Palace - Transformers Wiki (2025)

The Autobots detect a Mini-Con in the desert, but its panel is hidden away in a strange temple underground...

Synopsis

After Rad narrates an old tale, the Decepticons have arrived in the Sahara Desert to attempt to locate a Mini-Con. Demolishor lays in ambush and fires on a passing helicopter, which turns out to be an indignant Cyclonus, who reports no success in finding the Mini-Con. After complaining about the ubiquitous sand, Cyclonus takes off again, and the wash from his rotors covers Demolishor with sand. The tank Decepticon is further annoyed when the ground begins falling away.

The Mini-Con alarm also sends the Autobots and their three human friends to the desert, where Hot Shot immediately discovers his tires don't get much in the way of traction. They prepare to search the desert on foot, but before they get the chance, Demolishor strikes them. While the kids and their Mini-Cons scatter, the Autobots take cover and attempt to locate the weapons fire source. Hot Shot combines with Jolt to try returning fire and almost gets blasted, but Optimus knocks him out of the way.

Alexis spots Demolishor, but before the three kids can execute a diversion, the panicked Decepticon begins sinking into the sand. As Rad shouts a warning, Carlos also falls into the growing hole, and Grindor grabs him. Demolishor calls out to Megatron while disappearing beneath the sand and, on the Moon, Starscream reports the SOS to their leader. The kids all begin sinking into the pit too, and Rad releases Laserbeak to get help.

Meanwhile, the Autobots realize the kids are missing and begin looking for them. They quickly locate Laserbeak in the sand, but their search is interrupted by Megatron, Cyclonus, and Starscream's arrival.

The kids recover to find themselves in a mysterious, ruined ancient palace in a cavern beneath the desert. They explore to find a way out and see the Mini-Con symbol carved into a ceiling. After discussing what it might mean, Alexis, warns the others to watch out for Decepticons, who'll also be hunting for the Mini-Con.

The Autobots and Decepticons fight topside. Megatron enquires what they've done with Demolishor, but Optimus naturally doesn't know.

In the ruin, Carlos sees a glowing eye symbol appearing on the wall and believes he sees things. He joins his friends only to see a couple of dozen glowing red eye symbols floating in the air ahead of them. They find themselves surrounded by terrible metal spider-like creatures. The kids are within a fraction of death, but Demolishor isn't far from them and, hearing their cries, begins breaking through walls to find them. He soon locates the kids and their Mini-Cons, but Demolishor is promptly attacked by the mechanical spiders, unwittingly saving Rad and his friends.

Above ground, the battle continues, and Megatron wonders again where Demolishor is.

While Demolishor deals with the spider robots, the kids go farther and arrive in a grand throne room. They stumble on a vast statue-lined chamber; at the end of it is the Mini-Con storage panel for which they've been searching. After admiring the sight for some time, Carlos steps forward and triggers a trap, and Rad has to save him from a colossal falling boulder. Demolishor appears, having disposed of the mechanical spiders and heads for the Mini-Con panel. As the kids move to stop him, the floor begins caving in, cutting them off from the Decepticon and panel. Demolishor clings to the side, climbing back up and running along the floor as it collapses behind him. The statues begin firing energy pulses at him to add to his troubles. The three Street Action Mini-Cons combine into Perceptor to save Rad and Carlos from another falling boulder. Finally, Demolishor can grab the Mini-Con and begins making for the surface in tank mode.

Above, the warring Transformers are startled when the ground begins falling away. Demolishor climbs out of the growing pit to report success in obtaining the Mini-Con. As Hot Shot jumps into the hole, Demolishor activates the new Mini-Con, Bonecrusher, and begins firing on the Autobots. Megatron orders a withdrawal as they've obtained the Mini-Con, and the Decepticons teleport away. Hot Shot soon emerges from the sand carrying Perceptor and the kids.

Back on the Moon, Megatron demands that Demolishor hand over the Mini-Con to him as punishment for disobeying his orders to only stand lookout in the desert. The Decepticon objects, but Megatron forces him to obey. Starscream witnesses the scene, lacking his usual fiendish delight; though he's not a friend of Demolishor, he understands that Megatron treats him unjustly.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"I tell ya, I got sand in my mouth, sand in my joints; I even have sand in places I'd rather not mention, but no Mini-"
"Well, keep looking!"

