Looking Back at the War for Cybertron: Siege Ending and My Earthrise Theories

Transformers: War for Cybertron: Siege, the 2020 Netflix animated series, opened a trilogy reimagining the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. When it arrived, it was getting mixed reviews online. I definitely thought there was a lot to enjoy, and I gave it a 7.5 out of 10. It ends on a cliffhanger at the space bridge and a post credits tease, and both set up the next chapter, Earthrise.

Siege was planned as the first part of the War for Cybertron trilogy, with the rest set to debut on Netflix over the following couple of years. Earthrise and Kingdom, the remaining chapters, had both been released by July 30, 2021. The look back below covers the full story of Siege, its ending, and the theories I had at the time. Heavy spoilers follow.

War for Cybertron: Siege retells the Autobot uprising against Megatron

Siege is a retelling of the Transformers origin story with a couple of updates and additions. It opens with the Decepticons ruling over Cybertron and holding complete control of the planet. As always, their leader is Megatron, and he wants to crush the Autobot uprising before it can take back power.

Imagine the opening scene of the Bumblebee movie stretched across an entire series, and you have the outline of the show. I thought that scene was the best part not only of that movie but of any Transformers movie ever, so it was great to get a full rendition of it in animated form.

As with most rebel uprising stories, there is a MacGuffin, the way other stories have the plans for the Death Star, the Power Stone or the One Ring. Here it is the Allspark, the ancient artifact that can bring machines to life. It was responsible for the creation of all life on Cybertron. Little is known about its origins, but it kick started the first dynasty of Primes and those who served them.

The Autobots need the Allspark, the space bridge and energon to escape Cybertron

The show centers on the two factions wrestling for control of the Allspark while several subplots run alongside. There are four campaigns going on at once, and they connect toward one goal: getting off world with the Allspark. The Decepticons want to take it and use its abilities to unleash a powerful wave of programming that will reformat every Autobot.

The Autobots have to retrieve the Allspark, repair the space bridge and collect enough energon to power the Ark, the ship that will carry them away. Optimus and his group go after the Allspark, Ratchet handles the space bridge, and Bumblebee takes on the energon.

I didn't think the story quite lived up to the original work. Still, I said that if you're a Transformers fan, you'd definitely find it a blast. The show is gorgeous, and considering it's animated, there were many times I thought everything looked photorealistic.

Bumblebee grows from scavenger into the hero fans know

Bumblebee gets a lot to do this season. In the beginning he's a scavenger, only interested in surviving day to day, and he isn't into the idea of fighting. As the season goes on he becomes more and more committed to the cause and turns into the classic version fans have come to know and love.

That outlook is reflected in several other Autobots, many of whom simply want to avoid extinction for as long as they can. Optimus sees that in the long run they're only delaying the inevitable rather than ending it. They must fight in order to reach the day they no longer have to fight.

Megatron executes Ultra Magnus and unleashes Shockwave's virus

There are dissenters among the Autobots. Ultra Magnus goes to Megatron hoping to strike a peace treaty that would avoid more bloodshed. There he learns of the plan to take the Allspark, and he sends a warning to his allies. Using a stockpile of highly concentrated energon, the Decepticons lay a trap and attack when the Autobots try to retrieve it.

Megatron executes Ultra Magnus after he leads them on a wild goose chase, then uses propaganda to publicly end the truce between the two sides. He also orders Shockwave to release a virus targeting the Autobots, and it severely depletes their numbers.

Several Decepticons, such as Jetfire, disagree with how dishonorable this is. The show tackles complicated themes like patriotism and following certain beliefs. Impactor is a key example, showing that being patriotic doesn't mean blindly following the government and its orders, especially when you know them to be wrong. I loved how some characters question what it means to win, and whether betraying your principles means betraying what you were fighting for in the first place. The show doesn't give a right or wrong answer, and that adds subtext to the series.

The Alpha Trion protocols and the Guardians' choice

Later it's revealed that Ultra Magnus passed the Alpha Trion protocols into Bumblebee's mind the instant he was killed. That changes Bumblebee's perspective, and the knowledge he gains alters how he views the war and life itself.

This is mirrored in the Guardians, whom Optimus approaches for aid. Like Bumblebee, they initially refuse to get involved, even though they know the conflict will have severe repercussions for the planet. It seems his pleas fall on deaf ears, but Omega Supreme does eventually join the fight, showing that inaction is not always the right option. After all, "evil triumphs when good men, I mean machines, fail to act." I appreciated that the show carried the notion that although it's sometimes easier to stay out of trouble, it isn't always the right thing to do.

