He should have been the main protagonist for Robots in Disguise. It would have been a perfect continuation of his story to see him forced into a leadership role.
The start of Smokescreen's first episode: "This guy's suspicious; he can't be that dumb." The end of his first episode: "Yeah, he is as dumb as a bag of Dinobots."
Dude shows up halfway through season 2 literally out of nowhere with zero prior buildup, proceeds to have the best character arc in the series, then goes on to save the world by turning down glory at the crux of his character arc. All in the span of twelve episodes. Impressive.
Smokescreen definitely had way more character development than Sideswipe ever did. He was literally the personification of every negative thing about Smokescreen.
@@doomslayer1210 they meant the RID 2015 Sideswipe. He was also a rambunctious young teen who was cocky and arrogant but had deep seeded dependency issues. The problem with him, same as most of the bots in that show, is that they never matured over time. They had episodes where Sideswipe would "learn a lesson" but by the next episode he'd revert back to his old self.
@@electricfeverx976 Yeaah... basically that's just because of this show being for kids only. I mean, seriously, even Optimus there became just an old "all-knowing" guy without of any experience from TFP.
Bumblebee is younger because he was the last spark to emerge of the well, before the AllSpark was sent to outer space. He's more mature than Smokescreen, probably because he was more involved in the war
Here is an opinon i always had on smokescreen's scene with optimus and the matrix. Despite all his cockyness, his recklenesness and his lack of maturity. That scene showcased one thing. He was worthy of being a prime. Beacuse just like Optimus himself did when he was Orion, he doubted himself and didn't activly seek out and embrace the opperunity of being a prime. He outright rejected it, in favor of saving Optims. Which is EXACTLY what Optimus himself would of done had their roles been reversed. In that moment, Smokescreen proved he had within him the same qualites that made Optimus the bot that he was. And that in the end. Smokescreen was worthy. Beacuse he didnt want it.
Id like to extend on this. Rachet and megatron both explain that optimus wasnt always 'the leader' type. Rachet explained optimus to be like jack, immature but responsible when it counted. When megatron showed 'orion' what the autobots had supposedly done he reacted in a way i think Smokescreen wouldve reacted
Smokescreen went from an arrogant rookie who wants all the attention to his succeed to a humble Autobot who do what must be done, follows commands and know his position, grande Smokescreen 😎
Same with arcee, ultra Magnus and the humans. Oh shockwave, knockout, arachnid and the mutated incecticon hive, megaton (I think he exiled himself though would have been nice to know what he's doing)
It's kinda bad how Smokescreen had to grow up too fast. He and bee were born into a war where they were placed on a side where they were told that they had to fight and never got to be kids plus even after the war the affects of it forever remains with them, how did they handle their PTSD? did they get therapy or still have nightmares of the field?
@@justaguywithagoodphoto4801 I guess that in RID when he is affected by that venom making him the mental state of a five year old was the very first time he ever got to be a little kid which was amazing for him.
That's why I dislike characters like Ultra Magnus in Prime tbh. Sure, they're soldiers, but, their military base has become all they have. It's where they spend the vast majority of their lives, and many of the Autobots haven't been allowed to live normal lives.
one thing about Smokescreen is how he pushes Optimus's character in new directions. throughout Prime, he's surrounded by trusted allies, friends and people he knows he cannot blame for their mistakes since they're humans, and this peek into how different his standards are with soldiers under his command he hasn't known for centuries was, and the way he learned to better understand Smokescreen during their time together was really interesting. i also feel that smokescreen managed to push Optimus out of his clearly constant self sacrificial tendencies by reminding him that people beyond his immediate circle still do care for him and that he can't just "sacrifice himself" his way out of situations as much as he usually tries to - because he's faced with a rookie that isn't necessarily ready to do the same, shows genuine admiration for his abilities as a leader despite witnessing how badly Team Prime gets beaten during his time with them, and grows a lot as a person. TL;DR : i think the way he clearly grinds Optimus's gears in new ways is a cool thing about Smokescreen and that the reasons why/consequences of this one-sided friction made me genuinely care for OP in ways rarely seen before
Yet Optimus winds up view him like a son and considers him to be a possible successor to him as a prime, something that is actually confirmed when Optimus temporarily dies
I admit, I was one of those people disappointed that Smokescreen didn't become a Prime. I think I'm just a sucker for potential storylines regarding cocky characters getting a position they dream of, only to attain this position (weather by working for it or having it thrust upon them) and them realizing that they're in so over their head. Plus I think it could have brought an interesting plot line with Smokescreen trying to be like Optimus and falling short, I like the idea of Ratchet being Smokescreen's guide as well, give Ratchet more involvement and HELL give Ultra Magnus more development as he needs to come to terms that Smokescreen is the new Prime and the new leader of this little group. I'm simply a sucker for this stuff. But I do like Smokescreen's development in show as well, This was a great video! I think it's time I subscribe lol
@@durrangodsgrief6503 I get that, I just really enjoy seeing someone go from cocky, struggle with what they wanted to be and then by the end are doing their best to be better. I think it could have worked to see Smokescreen doubt his leadership abilities but eventually step up and power through it to eventually become a great Prime.
I feel it could've been a good idea to implement this into the sequel show instead. Since Smokescreen was hand picked by Optimus, he'd have some legitimacy to his claim as Prime. RID 2015 could've swapped Bumblebee with Smokescreen, and still kept him asking OP for guidance as he still isn't as mature as he feels he needs to be for his role.
@@electricfeverx976 it really felt like wasted potential when Smokescreen wasn’t given that potential storyline. It’s like “oh hey, Prime chose me to be a Prime!” And it’s not addressed at all
Not wrong about. Look at Hound in Transformers 4. Original supposed to be Bulkhead. But, went with Hound instead. So, Mirage probably inspired the Transformers ROTB movie with Smokescreen's enthusiasm and Sideswipe's RID rebellious attitude. The 2023 Mirage personality acts similar to Leonardo from Rise of the TMNT which is ironic both of them has blue colors and act like the cool guy of the team. If Rattrap finally appears in the movie, which personality they'll used for him? IDW version, Beast War version, Beast Machine version or unused version as Rattletrap in Transformers Animated?