—Cyclonus and Demolishor hate sand.

"You think any mole-like dudes live down here?"
"Boy, Carlos, with your imagination, you should write comic books. You are one strange guy."

—Carlos and Rad explore the ruined palace.

"Hey you, what have you done with the humans?"
"I ate them. And they were quite tasty, too."

—Hot Shot talks about the kids, but Demolishor is only concerned with food.

"But that isn't fair, sir!"
"Not fair? Why I'll show you what's not fair."
"Well, actually sir, you really don't have to."
"No no no, really, I insist. I said I was going to show you what's not fair and so I shall show you what's not fair. Why don't you come a little closer, Demolishor, so I can give you a hands-on demonstration, yesss."

—Demolishor and Megatron.

Notes

Differences with Legends of the Microns

• There's a lot of silence in this episode's Japanese version, from un-narrated flashbacks to long pans of desert sands, to characters wandering through hallways and staring into the distance. Armada is determined to fill as much of it as possible with noise, whether it's the transformation noise; narration from Rad; characters grunting, gasping, growling, laughing under their breath, or making the dreaded "uh?" sound.
• In Legends of the Microns, the desert is never identified as the Sahara. The aesthetics of the flashbacks would instead seem to indicate that it takes place in the Arabian Desert... but given that the jackal statues in the palace seem to be based on the Egyptian god Anubis, it's likely that precise historical accuracy wasn't much of a consideration.
• It's silent until Cyclonus transforms in Legends of the Microns. Armada adds narration from Rad over the "prologue" segment, talking about the Mini-Con panel's history and the legend surrounding it (the Japanese dub never suggests that it's a known story), then some filler dialogue from Demolishor about "spotting a bogey" (the incoming Cyclonus).
• While Armada has Cyclonus complaining about the sand (quoted above), he's complaining about being on the job alone and angrily suggests Demolishor should also be searching in Legends of the Microns. Demolishor snaps back that Megatron ordered him to stand lookout, but Armada turns it into Demolishor demanding that Cyclonus return to work.
• As the kids suit up and the Autobots warp out, the Japanese dub has Carlos give the opening narration, noting that although the kids know it's for a serious matter, it's something they plan on enjoying. Armada adds short lines to Hot Shot and Red Alert to fill in the Japanese version's silence. Legends of the Microns plays "Lets Roll Out, Cybertrons!" during the sequence. Armada has the insert Transformers theme seamlessly flow into the opening bumper, as Carlos laughs annoyingly during the last few seconds before it.
• When Hot Shot gets stuck in the sand upon arrival in the desert, the tone of his exchange with Carlos is a little different between dubs: In Armada, Carlos sarcastically informs him that he'll never get out of the sand in vehicle mode, so Hot Shot transforms, thanking him for the advice. However, in Legends of the Microns, Carlos notes exasperatedly that the kids already told Hot Shot that he couldn't travel over the sand in vehicle mode, and Hot Shot responds with a sarcastic "Know-it-all" harrumph. Hot Shot's reluctance to take their advice prompts Optimus to make his speech about listening to the kids, who know more about Earth than the Transformers do, making the children their sempai (mentors).
• After Hot Shot complains about where they should look for the Mini-Con, Red Alert says, "More than likely we don't know where to look." He talks about setting up a grid system in Armada.
• The Japanese version removes the kids screaming as Demolishor's shots go over the team's heads. Demolishor later says the Autobots took off rather than saying that he missed them.
• In Armada, as the Autobots take cover after Demolishor's opening shots, Red Alert says he doesn't detect any Decepticons, and Hot Shot pointlessly says that they should keep their heads down. Legends of the Microns removes Red's line, and Hot Shot asks about the shots' origin instead. Then Rad doesn't speak until he turns to the camera in the Japanese dub, and Carlos acknowledges Rad's idea. Carlos quips about "kicking some 'bot butt" in Armada.
• In Armada, Hot Shot guesses Demolishor to be the one shooting at the Autobots, and Optimus tells him to pipe down unless he wants Demolishor to lock on to them. Legends of the Microns changes this slightly, so the dialogue makes sense as Hot Shot wants the Autobots to attack, but Optimus tells him to stay down instead of keeping quiet.
