Warning: this article contains spoilers for Transformers Oneorigins of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Watching Megatron's fall to eventually becoming a Decepticon is a heartbreaking affair that raises plenty of questions, namely the question as to how this fall could have happened so easily. At the start of the film, D-16 isn't exactly happy with the system he is in, but he is compliant, only really wants to hang out with his friends. By the end of Transformers One, Megatron is a true villain, letting Orion fall to his presumed death without much second thought. There are many factors for Megatron's descent, but the inciting incident is his acquisition of a transformation cog.

Alpha Trion Gave Megatron A Transformation Cog As A Test

He Gave Them All A Chance To Change The World

In Transformers One, the transformation cogs are necessary for any Cybertronian to actually transform, but most of the people living on Cybertron don't have one, as they are stolen from them at birth by their leader, Sentinel Prime. When Orion Pax, D-16, B-127, and Elita-1 stumble upon the remains of the previous Primes, Alpha Trion, the only one left functional, bestows a transformation cog on each of the group, telling them that they now have the power to change the world, but the exact nature of that change is up to them.

As the last true Prime, Alpha Trion's words hold a special meaning for D-16. Prior to gaining a cog, he desperately wants to bring about a change in the unfair systems that keep him and others like him locked to their station, both metaphorically and literally. Now that he has one, he has a real opportunity to bring that change about, but, following the words of Alpha Trion, he gets to decide what form that change will take, and so Megatron chooses to go down the path of death and destruction.

Megatron Needed A Transformation Cog To Choose His Path

But Once He Got One, His Path Was His To Decide

D-16 is shown many times throughout the beginning and middle of Transformers One to be content with his station only because he believes he has no chance to rise above it. He desperately wants more for himself and the rest of Cybertron, but doesn't think he is capable of bringing that about without a cog and without the ability to transform. However, when he is given one by Alpha Trion, he not only becomes more physically powerful, but he truly believes that he can bring about the change he wants to see in the world.

If D-16 had never gotten a transformation cog, it's possible that he would never have even attempted any sort of uprising, simply continuing to live as a mining bot for the rest of his life.

While the climax of Transformers One shows that the Cybertronians as a whole didn't necessarily require a cog to bring about change, Megatron needed one to begin to believe in himself. If D-16 had never gotten a transformation cog, it's possible that he would never have even attempted any sort of uprising, simply continuing to live as a mining bot for the rest of his life. But clearly, given the choice to pursue this change, he ultimately decided to go down a dark path, setting Cybertron on a course for ruin, and setting up a potential Transformers One sequel.

Is Alpha Trion Responsible For D-16 Becoming A Villain As Megatron?

He Was The Initial Catalyst For D-16's Transformation

While Alpha Trion did give D-16 his transformation cog, which ultimately led to him becoming the villainous Megatron, Alpha Trion can't be held responsible for Megatron in the end. His gift to the four characters was simply their starting point, and from there they are given the opportunity to become whatever they desire. Their cogs bring about their own transformations, but it is up to them to decide how they will use those transformations in the long run, in the same way the ancient Transformers Primes like Megatronus had.

Alpha Trion is killed by Sentinel Prime as he is describing how the central team will be his undoing. This makes it clear that while he knows the four will defeat Sentinel, he does not know exactly what fate will befall Megatron.

This is made abundantly clear through the rest of the cast. Orion Pax, B-127, and Elita-1 all choose the heroic path, fighting for justice and freedom for themselves and everyone else on Cybertron. He gave them all the power, but what they eventually become is entirely up to them. In Transformers One, D-16 chose to become Megatron; it was not destined or willed by anyone, including Alpha Trion, it was entirely based on his thoughts and personal desires.