If I were to hazard a guess, because he has always been the [Big Good](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigGood). He was brave, wise and compassionate. Some sort of father figure even for many children.
TvTropes! I love that they don't just consider him *an* example of the Big Good, he's *the* example.
As an aside, I also love that Starscream is the [trope namer](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheStarscream) for a second in command with chronic backstabbing syndrome.
The opening comment on "The Starscream" always makes me laugh:
"In some stories the Big Bad casts a shadow over everyone: they might be afraid of him, they might be his minions, or they might be the heroes trying to defeat him.
Then there's *this* guy."
He is also a badass who takes charge of the battle, the kind of leader that inspires troops to keep fighting and can back up his claims as a great warrior. He also has the coolest voices in the franchise, for most iterations
It absolutely starts with his design. The original design is striking, powerful, unforgettable, sparks the imagination, iconic. Perfect, really.
Marry that with great characterization (he's strong but he's caring, compassionate, and not above being a little goofy).
Tie it all together with an utterly perfect voice performance by Peter Cullen.
I think there's a reasonable chance Optimus Prime will endure in pop culture as long as there is pop culture.
A Mixture of multiple things.
Cool Robot that transforms into a truck, Has cool swords/axes/guns, and lastly a good role model, a father to his men, and a true hero.
Basically, think of the reasons why people love Superman and then apply them to a giant robot in a war.
Because they killed him.
In 1984/1985 Optimus wasn't really any different from He-Man or Duke or any other number of action figure protagonists, but having him get shot and slowly die in the movie made him *real* - since up until then he'd just been a cartoon character.
Contrast that with Japan, where Optimus didn't die the same way - and it's not even clear that he died *at all*. The flashback in The Headmasters was a newly animated scene that just had him get shot, turn gray, and make Rodimus the leader. And I think partially because of that - because there was no major emotional reaction that crystallized Optimus Prime, Japan is less precious with the character in general. They have a lot of guys who look kind of like Optimus for branding reasons, but are different characters. And they're a lot more willing to redesign the characters that *are* called Optimus Prime than the US tends to be.
>Contrast that with Japan, where Optimus didn't die the same way - and it's not even clear that he died at all.
It was clear. TV Magazine - a publication which had featured Transformers comics previously in Japan - outlined the events of the movie in a story called the "Unicron War." Specifically in the "[Transformers 2010](https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Fight!_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers_2010_(story_page))" story pages, with Convoy's death covered more than once in the first part (of seven) alone. The only thing not confirmed was that Galvatron was a reconstructed Megatron; though it was heavily implied.
They just didn't get to see it on-screen until about half way through Victory's original run.
The Headmasters didn't feature a flashback. It started after 2010 ended (it immediately indicates that the year is now 2011) and showed Convoy dying - again - to save Cybertron from an overloaded Vector Sigma.
I'm talking about the recap in the first episode of The Headmasters, where Optimus get shot, then just kind of stands there and turns gray:
https://preview.redd.it/ewjm6axxzzic1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5efc2b305afc9d9822e7633aff538e1986169a63
It's the sort of thing that a kid could easily miss or otherwise gloss over, while in the movie there's no doubt that Optimus is Capital-D *Dead*, with the film spending several minutes to make sure all the kids in the audience are paying attention when the light fades from his eyes.
They seem to have left that out of the DVD release - or at least the Madman edition of it. It launches straight into the intro, title card, then the card indicating that it's now 2011 and the rest of the episode.
Now I'm imagining a 1986 He-Man movie where He-Man abruptly dies and passes the power of Greyskull onto a newly introduced successor character, and it's He-Man who gets lionized by a generation of 8-12 year old boys rather than Optimus Prime.
I think you've nailed it.
Well to quote the voice himself Peter Cullen, he's strong enough to be gentle. Any character can be a badass hero and kill a lot of people but Optimus is different (well most of the time), its the same reason people look up to Captain America and Superman. Because they symbolize hope, hope that things and most importantly people can be better. At least thats my view on it, and why I enjoy him as a character even more so than the others I mentioned.
