Rodimus Prime is Generation X: forced into a role he didn’t want, grappling with uncertainty, largely forgotten, and cleaning up the mess left by his elders.
Don't forget that Rodimus Prime did come back in Regeneration One, Simon Furman's modern day continuation of the Marvel G1 comics. This definitely felt like a more confident and mature take on the character, I think partially down to the fact that Optimus had actually been preparing Hot Rod for one day stepping up and taking over.
It's rather unfair that Rodimus Prime as a character is so looked down upon in the franchise, considering the massive amount of self-doubt that he dealt with throughout the third season I think that's something we as people can relate to. When we're given a task to be the "next big leader" but we're constantly at odds with grabbling with the idea of trying to be what the previous leader was. Bringing Optimus back felt like a severe buckling blow with what happens when you try an idea that's risky & creative at first, but sadly will backfire for a variety of reasons. But the main reason being Optimus is very much an important part of pop culture & something that can't simply be taken out of the picture & replaced with someone else. If the backlash hadn't been so extreme we could have seen Optimus pass on & Rodimus take over & go on further adventures, but it all falls down to popularity & familiarity. Take a popular character out & ultimately people don't respond that well to the alternative & instead become hostile & unkind to it followed by making demands to have the character brought back, this is probably why Transformers in recent years has become so risk averse in something like this. We can't take a popular character out & give someone else a chance, because one tiny change will cause an outcry.
great vid! - though with ultra magnus, you at least seemed to get an 'upgrade' on existing figure. However, i loved Hotrod as a toy so much, and remember being so disappointed when i bought the rodimus toy as a kid with my hard earned pocket money 😮💨
I'm probably the only person in the world who watched Optimus Prime die in the theater and didn't leave crying. It was sad, but we had a new leader(s) and a new villain and I still had my Optimus toy. As long as I had that, he wasn't dead. I was nine. One of the major reasons Rodimus didn't work is that he wasn't really a leader. He let others do things around him, but never really exerted any leadership (Galvatron was worse). Hot Rod was a better leader in Rebirth when the group he led went to Nebulos. Rodimus as concept was great, but was woefully executed in the show. Another example of how the bio/tech-specs of characters are better than what we get in the show.
I think Rodimus was pushed on us too fast. If there was an additional season that included Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus etc. It may have given Hot Rod the opportunity with fans to establish a connection. Also the method in which he became "The One" or Matrix holder, brought up some questions and doubt. Optimus Prime expresses quite clearly that he intended Ultra Magnus to lead. If Hot Rod didn't touch the Matrix before Ultra Magnus did, would he still become Autobot leader? Was it it Fate or Destiny? or Just a matter of circumstance? Is the Matrix itself, sentient and choses its holder? Or is it just a matter of "transfer" from one Autobot to another? I would like to see Ultra Magnus as a Autobot Leader. Optimus and other Autobots hold him in high esteem. Even in S4, Ultra Magnus still is second in command. Even though Hot Rod served as leader whilst Optimus was deceased. Also Galvatron and Cyclonus both seemed quite focused on Ultra Magnus on multiple occasions, rather than Rodimus.
I think your right, its the lack of optimus that killed it, not rodimus as a character. Most of the shows have a young inexperienced character that grows and develops throughout the show or sequel shows but the leader remains. In beast era you had cheetor running in headfirst and making mistakes but he grew and matured an by the end of beast machines he was leading the unit as primal had stepped back into a more advisory role (save for the final battle with megs) In prime you see bee as a scout, by the movie hes a warrior class and leads in primes stead, an then in the sequel RID hes running his own team. In unicron trilogy hotshot takes the same role, and by energon hes matured into a soldier with responsibility and ironhide takes on the rookie role, who again grows an gets his own mini team. But in all these examples prime (or primal for beasts) is still about, either as an overall leader in unicron trilogy,or an adviser in beast era or prime/rid. I think if optimus had still been around but simply stepped back an took an advisor/mentor role, like an alpha trion type character, and let rodimus lead as prime it would have worked in the long run.