An interesting point regarding him rejecting becoming a Prime is how Optimus claims that "the Matrix will present itself to the one who is worthy". After Optimus' death, Matrix indeed bursts out and presents itself to Smokescreen. However, Smokescreen rejects becoming a Prime DESPITE being chosen by the Matrix. I think it adds a different layer to his decision to revive Optimus, as Smokescreen all but knew he was worthy at that instant, but also knew that he wasn't ready at the time.
11:16 at this moment my heart throbbed cause it was such a delicate scene where this might be the last time we would've seen him. But smokescreen really did the right thing
I never cared much for the previous Smokescreens in the various TF continuities, but I really love this one's design and character development, plus he's definitely the cutest Smokecreen so far. Especially his Romanian voice is so adorable.
Interesting you make the point bee never acted like Smokescreen, despite their close ages. I have the answer for that: bee was raised by optimus. He learned from optimus how to behave and act responsibly, even when youre just having fun
Gotta say I was originally expecting Smokescreen to be one of those young hotshot rookies that does make a lot of mistakes (which he did) but when I saw what he did in his first battle and how he was actually using his head and being smart, I liked that. Most of the time with this kind of character being introduced often they get in trouble for showboating and ruining their first mission but this one showed despite being cocky he was also cunning too. I really liked how they did his character development without changing his whole persona suddenly changes. Like yeah he was still cocky and reckless but also a quick study like Optimus said. I think they did his character development really well
Thank you so much for doing a review of Smokescreen. The dude has always been one of my favs from the series and I've always loved how much growth he got during the series despite being introduced so late. Also, Nolan North did an awesome job voicing him. Smokescreen, Superboy (Young Justice), and Nathan Drake (Uncharted) are my top 3 fav characters Nolan North has voiced.
Smokescreens development feels natural. He takes a long time to mature from an arrogant hotshot, to a well rounded team player, while still keeping that lighthearted tone he's so loved for.
Smokescreen becoming a prime would've been interesting, but only after Optimus's death at the end of the series, sort of heralding the next part of the timeline in and rewarding his personal growth with the wisdom of the primes. It would've been really cool to see him explore that and seek out alphatrion and commune with the spirits of the previous primes
@@Theboredgod see thats where i disagree personally, i think smokescreen making the conscious choice to reject the matrix of leadership was a demonstration of his learned maturity, something that without, would have made him a poor prime
I honestly think it would've been cool for Smokescreen to be promoted at the end of the movie. Like Optimus saying something like "Not long ago, during a time of great crisis, I requested that you became the new Prime. However, you saw yourself as unworthy and you ultimately heeded a call greater than that of a Prime by helping protect the Earth. Now, after seeing you become a great and humble warrior, I ask you to take that position again." Then Optimus gives him the new name of either Solaris Prime (to keep with his S name) or even just call him Rodimus Prime (since he already does have a similar appearance to Hot Rod and you don't exactly keep your original name after you become a Prime)
@Nephalem2002 it would have been quite insane but at the same time quite fitting considering his rapid character growth and it also wouldve been cool to see
I would've loved it as well but there are two problems with that: 1) As Optimus said before he sacrificed himself that he is one with the All-Spark and the Matrix cannot be passed on to anyone from now on, and is therefore the last of the Primes. 2) Even if he could, it would be a great injustice to Bee or even Ultra Magnus as they have actually led the Autobots and are actually heir apparents to the Matrix. I always felt that it would go to Magnus who was Optimus' second in command then bee then maybe Smoke...
@@pradyunsawant1475 It was never about experience or role it's always about being it's worthy and smoke deserves it more than anyone he is the one that. Comeback for prime not bee
I remember watching Transformers Prime right as it ended in early 2013 and how my favorite character was Smokescreen. I don't remember why I liked it that much but when I rewatched all 3 seasons in 2018, I remembered why. And this video perfectly explains why I liked him a lot. He might've started off in a bad situation as the newest Autobot, but by the time we got to Predacons Rising, he had changed so much since he appeared in the second half of Season 2. Kinda wish he got to return in the 2015 RID show, but I'll still take the other characters who returned.
Might also add Smokescreen was fed propaganda since day one, so I honestly never felt it was actually out of place for him. Boys been brainwashed to be loyal to authority and if he does good he'll get promoted. Could write a whole essay about this but my head hurts right now
Smokescreen was one of my favs when I first watch the show years ago, and he still is to this day. Honestly, young me was a bit disappointed when he didn't become a prime, but yeah, recognize that he wasn't ready for something so big as becoming a Prime was a key point in his development, from an arrogant bot to a responsible warrior. It takes maturity to recognize that you are not ready for something. (But, eh, if somebody knows a good fic where he becomes a prime , I will be really happy, young me would appreciate it)
Ironically, with how he ended he definitely became worthy of being a prime. I wish we got more of him, but I think he isn’t even mentioned in any other show at all.
Smokescreen Is so amazing overall in basically everything he is in. He is so Underrated especially in prime and he is one of my favorite transformers ever, just good to see him get some respect
The fact that it shows that a cartoon about transformers that can deal with different themes, goes to show how it's not impossible to have robot characters go through character growth and change. Hopefully the movies can catch the hint. Bumblebee movie not included
It really would have worked if he was the main protag in RID 2015, and Bumblebee could have taken Optimus' place as the big deal legacy character, or even Drift's as the seasoned warrior. He could have popped by and helped Smokescreen out now and then, with Smokescreen being reminded of how he used to be by Sideswipe.
Strangely, Smokescreen feels like Hotrod at the beginning of 1986. He was an eager hotshot trying to play hero, and when he messed up, he had to face the consequences. And the both had to witness their leaders die in front of them.
It's likely that had the name Hot Rod not been in legal trouble at the time, they would have used his name. Using Smokescreen may have been a way to maintain the trademark on that name.
@@kade-qt1zu I’ve always been convinced he was originally written and designed to be Hot Rod. Even his character model, except for the door wings, resembles Hot Rod much more than any version of Smokescreen.
