As of this writing, there are already seven Transformers movies in existence. This makes us wonder, though, are there any female robots in Transformers movies? Come to think of it, are there any female Transformers robots at all?
In this article, we'll be discussing the idea behind this and whether there are female robots in the franchise.
What Is the Gender of Transformers Robots?
Let's get this out of the way: Transformers are robotic lifeforms with non-sexual reproduction methods. But despite this, there have been male and female analogues of the robots.
As far as history goes, the female Transformers have been branded as an anomaly in the 1980s cartoons. One reason behind this is that there was never a demand for them in the market.
Since the Transformers retail toys were originally designed for boys, toy manufacturers did not bother creating a female version of the robot.
It was also suggested that female Transformers were thought to have gone extinct, which explains their absence in the original cartoons.
In the second season of the original Transformers cartoons, a collection of female robots was introduced. These characters were led by Elita-One and included Moonracer, Firestar, and Chromia.
Who Is the Most Famous Female Transformer?
In the 1986 film, The Transformers: The Movie, a female character was introduced as Arcee. She later became the most famous among the original female characters in the franchise.
Unfortunately, Arcee's character (along with the other female Autobots) was never included in the 2007 Transformers live-action movie. As revealed by screenwriter Roberto Orci to IGN:
"I would have liked to see Arcee, but the idea of a female Transformer needs its own explanation, and there just wasn't going to be enough time."
Female Robots in Michael Bay's Transformers Movies
Thankfully, Michael Bay had a change of heart in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, when he included three female robots in the movie: Arcee, Chromia, and Elita-One. Together, the trio was described as sisters.
But as far as their true capacities go, the movie did not give the trio a chance to shine through. And with a runtime of over 150 minutes, only Chromia (voiced by Grey Griffin) had two lines of dialgoue.
Gizmodo even revealed Bay's plans to kill off Arcee in Revenge of the Fallen simply because he did not find her interesting.
Or at least because she wasn't eye candy enough like Alice (played by Isabel Lucas) was, who was a Decepticon with the ability to change into a female human form.
Female Robots in Post-Michael Bay's Transformers Movies
Thankfully, we've got Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Bumblebee to thank for correcting this. In addition to including female robots in these two movies, the characters were played by powerful actresses, including the following:
- Shatter - Angela Bassett
- Arcee - Liza Koshy
- Airazor - Michelle Yeoh
- Nightbird - Michaela Jae Rodriguez
The movies also show Arcee's true character and not just a side role in the franchise who would later die. In Rise of the Beasts, we see Arcee as an extremely loyal Autobot.
You can check out Arcee in action here:
We hope future Transformers movies will continue breaking gender norms. They've already done a great job in including female robots and having Rodriguez as the first transgender actress to voice one of the characters.
RELATED: Rise of the Beasts Character Guide: Which Transformers Are in the Movie?
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