List of characters in Transformers: Prime

Transformers: Prime is a computer-animated children's television series that airs on The Hub. It is based on the successful Transformers toy and media franchise created by Hasbro, about a race of giant, sentient robots who come from the planet Cybertron and are able to transform into cars, planes and various other machinery. The following is a list of characters that appear in the series.

Team Prime

 * Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) - The noble and courageous leader of the Autobots, who transforms into a red and blue, long-nose semi-trailer truck that is based on his vehicle mode in the live-action Transformers films. Before the Great Autobot-Decepticon war that ravaged Cybertron, Optimus was a data clerk named Orion Pax, and he worked in Cybertron's Hall of Records. This was until Primus bestowed him with The Matrix of Leadership, which contained the collective wisdom of the Primes, and he took the role of Autobot leader.


 * Arcee (voiced by Sumalee Montano) - A tough, female Autobot who transforms into a blue motorcycle. She is assigned to be Jack Darby's Autobot guardian in episode 2, "Darkness Rising, Part 2" and she develops a close bond with him. Her main character arc in the series is coming to terms with the deaths of her previous battle partners; the first being Tailgate (whom Airachnid killed during the war), and the second being Cliffjumper (whom Starscream killed shortly before Arcee met Jack).


 * Bumblebee - A young Autobot scout who transforms into a yellow and black sports car called an 'Urbana 500' (a completely fictional make and model) that resembles his Chevrolet Camaro vehicle mode in the live-action films. Like in the films, Bumblebee is unable to speak properly, the reason being that Megatron tore out his voice box in an interrogation attempt during the war, and he has communicated through a series of electronic sound effects ever since. Bumblebee is Rafael Esquivel's Autobot guardian, with Raf being the only human in the series able to understand his alternative speech patterns.


 * Bulkhead (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - An Autobot who transforms into a large, green SUV. Before the war, Bulkhead was a construction worker, but later became a member of an Autobot commando unit called 'The Wreckers' alongside Wheeljack, Seaspray and several others. On Earth, he serves as Miko Nakadai's Autobot guardian, and while he is often aggravated by her reckless actions, he still cares deeply for her and they have a strong friendship. Bulkhead's robot mode design is based heavily on the Transformers: Animated character of the same name.


 * Ratchet (voiced by Jeffrey Combs) - A veteran Autobot medic who transforms into a white and red ambulance. His robot mode design and grouchy, no-nonsense attitude are similar to the Transformers: Animated version of Ratchet. At first, Ratchet is hostile towards Jack, Miko and Rafael, and is reluctant to befriend them. This eventually changes throughout the course of the series as he develops a friendship with Rafael. Optimus Prime frequently refers to Ratchet as 'Old friend', as they knew each other long before the war started, when Optimus was still Orion Pax.

Other Autobots

 * Wheeljack (voiced by James Horan) - Bulkhead's best friend from the days of the war, a former member of The Wreckers, and a master swordsman, who pilots a star ship called 'The Jack-Hammer' (renamed 'Star-Hammer' in the series' toy line). His robot mode design is based heavily on the Generation 1 version of Wheeljack, and he transforms into a white, green and red sports car that is modelled on the Lancia Stratos vehicle mode of the original character. Despite Optimus Prime offering him a place on the team twice, Wheeljack has so far never joined the main Autobot cast, preferring instead to travel around on his own. However, he often lends his services to Team Prime whenever he is needed in a situation.

Deceased Autobots

 * Cliffjumper (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) - A brash and hot-headed Autobot warrior, and Arcee's most recent partner. He transforms into a red muscle car resembling a First Generation Dodge Challenger, decorated with bull horns on the hood. In the first few scenes of episode 1, "Darkness Rising, Part 1", Cliffjumper is captured by a group of Vehicons and killed by Starscream. In the following episode, the Decepticons use Cliffjumper's dead body to test the effects of Dark Energon, and the substance turns the body into a mindless and aggressive zombie. It has been stated that Cliffjumper will only appear in flashbacks from now on, and so far he has appeared briefly in one of Arcee's flashbacks in episode 12, "Predatory", albeit with no dialogue.


