Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime: Thoughts?

Discussion in 'Transformers General Discussion' started by spiritprime, Aug 3, 2010.

  1. jerryitus

    jerryitus Transformer vacuum

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    I think that as a character, he got less appealing over time with the complaining, etc. He did inspire some great toys though
     
  2. saitoh155

    saitoh155 Seeker

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    i think showing the dynamic between him and optimus was really interesting.With Optimus you had that stoic always in control typr leader that had a plan for everything and new exactly what to do.With Rodimus he acted on impulse and emotion rather than experience.To see the growth of a character is always intersting.Sadly it was cut short in season 3 and we never got to see the full development of what he could have turned into as a Leader.i haven't seen very much of the Headmaster series from Japan so i dont know how Rodimus was on that.
     
  3. Mako Crab

    Mako Crab Well-Known Member

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    I don't even get what's up with Hot Rod/Rodimus in the IDW ongoing comics anymore. He's been turned into a tool that steals Ultra Magnus' ship and runs away when it looks like he's in trouble. Quite the change from his persona in the original cartoon and comics.
     
  4. Tigermegatron

    Tigermegatron Banned

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    my solid guess is hotrod stole ultra magnus ship in the on-going. so he could use the ship to hunt down starscream & steal the matrix back for the autobots side. my guess is hotrod puts the matrix inside his chest & powers up into rodimus prime.

    I've noticed that whenever there is a Takara/Hasbro MP Transformer toy released. the MP Character is featured heavily in the DW/IDW comic.
     
  5. dsprks75

    dsprks75 Robot Enthusiast

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    My opinion is that when we first were introduced to Optimus, he was already this confident, upright, compassionate, wise, kick-ass leader who's very presence was enough to turn the tide of any battle. He was a fighter and leader that could inspire his troops and give them the drive and will to carry on. Now, while a little of this was given to the Animated Optimus character, we weren't there to see him go through his "screw this leadership" phase. We didn't see battles where he got friends or superiors killed. We weren't there to see him crying in his energon to Ironhide about how hard it is... And you know it happened...

    Optimus was leader for like millions of years... Rodimus was leader for what, a year, year and a half? It doesn't even come close. Plus, it was mentioned before, Rodimus was like a teenager, got his leader killed, got the leadership job and to somehow compete with the millions of years of groudwork that Optimus laid down? I wouldn't want to be leader either...

    I love the Rodimus character... I think it takes a fair amount of courage to admit that you can't handle that level of responsibility, instead of just blindly accepting the job and screwing things up and getting people killed...
     
  6. ComicGuy89

    ComicGuy89 Well-Known Member

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    This is very true, Rodimus became leader for such a short time that Daniel didn't even age much visibly. Optimus had been one for a very long time, and has undoubtedly wisened up a lot.

    If I was in Rodimus' shoes, I'd be losing sleep every night. His war was also fairly intense, with two enemies (including the Quintessons) instead of just the Decepticons, although arguably the Decepticons of his time period were less organized.
     
  7. giga-galvatron

    giga-galvatron Decepticon S.T.A.G ******

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    Rodimus Prime always gets the short stick when it comes to Autobot leadership. I mean, he was a kid thrust into not only leading the Autobots after their greatest had fallen, but deal with a number of threats:

    Galvatron who is Megatron times 10 and who is INSANE and super UNPREDICTABLE.

    Quintessons who are even more dangerous than the Decepticons because they know more about you than you do cuz guest what, THEY MADE YOU.

    Humans who are weary of the war coming to planet Earth.

    Also Rodimus had to take a crash course on something Optimus had millions of years to learn and master. I always liked Rodimus and Galvatron better than Megatron and Optimus. Rodimus creative and unothordox style was ideal to deal with a crazy mothafucka like Galvatron. I just the show had people like Jazz or even Bumblebee help mentor him. If Prowl wasnt killed, Im sure he would be there to help.
     
