More than Just a Hero?
Heroes can inspire people to admire, imitate, and follow them. We grasp the rather obvious point that we expect heroes to be “good” or “virtuous” in some sense or another. But we haven’t really explained Optimus Prime’s ability to inspire. What makes a hero more than just a hero, but a character so compelling that so many children would get emotionally attached to Optimus Prime?
Optimus Prime is a special character who displays not only heroic conduct but also the important virtues of wise leadership and ethical commitment. Optimus Prime is able to effectively inspire and guide his community of soldiers in an ethically principled way. This all sounds great, but why would these virtues appeal to us, and especially to young people?
Perhaps evolutionary psychology can suggest an answer. Starting from the concept of “group-fitness” in evolutionary psychology, it makes sense that individuals who know how to survive and thrive in the natural environment, who are good at teaching others in their community, and who are devoted to the survival and happiness of their clan, tribe, or community, are adaptive individuals for a community to encourage and support. It can also make sense, from this group-fitness perspective, that an instinct or genetic propensity for children to seek out role models that exemplify these types of personality traits would be selected for in our environment of evolutionary adaptivity. It’s therefore likely that our desire to take close notice of the narratives of “heroic” characters originates in this natural evolution of psychological adaptations. We not only need good leaders; we also must be willing to follow them. Special individuals who not only have a valuable knowledge of what is good for the community, but who also know how to draw adaptive strengths out of other individuals in the group, and inspire those individuals to utilize those strengths for the benefit of the group, are noticeably special for human beings. This inherited psychological mechanism, passed down from thousands of generations, survived because communities who followed and emulated good leaders were more likely to survive.
Special traits of Optimus Prime that make him a great leader come together into what could be labeled as his particular coaching style of interacting with the other Autobots. In his book Successful Coaching Rainer Martens describes how the co-operative coaching style is exemplified by a coach who listens to his athletes, but provides enough discipline to create an ideal atmosphere of healthy competitiveness and motivation. A coach who is too passive is seen as counterproductive, while a coach who is too commanding is seen as destructive. A co-operative coach, by contrast, leads with a winning combination of empathy and discipline. Optimus Prime repeatedly exemplifies this co-operative coaching style.
Optimus Prime is assertive and stern in a number of instances with his Autobot soldiers. In Episode 21 he firmly asserts to one Autobot who is accusing another Autobot of treason, that no punitive action will be taken until adequate evidence is presented. Another example of firm structure and discipline is when Optimus Prime, in Episode 16, insists that the Autobots honor their agreement with the Decepticons after Optimus loses a duel with Megatron requiring the Autobots to leave the planet Earth.
An example of the sensitive or compassionate side of Optimus Prime, also a trait of the co-operative coaching style, is seen in Episode 27 when Optimus tells their human friend Chip to “hold on to your dreams.” Another example of the leadership trait of empathy is in Episode 45 when Optimus must convince Omega Supreme to give up his desire for revenge in order to save San Fransisco from an alien invasion, he is only able to do this by appealing to Omega Supreme’s inner emotional turmoil, helping Omega overcome his obsession with revenge.
Optimus Prime’s leadership style is also highly principled. For a robot, Optimus Prime knows ethics. Let’s take a look at some specific instances of ethical valor on the part of the character Optimus Prime. In Transformers Generation 1, Episode 16, Megatron challenges Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel—and the stakes are high, because the loser has to leave Earth with his army, forever. The Cybertronian code of battle calls for a fair fight, which Optimus points out to other Autobots who express their concerns about the potential outcome of the fight. Optimus Prime states that under the terms of the code, he is confident that he can beat Megatron. At this point in the challenge, Optimus Prime has every intention of honoring the code, and Megatron obviously has every intention of cheating in order to win this battle. Specifically, Megatron arranges to have the other Decepticons contribute parts of their central processing units to Megatron’s mainframe which will give him the special abilities of each of the Decepticons.
When the duel takes place, Megatron actually beats Optimus Prime (although Optimus puts up a valiant fight). When this happens, the rest of the Autobots want to attack the Decepticons and avenge Optimus Prime. However, Optimus, being the righteous leader that he is, insists that the Autobots keep their word, lest they “destroy their honor” by breaking Cybertronian law. From a pragmatic perspective, it’s in the best interest of the human species, and of all other transformers who fear the ruthless oppression of the Decepticons, for the Autobots to disregard the code, and “kick the Decepticons’ tails all the way back to Cybertron.” BUT, Optimus Prime, in his wisdom, believes that keeping their word, and maintaining their honor, even in the face of such discouraging circumstances, in some way is in the best interest of all parties involved. He believes that even in the face of such circumstances, it’s better for the well being of the cosmic community for all sentient beings to hold themselves to the highest standards of honesty and fairness. At the end of the episode, Optimus Prime’s honorable behavior is vindicated when the Autobots discover that Megatron cheated anyway, and they go back to their old battle over planet Earth and Cybertron.
