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Still from Transformers (2007)
Character · by Marcus Reyes

Bumblebee Transformer: Who He Is and Every Movie Appearance

The Bumblebee transformer is the Autobot scout B-127, who hides on Earth as a Volkswagen Beetle and then a 1977 Camaro in Bumblebee (2018), and he appears in the Transformers movies from The Transformers: The Movie (1986) to Transformers One (2024). Several actors have voiced him, from Mark Ryan in Transformers (2007) to Dylan O'Brien in Bumblebee (2018).

Image: TMDB

Who Plays B-127 / Bumblebee (voice)?

Bumblebee Transformer: Who Is He?

Bumblebee is an Autobot scout who passes as a car on Earth, and the films also call him B-127, the designation he carries in Bumblebee (2018) and Transformers One (2024). He is a different kind of hero from optimus prime transformers, because he is cast as a guardian for one person: Sam Witwicky in Transformers (2007), Charlie Watson in Bumblebee (2018).

What does he turn into? In Transformers (2007), directed by Michael Bay, Sam Witwicky buys an old car that turns out to be an Autobot sent to guard him. In Bumblebee (2018), directed by Travis Knight, the wounded B-127 scans a Volkswagen Beetle in 1987 and later takes the shape of a 1977 Camaro. So, if you are searching for the Bumblebee transformer car, the answer depends on the film.

Who voices him? The credits list him as Bumblebee, B-127 or B-127 / Bumblebee, and the voice changes from film to film. Dan Gilvezan voices him in the animated The Transformers: The Movie (1986), Mark Ryan in Transformers (2007), Erik Aadahl in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), Dylan O'Brien in Bumblebee (2018) and Keegan-Michael Key as B-127 in Transformers One (2024).

He appears in these films, in release order: transformers the movie 1986, transformers 2007, transformers dark of the moon, transformers the last knight, the bumblebee movie (2018), transformers rise of the beasts and transformers one. This profile covers the theatrical films only, and the toys are covered in our transformers merchandise guide.

How old is he? None of the film plots gives a number. The timeline does show a scout already serving on Cybertron before the 1987 landing in Bumblebee (2018), and Transformers One shows B-127 earlier still, working alongside Orion Pax and D-16.

B-127 / Bumblebee (voice) Films

Bumblebee Transformer Story Arc: From B-127 to AutobotSpoilers

Bumblebee's story runs from a Cybertron mine to California in 1987 and then to Earth's wars, and the in-universe order differs from release order. In the transformers timeline, Transformers One (2024) comes first, followed by Bumblebee (2018), Rise of the Beasts (2023) and Transformers (2007).

In Transformers One, B-127 is a friend of the miner Orion Pax and of D-16. He sneaks off with them to follow a distress message from the Prime Alpha Trion, and Elita-1 joins the group. Later, B-127 is captured with D-16 and Starscream, and he helps Orion and Elita-1 capture Airachnid so her memory recordings can be broadcast across the city and turn the people against Sentinel Prime. Orion becomes Optimus Prime and names his followers the Autobots.

By Bumblebee (2018), Optimus sends the scout B-127 to Earth while the Autobots lose the war. He lands in California in 1987, gets hunted by Sector 7 soldiers under Colonel Jack Burns, and is ambushed by the Decepticon Blitzwing, who rips out his voice box and damages his memory. B-127 destroys Blitzwing, then scans the Beetle. Charlie Watson finds the car, names him Bumblebee and helps him recover, while the Decepticons Shatter and Dropkick arrive and convince Sector 7 the Autobots are the real threat.

In Rise of the Beasts, set in 1994 Brooklyn, Optimus Prime gathers his team and Noah Diaz joins them. Scourge later takes the Transwarp Key after killing Bumblebee. By Transformers (2007), Bumblebee is Sam Witwicky's car and guardian. In Dark of the Moon, he fights in the ruined streets of Chicago. In The Last Knight, he is among the Autobots who attack Cybertron.

Does Optimus Prime Like Bumblebee? His Closest Bonds

Bumblebee's closest bonds are with the people he guards and the leader he serves, and the films treat Optimus Prime as his commander and, in Transformers One, as an old friend. Optimus, voiced by Peter Cullen in the live action films, trusts B-127 with the scouting mission to Earth in Bumblebee (2018), and he is the one Bumblebee reunites with at the end of that film. Nothing in the stories makes Optimus his father.

