It's hard to imagine a giant red and blue robot that can transform into a large truck becoming one of the most charismatic leaders in fictional history. But that's exactly what happened with Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. Even though he's got less of an ability to control his facial expression than Winnie-the-Pooh, Optimus worked his way into our hearts with his caring and noble demeanor. (Seriously, who would have thought that a robot whose arms can turn into blasters could be so eloquent?)

Optimus and the Transformers series have gone through many iterations. (There are actually separate universes, where characters have different origin stories and even different names sometimes.) It can get complicated. It is understandably difficult to follow all those timelines and keep them straight in your head. (Unless you have oodles of time to devote to the study of Transformers. Sadly, I don't.) But through them all, Optimus Prime remains a central figure to the story. He's the fighter who doesn't want to fight, the leader who was born to lead, and the one who always makes the sacrifice play.

Since he's such a vital character to the series, we thought it would be a good idea to look at all the interesting and terrifying facets about his creation, history, and continuation. (And by terrifying, we just mean really, really impressive. So impressive, it's kind of chilling.) Optimus Prime, while not the most easygoing of the Autobots, is definitely the most famous and prolific. Read on if you want to know some tidbits about him that you might not have known before.

25 Gone Again, Come Again

Any serious Transformers fan knows that Optimus Prime's funeral is as commonplace as seeing clouds in the sky. Optimus has passed from this world across several of the Transformers continuities (and there are a lot of those). It's almost like a rite of passage for a Transformers series.

All in all, he has "gone towards the light" over twenty-five times.

It's a running gag now among fans. Usually, he bites the big one when he sacrifices himself for the greater good. (Oh, that is such an Optimus thing to do.) As soon as he's gone, a new character replaces him for a bit (and we get a new toy based off of this new character) or Optimus is resurrected (and he looks a tad different, so we get a new toy based off of his new get-up).

24 When Transformers Gets Weird

I know Marissa Faireborn as a tough-as-nails woman who can hold her own against even the meanest Decepticon. She would use martial arts know-how to defeat them in single combat, and she was braver than some of the Autobots. Of course, the many versions of the Transformers series ensured that in other timelines, Marissa would not be the same woman I knew from the cartoon I watched. In one particular version, Marissa meets Optimus when she's a young girl, and she develops a very strong attachment to him. When he once again passes away (typical), Marissa is able to bring him back with a... kiss. If you must know, the comic where this occurs is called Kiss Players. Optimus and Marissa actually went on dates in this thing. Optimus Prime has, as you can already tell, a very diverse history.

23 Allied Forces

When you own two popular toy lines, it makes absolute sense that you'd want to mash them together in a crossover. Hasbro has done that on several occasions with the Transformers and G.I. Joes. Optimus Prime and his Autobots have worked alongside Duke and the other Joes to varying degrees of success. They've fought Cobra, Unicron, and other villains that were too much for them to take on separately. Honestly, the Joes and the Autobots are a bunch of honorable do-gooders. Aside from misunderstandings that got easily resolved, the two groups got along well with each other. How can you have conflict between good guys? They were like hot chocolate and whipped cream.

22 Sound The Fire Alarm

We're used to seeing Optimus Prime transform into that recognizable, red-and-blue truck, but he's explored different looks for himself in the past. Most notably, at one point, Optimus' vehicular form was that of a fire engine, complete with extendable ladder. In the Robots in Disguise story-line, Optimus operated on Earth, protecting his residence in Metro City while also hiding out there. A fire truck is a fairly reassuring form to take, so it makes sense why Optimus would choose it; he's a reassuring kind of guy (robot). But I have to admit, there's nothing quite as awesome as seeing Optimus in his original red-and-blue glory. That's how I've always seen him, and while not as useful as a fire engine, it definitely suits him better.

21 No Choice In The Matter

The most tragic aspect of Optimus Prime is that he constantly finds himself in situations he would rather not be in. Optimus, in case you did not know, is a pacifist. He would rather spare lives whenever possible, and he is always ready to believe that a person has good intentions (even the villains). This might be odd to hear regarding a giant robot that can turn his hand into a sword, but it's the truth.

Optimus' pacifism is constantly put to the test.

Despite yearning for peace, Optimus Prime is an accomplished, formidable fighter. He can hold his own against numerous foes, and he can go toe-to-toe with anybody in a fair fight. But he loathes the fight itself. His heart (or his spark) is just not into it.

20 Childhood Is Gone

Hasbro was unprepared for the shockwave that rippled through scores of children at the passing of Optimus Prime in Transformers: The Movie. Hundreds of kids watched in horror as the leader of the Autobots passed on the Matrix of Leadership to Hot Rod, and was then simply gone. He did not reappear for the rest of the movie. It was traumatic. Tears were solemnly shed by children watching the movie in theaters as their hero just left them. Most likely, Hasbro did not expect such a huge reaction, but come on! What did they expect? That we would just laugh along with our lives and buy a bunch of Hot Rod toys?! No. Kids that day took a stand and showed those Hasbro execs that they cared more about Optimus than some new, flashy young hero. (Yes, crying is a form of taking a stand.)

19 Mouse Trap

It's not often that Optimus Prime displays his cunning. His nobility, sure, he shows that off a dozen times an episode. But his intelligence? I feel that Optimus gets tricked more often than the average Autobot. It's rare when writers give him the chance to prove to viewers how smart he can be. A good example of Optimus using his noggin was when he tricked the Decepticons into thinking the Autobots really needed to board a certain spaceship. The Decepticons tripped over themselves trying to get onto the ship, and once they were all in there, Optimus locked them in and shot them into space. Eventually, the Decepticons make it back to Earth, but hey, using his smarts, Optimus was able to give humans and Autobots a reprieve from the Decepticon hassle.

18 Prime Descendant

For casual fans of Transformers, it might surprise you to know that, despite having exceedingly similar names, Optimus Primal is not the same robot as Optimus Prime. Optimus Primal is a descendant of Optimus Prime. (Well, at least in most continuities. These Transformers timelines can really get your head spinning.) Unlike Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal morphs into a giant gorilla using a new bio-mechanical morphing process. So where Optimus Prime's truck form is usually confined to roadways, Optimus Primal can roam jungles and wildlife-filled areas in his gorilla form. (For those of you who did not know that a Transformer could transform into animals, let this be the beginning of your education into the convoluted paths of Transformer biology. Err, I mean mechanics?)

17 Teenage-Angst Optimus

Have you ever gotten tired of plain old Optimus Prime? Have you ever wished that instead of a battle-hardened, responsible leader, you could see an Optimus Prime that is young, hot-headed, and struggling with a leadership role? Look no farther, because Transformers Animated is the show for you. Optimus not only sounds like a young robot in this show, he behaves like a young robot too. If the show had continued past a cancelled fourth season, maybe we would have seen Optimus Prime grow into the Autobot we all know him to be. As the show stands, Optimus was still in the caterpillar stages of his growth into a leader. In my opinion, the show is not as bad as some claim it is, but it's not the cream of the crop when it comes to Transformers cartoons.

16 From Pax To Prime

One of the coolest things about Optimus Prime is his name. Hands down, he's the number one best-named hero. Optimus Prime. Just say it one more time. Optimus Prime. In some continuities, he did not always start out with such a cool name.

Originally, Optimus Prime was called Orion Pax.

He was just your average, ordinary Autobot (in one continuity, Orion Pax was a cop, and in another, he was a dock worker) until he was rebuilt to become Optimus Prime. Bear in mind, this only happens in some continuities. In others, he was always Optimus Prime. In yet others, he was called Optronix. I feel a better list than facts about Optimus Prime would be a list of how many gosh-darned flubbing continuities there are within the Transformers world.

15 The Real Nemesis

If you've seen the latest live-action Transformers movie, The Last Knight, then you know that Optimus Prime is turned into the mind-controlled slave of the evil Quintessa. This enslaved and purple-eyed Optimus Prime goes under the name of Nemesis Prime. In most other continuities, Nemesis is not the same robot as Optimus. Instead, Nemesis is a dark clone of Optimus, created to be just as skilled as Optimus Prime in battle, but lacking in all his morals. Transformer names have a tendency to blatantly reveal the morality of their owners. I mean, Nemesis Prime? No one is going to think that someone named Nemesis Prime is a good guy. Bumblebee, on the other hand, sounds cute and nonthreatening.

14 When You're The Best Of Friends

It's par for the course that the Transformers are going to transform into something. That's the actual name of the series, so it makes total sense that that would happen. But you know what's even more awesome than a single Transformer transforming into an alternate form? A bunch of Transformers combining to form one giant Transformer! Optimus Prime can combine with Mirage, Sunstreaker, Prowl, and Ironhide to form a larger robot called Optimus Maximus. I think it's funny how, even though there is more than one Autobot in that conglomeration, it is still called Optimus Maximus. Clearly, Optimus Prime is the most pivotal robot in that mega-robot.

13 Welcome To The Matrix

One of the sources of Optimus Prime's power is the Matrix of Leadership. (Yes, that is what it is called. Most of the time.) Optimus has hidden reserves of strength thanks to the nature of his character, but a bit of his prowess as leader of the Autobots comes from the Matrix as well. According to the religion of the Autobots, the power of the Matrix comes from one of their gods, Primus.

Primus is credited as one of the creators of the Transformers.

Whether the Matrix is considered an actual gift of the gods or not, there is no denying that it has power. When Optimus' life was on the line, Alpha Trion, an elder Transformer, gave him the Matrix of Leadership in order to rebuild him (and make him the leader of the Autobots).

12 Transformer Heaven

One of the things I was always confused about with the Transformers series was how it was possible for anyone to pass away (including Optimus). I thought that since they were all robots, any injuries they received would be able to be fixed with a good repair job. As Optimus' many sacrifices show, Transformers can and do perish. One of the continuities where Optimus failed to keep among the living saw him enter a place called the Realm of the Primes.

The Realm of the Primes is this eerie, fog-filled place stuck in limbo.

Optimus was sent here after he combined with the AllSpark, and in this ethereal emptiness, Optimus obtained lessons from the Thirteen original Transformers ever created. He could also talk to Bumblebee (who was still living) whenever his buddy was in extreme danger.

11 Monument To All Your Wins

Optimus Prime's popularity exceeds the limits of country borders. Anyone, anywhere, can have a love for the red-and-blue leader of the Autobots. In China, multiple statues of the giant Transformer have shown up. One of them located near Beijing's National Stadium is about thirty-three feet tall, and it is a testament to the adoration fans have for the Transformers series. I doubt art critics would call these statues works of art, but they are most definitely works of effort. Some of the statues are actually crafted from junk. It's comforting to know that the people who made these statues feel the same awe and adoration I do for the wonderful Optimus Prime.

10 Thanks For Noticing Me

I found out fairly recently that the man who voiced Eeyore (the depressed donkey from Winnie the Pooh) is the same man most famous for voicing Optimus Prime. Peter Cullen is the man behind our favorite Autobot. Optimus' voice has always stood out from all the other Transformers' voices.

It sounded aged with wisdom, laden with kindness, and filled with magnanimity.

And Eeyore definitely stood out from all the other happy characters in the Hundred Acre Wood. Eeyore's voice always sounded sunken with sadness. But they're done by the same guy! Isn't that so cool? That proves the power of a great voice actor. He can speak for two entirely different characters, and you would never know. (I sure didn't.)

9 Are You Not Entertained?

In some continuities, Optimus Prime isn't always a goody-two-shoes. (Though, yeah, in most of them, he exudes honor the same way a fart can exude that awful rotten-egg smell.) In one continuity, Optimus fought as a gladiator in Iacon City. Though I have to confess, he stepped into the gladiator ring for a noble reason. Megatron was fighting this poor sap and was on the verge of performing a "finish him" kind of move when Optimus stepped in between the two of them. Optimus then beat Megatron even though he suffered grave injuries to himself. This actually happened in the Marvel comics continuity of the Transformers series, and if you're a fan and you haven't read it, you should definitely check it out.

8 The Last Of Us

If you've been around the Transformers series for any amount of time, you've probably heard Optimus Prime called "the Last Prime." He earned this name by being the last of the original Thirteen Primes. These Primes were created by the Transformer god Primus, and all other Transformers are second generation robots.

The Primes were made by Primus to defeat the chaos-bringer, Unicron.

After they all defeated Unicron, Optimus decided to be reborn as a lesser-generation Transformer. He wanted to spend time understanding the newer Transformers that were based off of the Primes. Next thing you know, he emerged as Orion Pax. (Of course, he later had to be born again again into Optimus Prime.)

7 Brother Bonding

Random Autobots are not the only robots that Optimus Prime can mesh with so that he can turn into a giant robot. He can also join together with his brother, Ultra Magnus, to form an awesome form called Omega Prime. In the Robots in Disguise continuity, Magnus does not have a good relationship with his brother. He believed that he deserved to have the Matrix of Responsibility instead of Optimus. Despite loathing his brother's ownership of the Matrix, when a situation proved dire, Magnus did not hesitate to join up with Optimus to form Omega Prime. Magnus is a very capable fighter, even though he comes across as a petulant whiner. He clearly does not deserve the Matrix.

6 Please Don't Stop The Music

Optimus is cool, there's no denying that. Uncool characters don't get statues built of them in random spots in China. But for some reason, this coolest of cool characters does not like music. (In the Generation 1 continuity, this is confirmed.) His teammates, Blaster and Jazz, adore listening to rap music, but Optimus always chastises them for listening to it for too long or for listening to it too loudly.

His dislike for music kind of ties into his stoic nature.

In the cartoon, he's usually an earnest, no-nonsense kind of guy. I do wonder if he would like the Transformers theme song. All signs go to him actively hating it. But at least Jazz and Blaster would give it the appreciation it deserves.