Neutral

Neutrals are Transformers who have renounced the idea of factions or refused to take part in the Civil War. While some Neutrals resist joining a faction by choice, some defining themselves not by faction but by world, as the war drags on, the majority are those who are unsuited to combat, such as the Empties.

While "Neutral" is the Autobots' term for them, the Decepticons prefer to call them "target practice".

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

Generation 1 bios

In all likelihood, Mirage's high-priced, turbofox-hunting friends are neutral.^[1]

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

The Neutralist town of Yuss in the Stanix region was a frequent target for relieving the boredom of Decepticons stationed in the area. The Magnificent Six! By 1984, the population of Neutrals was comprised largely of the Empties who milled about the Dead End living their lives at whims of the local Decepticon warlords. Some of them were employed by the Autobot resistance cells as informants but the Autobots evidently had little sympathy for them. The Smelting Pool!

Transformers '84

When contemplating the dark secret of the Ark's journey, Punch summarized the Great War as "Autobots over here, Decepticons over there. Neutrals perched precariously in the middle." '84 #0

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

During the evacuation of Altihex, twenty to thirty Neutrals took control of a building, arguing for both Autobots and Decepticons to end the War, renounce their allegiances, and unite. Skywarp took a moment to consider whether or not to take advantage of their idealism... then decided to slag them. The War Within #1

2005 IDW continuity

Main article: NAIL

NAILs (Non-Aligned Indigenous Life-forms) were the Cybertronians who left the planet during the war, wishing to have nothing to do with it. The Death of Optimus Prime Tyrest also became a neutral during the war. Chaos Theory Part 1

The Decepticon Justice Division was ordered to ignore any non-affiliated Cybertronians, leaving the Necrobot alone when they found his planet. The Not Knowing

Beast Wars: Uprising

The Neutrals had survived as an appreciable percentage of the Cybertronian population into the 21st century to the point that Deluge felt compelled to mention that they had joined the Autobots and Decepticons in fighting off Unicron. The Inexorable March

2019 IDW continuity

As they waited for the Winged Moon to come online, Bumblebee told Rubble that he was proudly unaffiliated with any of the major factions on Cybertron and encouraged his mentee to do the same, or at least wait until he was old enough to make an informed choice. The World In Your Eyes Part Two

Dreamwave Armada comic

Dreamwave's Armada comic series implies the existence of Neutrals.

In issue #2, Megatron addresses the people of Cyber City, declaring himself their new leader and warning that any resistance will be eliminated. Shocked, the assembled locals murmur amongst themselves. One of them blurts out, "Oh my goodness! Where are the Autobots?!" Since the assembled Cyber Citizens are neither Decepticons nor Mini-Cons this line of dialogue begs the conclusion that the general citizenry belong to some other group — or, perhaps more likely, NO group. In other words, they're probably Neutrals.

One might even interpret the "Where are the Autobots?!" line to mean that the Autobots are a special team. It could be that in Dreamwave's Armada comics the term "Autobot" specifically denotes a member of the military or police force... or perhaps in this continuity the Autobots are G.I. Joe to the Decepticons' Cobra.

Live-action film series

Movie toy bios

On Cybertron, Stockade was an enforcer who made sure that the neutrals remained neutral. 2007 Deluxe Class Stockade toy bio

Age of Extinction film

Despite a movie-verse version of the character previously being depicted as a Decepticon in peripheral materials, Age of Extinction introduces Lockdown as a non-aligned bounty hunter whose only allegiance is to the mysterious Creators.

Aligned continuity family

Aligned novels

The Seekers (except Starscream's troops) and the Praxians were among those neutral during the war until they were attacked by the Decepticons. Exodus

War for Cybertron video game

On the space station controlled by Starscream, the various workers on board were neutral. Megatron, Brawl, and Barricade had fun shooting them all to bits and imprisoning them on their way to the Dark Energon storage area. Most of the Neutrals were seen sporting Autobot-like colors, mostly blue with some browns and blacks, though they were set apart by their yellow running lights as opposed to the red lights of the Autobots. War for Cybertron

References

1. ↑ Mirage's bio and Universe profile.