Optimus is your dad and Rodimus is an older brother who tries to be your dad.

I understand why some fans hate him. Even though I feel that hate is irrational and overblown. But regardless of his reputation or status among the Transformers fandom, Rodimus Prime does not deserve to be ignored and shunned like he has been for the past 40 years. Modern day creators could at least make the effort to shine the light on Rodimus Prime. I'm not demanding that he receive 100% of the spotlight or replace Optimus Prime, but they could at least TRY to give Rodimus some love from time to time. After all, while Optimus Prime is the most popular Autobot leader, he's not the only one. Others deserve to have the spotlight too. And Rodimus is one of them among many others.

NOW LIGHT OUR DARKEST HOUR

Rodimus Prime is the reason why the last name of  Prime means so much, he was a rookie, a warrior that was facing a war bigger than himself, a treat that even the strongest couldn´t handle, but he was there, he face it, he endure it, he face bigger treats that Optimus ever did, he saved more lifes than his predecessor, not because of vanity or pride, he did because it was the right thing to do, and he did no matter how much pain it caused him, he fight to the end and honor the MAtrix

I can't blame those raised on the 1984 cartoon for reacting as badly as they (understandably) did when the 1986 film came out. I don't even blame those who have an intense dislike towards the Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime character — it's not like they could personally contact those who'd greenlit the decision and tell them to undo it. So what did that leave the pre-teen audience with but to focus their ire on the character that, to them, represented an inferior version of a father figure to a generation of latchkey kids? Whose story wasn't helped by an animated film focused on moving from event to event rather than an actual story, a TV season with very uneven writing and animation, and even a toy that looked akin to an unflattering camper-trailer?

Myself, I grew up on Beast Wars, so my only exposure to Generation One was in its third season and I was blown away by these unfamiliar figures as the camera panned the bridge of the Ark. Sure, the CGI of the time was far more technically-limited for the budget of a cartoon and some of it has not aged well, but that limitation didn't stop my mind's eye. It wasn't until the early 2000s, when the world wide web was becoming mainstream, that I was able to learn more about G1 and eventually the 1986 film itself.

And wowee, the ratings board sure was behind the times given the brutality on display, I'll say that. But despite the serious flaws of that movie, I enjoyed the characters (except Wheelie and Daniel, but that's a separate story). Especially with Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime precisely because of his relatability, with being forced by mere circumstance into something he didn't want and having to live with feeling responsible for a death that wasn't truly his fault. So you can imagine my dismay when I watched G1 season 3 and Rodimus was either written as incompetent ("Only Human"), callous ("Fight or Flee"), or just straight-up background for the majority of the episodes. ("Dark Awakening" and "The Burden Hardest to Bear" were the rare exceptions.) Season 4 consisted of only three episodes, so... yeah.

Sadly, despite forty years having gone by since his introduction and the fierce blow-back from it, Rodimus Prime still can't catch a break. I just hope that someday, my boy can actually be done well, that people can be finally willing to take a chance on him.

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Separate from the topic, I do have some feedback about your presentation, namely:

* The zooming in/out of your camera happens too frequently. I don't know the story behind that, but just putting it out there.
* Intermission transitions are too short. It's true that you don't want them to be too long, but too short and they're a flash in a pan — no time to read or absorb it and comes off jarring.

Thanks for the video. :)

Me and hot rod apparently have an exceptionally lot in common.

Just no war though. A lot of medical emergencies and challenges people shouldnt face alone, but pretty much everything else yeah.

goated video essay. Hot Rod/Rodimus is actually such a good character that has been screwed over again and again either in-fiction, or behind the scenes. The fanbase's vitriol towards him back then certainly didn't help

It’s about time someone posts a video who understands HotRod. I always thought he was misunderstood.

Here's a theory I have never heard anyone talk about. What if it was just pure luck that when Optimus dropped the matrix trying to hand it to Ultra Magnus, that Hot Rod grabbed it. By being the next one to touch it, determines you as leader whether you should be or not.

Thank you for doing your analysis of Rodimus Prime without stating one is better than the other, undermining the legacy of either, or making comparisons of the two based on incomplete info. So many of the analysis on the character have been done, where they glaze Rodimus at Optimus' expense and not taking into account everything it took for the later to survive against a tactically superior force for 5 million years and then unite the Autobots, and then humanity to support the war effort against the Decepticons.

Both character are great  in their own way, highlighted by stage of the war they participated in.

This is a great video. And you are correct that a person is never truly ready for any BIG responsibilities that are bestowed upon him or her. Being a parent myself, I also know what it’s like. You’re never truly prepared but as long as you keep moving forward and continue to be the best version of yourself you can be for you and your family,  things will always look up. The way you explained the role Hot Rod was chosen for is usually how life is most of time.  Life is quite the journey, isn’t it? It seems like everyday is a learning experience. Thank you for sharing this great content and just keep doing what you’re doing.

Rodimus Prime reminds me of both Alex from Street Fighter and Roman Reigns.

This was actually brilliant. Great video man.

Nice job, I dig the insights. Would love to see an essay on IDW’s version of the character as well: it’s an interesting variation on the same themes.

As much as I can laugh at how most people don't like Rodimus, I do sympathize with him. Having to take on greater responsibilities without being able to process grief can really warp your mind. In one sense you crave peace while needing to believe that it's those same responsibilities that make you who you are.

The curse of Rodimus was not being Optimus. Rodimus understood this better than anyone.

The biggest point I think people always miss when comparing the two...

Optimus was Prime for millions of years by the time the original show starts.  Rodimus had the position for about a year.  How uncertain and insecure was Optimus when he first accepted the matrix?  How different would Rodimus have been if we had seen him after a few centuries? ...millenia? ... megaanums?

We saw a private suddenly elevated to the rank of supreme commander and functionally president of all of Cyberton and expected him to grow into the role in less time than it takes to train as a cashier at a fast food chain.

A thoughtful and mature analysis.

So many fans get hard on his character, however, he went from being a brash young soldier, the following the greatest leader of his planet! It’s a transformer equivalent of when Peter had to lead after the resurrection of Christ.

Optimus cast a towering shadow, leaving Rodimus with shoes far too great to fill.

I think Rodimus’s depiction in IDW and Cyberverse is a good way to move forward, as in those settings he doesn’t necessarily become a Prime but rather despite his overconfident and brash exterior he’s a leader who values being a bit more communicable than Optimus in many ways.