 * Tailgate (voiced by Josh Keaton) - Arcee's original partner back on Cybertron. He is killed by the Decepticon Airachnid during the war. Arcee witnesses her partner's death as it happens and she is severely traumatized by it, vowing revenge on Airachnid. While Tailgate's face is never fully shown, his body (recycled from Cliffjumper's CGI model) appears briefly in Arcee's flashbacks.


 * Seaspray - A former member of the Wreckers. In episode 32, "Loose Cannons", Wheeljack and Seaspray (who were both traveling through space) arrange to meet in a nearby galaxy. Before Wheeljack can get to him though, Seaspray is killed when a bomb planted on his ship by Dreadwing detonates, and his death motivates Wheeljack to go after Dreadwing. Seaspray never appears on screen in this episode, and has no dialogue.

Crew of The Nemesis

 * Megatron (voiced by Frank Welker) - The tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, who captains the warship Nemesis and transforms into a silver and purple Cybertronian jet, based on his vehicle mode in the first live-action Transformers film. Before the war, Megatron (then calling himself 'Megatronus' after one of the Original Thirteen Transformers) fought as a gladiator in the pits of Kaon, and he and Orion Pax were actually close friends. This changed however, when the war corrupted Megatron's ideals, and he became a brutal warlord.


 * Soundwave - A Decepticon spy and hacker who transforms into a blue UAV drone aircraft that resembles an MQ-9 Reaper. He is a walking database full of information, and he has the ability to hack into even the most advanced computer systems, as well as record and play back everything that is said and done on board The Nemesis. So far, Soundwave has never spoken in the series, and while he is able to speak, he simply chooses not to.
 * Laserbeak - A bird-like surveillance drone that deploys from Soundwave's chest (an homage to the cassette Decepticons from Generation 1) and transforms into his chest armor.


 * Knock Out (voiced by Daran Norris) - A Decepticon medic and physician who transforms into a red sports car that resembles an Aston Martin DBS V12. Knock Out is very self-obsessed, taking great pride in his own appearance, becoming enraged whenever his vehicle mode's paint job is scratched or damaged in any way, and not seeming to care much about his patients or medical work in general.


 * Dreadwing (voiced by Tony Todd) - the twin brother of Skyquake (see below) and the former captain of a Seeker Armada, who is fiercely loyal to Megatron and has a penchant for planting explosives on and around his victims. Dreadwing sensed his brother's death from across the galaxy and travelled to Earth to exact his revenge on whoever was responsible. Upon arriving on Earth, he joins the crew of The Nemesis, and eventually replaces the treacherous Airachnid as Megatron's first lieutenant. Being an identical twin, Dreadwing shares the same body template, weaponry and vehicle mode (a fighter jet based on an F-35 Lightning II) as Skyquake, the only noticeable difference being their colour schemes: Dreadwing is blue and yellow, while Skyquake is green, silver and red.


 * Vehicons (Various Voices) - An army of identical Decepticon foot soldiers that make up the bulk of The Nemesis' crew. Some transform into sports cars, while others transform into Cybertronian fighter jets, but they all share a uniform colour scheme of black and purple. Vehicons are adaptable to many different situations, including aerial combat, security patrol and mining work, and unlike their namesake, the Vehicon Drones from Transformers: Beast Machines, they are not mindless, and are shown to have individual personalities.


 * Insecticons (Various Voices) - A race of Decepticons that transform into giant, mechanical insects. Every Insecticon that has appeared in the series so far has shared the same beast mode: a giant insect that is black, grey and purple in color and resembles a male Hercules Beetle. These Insecticons are much more feral and primitive than their Generation 1 namesake, with the majority behaving more like predatory animals and reacting violently to the sight of anything they recognize as an Autobot. Megatron commands a large swarm of Insecticons that reside in a chamber on The Nemesis.
 * Hardshell (voiced by David Kaye) - A member of Megatron's Insecticon swarm who is capable of speech, and claims to be the fiercest and most powerful of the swarm. He has a slightly different color scheme to other Insecticons, being mostly black with yellow stripe patterns resembling claw marks across his body.