Leadership Ethics for Robots and Humans
In Episode 21, an Autobot by the name of Mirage is accused by another Autobot, Cliff Jumper, of treason. Cliff Jumper seems to have good reason for believing that Mirage is a traitor, and states his case firmly to Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots. Optimus Prime is careful to point out a lack of evidence in his case and the negative impact of “bad feelings” resulting from unfounded accusations. At this point, Cliff Jumper’s suspicions are set aside, however begrudgingly. As events unfold further into the episode, evidence surfaces that supports Cliff Jumper’s case against Mirage. Upon presenting this evidence to Optimus Prime, and insisting that Mirage be charged with treason, Prime makes the assertion that Mirage’s side of the story must be heard before any judgment is passed. This reflects the wisdom of an ethical leader who does not jump to conclusions, but compassionately includes the perspectives of all involved and relies on all relevant evidence before making punitive decisions that effect the well being of others. In the end it turns out that Mirage is not a traitor, and once again, Optimus Prime’s principles are vindicated.
In Episode 26 Megatron succeeds in building a clone of Optumus Prime. His plan is to fool the Autobots into believing that the clone is the real Prime and then use the clone to lead the Autobots to their doom. The Autobots struggle to distinguish the real Optimus Prime from the fake one, and not until the end of the episode can they figure out who the real Prime is. At one point in the episode, the human friend of the Autobots, Spike, is captured by the Decepticons. The fake Optumus Prime orders the Autobots to follow him into a battle with the Decepticons. One of the Autobots then points out that they should probably rescue Spike first. The clone of Optimus Prime dismisses the value of rescuing Spike. This surprising lack of concern for Spike causes the Autobots to clearly perceive that he is not the real Optimus Prime. The Autobots knew their leader: the real Optimus Prime would value the life of a human over winning one battle with the Decepticons. This episode once again reflects the compassionate nature of the true leader Optimus Prime. Ever since their arrival on Earth, the Autobots consistently give great consideration to the impact of their operations on the human beings around them. This consideration is most exemplified by Optimus Prime.
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sp; In Episode 27, another human friend of the Autobots named Chip exhibits great regret that circumstances did not turn out as he had hoped. In a consoling tone, Optimus Prime tells Chip “hang on to your dreams, Chip. The future is built on dreams.” This moment is striking if one is able to recognize the significance of this exchange. For a robotic being with “artificial” intelligence to speak in this way about such cognitive-emotional phenomena as hopes and dreams has many philosophical implications. First, this shows a sense of empathy and compassion on the part of Optimus Prime for the emotional state of hopelessness that a human being was experiencing. At the very least, this reveals the remarkable level of intelligence that the Transformers possess. Secondly, this implies that the Transformers are able to identify with having hopes and dreams, because they experience these phenomena themselves. It’s stated many times in different episodes that Transformers have “feelings” in an emotional sense. This fits well if one makes the argument that they also have what could be considered “hopes and dreams.” This kind of behavior is likely one of the parts of the character Optimus Prime that generates affection for him by the audience.
There are many instances throughout the storyline of the Transformers where Optimus Prime’s honor and his commitment to justice end up contributing to a victory for the Autobots. The sense of fairness and honesty that Optimus Prime exhibits is by no means hard to see and is made clear time and time again by his actions. Although this ethical “righteousness” has played an important role in the success of the Autobots in many of their missions, at times Optimus Prime has led them to victory simply because he had knowledge that was relevant to the circumstances. The best leader carefully integrates ethical virtue with reliable wisdom. There were many times when Prime’s knowledge of Cybertronian history or his knowledge of the Decepticons in general contributed to him knowing what to do in order for the Autobots to win a battle. This gave the impression of a wise and knowledgeable leader. In many scenarios where an individual is successfully leading a group, often times their sheer knowledge of the circumstances provides critical instruction on what is the best course of action for a group to follow, similar to an athletic coach having a vast amount of knowledge about a particular sport.
In Episode 32 the value of this kind of knowledge is exhibited once again by Optimus Prime. When the Autobot Red Alert’s thought circuits are damaged, he begins to experience a state of paranoia. Optimus Prime is quick to realize that the damage to his circuits is causing the disruption in Red Alert’s thinking and that he needs repairs. This kind of familiarity with the normal behavior of an Autobot gave Optimus Prime the knowledge that Red Alert simply needed repairs and had not descended into becoming an evil-minded Transformer. The statement made by Optimus Prime to Red Alert that “you need help” is also another good example of Prime’s compassion.
In this same episode, someone must volunteer to enter an exploding facility in order to rescue two Autobots, one of which is Red Alert. Optimus Prime sees the danger in entering, and insists that he be the one to go in. This is heroic for two reasons. One, Optimus Prime is the strongest of the Autobots present on the scene and the most likely to succeed in rescuing the two stranded Autobots. Second, he’s willing to be the one to take the risk of entering into the exploding facility so that others will not have to. This is a typical gesture by Optimus Prime, and is a classic example of the good natured heroics his character exhibits throughout the Transformers storyline. In the end, Red Alert is rescued by an Autobot other than Optimus Prime and both are given special recognition for their bravery. During this ceremonial recognition there is also the acknowledgment by Optimus that the original injury sustained by Red Alert causing his malfunctioning was a result of a choice Optimus himself had made, and Optimus takes responsibility for the misdirection that occurred. Once again, Optimus Prime displays his maturity and integrity by taking this responsibility.
