- This article is about the original version of Optimus Prime. If you were looking for other versions, see Optimus Prime (disambiguation)
| “ | Autobots, transform and roll out! | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime's most famous quote - commanding the Autobots |
| “ | Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. | „ |
| ~ Another famous quote by Optimus Prime |
| “ | One shall stand, one shall fall. | „ |
| ~ Optimus facing Megatron, The Transformers: The Movie |
| “ | I have the manifolds to stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. | „ |
| ~ Optimus to Megatron, Transformers: Devastation |
Optimus Prime, originally known as Orion Pax, is the main protagonist of the Transformers franchise.
He is the leader of the heroic Autobots, sworn protectors of humanity and Cybertron, and battles against the menace of the Decepticons and their evil ruler Megatron. Optimus Prime's main disguise has tended to be a large truck and he is generally seen as one of the most powerful Autobots on Earth.
Optimus Prime is the titular ultimate main protagonist of the popular Transformers Generation 1.
Optimus Prime is voiced by Peter Cullen who also voiced the character in the live-action film series and the character in the Transformers: Prime animated series. He has also been voiced by Garry Chalk and David Kaye in other incarnations.
- Cartoon
- Comics
HistoryEdit
BackstoryEdit
As seen in War Dawn, Optimus Prime was originally Orion Pax, a young dock worker dueing the Golden Age, nine million years ago. He had a girlfriend named Ariel, and a best friend in Dion. He admired the Decepticons for their abilities to fly. One day, a new group of robots, the Aerialbots, arrived on the docks, and Orion introduced himself and his friends. A group of Decepticons arrived, and Orion was shocked when he was approached by Megatron, who claimed to be looking for a place to store his wares. Orion showed Megatron around the warehouses and explained that they were used for storing energy, at which point Megatron ordered his followers to attack and steal it all. When Orion took a shot to the shoulder, Ariel rushed to his defense, but was hit by another blast from Megatron. The enraged Orion lunged at Megatron, but was shot down by him.
While Megatron and his troops set about pillaging the warehouses, the Aerialbots carried his body away in hopes of finding someone to repair him. They came upon Alpha Trion, who decided to subject Orion to a new reconstruction process he had developed, which would strengthen their bodies so that they could battle the Decepticons on even footing. Thus it was that Orion Pax became Optimus Prime, the new leader of the Autobots, and was given the Matrix of Leadership. While Alpha Trion set to work on rebuilding Ariel into "Elita One" using Prime's schematics as a basis, Prime confronted Megatron, introducing himself as the Decepticon's "worst nightmare".
Season 1Edit
Four million years ago, Optimus Prime ended a Decepticon attack on the Ark by directing it towards prehistoric Earth. When both factions reawakened in 1984, Optimus Prime and the Autobots fought the Decepticons on numerous occasions until 2005.
The MovieEdit
In 2005, Optimus Prime was stationed on Moonbase One, and dispatched troops to Earth to acquire energy for an strike to take back Cybertron. The Decepticons got wind of the plan and attacked the shuttle. They schemed to use the shuttle to stage a surprise attack on Autobot City; however, a distress call summoned Optimus Prime and support troops to Earth. Declaring that Megatron would have to be stopped, Prime fought his way through the Decepticons before confronting Megatron in a duel. Despite a gash being torn in his side, Prime gained the upper hand in the battle and was poised to deliver a killing blast when the young Autobot Hot Rod leapt into the middle of the fight, having spotted that Megatron was reaching for a gun. Megatron overpowered the youth and used him as a shield, preventing Prime from taking his shot, and opened fire with the gun, blasting Prime in his wound. Prime fell, and Megatron stood over him, about to deliver the final blow, but at the last moment, Prime hurled Megatron off the platform on which they battling. With Megatron bested, the Decepticons fled, as the other Autobots flocked to the side of the wounded Prime.
Despite the efforts of Perceptor, Optimus Prime's wounds were fatal. Prime passed the Matrix of Leadership, and with it Autobot leadership, to Ultra Magnus. Muttering "'Til all are one", Optimus died, his lifeforce becoming one with the Matrix. When Hot Rod opened the Matrix within Unicron, Prime 's voice was heard once more, dubbing Hot Rod "Rodimus Prime".