I'd *ALWAYS* said that I would've liked to see Jazz as a Prime - and I still stand by it. Jazz was the First Lieutenant and second-in-command of the Autobots, really. Bumblebee is just a Scout. Ironhide's role depends, though w/ the Movieverse I feel like he's stuck as the Weapons Specialist. Too Ironhide would make a cool sight as Prime, but I feel like Jazz has more "meat on the bones" to become a Prime. Very cool character, colorscheme, altmode - his personality and style is fun, also I feel like combat-wise, as Jazz is Spec. Ops - he has the capacity/capabiltiy to be an effective fighter/warrior/strategist/leader - he is very much one of Improv and thinking on-the-fly. If he were to become Prime and be leader of the Autobots, I think he'd be a very good one at that. Now, to go to Ironhide - with mostly me going off of how he was in the Bayverse, he could've been a good Prime had the Matrix called-upon him instead of Optimus and Sam Witwicky (iirc) - he has the skill and know-how as he is the Weapons Expert of the Autobots and also in G1 functioned sorta in the same position of Jazz, as Optimus' right-hand-man. Ironhide in G1 and I guess also the Bayverse, was an old, hardened-warrior type which would also work for the leader role. And while I think Ironhide (BW) and Ironhide (G1) are probably treated as two dif characters - Ironhide has been a part of a combiner (Magnaboss) and survived all the way into the Beast Wars/Beast Era part of Generations. In Combiner Wars, iirc, Ironhide was a part of a combiner AGAIN - with Optimus Maximus. I feel that, Ironhide's use as part of a combiner gives him a perspective not many Autobots would've had - and that he can use that time to his advantage as a leader as he'd likely think differently than most Autobots considering he'd used to be a limb of a combiner once-upon-a-time. So there's a "Skillsets" type of thing with Ironhide there and also, the fact he'd be the most well-armed Autobot would make him a good Prime aswell - all those weapons would do good against someone like Megatron/Galvatron or Starscream or Scourge. (funny that I mention Scourge as he had the Matrix in Season 3 when Rodimus gave it up and Wildrider iirc stole it and gave it to him? so Scourge would be funny as a Prime albeit not leader of the Autobots though in a role similar to Nemesis Prime or Thunderwing - something like a Decepticon leader who'd lead _because_ he has the Matrix and corrupted it into the "Matrix of Conquest")
I have yet to continue s3 of G1, but i think my issue with Rodimus becoming the next Prime was the fact that (as far as I know) he just appeared out of nowhere and had no build up to him becoming the Prime. Maybe if he'd been introduced in s2 or someone else from s2 became Prime Also, OP is my favourite so anyone taking his place is already set up to be second best. I also simply miss Ironhide, Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Prowl :( Lovely video!
In the Japanese series, the leaders were always replaced. There was Ginrai, there was Star Saber, there was Dai Atlus. Succession was never an issue with Japanese series. Power rangers/ super sentai comes to mind.
I do like rodimus's perk of being the most powerful autobot short of grimlock. Rodimus was actually physically stronger than Galvatron and that's a huge deal. Rodimus and his style was basically a warlord. And it actually worked.
It is kinda interesting to think of the 1987 toy catalog. Optimus isn't in it, but both Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod (as a targetmaster) are there. They were keeping their options open for Hot Rodimus, and Ultra Magnus was always set as one of Galvatron's possible rivals. I think 1984 Optimus was still available as a mail-away in 86/87? As for the cartoon, I think there should have been some episodes to lead into the movie. These episodes could have introduced us to Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Arcee, Magnus (I know he was in Scramble City Mobilization), etc... and let us get to know them more than we did jumping right into the movie.
