- "Optimus Prime on deciding that he is prepared to sacrifice his life to destroy the AllSpark, Transformers"
- ―A necessary sacrifice to bring peace to this planet. We cannot let the humans pay for our mistakes.
Optimus Prime (sometimes Nemesis Prime), is the leader of the Autobots. Long ago, he was the novice to the Great Sentinel Prime and the humble leader of Cybertron's science division, which studied the AllSpark and were protected by Lord High Protector Megatron's military. When Megatron was corrupted by the Fallen, Optimus discovered that he was the last of the Dynasty of Primes hidden away when the Fallen destroyed their lineage. In response to Megatron's attempts to seize the AllSpark and conquer other worlds, Optimus assumed his proper title and rallied the Autobots to stand against the Decepticons. Before the disappearance of Sentinel, Optimus is handed the leadership of the Autobots.
As obsessively as Megatron strives to achieve his objective, Optimus is equally as dedicated to stopping him even at the cost of his life, his world and - if necessary - his own people. It was on his order that the AllSpark was jettisoned into space, dooming Cybertron to a slow death and his people to a nomadic life. The sacrifices he has made weigh heavily on his spark, but they must be done for there is no other choice. He knows the ambitions that lurk in his brother's spark and they must never see the light of day. Lives must be kept free from the threat of Megatron's tyranny, no matter the cost. This obsession with the defeat of Megatron has robbed Optimus of some of his early idealism. This has created a certain ruthlessness beneath his otherwise honest and caring personality. Prime is not one for second chances and is willing to consider any action that might lead to victory, short of directly sacrificing those he cares about.
Japanese: Optimus Prime (オプティマスプライム Oputimasu Puraimu) Cantonese: O Baak Man (Hong Kong, 柯柏文) Hungarian: Optimusz Fővezér ("Prime Leader Optimus") Indonesian: Optimus Prime (옾티뭇 패리므"Op-ti-mus Pri-me", different from Optimus Prime), sometimes also Sang Ketujuh (상 크투줗"The Seventh") (In Indonesian, Optimus is known as the seventh Prime) or Pemimpin Para Autobot (프밈핀 파라 아우토붙"The Leader of the Autobots") Mandarin: Kē Bó Wén (Taiwan, 柯博文), Qíng Tīan Zhù (China, 擎天柱, "Pillar that Supports the Sky") Ukrainian: Optimus Naikrashchiy (Оптимус Наiкращий, "Optimus the Best")
Personality
Optimus is kind, caring, selfless, serious, highly intelligent, calculating and wise. He has a strong sense of justice, honor and good morals. On the battlefield, he is a great fighter, leader and tactician. He can be cold and ruthless towards his enemies, but he also has a sense of compassion for enemies who were turned from the right path. Optimus is very mature, calm, level-headed and patient, as he rarely loses his temper. Despite humanity's primitive state compared to his own race, Optimus often defends them by arguing that he sees their potential to be better rather than focusing on their flaws (even if this faith experienced some knocks after humanity rejected the Autobots following the destruction of Chicago). His affection for humans has also been shown in his admiration of them; when introduced to Buzz Aldrin, one of the first human beings to set foot on Earth's moon, Optimus accepted the astronaut referring to them both as space travelers despite his far greater time in space, acknowledging it as an honor to meet the man who had done so much by humanity's standards before they officially began collaborating with the Autobots.
Abilities
As the last of the Primes, Optimus is one of the most, if not the most powerful cybertronian.
- Master hand-to-hand combatant: Optimus is shown to be an exceptionally formidable hand-to-hand combatant. In fact, the only ones that have been able to defeat him in combat are Megatron, Sentinel Prime and Lockdown (and most of Megatron's victories were caused because Optimus was already worn down after fighting someone else where Megatron entered the battle fairly fresh).
- Master swordsman: Optimus is shown to be a formidable swordsman. He was able to kill Megatron with only an arm and a battle axe within 15 seconds as shown is the third movie. Optimus Prime was also able to decapitate the drillerbot with his dual energon swords in the third movie.
- Master marksman: Although he prefers hand-to-hand combat, Optimus is extremely proficient in the use of firearms.
- Master tactician: Optimus is shown to be a master tactician.
- Master leader: Optimus is shown to be a great leader.
- Expert driver: Optimus is shown to be an expert driver in vehicle mode. In the first movie, he was able to do a swift u-turn, while driving at a high speed and in the third movie, he was able to tranform at a high speed in mid-air even with a trailer attached to him.
