I think the really sad part was how when he shoots Orion, there's clearly remorse on his face. He even still tries to save him after that, completely incapable of comprehending why his best friend would take the bullet for their worst enemy.

Another thing that confirms Sentinel planned for the duo to disappear is that he tells the other miners that Orion had died in the race. If it was just Dreadwing getting revenge, Sentinel wouldn't have had any reason to cover for Dreadwing rather than just grab the two.

I think it was genuinely brilliant that he ripped sentinel in half. It felt like an intentional homage to bay’s megatron’s scrapping of jazz, which was for many of us myself included , the first time we’ve seen an autobot die on screen.

I believe that Megatron renaming the high guard Decepticons at the end of the film had something to do with his monologue about Sentinel’s betrayal. He said it himself, “We will not be blinded by his deception”. I think the Decepticon moniker symbolizes their liberation and them taking an oath that they will never be deceived or taken for granted by anyone ever again.

What’s ironic is the two end up on completely opposite sides from when they originally started. Megatron who would follow orders and not get in trouble will never listen to a leader again, while Optimus who wouldn’t listen to anyone completely believes in the primes. Both characters did a complete 180 and I’m impressed because it wasn’t forced and was natural.

I think what's the most impactful thing is what D - 16 went through

As a victim of abuse, I understand Megatron's perspective perfectly.

Gonna defend the pacing because it’s that lack of time that allows D-16 to fall. Orion never gets a chance to sit down and chat with him about what he’s been doing.

Something that is very underlooked is how Starscream and the High Guard essentially enabled D16 to go further down his dark path.

"If speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."

As a TF fan I expected the turn, but damn was it so good. One line that D-16 says that stuck with me was when he said "NO I WANT TO KILL HIM". The voice work was great and while being a simple sentence the way it was delivered portrayed how torn D-16 was when the curtain was pulled

One thing about the D-16's eyes, is that when he's banned from Iacon by Optimus, not only they get a bit dimmer, but also become more orange, almost as if he is suprised and, to an extent saddened by his decision. This only lasts a second though, quickly becoming bright red again, as he leaves Prime and orders the high guard to follow him.

If Megatron is the product of the system, Elita One represents those members of society with authentic talents and abilities, demonstrated because in the film she proves to be skilled and intelligent, but due to factors beyond their control, such as being born without gear of transformation, which for us would be like being born in a less privileged sector of society, since all miners were treated as inferior beings, does not have the opportunity that others less capable receive to progress.

It’s interesting to see D-16 and Orion’s roles pretty much swap. At the beginning of the movie it was D-16 who was the cautious voice of reason and Orion who was the rebellious reckless one.

Honestly, I think not having enough time to take in D16's change, the pacing, and how quickly it happens works out very well. Because it works to represent two things, 1. How quickly someone can change as a result of their world falling apart and how hard it is to truly notice and 2. How overwhelming it all is on D16, as in under a day his entire world has crumbled around him in a way that is beyond his control, and he's desperate to regain any level of control as a result

A friend of mine on tumblr pointed out something that went right over my head the first time I saw this movie: Orion Pax and D-16’s initial personalities actually foreshadow their eventual motivations and ideologies as Optimus Prime and Megatron. Orion Pax being a rule-breaker and a free spirit foreshadows Optimus Prime’s creed that “freedom is the right of all sentient beings,” while D-16 being a stickler for the rules and a firm believer in the system foreshadows Megatron’s goal of “peace through tyranny.”

One detail worth noting is his reaction to Sentinel’s having Megatronius T-Cog. Seeing the traitor who kept him down walking around with the T-Cog of his idol is such a personal slap in his face you can see his rage reaching its breaking point. I fully believe this scene was a major tipping in the scales to his decision to become Megatron.