On Youtube I watched a clip of an Autobot disgorging a woman and thought "Oh, Bumblebee kidnapped her? I heard it was Hot Rod." As the scene progressed I realized it was Hot Rod, he just looked so samey-samey that I'd assumed it was Bumblebee with a new paint job. Anyway, back on topic . . . Wow, there are so many lame Autobots that it's hard to pick just one. Here are a couple of my top picks. (I haven't seen any of the Bayverse movies, and that is the only reason I won't be mentioning them.) G1 Wheelie, for the same reasons as everyone hates G1 Wheelie. Daniel - I am counting him as an "Autobot" because he became Arcee's head (ugh) and she is an Autobot. Pretty much every Autobot in Energon. They are utterly forgettable, which is why I am not offering individual names. Pretty much every Autobot in Cybertron. See Energon comments. Armada Red Alert - Just a super boring character. RID Drift - "Hi, I'm a samurai! My personality is honor." I hate this guy. RID Grimlock - Ho ho ho, isn't funny how he's so clumsy and is lolrandom afraid of kittens? (No.) And my ultimate pick . . . BM NIGHTSCREAM - God, Primus, Unicorn, or any other deity who might be listening: please save us from this 90s Cool Kid with the stupid hair and the attitude.
Movieverse Optimus Prime - Transformers needs Optimus Prime being a barbaric psychopath like Marvel needs Steve Rogers being a Nazi. Skids & Mudflap - Carbombya called, it wants its racism back. Movieverse Bumblebee - both the G1 and Animated Bumblebees, G1 Hot Rod, Cheetor, and Armada Hot Shot were far better kid appeal characters than this uncharismatic bore. Movieverse Jetfire - A disgrace to his G1 and Armada namesakes. They turned him into another old man character and not a good one like G1 Ironhide, Kup, or Animated Ratchet. Movieverse Wheelie - it wasn't possible for them to make Wheelie even more annoying and useless than his G1 namesake. Movieverse Drift - Shane McCarthy is right, he is nothing but another racist stereotype and a disgrace to his IDW namesake. Energon Ironhide - Worst Ironhide ever, from his grating personality, his annoying voice, and his Playskool design. Nightscream - easily the worst kid appeal character ever, along with the aforementioned Energon Ironhide and Skids & Mudflap. CW Windblade - "HI I'M WINDBLADE!" G1 Huffer - did nothing but whine.
All the Autobots are lame! Burn them all in hot slag in the smelting pool in polyhex! You want just one? Ok, Jetfire. Rubbish Deception who become boring Autobot taxi and scientist.
Whatever the episode's "lesson teacher" is in an episode of the Sunbow cartoon. Chances are the conflict in the plot is caused by their shortcomings, or by them getting overzealous and attacking Megatron head on or something.
The character designated to do something like, say, take Wheeljack's latest weapon without permission and let it get stolen by Megatron. So there could be a lesson for the kids not to steal.
IF they ever reissued that mold, I'd really hope for both a reissue Liokaiser and this set but with the missing limbs added. I'd also love a reissue of the BW repaint of the Seacons but with the missing member.