#transformers femmes

I wrote SIX and its predecessor Heroic Nonsense out of a spirit of rebellion. In some ways, I like Transformers: Animated. I appreciate its realism and its fresh take on my familiar characters. But after watching it, I felt an intense urge to argue with the writers. Part of my frustration stems from the show’s overuse of American-style heroism, which I disagree with. Another major reason is how the writers portrayed and handled female characters. That’s why I started writing these two fictions (SIX and Heroic Nonsense). Neither of them is finished, but my original intention has never wavered.

The writers of Transformers: Animated were likely raised on American hero films, a genre that often promotes a simplistic and rigid gender narrative: The male protagonist follows the classic arc of rising from an underdog to a dragon-slaying knight, ruthless to his enemies yet tender to women. Meanwhile, the female characters fit into one of two archetypes—either the saintly, beautiful, and understanding “pure goddess” or the seductive femme fatale awaiting the hero’s conquest. Both types have the primary function to serve the male protagonist’s growth: the “pure goddess” will be tragically lost, adding depth to the hero, while entanglement with the femme fatale makes him more alluring. Interestingly, this literary archetype—the “Madonna-Whore Dichotomy”—finds a perfect embodiment in Transformers: Animated through Elita-1/Blackarachnia.

My feelings toward Elita-1/Blackarachnia are complicated. On one hand, I strongly dislike how the writers created this character and positioned her as a potential romantic interest for Optimus Prime (The Optimus Prime in my understanding is more than a shallow embodiment of traditional “manhood”, therefore his choice of romantic partner rises higher than a “beautiful woman in the background” under patriarchal standards). Given that the third season significantly reduced the sexual undertones in Blackarachnia and Optimus’s interactions, I suspect the writers’ attempt to pair them was met with strong opposition and was ultimately abandoned. I also reject the narrative framework they constructed: “Elita-1 and Blackarachnia are two completely different people. Blackarachnia became what she is (someone who survives by seducing and emotionally manipulating male characters) solely because Optimus Prime failed to save her. As Elita-1, she had none of these traits.” This artificial separation of one person into two completely disconnected identities conveniently caters to a patriarchal fantasy, while also shifting the blame onto the protagonist, forcing him into moral debt towards her. This approach is disgusting.

On the other hand, I also reject the way some fans attempt to “redeem” Elita-1/Blackarachnia, particularly by attributing all of her transformation to “not being saved by Optimus/doomed by the plots.” Some even speculate that if Optimus had fallen into the spider pit instead, their roles would have been completely reversed—that is, Elita-1 would have become the noble hero, while Optimus would have become the bitter outcast. But is that really the case? Even identical twins, despite sharing the same genetic makeup, would approach the same problem differently due to variations in personality and mindset, leading to vastly different outcomes. Denying personal agency and blaming all misfortune on “an unfair fate that didn’t take my side” is just another form of helpless self-pity.

The original depiction of Elita-1 is sparse, limited to a few generic traits—she’s close with Optimus and Sentinel, somewhat competitive, etc. But Blackarachnia’s characterization, though flawed, is not entirely unfounded. When I watched Blackarachnia’s episodes, I was reminded of many real people I’ve encountered: hypocrites who construct false personas, those who manipulate their identity as “victims” (such as leveraging their gender) to gain affection and validation, and high school bullies who expertly form cliques, excel in emotional manipulation, and guilt-trip others. In many ways, Blackarachnia serves as both a vessel for the writers’ fantasies and a representation of a certain type of person that does exist in real life.

In recent years, discussions around female representation have gained traction. I’ve always believed that a well-written female character must first be real and complex. Simply reversing stereotypes by creating a brute-force-loving, blindly arrogant, gender-swapped version of a white male action hero is not enough (this also ties into my critique of Elita One in Transformers: One). That’s why my feelings were so conflicted when writing Blackarachnia’s story. On one hand, I wanted to fully explore her motivations, making her a character too complex to be summed up in a single sentence. On the other hand, I dislike the type of person she represents in real life, and I resent the writers for creating such a character while trying to shield her from moral scrutiny through narrative justification. So, in my writing, I amplified the narcissism and insecurity that the original subtly framed as “harmless sex appeal” or “cute flaws.” I wanted to challenge (what is likely an old white man’s) perception of his own creation, to confront him with this question: “This is what your character truly is, as revealed through the very details you provided. Do you really like her? Do you even care about this character at all?”

If you’ve read this far, you should understand that I didn’t write this biography because I agree with Blackarachnia’s actions or think she’s a “cool villain.” If this character existed in reality, I would find her both detestable and pitiful.

A link to

Today on things I may never finish: My favorite gals

Got this idea a few days ago while talking to a mutual about Prime Wars. I’ve only seen a few episodes and parts of the comic, and while the series suffers from a sluggish pace and underdeveloped side characters, it still presents some exciting plot points that inspire me to explore them in fiction. I’m listing them here for future reference—and to help other potential writers too.