The final act: the Rust Lands and Optimus versus Megatron at the space bridge

With the Alpha Trion protocols, the Autobots learn the location of the Allspark, and Bumblebee fully joins them. Optimus and his group travel into the hazardous Rust Lands to retrieve it. Shockwave sends the virus into Ultra Magnus to destroy the Alpha Trion code wherever it may be. The virus hits the Autobot numbers hard, and the code is wiped from Bumblebee's head.

Against all odds, the group retrieves the Allspark and the energon and repairs the space bridge. Optimus rides there with the Allspark while Elita One and her forces try to create a distraction. Megatron realizes where Optimus is heading, and the two face off. It's a brilliant battle and I loved seeing it. They don't get much screen time against each other in the series, and those moments are few and far between, so you have to appreciate them.

Megatron sees Optimus as a traitor for wanting to destroy the planet they live on, while Optimus sees tyranny as what led to its downfall. It makes you feel like Cybertron is lost, and Optimus almost loses the fight. Bumblebee stops Megatron from taking the Allspark, and in that moment Optimus launches it into the space bridge, sending it to parts unknown.

Omega Supreme arrives as Elita One stays behind

Impactor sacrifices himself, and Elita One launches the Ark toward the space bridge so the Autobots have a vessel to escape. Just as the Decepticons close in, Omega Supreme arrives and fights for the Autobots for the good of Cybertron. Seeing the gigantic Titan take them down is excellent, and I loved seeing that massive machine decimate the Decepticons.

It buys the Autobots time, but just as they are about to escape, Elita One decides to stay behind. You get the feeling she and Optimus were close, but out of duty to protect the planet from Megatron's forces she remains to fight, possibly dividing the Decepticons' attention and giving the Autobots more of a chance to get away.

As the Ark reaches the space bridge, it seems to explode, potentially killing everyone on board. Elita One is left wondering whether her friends made it out, but she vows to continue the fight in their honor. Jetfire arrives to bolster her numbers, and you get the feeling that even if their allies are potentially gone, they won't stop fighting.

The post credits scene: Teletraan 1 confirms the Ark survived

You don't need to be Alpha Trion to know the Ark made it off the planet. After the series closes, a post credits teaser shows the lights of Teletraan 1 powering up. Teletraan 1 is the sentient computer system that runs the Ark, so its activation shows the Autobots escaped Cybertron, survived the trip through the space bridge, and that everything on board is okay.

There were two main theories about this. The first was that the Autobots had made it to Earth and the military or some other agency was coming to investigate what crash landed. The second was that they were in space and had encountered other life forms. I said it was the second, because of what appears just before Teletraan 1 powers up. It's easy to miss and you have to turn your TV brightness up, but the Ark can be seen floating in the vast emptiness of space. So they are okay, and they have come across someone.

Why I thought the Quintessons were behind the tease

Who they met was up in the air, but I said it was likely the Quintessons, because a new toy line had been launched for the series. The Quintessons are an ancient race known as traders and businessmen across the galaxy. They possess advanced technology and travel the universe looking for life forms to deal with, so it made sense that they would be interested in an unknown vessel like the Ark.

My theory was that the Ark may be very low on power, and that the Autobots would trade with them to find a way to repair the ship and continue their journey to the Allspark.

What I expected from Earthrise

We didn't know for definite where the Allspark ended up, but the title of the next part, Earthrise, gave it away. I thought Optimus would take his forces to Earth, which would hammer home Megatron's comments about the Autobots being happy to devastate other planets with their war. They had to make it to Earth at some point to tie in with the Transformers legacy, and with a title like Earthrise, it made a lot of sense.

Another big question was what happened to Omega Supreme. Personally, I thought he perished in the explosion at the bridge. I knew that was an unpopular opinion, and I had seen theories saying he may have gone with the Autobots, but I wasn't sure that was the case. I thought his death would snap the Guardians out of their apathy and make them realize the war would eventually reach them, forcing them to choose a side. I said it would definitely elevate the series, and that Megatron would worry about the Guardians joining the battle and either try to win them over or exterminate them.

I expected the war to continue on Cybertron while Optimus and his forces tried to obtain the Allspark on Earth, with Megatron sending key Decepticons after them and the war playing out across the universe, the Guardians included. I also thought there would be a way to retrieve the Alpha Trion protocols even though they had been wiped from Bumblebee's head, giving the Autobots information on what to do next. Some Autobots being left behind on Cybertron was an interesting aspect, and I was very hyped for what came next.

My verdict on Siege: not too dark or too short

Siege was being called too dark and too short, and I disagreed. I thought that once the full trilogy was available and we had the entire arc, excuse the pun, things would make a lot more sense and there would be more dynamism to the piece. For a first chapter, I thought it was the perfect length, and it put the pieces in place for many potential avenues.

It wasn't perfect, but I thought that when the dust settled on the trilogy, it would look a lot better as one part of the whole. Overall, I had fun with War for Cybertron, and I called it "an easy binge that gets a 7.5 out of 10."