimus Prime's actions again, and orders that the next set of sparks will be harvested from the Autobots themselves!

Elsewhere, in space...

A spacecraft reaches the Ark, and a set of Cybertronians use a laser to bore a hole through the bridge door. As Doubledealer surveys the quiet but intact bridge, he smiles with great interest when he comes across the inert body of Optimus Prime!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Autobots, stay alert!"
"I'm always alert."

—Elita-1 warns Red Alert, who's been waiting all day to make that joke

"There are times when I envy your lack of emotion."
"Deletion of my emotions was the most logical choice to increase my efficiency."

—For Megatron, the ends justify the means; Shockwave requires no justification at all

Notes

Transformers references

• Steeljaw is a repaint of Ravage in his brief appearance. Don't hold out hope for a toy. Who would he come with, Sunder?
• Scrapface, from the first wave of the Walmart exclusive War for Cybertron toyline tie-in, finally appears in the series, after being absent from all of Siege.

Animation and technical errors

• Shockwave calls Sector 12 "Section 12" in its first mention.

Trivia

Foreign localization