1. Optimus and Megatron: Exiled Together, Rebuilding Trust

After the war, both Optimus and Megatron were exiled for their roles in causing the civil war. In their shared loneliness, they gradually re-established trust and a tacit understanding. This is actually a very forward-thinking idea: the war on Cybertron lasted so long that the line between “right” and “wrong” became blurred. For a new generation of Cybertronians, these two leaders—despite being on opposing sides—were both responsible for the planet’s prolonged suffering. This makes for a very realist conflict. (Not to mention the old men yaoi potential along the way.)

2. An Attempt at More Diverse Female Characters

Discussions about better representation of women in Transformers are never enough. But Prime Wars at least made an effort to introduce more female characters, even if they were mostly side characters. While execution matters, I do think this attempt is worthy of some recognition.

3. Windblade’s Mission: An Assassin Turned Ally

Windblade first encountered Optimus and Megatron because she intended to assassinate Optimus. After their exile, war broke out again for unknown reasons, and with her limited knowledge, Windblade—an independent, justice-driven warrior—believed Optimus was part of the cause. She set out to eliminate him but ultimately ended up befriending both him and Megatron.

Windblade’s motivation is compelling and realistic. As a peace-loving swordswoman haunted by the deaths of her comrades, she sought out the figure she believed was most responsible for the continued bloodshed. Her arc reminds me of characters in classic Chinese martial arts stories, which makes it all the more refreshing.

4. A Journey of Three: Windblade, Megatron, and Optimus

I really love the dynamic between these three. Their friendship feels like fresh morning dew or a cool breeze on a hot afternoon—brief yet impactful. They are independent souls, each with their own goals and distinct personalities, but fate throws them together for a short yet meaningful adventure.

Windblade also provides a third-party perspective, often laughing at the two “old bots” and their intricate way of flirting. I can’t see her romantically involved with either of them—and that’s the beauty of it. This is a female character whose life isn’t centered around romance. She has her own path, her own purpose, and a whole universe to explore beyond love interests.

5. Solus Prime: The Devouring Goddess of Nature

The climax of Prime Wars revolves around Megatronus (yes, like TFP Megatronus), who attempts to drain the sparks of all living beings just to revive Solus Prime—the sister and former lover he accidentally killed. He succeeds, but the moment Solus awakens, she immediately pulls her sucker brother back into the Allspark Well.

A feminist article I read once mentioned that female power is often represented through themes of “devouring” or “assimilation” (like how “Unity” operates in Rick and Morty). Prime Wars actually plays into this concept in an interesting way. Solus Prime’s return isn’t framed as a tragic lover’s reunion; instead, it reinforces her power as a goddess in her own right. She isn’t a dead god’s beloved—she is a goddess who reclaims her own narrative. That’s pretty ahead of its time.

This is a response to that guy who insists genderbent ships aren’t “real yuri,” and to everyone else who treats genderbending as inherently “unacceptable.”

As much as I want to see more Transformers characters assigned female (which is already a paradox, since they don’t reproduce and rarely feel gendered in the human sense), I also believe genderbent versions of canonically male characters and popular mlm ships can be powerful feminist writing.

I completely understand why people are invested in ships like MegOp—these are some of the most complex, well-rounded characters in the franchise. And if women fans want to bring those characters closer to their own identities—to make them more empathetic, more human, more relatable—why shouldn’t they?

And no, it’s not that women love these characters because they’re male. It’s because they’re compelling. They have agency, moral grayness, charisma. A gender swap doesn’t erase that. If anything, it proves that good character writing transcends gender. The lack of equally nuanced female characters in canon is a separate issue—and genderbending is one way fans choose to respond. It’s not playing by the old rules—it’s making new ones. It’s saying, “Look, these characters could be women, and the plot still holds.” That’s not weakness. That’s a creative, brave act.

But when you come after fans—many of them women—for reimagining their favorite characters as complex, powerful, deeply human girls just because you insist “they’re male and that will never change,” I honestly don’t see any difference between you and those misogynistic men who panic at the thought of femininity having power. You’re clinging to gender essentialism like it’s gospel: “You can play, but only by the rules we already set. You can’t change the game.”

But that’s exactly what genderbending does. It rewrites the rules. And maybe that’s what scares you most.

Headcanon of Clobber (from tfc) being the daughter of Strika and Lugnut.

I love the idea of switching Lugnut’s gender and giving birth to Clobber. But considering her unique personality and young age, I’d like to imagine her as tfa Lugnut and Strika’s child.

But if she is going to be their child I would want her to have some of Strika’s color scheme. I would keep her personality though, it’s very cute.

Funny how some dudes completely lose it the moment feminist writing enters the room. Windblade’s powers aren’t just sci-fi—they’re deeply metaphorical: listening, reasoning, communicating. These are strengths that reflect real-world forms of women’s power. But the second she starts gaining real political and economic influence through those strengths, suddenly it’s a problem?

I just feel they should be better representation of women compared to Elita One. Considering they’re not made to be love interests and have unique personalities and real growth arc. I miss how Cyberverse depicted Windblade and so many other interesting female characters, like Shadowstriker, Slipstream and Chromia.

From the trailer of Transformers One I can tell they want to make Elita One a “Sumerfette” among “Smurfs”, like the one single woman character among a bunch of men? I don’t like that idea and I also think Arcee or Windblade should do a better job since they’re not surrounded with implications of romantic relationship/love interest.