This has been bothering me for a while now.

There may be something in the comics/cartoons/Japanese series/other obscure place that explains it, but here is a thought I have had.

Masks are traditionally used to portray characters that cannot be trusted or are evil. Examples are ninjas, Darth Vader, Phantom of the Opera, Cobra Commander.

However, in the TF universe, we have the opposite! G1 Optimus Prime has no face but an all-enveloping helmet, while Megatron has a very expressive, open face.

It is not until Beast Wars and later that we see a mouth on Optimus, and pupils in his eyes! Prior to that, and still in many incaranations (War Within etc), he appears to be completely anonymous.

Now I know that the G1 characters had more to do with choosing an alt mode to suit the leader, but I realised I always saw G1 Optimus as something of a mystery.

He is generally painted (in all incarnations) as a hero and martyr, ready to sacrifice himself for the common good. However, the G1 style Optimi are generally limited in characterisation. Now I can't remember all of the comics I have read over the years, but a common theme with Optimus is to die for the good of all and to lead with unquestioned confidence (other than when he was just starting out in the job).

The much-maligned Rodimus Prime at least had some flaws in his character, which carried over to the Optimus Primals and their in depth characterisations. These characters also had open faces that are easier to identify with.

Ever wondered why Nemesis Prime / Scourge / black Prime whatever always looks so evil when the only change is the colour?

I just thought I needed to get this down in writing.