Ever since the 1986 G1 Movie (And to a lesser extend, G1 Season 3), Rodimus Prime had always remained a pretty contested, controversial character among most fans (Especially those who grew up watching the G1 cartoon as a kid, and apparently never got over Hot Rod/Rodimus's "controversial" role in Optimus Prime's death even after decades)

At the same time, there's this trope called "Rescued from the Scrappy Head", where a universally hated character idea-wise get a genuine reinterpretation/revamp" to get fleshed out in a much successful way and manage to completely redeem themselves in the eyes of the fandom, winning over even the most bitter and skeptical of fans.

While Hot Rod did sort of getting that in a few shows such as Cyberverse, Rodimus Prime never really gets that. If you had the chance, how would you go around completely redeems G1 Rodimus Prime's reputation among fans?

 

Crossposting from the Random Thoughts thread:

If there's ever another attempt to pass leadership from Optimus to Rodimus (please), then I think it'd make a lot of sense for Hot Rod to be Optimus' student and chosen successor.

In Sunbow, there didn't really seem to be any relationship between the two of them. Regeneration One made it so that Optimus was training Hot Rod to be the next Prime, and I like that idea, but I think I'd go a bit further with it. Have Optimus be Hot Rod's mentor and father figure, and have Hot Rod be Optimus' student and surrogate son. You could play their personalities off of each other while clearly establishing that Optimus wants Hot Rod to succeed him and is preparing him to do so. Maybe have Hot Rod uncomfortable in that position but also show that they both genuinely care for each other. Show that Hot Rod has an immense amount of respect for Optimus and show him struggle with the idea of living up to him even before he actually has to, and show us what Optimus sees in Hot Rod that he doesn't even see in himself and give the audience clues as to why Optimus picked him off all people to be his successor.

Having a more personal relationship between the two also makes Rodimus Prime's story more emotional. It's not just him living up to the previous Prime or even his personal hero; he's trying to live up to the legacy of his mentor. Imagine something like Dark Awakening, where an evil Optimus comes back from the dead and taunts Rodimus--imagine how much that would hurt him. Especially if you pass leadership from Optimus to Rodimus after establishing the relationship between Optimus and Hot Rod, imagine how much more invested the audience would be if they actually knew the dynamic between the two from before and saw that.

Also, totally keep Galvatron as an amped-up Megatron, and have him taunt Rodimus over his inadequacies. Maybe Optimus is the only person Megatron had any real respect for, and now he's stuck with Optimus' protege, someone who has thus far completely failed to impress him. Maybe he acknowledges that he should respect Rodimus but he just, you know, doesn't because, to him, he's not nearly as much of a challenge for him as Optimus.

TL;DR: Make Hot Rod Optimus' protege and chosen successor, and allow him to develop into the hero that Optimus knew he could be, in spite of the fact that Rodimus was doubted by his enemies and even himself.

 

TFP's Smokescreen. He pretty much was Hot Rod in all but name, a "turbo-revving young punk" with the heart of a hero who idolized Optimus and was chosen by Optimus and the Matrix itself to become the next Prime. Do something more with that arc and you've got a perfect story about the rise of Rodimus Prime.

 

I wouldn't, because he was never in the 'Scrappy heap' to begin with.

 

Fixed that for you

I’ve never heard of this “phenomenon”.....If phenomenon is the right word

I don’t think his Reputation needs redeeming

I’ve been a member of quite a few of these transformer fan sites and I tend to find that those who still have a problem with Hotrod/Rodimus Are in a significant minority

A very vocal minority surly but number wise, Based on the number of poles I’ve seen, most people seem to have more Problems with the Character of Rodimus more for how he was depicted in season 3 (his on and off doubts) then with anything that happened in the film

Can I ask you what gave you that idea? I never really got that vibe but I only read the story once so maybe you could shed your insight

 

Personally, I feel his depiction in season three and the Marvel comics is fine (except Fight or Flee, where no one was in-character). The thing I would do is basically give him a reason as to why he feels inadequate.