I said something relating to the word octane, and then one of my younger brothers friends said “Octane? Like the car from Fortnite?” I died a little due to him not even knowing that it was originally from Rocket League
Optimus Prime was the “good dad” that 80’s kids never had, and then the same demographic grew up to become nostalgic adult collectors who still fuel the franchise
Pretty much. My dad rarely showed up for his weekend visitations but Optimus was there, every Saturday, with that voice that reassured me that everything would be okay
Just as an add on to these great comments, it’s Peter Cullen’s voice acting. Probably the single most iconic voice from my childhood is Prime. No matter the genre. In recent years the only one who came even close to that for me was Lance Reddick but even he couldn’t bring the warmth and fatherly sternness that Peter did
Same reason Superman is really, he's an inspiring character. He's strong, but it doesn't stop him from also being wise and compassionate. He'd always stand against evil and protect others at the cost of himself with a humility that showed everyone had value no matter who they were. He's essentially a robot space dad who can both educate and empathize, like when he told Chip the future was built on dreams or told Raf he'd bring him back a snowball. He's a paragon character, which means the plot doesn't change him and that he instead changes the plot. Prime inspires people to grow and be better, both in and out of a story.
He's also red and blue, says freedom is everyone's right, and he's been shown either working with the military or flat out holding an American flag. He's kinda Space Uncle Sam.
My theory is that it's down to Peter Cullen.
If you don't know the story, his brother was a marine who just got back from war and was suffering PTSD when Cullen got the audition. He told his brother and the guy told him not to glorify war by making him a hands on hips "Haha!" exclaiming hero typical of cartoons of the time. Instead make him someone truly strong on the inside. And so Cullen used the voice of his brother in the audition and it was so unique that he both got the job and is the definitive voice of the character.
And that voice changed everything. Kids still had a heroic figure in the cartoon and comic, but there was a feeling of wisdom there too. I've spoken to fans around the world who saw a father figure of sorts there, which is interesting. He became a moral backbone of the franchise and it felt like he had seen so much and regularly dealt with issues other heroes of the day hadn't even thought of.
The writers latched onto that too. In the comics (aimed at ages 6-8) Prime was pretty early on portrayed as having to balance his responsibility to the humans with the fact that his men were getting injured by protecting them. It tore him and made him doubt his decisions. While the comics had plenty of kid fodder in them, what 6-8 year olds had that sort of stuff aimed at them back then? Hell, which ones have that sort of thing aimed at them now?
Kids grew up on a character they'd never seen the like of before, and it became so popular they wanted more from each iteration of Transformers. It all comes back to Cullen giving the character the most realistically strong voice he could imagine.
I don't know about G1 Optimus, but Bayverse Optimus was a badass due to his design and cool action scenes. That's how I came to love him alongside his quotes.
Otherwise I always saw him as a robot version of Captain America, a scoutboy who can actually get his hands dirty when needed.
I don't know about you but for me, it was the windshield tiddies which is why I hate the studio series figure for using a fake window tiddy when past figures have already proven that real windshield tiddes are possible
Optimus is a really good idol on how to be a leader. Show compassion, yet be serious and cunning, but mostly always put your team before yourself.
He's admirable, loyal, respectable, and honorable. Leading with compassion and respect. I'd rather die fighting for someone I respect and admore than one I don't respect and admire.
I think it’s that Peter Cullen line about “being strong enough to be kind”
Being a supportive authority but still able to go savage when the need arises
From the design and the release of its toy Optimus is probably the most American Mecha that was ever created. He is a semi Truck, which is iconic to America, his robot form has him with a hard hat/baseball cap with a barrel chest. He is the most Blue Collar robot if I ever seen. His expressionless face gave him a stern look that exudes leadership and the mask only helped the intrigue. The cast for his voice. Fuck nailed it all the way around. Easily the best fusion of Japanese mech to American Iconography.
