In the history of film, we have two great robot franchises to contend with. The first is the soulless living metal cyborg army of the Skynet future, Terminators rolling over the last tenuous threads of humanity. The other are the transforming alien Autobots known as the Transformers. Who would win an all-out struggle between these inorganic titans?
On the one hand you have alien technology and Optimus Prime's astounding generalship, going against a sentient AI whose best plan ultimately was to send Arnold Schwarzenegger back in time repeatedly to kill one dude. One dude!
On the other hand, the liquid metal T-2000 not only resembled a gorgeous woman (take THAT, Bumblebee!) but was able to transform itself in limited ways as well.
I admit I'm a bit stumped on this one. So I turn it over to you to debate -- cast your vote and persuade others to do the same!
Ah-NULD! AHHHHHHHH-NUUUUUUUUUULD!
There can be only one!
(Wait, wrong franchise…!)
Let’s see, how to put this:
Skynet builds robots designed to kill humans. Some of the robots are big vehicles, and some are the common humanoid endoskeleton type. And a couple are liquid metal constructs, but they are rare. Still, they are designed for the express purpose of killing humans.
Transformers are designed or bred (who knows where baby Transformers come from? That’s never been really explained to me) more or less to fight other giant transforming robots. Therefore they should have an advantage against Skynet’s robots. Case closed.
Hmm…. Arnold Schwartzenegger, or turning into a truck…Schwartzenegger…..truck? Transformers for sure. Turning into a beautiful woman is nice, but only works on men and lesbians. However, turning into a hot sports car will impress anyone.
I gotta go with Skynet on this one. While Transformers may be an alien race of giant robots, Skynet gave us AH-NULD, the awesomeness of Robert Patrick as the T-1000 and then whatshername as the next gen T-2000. A slight upgrade in looks only. Plus, they’re from the future, in which they’re stopped by John Connor/Bruce Wayne, Perseus and the ever-hot Moon Bloodgood. How can you not love a hot woman with that last name? But, I digress. Anyway, future tech, shape shifters who can make their arms into weapons, run at ridiculous speeds, the former Governator (come on, it’s in his name!) and world-wide wireless AI. Really, what does Transformers have against all that epic awesomeness and crazy future tech mixed with ridiculously smart super computers? Seriously, tell me what they have. I’ll wait…
You’re forgetting the fact that two men in the series, Sam Worthington and Arnold Schwarzenegger, have played Greek demi-gods, Perseus and Hercules.
Optimus Prime is a straight-up badass, he’ll think a way to end skynet all-the-while delivering witty catch phrases (ala’ the “I stand, you fall ” from the Transformer’s movie)
I deffinately LOVE Transformers…and Im a fan of Terminator. This would be and awesome battle. The one thing I think Skynet has going for it is sheer numbers. Skynet is constantly producing more and more terminators. They also keep improving and evolving. It’s almost like ultron, when you destroy him he just adapts and comes back even stronger. On the other hand the Terminators are all controlled by one computer. So the terminators can take down SOME of the transformers, the transformers can still keep fighting. But if Optimus learns the location of Skynet and sacrifices himself (you know he will too so dont even pretend like it won’t happen) to blow it up it will cause all the other terminators to shut down.
Like I said though the only thing the terminators have going for them is their numbers. It would be like the Predators vs Aliens. The preds have better tech and weapons, but there are so many aliens they overwhelm them. My vote still goes to the Transformers. They are bigger smarter and bad-ass. They will find a way for optimus to die for our sins yet again and beat those tinker toys.
In the “Transformers: Cybertron” series, they told that the planet Cybertron was actually a Transformer named Primus, he has the power to destroy planets, i’m pretty sure if it came right down to it, he would just destroy Earth with Skynet on it.
Transformers win!
I chose Transformers, but I freely admit it’s mostly because I was an 80s kid.
I watched both in the 80’s. The terminator killed people. No one ever died on The Transformers.
Skynet wins
Skynet would capture a Transformer, replicate the technology, and create Transformer-Terminators. Bam!
Wow, Jeff. You have a real talent for picking real no-contest versus matches.
The Transformers would crush the Terminators. Literally.
