Rodimus Prime

Rodimus Prime is a fictional character in the Transformer Universe introduced in Transformers: The Movie. He is the form which Hot Rod takes when he has possession of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, and the leader of the Autobots.

In Transformers: The Movie, Rodimus Prime is voiced by Judd Nelson, but as with all the feature's "celebrity voices," Nelson did not return to perform the character in the episodes that followed the movie. Ted Schwartz was originally cast to replace Nelson as Rodimus, but he in turn was replaced by Dick Gautier, who performed the role over the ensuing two seasons, also performing Hot Rod when Rodimus would revert back to him. It is apparent, however, that Schwartz recorded several episodes as Rodimus before being replaced, as some lines spoken by him are still evident in the broadcasted version of Five Faces of Darkness.

In Japan, he is known as Rodimus Convoy and is voiced by Hiroya Ishimaru.

Generation One

Upon the death of Optimus Prime following the Battle of Autobot City on Earth, The Autobot Matrix of Leadership was passed to Ultra Magnus by Optimus Prime. Magnus was hesitant, claiming unworthiness, but Prime reassured him that he had not been worthy either, and that a Chosen One would rise from the ranks of the Autobots to wield the Matrix's power. Magnus held the matrix for a short time, but it was stolen by the Decepticon leader Galvatron. Shortly thereafter, in a battle inside Unicron, the Matrix was recovered from Galvatron by the young, brash Hot Rod. Hot Rod was revealed as the Chosen One that Optimus has prophesied about, and was transformed by the power of the Matrix into Rodimus Prime. He hurled Galvatron into space, and used the Matrix to destroy Unicron.

However, even with the accumulated knowledge of the ancients contained in the Matrix, his relative inexperience and the sudden burden of leadership caused him to doubt his own abilities, and led to many incidents, including his loss of the matrix to a team of decepticons, which ended with Scourge possessing the matrix for a short time and Rodimus reverting to Hot Rod. These events were chronicled in the third season episode "The Burden Hardest to Bear."

When the Hate Plague swept the galaxy, Rodimus became infected while holding the Matrix, which Optimus Prime, who was revived by a Quintesson, felt was vital to solving the crisis. These events were related in the third season finale "The Return of Optimus Prime."

In the Japanese continuity, Optimus Prime died again soon after in an attempt to stabilize Vector Sigma. With the Matrix recharged by Alpha Trion's spirit, Hot Rod once again rose to the position of Prime and led the Autobots once more. (Ref: Headmasters, Episode 3, Birth of Double Convoy). However, when Cybertron was razed by explosions, leaving it an uninhabitable husk, Rodimus Prime was last seen (with the Matrix) leaving with Kup and Blurr to find a new home - leaving Fortress Maximus in charge.

Armada/Energon Universe:

In this new modern cartoon continuity, a different timeline to the original series, a character called Rodimus (lacking the Prime suffix) appears, clearly designed as an homage to the original Rodimus Prime. As one of the Autobots' leaders in the planet's history, he eventually left Cybertron with a crew who wished to escape the planet's war. Although most of his crew went on to become the Energon-handling Omnicons, Rodimus continued on his interstellar journery with Prowl and Landmine, eventually coming across Alpha Q and joining with him in his mission to regenerate the worlds consumed by the planet-eater, Unicron - a mission that put him in opposition with Optimus Prime when they encountered each other once again.

Rodimus was voiced by Paul Dobson (English) and Ryotaro Okiayu (Japanese).