@@kalebj16003 That's transformers for you. If you can't use a character because of their name, make a new character. And if you want to maintain another character's name, give your new character the name of an old character.
This show and Animated are the only Transformers Shows/Movies to have depth in it. Most Transformers Shows and the Bay Movies either A; - exist for the sole purpose of selling toys. Or B - exist only for the sole purpose of selling toys. This show had consistency, characters didnt just pull up with random power boosts and appearance changes. The writting also had depth and consistency. Optimus Prime didnt just one shot megatron and every decepticon. And the decepticons themselves had motives and personalities. It's not just "kill kill kill I hate humans" like the bay movies. 10/10 show
Bumblebees childlike personally is to deal with the trauma of millions of years of war that's why when he puts on that mask if it's kind of terrifying your like where did that come from
He's a bit one note and linear, but man do I love Smokescreen The Autobots were so upright before he came along; I can appreciate the different vibe that the peppy, arrogant brat with a heart of gold brings
I appreciate that they introduced and committed to keeping a character who most fans didn't like, without forcing into places he doesn't belong. He earned his metal.
I might have to make one of these myself on michael bay starscream who appeared in the first two movies and point out that he's literally never shown to be anything like any other starscream so Idk why people act like he is XD
Honestly, Smokescreen feels like the only character in Prime who not only had a fleshed-out personality, but had his own story arc. Then all the interesting stuff with his character was dropped after Prime was revived and there was never any resolution or follow-up.
Aww man, I've been waiting for you to make a video like this on Smokescreen! He's without a doubt my favorite character in TFP and one of my favorites across the whole franchise! I'm one of the people who while first watching TFP wanted Smokescreen SO BADLY to become a Prime, but I honestly LOVED his arc in the show. Nolan North was the perfect voice for him. I would've loved to see him in RiD15, maybe co-leading the Bee team with Bee, or to see that maybe he's the head of the Elite Guard academy on Cybertron now! Idk, I just wanna see something with him so badly! Thank you so much again for making this great video!
i still remember that speech Arcee gave him when he screwed up and said he wasn't cut out for this before getting captured, what i loved most was bulkhead (i think) saying "next time Prime tells you to stop, you stop" you never see stuff like that anymore
Smokescreen being shafted for RID was the absolute biggest betrayal for me. He was one if not my favorite autobot of the original series. 😢 Its a huge reason why i dropped RID 2015 after a few episodes. Off topic: I think adult Raf shouldve been with Bee throughout. Maybe as a new agent Fowler, now with kids or his own for them to relate to each other like they did when he was a kid 😢
You know Smokescreen kinda reminds me of Orion,they both have been cooped up for Primus knows how long and were under Alpha trion wing and you know now that I think about it Orion and Smokescreen had the same reaction to them becoming the next prime they thought they weren't worthy of it and yes Smokescreen might have been more energetic then Orion but Orion had more bots to talk to like Ratchet,Jazz and Megatron and Smokescreen might have had friends in the Elite guard but then he was assigned to protect Alpha trion,like I've siad before,for Primus know how long but Smokescreen and Orion or in my opinion vary similar.
While I will say he did kinda steal hot rods gimmick, I can’t help but love him, he’s honestly like a combo of hot rod and rotb mirage and I’d just love to see these three in a room together
This is why prime is better than RID 2015, we have a young autobot smokescreen that grows and become more serious teached by the other teammates, while in RID 2015 the whole teammates are kids that fight each other that the grown up (optimus) join the fight
I love smokescreen the dude was picked by fucking ALOHA TRION himself to have the key. Not to mention met up and won against megatron 3 freaking times and take the keys from the ship shows how good he is. Not to mention optimus really thought of giving the matrix to him when he gotten everything to heal optimus with. I would of loved to see him become the legendary warrior in RID instead of getting bumblebee again. He would of been a cool ass leader imo seeing mpre of what he could of grown into compare to bumblebee who already knew how a team works and relearn. The fact smokescreen refused to be a prime was the greatest development imo.
I'll admit to being disappointed that Arcee didn't deck him at the end of Legacy for dragging Jack into an active combat zone without backup. After losing two of her own to the enemy, I think she'd probably be a lot less forgiving when a supposed ally very, VERY nearly gets her partner killed. It just seemed a bit out of character for her to just drop a few harsh words and leave it at that.
Honestly a little before Optimus destroyed the star saber all I saw was a kid with a lot of ambition, arrogance but still a lot ambition and I respect that he did really need to grow
Today is my Birthday. And I must say that this is quite the treat. I have always liked this particular character across the spectrum of the franchise. To mention his development and the decision he made to reject the matrix was great.
not sure how true it is but due to legal reasons they couldn't get the Hot Rod character so Smokescreen is a stand-in for him which makes the whole "next" Prime thing kinda make more sense for me since he did become Optimus successor in the G1 series for a time
I loved smokescreens refusal for a couple amazing reasons one being of course his maturity in refusal and two because thos was another great moment for prime to see I too wasnt ready once as he has said a fair few times but instead they decided no
Smokescreen is underrated he was hand picked by ALPHA TRION to keep the key safe. He's one of the few Autobots besides Optimus to go up against Megatron and win. 9:58 Yes the scene in the Cave of him rejecting the Matrix does show his humility and growth from an arrogant rookie to a team player. It also shows he has what it takes to succeed Optimus because he had the same qualities Optimus did as Orion for the matrix to choose him. Him showing humility in rejecting the matrix show's he's worthy of wielding it. All the more reason he SHOULD'VE BEEN THE MC IN RID.
I love your videos and I'm so glad you talked about smokescreen! When I was little his character was annoying to me but now I absolutely love him and he deserves a head pat from me. :D
I make a connection between Smokescreen and Blurr from Prime’s sister series, “Rescue bots”. Both start out very similar, have similar personalities and go through nearly the same character development. And I love both of them, because both are such dumb knuckleheads 🤣
The smokescreen's introduction in season 2 was a little jarring for me. As he first came on screen rearing for battle. I love his character and the development he goes through. Sure he is full of himself but he adds that young recruit energy that Team Prime needs. After all that heavy emotion previous episodes had with Bulkhead and Miko.
