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Fifteen years ago, the Transformers cartoon introduced most of us to the wonderful world (and characters) of the Autobot/Decepticon conflict. Every character in this sometimes vast mythos has supporters, even Wheelie! (You just have to look REAL hard for them.) And every character has taken his or her share of abuse. However, in my opinion, no character has taken more ill deserved abuse than Hot Rod, AKA Rodimus Prime. Since his introduction in the Movie, Roddy has been consistently attacked on a number of fronts. Foremost of these, of course, is the common assertion that the death of Optimus Prime was in fact his fault. However, Rod has also been accused of being whiny, irresponsible, and a poor leader. Despite these attacks, I like the man a great deal, and I think I need to stand up and defend him. I'm not the first, and I won't be the last; but I feel the need to add my insights to the pool of Hot Rod support.
First, let's address the question of Hot Rod's interference in Prime and Megatron's battle during the movie. Rod's detractors often assert that had he not interfered, Megatron would not have taken down Optimus. I find that hard to believe. In the first place, Optimus and Megatron are FAR too well matched for either to have an easy victory, and Megatron had already inflicted several very serious wounds on Prime. Even had Hot Rod not interfered, there's no guarantee that Optimus would have stopped Megatron from reaching the gun. However, if Optimus HAD prevented Megatron from obtaining the weapon, that in itself would not preclude Megatron from being able to unleash more damage on Optimus. In short, there's really no way to know WHAT would have happened.
Still, some might point out, Hot Rod shouldn't have interfered anyway. Well, maybe not, but backing up other warriors seems to be standard Autobot procedure. It wasn't as if Prime and Megatron had actually declared some type of honorable single combat-- at least, not where their troops could hear. Hot Rod saw a threat, and he reacted, just like many other Autobots have done many other times.
And even if he made a mistake-- so what? Everybody screws up once in a while. Shall I list all the dumb things Optimus Prime has done over the course of the series? Like chasing a Decepticon space ship while wearing a little jetpack? Prime is certainly capable of making mistakes. It's one of the things we love about him. Let's check out one episode in particular-- "The Search for Alpha Trion." First, Optimus allows Megatron to bait him into an obvious trap with the news of the female Autobots. Second, he goes RACING out of the base, not leaving any word or taking any back-up behind. Not the actions of a seasoned commander. On Cybertron, he got himself captured and almost dipped in acid, forcing Elita-1 to take an incredible amount of damage trying to save him. Once out of danger, Prime had to rush Elita to Alpha Trion and hope that he could fix her. Prime got lucky-- she survived.
Sound familiar to anyone else? The only real difference is that Perceptor couldn't fix Optimus, but that was hardly Hot Rod's fault. So, if we don't condemn Optimus for his mistake, why should we condemn Hot Rod? Some might point out that Optimus' mind was clouded by his emotions, his concern for Elita-1. What, then, do you think was motivating Hot Rod? A desire to fight? To get glory beating Megatron? I doubt it. Rod says it himself, "I have to help Prime." Galvatron himself refers to Optimus as Rod's mentor. That, to me, at least, indicates at least SOME emotional bond between the two. Note the emotions between the two in the final battle of "Dark Awakening." Also, in "Return of Optimus Prime," Rodimus is the first person Op asks about after his second revival. That these two are very close seems quite obvious to me. Why shouldn't Hot Rod have had his judgement clouded by an overwhelming concern? (And when you think about it, he had a better claim to such behavior. HE was just a soldier; as a commander, Prime should have known better!)
As for whining... yeah, he did. Rodimus Prime whined a lot, but some of that has to be attributed to the rather sadistic writing staff. After all, there were at least two episodes ("The Burden Hardest to Bear" and "Dark Awakening") where Rodimus confronted his burdens and accepted who he was. Then the next episode started up, and he was right back where he started again.