  8. SentinelPrime

    SentinelPrime I NEEDED THAT!

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    I feel that there is 2 Rodimus'.

    There's the 86 movie Rodimus Prime, powerful, confident, a grown warrior with the full influence and wisdom of the Matrix. A confident, legendary leader that ended the war and destroyed Unicron.

    Then, there's Season 3 Rodimus, who appears to be a totally different Autobot altogether. Completely different than what we saw at the end of the movie, S3 Rodimus descended into a whining, unsure, lazy, poor decision making, sulking, selfish
    emo loser.

    It took Galvatron being so insane and entertaining to overshadow how terrible and not-fun it was to watch Rodimus in S3.

    I think that is a good way to put it; S3 Rodimus just wasn't fun to watch at all. After the movie, I don't remember having any S3 cheer moments, not any "YEAH! Rodimus!" moments. He just wasn't any fun to watch. He was depressed and it came across as such.

    Don't get me wrong, I think it's a cool idea to switch up what the leader is like, and turn the idea on it's head and make him inexperienced and unsure, but they messed up the execution, and Rodimus just became an unlikeable dick.

    Personally, I would've moved the episode where he finally starts to get comfortable more near the middle, and spent the second half of the season with him as a proactive bad ass like Prime in the movies.
     
  9. Backscatter

    Backscatter Autobot Brainmaster TFW2005 Supporter

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    This.

    For G1 it's a love/hate. When Hot Rod said to Optimus Prime, "Forgive me!" I never heard a reply. I haven't been able to forgive Hot Rod-imus Prime for that either. All the mistakes Rodmus Prime made as leader didn't help. Granted Roddie didn't get the best writing in S3 or Headmasters. I will leave my MP Rodimus forever standing over Sleep Convoy.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2010
  10. AutobotSkids

    AutobotSkids G1/Bay Lover

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    I like the Character, I just don't like what he's designed to do. (Replace Prime.)
     
  11. Cyclonus86

    Cyclonus86 Wrecker - Wreck 'N' Rule

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    That’s very cynical , and pretty petty view of Optimus. Hot Rod did what he thought was the right. What any Autobot would have done. The fact that he failed doesn't matter, he tried his best. And that's all Optimus would ask and expect. Just give it your all. If you think Optimus never forgave Hot Rod for killing him by not saying anything then I’m sorry to say , you don’t know Optimus.
     
  12. ComicGuy89

    ComicGuy89 Well-Known Member

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    To be honest, I wouldn't have liked that Optimus either, if he couldn't forgive Hot Rod. Optimus has boundless compassion, even for his enemies, and that's what makes him such an appealing character.
     
  13. G1Optimal

    G1Optimal Autobot

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    All I know from my opinion is:

    If Rodimus Prime is in the movie, to completely replace Optimus Prime in the leadership role (especially, if they kill him off to do it ) i will personally loose interest in seeing TF3 and not buying the Blu-ray/DVD.

    And although, i will happily accept "Hot Rod" or the name "Rodimus" ( as, i don't care much for the name since, both can be used to recognize it as the same Character )But, it is as long, as Optimus Prime remains the leader of the Autobot's.

    Thinking about it, i am starting to loose interest in TF3 by the rumor that Rodimus Prime will be in it. :( 

    Again it is just my "Opinion"
     
  14. Cyclonus86

    Cyclonus86 Wrecker - Wreck 'N' Rule

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    Here my opinion why that probably won’t happen.

    Hasbro knows, people hated the whole killing Optimus/Replacing Rodimus scenario. I’m pretty sure with the G1 aftermath they’re not going to do it again. It wasn’t a good idea the first time and it’s not going to be good idea the second time around.

    The whole plot of the second half ROTF was Prime dying with the third act focusing on trying to resurrect him back. To kill him in the third movie again would be overkill and pointless. That’s just bad story telling

    Primes in the movieverse are born not earned like in G1. Hence if Hot Rod is in T3 he can’t become Rodimus Prime and since Optimus is the last of the Primes there probably isn’t a Rodimus Prime out there.
     