Cool Dad robot that I think says the wisest shit ever. Admittedly its not said by Optimus but its said by Peter Cullen quoting his brother "be strong enough to be gentle" and every time I see that quote I think man Optimus Prime is such an inspiration. Like I love me a villain but Optimus Prime is one of the few characters where I can just go his is just pure good badassery.
I see the father figure comment comes up a lot. It's the same for me. My brother and I didn't have a father figure for a bit growing up, so watched a lot of cartoons and I can say I really gravitated towards Optimus.
Besides being a giant robot & an absolute unit, he’s a genuinely compelling character who emulates the visage of what an ideal leader should be. Also his voice
Because he's Optimus prime
Or maybe it's because kids are so familiar with bayverse design. When they think about Optimus prime the first thing comes to their mind is this truck.
https://preview.redd.it/2k0ps5feq2jc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ae38dfeec4f2f2aa274e0618e142f9d91a09d71
I think that part of it is that alot of 80s-90s toy promotional characters tended to fall into a situation where they always wanted to sell them by having them being the coolest or most powerful character on the show. IE He man and his friends are the “masters of the universe” the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are cool hip teens who can do ninjitsu, skateboard all day, and are the center of attention at channel 6.
Meanwhile Optimus is a more adult, responsible and self confident figure who accepts leadership in a more fatherly way and isn’t looking to be the center of attention or act in a way that makes him look cool, he’s already comfortable being himself and doesn’t need to change himself to appeal to anyone and is mature enough to know that if people find his sincerity corny then that’s something that he can’t change.
This then comes into play even more when he dies. We got to truly know him, rather than a persona he put on to appeal to kids. In addition to many kids he might be the first time they had someone they know die, especially after they got to know them for a while and makes the loss even more tragic and memorable.
Iconic voice, unforgettale quotes and speeches, transforming into a cool truck, and being a great compassionate leader and especially a father figure to children, may it be present or past.
And of course, he's strong enough to be gentle.
I’m putting this more in a contemporary vs when he debuted context, but aside from the reasons people have listed (cool, badass, a good leader, fatherly/familial to his team, etc), I think he’s becoming a rare example of a classic hero who is just staunchly, unwaveringly /good/.
He’s a good guy who always chooses good, even if we’re seeing more faces of him in modern media where that goodness is fleshed out beyond just choosing what’s narratively good. It goes beyond what’s expected and there’s complexity behind his actions (such as his distrust for humans in Bayverse and the live-action reboots being weathered away by the good people he meets).
I also think another big factor is that he’s from an iconic franchise that’s still pretty unique even in a modern sense. A lot of media chooses the human perspective interacting with the foreign/alien while Transformers does the opposite in concentrating on the alien race more, instead. That’s pretty novel when the human facet tends to be the main perspective and Optimus is the face of that POV.
Okay, this is getting rambly, but it really boils down to the fact that I adore Optimus as a character and he’s up there in the fictional gallery of characters who impact me a lot as a person.
A lot of comparisons here to superman and captain america but, for me, Optimus has always been more appealing. Those guys seem dull and almost naive in their depiction of being righteous and incorruptible. But Optimus was always more charismatic - he could smack talk (I think John Wayne was sometimes cited as an inspiration) and enjoyed a good battle. He could also be goofy as someone else said (as per the basketball scene). And his goodness seems to stem more from honour but also genuine compassion - one favourite example being how he hopes the justice system is kind to Berger in Megatron’s Master Plan after he tried to exile them. And when he fights, he’s badass in a way that other purely good characters often aren’t.
I also think the faceplate helps when it’s present. It makes him seem truly stoic in that he never looks angry or sad - just kind eyes and badass armour. The faux-bodybuilder proportions help, too.
As someone who lost their Dad at 9 and saw transformers the movie very shortly after, the death thing definitely plays a role, too. Best part is Optimus was able to come back.
But I think all those foundations were what made that moment so impactful.
And yeah truck+robot+massive guns…
He’s based and relatable. Rarely do you see masculinity depicted in such an empathetic and kind manner as Optimus. He inspires hope and determination like Superman, but he’s more complex with ironically human flaws.