I do wish they brought back his personality in tfp again I always liked him back when tfp came out even though he was originally plan to killed in season 1 that I heard instead was replace by cliffhanger
I still find it baffling that smokescreen felt it appropriate to comment on Magnus losing his hand like it was something cool, going out of his way to imply that Megatron brutally mutilating bumblebee was actually something awesome. It's baffling mostly due to the stage in his development he said this in because by that point he had rejected primehood and matured enough that he should probably know not to say stuff like that
I was so suspicious of him in like the first few episodes, but I started to grow to like him as a Character as he continued to develop. One thing I heard was that he originally is supposed to be "Hotrod", the studios that worked on TFPrime weren't granted or so-to use the Character, so they chose Smokescreen. Others say that makes sense since they both have a hotshot personality, which I can see, though I'm not complaining, it was kind of interesting and refreshing in a way to see the fact that another character other than Hotrod chose to be a prime (sets no difference between them though). Some things, I wish is that Smokescreen was chosen as a prime, I was waiting for that moment and when it came-it didn't happen.. sadly, but I was impress and satified with how Smokescreen handled that situation, showing maturity(But I did heard how TFPrime unfortunately had financial problems,).Another thing is that it would have made more sense is he was the protag for RiD, since he was quite literally almost Chosen as a prime and could've gain experience in leadership, Wisdom etc. But oh well
Man. I was suspicious of him the entire rest of the series, until I finally realize, he’s one of the good guys. I thought he was going to backstab everyone at some point, but he never did. It wasn’t until I read some fan fictions, that I finally chilled out and relaxed. Hm. Does anyone else call Ultra Magnus, Ultra Mango?
I wish we got more Smokescreen and Bumblebee interactions 😭, Smokescreen being a bit older, but them still being around the same age made for a cute dynamic. (Smokey probably being around 19-21, while Bee gives 16-18)
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Hey emperor kumquat how are you doing I love your channel
I hope you make another video about TF: Prime's Ultra Magnus.
Is Mike Langoro your real name?
bro didn't even hear ratchets joke
He should have been the main protagonist for Robots in Disguise. It would have been a perfect continuation of his story to see him forced into a leadership role.
Fax
Plus he was chosen by optimus first shows alot.
Yeah, Bumblebee only felt like a safety pick, but his characterisation just never felt like it fit.
@@electricfeverx976honestly it feels like smokescreen would of been too good for rid
Not only that, he simply wan't even _mentioned_ in RID.
The start of Smokescreen's first episode: "This guy's suspicious; he can't be that dumb."
The end of his first episode: "Yeah, he is as dumb as a bag of Dinobots."
He's a himbot.
You don’t give the Dinobots enough credit. In fact, the Dinobots don’t need “intelligence” to solve their problems. Most of the time.
I don’t know I think Swoop is the smartest of the dinobots
@@jexelbur6872 who occupies intelligence when you can solve all your problems kicking ass?
@@jexelbur6872 just like WFC trilogy rhinox said "brawns over the brains"
Dude shows up halfway through season 2 literally out of nowhere with zero prior buildup, proceeds to have the best character arc in the series, then goes on to save the world by turning down glory at the crux of his character arc. All in the span of twelve episodes.
Impressive.
Smokescreen definitely had way more character development than Sideswipe ever did. He was literally the personification of every negative thing about Smokescreen.
Sideswipe never even appeared in the show.
@@doomslayer1210 they meant the RID 2015 Sideswipe. He was also a rambunctious young teen who was cocky and arrogant but had deep seeded dependency issues. The problem with him, same as most of the bots in that show, is that they never matured over time. They had episodes where Sideswipe would "learn a lesson" but by the next episode he'd revert back to his old self.
@@electricfeverx976that pissed me off cause sideswipe out of sunstreaker was the lay backed one and sunstreaker was the hot shot
@@electricfeverx976 Yeaah... basically that's just because of this show being for kids only. I mean, seriously, even Optimus there became just an old "all-knowing" guy without of any experience from TFP.
Smokescreen reminds me of hotrod from g1
I immediately stopped what i was doing to watch a Emperor Kumquat essay
I like you videos about the blacklisted Autobots who do you think they could be in robots in disguise
@Comodin Cam don’t we all? 😊
Me too
Same
Facts!!!
Smokescreen in human age is about a late teen, bumblebee is about a young adult, they are both young but one has a small bit more of maturity to them
Bumblebee is younger because he was the last spark to emerge of the well, before the AllSpark was sent to outer space. He's more mature than Smokescreen, probably because he was more involved in the war
@@LeafyVerde I'm pretty sure they were both among the last generation, so they would have been born around the same time.
bumblebee is younger than smokescreen
@@LeafyVerde, where was this stated?
@@crabcrab3048 In one of the Aligned Continuity novels ('Exodus', 'Exile' and 'Retribution')
Smoke: Man, I was Destined to be a Hero!
Optimus: I Believe that Leader stands before me
Smoke: Haha, Wait bro you serious?
This made me laugh.
Here is an opinon i always had on smokescreen's scene with optimus and the matrix. Despite all his cockyness, his recklenesness and his lack of maturity. That scene showcased one thing.
He was worthy of being a prime. Beacuse just like Optimus himself did when he was Orion, he doubted himself and didn't activly seek out and embrace the opperunity of being a prime. He outright rejected it, in favor of saving Optims.
Which is EXACTLY what Optimus himself would of done had their roles been reversed.
In that moment, Smokescreen proved he had within him the same qualites that made Optimus the bot that he was. And that in the end.
Smokescreen was worthy. Beacuse he didnt want it.
Such a shame we never got to see him become a prime after Predacons Rising.
@@kade-qt1zu Indeed.