  15. Superquad7

    Superquad7 OCP Police Crime Prevention Unit 001 Super Content Contributor

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    The Burden Hardest to Bear - Transformers Wiki

    This is one of my favorite TF episodes ever, and I think it really captures Rodimus Prime and his struggles the best.

    I never saw him as a failure, as he effectively help bring back Optimus Prime in the end. Talk about fixing your mistakes! :lol 

    All things considered, I think he was a great leader . . . but a bot just wants to have some fun, so you can't fault him for wanting to be Hot Rod (or "Rodimus" now?) more :)  I like him better as just Hot Rod/Rodimus myself now. That and the fact that I'll always love Optimus Prime. :) 
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2010
  16. Rodimus Major

    Rodimus Major Custom User Title

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    I always liked Hot Rod, but I think the fact that the toy sucked made me like Rodimus Prime less when I was a kid.
    Now, I think they're both alright. I just don't like the concept of a "chosen one" I like stories where the good guys have to work for what they have, not have it mystically given to them. It kind of removes all tension if the good guy is just fated to win.
     
  17. Murasame

    Murasame 村雨

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    I always liked Hot Rod aka Rodimus. And I think too, that G1 went deeper after the movie. In the past years I mostly watched episodes from season 3, as this had most of my favourite episodes. Recently I started to getting the DVDs from G1 and started watching from the beginning, as I noticed that in Germany not even the episodes were not shown in the right order and that they left the movie out until 1994, they even left out many episodes from season 1 and 2. So I watch them from the very beginning and I noticed that season 1 and 2 is very different story telling than season 3. Although many people complain about season 3s many errors, I think season 3 comes more mature than the first seasons.

    Anyway: Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime were both always my favourite characters and I really can't understand the hate for Rodimus.


    I always liked his name


    That would have been cool! That way they could have made a season 4 with episodes on cybertron and on earth. And everyone had what they liked most... I thought of something similar.
     
  18. The touch79

    The touch79 Sparticon

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    I respect and enjoyed Rodimus's screen-time. Sure, prime's charisma was/is seemingly unreachable. I think Rodimus handled the matrix quite well in Season 3 of G1. Sure his strength was running low when Optimus came back at the end, but I felt the creators did a good job making him a dependible leader especially considering he basically just got the matrix right before season 3. I feel Rodimus is getting more love from the fans now because of the animated and FP protector toys that are coming up. Or perhaps fans are finally growing up and realizing hardships of being an adult and what it was like to be Rodimus Prime.
     
  19. DrGrim

    DrGrim OBEY

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    As a child I loved Hot Rod because I loved the movie - which was my first TF experience. He was just a bad ass character in that. As an adult, I really like Rodimus Prime because he's a character I can identify with. Optimus is the flawless character I'd like to be, but Rodimus is the flawed character which I am like. If I were suddenly burdened with finding myself in charge, I would spend a lot of time thinking about the simpler days and would find myself acting unprofessional at times - and as a person who is head of household and has leadership work responsibilites I DO act like that. I strive to be the Optimus character, but it's just not possible for me to be that guy. I sometimes just wish I could shed my responsibilities and be a kid again. And in TF story terms, season 3 and the movie had a lot more depth than what came before, and I feel like everything had a much more epic scale to it.
    This doesn't mean I didn't like Optimus Prime's return, but in a perfect world I would have liked to have seen like 2 seasons of Rodimus before Optimus came back, and then at least one real (not just 3 episodes) of Optimus before the series closed.
     
  20. D-Unit

    D-Unit #1 Heel

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    I thought he was cool when I was in 3rd grade, but i was happier when Optimus came back. The character was a good idea, but they didn't do as much as they could with it. Hot Rod is a better character IMO