My idea is that he had a tough upbringing. Orphaned street kid who got his ass constantly kicked by situations (whether it was loss of a loved one, his team or being kicked out of a prestigious force) and eventually leads to post-trauma stress. He is suicidal, very unsure of himself and very emotionally explosive (think Martin Riggs from Lethal Weapon). The thing that keeps him alive is basically his team, because they are the only family he has, and it's thanks to their help that he will eventually overcome his demons.

 

I think they made the reason he feels inadequate quite clear in the cartoon, The problem was how they ended every episode in which where they focused on the issue only for it to be an issue again episodes down the line

Not a bad idea

 

Yeah, I meant expanding on it a bit and making it more than just feeling inferior to the previous big cheese. I just didn't word it properly. But yep, it's just an idea I've been playing with.

 

I think I understood where you were going with it

But to be honest with you I just think it really wouldn’t be necessary, he idolized Optimus and having to take his place/fill his shoes I think was more than enough

 

Make Rodimus the little brother figure to Optimus' big brother. But not with a noticeable age difference. They wouldn't be like Obi-Wan and Anakin, no. More like Frank and Joe Hardy.

I don't really see Rodimus as "one of the kids" but as one of Optimus' peers who is just a bit younger and less experienced than he is.

Make Rodimus one of Optimus' oldest and closest friends, and one of his most reliable second-in-commands, or otherwise an officer of equal rank but of junior authority.

That way, the passing of the torch becomes so much more natural and less far-fetched.

 

Probably, but still, I really feel like this would really add something extra to the character to make him even more compelling.

 

I think if you just took the original character and that baked-in story, and told them well, without copping out and bringing Optimus back, a lot more people would be won over to the character.

Problem is virtually no Rodimus since the original has existed in an Optimus-free world, and so he's never allowed to grow into the role he was meant to fill: replace Optimus Prime, and all that entails. He's always going to be second banana to Optimus as long as that character persists in a leadership role.

 

I think a good alternative, since it's unlikely they'll ever replace Optimus again, would to take a little inspiration from other sources. Such as Energon (blasphemy I know). Rodimus isn't a younger leader, he's an older one, having been an Autobot leader who left Cybertron long ago. And is back during the events of the story, confronting and butting heads with Optimus as equals over their differing beliefs. Of course, you gotta ride a bit of a fine line to make sure you're not just straight up vilifying either of the two, or making one just obnoxious, but it could lead to some very interesting story telling if done right.

 

What Hasbro seemed to have wanted was change but they may have been better served by the "illusion of change."

My idea would have enabled Hasbro to have their cake and eat it too. To tell stories about all the characters, and sell all the toys, that they want.

So here's how I would have handled Rodimus and Optimus.

Much of the story from the 86 movie stays the same with one major caveat:

Optimus lives but is no longer "Prime."

Optimus and many other bots who died in the film are inoperative and will take a long period for repairs and recovery. With Unicron bearing down on Cybertron and the rest of the galaxy the autobots must move quickly and just like in the film the matrix is passed to Ultra Magnus. The events from the rest of the film basically stay intact.

After Unicron's defeat and destruction the autobots retake Cybertron etc.

But what about Optimus and this new guy?

Rodimus is simply biding his time waiting for Optimus to make a full recovery. He loves hanging out with Daniel and other humans, goofing around with Springer and Grimlock, and when it's time for business, hurling Cons through solid metal. Why can't he just do the fun and exciting stuff and leave the council meetings, energon rationing and the decidedly unfun parts of leadership to Ultra Magnus or Prowl?

All the other autobots, elder cybertronians, and the newly formed autobot high council are aghast at Rodimus Prime's cavalier attitude.

They insist that the matrix has never chosen a successor. The matrix has never reformatted or otherwise augmented any cybertronians throughout recorded history.

The matrix reformatted him into a being able to easily defeat Galvatron even while he was inside, and powered directly by, Unicron!! The matrix unleashed enough energy to destroy Unicron with Rodimus standing there at ground zero yet walking away unscathed to lead the others to safety.

Rodimus is special. Unique. Chosen.

Rodimus himself couldn't care less.

All he knows is that he likes having the prodigious power granted by his reformatting at his disposal so that he is better able to protect those weaker than himself from evil.