Rogue Decepticons

 * Starscream (voiced by Steven Blum) - The former second-in-command of the Decepticons, who transforms into a silver fighter jet resembling an F-16 Fighting Falcon. Like most incarnations of the character, he is cowardly, self-serving and treacherous, longing to overthrow Megatron as Decepticon leader. After Megatron's supposed death in episode 5, "Darkness Rising, Part 5", Starscream appoints himself as the new Decepticon leader, and remains in this position for a large portion of season 1, at one point even attempting to kill the barely-alive Megatron upon discovering him in the wreckage of the destroyed Space Bridge. When Megatron returns to power and severely beats him for his treacherous acts, Starscream leaves the Decepticons and tries to live as an independant, aligning himself with neither side. However, throughout season 2 he struggles to survive on his own, with his misfortunes largely being played for comedic effect.


 * Airachnid (voiced by Gina Torres) - A devious, spider-like Decepticon who traumatized Arcee by killing her partner Tailgate during the war. When the war ended, Airachnid left Cybertron and traveled across the galaxy on her own, hunting various alien species and collecting their severed heads, but she eventually becomes stranded on Earth when her ship crashes. She temporarily joins The Nemesis' crew, but soon leaves when Megatron discovers that she is plotting to overthrow him. Airachnid transforms into a black helicopter that loosely resembles an RAH-66 Comanche (a vehicle mode she acquires during a confrontation with the US Military), and while she is in robot mode, the helicopter's rotors unfold and extend into spider-like legs. She can also shoot spider webs from her wrists, produce a highly corrosive acid, and telepathically control Insecticons.

Other Decepticons

 * Shockwave - Not much is known about Shockwave as of yet, only that he will appear in future episodes and is reportedly based heavily on the Generation 1 incarnation of Shockwave.

Deceased Decepticons

 * Breakdown (voiced by Adam Baldwin) - a powerful and brutish Decepticon warrior who shares a long rivalry with Bulkhead. He transforms into a blue, heavily armoured military truck equipped with a missile turret on the roof. In episode 16, "Operation: Breakdown" M.E.C.H. removes Breakdown's right eye as they tried to dismantle him, and after he escapes, an eye patch is fitted over the empty socket. In episode 33, "Crossfire", Megatron orders Breakdown and Dreadwing to kill Airachnid for plotting to overthrow him, but Airachnid quickly turns the tables and kills Breakdown by slicing him into pieces with her claws. Breakdown's remains are later found by a group of M.E.C.H. troopers, who take them back to their base for further experimentation.


 * Skyquake (voiced by Richard Green) - The twin brother of Dreadwing, Skyquake is a legendary Decepticon warrior who is fiercely loyal to Megatron and was entombed in stasis on Earth for centuries before Starscream awakens him in episode 6, "Masters and Students". He transforms into a green and red fighter jet resembling an F-35 Lightning II, a vehicle mode he acquires during a fight with Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Skyquake is eventually killed by Bumblebee and Agent Fowler in said fight, and the Autobots bury him. In episode 15, "Shadowzone", Starscream tries to revive Skyquake as a Terrorcon zombie using a shard of Dark Energon, but a Ground Bridge malfunction leaves the zombie trapped and wandering aimlessly in a parallel dimension.


 * Makeshift (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - A Decepticon spy with the rare ability to take any form, provided that he has information on whoever or whatever he is impersonating. His true form is never seen in its entirety, a silhouette cast in shadows is all that is shown. In episode 8, "Con Job", Starscream sends Makeshift (disguised as the Autobot Wheeljack) to discover the location of the Autobot base, but the real Wheeljack soon appears and foils Starscream's plan. Makeshift is eventually killed in an explosion caused by one of Wheeljack's grenades before he could complete his mission.


 * Starscream Clones (voiced by Steven Blum ) - In episode 36, "Armada", Starscream explores the wreckage of The Harbinger, a crashed Decepticon space ship, and he finds a fully functioning cloning laboratory with five blank Protoforms in stasis. He activates the machines and turns the Protoforms into exact clones of himself (a possible homage to Starscream's clone army in Transformers Animated). The clones all share Starscream's personality and memories, but not only possess T-Cogs but their pain felt by Starscream. Starscream sends his clones on a mission to assassinate Megatron, but the mission fails and every clone is eventually killed, the last one murdered by Starscream so he can salvage the clone's T-Cog.

Main Cast

 * Jackson "Jack" Darby (voiced by Josh Keaton) - A 16-year-old high school student who has a dead-end job that he does not enjoy at a fast-food restaurant. He is brought into the Autobot-Decepticon conflict after accidentally getting caught in the crossfire in a fight between Arcee and two Vehicons. After initially being reluctant to get involved with the Transformers, Jack soon accepts them, and throughout the series he forms a close bond with Arcee, his Autobot guardian. He also serves as a leader figure to the other humans and cares greatly for the safety of his friends.