Season 3Edit
As seen in Five Faces of Darkness, Optimus Prime was among the deceased Autobot leaders within the Matrix, who told Rodimus of the Quintesson's origins.
As seen in Dark Awakening, Optimus Prime's body was entombed in a deep-space mausoleum with the many other fallen Autobots, but the Quintessons reanimated his body as part of an attempt to destroy the Autobots. Pursued by the Decepticons through space, a team of Autobots led by Rodimus Prime took refuge in the mausoleum, where they were encountered by the seemingly-reborn Optimus. Optimus dispatched the pursuing Decepticons, and Rodimus, never truly comfortable with leadership, relinquished the Matrix to him. At that point, the reprogrammed Optimus turned on the Autobots, stranding them on the mausoleum and blowing it up. The zombie Prime returned to the main Autobot force and reassumed command, to lure the fleet into a trap. Hot Rod and his Autobots survived the mausoleum explosion, and Hot Rod battled Prime. In the course of the fight, the Matrix overpowered the Quintessons influence, and Optimus returned the talisman to Hot Rod, ordering the rest of the Autobots clear while he piloted his flagship into the Quintessons' trap, setting off the booby-trap detonator, triggering the explosion of a nearby sun, seemingly destroying him.
to be added.
PersonalityEdit
CartoonEdit
Optimus is a very brave and strong leader who fights with equal compassion and power, valuing all life and unwilling to bow down to tyranny or terror. He has an undying commitment to leadership and peace and sees violence only as a last resort. He is straightforward, wise, and upbeat. He believes in the good of everyone, not looking down on humans and other beings as lesser, like Megatron does.
He also dislikes rap music, putting him at odds with other Autobots such as Blaster or Jazz. Optimus is secretly plagued by self-doubt and pacifism that makes him a reluctant warrior.
PowersEdit
Being a Transformer, Optimus Prime can transform into a Kenworth K1000 cab over truck. With this, he can go at extremely fast speeds. He usually wields an ion blaster, a rifle that can shoots lethal explosive rounds and/or a barrage cannon, another rifle that shoots warheads filled with 3,000 pounds of TNT. He also has several melee weapons, such as energon axes, dual retracting swords, and hooks. He can also lift over 2,000 tons.In his chest is a mystic talisman, also known as the Autobot matrix of leadership and the creation matrix, carried by all Autobot leaders. When Optimus transforms, his cab turns into an ion blaster and his trailer disconnects, forming a combat deck. This deck supports a mobile battle station and headquarters armed with assorted artillery and beam weapons that fire automatically.
QuotesEdit
| “ | Freedom is the right of all sentient beings. | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime expressing his beliefs in freedom and equality. |
| “ | One Shall Stand! One Shall Fall! | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime before battling Megatron. |
| “ | There's a thin line between being a hero and being a memory. | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime |
| “ | Sometimes even the wisest of men and machines can be in error. | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime |
| “ | Until that day… till all are one. | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime's last words. |
| “ | As the earthlings say Fat chance fathead! | „ |
| ~ Optimus Prime in The Ultimate Doom |
TriviaEdit
- Total Film Magazine named Optimus Prime the 30th greatest movie superhero of all time.
- Optimus Prime is approximately 9 million years old, at least.
- Optimus has been mentioned very publicly in global affairs in recent years. A 2008 Canadian Armed Forces operation in Afghanistan was named “Op Timis Preem,” in (an obvious but not publicly admitted) homage to the Autobot leader. It was an extremely successful operation, taking out key Taliban leaders and some Taliban infrastructure. While the Canadian military didn’t directly cite Optimus Prime as a reference for their mission, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was much more blatant about his Optimus love in 2009. After speaking on the radio about toys his children received for Christmas, he said he hoped he could meet Optimus Prime because “he seems to be able to solve most of the problems.”
- There are huge statues of Optimus in China.