Ive watched every episode, and kept active track of optimus' key role in the series as a leader. One thing that struck me odd ever since the series started was that he wasnt the leader of the autobots, but leader of a space bridge maintenance crew.

Now with season 3 about to come into effect, i wonder about his role as the series goes on. Hes able to hold is own against megatron, but whats bugged me is that hes much smaller than megs, even though hes still able to fight him nicely. What i think they are planning is eventually involving the Matrix of Leadership in the series, and if they do that, you know primes going to get it eventually, and possibly see a size upgrade. I personally dont know how id feel about the way they present that, but i have a certain feeling that they will do this.

 

Why would TF: Animated need the Matrix of Leadership?
The AllSpark is already an amalgamation of the Matrix of Leadership from the cartoon, the Matrix of Creation from the Marvel comics, and the Allspark Cube from the Bay Movie, emphasizing on the aspect of creating life, while looking like more square-ish version of the Leadership Matrix.

I honestly don't want any Matrix-thingy transform Optimus Prime, as it would diminish his heroicism if he suddenly becomes super-strong and super-tall, now having only to rely on brute power and strenght instead on his leadership tactics and skills.

 

I like that Prime is smaller and can still hold his own. It makes me a true hero who overcomes the odds. We are getting to see Prime's status grow before our very eyes. We are seeing the birth of a leader and hero. I'm enjoying how they are building him up and his rivalry with Megs.

 

I like it just the way it is.
If they feel they have to give him leadership they should wait to do it till the very last episode.

 

I just hope the rivalry between Optimus and Megatron will improve. Megatron needs to remember his name!

 

"Prepare to meet your doom, Rodimus Prime!"
"Optimus Prime"
"Oh"

 

I think they may be leading up to the death of Ultra Magnus, and Optimus Prime assuming his role as Supreme Commander. THAT could easily happen with Longarm Prime/Shockwave in control of Cybertron while Ultra Magnus and his Elite Guard team are on "away" missions. I'd sure hate to see Jazz get killed, though, as a result of Ultra Magnus' ship being destroyed.

 

I dunno about Ultra Magnus or Sentinel Prime or any of the "obvious" deaths happening...

This is a kids show, after all. I've seen Teen Titans, Batman: Animated Series, Justice League, etc, and nobody ever really dies. Sure, characters come and go, characters might "die" in a magic explosion with no body, but nobody really dies. If this was the IDW comic series, I'd be right alongside thinking Magnus will die and Optimus becomes leader.

 

Well, Animated Ultra Magnus could alway get mind-wiped like Animated Arcee did.

While not a physical death for the character, lack of knowledge of his previous life and "deleation" of the experiences that made him a leader would create a huge power vacume. The Autobots, while still holding Magnus in high regard, would need someone with more front line experience to cope with the increasing threat from the Decepticons.

Maybe a little to cerebral for a kids show.... but you never know.

 

If Ultra Magnus dies or leaves his position, Sentinal should become the Elite guard supreme commander. At the end of the series Optimus should stick on earth with his friends (although perhaps he would accept leadership of earth's first cybertronian colony, Metroplex city...)

 

Totally agree with you here. I love how Optimus has grown over the last couple of seasons. That makes it even more fun to root him on as a leader, and more importantly, as a character in the ensemble. To have something like an "Insta Hero(tm)" device like the Matrix of Leadership bulk him up and suddenly make him a leadership genius would destroy what we already know is true: TFA Optimus is already smart, resourceful, and makes use of his friends and team effectively in battle as well as during more civil times repairing Detroit and the people's trust in the Autobots.

 

My theory is that Optimus Prime will (at some point, maybe series-end) be offered a leadership position, or to be part of the Elite guard, but turn it down because he'd have to leave Earth and/or his crew to do it.

 

I like Optimus how he stands as well. I love how Megatron generally has more trouble with an Autobot maintenance crew than he gets from the whole Elite Guard!  

 

I Second that I am generally annoyed that there is no history between the two characters. When Ops and Megs battle I have always liked when Megs would say something like not this time autobot even though he knew optimus's name.

Currently we would hear the new megs say this line and its pretty much only because he cant remeber his name   Actually come to think of it the only thing Optimus really has stopped was Megs getting the all spark.

I hope they finally get to hating each other more on a personal level that seemed to make more of an impact than this general idealism conflict.

 

I would say that being stuck in some remote unknown corner of the galaxy gives Megatron a good reason to start hating Optimus. ^^ I really like the ways things are now and i hope to see more developments of their rivality in the next season/s.
As for how Optimus becomes the Cybertron Supreme Commander: well, we already know that Magnus doesnt have good expectations of Sentinel ^^ I dont know if Magnus die, hope not, but if i dont know if he will give his position eventually, maybe its like you guys said: Magnus on Cybertron and Optimus on Earth. Which now that i think about it's the exact opposite of G1 Magnus/Prime. XD

 

The thing with Justice League, Teen Titans and such is that they weren't robots. And just for the record, both Slade and Terra technically "died" in Teen Titans. I can totally see Magnus "passing on" in Animated, paving the way for Optimus to take command.

When Hot Rod turned into Rodimus Prime, his body was given incredible power, but he was still learning to be a leader and was full of self doubt and internal conflict (aka he whined a lot). That could easily happen in Animated because Prime is learning to be a leader now, but what he doesn't have is the muscle (figuratively speaking) to flat out defeat Megatron. The Autobots are winning due to teamwork and luck, not Prime openly fighting Megatron. While he can hold his own, it doesn't last long and there's always some other distraction that comes up to save him and the bots as they rally together for one last final attempt to win the day. As of right now, Prime is still nothing but a "thorn-in-the-side" to Megatron. He'll need to actually win on his own, with no team backing him up, no Starscream attacking Megs from behind, no magical energy crystal exploding and taking everyone with it, to actually be seen as a "rival" to Megatron in this universe.

 

Ironhide: "Optimus Prime's gonna kick your ass!"
Megatron: "I'll beat the shit out of Optimus Prime, then do the same to you, Bumblebee!"
Ironhide: "Bumblebee? I'm not Bumblebee!"

 

Series Three ends with a Five parter involving all the G1 cast (bot and cons) and with Prime gaining some kind of upgrade include a voice change to Peter Cullen .... Nerdgasim ensue with some cases of Head expolsions and Animated stands headed and shoulders with G1 on the TF totem pole maybe a tiptoe above it.

Damn the way my mind thinks !!!

 

I just hope Optimus becomes less of a parent and more of a leader.