Had Hot Rod been in the series since Ep 1, and we had gotten to watch him develop over time, his final rise as Prime would have been epic. But "Rodimus" ( Hot + Opt) is a ridiculous name change. Something like Phoenix Prime or Genesis Prime or even Tetra Prime would have been far more iconic.
Ultra Magnus, was given short shrift as the placeholder between Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime, he had potential to be really great, but being drawn and quartered (abandoned script) or blown apart by the Sweeps was not the end he deserved
Rodimus's problem - aside from the 86 cast just being dropped on us with no lead up or introduction in a worse way than the added 85 cast (who also popped in from outta nowhere) - was *THE WRITERS*. SURE, they had their plan for just ushering in an age of new product, but then what? They likely didn't have that figured out at all, especially with how piss poorly they handled the 1987 stuff and beyond. With such repeated tactically Aimless Misfires...the damage had been done, and done so badly that Generation 2 was too late to be of help. Hence the Great Experiment of 1996 that was Beast Wars, which no doubt truly revitalized the brand for a new generation. And we could've seen a similar "Rodimus Experiment" with Cheetor fully coming into command of the Maximals, had Beast Machines not been the steaming turd that caused plans for follow-up Transtech to get scrapped.
The problem was Hasbro was thinking as a toy company and not a storytelling entertainment franchise. They didn't have to kill anyone to make room for the new characters, they could have just slowly faded them out of the series while new characters came in. Yes, the problem was if you didn't see the movie you had no idea who these new characters were, had they been introduced in the latter half of season 2 then fans would have gotten some attachment to them. Regardless, Rodimus got screwed in S3.
They never really did anything with him. Optimus was at the forefront of everything the autobots did, while Rodimus didn't get given a lot of moments showing him command. He barely interacted with Galvatron, so there was no rivalry with the main villain like Prime and Megatron.
Rodumus in season 3 was a very interesting character. I think the failure came because the toy was terrible as were most of the season 3 tots. Transforners mythology is to sell toys but if the toys are not fun then the mythology is pointless
Not really… japanese anime often tends to replace characters and move on with younger generations. Also, Rodimus’s origin was the typical hero’s journey. It’s been done time and time again… Star Wars, Thundercats, The Lion King, Macross, Mulan, etc… the reason this didn’t work is because the people who took over writing his legacy made him into a weakling instead of the chosen one we saw in the movie.
As he was the ONLY character in G1 to have anything resembling an arc, I’d say the premise of this is flawed. Rodimus was a success because he was an actual character, who had flaws, fears and even wants that he had to deal with.
"He wasn't the brightest 'spark'" :). Some good analysis - hard to disagree with anything said here. There were moments in the UK comic where I was liking him (though not being a match for Galvatron hurt his status a lot), but across the cartoon, the toys and the comics the shadow of Optimus was always there. In terms of who else could have been 'Prime', I don't think there was anybody - the issue of Time Wars [spoiler alerts] where Megatron leads the Autobots, and the later story Prey hinted at this (at least in the comics).
I’ve no expectation of it, but I could totally see an MCU Easter egg scene the TVA. “We normally wouldn’t resort to this, but the timeline has been breached. Variants are appearing everywhere, we’re overwhelmed, we…” (Offscreen) “Could use the help of an experienced processional, yes?”
The issue in my opinion was bad writing. There is no ark from the character in the movie to the character in the beginning of season 3. Viewers needed to see Rodimus growing into the role.. instead some of the first dialogue we hear from him in the new season is along the lines of "we will exterminate all decepticons". It is incredibly jarring from the only characterisation seen before that and the writing never improves.
As a written character, RP was more nuanced, unsure of himself, reality weighs heavy. The character was growing with the job. But that's not what we wanted. RP could have worked if he was a godfather of the autobots with a badass look and toy. But we got a weak character and toy. The most obvious choice was Ultra Magnus.
