Star Saber (Prima)

There's a Star Saaaaber putting out the Sun...

Wielded by Prima, one of the original thirteen Transformers at the dawn of time, the Star Saber (sometimes spelled Star Sabre) sword was a weapon unlike any other. Though several other swords throughout the multiverse share its name, only one could snuff out stars and crumble the stuff of planets into dust. Many legends swirl around this blade of blades, from its origin to its precise nature to the circumstances surrounding its disappearance into the annals of history, but somewhere between fiction and fact, the Star Saber waits to be discovered again by one worthy enough to wield its power...

Fiction

Fun Publications comics

Long before recorded time began, Megatronus turned towards evil and began acting against his fellow siblings. To keep the all-powerful Star Saber from falling into evil hands, Nexus Prime decided to use his very body to conceal it. His fellow original Transformers Vector Prime, Alpha Trion, and Solus Prime agreed, and Solus Prime used her Forge to smash the blade into five pieces. They then used the quantum edge of the blade (still functioning despite the sword's sad state), to carve Nexus himself into five pieces, each of which became an individual: Heatwave, Skyfall, Landquake, Topspin, and Breakaway. The five pieces of the Star Saber were then scattered across the multiverse, followed soon by the five components of Nexus Prime, their knowledge of the pieces' locations and of their own previous lives suppressed until such time as the sword was needed again. Nexus Prime profile Ask Vector Prime The blade's fragmented hilt, the Origin Matrix, was hidden on prehistoric Earth of Primax -408.24 Epsilon. Vector Prime then sealed the local spacetime in a time-lock so that no one could enter or exit. The Vok, already present to conduct one of their experiments, were entrusted with guarding the Matrix. Shattered Balance Ask Vector Prime

Uncounted aeons later, the components of Nexus Prime found each other once again, and the titan was re-formed. Reunification: Part 6 He proceeded to embark on a multiversal journey with the negative-polarity Quintesson Aquarius in order to recover the sword fragments, but one major obstacle stood in their way: Nexus Prime's memories had not returned entirely. He knew that he was searching for an artifact powerful enough to collapse the entire multiversal stack, but could no longer remember what the artifact was, what its pieces looked like, or where exactly they were. When the pair made a stop on the Cybertron of Primax 509.28 Epsilon, however, Nexus felt that the Cybertron Elite Guard symbol he spotted on a box was somehow a clue, one that finally got him started on the right track. The Coming Storm: Part 1

After unknown further adventures, Aquarius and Nexus succeeded in tracking down four of the five Star Saber fragments, with Aquarius picking up the fourth from a courier in Axiom Nexus. Transformers I.Q. last issue review #6 As payment, Aquarius then took the courier through a portal to her home dimension, but the pair were transferred by Nexus in-transit to Primax -408.24 Epsilon so that they could collect the fifth and final piece—the Origin Matrix, the gem from the blade's hilt—which had just been retrieved from its hiding place on the prehistoric Earth of that universe by Ultra Mammoth. Transformers I.Q. trivia bonus #12 Mammoth, however, asserted that he would personally hold onto the Matrix until Nexus Prime could come to collect it. Falling into Place

Later, as the negative polarity Ultra Magnus was about to kill his positive polarity counterpart, Nexus Prime arrived, reformed the Star Saber with the Origin Matrix, and used it to slice Magnus's Terminus Blade-wielding arm cleanly off. The odds against him, Magnus attempted to escape, but Nexus simply used the Terminus Blade to open an interdimensional portal, exiling Magnus through it. Resolving to prevent multiversal crises such as that of Magnus's doing from ever happening again, Nexus Prime departed, Restoration traveling to a key point in interdimensional space. He then combined the powers of the Star Saber and the Terminus Blade together, strengthening the barriers between universes, rendering interdimensional travel nigh-impossible, and nullifying multiversal singularities. Out of the One, Many

Aligned continuity family

Aligned novels

The Star Saber was one of the greatest weapons created by Solus Prime. To hide the full truth of its nature from any single Cybertronian, many myths existed about it; some claimed that it was created out of three bots and wielded itself, others that it was integrated into the chassis of one of the Thirteen, and others still that Solus forged it from the core of a star, using its own heat as her furnace. Exiles More concretely, it is known that the Matrix of Leadership once adorned the sword's hilt. Exodus