- Cybertronian strength: Optimus is shown to be strong compared to that of an average cybertronian. He was able to take down Shockwave with ease in the third movie. He is capable of lifting over 2,000 tons.
- Cybertronian speed: Optimus is shown to be a fast compared to that of an average cybertronian. He was shown to outrun helicopters in the first film and was able to outrun Sentinal Prime when Sentinal was in vehicle mode, as shown in the third film.
- Healing Factor: Optimus Prime has an enhanced healing factor, in the second movie, a badly damaged Optimus Prime was healing during the time Jetfire's parts were combining with Optimus.
- Invincibility: Optimus Prime has the matrix of leadership inside his chest. As long as it stays there, Optimus Prime has invincibility. He was able to survive a sword through the chest from Lockdown in the fourth movie.
Fiction
Transformers: Beginnings
Titan Magazines
Revenge of the Fallen film
- Voice actor: Peter Cullen
Games
Transformers The Game
- Voice actor: Peter Cullen
Optimus Prime provides intelligence and missions to Bumblebee in his search for the All Spark. Eventually, the clues lead the Autobot to Sam Witwicky. After saving Sam from Barricade, Bumblebee finally completes preparations for the Autobots to arrive on Earth.
Once on Earth, and having informed the two teenagers of their mission, Prime and the Autobots are discovered by Sector 7. Optimus sends Jazz on a high-speed destruction distraction mission, then sends Ironhide to rescue Jazz from a double-threat posed by the government agents and various Decepticon scouts.
When Bumblebee is captured, Prime transforms and chases the chopper which from which the small Autobot is tied. After a lengthy chase, Prime manages to catch the net, only to be thrown off by another Cybertronian meteor. As Bumblebee is carried away, Optimus promises he will not fail him again. Jazz informs him that the meteor is not an Autobot. Prime confronts the new threat, who turns out to be the Decepticon Triple Changer Shockwave. The two battle it out across Tranquility before Optimus finally destroys him. But not without overhearing Starscream's transmission revealing the location of the All Spark.
Optimus then returns to an intel role as he guides Bumblebee in his mission to retrieve the All Spark from Hoover Dam. Unfortunately, the Decepticons manage to free Megatron, leading to the final battle in Mission City.
As the Autobots battle it out with the Decepticons to protect Sam and the All Spark, things seem to take a turn for the worst as Megatron finally arrives. But before he can claim the cube, Optimus attacks him.
The two battle it out until Megatron is finally on the ground, seemingly devoid of life. Optimus then kneels to take the All Spark as Sam hands it to him. Megatron however awakens, leaping at Optimus with his chain-flail out, and making one last attempt at defeating his adversary. Optimus grabs the chain, pulling Megatron in closer, and with the All Spark clutched in his fist, delivers a punch through Megatron's spark. As Megatron dies, Optimus reflects on the losses and rewards of this battle, as the Autobots have a new home. Optimus plans to guard the humans in secret, "For freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
Transformers: Autobots
- Voice actor: Peter Cullen
Arriving late on Earth, Optimus meets up with the other Autobots to give further commands to his troops. Create-A-Bot, the new rookie, is eager to help in the cause, but Optimus tells him to sit back while the grown-ups take care of business. Getting fed up with the bureaucracy, Create-A-Bot finally defies orders and completes a mission against Optimus's council. After nearly getting himself and the other Autobots killed, Create-A-Bot apologizes to Optimus personally. Taking pity on the newcomer, Optimus lets him off with a stern warning, and they move out together to face Megatron. During the fight, Create-A-Bot sacrifices himself to save his commander. Megatron defeated, Optimus commends the young Autobot as a war hero, and sends out an interstellar message to any Cybertronians living among the stars.
Transformers: Decepticons
- Voice actor: Peter Cullen
Landing on Earth, Optimus quickly joins the other Autobots to attempt to stop the Decepticons. He doesn't actually appear, however, until Megatron himself is released and Starscream escapes with the AllSpark. He steps in to thwart the maniacal leader of the Decepticons, but alas, is struck down, left in the streets while Megatron gives chase to his traitorous second-in-command. You can ironically cheat by jumping on a building and shoot him then.
Revenge of the Fallen game
- Voice actor: Peter Cullen
- He is an available character in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen the video game.
- He is available in his movie form and in all gold as Gold Optimus Prime.
- His primary weapons are laser rifles. His secondary weapons are twin shell cannons. His vehicle mode weapons are twin slow-rate machine guns. His vehicle mode is a peterbilt truck. His special coats him in blue, absorbs damage, and increases melee damage.
