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I altered this primarily for spelling, punctuation, and SEO.
Why Rodimus Prime Does Not Work
Per the G1 cartoon, Rodimus does not work as leader of the Autobots because he’s not cool.
Unlike Optimus, he’s insecure, unsure of himself, and therefore not a good emotional fit to fill the semi-sized hole left by his predecessor. Rodimus keeps trying to measure up to Optimus instead of being his own thing, and that alienated all the young, impressionable fans that had lost their father figure in that toybox-massacre of a movie.
So, if Rodimus is not good as an angsty, whiny namby-pamby, what should he be? Well, to do that, let’s first deconstruct a key part of Transformer mythos, namely all the hero-worship the Autobots bestow on Optimus.
Optimus Prime Deconstructed
Let’s face it folks: Cool as he is, as much as you may love him, Optimus Prime is actually a terrible leader.
After battling Megatron and his Decepticons for literally millions of years, he’s only fought them to a draw, even as the junkyard count mounts.
Realistically, at least some of the Autobots would at least be fed up. It’s not in their Autobot nature to rebel, but all the same there should at least be...grumblings. Realistically, given how Optimus is always letting Megatron escape after beating him, in the real world that should lead to a mutiny.
And Hot Rod is an ideal candidate to represent that latent dissatisfaction.
Rodimus Prime Is the Logical Counter to Optimus
Optimus is too cautious; he may be personally brave, but he is sometimes too compassionate, and is therefore risk adverse, valuing the lives of his soldiers in individual engagements to the point of missing opportunities to win the war. Hot Rod, relatively young, and naturally impetuous, is less over-awed by the current Prime, and focuses on his failings than his successes throughout the forever war. Hot Rod is impatient in all things, impatient for victory, impatient with Prime, and that shouldn’t change from his brush with power.
Instead of becoming less confident his fated encounter with the Matrix, per most tale versions, it should only enhance that, transforming Hot Rod’s instinctive impulsiveness into strategic boldness, dazzling friend and foe alike with his unpredictable—and effective—gambits. He may respect Optimus as his storied predecessor on the one hand, but on the other, Rodimus is on a mission to break the costly stalemate his policies perpetuated, and can be very sarcastic about him in private.
As for Optimus, if he were around—if he ever returned— would despise Rodimus’s philosophy, as an extension of Hot Rod’s recklessness writ large in extinguished sparks, even as he would attempt to keep it as polite and professional, them both being Primes and all—not the least because they’re supporters of both within the ranks leading to…tension the Decepticons would happily exploit.
Let’s apply this thesis to story form, shall we?
How the Optimus/Rodimus Rivalry Just Might Play Out
The setting is this: The Autobot are being routed in battle, Prime is presumed dead, he tried to use the Matrix, taking it out of himself to access it, but the ship he was on blew up, leading both to get lost and separated. With the Autobots demoralized and leaderless, Hot Rod thus takes it upon himself to retrieve the Matrix, allowing the Autobots to at least find a new leader, avoiding in-fighting.
Scavenging the battlefield, Hot Rod comes across an Insecticon doing likewise, just when his scanners come across something promising. Shot in the back just as the Matrix lies in his grasp, Hot Rod is close to death, causing the Matrix to activate in a way it hasn’t for millions of years.
His spark sucked into the Matrix, Hot Rod finds himself in the awesome presence of none other than Primus himself, Cbyertron proper, and no less than the creator of all Transformers, ultimately.
Are my children still fighting? queries Primus.
Yes, answers Hot Rod, not quite sure how.
And…my followers? Says the Creator.
Defeated.
Defeated?
Yes.
And…my Prime?
Dead.
Dead?
Yes, dead…he was a failure.
Failure?
He was weak…we need someone who’s stronger.
Stronger?
Someone who isn’t weak. Optimus couldn’t win.
Win?
Yes. win.
Enter Rodimus Prime
Well, upon hearing just how bleak things are, and given Primus can tell Hot Rod is earnest, if not quite the most reliable witness, Primus decides to deputize Hot Rod himself, turning him into Rodimus Prime, a Prime intentionally formed as a total critique to Opimus’s shortcomings straight out of Hot Rod’s deathly fever dream.
Rodimus returns to the Autobots, only to find them under assault; he quickly rallies them, and thanks to his inspired leadership, they turn things around as he leads them to victory. Given his self-evident ability, charisma, and, of course, the Matrix, Rodimus is quickly embraced by all the Autobot forces, and united again, they plan an ambitious new assault on the Decepticons.