 * Miko Nakadai (voiced by Tania Gunadi) - A 15-year-old foreign exchange student from Tokyo, Japan. She is loud, adventurous and often very reckless, following the Autobots into dangerous situations and showing little to no regard for her own safety on several occasions throughout season 1, but she soon stops this behavior in season 2. She has a strong friendship with her Autobot guardian Bulkhead, who sometimes acts like a parental figure towards her, much to her annoyance. During early development and production of the series, Miko's surname was originally going to be 'Tezuka'.


 * Rafael "Raf" Esquivel (voiced by Andy Pessoa) - An extremely intelligent yet shy 12-year-old boy who has an extensive knowledge of computers. He comes from a very large family, but because they rarely notice him, he spends a lot of time with his Autobot guardian Bumblebee, being the only human in the series able to understand Bumblebee's speech impediment. Raf also develops a friendship with Ratchet, offering him advice and support in difficult situations.


 * Special Agent William "Bill" Fowler (voiced by Ernie Hudson) - A government agent and former army ranger, who serves as a liaison between The Autobots and the United States Government. He usually only calls or appears at the Autobot base when the Transformers do something that threatens national security. He is also shown to be a skilled pilot, flying both helicopters and fighter jets, and occasionally providing air support for the ground-based Autobots.

M.E.C.H.
M.E.C.H. are a terrorist organization that focuses on utilizing advanced machinery to start a Newer World Order. In their first appearance in episode 9, "Convoy", M.E.C.H. attempted to steal a powerful nuclear device, but they are stopped by the Autobots. Afterwards, M.E.C.H. becomes primarily focused on the capture and dissection of any Cybertronian they can find, regardless of faction, so they can research their inner workings and create an army of man-made Transformers under their control. They refer to this project as "Project: Chimera", which eventually leads to the creation of the man-made Transformer Nemesis Prime.
 * Colonel Leland "Silas" Bishop (voiced by Clancy Brown) - The field commander of M.E.C.H. who was once a member of the Special Operations branch of the United States Military, before he was discharged for a project involving a satellite-based laser weapon system that went horribly wrong. In episode 34, "Nemesis Prime", Silas Silas is crushed by falling rubble and the body of Nemesis Prime when the ceiling of M.E.C.H.'s hideout collapses, leaving him critically injured and close to death. M.E.C.H.'s scientists vow to keep him alive by any means possible.
 * M.E.C.H. Troopers (Various Voices) - Dozens of personnel that serve as both foot soldiers and scientists for M.E.C.H., but regardless of occupation, they all wear a matching green uniform with masks that completely cover their faces. Silas is the only member of M.E.C.H. whose uniform does not cover his face.

Other Humans

 * June Darby (voiced by Markie Post) - Jack's mother, who works as an emergency room nurse. For a large portion of season 1, June is completely unaware of the existence of the Transformers, believing that Arcee is an ordinary motorcycle. She eventually finds out in episode 17, "Crisscross", when she is kidnapped by M.E.C.H. and Airachnid in a plot to capture Arcee. Afterwards, she becomes a firm ally of the Autobots, but regularly argues against any situation that may put Jack and the other kids in danger.


 * Sierra (voiced by Alexandra Krosney) - Jack's love interest (although she very rarely notices him) and the head cheerleader at their school.


 * Vince (voiced by Brad Raider) - An obnoxious school bully who attends the same school as Jack and Sierra. He often takes jabs at Jack for owning a motorcycle instead of a car, and he occasionally takes part in street racing.


 * General Bryce (voiced by Robert Forster) - Agent Fowler's superior, and a representative of the United States government. Despite Fowler's efforts to persuade him otherwise, Bryce distrusts the Autobots and believes that there's nothing stopping them from turning on humanity.


 * Vogel (voiced by John DiMaggio) - A maintenance worker who works in New York's underground subway tunnels for the New York Transit Authority. He is an avid alien conspiracy theorist, believing in 'Mole-Men' and other paranormal beings, but becomes aware of the Transformers while helping Jack and Miko in retrieving a relic from the Vaults of Iacon. After the Autobots obtain the relic, Miko convinces Agent Fowler to trick Vogel into thinking he's been deputized for the (fictitious) Department of Interstellar Relations, to stop him becoming involved in the Autobot-Decepticon conflict any further.