The thing is, corporate thinking is what killed Optimus and created Rodimus but it's also corporate thinking that means it'll never happen again. Personally, I prefer the world where characters are allowed to be retired and new ideas and dynamics can be explored. The backlash after Prime's death in TFTM created this idea that regardless of the literal thousands of characters in the franchise, fans will only accept a very small number of them. It's incredibly frustrating, even as a kid I was disappointed when Optimus returned. The Japanese series got it right.
Rodimus Prime doesn't work because he serves no narrative function other than to help Hasbro sell toys. That is the only reason he was created and the only reason Optimus was killed off. It was soulless corporate greed and never should have happened. They'd have been better served developing new versions of the old characters for them to be changed into somehow like Unicron altering the damaged Decepticons.
Because he is Rodimus prime....THAT is why he doesn't work....it really is that simple......plus his toy was absloute crap and one of the WORST transformers toys EVER and that didn't help his case
i think his name was dumb and we all knew it. Also his personality after changing was boring. he was just lame. they shoulda just left him as hot rod and had him be more mature instead of changing his design. how is it possible that i liked hot rod and hated rodimus prime? its weird. i saw the movie in the movies and never cared about optimus dying. i thought the first half of that movie was genius. but i was always more of a decepticon guy. i thought the decepticons were cool and the autobots we're nerds. i'd rather hang with the decepticons. lol.
The title of optimus prime he has the last prime last prime last prime and radimus peime is the repalcement prime ha ha ha its big mistake radimus is a garbage ok ......
![Wolfram Physics Project: Working Session Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2020 [Finding Black Hole Structures]](/img/1.gif)
Rodimus Prime is Generation X: forced into a role he didn’t want, grappling with uncertainty, largely forgotten, and cleaning up the mess left by his elders.
No. He's whiny Luke Skywalker pastiche that never stopped being a lame ass complainer and cowardly cynical downer.
Don't forget that Rodimus Prime did come back in Regeneration One, Simon Furman's modern day continuation of the Marvel G1 comics. This definitely felt like a more confident and mature take on the character, I think partially down to the fact that Optimus had actually been preparing Hot Rod for one day stepping up and taking over.
Furman and IDW did more to hurt the IP then it ever did to help it.
It's rather unfair that Rodimus Prime as a character is so looked down upon in the franchise, considering the massive amount of self-doubt that he dealt with throughout the third season I think that's something we as people can relate to. When we're given a task to be the "next big leader" but we're constantly at odds with grabbling with the idea of trying to be what the previous leader was.
Bringing Optimus back felt like a severe buckling blow with what happens when you try an idea that's risky & creative at first, but sadly will backfire for a variety of reasons. But the main reason being Optimus is very much an important part of pop culture & something that can't simply be taken out of the picture & replaced with someone else. If the backlash hadn't been so extreme we could have seen Optimus pass on & Rodimus take over & go on further adventures, but it all falls down to popularity & familiarity. Take a popular character out & ultimately people don't respond that well to the alternative & instead become hostile & unkind to it followed by making demands to have the character brought back, this is probably why Transformers in recent years has become so risk averse in something like this.
We can't take a popular character out & give someone else a chance, because one tiny change will cause an outcry.
great vid! - though with ultra magnus, you at least seemed to get an 'upgrade' on existing figure. However, i loved Hotrod as a toy so much, and remember being so disappointed when i bought the rodimus toy as a kid with my hard earned pocket money 😮💨
I'm probably the only person in the world who watched Optimus Prime die in the theater and didn't leave crying. It was sad, but we had a new leader(s) and a new villain and I still had my Optimus toy. As long as I had that, he wasn't dead. I was nine.
One of the major reasons Rodimus didn't work is that he wasn't really a leader. He let others do things around him, but never really exerted any leadership (Galvatron was worse). Hot Rod was a better leader in Rebirth when the group he led went to Nebulos. Rodimus as concept was great, but was woefully executed in the show. Another example of how the bio/tech-specs of characters are better than what we get in the show.