Dark of the Moon game
He first appears in chapter 1, in which he helps Bumblebee and Sideswipe fight a Decepticon onslaught. He also appears when he is giving orders to Autobots to go on missions.
He is the player in Chapter 7, when he defeats the Driller and Shockwave.
Rise of the Dark Spark game
Further information in this article is coming soon as it pertains to information that is not currently appropriate for inclusion.
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Notes
Optimus Prime posed as the cover bot for Empire magazine
Optimus Prime truck
Another truck used for Optimus Prime
The truck that Optimus scans to get his new vehicle form
- When Optimus' design was first revealed, many fans of the Generation One series objected to the flames seen on Prime's body. When asked in an interview why he put the flames on, Michael Bay claimed he liked them because it was "cool". It was later revealed on a special featurette on the DVD that the flames were added to give Prime's red color a brighter tone, as apparently red is not very good to film on camera.
- In his current form, he is one of the few (if not the only) version of Optimus Prime who's windshields are not seen on his chest in robot mode.
- The announcement of Peter Cullen as Prime's voice actor in the movie is credited by some fans as alleviating many fan tensions about the movie. Not all tensions, mind you, as there are some who just can't forgive, but it put the easily pleased fans in a good mood.
- After seeing Megatron dead in the first movie, Optimus somberly, yet remorsefully stated, "You left me no choice, brother" — Ironically, in the third movie, Optimus killed Megatron even after he offered a truce (though it should be noted that the truce came across as little more then another unworthy trick).
- TakaraTomy officially recognizes Optimus Prime's vehicle mode as a Kenworth W900 truck, even though the vehicle used for filming was a modified Peterbilt 379, a different model from a different brand, although both are made by the PACCAR company.[1]
- When Optimus Prime scans a truck for his new body, the passing truck has what appears to be an Autobot badge on its grill, but the actual truck that Prime turns into at the end of the scene has a much wider, flatter symbol on the grill which looks rather more like that of Peterbilt. Then, Prime has an Autobot badge on his grill while driving to meet the other Autobots.
- As part of the hype buildup to the movie release, Optimus Prime made a brief cameo at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards, interacting with host Sarah Silverman. The scene spliced Silverman into pre-existing movie footage, but featured new dialogue recorded for the event by Peter Cullen. Prime heavily hinted that he wanted to present an award, but was rejected for a regular MTV fan.
- Optimus is officially 9.75m (32 feet) tall, weighs 4.3 metric tons, and his primary weapon is an ion blaster. (Considering Optimus' height, however, this weight would seem implausible. However, it is worth noting that a Peterbilt 379 actually does weigh 4.3 metric tons. Make of that what you will.)
- According to a tie-in advertisement for Burger King, Prime likes his Whoppers with no onions, no cheese, and with extra pickles on the side. However, due to a cruel twist of fate, he can never enjoy the sweet taste of beefy victory.
- The Optimus Prime computer generated model consisted of 10,108 individual parts, 1,830,898 polygons, 27,744 rig nodes, and 2336 texture maps. The volume of all pieces combined came to 154 cubic metres (5445 cubic feet).[2]
- Optimus Prime (in truck mode) made an appearance at BotCon 2007, alongside the Sector Seven Mobile Command Unit. He was available for pictures all weekend.
- In the Transformers: Destiny issue, Prime's holographic driver is modeled after Peter Cullen. Yep, that's right, Prime drives himself.
- On July 6, 2009, Optimus Prime, voiced by Peter Cullen, aired on the Late Show with David Letterman. He guest starred to say, "The top ten things that sound cool when spoken by a giant robot".
- 10: "Jergens lotion leaves my hands silky smooth."
- 9: "Do you have these khaki's in size 114?"
- 8: "My perfect night involves a pint of Häagen-Dazs, and season three of 'Sex and the City'."
- 7: "Man, do I love me some taters."
- 6: "It was so hot in Central Park today, I saw a squirrel rubbing sunblock on his nuts."
- 5: "You seemed a little pitchy, dawg."
- 4: "Brody Jenner has added you as a friend on Facebook."
- 3: "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night."
- 2: "My parents wanted me to be a rabbi."
- 1: "All the slammin' shorties in the house say, 'Yeeeah'."
- In Revenge of the Fallen, Optimus throws a few insults to the Decepticons he's fighting. When he first attacks Megatron, he says: "Weak!", "Puny!" and "Waste of Metal!". And when he's finished with Grindor, he shouts: "Piece of tin!".
