Does Bumblebee die in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?

Does Bumblebee die in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts? The latest Transformer movie builds up to a massive battle with Maximals and Terrorcons in the mix, but does the fan fave Autobot meet his end? 

Following the success of the Bayformers prequel Bumblebee, Steven Caple Jr’s Rise of the Beasts takes us to 1994, when a New Yorker named Noah joins forces with the Autobots to save the universe from the planet-eating lord of chaos, Unicron.

Together, they team up with Beast Wars’ Maximals, Autobot descendents that take on animal form as opposed to cars and trucks. We’re also introduced to a number of Terrorcons, a subgroup of Decepticons and our key antagonists. 

As you can tell, there’s a lot going on in Rise of the Beasts. Nonetheless, Bumblebee still makes an appearance and remains to be one of the most beloved characters in the franchise – but does he die in the movie? Read on to find out, but be warned: Spoilers ahead for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts!

Does Bumblebee die in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?

Yes, Bumblebee dies in Rise of the Beasts. But how, you ask? Whether they’re direct prequels to the Bayverse or not, the loveable Autobot features heavily in Michael Bay’s first Transformers movie, set 13 years after the events of Rise of the Beasts. 

Surely Caple Jr doesn’t want to mess with the continuity this much, canon or not? Well, that’s because he doesn’t. Bumblebee does die, but he is brought back to life later in the film. 

The various conflicts that unfold are centered on the Transwarp Key, a device that is the only way for the Autobots to get home. However, the Terrorcons want it to bring about Unicron, who intends on devouring earth and any other planet he fancies munching on. 

Earlier on in Rise of the Beasts, Terrorcon leader Scourge kills Bumblebee before setting off with the key, only for viewers to discover that the Maximals split the device in half in a bid to prevent Unicron from getting his greasy metal mits on it.

It turns out the other half is in Peru, which just happens to be rich with Energon, aka Transformer fuel. Do you see where this is going? During the climactic battle for the key, the power activates the Energon, bringing Bumblebee back to life. 

His reentrance is one of the best moments of the film, as he swoops in to save the day with the backing of LL Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’. 

Although resurrections can be seen as cheap in some movies, they are a part of the Transformers franchise and have been used in the comics and animations over the years, a tradition continued in Bay’s live-action films. So it’s only fair that new iterations get to use the tool too, even if it does take away from the impact of character deaths. 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is in cinemas now. Check out our review here, the runtime here, and the soundtrack here.