Death of Optimus Prime

This is my personal experience of when I first saw Optimus Prime's death in the 1986 Transformers movie, and how it made me realize just how much he meant to me.

For as long as I can remember, I have always looked up to the leader of the Autobots, Prime was always strong, wise, noble, and always put others before himself. He was the very definition of what a true leader should be.   It was in 1st or 2nd Grade when I first watched the 1986 movie on VHS (I'm only 19 years old, so forgive me if I cannot share the experience with those of you who are old enough to have seen it in theaters) I was already into Transformers after watching Beast Wars, Beast Machines (which was a lot darker then I realized at the time), RID, and now I was into (at the time), Transformers Armada. Thankfully, I'd gone to Blockbuster and watched the Key to Vector Sigma G1 episodes before watching the movie, so I was at least familiar with who was who in G1. Then when I watched the movie and saw Optimus Prime die. I swear I felt I had lost someone extremely close to me.  Of course, at the time, I had not seen the G1 episodes that followed the movie that brought him back, so I truly felt he was gone forever. I never watched the movie again for over ten years until I got back into Transformers again by the time ROTF came out. When I saw Optimus Prime die in the beginning of Transformers Animated and then in ROTF, I literally felt the same pain I did all those years ago.  I felt again recently in the two moments of Transformers: Prime where Optimus had two near death experiences (The one where he was got Cybonic Plaugue, and the one where he got mortally wounded when the Decepticons destroyed the Autobot base).  Of course I found out that I wasn't the only one who was saddened by Prime's death, so it made me feel good that I was not alone. While I'm no longer traumatized, the fact that I was affected by Prime's tragic death will always live on in me.

I believe watching Optimus Prime's death all those years ago and being so distraught by it is what made him my #1 idol and hero. For the first time in my life, I had felt someone who I looked up to and loved was gone, and this is really saying something for me as my father actually used to work at the World Train Center and (thank you God) was late for work and was not in the building on 911. 

Other people will say Superman, Batman or anyone else was their childhood hero. But for me, Optimus Prime (no matter the continuity or incarnation, as I am above those who love some and hate others like little children) will and always remain the pinnacle of my childhood, as well as the foundation of who I am now.

Here's a quote Optimus Prime said at the end of TFP Predacons Rising when he sacrifices himself to return the Allspark to Cybertron's core (Another moment where the pain returned But unlike the others, Prime willingly died in order to return life to his home planet. So at least it was for a good and noble cause.). I found it very significant, because it showed me that even if Prime dies, his spirit and what the impact he made on all of us will live on forever:

-"Above all, do not lament my absence, for in my spark, I know that this is not the end, but merely a new beginning. Simply put, another transformation."

Thank you Prime, had it not been for you, I'm not sure what kind of person I'd be now.  

I do not own this image.

Optimus Prime and Transformers belong to Hasbro.