It’s the kind of attack Optimus would never go for; it takes a lot of resources and casualties including Ironhide, Optimus’s , but it’s still the biggest Autobot win since Optimus became Prime, and almost everyone is ecstatic, save for a handful of Optimus loyalists, led by Ultra Magnus and Prowl. Little do they know, though, that things are about to shift dramatically.
Optimus Returns
Optimus is not dead, but instead is lost in space, injured but still functional. He finds an even more injured Decepticon, and together they aspire to escape, but as they do, the Decepticon attempts to poison him with jealousy and insecurity via selected tidbits concerning the ascent of Rodimus.Prime.
Optimus may be as noble as they come, but slowly the con comes to convince him Rodimus planned to oust him, abandoned him, and doesn’t care at all who he hurts in the process,unlike himself. Finally they make it out, and go their separate ways.
Unfortunately for Optimus, the Decepticon was a plant, sent specifically to find and rescue him by Megatron, all to sow dissent in Autobot ranks and undermine Rodimus, whom they now fear more than Optimus. Before they leave, the Decepticon leaves him as a gift with just a few key data tracks of spy surveillance from behind Autobot lines containing some doctored clips of Roodimus at his rudest and most sarcastic, as well as other things.
As such, Optimus, watching and re-watching the data tracks, examining and reexamining the new Autobot battle tactics. returns to Autobot high command, just as Rodimus is planning another major assault on the Decepticons, just as they’re preparing to undertake another major assault on Depticcon lines.
Quickly recovering from the initial shock, Rodimus doesn’t bat an eye, telling his forces to salute his predecessor precisely like the returning hero he is—after first scanning to check if he’s not a fraud. Privately, Optimus feels insulted, but he’s not gonna show it.
Optimus and Rodimus meet together in public, showcasing due Autobot unity, even as it’s extremely tense—until Rodimus throws his arms around Optimus in a giant bear hug killing his rival with kindness. “Hot Rod…we need to talk.…,” says Prime, recovering decorum. “Sure,” says Rodimus, and together they head into the Prime Office.
The Prime Confrontation...
“What happened?” says Optimus, coldly. Rodimus probably starts to recount his battlefield successes, but Optimus eventually cuts him off.
"At those casualty rates?” asks Optimus.
“No risk, no reward,” quips Rodimus.
"You always were cavalier, weren’t you, Hot Rod?” Retorts Optimus.
“My name is Rodimus Prime, now,” he replies, his irritance at last starting to show.
The conversation then turns philosophical, as the two leaders discuss approaches, with Optimus playing the role of a disapproving father figure. Trying to change the subject, Rodimus broaches the most sensitive of topics.
“Look, Optimus, like it or not, things have changed since you were gone, and I don’t see anyone complaining.”
Optimus only stares back unblinking.
“We’re not ever going to see eye to eye on everything, and we don’t have to.”
Optimus still doesn’t answer.
“Given we’re both Primes, and you’re senior, I’m certainly not unwilling to share power; you can have overall political power, call yourself whatever, leaving me with just the military.”
“You intend to make me into a figurehead.”
“Not at all; we have lot of territory to manage, and frankly, I was never too interested in managing them, personally. It’d be a whole new set-up, but this could be an opportunity in disguise.”
“I’m completely unwilling to offer political cover for your mistakes.”
“Look, Optimus, you need not be so hostile; no one has more respect for you than—”
At this, Optimus cuts him off by playing a clip the Decepticon gave him showing Rodimus disparaging him.
“Hey! How’d you—”
Optimus plays a second clip of similar mocking import.
“How I got a hold of these data cards is beside the point, Hot Rod.”
"I should think it does.”
“Just pay attention, Hot Rod.”
And with that Optimus plays a heavily edited clip by the Decepticons wherein Rodimus seems to be confessing to abandoning Optimus, and admitting he’s glad he’s gone.
“I—”
“—I do not want to put a…'Prime' on trial, Hot Rod. Instead, you will resign immediately, and leave Autobot space—never to return. Do that, and our business will be done. Do we have a deal?”
Instead Rodimus, correctly detecting a spy, orders a surveillance sweep, convincing Optimus he’s trying to murder him, which leads to his ordering his followers to fight back, resulting in the first violent power struggle in Autobot history. They eventually agree to let each other’s followers leave with their preferred Prime, with Rodimus taking the lion’s share, but the damage of course, is done.
How to Make Rodimus Prime Work
So there you have it. I could go further, but this is how I’d depict the rivalry of Rodimus and Optimus, two noble souls who are forcibly opposed to each other stemming reasons that at once are equally sad and understandable.
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