• Legends of the Microns removes Hot Shot saying, "Holy cow!" when Demolishor fires at him and changes his following line about Demolishor having the Autobots pinned down to "No way we can easily see each other."
• As the kids sneak around to Demolishor's side, Rad's dialogue in Legends of the Microns suggests they will somehow attack him. Alexis is wary of the kids going ahead, but the eager Carlos says they should go. Armada changes Rad's lines to the kids suggesting they catch Demolishor's attention with a distraction, and Alexis agrees with Rad instead of being nervous.
• In Armada, Demolishor laughs while shooting at the Autobots and exclaims as the sand gives way beneath him. He is silent during the scene in Legends of the Microns.
• Legends of the Microns changes the tone of Carlos's response to Rad just before he nearly falls into the sandpit from casual to cautious and removes Rad's line about the dune sinking into a pit.
• When Demolishor sinks into the sand, his cry for Megatron to save him is a plea bellowed to the heavens. Armada reframes it as a literal SOS message he transmits to the Decepticon base, where Starscream informs Megatron of it. In Legends of the Microns, Starscream reports they've "lost contact" with Demolishor, not that they've received a message.
• Similarly, as the kids sink with Demolishor in Legends of the Microns, Rad calls for Optimus to save them before sending Laserbeak to get him. He addresses Laserbeak instead in Armada. After the sandpit closes, Legends of the Microns removes some lines added to Armada, like Optimus saying the Autobots should wait to be sure, Hot Shot being sick of waiting, and Prime saying that he has a bad feeling.
• After finding Laserbeak in the sand, Armada has Optimus asking Hot Shot what's wrong and the latter saying that it doesn't look good; Legends of the Microns removes these lines and only has Prime referring to Hot Shot. Hot Shot's line about the kids being in trouble is changed in the Japanese dub to him only saying Carlos's name.
• After waking underground, Carlos asks where they are, with his pyramid line removed, and Rad asks the same question after speaking to Alexis.
• When the Decepticons appear, Starscream gives a slightly exaggerated chortle; he's silent like Megatron in the Japanese dub. Optimus says Megatron's name as the shot finishes panning from Starscream to the Decepticon leader; Armada has Prime say the snarkier, "Megatron, what an unpleasant surprise." Then he declares the Autobots have no choice but to delay searching for the missing humans until later, and Hot Shot (via internal monologue) hopes the kids (sempai) will stay safe until then.
• Like the episode's opening, the first minute or so after the mid-episode commercial bumper is silent in Legends of the Microns, wordlessly continuing the story from the prologue. However, Armada features a pointless, filler narration from Rad, mainly dedicated to recapping the episode's first half and unrelated to the actual animation.
• As the kids walk through the pyramid, Carlos and Rad are in awe of it in Legends of the Microns. Rad recognizes it as a shrine's base, and Carlos wonders if it was initially built underground. Alexis explains it was likely buried because of the desert's shifting sands like the Sphinx, prompting Carlos to compliment her intelligence as something he'd expect from a future President. Armada warps this into more irrelevant jargon as Carlos says the place creeps him out and wonders if "mole-like dudes" live in this underground city. Rad says the feeling is mutual and tells Carlos he is a "strange guy" who should use his imagination to "write comic books." Then Alexis chips in by mocking the two "men" for hanging back and being scared while a "woman" takes the lead, resulting in Carlos angrily responding that he isn't scared of anything. Whatever, Armada. This trend continues into the following exchange in Armada, where Carlos mocks Alexis for acting like "an archaeologist," delivering his "Harrison Ford" joke before Rad tells him to knock it off. In Legends of the Microns, Carlos only agrees with her again, complimenting her knowledge, and Rad says the Mini-Con may be "happy to be found again."
• In Legends of the Microns, the "shrine" was built to "worship" the Mini-Con panel, but in Armada, the "palace" was made to "honor" the Mini-Con panel. Subtle, but...yeah. Alexis later refers to multiple Decepticons looking for the panel in Armada but singles out Demolishor since he's underground with them in the Japanese dub.