According to Alpha Trion, the Star Saber was shattered into five pieces after the defeat of Liege Maximo. Per Trion's story, Nexus Prime gathered the pieces, broke himself into five bots—Clocker, Mainspring, Chaindrive, Pinion, and Cannonspring—hid a piece inside each bot, and spread his component bots across the universe in order to keep the Star Saber away from Megatronus. Exiles

Following the Great Exodus of Cybertronians from Cybertron, Optimus Prime was led across the galaxy by the Matrix of Leadership that he now bore, discovering on each stop blade-like fragments of Cybertronian metal. Optimus presumed them to be pieces of the Star Saber, but they were in actuality the Blades of Time, another artifact entrusted to Nexus. However, Prime's journey had also led to the discovery of the five components of Nexus Prime, who reformed during a battle with the Decepticons on Junkion. The sword he proceeded to summon was, contrary to legend, named the "Cyber Caliber", calling into question whether or not the story about him being guardian of the Star Saber was true. Exiles

Prime cartoon

I have the power!!

The Star Saber was held in the Iacon vaults near the end of the war, and ejected into space with the rest of the items stored there. It found its way to Earth where it became entombed in rock. The sword's protective shield rendered the rock around it indestructible with only a Prime being able to extract it. When Megatron uncovered it, he found the Star Saber's defences. Desperate to keep the sword away from Optimus Prime, Megatron ordered the rock it was embedded in towed away by the Nemesis. Despite the Decepticons' best efforts, Optimus Prime was able to claim the Star Saber. With it, he split the boulder that had once held it when it was dropped atop him before using the sword to unleash a wave of energy on the Nemesis. Upon returning to Autobot Outpost Omega One, the Star Saber activated, relaying to Optimus a message from Alpha Trion. Legacy

Just two days past the warranty, too...

Desperate to match Optimus' newfound power, Megatron transplanted the arm of a dead Prime onto himself, which allowed him to use the Forge of Solus Prime to forge the Dark Star Saber. He challenged Optimus to a battle for the latest relic, and though their swords seemed to be equal when it came to flinging energy waves around, the original Star Saber proved to be less durable when Megatron managed to shatter it with his own blade. The shards from the blade dissolved into dust, and Optimus took the hilt back to base with him. Alpha/Omega

After being given the Forge of Solus Prime, Optimus used it to reforge the Star Saber and took it with him to Cybertron. He used it in battle with Megatron, matching the Dark Star Saber, and keeping his opposite busy while the other Autobots reclaimed the Omega Keys. Once they'd succeeded, he used the sword to knock Megatron flying so the Autobots could retreat. When the Autobots found the Omega Lock, Optimus unsheathed the Star Saber for another battle with Megatron before the Decepticons revealed that they had taken the Autobots' human allies as hostages. Regeneration

Shish-ka-Bee!

Unwilling to forsake his allies, Optimus threw down the Star Saber. When the Decepticons began using the Omega Lock to cyberform Earth, Optimus claimed the Star Saber again, first using it to slice off Megatron's stolen arm before destroying the Omega Lock. When the Autobots retreated back to Earth, they found that Megatron had managed to cyberform a new Darkmount from which they launched an attack on the Autobot base. Optimus used the Star Saber to destroy a wave of Insecticons before the Autobots were forced to retreat. When the other Autobots had retreated, Optimus used the Star Saber to destroy Omega One's GroundBridge before the Nemesis destroyed the base, rendering the act moot. Darkest Hour The Star Saber was pulled from the remains of the base by the Decepticons, and it was stored aboard the Nemesis. Prey

When the Autobots assaulted the Nemesis, Smokescreen took the opportunity to retrieve the Star Saber. Bumblebee attempted to pass the weapon to Optimus, only to be blasted and killed by Megatron. The scout was subsequently restored by the power of the Omega Lock which the Decepticons had built into the starship, and he ran Megatron through with the Star Saber, ending the tyrant's life. Deadlock

Optimus Prime used the Star Saber during the ceremony to promote Bumblebee to warrior class in a fashion similar to human knighting. Predacons Rising

2005 IDW continuity

It slices, it dices, it makes julienne Prime.

