When people think about Autobot leaders in the Transformers, the first to come to mind is usually Optimus Prime. After all, he took over as leader of the Autobots in their darkest hour and led them into battle against Megatron. Before him, Megatron successfully wiped out the lineage of the Primes, leaving Cybertron with no other worthwhile leaders.
It hasn't always been Optimus in charge of the Autobots, however. When he isn't able to lead the Autobots in the fight for peace, they've had to rely on a number of other leaders. Few of them have matched up to Optimus' aura, let alone strength, but several have been able to live up to his legend well.
1 Rodimus Prime Didn't Handle the Burden of Leadership Well
Rodimus Prime is one of the more forgotten Autobot leaders, and that's not entirely by mistake. Originally known as Hot Rod, he was introduced in Transformers: The Movie as one of the newer Autobot soldiers who served under Ultra Magnus after Optimus Prime fell in battle. By the end of the film, he proved to be the only one capable of opening the Matrix and gaining access to its power, transforming him into a Prime.
Ultimately, the burden of leadership never quite fit easily on Rodimus. Despite becoming one of the strongest Autobots and having the knowledge of the Matrix to guide him, he was all too happy to give back when Optimus returned. Even the fans weren't too fond of this time period, so Hasbro has rarely ever revisited this period.
That said, while Rodimus wasn't exactly the most popular, he was effective enough. He was able to battle Galvatron and win, and even use the power of the Matrix to stop Unicron. Still, he ranks last because he's the most inexperienced, and spent the least amount of time displaying his strength compared to the rest.
2 Metalhawk Proved a Strong Leader Until the Decepticon Godmasters Arrived
Metalhawk is part of a small group of Autobot Pretenders. These Autobots wield the ability to create miniature organic shells that allow them to resemble creatures on the planet. Wielding these powers, he's spent countless years on Earth watching after the early man, and protecting them against the Decepticons. Despite countless clashes with the Decepticons, he was able to help humanity reach its potential without ever being dominated by the Decepticon army.
When Sixshot returned to Earth once again, it was Metalhawk who answered the charge along with a handful of Pretender allies. Fortunately, he's one of the rare Autobots that can actually take to the skies, allowing him air superiority. Meanwhile, on land he's got his Titanium Saber to help him dominate most battle encounters.
That said, while Metalhawk is powerful, the arrival of the Decepticon Godmasters quickly pushes the war to a point where he's not quite able to keep up. While he's a major part of the battles to protect Earth, it's Ginrai who does most of the work pushing back BlackZarak and Overlord. Metalhawk's powers lie mostly in his skill and several millennia of experience.
3 Optimus Prime Chose Ultra Magnus to Lead
Some Autobot leaders start out as soldiers, and fans get to see them grow into their position. Everything went a bit differently for Ultra Magnus, who made his first appearance as a commander of Autobot City in Transformers: The Movie. From there, he was immediately able to make a name for himself, as he helped the Autobots survive after a surprise attack from Megatron and the Decepticons.
Ultra Magnus was chosen by Optimus Prime to serve as the next leader of the Autobots. And while he wasn't able to access the power of the Matrix, Ultra Magnus still fought against the Decepticons as long as he could until they found the next true leader of the Autobots. During that time, he proved he wasn't lacking power, fighting against the Decepticon Seekers and even Galvatron's most powerful lieutenant, Cyclonus.
During the Transformers: The Headmasters series, Ultra Magnus also officially became the leader of Autobot City. While there, he repeatedly clashed with Galvatron and the powerful Sixshot. During that time, Ultra Magnus was even able to defeat Galvatron in head-to-head combat.
4 Fortress Maximus' Search for Peace Inspired His Innovative Nature
In the G1 continuity, Fortress Maximus has a complex origin that makes it hard to remember who he actually is. In Transformers: The Headmasters, things get considerably simpler. There, Fortress Maximus was a Cyberdroid who left Cybertron in the midst of its civil war in search of peace. After crashing on another planet, Fortress created a number of incredible technological advancements, including the Transtector that allowed his small body to combine with a large robotic form, which also had the ability to transform into a battleship.
Fortress Maximus there was the leader of The Headmasters, who were eventually forced to work with the Autobots when half of their number joined the Decepticons. He also built a number of other powerful weapons that made him a crucial part of the next Autobot war. His most powerful weapon was the Master Sword, a blade that grants him incredible power while also consuming his own life force.
Fortress Maximus became a key leader in the battle against the Decepticons, clashing against both Galvatron and Scorponok alike. Maximus was so successful in his fights that in The Headmasters, Rodimus Prime happily grants him the title of Autobot Supreme Commander. With that power, he's able to both defeat Scorponok and push the Decepticons away from the planet, creating a short-lived era of peace, something his predecessors dreamed of.
5 Ginrai Didn't Start Out as an Autobot
While Ginrai might look similar to Optimus Prime, he's not the same 'bot. In fact, he's not even a bot at all for the majority of Transformers: Masterforce. Instead, Ginrai was originally a human that operated as a trucker, living his life on the road. However, the events of Masterforce leads to him being chosen as an Autobot Godmaster, and grants him a transtector that allows him to transform into an Autobot himself.
Early on, Ginrai is uneasy in his role, but the Decepticons' persistence in coming after him causes him to settle in quickly. In his Godmaster form, Ginrai is incredibly powerful, as the transtectors spent years absorbing the supernatural energy from planet Earth itself. Wielding this power, Ginrai was able to take down multiple Decepticons even despite barely knowing what to do with it.
Ginrai also has multiple transformations that allow him to become more powerful when necessary. By merging with his truck's trailer, he can become Super Ginrai, which grants him enough power to take down one of the Decepticon combiners, King Poseidon, all on his own. Later still, he gains the power of the Godbomber to transform him into God Ginrai, letting him defeat both Overlord and BlackZarak with relative ease as well.
6 Star Saber Has Millions of Years Experience Battling Decepticons
Star Saber is another Autobot that's been battling Decepticons for ages. His war against Decepticon leader Deathsaurus was going on hundreds of thousands of years ago, before the Decepticons' main forces were on Earth. Even then, Star Saber was able to defeat some of the most ruthless Decepticons, proving his strength.
Eventually, Star Saber was appointed Autobot Supreme Commander, even gaining the support of Ginrai. Not long after getting the job, he was back to battling Decepticons, taking out the Decepticon subgroup, the Dinoforce, with relative ease. Even after beating them, he was able to take on Deathsaurus without much help and come out on top, proving himself.
Part of what makes Star Saber so powerful is that he's technically already one of the Autobot combiners, merging with the power of his V-Star to grant him the ability to stand up to multiple Decepticons at once. However, after God Ginrai sacrificed his life to save Star Saber's, the Autobot leader gained another power-up. Ginrai was rebuilt into Victory Leo, who combines with Star Saber to create the impressive warrior, Victory Saber. Considering Victory Saber uses both their powers at once, there's no denying Star Saber's power as the strongest Autobot leader not named Optimus.
Comments
0 comment