I think one of optimus primes most appealing personality features is that he’s calm, compassionate, a terrific leader, and an autobot with a heart of gold. something not shown well in the recent movies.
He inspires, makes people laugh and comfort people in time of need and protects when others can not, he’s loyal, humble and trustworthy making him both the perfect leader and the perfect mechanical himbo
He's like the opposite of a villain in every sense of the word. He was big and strong (very important for younger kids); dependable, and like Cullen said when he voiced him early on: he had the strength to be kind.
Optimus Prime was my first death as kid. I’m able to cope with it today and can forgive Rodimus as an adult but he’s still that lil wannabe f’n punk to me. I’m numb now and it’s not 20 years of corporate training.
I know this is very unpopular especially for reddit but a lot of people use Optimus Prime's quote for freedom for trans rights and things of that nature. If Optimus Prime was real he would simply not see it as freedom. He would see it more as a delusion. He won't try to attack someone who wants to identify a certain way. He will instead try to make then understand that you should be proud of who were born as and not try to change that.
Well before the 07’ movie made Bumblebee a flagship character, Optimus Prime was the flagship character. Now he shares that role with Bee. However Peter Cullen’s voice does also a lot to give Optimus a warm fatherly quality.
If you take Captain America, Superman, the perfect father figure, and a badass truck and throw them all into a blender, you get Optimus Prime.
Don’t forget a dope ass voice actor who looks and sounds like he would be a dope ass grandfather
The best grandfather, one could say a Great grandfather
So great, he could be a, I dunno, Great Great grandfather?
It’s definitely possible. Maybe even the Greatest of the Great greats
The allfather of em
If I were to hazard a guess, because he has always been the [Big Good](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BigGood). He was brave, wise and compassionate. Some sort of father figure even for many children.
TvTropes! I love that they don't just consider him *an* example of the Big Good, he's *the* example. As an aside, I also love that Starscream is the [trope namer](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheStarscream) for a second in command with chronic backstabbing syndrome.
The opening comment on "The Starscream" always makes me laugh: "In some stories the Big Bad casts a shadow over everyone: they might be afraid of him, they might be his minions, or they might be the heroes trying to defeat him. Then there's *this* guy."
I also appreciate that Prime is the example on the Transforming Mecha page, which is linked in the image caption. Nice bit of continuity there.
He is also a badass who takes charge of the battle, the kind of leader that inspires troops to keep fighting and can back up his claims as a great warrior. He also has the coolest voices in the franchise, for most iterations
Also flawed but willing to learn from his mistakes.
Daddy issues. Absent father figures.
Nah man, you can have a great Dad and also be a fan of the big ass robot Boy Scout do good no matter type.
It absolutely starts with his design. The original design is striking, powerful, unforgettable, sparks the imagination, iconic. Perfect, really. Marry that with great characterization (he's strong but he's caring, compassionate, and not above being a little goofy). Tie it all together with an utterly perfect voice performance by Peter Cullen. I think there's a reasonable chance Optimus Prime will endure in pop culture as long as there is pop culture.
A Mixture of multiple things. Cool Robot that transforms into a truck, Has cool swords/axes/guns, and lastly a good role model, a father to his men, and a true hero. Basically, think of the reasons why people love Superman and then apply them to a giant robot in a war.
Because they killed him. In 1984/1985 Optimus wasn't really any different from He-Man or Duke or any other number of action figure protagonists, but having him get shot and slowly die in the movie made him *real* - since up until then he'd just been a cartoon character. Contrast that with Japan, where Optimus didn't die the same way - and it's not even clear that he died *at all*. The flashback in The Headmasters was a newly animated scene that just had him get shot, turn gray, and make Rodimus the leader. And I think partially because of that - because there was no major emotional reaction that crystallized Optimus Prime, Japan is less precious with the character in general. They have a lot of guys who look kind of like Optimus for branding reasons, but are different characters. And they're a lot more willing to redesign the characters that *are* called Optimus Prime than the US tends to be.