In Transformers One, the relationship begins as friendship. Chris Hemsworth voices Orion Pax, the miner who becomes Optimus Prime, and Keegan-Michael Key voices B-127 as one of the friends who follows him to Alpha Trion. D-16, voiced by Brian Tyree Henry, is the other friend, and he becomes Megatron after the fight with Sentinel Prime.

Bumblebee's human bonds are the best known. Sam Witwicky, played by Shia LaBeouf, owns him in Transformers (2007), and Mikaela Banes is part of that circle. Charlie Watson, played by Hailee Steinfeld, is the human who names him in Bumblebee (2018), and her neighbor Memo, played by Jorge Lendeborg Jr., keeps the secret. See charlie bumblebee for her full profile.

Who is Bumblebee's biggest rival? The films name no single one. Blitzwing steals his voice, Shatter and Dropkick hunt him in 1987, and Scourge kills him in Rise of the Beasts. The most personal case is D-16, the friend who becomes megatron transformers in Transformers One. The wider Decepticon side is covered in our decepticons guide.

What Happens to Bumblebee? His Fate in the FilmsSpoilers

Bumblebee dies once in the films, in Rise of the Beasts, and he is brought back. In Bumblebee (2018), he takes the form of a 1977 Camaro and says a tearful goodbye to Charlie on a cliff overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, then reunites with Optimus Prime, who survived, as more Autobot escape pods head toward Earth.

In Dark of the Moon, he destroys the Control Pillar that holds the Decepticon plan together, and the Autobots stay on Earth as allies. In The Last Knight, he appears to kill Quintessa, though a short scene early in the credits shows she survived. In Rise of the Beasts, Scourge kills him after taking the Transwarp Key, and Bumblebee is restored during the final battle.

Is Bumblebee once a Decepticon? None of the films shows that. In Transformers (2007), he is an Autobot sent to protect Sam. In Transformers One, B-127 sides with Orion Pax and Elita-1 against Sentinel Prime, while D-16 takes Megatronus's cog and names himself Megatron.

Best Bumblebee Moments: My Picks

In my opinion, Bumblebee (2018) holds his best scenes, because it is the only film where he is the lead rather than the sidekick. Here are the five I would show a newcomer, and I am picking them for how they are built, not just how they look.

First, the Blitzwing ambush. The sequence takes his voice away in the first act, so every later gesture has to carry the character, which is a smart constraint for a robot who spent the earlier films as a supporting player. Second, the electricity jolt, when Charlie revives him and his memories return. It is the emotional pivot of the film, and it works because the earlier scenes with the Beetle set it up.

Third, the harbor tower fight. Taken step by step, the Decepticons try to call in reinforcements, Bumblebee and Charlie stop the signal, Dropkick is torn apart, and Shatter is crushed by a cargo ship in the flood. It is a clean, readable set piece, which is not always true of the larger franchise battles. Fourth, the Camaro goodbye on the cliff above the Golden Gate Bridge, which pays off the opening mission.

Fifth, from the other side of the saga, Dark of the Moon, where he takes out the Control Pillar during the Chicago battle. It could be argued that this is his key contribution to a Michael Bay film, since the pillar holds the whole plan together. If you are new to him, start with the bumblebee movie, then follow the transformers movies in order to see where the rest fall.

Facts

FAQs

Does Optimus Prime like Bumblebee?

Yes, as far as the stories show. Optimus trusts B-127 with the scouting mission to Earth in Bumblebee (2018) and is the leader he reunites with at the end of that film. In Transformers One, Optimus begins as Orion Pax, a friend of B-127.

Is Bumblebee a transformer movie?

Yes. Bumblebee (2018), directed by Travis Knight, is a Transformers film released in the US on December 21, 2018, with a 114 minute runtime. It is a live action main film, and it follows the scout B-127 and Charlie Watson in 1987 California.

Who is Bumblebee's biggest rival?

No single rival is named across the films. Blitzwing, Shatter and Dropkick hunt him in Bumblebee (2018), and Scourge kills him in Rise of the Beasts. The most personal case is D-16, the friend who becomes Megatron in Transformers One.

Is Bumblebee once a Decepticon?

No. None of the films shows that. He is an Autobot in Transformers (2007) and Bumblebee (2018), and in Transformers One, B-127 sides with Orion Pax and Elita-1 against Sentinel Prime.

Is Optimus Bumblebee's dad?

No. The films present Optimus Prime as his commander and, in Transformers One, as a friend from before he became a Prime. None of the stories makes him a parent.

How old is Bumblebee?

The films never give him an age. Transformers One shows B-127 working alongside Orion Pax and D-16 before Bumblebee (2018), where he is already an experienced scout in 1987.