According to the Way of Flame, the Star Saber was forged by Solus Prime during the era of the Thirteen and wielded by their leader, Prima, with the photonic crystal that would become the Matrix of Leadership adorning its hilt. The Sum and Its Parts Alpha Trion regarded the sword as a 'metaphor made real,' considering it unbeatable by 'ordinary' Cybertronians. Aphelion

The day that Solus first created the Star Saber was the day that Onyx Prime realized that he would need to set in motion the events that would eventually lead to the First Cybertronian Civil War—as the bestial Prime was, in reality, a convenient identity assumed by a temporally-displaced Shockwave, who knew that the Matrix embedded in the sword's hilt would one day find its way into the care of Prima's follower Nova.

Shockwave thus engineered a situation that led to Onyx's follower Megatronus attempting to overthrow Prima. Solus Prime wielded the Star Saber to defend her leader's life, but Megatronus was able to seize the sword and fatally impale her. Seeking to bring Megatronus to justice, Prima brought his weapon with him when he, Trion, and "Onyx Prime" set off to search for Megatronus among the stars. When they found him on the planet Tsiehshi, Megatronus was once again able to turn the sword back on its wielder and easily bisected Prima. His usefulness at an end, "Onyx" subsequently killed Megatronus and lied to Alpha Trion that Prima had heroically slain Megatronus in a duel at the cost of his own life.

It is not known what became of the Star Saber following the deaths of both its wielders, The First Who Was Named but, at the dawn of Cybertron's subsequent Golden Age, possession of the Matrix did indeed fall to Nova, now Nova Prime—just as Shockwave had intended, and history had foretold. The Divided Self

A statue of Prima within the Grand Imperium depicted him with the blade, Chaos Theory Part 2 as did another adorning the Primal Basilica. An Intimate Beheading

2019 IDW continuity

The Star Saber was one of the fourteen Artifacts of the Primes. Sea of Rust I

Video games

Transformers: Devastation

The Star Saber was one of the melee weapons that the Autobots could find in their quest to stop Megatron. It was usable by any of the Autobots. Transformers: Devastation

Transformers: Earth Wars

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Toys

Prime

Robots in Disguise

Few people realise that mystical swords are dry clean only.

• Optimus Prime (Voyager Class, 2012)
  • Series / Number: 01 / 001
  • Accessories: Battle blaster/Cannon & battle sword

Prime: Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime includes a sword which, although not acknowledged on the packaging as such, is based on the Star Saber's show model. The hilt is slightly modified from the original design, losing the hand guard and gaining a wider pommel, whilst the blade has accurate detailing but is vastly scaled down from its gargantuan show proportions. The Saber has a 5 mm handle, with an additional post and post hole on opposite sides of the hilt.

• Battle Shield Optimus (August 12, 2012)
  • Accessories: "O.P. A", "Pral G", "Sise G", "Jaze G" Arms Microns, sword, trailer

Exclusive to Japanese Toys"R"Us stores, Optimus Prime is a redeco of the Arms Micron version of the Voyager figure and includes a recolored version of the Star Saber, cast in a darker, warmer shade of gray.

• Arms Master Optimus (September 29, 2012)
  • ID Number: AM-21
  • Accessories: "R.A." Arms Micron & Matrix Blade

Part of the seventh wave of TakaraTomy Prime toys, the Japanese release of Weaponizer Class Optimus Prime comes with a very large Matrix which can tab onto his chest as armor or mount onto the back of the truck cab, with the Matrix also being covered in 5mm posts and holes so that Arms Microns can be attached to it. He additionally comes with a clear-blue "Shining" version of the Arms Micron, R.A., who can combine with the Matrix to form the colossal Matrix Saber.

Note that the clear-plastic-on-clear-plastic hinge in the middle of the blade stresses rapidly with repeated transformation due to the pressure leveraged onto the free-standing side of the clip when traveling from Matrix mode to Saber mode. As such, the user is advised to pick one mode and keep the Matrix there.

This toy was used as the White Matrix in Generations Selects Special Comic.

• Optimus Prime (Dark Energon Voyager Class, 2012)
  • Number: 002
  • Accessories: Battle blaster/Cannon, battle sword

Prime: Dark Energon Optimus Prime is a BigBadToyStore-exclusive redeco/retool of Robots in Disguise Voyager Class Optimus Prime, and includes the Star Saber, colored a pale blue.

