Live action TV
Description
Onslaught is a Decepticon character in the 2017 film Transformers: The Last Knight, where he serves as the leader of the Combaticons, a subgroup of Decepticon soldiers. He is introduced as an inmate in the custody of the Transformers Reaction Force, the paramilitary organization that hunts Transformers on Earth. When the TRF agrees to cooperate with Megatron and release Decepticons to form his crew, Megatron first requests Berserker, but Berserker is judged too dangerous to set free. Onslaught becomes the release candidate instead and requires a high level of clearance to be freed. During his release, he angrily complains about the small size of the TRF's doors, which he is too large to pass through, although he is able to fit his cannon through the opening.
In terms of personality, Onslaught is described as a strategic genius, with tactical planning considered his most impressive asset, although this trait is established mainly through supplementary material such as his prisoner dossier rather than being clearly demonstrated on screen. He is a large and physically imposing Decepticon who takes considerable pride in his size, and he tends to rely on his brawn, showing off his strength and bullying smaller opponents in typical Decepticon fashion. In the film he comes across as tough but somewhat slow-witted and short-tempered, grumbling about his circumstances and charging into battle with more aggression than subtlety.
His motivations revolve around serving Megatron and, by extension, the Cybertronian sorceress Quintessa. After his release, he joins the Decepticons in their hunt for Cade Yeager, the human inventor who carries the Talisman that can lead to Merlin's staff. His role in the story is that of a supporting antagonist within Megatron's strike force, adding heavy muscle to the Decepticon pursuit rather than driving the plot.
Within the story's events, Onslaught follows Megatron to Cade Yeager's scrapyard and then to a nearby town, where the Decepticons meet resistance from the Autobots Bumblebee, Drift, and Crosshairs. Onslaught is damaged by a trap set by Yeager, and when he attempts to capture the fleeing human, he is ambushed by Drift and Crosshairs. He loses a leg and takes several shots to the chest before being decapitated by Drift's sword, which ends his participation in the film.
His key relationships include his service to Megatron, who selected him for release, and his position as leader of the Combaticons. His main adversaries are the Autobots he fights, with Drift and Crosshairs responsible for destroying him, while Bumblebee and Cade Yeager are among the other targets of the Decepticon attack. In tie-in material, he also appears among the Decepticons who attack a scientist's laboratory and come into conflict with a small robot named Hydrobot.
Because of his brief screen time, Onslaught undergoes little development. He is presented as a capable and intimidating soldier whose reputation as a strategist is never fully realized in his on-screen appearance, and he is ultimately outmatched by the Autobots who cut him down. Design notes describe him as the twin brother of the Decepticon Long Haul, a connection used to justify their shared body design, although this detail is not referenced in any official media.
His notable abilities include his great size and physical strength, a built-in cannon that he can deploy even through narrow openings, and a large claw weapon that is presumed to be the Decapitator, a weapon his dossier says he was developing before his imprisonment. He transforms into a green and white Western Star 4900SF tow truck. In the broader movie continuity, Onslaught leads the Combaticons, a group that can combine into the massive warrior Bruticus Maximus, although combining is not shown in The Last Knight itself.
In terms of personality, Onslaught is described as a strategic genius, with tactical planning considered his most impressive asset, although this trait is established mainly through supplementary material such as his prisoner dossier rather than being clearly demonstrated on screen. He is a large and physically imposing Decepticon who takes considerable pride in his size, and he tends to rely on his brawn, showing off his strength and bullying smaller opponents in typical Decepticon fashion. In the film he comes across as tough but somewhat slow-witted and short-tempered, grumbling about his circumstances and charging into battle with more aggression than subtlety.
His motivations revolve around serving Megatron and, by extension, the Cybertronian sorceress Quintessa. After his release, he joins the Decepticons in their hunt for Cade Yeager, the human inventor who carries the Talisman that can lead to Merlin's staff. His role in the story is that of a supporting antagonist within Megatron's strike force, adding heavy muscle to the Decepticon pursuit rather than driving the plot.
Within the story's events, Onslaught follows Megatron to Cade Yeager's scrapyard and then to a nearby town, where the Decepticons meet resistance from the Autobots Bumblebee, Drift, and Crosshairs. Onslaught is damaged by a trap set by Yeager, and when he attempts to capture the fleeing human, he is ambushed by Drift and Crosshairs. He loses a leg and takes several shots to the chest before being decapitated by Drift's sword, which ends his participation in the film.
His key relationships include his service to Megatron, who selected him for release, and his position as leader of the Combaticons. His main adversaries are the Autobots he fights, with Drift and Crosshairs responsible for destroying him, while Bumblebee and Cade Yeager are among the other targets of the Decepticon attack. In tie-in material, he also appears among the Decepticons who attack a scientist's laboratory and come into conflict with a small robot named Hydrobot.
Because of his brief screen time, Onslaught undergoes little development. He is presented as a capable and intimidating soldier whose reputation as a strategist is never fully realized in his on-screen appearance, and he is ultimately outmatched by the Autobots who cut him down. Design notes describe him as the twin brother of the Decepticon Long Haul, a connection used to justify their shared body design, although this detail is not referenced in any official media.
His notable abilities include his great size and physical strength, a built-in cannon that he can deploy even through narrow openings, and a large claw weapon that is presumed to be the Decapitator, a weapon his dossier says he was developing before his imprisonment. He transforms into a green and white Western Star 4900SF tow truck. In the broader movie continuity, Onslaught leads the Combaticons, a group that can combine into the massive warrior Bruticus Maximus, although combining is not shown in The Last Knight itself.