Id like to extend on this. Rachet and megatron both explain that optimus wasnt always 'the leader' type. Rachet explained optimus to be like jack, immature but responsible when it counted. When megatron showed 'orion' what the autobots had supposedly done he reacted in a way i think Smokescreen wouldve reacted
Smokescreen went from an arrogant rookie who wants all the attention to his succeed to a humble Autobot who do what must be done, follows commands and know his position, grande Smokescreen 😎
Them refusing to acknowledge Smokescreen in RID and then just straight up removed him from the existence was just awful...
Robots in disguise should have been its own show,it feels like a diferent show from prime than a real sequel.
Let's just pretend RID isn't cannon
@@Theboredgodyour argument is most, logical
Same with arcee, ultra Magnus and the humans. Oh shockwave, knockout, arachnid and the mutated incecticon hive, megaton (I think he exiled himself though would have been nice to know what he's doing)
Got to keep the spotlight on Bumblebee
It's kinda bad how Smokescreen had to grow up too fast. He and bee were born into a war where they were placed on a side where they were told that they had to fight and never got to be kids plus even after the war the affects of it forever remains with them, how did they handle their PTSD? did they get therapy or still have nightmares of the field?
In rid bee suffers from it badly, i think smokescreen copes through it by the thrill
@@justaguywithagoodphoto4801 I guess that in RID when he is affected by that venom making him the mental state of a five year old was the very first time he ever got to be a little kid which was amazing for him.
That's why I dislike characters like Ultra Magnus in Prime tbh. Sure, they're soldiers, but, their military base has become all they have. It's where they spend the vast majority of their lives, and many of the Autobots haven't been allowed to live normal lives.
Interesting how they were put directly into the autobots side rather than have to choose a faction.
I think we clearly see it happening with arcee tho
one thing about Smokescreen is how he pushes Optimus's character in new directions. throughout Prime, he's surrounded by trusted allies, friends and people he knows he cannot blame for their mistakes since they're humans, and this peek into how different his standards are with soldiers under his command he hasn't known for centuries was, and the way he learned to better understand Smokescreen during their time together was really interesting. i also feel that smokescreen managed to push Optimus out of his clearly constant self sacrificial tendencies by reminding him that people beyond his immediate circle still do care for him and that he can't just "sacrifice himself" his way out of situations as much as he usually tries to - because he's faced with a rookie that isn't necessarily ready to do the same, shows genuine admiration for his abilities as a leader despite witnessing how badly Team Prime gets beaten during his time with them, and grows a lot as a person.
TL;DR : i think the way he clearly grinds Optimus's gears in new ways is a cool thing about Smokescreen and that the reasons why/consequences of this one-sided friction made me genuinely care for OP in ways rarely seen before
Yet Optimus winds up view him like a son and considers him to be a possible successor to him as a prime, something that is actually confirmed when Optimus temporarily dies
Oh my gosh, I could not stop laughing when Smokescreen just casually yanked the omega key out of Megatron's hand, that was so hilarious
“Think fast!”
I admit, I was one of those people disappointed that Smokescreen didn't become a Prime. I think I'm just a sucker for potential storylines regarding cocky characters getting a position they dream of, only to attain this position (weather by working for it or having it thrust upon them) and them realizing that they're in so over their head.
Plus I think it could have brought an interesting plot line with Smokescreen trying to be like Optimus and falling short, I like the idea of Ratchet being Smokescreen's guide as well, give Ratchet more involvement and HELL give Ultra Magnus more development as he needs to come to terms that Smokescreen is the new Prime and the new leader of this little group. I'm simply a sucker for this stuff. But I do like Smokescreen's development in show as well, This was a great video! I think it's time I subscribe lol
honestly I dont like the falling short aspects of these stories id prefer if they rose up to be greater instead of falling on their ass in the attempt
You're not subscribed yet? BLASPHEMY
@@durrangodsgrief6503 I get that, I just really enjoy seeing someone go from cocky, struggle with what they wanted to be and then by the end are doing their best to be better.
I think it could have worked to see Smokescreen doubt his leadership abilities but eventually step up and power through it to eventually become a great Prime.
I feel it could've been a good idea to implement this into the sequel show instead. Since Smokescreen was hand picked by Optimus, he'd have some legitimacy to his claim as Prime. RID 2015 could've swapped Bumblebee with Smokescreen, and still kept him asking OP for guidance as he still isn't as mature as he feels he needs to be for his role.
@@electricfeverx976 it really felt like wasted potential when Smokescreen wasn’t given that potential storyline. It’s like “oh hey, Prime chose me to be a Prime!” And it’s not addressed at all
I hope Mirage is like this in the new series of movies. He seems to be very similar to him from the little material we have to work with.
Yea! Mirage is my one of my favorite transformers! Hope i get a good developement
Not wrong about.
Look at Hound in Transformers 4. Original supposed to be Bulkhead. But, went with Hound instead.
So, Mirage probably inspired the Transformers ROTB movie with Smokescreen's enthusiasm and Sideswipe's RID rebellious attitude. The 2023 Mirage personality acts similar to Leonardo from Rise of the TMNT which is ironic both of them has blue colors and act like the cool guy of the team.
If Rattrap finally appears in the movie, which personality they'll used for him? IDW version, Beast War version, Beast Machine version or unused version as Rattletrap in Transformers Animated?
YEAH HE WAS LIKE SMOKESCREEN
@@sashaisweird fr
@@sashaisweirdyea but I found him to be more mature than Smokescreen
Tfp was a gem
This why this show needs a well deserved sequel than RID (2015).
RID was a mess.
Rise of Galvatron would have been better
Thanks
I'm glad that this Show Had Smokescreen instead of Hot Rod, because he really developed as a character.
An interesting point regarding him rejecting becoming a Prime is how Optimus claims that "the Matrix will present itself to the one who is worthy". After Optimus' death, Matrix indeed bursts out and presents itself to Smokescreen. However, Smokescreen rejects becoming a Prime DESPITE being chosen by the Matrix. I think it adds a different layer to his decision to revive Optimus, as Smokescreen all but knew he was worthy at that instant, but also knew that he wasn't ready at the time.