I think Rodimus was pushed on us too fast. If there was an additional season that included Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus etc. It may have given Hot Rod the opportunity with fans to establish a connection. Also the method in which he became "The One" or Matrix holder, brought up some questions and doubt. Optimus Prime expresses quite clearly that he intended Ultra Magnus to lead.
If Hot Rod didn't touch the Matrix before Ultra Magnus did, would he still become Autobot leader? Was it it Fate or Destiny? or Just a matter of circumstance? Is the Matrix itself, sentient and choses its holder? Or is it just a matter of "transfer" from one Autobot to another?
I would like to see Ultra Magnus as a Autobot Leader. Optimus and other Autobots hold him in high esteem. Even in S4, Ultra Magnus still is second in command. Even though Hot Rod served as leader whilst Optimus was deceased. Also Galvatron and Cyclonus both seemed quite focused on Ultra Magnus on multiple occasions, rather than Rodimus.
I think your right, its the lack of optimus that killed it, not rodimus as a character. Most of the shows have a young inexperienced character that grows and develops throughout the show or sequel shows but the leader remains. In beast era you had cheetor running in headfirst and making mistakes but he grew and matured an by the end of beast machines he was leading the unit as primal had stepped back into a more advisory role (save for the final battle with megs)
In prime you see bee as a scout, by the movie hes a warrior class and leads in primes stead, an then in the sequel RID hes running his own team. In unicron trilogy hotshot takes the same role, and by energon hes matured into a soldier with responsibility and ironhide takes on the rookie role, who again grows an gets his own mini team. But in all these examples prime (or primal for beasts) is still about, either as an overall leader in unicron trilogy,or an adviser in beast era or prime/rid. I think if optimus had still been around but simply stepped back an took an advisor/mentor role, like an alpha trion type character, and let rodimus lead as prime it would have worked in the long run.
I'd *ALWAYS* said that I would've liked to see Jazz as a Prime - and I still stand by it.
Jazz was the First Lieutenant and second-in-command of the Autobots, really. Bumblebee is just a Scout.
Ironhide's role depends, though w/ the Movieverse I feel like he's stuck as the Weapons Specialist. Too Ironhide would make a cool sight as Prime, but I feel like Jazz has more "meat on the bones" to become a Prime. Very cool character, colorscheme, altmode - his personality and style is fun, also I feel like combat-wise, as Jazz is Spec. Ops - he has the capacity/capabiltiy to be an effective fighter/warrior/strategist/leader - he is very much one of Improv and thinking on-the-fly.
If he were to become Prime and be leader of the Autobots, I think he'd be a very good one at that.
Now, to go to Ironhide - with mostly me going off of how he was in the Bayverse, he could've been a good Prime had the Matrix called-upon him instead of Optimus and Sam Witwicky (iirc) - he has the skill and know-how as he is the Weapons Expert of the Autobots and also in G1 functioned sorta in the same position of Jazz, as Optimus' right-hand-man. Ironhide in G1 and I guess also the Bayverse, was an old, hardened-warrior type which would also work for the leader role.
And while I think Ironhide (BW) and Ironhide (G1) are probably treated as two dif characters - Ironhide has been a part of a combiner (Magnaboss) and survived all the way into the Beast Wars/Beast Era part of Generations.
In Combiner Wars, iirc, Ironhide was a part of a combiner AGAIN - with Optimus Maximus.
I feel that, Ironhide's use as part of a combiner gives him a perspective not many Autobots would've had - and that he can use that time to his advantage as a leader as he'd likely think differently than most Autobots considering he'd used to be a limb of a combiner once-upon-a-time.
