Watching transformers: one again, now as a full on (beginner) fan-
Idiot beginner fan- makes rant on gay grandpas fighting each other
Megatron is a lot more robotic (pun not intended) in how he behaves than Optimus is.
I go back to the line where he says "I stepped out of line I deserved to get punished" and holy shit-
THAT'S LITERALLY HOW HE SEES THE WORLD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MOVIE.
bear with me
So how did Megatron end up saying that? Well D-16 and Orion were getting out of the mines, as Elita was fired, Orion is the first to stand up for her. When he gets pushed away, Orion immediately returns with one of the best jokes in the entire movie (limited options, limited middle fingers lol).
D 16 doesn't do anything until Orion is physically attacked, to which he finally intervenes and tries to handle the punishment himself, "allow me, I apologize on behalf-"
When they cut to them in the dorm area, this is where D-16/Megatron states those lines. The context is important, but what is most important is the lines themselves. When you look at the rest of the movie through those lens "stepped out of line... Deserved to be punished" it gets easier and easier to see where D-16 ends and Megatron begins. (AND ITS A HELL OF A LOT EARLIER THAN THE RED EYES)
D-16 follows protocol like his life depends on it, much like elita. Except elita has a brain cell and D-16 shares his with Orion (stupid gay men/pos).
While orion is constantly finding good to come from chaos and braking protocol, D-16 is always concerned with the punishment that follows, after all, they've stepped out of line, they deserved to be punished.
When the truth is revealed, D-16 begins to slowly take this idea further.
Sentinel betrayed us, therefore Sentinel is stepping out of line, therefore Sentinel must be punished. (This is the earlier flickers of Megatron imo, since D-16 is worried about himself getting punishment, and Megatron about him giving punishment to others he deems that deserve it)
But additionally, he still follows his protocol, as he throws his badge and stomps on it, the first sentences out of his mouth are not how sentinel betrayed them, but on how Orion ruined HIS life by breaking protocol.
We stepped out of line, and now we cogless miners will be punished
It's clear he does not give a shit about what the others are believing, like how he didn't give a shit about elita being fired, just Orion being punched. He didn't give a shit about how the others were also, betrayed by sentinel, just on how sentinel killed his celebrity crush and took his cog, and how now that he knows the truth and stepped out of line with orion, he is going to be punished.
Before being attacked by steve buscemi's high guards Megatron (imo D-16 is barely there at this point, if at all) says something along the lines that the entire planet of cybertron "worships Sentinel"
That's not true. Or at least, that's illogical from an outside perspective.
But you know who did?
He did.
Megatron is projecting what he feels, how he acts, and how he thinks onto others, and takes any deviation as a personal attack.
Starscream just makes this worse.
when Optimus is trying to stop a now Megatron from killing Sentinel, this idea is pushed to one of its first limits.
Optimus, is thinking different than me, therefore Optimus is stepping out of line, therefore Optimus must be punished.
Why does G1 Megatron hire traitors as allies (Steve buscemi, the insecticons, etc)? Because they think like him. When they actually move on with this betrayal, they are stepping out of line, and therefore must be punished.
orion/Optimus doesn't act like this.
He constantly evolves. He changes his stance on things (example: the dino bots from G1)
It's a lot harder to pinpoint (imo) where Orion ends and Optimus begins, it's more gradual, fluid even.
Not like Megatron's, which is a lot more sharp, but also, not out of nowhere.
Megatron has always been like that tho, even as D-16, just- slightly modified.
Also the fact that literally no one but Megatron had tear stains on their faces, GLITCH JUST MAKE OUT FOR FRAGGS SAKE.
But back to optimus, where Megatron focuses on punishment, Optimus focuses on opportunity.
A good example is the first interaction they have in the train, D-16 is asking pax to stay on protocol in fear of getting reprimanded, pax is gushing about how his risks are creating an opportunity to help find the matrix.
Where the deceptions are exiled from iacon, Optimus sees this as not only the loss of a lover (cause I mean- let's be real) but also an opportunity to move on and rebuild what had been destroyed. (While Megatron cries over the served divorce papers)
Optimus evolves, his rules and ideals bend and change (except for some) to fit the situation. His morals and honor are the only thing that's stay the same.
His stances on humans change, his stances on Megatron, his once close partner, change.
He gets better, he learns more, he becomes more real. He moves on.
Megatron doesn't. He thinks that is stepping out of line. He thinks that should be punished.
And omfg translating this to yaoi makes for such a heartbreaking ship holy fucking shit.