Smokescreen is underrated af I wish he was there in rid and he deserves a live action appearance
11:16 at this moment my heart throbbed cause it was such a delicate scene where this might be the last time we would've seen him. But smokescreen really did the right thing
I never cared much for the previous Smokescreens in the various TF continuities, but I really love this one's design and character development, plus he's definitely the cutest Smokecreen so far. Especially his Romanian voice is so adorable.
Interesting you make the point bee never acted like Smokescreen, despite their close ages. I have the answer for that: bee was raised by optimus. He learned from optimus how to behave and act responsibly, even when youre just having fun
Gotta say I was originally expecting Smokescreen to be one of those young hotshot rookies that does make a lot of mistakes (which he did) but when I saw what he did in his first battle and how he was actually using his head and being smart, I liked that. Most of the time with this kind of character being introduced often they get in trouble for showboating and ruining their first mission but this one showed despite being cocky he was also cunning too. I really liked how they did his character development without changing his whole persona suddenly changes. Like yeah he was still cocky and reckless but also a quick study like Optimus said. I think they did his character development really well
Thank you so much for doing a review of Smokescreen. The dude has always been one of my favs from the series and I've always loved how much growth he got during the series despite being introduced so late.
Also, Nolan North did an awesome job voicing him. Smokescreen, Superboy (Young Justice), and Nathan Drake (Uncharted) are my top 3 fav characters Nolan North has voiced.
Really he’s your favorite too?
Feels fitting that Smokescreen and Superboy are voiced by the same guy, because both boys have a "Superman" in their lives. XD
Someone actually drew fanart of Superboy and Smokescreen meeting.
Didn't he also voice skylynx?
Same. However, when I look at Smokescreen, I always see Cayde-6, Deadpool and Raphael TMNT. Nolan North is so familiar. 😂
Truly one of the best character development in the franchise
One of the best besides unicron trilogy starscream, hotshot, dinobot and prowl.
Too bad they discontinued the show, it was the best Transformers show ever made
@@gpfhantom1890why discontinue tho??
@@EmperorProd Think it was discontinued because it was too expensive to make
@@gpfhantom1890 noo, i loved the series! 😥
Smokescreens development feels natural. He takes a long time to mature from an arrogant hotshot, to a well rounded team player, while still keeping that lighthearted tone he's so loved for.
Smokescreen becoming a prime would've been interesting, but only after Optimus's death at the end of the series, sort of heralding the next part of the timeline in and rewarding his personal growth with the wisdom of the primes. It would've been really cool to see him explore that and seek out alphatrion and commune with the spirits of the previous primes
I would've liked if optimus died in S2 end and smokescreen prime was the main guy for beast hunters and predacons rising
@@Theboredgod see thats where i disagree personally, i think smokescreen making the conscious choice to reject the matrix of leadership was a demonstration of his learned maturity, something that without, would have made him a poor prime
@@siennaistrans true
Would have been more interesting if he became hot rod, then a primw
I honestly think it would've been cool for Smokescreen to be promoted at the end of the movie. Like Optimus saying something like "Not long ago, during a time of great crisis, I requested that you became the new Prime. However, you saw yourself as unworthy and you ultimately heeded a call greater than that of a Prime by helping protect the Earth. Now, after seeing you become a great and humble warrior, I ask you to take that position again."
Then Optimus gives him the new name of either Solaris Prime (to keep with his S name) or even just call him Rodimus Prime (since he already does have a similar appearance to Hot Rod and you don't exactly keep your original name after you become a Prime)
That would’ve been insane.
@Nephalem2002 it would have been quite insane but at the same time quite fitting considering his rapid character growth and it also wouldve been cool to see
I would've loved it as well but there are two problems with that:
1) As Optimus said before he sacrificed himself that he is one with the All-Spark and the Matrix cannot be passed on to anyone from now on, and is therefore the last of the Primes.
2) Even if he could, it would be a great injustice to Bee or even Ultra Magnus as they have actually led the Autobots and are actually heir apparents to the Matrix. I always felt that it would go to Magnus who was Optimus' second in command then bee then maybe Smoke...
@@pradyunsawant1475 It was never about experience or role it's always about being it's worthy and smoke deserves it more than anyone he is the one that. Comeback for prime not bee
I remember watching Transformers Prime right as it ended in early 2013 and how my favorite character was Smokescreen. I don't remember why I liked it that much but when I rewatched all 3 seasons in 2018, I remembered why. And this video perfectly explains why I liked him a lot. He might've started off in a bad situation as the newest Autobot, but by the time we got to Predacons Rising, he had changed so much since he appeared in the second half of Season 2. Kinda wish he got to return in the 2015 RID show, but I'll still take the other characters who returned.
Might also add Smokescreen was fed propaganda since day one, so I honestly never felt it was actually out of place for him. Boys been brainwashed to be loyal to authority and if he does good he'll get promoted.
Could write a whole essay about this but my head hurts right now
Smokescreen is one of my favorite characters from this show, because his character development is delicious food. 💕
Smokescreen, Megatron, and Starscream got priority in the animation department and no one can prove me wrong.
Armada Megatron begs to differ
@@zemox2534armada starscream is better
Smokescreen was one of my favs when I first watch the show years ago, and he still is to this day. Honestly, young me was a bit disappointed when he didn't become a prime, but yeah, recognize that he wasn't ready for something so big as becoming a Prime was a key point in his development, from an arrogant bot to a responsible warrior. It takes maturity to recognize that you are not ready for something.
(But, eh, if somebody knows a good fic where he becomes a prime , I will be really happy, young me would appreciate it)
Ironically, with how he ended he definitely became worthy of being a prime. I wish we got more of him, but I think he isn’t even mentioned in any other show at all.
Smokescreen Is so amazing overall in basically everything he is in. He is so Underrated especially in prime and he is one of my favorite transformers ever, just good to see him get some respect
Kumquat:”How smokescreen grew up.”
Vanoss:”First you start by physically maturing him.”
When and which vid did vanoss say that...??
@@ru_gamerandotaku2431during the Minecraft TNT Prank video where he blows up everyone’s houses
The fact that it shows that a cartoon about transformers that can deal with different themes, goes to show how it's not impossible to have robot characters go through character growth and change. Hopefully the movies can catch the hint. Bumblebee movie not included
When Smokescreen turned down Optimus' offer to be a prime, I was sold.
This is Hot Rod given a white coat of paint, and you CANNOT tell me otherwise.
It really would have worked if he was the main protag in RID 2015, and Bumblebee could have taken Optimus' place as the big deal legacy character, or even Drift's as the seasoned warrior. He could have popped by and helped Smokescreen out now and then, with Smokescreen being reminded of how he used to be by Sideswipe.
Strangely, Smokescreen feels like Hotrod at the beginning of 1986. He was an eager hotshot trying to play hero, and when he messed up, he had to face the consequences. And the both had to witness their leaders die in front of them.
It's likely that had the name Hot Rod not been in legal trouble at the time, they would have used his name. Using Smokescreen may have been a way to maintain the trademark on that name.
@@kade-qt1zu I’ve always been convinced he was originally written and designed to be Hot Rod. Even his character model, except for the door wings, resembles Hot Rod much more than any version of Smokescreen.
@@kalebj16003 That's transformers for you. If you can't use a character because of their name, make a new character. And if you want to maintain another character's name, give your new character the name of an old character.
You got to admit, swiping an Omega key right out of Megatron's hand was quite expected...but not really, knowing how much of a pain he is 😅
What are you saying?
This show and Animated are the only Transformers Shows/Movies to have depth in it.
Most Transformers Shows and the Bay Movies either A;
- exist for the sole purpose of selling toys.
Or B - exist only for the sole purpose of selling toys.
This show had consistency, characters didnt just pull up with random power boosts and appearance changes.
The writting also had depth and consistency. Optimus Prime didnt just one shot megatron and every decepticon.
And the decepticons themselves had motives and personalities. It's not just "kill kill kill I hate humans" like the bay movies.
10/10 show
as a kid i didn't even know smoke screen was supposed to be a "suspicious not yet trust worthy" character, i just thought HE was a cool ally 😂
This dude really moved my heart when he decided to use the last reserve of Solus's hammer to save prime
he and sideswipe wouldve been an amzing duo to watch develop
Bumblebees childlike personally is to deal with the trauma of millions of years of war that's why when he puts on that mask if it's kind of terrifying your like where did that come from
He's a bit one note and linear, but man do I love Smokescreen
The Autobots were so upright before he came along; I can appreciate the different vibe that the peppy, arrogant brat with a heart of gold brings
Only just realised how much smokescreen looks like jazz. Aside from the head of course
I appreciate that they introduced and committed to keeping a character who most fans didn't like, without forcing into places he doesn't belong. He earned his metal.
I remember not liking him too much and feeling they went too far with him at points but seeing it again I think he's fantastic thinking back
I might have to make one of these myself on michael bay starscream who appeared in the first two movies and point out that he's literally never shown to be anything like any other starscream so Idk why people act like he is XD
Honestly, Smokescreen feels like the only character in Prime who not only had a fleshed-out personality, but had his own story arc.
Then all the interesting stuff with his character was dropped after Prime was revived and there was never any resolution or follow-up.
@@TF2Fan101 I think there was enough at least for him to still be fantastic
Aww man, I've been waiting for you to make a video like this on Smokescreen! He's without a doubt my favorite character in TFP and one of my favorites across the whole franchise! I'm one of the people who while first watching TFP wanted Smokescreen SO BADLY to become a Prime, but I honestly LOVED his arc in the show. Nolan North was the perfect voice for him.
I would've loved to see him in RiD15, maybe co-leading the Bee team with Bee, or to see that maybe he's the head of the Elite Guard academy on Cybertron now! Idk, I just wanna see something with him so badly! Thank you so much again for making this great video!
Tbh bumblebee and smokescreen are like friends but i can find 2 simlaritys. 1, they both have doors on their back 2.both have blue eyes
He Has A Teenage Attitude Like Sideswipe From RID 2015
That was after him
@@jojoly1354 Let's Not Forget Jazz From The 2007 Movie And Mirage From Rise Of The Beasts Have Teenage Attitude As Well
i still remember that speech Arcee gave him when he screwed up and said he wasn't cut out for this before getting captured, what i loved most was bulkhead (i think) saying "next time Prime tells you to stop, you stop" you never see stuff like that anymore
Smokescreen being shafted for RID was the absolute biggest betrayal for me. He was one if not my favorite autobot of the original series. 😢
Its a huge reason why i dropped RID 2015 after a few episodes.
Off topic:
I think adult Raf shouldve been with Bee throughout. Maybe as a new agent Fowler, now with kids or his own for them to relate to each other like they did when he was a kid 😢
You know Smokescreen kinda reminds me of Orion,they both have been cooped up for Primus knows how long and were under Alpha trion wing and you know now that I think about it Orion and Smokescreen had the same reaction to them becoming the next prime they thought they weren't worthy of it and yes Smokescreen might have been more energetic then Orion but Orion had more bots to talk to like Ratchet,Jazz and Megatron and Smokescreen might have had friends in the Elite guard but then he was assigned to protect Alpha trion,like I've siad before,for Primus know how long but Smokescreen and Orion or in my opinion vary similar.
While I will say he did kinda steal hot rods gimmick, I can’t help but love him, he’s honestly like a combo of hot rod and rotb mirage and I’d just love to see these three in a room together
Smokescreen is probably my favorite character in Prime
Wake up babe, EK uploaded a character essay.
"Lord Smokescreen, Emperor of Destruction..." (Dances in the throne)
And that's why this show's strongest point are the characters.
This is why prime is better than RID 2015, we have a young autobot smokescreen that grows and become more serious teached by the other teammates, while in RID 2015 the whole teammates are kids that fight each other that the grown up (optimus) join the fight
I love smokescreen the dude was picked by fucking ALOHA TRION himself to have the key. Not to mention met up and won against megatron 3 freaking times and take the keys from the ship shows how good he is. Not to mention optimus really thought of giving the matrix to him when he gotten everything to heal optimus with.