• After the glowing eye appears on the wall and vanishes, Legends of the Microns slightly edits Carlos's lines. Carlos says seeing the eye was just his imagination, and he must've been startled. He asks Rad and Alexis if they feel the same, and while the kids see the multiple floating eyes, Legends of the Microns removes his line of begging Rad and Alexis to tell him that he isn't imagining things. Then Legends of the Microns extends the children's screaming so that it flows naturally into the scene of Demolishor wondering what he just heard. He asks what's happening while demanding whoever is there to speak up in Armada.
• Armada has Rad state the obvious about the kids now having company before comically resigning himself to his doomed fate. Legends of the Microns has Rad asking what the spider bots are and saying there're too many of them. The kids are silent as the bot's leg comes down.
• Before leaving Demolishor in Armada, Carlos says to him, "Hope you're not afraid of spiders!" before Demolishor demands the kids return. In Legends of the Microns, Rad says they should use the 'Con's appearance to make a run for it. Then Carlos says, "We'll leave the rest to you from this point on, Ironhide!" and Demolishor tells Carlos not to mock him.
• Cutting back to the fight above-ground, Armada plays the insert Transformers tune, but Legends of the Microns plays "Charge!". Megatron asking about Demolishor at the end of the scene is a shout to the heavens in the Japanese dub but is a somewhat average yell in Armada.
• Armada adds even more narration from Rad to the extended scene that slowly pans across the statues and reveals the Mini-Con panel, which is silent in Legends of the Microns. This time, he describes what the animation is already showing. After Carlos triggers the boobytrap, Alexis asks what's happening instead of expecting more trouble.
• Demolishor comments on how disposing of the spider bots was a handful instead of inquiring about the Mini-Con as he does in Armada.
• When Demolishor passes the children towards the Mini-Con, Carlos tells him to back off before going after him in Armada. Carlos only says, "Not good!" in Legends of the Microns.
• Instead of telling Demolishor to quit "blubbering," Megatron praises the soldier for finding the Mini-Con.
• After Hot Shot asks Demolishor what's happened to the kids, Armada has him utter perhaps one of his most famous lines (quoted above). In Legends of the Microns, he merely retorts, "Like I care?!" and returns to extolling the Mini-Con panel's importance.
• When Demolishor opens fire after combining with Bonecrusher, his gun fingers make rapid laser noises in Armada. Legends of the Microns uses a sound effect closer to a standard machine gun.
• Rather than "getting caught up in all of the excitement" as he does in Armada, Demolishor blames an insufficient targeting adjustment for his aiming.
• Red Alert remembers the kids after the Decepticons retreat in Armada; in Legends of the Microns, he refers to Hot Shot.
• Armada features more narration from Rad in the end. Legends of the Microns has narration from Carlos. He says the unconscious kids later awoke in their beds back at base; the Autobots were worried about them; they also lost the Mini-Con, so the whole experience was a downer, closing out his initial monologue on a depressing note.
• In Armada, Megatron extends his hand and demands Demolishor to hand over the Mini-Con before calling the latter a "spoiled bot" and demanding the Mini-Con again. Demolishor states being under the impression that the Mini-Con is now his, but Megatron berates him for disobeying a direct order and leaving his post, which is why the Mini-Con is his now. Demolishor says it's not fair, irritating Megatron, who insists on showing him what's unfair and tells a now-reluctant Demolishor to come closer for "a hands-on demonstration," much to Starscream's delight. In Legends of the Microns, the scene's tone is the same but with slightly different dialogue. Megatron doesn't speak until the shot of him and Demolishor, asking the latter what he's so surprised about before demanding the Mini-Con. Demolishor begins mumbling in protest, but Megatron cuts him off with "No, ifs, ands, or buts!" before telling him off about leaving his post. Then Demolishor answers, "How can this be?" Now aggravated, Megatron asks Demolishor if he's unhappy about something and tells Demolishor to approach him if there is. The now-scared Demolishor tries to back out and tells Megatron he's not upset about anything, but Megatron insists that Demolishor come to him, so Demolishor gives in and complies. Demolishor continues babbling as Megatron laughs during the final shot in Armada, but Legends of the Microns closes out with only Megatron's laughter.

