Warning: this article contains spoilers for Transformers OneTransformers One shines a new light on the origins of its most iconic characters, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Headlining the cast of Transformers One are Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry), who are at the forefront of a story that chronicles the beginning of the friendship that later becomes a heated rivalry. Transformers One makes many changes to the lore of the franchise, crafting a new origin for characters who have had their story told multiple times over the years. However, one constant of the franchise remains, that being Optimus Prime’s role as the leader of the Autobots.
Despite Transformers One‘s box office stumblings, it has become one of the best-reviewed movies in the Transformers franchise, and much of that success is due to the character work done for the central duo. Optimus Prime is heroic and brave, willing to do what he must to protect the people he cares about, and Cybertron as a whole. But one thing separates him from most of the other characters, that makes him the only Cybertronian who can take on the Matrix of Leadership and become the next Prime.
Optimus Prime Is The Perfect Autobot Leader Because He Has Hope
Optimus Has Hope Even When No One Else Does
In Transformers One, Orion Pax is filled with hope from the get-go. Every move he makes is because he believes that there is a chance, for him and his friends, for Cybertron, and even for his enemies to rise above and become something greater. Elita-1 explains this directly to Orion, telling him that it is not his skills or power that makes him the best leader, it is his hope, which allows her and everyone around to cling to the same optimism. Transformers One showcases an Orion Pax that becomes a beacon of light in the darkness for Cybertron.
The entire conflict of Transformers One is predicated on Orion Pax’s hope. He hopes that there is more to his life than just mining Energon. He hopes that he can find the Matrix of Leadership, and that they can restore their planet to what it once was. He hopes that the people will band together to rise up against Sentinel Prime’s tyranny. He hopes that Megatron can still be saved, even as he attempts to execute a pleading Sentinel. Orion’s hope drives the entire plot, and by the end of Transformers One, it saves all of Cybertron.
Hope Isn’t The Only Reason Optimus Prime Was Chosen As Autobot Leader
Orion Pax’s Heroism And Self-Sacrifice Made Him The Right Choice
While hope is one of the central reasons Orion was given the Matrix of Leadership in Transformers One, that in and of itself is not the only factor in his transformation into Optimus Prime. Throughout the movie, Orion is seen constantly doing everything he can to help, putting himself in harm’s way to save the people he cares about, and always making sure that everything he does is for the good of all Cybertronians. In Transformers One, Orion Pax’s heroism and innate goodness are all major factors leading to his ascension.
Primus saw what Pax had done, sacrificing himself to save someone he had no need to, fighting against the injustice of Megatron, and saw fit to bestow the position of leadership onto the newly forged Optimus.
Optimus Prime is ultimately given the Matrix of Leadership because, at the end of Transformers One, he makes the final sacrifice to try and save Sentinel Prime. Primus saw what Pax had done, sacrificing himself to save someone he had no need to, fighting against the injustice of Megatron, and saw fit to bestow the position of leadership onto the newly forged Optimus. Transformers One depicts Orion Pax as a true hero in every fashion, and someone more than worthy of taking up the mantle of Optimus Prime.