I would of loved to see him become the legendary warrior in RID instead of getting bumblebee again. He would of been a cool ass leader imo seeing mpre of what he could of grown into compare to bumblebee who already knew how a team works and relearn. The fact smokescreen refused to be a prime was the greatest development imo.
I'll admit to being disappointed that Arcee didn't deck him at the end of Legacy for dragging Jack into an active combat zone without backup. After losing two of her own to the enemy, I think she'd probably be a lot less forgiving when a supposed ally very, VERY nearly gets her partner killed. It just seemed a bit out of character for her to just drop a few harsh words and leave it at that.
Funny how Miko never got a lecture whenever HER reckless actions nearly got someone killed.
@@TF2Fan101 I couldn't stand Miko. Nails on a fucking chalkboard, I tell you what.
@@jaffarebellion292 Literally the worst character in the show imo
@@endo8835 Definitely, though early Smokescreen gave her a run for her money sometimes.
@@jaffarebellion292 At least Smoke matured.
Honestly a little before Optimus destroyed the star saber all I saw was a kid with a lot of ambition, arrogance but still a lot ambition and I respect that he did really need to grow
OMG, the essay about my favourite Smokescreen!!!! Emperor Kumquat, thank you❤
In all fairness Bumblebee did lose his voice box. That would take away a lot of cockiness.
Another fantastic essay from the TF GOAT 💯
Gotta say I like this interpretation of smokescreen and I wish they follow this more
Today is my Birthday. And I must say that this is quite the treat. I have always liked this particular character across the spectrum of the franchise. To mention his development and the decision he made to reject the matrix was great.
what an amazing video, as usual, keep up the good work
not sure how true it is but due to legal reasons they couldn't get the Hot Rod character so Smokescreen is a stand-in for him which makes the whole "next" Prime thing kinda make more sense for me since he did become Optimus successor in the G1 series for a time
I loved smokescreens refusal for a couple amazing reasons one being of course his maturity in refusal and two because thos was another great moment for prime to see I too wasnt ready once as he has said a fair few times but instead they decided no
“I… did what I felt was right”
nice job looking at smokescreen
Smokescreen is underrated he was hand picked by ALPHA TRION to keep the key safe. He's one of the few Autobots besides Optimus to go up against Megatron and win.
9:58 Yes the scene in the Cave of him rejecting the Matrix does show his humility and growth from an arrogant rookie to a team player. It also shows he has what it takes to succeed Optimus because he had the same qualities Optimus did as Orion for the matrix to choose him. Him showing humility in rejecting the matrix show's he's worthy of wielding it.
All the more reason he SHOULD'VE BEEN THE MC IN RID.
Oh my gosh thank u for making content about this guy I love him so much and he doesn’t get enough attention 😊
I love your videos and I'm so glad you talked about smokescreen! When I was little his character was annoying to me but now I absolutely love him and he deserves a head pat from me. :D
I make a connection between Smokescreen and Blurr from Prime’s sister series, “Rescue bots”. Both start out very similar, have similar personalities and go through nearly the same character development. And I love both of them, because both are such dumb knuckleheads 🤣
The smokescreen's introduction in season 2 was a little jarring for me. As he first came on screen rearing for battle. I love his character and the development he goes through. Sure he is full of himself but he adds that young recruit energy that Team Prime needs. After all that heavy emotion previous episodes had with Bulkhead and Miko.
I do wish they brought back his personality in tfp again I always liked him back when tfp came out even though he was originally plan to killed in season 1 that I heard instead was replace by cliffhanger
Smokescreen is by far my favorite autobot
He and bumblebee are great candidates for becoming a new prime minister
I still find it baffling that smokescreen felt it appropriate to comment on Magnus losing his hand like it was something cool, going out of his way to imply that Megatron brutally mutilating bumblebee was actually something awesome. It's baffling mostly due to the stage in his development he said this in because by that point he had rejected primehood and matured enough that he should probably know not to say stuff like that
I was so serious up until I saw the word 'smokepicious'. Made me fall outta my chair while laughing 🤣🤣🤣
Smokescreen should've taken Bumblebee's place in RID. It's the only logical choice.
Wake up, Solace Prime! Emperor Kumquat just uploaded-!
*Oh, right…*
I was so suspicious of him in like the first few episodes, but I started to grow to like him as a Character as he continued to develop. One thing I heard was that he originally is supposed to be "Hotrod", the studios that worked on TFPrime weren't granted or so-to use the Character, so they chose Smokescreen. Others say that makes sense since they both have a hotshot personality, which I can see, though I'm not complaining, it was kind of interesting and refreshing in a way to see the fact that another character other than Hotrod chose to be a prime (sets no difference between them though). Some things, I wish is that Smokescreen was chosen as a prime, I was waiting for that moment and when it came-it didn't happen.. sadly, but I was impress and satified with how Smokescreen handled that situation, showing maturity(But I did heard how TFPrime unfortunately had financial problems,).Another thing is that it would have made more sense is he was the protag for RiD, since he was quite literally almost Chosen as a prime and could've gain experience in leadership, Wisdom etc.
But oh well
Dudes RADIATES anime main protagonist!
Nice to know Smokescreen decided to choose a g1-style body after the events of Prime
Man. I was suspicious of him the entire rest of the series, until I finally realize, he’s one of the good guys. I thought he was going to backstab everyone at some point, but he never did. It wasn’t until I read some fan fictions, that I finally chilled out and relaxed. Hm. Does anyone else call Ultra Magnus, Ultra Mango?
I used to love smoke screen so much I only rewatched the episodes where he first came in
Part of me wants to see what would've happened had Smokescreen accepted the Matrix from Optimus.
Great video, Smokescreen is an awesome character.
I always felt like RID Bee is less like Bee and more like a Smokescreen
As a new subscriber who finished watching transformers prime,, I just wanted to say I LOVE your content 🙏😭💙💙💙💙
Damn it's been awhile since Emperor uploaded
I wish we got more Smokescreen and Bumblebee interactions 😭, Smokescreen being a bit older, but them still being around the same age made for a cute dynamic. (Smokey probably being around 19-21, while Bee gives 16-18)