And Justice for All
In Episode 34, the Autobots encounter another one of Megatron’s schemes when he tries to turn the human race against the Autobots. Megatron has some of his Decepticon troops dress up in Autobot disguises and steal energy from a human power plant. This is caught on film, and the film is used as evidence to the human race that the Autobots are the evil robots and the Decepticons are the good robots who have been trying to protect the humans all along. The human race buys it, and holds a trial for the Autobots. When being taken into custody, Optimus Prime instructs the Autobots to offer no resistance and to co-operate with the humans. Upon receiving the orders to not resist, the Autobot Iron Hide make the statement: “I sure hope Prime knows what he’s doing.” This is one of the rare instances when an Autobot actually expresses some doubt about Optimus Prime’s judgment. To me this indicates that however revered the leadership of Optimus Prime may be, he is still perceived to be imperfect by his followers.
Although this may seem to be something that would count against Optimus Prime, it can also be interpreted as a testament to his good judgment. While the Autobots know that Optimus is not perfect and that he is able to make mistakes, nevertheless they still follow him with an enormous degree of loyalty. In other words, Optimus is held to the high standards of a kind of merit system of evaluation by his followers. Evidenced by the Autobots’ willingness to follow him into any situation, regardless of his imperfections, Optimus Prime must meet their standards to an exceedingly high degree. This is another sign of a great leader.
This episode also speaks to the fairness and honor that Optimus Prime espouses. It would have been very easy for the Autobots to resist the law enforcement officials sent by the humans to take the Autobots into custody. The technology of the Transformers is far superior to that of the humans in terms of weaponry and mobility. However, once again we see that at the core of Optimus Prime’s beliefs is his perception that the best course of action, with consideration to all involved, is to respect the wishes of the human governments and to follow the legal guidelines of the world they are inhabiting. This sense of justice is another essential part of Optimus Prime’s character that wins the hearts of the Transformers audience.
In one of the most interesting episodes, Optimus Prime solicits the help of the mammoth Transformer Omega Supreme. The size of a rocket base, Omega Supreme is one of the mightiest Transformers in the universe. He’s also one of the only Autobots who can reach “escape velocity” or fly into outer-space by means of his own propulsion system. Optimus Prime asks him for his help defeating the Constructicons who have inhabited a near-by asteroid with strange and valuable ore. Omega Supreme grants Optimus’s request but only because Omega Supreme has a vendetta against the Constructicons. As Optimus has a heart-to-heart with Omega Supreme we learn that the Constructicons and Omega were once friends long ago, while still inhabiting the planet Cybertron. Unbeknownst at the time to Omega Supreme, the evil Megatron had kidnapped and re-programmed the Constructicons in order to turn them into his slaves. They eventually fought and defeated Omega Supreme and destroyed the ancient Cybertronian city he was sworn to protect. In the story, it is further explained that Omega incurred some damage to his programming and lost his ability to express himself emotionally, thanks to the Constructicons. This leaves Omega psychologically isolated from the rest of the Transformers, and with a strong sense of hatred for the Constructicons that is left to fester for a very long time. Optimus is very careful to acknowledge these feelings in the context of asking him for his help. Once again we see a compassionate and understanding leader reaching out to his fellow Autobot on both an intellectual and an emotional level. This is an effective strategy for any leader who is tasked with rallying a group for a cause that carries the weight of the destinies of entire worlds.
Close to the end of the episode, during the final confrontation between Omega Supreme and the Constructicons, the city of San Francisco is about to be destroyed. Optimus Prime points out to Omega Supreme that he is the only one who can stop the destruction of the city. In order to do this, Omega Supreme has t
o disengage from battle with the Constructicons and lose his chance for revenge. At this point Omega is so obsessed with exacting vengeance, that he is willing to allow San Francisco to perish so that he can finish his battle with the Constructicons. Optimus confronts him and appeals to his better judgment by pointing out that the prevention of something as atrocious as the destruction of a city is more important than vengeance. In an emotional confrontation, Optimus convinces Omega to disengage the Constructicons and rush to the city’s aid. At the end of the episode Optimus Prime thanks Omega Supreme for saving the city of San Francisco and suggests that in spite of the hurt that the Constructicons caused him in the past, perhaps one day he’ll see that there are “more important things in life than revenge.” This is a sentiment commonly upheld by wise men and strong father figures in many cultures. It indicates the impressive depth of Optimus Prime’s understanding and concern about the meaning of life, for the Transformers and for the human species alike.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
When the 1986 animated film Transformers: The Movie was released after three years of cartoon episodes, the story line of the Transformers had reached a terrible crisis. Cybertron had been overrun by the Decepticons, and the Autobots were evidently losing the war. Optimus Prime fully realized what the ramifications could be if the Decepticons ended up ruling the universe. It would mean the exploitation of all worlds where the Transformers could harvest resources and energy. This would mean the destruction of the human race and potentially any other life forms that the Decepticons would come into contact with. This was not acceptable, and the Decepticons had to be stopped by the Autobots at all costs, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice.
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