So there's a "Skillsets" type of thing with Ironhide there and also, the fact he'd be the most well-armed Autobot would make him a good Prime aswell - all those weapons would do good against someone like Megatron/Galvatron or Starscream or Scourge. (funny that I mention Scourge as he had the Matrix in Season 3 when Rodimus gave it up and Wildrider iirc stole it and gave it to him? so Scourge would be funny as a Prime albeit not leader of the Autobots though in a role similar to Nemesis Prime or Thunderwing - something like a Decepticon leader who'd lead _because_ he has the Matrix and corrupted it into the "Matrix of Conquest")
I have yet to continue s3 of G1, but i think my issue with Rodimus becoming the next Prime was the fact that (as far as I know) he just appeared out of nowhere and had no build up to him becoming the Prime. Maybe if he'd been introduced in s2 or someone else from s2 became Prime
Also, OP is my favourite so anyone taking his place is already set up to be second best. I also simply miss Ironhide, Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Prowl :(
Lovely video!
In the Japanese series, the leaders were always replaced. There was Ginrai, there was Star Saber, there was Dai Atlus. Succession was never an issue with Japanese series. Power rangers/ super sentai comes to mind.
I do like rodimus's perk of being the most powerful autobot short of grimlock. Rodimus was actually physically stronger than Galvatron and that's a huge deal. Rodimus and his style was basically a warlord. And it actually worked.
It is kinda interesting to think of the 1987 toy catalog. Optimus isn't in it, but both Rodimus Prime and Hot Rod (as a targetmaster) are there. They were keeping their options open for Hot Rodimus, and Ultra Magnus was always set as one of Galvatron's possible rivals. I think 1984 Optimus was still available as a mail-away in 86/87? As for the cartoon, I think there should have been some episodes to lead into the movie. These episodes could have introduced us to Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Arcee, Magnus (I know he was in Scramble City Mobilization), etc... and let us get to know them more than we did jumping right into the movie.
He killed himself about 3 times he is very crazy I would love to see springer be the new leader
Had Hot Rod been in the series since Ep 1, and we had gotten to watch him develop over time, his final rise as Prime would have been epic. But "Rodimus" ( Hot + Opt) is a ridiculous name change. Something like Phoenix Prime or Genesis Prime or even Tetra Prime would have been far more iconic.
Ultra Magnus, was given short shrift as the placeholder between Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime, he had potential to be really great, but being drawn and quartered (abandoned script) or blown apart by the Sweeps was not the end he deserved
Rodimus's problem - aside from the 86 cast just being dropped on us with no lead up or introduction in a worse way than the added 85 cast (who also popped in from outta nowhere) - was *THE WRITERS*. SURE, they had their plan for just ushering in an age of new product, but then what? They likely didn't have that figured out at all, especially with how piss poorly they handled the 1987 stuff and beyond. With such repeated tactically Aimless Misfires...the damage had been done, and done so badly that Generation 2 was too late to be of help. Hence the Great Experiment of 1996 that was Beast Wars, which no doubt truly revitalized the brand for a new generation. And we could've seen a similar "Rodimus Experiment" with Cheetor fully coming into command of the Maximals, had Beast Machines not been the steaming turd that caused plans for follow-up Transtech to get scrapped.
love the rodimus origin story in transformers energon .. a natural born leader
The problem was Hasbro was thinking as a toy company and not a storytelling entertainment franchise. They didn't have to kill anyone to make room for the new characters, they could have just slowly faded them out of the series while new characters came in. Yes, the problem was if you didn't see the movie you had no idea who these new characters were, had they been introduced in the latter half of season 2 then fans would have gotten some attachment to them. Regardless, Rodimus got screwed in S3.
He wasn’t Optimus.
Bumblemus prime.lol🤣🤣🤣
They never really did anything with him. Optimus was at the forefront of everything the autobots did, while Rodimus didn't get given a lot of moments showing him command. He barely interacted with Galvatron, so there was no rivalry with the main villain like Prime and Megatron.
