Transformers Every Version Of Optimus Prime Ranked
Transformers: Every Version Of Optimus Prime, Ranked
There have been plenty of interpretations of Optimus Prime over the years – but which is the best for the Transformer?
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As the leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime has been a key figure in the Transformers franchise since the beginning. So far, there has never been a Transformers series where Optimus doesn’t show up at all.
After brutally killing him in The Transformers: The Movie in 1986, Hasbro has since learned to never keep Optimus down for long. His first untimely death proved that fans saw Optimus Prime as more than just a toy. To many, he became something of a father figure.
Optimus has changed through the years, for better or worse. Here is every version of Optimus Prime, ranked.
10 Live Action Movies (2007-2016)
Though the Michael Bay films re-established Peter Cullen’s iconic role as Optimus Prime, his characterization doesn’t really fit with other versions. This Optimus has definitely been through a lot of loss and trauma, but he comes off as prone to angry, murderous outbursts.
Given the demographics of the movies, this can be excused due to the cool fight scenes. However, the core of Optimus Prime is his compassion. Many longtime fans definitely feel sad and disappointed seeing Optimus this bitter and angry.
9 Bumblebee (2018)
Returning more to form, Optimus Prime gets some amazing cameos in Bumblebee (2018). Unlike the other movie version, this Optimus still displays fierce loyalty and kindness to the Autobots. He stays behind to fend off the Decepticons – in a really cool fight scene – giving the other Autobots the chance to escape Cybertron.
So many fans would love to see more of this Optimus. But given his total screen time of maybe 5 minutes and just as many voice lines, he unfortunately needs to be placed lower in the list.
8 Unicron Trilogy (Armada, Energon, And Cybertron)
It may be the mecha anime talking, but Optimus Prime from Transformers Armada, Energon, and Cybertron gathers his strength through the power of friendship. During Armada, he fights the Decepticons in order to allow Mini-Cons the ability to choose for themselves. Megatron, on the other hand, sees power and wishes to control it, which boils down to controlling all of the Mini-Cons.
Throughout this continuity, Optimus Prime’s goals and ambitions never waver. And when they do, he allows himself to rely on the other Autobots. But all things considered, this Optimus is very cookie-cutter and one-dimensional. Though that can be blamed on translation errors (since these three series were a dub), the consistency of Optimus Prime’s character indicates that translation errors probably aren’t the case.
7 IDW Comics
Perhaps the most controversial version of Optimus, the first run of the IDW Transformers comics allowed all of the Transformers characters room for change and development. Thanks to a different flexibility than what television offers and a smaller executive pipeline, writers had a decent amount of freedom to do what they wanted with this universe.
However, due to multiple writers, this led to some inconsistencies with character interpretation. Optimus was not exempt from this. For the most part, this is definitely Optimus Prime, and a greatly nuanced version at that. However, he does abandon leadership with the Autobots at least two times (once during the first story arc on Earth and again during The Death of Optimus Prime). While the reasoning in both scenarios makes sense, abandoning the Autobots in any way doesn’t feel like a very Optimus thing to do.
6 Cyberverse
Veering slightly closer to the Generation 1 (G1) interpretation, Cyberverse Optimus provides a nice bridge between the newer and older versions of the character. He definitely takes the stoicism seen in the movies, but has the lightheartedness of the G1 version. When Optimus laughs at a bad pun Bumblebee makes, it’s a good day.
Though viewers are given glimpses into the past, Optimus doesn’t feel like he’s changed much. Like many other versions, Optimus remains somewhat static through the series. The series is also much more focused on Bumblebee, so take that with a grain of salt.
5 Transformers Animated
Transformers Animated boasts the most creative version of Optimus Prime. Stripped down to the bare essentials of Autobots vs. Decepticons, Animated took a very different approach to the struggle. Being set after the war, the series revolves around a ragtag team of Autobots trying their best to protect Earth from the Decepticons.
Optimus Prime becomes the reluctant leader and learns as he goes. As a younger version of the character, he doesn’t have that stoicism newer fans are used to seeing. Instead, he makes mistakes, learns, and grows. Despite not being the typical Optimus Prime, he is worthy of the name. More importantly, he truly shows kids that it’s ok to be vulnerable and rely on friends and family.
4 Beast Wars
As a distinctly different character from Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal deserves a spot on the list. After all, he does fill the leader role for the Maximals and basically has the same name. But that distinction between characters is pretty important.
Constantly living in the shadow of the great Optimus Prime, Primal forged his own path while sticking to his ideals and morals. Given the nature of Beast Wars, Primal was refreshingly realistic, occasionally using unorthodox methods to achieve his goals. At his core, he wants to help as many people as he can.
3 Transformers: Prime
Combining the movie version with the more compassionate side of other versions, Transformers: Prime has one excellent Optimus Prime. The central conflict of the show revolves around Optimus and Megatron, both with different ideas of how to lead the surviving Cybertronians. Endlessly compassionate, Optimus takes his protector role to the extreme. At one point, he ordered the Autobots to destroy the Omega Lock in order to save all life on Earth, despite knowing that the device was the only chance anyone had at reviving Cybertron.
The show also expanded on Optimus Prime’s past as Orion Pax. Instead of being a dock worker, Orion was an archivist and fought for social change through words instead of violence. Though the war made Optimus a seasoned warrior, he still offers a peaceful route whenever possible.
2 Generation 1 (G1)
Considered the best version by many, G1 Optimus Prime started it all. G1 itself is a wild ride truly befitting the ’80s, but it did something right as far as characters go. Optimus was a great blend of a hero/father figure, while also managing to be funny and relatable.
His humorous nature is usually what fans use to measure other incarnations of the character. Despite being the fearless leader, Optimus has his moments of levity. In G1, he can be absolutely laugh-out-loud funny while also being this responsible figure of hope. That dichotomy of compassion and seriousness and knowing when to use either (or both) is what fans love about Optimus.
1 Transformers Rescue Bots
Most Transformers fans probably haven’t watched Transformers Rescue Bots since it’s not part of the main Transformers series. It’s also aimed towards preschoolers and young children, but that doesn’t stop Rescue Bots from being very cleverly written and completely fun.
Though Optimus only appears in cameos throughout the series, what sets this Optimus apart is the fact that he’s also from the Transformers: Prime show. Rescue Bots lines up almost perfectly with Transformers: Prime, so Optimus will make references towards events happening there. Given that background, this version of Optimus just gets better because of the emotion he shows. The whole premise of Rescue Bots revolves around Optimus Prime’s reluctance to get them involved in war when the team is not equipped to handle combat. But he checks in on the team, offers advice, and even participates in games. And of course, when things get to be too much for the rescue team, Optimus Prime always lends a hand.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/transformers-every-version-optimus-prime-ranked/
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