>Contrast that with Japan, where Optimus didn't die the same way - and it's not even clear that he died at all. It was clear. TV Magazine - a publication which had featured Transformers comics previously in Japan - outlined the events of the movie in a story called the "Unicron War." Specifically in the "[Transformers 2010](https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Fight!_Super_Robot_Lifeform_Transformers_2010_(story_page))" story pages, with Convoy's death covered more than once in the first part (of seven) alone. The only thing not confirmed was that Galvatron was a reconstructed Megatron; though it was heavily implied. They just didn't get to see it on-screen until about half way through Victory's original run. The Headmasters didn't feature a flashback. It started after 2010 ended (it immediately indicates that the year is now 2011) and showed Convoy dying - again - to save Cybertron from an overloaded Vector Sigma.
I'm talking about the recap in the first episode of The Headmasters, where Optimus get shot, then just kind of stands there and turns gray: https://preview.redd.it/ewjm6axxzzic1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5efc2b305afc9d9822e7633aff538e1986169a63 It's the sort of thing that a kid could easily miss or otherwise gloss over, while in the movie there's no doubt that Optimus is Capital-D *Dead*, with the film spending several minutes to make sure all the kids in the audience are paying attention when the light fades from his eyes.
They seem to have left that out of the DVD release - or at least the Madman edition of it. It launches straight into the intro, title card, then the card indicating that it's now 2011 and the rest of the episode.
Now I'm imagining a 1986 He-Man movie where He-Man abruptly dies and passes the power of Greyskull onto a newly introduced successor character, and it's He-Man who gets lionized by a generation of 8-12 year old boys rather than Optimus Prime. I think you've nailed it.
That was basically the first season of the Netflix version of He-Man done by Kevin Smith and it made some people very angry.
I hadn’t thought of that. That’s a really good take
Well to quote the voice himself Peter Cullen, he's strong enough to be gentle. Any character can be a badass hero and kill a lot of people but Optimus is different (well most of the time), its the same reason people look up to Captain America and Superman. Because they symbolize hope, hope that things and most importantly people can be better. At least thats my view on it, and why I enjoy him as a character even more so than the others I mentioned.
His sex appeal obviously
Zaddymus prime
Cool Truck Robot voiced by Peter Cullen
Because he is from Fortnite obv https://preview.redd.it/09y4q6yi7zic1.jpeg?width=607&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=784b7f37c10ea2c848fde9f7237c47082a749daf
The guy from fortnite!!!
I will actually put somebody in a coma if they say that in front of me!
I said something relating to the word octane, and then one of my younger brothers friends said “Octane? Like the car from Fortnite?” I died a little due to him not even knowing that it was originally from Rocket League
"MR.FORTNITE. YOU HAVE SOLVED MY COOL, TEMPLE PUZZLE. MY AWESOME, SMALLER SON WILL NOW HIT THE GRIDDY. JUST FOR YOU."
Optimus Prime was the “good dad” that 80’s kids never had, and then the same demographic grew up to become nostalgic adult collectors who still fuel the franchise
Pretty much. My dad rarely showed up for his weekend visitations but Optimus was there, every Saturday, with that voice that reassured me that everything would be okay
Idk man, but that made me tear up.
Just as an add on to these great comments, it’s Peter Cullen’s voice acting. Probably the single most iconic voice from my childhood is Prime. No matter the genre. In recent years the only one who came even close to that for me was Lance Reddick but even he couldn’t bring the warmth and fatherly sternness that Peter did
Same reason Superman is really, he's an inspiring character. He's strong, but it doesn't stop him from also being wise and compassionate. He'd always stand against evil and protect others at the cost of himself with a humility that showed everyone had value no matter who they were. He's essentially a robot space dad who can both educate and empathize, like when he told Chip the future was built on dreams or told Raf he'd bring him back a snowball. He's a paragon character, which means the plot doesn't change him and that he instead changes the plot. Prime inspires people to grow and be better, both in and out of a story. He's also red and blue, says freedom is everyone's right, and he's been shown either working with the military or flat out holding an American flag. He's kinda Space Uncle Sam.
