Yeah, Optimus' hands are weird. They're very flat and they are too small. The fact thet he has broad shoudlers and wide arms just means his hands should be to scale with them. Bumblebee has the same problem but to a lesser extent.

 

So I'm not the only one.

 

I wondered for a long time too. TFP Optimus Prime's hands look like they are made or cut from a tank's belts. Bumblebee's hands are like that too.

I wonder if they are designed to grab onto things. Maybe that's what enabled Optimus to climb on a solid rocky mountain side.

But they also seem too small if Optimus makes a fist. How hard can he punch with those hands?

From what they show us in the series, pretty hard, but I don't know if that make sense.

 

I actually hadn't noticed at all, of course only seeing 3 or 4 episodes in 2 months will do that to you. (canadian episodes aside)

 

Theory: The last time Optimus offer a hand to Megatron, he literally choped both of them. Optimus wears those news as a constant remind of that day.

 

At least he has five fingers. It bugs the crap out of me that some of the Prime TFs have only four fingers. What is this, the Flintstones?

 

I dunno, I kinda like it. These are transforming alien robots that can easily alter their parts, after all. It makes sense to me that there would be little bits of diversity like that.

I figure guys like Bulkhead and Breakdown have fewer but thicker fingers because they're not built for delicate work or typing on consoles all day. They're the heavy brawlers of their respective groups, and as such they have simpler but stronger hands to help them pack more of a punch.

 

While we're talking about hands, I'd like to say that I freaking LOVE all the Decepticon hand designs, in Special, Skyquake and Megatron look like they're wearing badass gauntlets or something.

I dig how every characters has different hands, eyes and stuff. Really gives you a feel of individuality.

 

This...

..and this.

 

Soundwave has got some... Interesting hands: