Optimus Primal In Beast Wars: Getting Out Of The Shadow Of Optimus Prime?

Beast Wars was a show I originally didn't like. However, it was all part of the same continuity as Hasbro would have. I didn't understand the concept of contracts and adaptations as a 12 year old. I used to think that Beast Wars was merely having the OG cast become the cast. I heard that was the plan BUT that was THANKFULLY changed. The Maximals and Predacons are successors to the OG factions of the Autobots and Decepticons. I wonder why Hasbro decided to create two new factions. What's funnier is that Predacon was also the name of a Decepticon sub-group. There was some element of familiarity needed. Which was probably why the leader was called OPTIMUS PRIMAL and we have Beast Wars Megatron. I always find it confusing whenever fiction decides to pass a title -- such as how Tekken passed the King mantle to another person in Tekken 3 or how the Robin mantle got passed from Dick Grayson to Tim Drake. Dick became Nightwing after some time.

It was good to name the new Optimus Prime -- PRIMAL. Primal means original or PRIMITIVE. Beast Wars was going to take place ina prehistoric Earth. As I watched a few Transformers videos on YouTube -- this is what inspired me to write this post...

This is where I learned of the OG plan to make Beast Wars Megatron and Optimus Primal the same characters as before. Overstretching old characters can ruin good writing. Optimus Primal was going to be his own character. Apparently, Optimus Primal being young and untested may be a reference to his predecessor Optimus Prime's OG self as Orion Pax. Optimus Primal was the young and untested captain of an exploration ship. Beast Wars Megatron led an ambush. Beast Wars Megatron was determined to finish what his predecessor OG Megatron wanted to complete.

Optimus Primal became my favorite even after learning he's not Optimus Prime. Confession: My favorite in TransformersMasterforce is Ginrai! Optimus Primal, like Rodimus Prime, was living in the shadow of his predecessor. However, I felt Hasbro learned from its mistakes when Beast Wars was conceived. The TV series didn't bring all Maximals and Predacons at once -- presumably due to the budget. Instead, both factions gradually gained new members and gave people a lot of good spotlight! It was a refreshing pace for toy collectors too! The downside was that some Beast Wars characters remained toys-only and were only adapted into the Japanese-exclusive Beast Wars II and Beast Wars Neo.

They may be different characters BUT similarities can't be denied. Optimus Primal starts off as young and inexperienced just like any good leader. Optimus Primal would've probably read how Optimus Prime started off as Orion Pax. Other similar members would be Rhinox would be Ultra Magnus' equivalent and Cheetor would be Hot Rod. Fortunately, we never had Cheetor becoming Cheetorus Primal and become a badly-written character like Hot Rod's upgrade, Rodimus Prime. Rodimus Prime kept falling into doubt in Transformers Season 3 -- making it a pain. Rodimus Prime should've been developed outside his doubts and slowly develop as a character. Rodimus Prime did get better but only in the Japanese-exclusive Transformers Headmasters. 

I'd guess that by adding an Ultra Magnus-type character and Hot Rod-type character -- Optimus Primal got balanced in the process. Cheetor is still learning the ropes. Ultra Magnus was also another character who only showed up in the movie. It was most likely an unfortunate oversight by Hasbro at that time. Fortunately, Rhinox and Cheetor filled in the gaps that Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod failed to have. The result would be that while Optimus Primal may be in the shadow of the iconic Optimus Prime -- his conception succeeded where Rodimus Prime and Ginrai failed. Ginrai was possibly not liked because he was simply a "cheap copy" of Optimus Prime. Some people may have bandwagoned and rejoiced when Ginrai became demoted in Transformers Victory. Ginrai did become Victory Leo and just an upgrade to the legendary Star Saber in the Japanese continuity.

One of the best things about Beast Wars is that it barely mentions the 1980s series. Sure, there are some references like how Starscream possessed the comic-relief Waspinator. Terrorsaur is also a Starscream expy in many ways. Chris Latta was too dead to voice Starscream. Instead, Doug Parker voiced Starscream while he was Terrorsaur's voice, by default. Beast Wars wasn't afraid to permanently kill off some characters like how BW Scorponok and Terrorsaur were both permanently destroyed. Dinobot was also killed off. The intent of BW Megatron was to change history. Optimus Primal saved history when he used the spark of his predecessor. In the process, Optimus Primal gained a new form called Optimal Optimus -- a much bigger form! 

There's always that issue of height differences between characters in Transformers. One may notice how much taller Optimus Prime was compared to some of the Autobots. Transformers Victory didn't bother to correct that either. Deathsaurus is way taller than most of the Decepticon leaders -- he's practically as TALL AS A COMBINER. Star Saber needed to merge with his V-Ship to fight a combiner. Victory Leo has no way of downsizing. Beast Wars had everyone in smaller bodies because of the resource crisis. So what gives? Making Optimus Primal bigger in his new upgrade was most likely INTENTIONAL.

 

What differed Optimus Primal from Rodimus Prime was how the writers handled him. One mistake I made is having people grovel before others in my stories. Instead, Optimus Primal has his doubts but slowly learns to be HIS OWN PERSON. Optimus Primal may not immediately live to the legacy of Optimus Prime. However, Optimus Primal becomes his own hero, doesn't try to follow Optimus Prime to a T, and he becomes his own hero.

Beast Machines was certainly a failure and disliked by the fans. Optimus Primal died once and was reconstructed by Rhinox. I guess Hasbro didn't want a repeat of what happened to Optimus Prime during the 1980s movie. Instead, Optimus Primal was brought back not too soon after. However, Beast Machines gave an ending that would cement Optimus Primal as a true hero. It may be tragic but it was probably for the best. Optimus Primal threw himself and BW Megatron into Cybertron's core -- thus restoring balance to the planet.

I wonder did Hasbro take notes from the infamous direction Transformers Headmasters took? Optimus Prime sacrificed himself -- only for Cybertron to be devastated a few episodes later. Hasbro apparently ignores the events of the Japanese-only continuity -- while allowing it to happen cause money! The events of the Takara Trilogy as well as the Japanese-only Beast Wars are ignored into the American canon. Optimus Primal's sacrifice was made more meaningful by the writers. Sure, Optimus Primal is gone. However, it's a good thing that the writers made it more meaningful than the tragic chain of events in Transformers: Headmasters.