Writer torture aside, however, Rodimus Prime DID have somewhat of a tendency to either self-loathing or self-pity. However, you have to admit he was to some extent entitled. Think about it, he goes from being an ordinary soldier to suddenly being Autobot Leader, with everything that entails. One of the fundamental underpinnings of his life is gone, for which he probably blames himself. And I would bet a number of Autobots probably blamed him as well, however misguided such a sentiment would be. Added to that is the fact that there are some definite expectations of who he's supposed to be, expectations that he probably does not fit. Optimus had a definite command style, one that Rodimus was hard-pressed to emulate. And, Ultra Magnus' advice to the contrary, he probably shouldn't have tried... but we'll get into that later. The point is, Rodimus did whine, but he usually had pretty good reason, and he didn't let his problems interfere with the job at hand. (Well, except "The Burden Hardest to Bear," and even there, not for very long.)
Another criticism leveled at Rod deals with his irresponsibility. I think I need to make something clear, here. Rodimus behaved irresponsibly at times, but he was not, in my opinion, irresponsible. One is a behavioral mode, the other is an intrinsic character trait. Why the difference? Examine the instances of irresponsible behavior on Rodimus' part, and a pattern begins to emerge. Irresponsibility is a coping mechanism, Rod's response to the identity crisis that being "Rodimus Prime" sometimes gave him.
Note that of all Rodimus' responsibilities, the one he consistently fulfilled was his role as Daniel's big brother figure. Daniel's welfare was probably the only REAL responsibility Hot Rod had. In the movie, he's off fishing with Daniel. Subsequent events seem to support the idea that Hot Rod is a soldier, and a fairly low-ranking one at that. He might have duties around Autobot City once in a while, but as far as true responsibilities go, Daniel was quite probably his only one.
Rodimus Prime, on the other hand, has hundreds of responsibilities. He's a warrior, a battle commander, a statesman, a peacemaker, a civil servant, and the list goes on. All of these obligations were pretty much dropped on him after he received the Matrix, and are associated with his new status as Prime, further separating "Rodimus Prime" from "Hot Rod."
When the duties of being Prime got to be too overwhelming and Rod felt disconnected from who he had always been, he would often indulge in a bit of reckless, "Hot Rod"-style behavior as a counter-balance. Drag racing the Stunticons comes to mind. His responsibilities to Daniel, though, were familiar, and thus escaped the dissociation.
The other reason for Rodimus's recklessness is much simpler. He cares very little for his own safety, as seen on MANY occasions. Short-circuiting himself, facing off against a Goo-sweeper, and personally seeing to various missions tend to support this view. In fact, such behavior might be considered a sign of actual clinical depression, which would fit with some of Rodimus's other habits.
Then there are those who charge that Rodimus is a poor leader. Most of these people, I feel, are comparing him to Optimus, which is to do them both a grave disservice. Rodimus is NOT Optimus, nor should he be. One of the main detriments to Rodimus' self-confidence, I feel, was Ultra Magnus' inability to accept that. Rodimus had his own style of doing things, most especially relating to his troops. While Optimus tended to be quite serious during a crisis, Rodimus generally came up with some type of quip. Such behavior is often quite useful for releasing tension, and inspires more confidence in the troops than a grim, silent commander does. Prime tended to worry about things more than Rodimus. The problem with worrying is that it eats up precious resources, although it can lead you to plan for contingencies. Of course, Rodimus spent a lot of time bouncing from one crisis to the next, which also causes alterations between his leadership style and Optimus'.
When evaluated on his own merits, Rodimus is actually a fairly effective leader. He's deeply concerned with the safety of his troops, and does manage to win their respect and employ them effectively. In fact, he has fewer troubles with the Aerialbots than Prime did! Rodimus does have an understanding of strategy and thinking through a battle, as evidenced by "Nightmare Planet." And he is most certainly a formidable combatant in his own right. The fight against Optimus in "Dark Awakening" showed him using both brawn and brain to keep his leader at bay. Then in "Return of Optimus Prime," Rodimus managed to outwit and outmaneuver Ultra Magnus, and give Optimus Prime himself a run for his money.
Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime has his flaws, like any character, but he is worthy of a great deal of respect. His strength and courage, not to mention his very real emotions, make him quite probably my favorite character in all of G1. So lay off the Winnebago, folks, and let's give the guy the respect he deserves.