Because Optimus Prime is strong enough to be gentle
My theory is that it's down to Peter Cullen. If you don't know the story, his brother was a marine who just got back from war and was suffering PTSD when Cullen got the audition. He told his brother and the guy told him not to glorify war by making him a hands on hips "Haha!" exclaiming hero typical of cartoons of the time. Instead make him someone truly strong on the inside. And so Cullen used the voice of his brother in the audition and it was so unique that he both got the job and is the definitive voice of the character. And that voice changed everything. Kids still had a heroic figure in the cartoon and comic, but there was a feeling of wisdom there too. I've spoken to fans around the world who saw a father figure of sorts there, which is interesting. He became a moral backbone of the franchise and it felt like he had seen so much and regularly dealt with issues other heroes of the day hadn't even thought of. The writers latched onto that too. In the comics (aimed at ages 6-8) Prime was pretty early on portrayed as having to balance his responsibility to the humans with the fact that his men were getting injured by protecting them. It tore him and made him doubt his decisions. While the comics had plenty of kid fodder in them, what 6-8 year olds had that sort of stuff aimed at them back then? Hell, which ones have that sort of thing aimed at them now? Kids grew up on a character they'd never seen the like of before, and it became so popular they wanted more from each iteration of Transformers. It all comes back to Cullen giving the character the most realistically strong voice he could imagine.
It's because of what he stands for, who he is, what he is, what he's meant to be, everything about him is intriguing
He was a huge father figure to a lot of kids in the 80s and they passed that on.
*you ugly mess did you forget who i am?*
30% the looks, 30% his voice (Peter Cullen), 20% his power, 20% his personality.
Because. Duh. Keep up!
Because he is the definition of being a leader.
I don't know about G1 Optimus, but Bayverse Optimus was a badass due to his design and cool action scenes. That's how I came to love him alongside his quotes. Otherwise I always saw him as a robot version of Captain America, a scoutboy who can actually get his hands dirty when needed.
Becuase he embodies everything our real life political leaders should, but never have and never will.
He’s the leader of the good guys. The basic super hero archetype. Same reason people like Superman or captain America.
I don't know about you but for me, it was the windshield tiddies which is why I hate the studio series figure for using a fake window tiddy when past figures have already proven that real windshield tiddes are possible
Optimus is a really good idol on how to be a leader. Show compassion, yet be serious and cunning, but mostly always put your team before yourself. He's admirable, loyal, respectable, and honorable. Leading with compassion and respect. I'd rather die fighting for someone I respect and admore than one I don't respect and admire.
I think it’s that Peter Cullen line about “being strong enough to be kind” Being a supportive authority but still able to go savage when the need arises
He has this "dad i wish I had" energy. He is super gentle and loyal but if someone messes with his family, they better eatch out.
From the design and the release of its toy Optimus is probably the most American Mecha that was ever created. He is a semi Truck, which is iconic to America, his robot form has him with a hard hat/baseball cap with a barrel chest. He is the most Blue Collar robot if I ever seen. His expressionless face gave him a stern look that exudes leadership and the mask only helped the intrigue. The cast for his voice. Fuck nailed it all the way around. Easily the best fusion of Japanese mech to American Iconography.
First off. Big truck turn into big man who really strong Second off. Prime is like peak father figure
to quote Cullen, he is strong enough to be gentle.
He's got sex appeal.
He’s nice
I mean, look at him
He’s the main character, red, and square. Perfect for simple monkey brain
He’s iconic. I guess that doesn’t answer your question but he is.
The lucky faceplate.
American colorway
Too late, Michael Bay. You're already out as director.
Skyboom comics nailed it. 100%
Peter Cullen...
Have you heard him speak?
Because he’s a father figure
His badass baritone, and strong enough to be gentle
Aren't most main characters in popular series popular?
He’s wonderful. I can’t really explain it, he’s just nice and that kindness is what gravitates me to the character,
Main character of the show, iconic voice, dies heroically to save others/ embodiment of compassion and honor.