Rodumus in season 3 was a very interesting character. I think the failure came because the toy was terrible as were most of the season 3 tots. Transforners mythology is to sell toys but if the toys are not fun then the mythology is pointless
Not really… japanese anime often tends to replace characters and move on with younger generations. Also, Rodimus’s origin was the typical hero’s journey. It’s been done time and time again… Star Wars, Thundercats, The Lion King, Macross, Mulan, etc… the reason this didn’t work is because the people who took over writing his legacy made him into a weakling instead of the chosen one we saw in the movie.
As he was the ONLY character in G1 to have anything resembling an arc, I’d say the premise of this is flawed. Rodimus was a success because he was an actual character, who had flaws, fears and even wants that he had to deal with.
I think the writing was just not good, honestly. Hot Rod/Rodimus needed more development, and a more well thought out story arc.
"He wasn't the brightest 'spark'" :). Some good analysis - hard to disagree with anything said here. There were moments in the UK comic where I was liking him (though not being a match for Galvatron hurt his status a lot), but across the cartoon, the toys and the comics the shadow of Optimus was always there. In terms of who else could have been 'Prime', I don't think there was anybody - the issue of Time Wars [spoiler alerts] where Megatron leads the Autobots, and the later story Prey hinted at this (at least in the comics).
I’ve no expectation of it, but I could totally see an MCU Easter egg scene the TVA.
“We normally wouldn’t resort to this, but the timeline has been breached. Variants are appearing everywhere, we’re overwhelmed, we…”
(Offscreen) “Could use the help of an experienced processional, yes?”
Nice work! ❤
The issue in my opinion was bad writing. There is no ark from the character in the movie to the character in the beginning of season 3. Viewers needed to see Rodimus growing into the role.. instead some of the first dialogue we hear from him in the new season is along the lines of "we will exterminate all decepticons". It is incredibly jarring from the only characterisation seen before that and the writing never improves.
When will Bumblebee get to be a Prime
As a written character, RP was more nuanced, unsure of himself, reality weighs heavy. The character was growing with the job. But that's not what we wanted. RP could have worked if he was a godfather of the autobots with a badass look and toy. But we got a weak character and toy. The most obvious choice was Ultra Magnus.
It's all about execution...and executing Optimus Prime and all the other favorite Autobots was NOT the right way to introduce Hot Rod/Rodimus.
The thing is, corporate thinking is what killed Optimus and created Rodimus but it's also corporate thinking that means it'll never happen again.
Personally, I prefer the world where characters are allowed to be retired and new ideas and dynamics can be explored. The backlash after Prime's death in TFTM created this idea that regardless of the literal thousands of characters in the franchise, fans will only accept a very small number of them. It's incredibly frustrating, even as a kid I was disappointed when Optimus returned. The Japanese series got it right.
Rodimus Prime doesn't work because he serves no narrative function other than to help Hasbro sell toys. That is the only reason he was created and the only reason Optimus was killed off. It was soulless corporate greed and never should have happened. They'd have been better served developing new versions of the old characters for them to be changed into somehow like Unicron altering the damaged Decepticons.
Season 3 killed his career.
Because he is Rodimus prime....THAT is why he doesn't work....it really is that simple......plus his toy was absloute crap and one of the WORST transformers toys EVER and that didn't help his case
Many of transformer fan love optimus prime not radimus prime
A sport car with a cointainer at his back its very ugly
i think his name was dumb and we all knew it. Also his personality after changing was boring. he was just lame. they shoulda just left him as hot rod and had him be more mature instead of changing his design. how is it possible that i liked hot rod and hated rodimus prime? its weird. i saw the movie in the movies and never cared about optimus dying. i thought the first half of that movie was genius. but i was always more of a decepticon guy. i thought the decepticons were cool and the autobots we're nerds. i'd rather hang with the decepticons. lol.
The title of optimus prime he has the last prime last prime last prime and radimus peime is the repalcement prime ha ha ha its big mistake radimus is a garbage ok ......
I dont like radimus prime its a garbage