This makes me wonder who took over the respective roles after Prowl, Ironhide, and Ratchet bit the dust in The Movie.

 

Ultra Magnus it is to you old friend , I shall pass the matrix of leadership as it was passed to me

But prime I'm not worthy

Nor was i, but one day an autobot shall rise from our and use the power of the matrix to light our darkest hour

He always knew A autobot would rise from the lower ranks

 

elita one possibly, though that may have been while on cybertron

 

HAHA!! Sadly, that's true.

Very agree.

After the movie, Ultra Magnus was clearly 2nd in command. When he gave orders, everybody complied, Including Rodimus Prime.

I do think Kup & Springer held high leadership positions, if the case came up.

 

According to the TLK bonus features it's Bumblebee

 

Jazz or Iron Hide, tough to say, in the Optimus Prime era, for Rodimus Prime era, without a doubt Ultra Magnus.

 

I always figured it was Ironhide, mainly due to this line from "A Prime Problem":

Hold it! Until we get your identities unscrambled, I'll give the orders! Autobots, transform!
Roll out for the energy crevice!

Autobots, transform!

 

Nice Ironhide-colour coding!  

 

tech specs said Prowl with Jazz, Wheeljack and Skids tied for third.

 

From their G1 Tech Specs:

* Optimus Prime - Commander / Rodimus Prime - "Protector", Vanguard

* Prowl - [Offensive] Strategist
Roadbuster - Ground Assault Commander
(Jazz - Special Operations Agent; Prime's right-hand man on Earth because of his fascination and familiarity with Earth cultures)

* Trailbreaker - Defensive Strategist
Red Alert - Security Director
(Ironhide - Security; Prime's bodyguard)

* Grimlock - Dinobot Commander

* Ultra Magnus - City Commander; Fighter, uncomfortable with leadership

(Other miscellaneous departments: Air Support, Science, Engineering, Medical, Communications)


The starred individuals appear to me to be the main authorities in the Autobot community during G1. Prowl and Trailbreaker would have been the two main department or section chiefs. While they both received lots of screen time in the cartoon, Jazz and Ironhide were actually supposed to be mere soldiers further down the chain of command. But charisma and initiative can bust organizational charts on their asses!) Later on, the Dinobots and Autobot City came online as special units and received their own respective commanders as well. It is very arguable that Ultra Magnus became the defacto SIC once so many G1 characters got killed off in TF:TM and the Ark was destroyed in S3.

 

Pre-movie, Jazz. Post-movie, Ultra Magnus.

 

Prowl is the strategist and admin/logistics guy

Jazz is spec ops (if imagine him and prowl having to work together on stuff a lot)

Ironhide is more of a sergeant who is trusted by Optimus

Wheeljack/Perceptor/Ratchet are head science (i can't decide on who fully)

Ultra Magnus is city commander (I'd picture him running a tight base and keeping things orderly)/2IC to Rodimus

Kup is Rodimus' Ironhide and Springer his Jazz

 

Show me that sounds like the words of the great Chief of security

 

The aspect of Jazz being second in command has been rather downplayed in recent times. Normally, Ironhide is depicted as Optimus's closest confidant, with Jazz as one of his more capable commanders. Ironhide is more of a commander of a smaller group, though, similar to Jazz. However, when Ultra Magnus is in the picture, he sometimes functions as second in command, but this is mostly dependent on his relationship to Optimus in the continuity, otherwise he shares a more Ironhide like role of close confidant but not acting commander. Prowl can be assumed to a chief strategist, so depending on how much say he has in official action he could be considered SIC.

 

Prowl always took command in the comics when Optimus was out of the picture. "Target 2006" did a good job of showing us the chain of command, with Jazz taking command after Optimus and Prowl disappear, then Jetfire taking over after Jazz is captured. So here is my Autobot chain of command for the earth-bound G1 group of S1-S2:

Optimus Prime
Prowl
Jazz
Ironhide
Skyfire ( 10 rank)
Mirage (officer)
Ratchet (officer)
Wheeljack (officer)
Blaster
Perceptor
Silverbolt
Hot Spot
Huffer
Hound

 

Depends on what continuity but for G1 it is Jazz IMO.

 

Prowl is the SIC and the Chief Tactician.
Jazz is the Third in Command and the Spec Ops Head.
Ironhide is the Chief of Security.

 

Is chief of security just another name for Prime's personal bodyguard? For actual security, I would figure that to be Red Alert's job.

 

It's a shame TFWiki doesn't do a better job of archiving real data from various TF media because the Marvel Comics, for instance, released new chain of command maps all the damn time. Some were situational but basically they described the reality of the story's command structure at the time. I believe every Annual storhy had one too. The Japanese also provided them for their anime continuity.

 

It depends on the time and who you ask. I think you could make definite cases for Jazz, Prowl, or Grimlock based on how the other Autobots tend to follow them in Prime's absence.

In terms of the Autobot High Command, I think OP is more of a tactical leader or general while the political leader is Emirate Xaaron. One of the real problems with TF is they are supposed to be a combat army, on both sides, but there isn't a clearly defined chain of command on either side. It's like the war started without any of the politics on a large scale that would have accompanied it. I guess you could say that's how it lasted for millions of years because there doesn't seem to be a clearly defined government, or replacement government. I know some continuities took a stab at making the Senate and the Functionist Council, but they exist mostly to get slaughtered and then disappear. The Decepticons, when they are depicted as revolutionaries, don't seem to be able to do any better. "Let's overthrow the oppressive regime," they cry. "And replace it with what," they are answered, to which they respond with shrugs.