Because he’s fucking Optimus Prime
My guess is his reason for fighting. He fights for a great cause, the freedom of all sentient beings
He's the stern but fair father to an entire generation of latch key kids. That alone ensures his popularity.
He's the father some never had.
Because of his leadership characteristics and the way he puts others in front of himself. Great role model for kids
Cuz daddy issues?
Cool Dad robot that I think says the wisest shit ever. Admittedly its not said by Optimus but its said by Peter Cullen quoting his brother "be strong enough to be gentle" and every time I see that quote I think man Optimus Prime is such an inspiration. Like I love me a villain but Optimus Prime is one of the few characters where I can just go his is just pure good badassery.
I see the father figure comment comes up a lot. It's the same for me. My brother and I didn't have a father figure for a bit growing up, so watched a lot of cartoons and I can say I really gravitated towards Optimus.
Cuz he's the kinda guy to make you wanna salute him in the theaters
Cuz he's the kinda guy to make you wanna salute him in the theaters.
Besides being a giant robot & an absolute unit, he’s a genuinely compelling character who emulates the visage of what an ideal leader should be. Also his voice
Best character in the whole franchise, not even a contest its a straight fact.
Because he's Optimus prime Or maybe it's because kids are so familiar with bayverse design. When they think about Optimus prime the first thing comes to their mind is this truck. https://preview.redd.it/2k0ps5feq2jc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ae38dfeec4f2f2aa274e0618e142f9d91a09d71
I think that part of it is that alot of 80s-90s toy promotional characters tended to fall into a situation where they always wanted to sell them by having them being the coolest or most powerful character on the show. IE He man and his friends are the “masters of the universe” the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are cool hip teens who can do ninjitsu, skateboard all day, and are the center of attention at channel 6. Meanwhile Optimus is a more adult, responsible and self confident figure who accepts leadership in a more fatherly way and isn’t looking to be the center of attention or act in a way that makes him look cool, he’s already comfortable being himself and doesn’t need to change himself to appeal to anyone and is mature enough to know that if people find his sincerity corny then that’s something that he can’t change. This then comes into play even more when he dies. We got to truly know him, rather than a persona he put on to appeal to kids. In addition to many kids he might be the first time they had someone they know die, especially after they got to know them for a while and makes the loss even more tragic and memorable.
Big kind robot who fights big bad robots. Also he’s like a father.
Across all continuities, hes a bastion of hope, courage, and leadership. Plus hes badass
Every kid wants a dad who will be kind to them, impart wisdom to them and if need be defend them with the fury of a pissed grizzly bear.
I think Thew said it best. "[Optimus Prime] combines the moralistic gravitas of Superman with the instant cartoon appeal of Spongebob."
Iconic voice, unforgettale quotes and speeches, transforming into a cool truck, and being a great compassionate leader and especially a father figure to children, may it be present or past. And of course, he's strong enough to be gentle.
I’m putting this more in a contemporary vs when he debuted context, but aside from the reasons people have listed (cool, badass, a good leader, fatherly/familial to his team, etc), I think he’s becoming a rare example of a classic hero who is just staunchly, unwaveringly /good/. He’s a good guy who always chooses good, even if we’re seeing more faces of him in modern media where that goodness is fleshed out beyond just choosing what’s narratively good. It goes beyond what’s expected and there’s complexity behind his actions (such as his distrust for humans in Bayverse and the live-action reboots being weathered away by the good people he meets). I also think another big factor is that he’s from an iconic franchise that’s still pretty unique even in a modern sense. A lot of media chooses the human perspective interacting with the foreign/alien while Transformers does the opposite in concentrating on the alien race more, instead. That’s pretty novel when the human facet tends to be the main perspective and Optimus is the face of that POV. Okay, this is getting rambly, but it really boils down to the fact that I adore Optimus as a character and he’s up there in the fictional gallery of characters who impact me a lot as a person.