- Out of the other existing continuities, this Optimus Prime is probably the most aggressive incarnation, based on how he speaks to government officials and how he deals with enemy combatants. Though considering who directed the movie, this doesn't seem too shocking.
- Total Faces/Heads messed up: 5
- Apparently this Optimus likes to go for Decepticon's faces during battle. Listed in order of occurrence:
- Optimus rams his sword through Bonecrusher's neck and tears his head off in the first movie.
- He helps to bring down Demolisher by shooting him multiple times in the head at point blank range in Revenge of the Fallen. After Demolisher crashes, Optimus finishes him off by shooting him through the eye.
- In the forest battle from Revenge of the Fallen, Optimus grabs hold of Starscream, kicks Megatron in the face when he chances after Sam, and then lifts and kicks Starscream in the face/jaw. He also digs his energon hooks into Grindor's face and rips his head apart.
- In the final battle in Egypt from Revenge of the Fallen, Optimus makes Megatron shoot himself in the face with his own arm cannon, and rips off The Fallen's face while exclaiming, "Give me your FACE!" as he does so.
- In Dark of the Moon, Optimus charges Shockwave, though he does extensive body damage, he finishes him by gruesomely ripping his eye out of its socket.
- In Dark of the Moon, Optimus axes Megatron's head and rips it off his body, along with his spine. Soon after, he takes Megatron's fusion shotgun and shoots Sentinel Prime, first in the back, then in the head.
- In Dark of the Moon the comic adaptation, Optimus uses his blades to open Shockwave's face and rips his eye out of his face before killing him.
- In Age of Extinction, he impales Lockdown in the back, only to run his sword up his body and slice his face and head in half. He almost broke his habit!
- Next to his Energon swords and Ion blasters, he has also two hooks, similar to those used by paratroopers, which he uses to rip open Grindor's head.
- Although, it's possible, that his blades can open up to become the hooks, looking at the blades shape more closely.
- However, after closer inspection of the forest fight scene, Prime is seen throwing one of his blades at Grindor, implying that the swords and hooks are separate pieces of weaponry.
- Even though Prime said he wants to find a peaceful resolution to the war, he declines Megatron's truce (though it is not very sincere) and brutally decapitates him.
- According to the movie site, Optimus Prime's closest ally is Ironhide, so he would have been pretty pissed at Megatron for causing Sentinel Prime to kill him.
- In the novelization, Megatron is much more serious about it and lays down his weapons. In return, Optimus spares him.
- In Dark of the Moon, he seems to have a slightly different chest. It sports a grill which is beneath the windows, making him look like he has abs.
- In Dark of the Moon, Optimus Prime's trailer can transform into flight gear or a weapon pack.
- Despite being a powerful warrior able to take down all the Decepticons he faces in the films, he always needs some kind of help to defeat the main villain of each movie: Sam had to kill Megatron for him in the first movie, and he needed Jetfire's parts to defeat the Fallen in the second movie. He also needed Megatron's help to defeat Sentinel in the third one, ultimately finishing him off rather than defeating him, and in the fourth movie he wouldn't be able to finish off Lockdown if it hadn't been for Bumblebee, Cade, Tessa and Shane.
- Even though he was supposed to get rid of Jetfire's parts, he looks much bulkier in the end scene of Revenge of the Fallen.
- In Revenge of the Fallen, as he enters into Shanghai, he is seen using his battle hooks to separate the parachutes and himself.
- Total on-screen transformations: 11
- An innovative Irish company, named RoboSteel, weld scrap steel from various vehicles into film characters and fantasy icons, they created an 8-foot (2.4 m) tall Optimus Prime. It took 2 months to build. It was revealed in the 2011 edition of the Ripley's Believe It or Not! book.
- In the 2012 edition of the book, it was revealed there was another two 8 ft sculptures, these were made in Bangkok, Thailand. Both stand in Ripley's museums, one in Orlando, Florida, and the other in San Antonio, Texas.
- In 2014, Optimus made an appearance in the Nickelodeon 2014 Kids Choice Awards. He did this to try and warn the host (who was Mark Wahlberg) that Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor were about to slime him, which he prevented by sliming them.
Gallery
Gallery
Concept Art
Videos
References
- ↑ Article at Edmunds.com on some of the vehicles used in the movie
- ↑ Robertson, Barbara (2007). Heavy Metal. Computer Graphics, 30(7), 12-17.