Other Characters and Beings

 * Primus - The creator of the Cybertronian race. When the universe first began, Primus and Unicron battled for millennia, with Primus eventually winning after creating the first Thirteen Transformers to assist him in the conflict. After Unicron was defeated and cast out into the Universe, Primus became one with the very core of Cybertron, creating life through the Well of All Sparks. During the war, Primus bestowed Orion Pax with the Matrix of Leadership and Orion went on to become the Autobot leader Optimus Prime.


 * Unicron (voiced by John Noble) - An ancient, powerful and destructive being who is the source of Dark Energon, a substance with the ability to revive the bodies of dead Transformers as mindless zombies. After Primus and the Original Thirteen Transformers defeated him, Unicron drifted through space in a state of hibernation for millions of years, with his body attracting rocks and debris that eventually formed the planet Earth, with Unicron's spark chamber at its center. Unicron is mentioned several times throughout season 1, but only makes his first appearance in episode 24, "One Shall Rise, Part 1", forming an army of avatars based on his original body from rocks and soil.


 * Nemesis Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) - A man-made clone of Optimus Prime created by M.E.C.H. as the prototype of "Project: Chimera". This clone does not have a mind of its own, Silas controls it remotely from a control panel at M.E.C.H.'s hideout and it is unable to move or function at all when no one is sitting at the controls. Being an exact clone, Nemesis Prime transforms into the same type of long-nose truck as Optimus, only covered in rust and coloured in lighter, more metallic shades of red and blue.


 * The Thirteen Primes - The first thirteen Transformers created by Primus to aid him in his battle against Unicron. While none of the Thirteen Primes have actually appeared in the series yet, some of their members have been mentioned in dialogue.
 * The Fallen/Megatronus - Bulkhead makes a passing reference to The Fallen in episode 20, "Partners", and it is later revealed that during his days as a gladiator, Megatron originally called himself 'Megatronus', after The Fallen's original name.
 * Solus Prime - A weapon-smith and the only female member of The Thirteen Primes. She is mentioned in episode 31, "Operation: Bumblebee, Part 2", when Knock Out and Breakdown discover her legendary hammer -The Forge of Solus Prime- buried on a mountainside and take it back to The Nemesis. The Forge has the ability to craft weaponry and Cybertronian body components out of basic machinery, but the Decepticons soon discovered that, to their frustration, it only works when held by a Prime.


 * Scraplets - A dangerous form of Cybertronian vermin that feeds on metal, travels in large swarms and has the ability to hover through the air, but are vulnerable to extreme cold. Bulkhead has a strong fear of Scaplets, claiming to have seen a swarm eat whole Cybertronians alive. In episode 29, "Orion Pax, Part 3", the Scraplets were shown to be one of the few life forms left alive on Cybertron after the war.


 * Terrorcons - The bodies of dead Cybertronians turned into mindless zombies by Dark Energon. the dead bodies of both Cliffjumper and Skyquake have been turned into Terrorcons throughout the course of the series, and Megatron has also used Dark Energon to revive a mass burial ground full of fallen Cybertronians in episode 3, "Darkness Rising, Part 3", to demonstrate the substance's power. Throughout season 1, The term 'Terrorcon' is never actually used, they are simply referred to as 'the undead' or 'zombies', but the term was used in the series' toy line for a toy of the zombified Cliffjumper. The name was first used in the series itself in episode 32, "Loose Cannons" when Arcee mentions Starscream's attempt to revive Skyquake as a Terrorcon.


 * The Nemesis (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) - The Decepticon Warship. For most of the series, it is a regular star ship that serves as a mobile headquarters for the Decepticons. However in episode 37, "Flying Mind", it develops sentience when Megatron floods its damaged engine with Dark Energon. The ship rebels against its own crew by placing them all in stasis lock and sets about searching for relics from the Vaults of Iacon after successfully decoding the Iacon records. Jack, Miko, Rafael and Agent Fowler sneak on to the ship and successfully stop its rampage by removing the Dark Energon from the engines and returning it to its dormant state.