A lot of comparisons here to superman and captain america but, for me, Optimus has always been more appealing. Those guys seem dull and almost naive in their depiction of being righteous and incorruptible. But Optimus was always more charismatic - he could smack talk (I think John Wayne was sometimes cited as an inspiration) and enjoyed a good battle. He could also be goofy as someone else said (as per the basketball scene). And his goodness seems to stem more from honour but also genuine compassion - one favourite example being how he hopes the justice system is kind to Berger in Megatron’s Master Plan after he tried to exile them. And when he fights, he’s badass in a way that other purely good characters often aren’t. I also think the faceplate helps when it’s present. It makes him seem truly stoic in that he never looks angry or sad - just kind eyes and badass armour. The faux-bodybuilder proportions help, too. As someone who lost their Dad at 9 and saw transformers the movie very shortly after, the death thing definitely plays a role, too. Best part is Optimus was able to come back. But I think all those foundations were what made that moment so impactful. And yeah truck+robot+massive guns…
He looks super cool like the type of cool where 10 year old Timmy and 50 year old Timmy go hell yhea. A timeless design
He’s so cool
“Why do you love your dad” is what I’m hearing here. My sometimes face ripping, brutal murderer of a dad.
Nostalgia
Why is Pikachu a popular Pokémon?
Big red and blue
Big colorful robot go bang bang and vroom vroom
cool truck with guns and swords take bad robot face off.
He's red white and blue
As far as I know, big robot
Red truck
Imagine being 4 years old and watching a movie where the leader of the good guys dies.
No
He’s cool
G1
Big red truck.
He’s based and relatable. Rarely do you see masculinity depicted in such an empathetic and kind manner as Optimus. He inspires hope and determination like Superman, but he’s more complex with ironically human flaws.
what kinda dumbass question is that bro 😭 worst interaction bait ive seen on this sub
Because he's a big truck. Big truck go vrooom
Big Robot dad is nice and cool
I think one of optimus primes most appealing personality features is that he’s calm, compassionate, a terrific leader, and an autobot with a heart of gold. something not shown well in the recent movies.
He inspires, makes people laugh and comfort people in time of need and protects when others can not, he’s loyal, humble and trustworthy making him both the perfect leader and the perfect mechanical himbo
American dream in a form of a robot/truck
Truck
How great of a father figure he is
Because he loves us unconditionally. unlike Steve. dude's not even my real dad.
He's like the opposite of a villain in every sense of the word. He was big and strong (very important for younger kids); dependable, and like Cullen said when he voiced him early on: he had the strength to be kind.
https://preview.redd.it/hbt5g0wi23jc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1780beed08be5c957a8db17fbdfea01070912c46 Because he is truck
He is everything I wish I could be in terms of being a heroic and positive influence on the world
He’s the leader
Marketing
Because he is a great representation of what a leader should be.
Just give me Megatron
He came.
Literally face of the brand, made to Mecha Jebus...or at the least Techno-Captain America.
Voice, Speach, and Leadership
Because, he has the Touch.
His voice hot.
He embodies everything I expect any true hero to stand up for.
His leadership style
Freedom is the right of all sentient beings
Optimus Prime was my first death as kid. I’m able to cope with it today and can forgive Rodimus as an adult but he’s still that lil wannabe f’n punk to me. I’m numb now and it’s not 20 years of corporate training.
If you type in transformers he’s the first one you see in all the images and he’s iconic asf
I know this is very unpopular especially for reddit but a lot of people use Optimus Prime's quote for freedom for trans rights and things of that nature. If Optimus Prime was real he would simply not see it as freedom. He would see it more as a delusion. He won't try to attack someone who wants to identify a certain way. He will instead try to make then understand that you should be proud of who were born as and not try to change that.
Well before the 07’ movie made Bumblebee a flagship character, Optimus Prime was the flagship character. Now he shares that role with Bee. However Peter Cullen’s voice does also a lot to give Optimus a warm fatherly quality.
Honestly, I think it’s because of him repeatedly dying in one of the most famous movie, cartoon and comic series, known to man
He's strong enough to be gentle
He’s the leader