The elders explain to him that this immense power, and what he's doing with it, is exactly why he can't simply hand the matrix over to Optimus.

The elders explain to Rodimus that he is the embodiment of "The Protector" a being thought to be mere fantasy and wishful thinking. In fact many elders admit that most them not only didn't believe The Protector was real, they also didn't believe the matrix was capable of any of the feats it demonstrated in the battle with Unicron.

Because Rodimus is by far the most powerful autobot that isn't a Titan he must retain the matrix and continue to be the protector that Cybertron and the galaxy needs.

Rodimus Prime sees the wisdom in their words and grudgingly relents, accepting that no one else is capable of protecting all life in the way that he can.

But even The Protector can't be everywhere. Cybertron needs rebuilding and leadership. With the Decepticons demoralized and scattered it's more important that Rodimus be elsewhere traveling to Earth and other parts of the galaxy.

It is decided that a triumvirate consisting of Ultra Magnus, Prowl and Optimus will remain on Cybertron for now overseeing the planets reconstruction. And handling the more mundane day to day aspects of leading Cybertron's new society.

Out of respect, like a former political office holder, Optimus is often referred to as Optimus Prime. He is also, like Magnus and Kup, a trusted advisor to Rodimus Prime.

Rodimus, grateful that he no longer has to sit in on boring council meetings, spends his time fighting bad guys with Springer, Arcee, Blurr and whichever autobots are needed for the mission at hand.

You can also find him joyriding with Daniel.

 

I don't mind that Hot Rod was never that close to Optimus in TFTM. It made the Matrix's choice all the more unexpected and it could easily introduce tension within the Autobot ranks: older, more experienced soldiers who were close friends with Optimus would question why the Matrix chose Hot Rod of all people and why they should answer to him. Among them, you could introduce a highly vocal officer who often questions Rodimus' skills and asks him if he shouldn't hand the Matrix to someone with more seniority - namely them. Both Autobots would head butt on several occasion until one dangerous mission forces them to put their differences aside and work together. This experience would make them see eye to eye, as Rodimus would understand his senior does not pick on him out of spite but because they are genuinely concerned for the Autobots' future and Optimus' legacy with such a young bot in command, while the senior would realize that Rodimus didn't choose the mantle but still does his best to fill the shoes of his predecessor because it is the will of the Matrix. With their eyes now open, they would come to a mutual respect and the senior would serve as an advisor for Rodimus, who would keep trying to improve to earn their full trust.

I think I'll quote @Deathcatg, since one of their posts was the main inspiration for this one:

 

One doesn't even have to kill Optimus to accomplish this.

I'd personally just have Optimus step down from leading Autobots onto the battlefield and just keep himself to politics when he realizes that his idealistic leadership is doing more harm to his troops than good, and Rodimus would take up the mantle of army leader and do it better, due to his more pragmatic leadership style.

 

Wasn't the point of the Movie that Hot Rod was the 'chosen one' because of the way he did things in his own way, never giving up, taking risks etc. and not that he was trained by anyone or originally had any position or rank in the command chain.
He gained the respect of his friends, colleagues through his own actions and not from reading the 'manual.'
Just fresh, young courageous blood leading the Autobots forward.

 

I feel like Rodimus could work exceptionally in a setting where Optimus isn't a factor or is, at best, a background element. It'd give him the focus he's been long denied and really let him come into his own as a commanding figure without constantly being compared to his predecessor. That being said, there's also a lot of potential in making the two contemporaries, Rodimus being the fiery, proactive, take-charge type in contrast to Optimus' more dignified, stately demeanor. Rodimus might come across as a bit nuts, and his enemies (and some of his allies) underestimate him, but Rodimus is nothing if not scrappy and continually finds ways to snatch victory from the jaws of seemingly assured defeat. They could easily compliment one another, Optimus being the one to keep the ship sailing smoothly while Rodimus makes the bigger, more ambitious calls.

 

I feel personally attacked...  

Seriously, just make Rodimus the Prime who steps up after the Ark goes MIA.

 

I remember that Hot Rod was being mentored by Optimus in the first issue or so.