Animation and technical errors

• When Hot Shot calls for Jolt to Powerlinx with him, he refers to him as "Grindor," Carlos's partner Mini-Con. This mistake is Armada-exclusive.
• The shots Demolishor fires at the Autobots right before the sand gives way underneath him are Autobot-red instead of Decepticon-purple.
• Just before Demolishor sinks into the sand, and while he sinks, he strangely sounds like Cyclonus. This mistake happens again when Demolishor laughs after grabbing the Mini-Con panel. He doesn't have Cyclonus's voice in the Japanese dub.
• In the shot of Red Alert, Optimus, and Hot Shot, after finding Laserbeak in the sand, Hot Shot's right leg is miscolored light gray.
• Upon awakening underground, Alexis asks where she is, as if she's alone when she isn't. Legends of the Microns changes it so that Alexis realizes she and the others are alive.
• When the Autobots are under fire from Cyclonus, the Autobot insignia on Red Alert's chest is miscolored as a white pentagon with a black outline.
• Alexis tells the boys to look out for any Decepticons since they're also searching for the Mini-Con, and when Rad says, "We'll beat'em," his neutral tone doesn't match his facial expression. Legends of the Microns has Alexis tell Rad that he's right since Demolishor is somewhere nearby too, and they have to find the panel before he does. Now more in line with his animation, Rad excitedly says, "Okay, let's go!"
• In the scene where Megatron threatens to "send Optimus to the scrapheap," Megatron's face looks like a jumbled off-model mess.
• When Demolishor bursts through the wall, unwittingly "saving" the kids, Carlos's line about him seems incomplete or cut short as Rad immediately speaks after him abruptly. Carlos says Demolishor "saved" them in the Japanese dub without interruption.
• The outline for Demolishor's right eye is colored tan like his face instead of black before Bonecrusher awakens. It suddenly corrects itself after the Mini-Con appears in the same shot.

Continuity notes

• This episode makes Bonecrusher technically Demolishor's "true" Mini-Con partner in the cartoon. As Megatron is who activated Blackout back in the episode "Base," this would mean that he is only Demolishor's Mini-Con partner by association.
  • However, this doesn't seem to hold up later in the series as Megatron confiscates Bonecrusher from Demolishor at the end of this episode; Blackout is the one Demolishor partners with often, and he even gains the color-changing upgrade later in the series.
  • The Linkage comics (set in the same continuity as Legends of the Microns) would later establish the "Servility Program," a program that all Mini-Cons have preinstalled, which bonds them with a Bulk. It's activated by either a Bulk waking them from their panels or when they Powerlinx with a Bulk. Blackout never once Powerlinx with Demolishor in the cartoon or any supporting fiction, meaning Blackout is still Megatron's Mini-Con.
  • Legends of the Microns shows Demolishor christening the Mini-Con ("Bomb," as he's known in Japan) before activating his panel and releasing him. It's still unclear at this point if the Mini-Cons already have names that the 'bots learn upon bonding with them or if they're given to them by the 'bots who activate their panels. However, Megatron seemingly recognized Leader-1 by name in "Metamorphosis," and referred to Blackout by name before activating his panel in the Japanese version of "Base."
• This is the first episode to focus on Demolishor.
• The Japanese dub provides some educational content about the desert and how things built above the sand can end up beneath it, much like how "Jungle" explained illegal logging and global warming.
• Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003 explains that the hidden temple and the fact that it houses a Mini-Con connects directly to "Ruin," as the later episode explains how and why the pair of vestiges contained the panels more in-depth.
• Going by how the Japanese dub regards the children as the Transformers' sempai, future episodes will show they won't be Hot Shot's only mentors for long.
• Gadgets and powers:
  • Blackout sits behind Demolishor's turret; this is the only instance where the cartoon displays this function from the toy.
  • Starscream fires lasers from his chest again, but the lasers come from further down this time. His cockpit fins even fold down out of the way of the lasers.
• Powerlinx forms:
  • Hot Shot Powerlinx with Jolt in robot mode.
  • Demolishor Powerlinx with Bonecrusher for the first time, increasing the strength of his Finger Cannons.