Cyberverse

• Optimus Prime (Cyberverse Commander Class, 2013)
  • Series / Number: 3 / 001
  • Accessories: Launcher & missile (combine to form Thunder Lance), Star Saber

Part of the first wave of Prime: Beast Hunters Series 3 Cyberverse Commander Class toys, Optimus Prime is an all-new mold, and comes with the Star Saber. The Star Saber features 3mm posts for its handle and on its hilt, allowing it to be held by his hands, or mount onto one of the two ports on the rear sides of his vehicle mode.

• Optimus Prime vs Predaking (Cyberverse Commander 2-pack, 2013)
  • Accessories: Launcher & missile (combine to form Thunder Lance), Star Saber

Part of the Target-exclusive "Predacons Rising" subline, Optimus Prime is a redeco of his Series 3 Cyberverse Commander Class toy. He still comes with the Star Saber.

• Beast Blade Optimus Prime (Cyberverse Commander Class, 2013)
  • Series / Number: 3 / 008
  • Accessories: Launcher & missile (combine to form Thunder Lance), Star Saber, Battlewing Shield

Part of the fourth wave of Prime: Beast Hunters Cyberverse Commander Class toys, Beast Blade Optimus Prime is a jungle-themed green and blue redeco of his Series 3 Cyberverse Commander Class toy. The Star Saber is still included, and is unchanged from the original release.

Beast Hunters

No, it's not lime-flavored.

• Optimus Prime (Voyager Class, 2013)
  • Series / Number: 2 / 001
  • Japanese ID number: G11
  • Accessories: Two "Ionic pulse launchers"/"Eaglefire missile launchers", two missiles, Star Saber

Part of the first wave of Prime: Beast Hunters Voyager Class toys, Optimus Prime is a larger, all-new mold, and comes with a larger version of the Star Saber. The Star Saber features 5mm posts for its handle and on its hilt, allowing it to be held by his hands, or mount onto various ports on his backpack, front wheel panels, or upper wings.

Go!

Now made with 100% natural Energon.

• Hunter Optimus Prime (April 27, 2013)
  • Japanese ID number: G11
  • Accessories: Two missile launchers, two missiles, Matrix Saber

Part of the first wave of TakaraTomy Go! toys, Hunter Optimus Prime is a redeco of the Voyager Class Beast Hunters Optimus Prime toy. His "Matrix Saber" has been redecoed with a translucent blue blade, and uses a bluer shade of gunmetal paint for its hilt and handle, accurate to the Saber's depiction and color in the cartoon.

Notes

• At BotCon 2010, Fun Publications said that Hasbro had, in effect, taken custody of the character of Nexus Prime due to their plans for the Thirteen. Because of this, Fun Pub was unable to directly continue the story of Nexus Prime for a long time, only able to make small nods in magazine issues #48 and #54 before somewhat abruptly resolving the quest in 2015 in issue #65.
• The exact connection between Nexus Prime and the Star Saber in the Aligned novels is a bit of a mess, simply because Exiles is so riddled with plotting and continuity errors that it's hard to tell if the "Cyber Caliber" is actually a different sword from the Star Saber, or if the book just used the wrong name for a few pages. While continuity between the Prime cartoon and the novels is decidedly wobbly, the sword's later appearance in the cartoon—while probably not intended to solve the novel's errors—can be seen to suggest that Nexus never had the Star Saber, that just being another of the many myths surrounding the blade.
• The Star Saber was taken out of action almost immediately after its introduction in the Prime cartoon, presumably to keep a weapon so powerful that Megatron feared it from destroying the show's status quo. Even when it was reconstructed in the second-season finale, it played absolutely no role in the story until the series finale, and even then, it was in the hands of non-Primes, rendering it an ordinary but giant sword. Even in the Predacons Rising epilouge movie, the Star Saber is only seen once, being used by Optimus to promote Bumblebee, and never seen again. It's never mentioned as being aboard the Nemesis like the other Iacon relics are, so Optimus must have still had it, yet he never used it against Unicron. As such, much like the Resonance Blaster, the sword's final fate is unclear and the sequel series would see the Thirteen give Optimus a new sword.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Matrix Saber (マトリクスセイバー Matorikusu Seibā)
• French: Sabre des Étoiles ("Star Saber")
• German: Sternensäbel ("Starsaber")
• Mandarin: Xīngchén Jiàn (China, 星辰剑, "Star Sword")
• Portuguese: Sabre da Estrela (Brazil, "Star Saber")
• Spanish: Sable Estrella ("Star Saber")
• Russian: Zviozdnyi mech (Звёздный меч, "Star Sword")