No contest. The transfomers have only ever fought the transformers, while the Governater has fought everything under the sun and usually lived. I’m going with Skynet, Plus a transformer probably couldn’t hide as a car since Skynet hunts humans, needed to drive the cars, and knows its own machines, thus making it impossible to hide.
I love that this:
Was immediately followed by this:
No contest! No matter WHICH way you go. I’m a genius!
While Skynet has been inventing incredible advanced technologies other the years (Timetravel!), it hasn’t been able to crush the human resistance, nor have its agents been capable of terminating John Connor in the past. Mere mortals have been able to stand against the terminators. Every advantage that the Skynet might have against humans, would be nullified if they had to fight the Terminators, since they are bought machines. So I am giving my vote to Optimus Prime and his kind.
@Jeff: Dear Jeaff,
I tried to request the deletion of a comment, when I noticed it had a few mistakes. It didn’t work. The first comment is still there together with two corrected versions. How can I delete the first two?
Not to rain on your parade, but what happens if the Transformers adapt and start transforming into Skynet war machines? I’m pretty sure at that point the Skynet master control goes “Does Not Compute, Mind = Blown,” and shuts down.
2 ways to look at it: 1. Skynet couldn’t succeed in wiping out humans, though it tried, while the Deceptigons didn’t BOTHER.
2. The answer to McKnight’s question: both had adaptability, advanced tech, sturdy construction, but the Transformers are faster, some are heavier, less predictable as a group, could ALLY with humans, and are used to fighting equals.
The Transformer’s source code is ancient and so far advanced in it’s sentient intelligence that Earth’s 21st century SkyNet would be permanently deleted before a bit meets a byte.
Now pit SkyNet against the Matrix. That seems fair.
Well, I’m glad somebody at least finally answered the question. I’m also happy that your answer is short but sweet.
This seemed pretty simple to me, but that is probably because I never watched the 80’s cartoon, and only two of the movies so far, whereas I have seen all of the Terminator movies. The central concept of the Terminator movies is that Skynet loses to the humans, after nearly wiping them out with our arsenal of nuclear weapons. That’s a pretty devastating first strike to recover from and go on to win. Skynet, just not all that tough. The Auotobots from the first two movies would wipe the floor with Skynet.
Exactly. People forget that the Transformers don’t just transform into Earth vehicles (what would be the point of an alien race of robots transforming into Earth vehicles?). They can choose a new alt-mode whenever they want.
Also, in most continuities the Transformers have mastered FTL travel. That fact alone proves that they are far more technologically advanced than Skynet could ever hope to be.
Well, actually Skynet sent Arnold back only once. Then he sent that guy from X-Files, and then Kristianna Loken… who was T-X, not T-2000, meaning more like T-1100. /nitpick
it would go either way depending on a single factor: The humans. If humans are fighting alongside the Autobots, then they would be a constant liability just like when fighting against Decepticons. If either A) it was decepticon versus terminators ro b) there were no humans at all to distract them then the transformers would go all out with everything they had and tear skynet a new one.
Then again, skynet could make human reploids that deceived all humans tech it might allow skynet to make the autobots belive that humans were in danger when in truth it would be a slaughter of a trap.
Terminators wins easily against handful transformers. Because humans winning against Skynet by definition(“good” must win) – like Rebels against Empire, but we all know that In Endor battle all Rebels will be easily destroyed, but no, they must win, like First Death Star(The first Death Star is depicted in various sources of having a crew of 265,675(much info deleted) and 7,293 TIE fighters, diameter 140-160 km O_O.) destruction – like 1 pretty small hole going straight in the reactor(proton torpedo going about 50-80 kilometers straight down in 2 meters wide shaft), no shaft’s turns, no several much smaller shafts, no movement of DS(try trow something in moving object) and so on…
The same is with Terminator movies.(First 2 was best, 3 not so bad, but 4 is crap) Skynet is Network Intellect – so It don’t have 1 place you can destroy and win. If Skynet know what It is against(humans, transformers, etc.), then It produces what he need to destroy that. For transformers – like giant robots from movie 4, but much more heavily armed, transformers don’t have factories on Earth(they can’t replace their losses) – so that is end of transformers, whatever fanboys screams – That is Cruel Truth.