Continuity errors

• The Japanese dub sets up the final scene's gag between Demolishor and Megatron early as Demolishor affirms to Cyclonus that his job is to stand lookout via Megatron's orders. However, Armada changes Demolishor's line to him telling Cyclonus to return to work, doing away with the setup, so the ending between him and Megatron doesn't feel as natural as it does in Legends of the Microns.
• In his brief monologue early on, Carlos explains the alarm sounding means a Mini-Con has been detected, though we already know that. He doesn't say this in Legends of the Microns.
• After the rest of the Decepticons show up, how can Optimus be thinking about delaying finding the Mini-Con when he was troubled about the missing kids only moments before? On top of that, Hot Shot only thinks about how beating the Decepticons will be simple after worrying about the children a while ago, like Optimus. They appropriately think about the kids in the Japanese dub.
• How can Demolishor end up with a spider bot on his back after busting through the wall behind it? It'd make sense if it fell from the ceiling, but the spider bot was already on the floor, so yeah.
• When Demolishor spots the Mini-Con panel, he says, "My own Mini-Con," which is nonsense since he already has one. Demolishor only calls it a panel in Legends of the Microns.
• For some reason, Starscream tells Megatron to move back from the sandpit, but wouldn't Starscream want to do Megatron in for treating him poorly? He apprehensively only notes the sand in Legends of the Microns.
• Rad's ending narration in Armada is about how the Autobots always care about the children's wellbeing, even in the heat of battle, whether or not they get the Mini-Con, which is bogus since the kids flew solo for most of the episode and the Autobots were busy fighting the Decepticons. Also, why does Rad give the closing monologue when the only kid that any shot during it focuses on is Carlos? Legends of the Microns corrects these errors as Carlos provides a more fitting narration in the Japanese dub, stating the Autobots were worried about the kids.

Transformers references

• David Kaye managed to fit a nice long "yes" into the last scene, a staple from his Beast Wars Megatron.

Real-world references

• Optimus saying, "I have a bad feeling about this," could be an homage to Star Wars media as many characters say that line either before something bad happens or something makes matters worse.
• When Carlos worries about "mole-like dudes" in the temple, he references the urban legend about Mole people.
• While joking about archaeology, Carlos refers to Harrison Ford "swinging out of the wall on a vine," alluding to Ford's famous film character, Indiana Jones.

Trivia

• The kanji 神殿 would usually be pronounced as "shinden," while "takara" is used for the kanji 宝, 財, 貨, 寳, or 寶 (宝 is the most commonly used one).
• This episode is noticeably very high quality in the animation department, especially compared to the three episodes before it.
• According to Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003, the heart carving above the temple archway mimics the Mini-Con storage panel sigil.
• This episode's Japanese dub reveals the kids have beds in the Autobot base, which the series never shows.
• This episode's English dub possibly has the most narration for any episode in the series: four from Rad and one by Carlos, a total of five, with one part near the middle being almost a minute long. Perhaps even "Rebellion" doesn't have as much redundant monologuing as this one.

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "Le temple" ("The Temple")

Hungarian

• Title: "Sivatagi palota" ("Desert Palace")

Italian

• Title: "Il Minicon del deserto" ("The Desert Mini-Con")

• Carlos says "Indiana Jones" instead of "Harrison Ford". Not a big difference, though...
• "Zillion" is changed to the real existing "sextillion" (known as triliardo in Italian).
• When Demolishor activates Bonecrusher, his actor makes a pretty big pronounciation mistake. He was infact supposed to say: "Attivati!" with an accent on the second syllable, meaning "Activate yourself!", but he instead pronounces it with an accent on the third syllable, which is still a real existing Italian word, that instead means: "(Y'all are) Activated!", something that makes little sense there. As a comparison, think about someone saying: "Gold and lead" but with "lead" pronounced as the verb...

Korean

• Title: "사막속의 신전" ("Temple in the Desert")

Polish

• Title: "Pałac" ("Palace")

Portuguese

• Title: "Palácio" ("Palace")

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 2 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Volume 2 (TFou Vidéo) — French audio only.
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Vol:03 (Universal)
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Triple Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)