List of things Optimus Prime transforms into

[Zommael]

Edited 23/5/14 8:20pm to add: Information about where each mode came from, a few other modes with acknowledgements to those members that pointed them out, a section on debatable alt modes, and a section on things that aren't Optimus Prime but have similar names and what they turn into.

My comment on the news about Bearbrick Optimus Prime got me thinking: it should be possible to compile a complete list of things Optimus Prime transforms into. Off the top of my head:

A short-nosed truck (G1 Optimus Prime)
A different, possibly futuristic short-nosed truck (Powermaster Optimus Prime)
A definitely futuristic short-nosed truck (Star Convoy)
A long-nosed truck (Hero Optimus Prime)
A more differenter long-nosed truck (Laser Optimus Prime)
A gorilla (Beast Wars Optimus Primal and Cybertron Optimus Prime)
A different short-nosed truck (Machine Wars Optimus Prime)
A fire engine (Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime)
A (Cybertronian?) monster truck (Armada Optimus Prime)
A Cybertronian short-nosed truck (Energon Optimus Prime)
A Cybertronian/futuristic fire engine (Cybertron Optimus Prime)
Yet another short-nosed truck (Classics Optimus Prime)
A Peterbilt long-nosed truck (Movie Optimus Prime)
Another random fire engine-based thing (Animated Optimus Prime)
Mickey Mouse (Optimouse Prime)
A shoe (Sports Label Convoy)
Another long-nosed truck (Prime Optimus Prime)
Some sort of beast truck (Prime Beast Hunters Optimus Prime)
A pen (unreleased)
A bearbrick (unreleased)
Various Cybertronian somethings
A sports car (Alternity Optimus Prime)
ETA: A baseball cap (thanks liegeprime)
ETA: A DVD case (thanks BigTransformerTrev)
Absolutely nothing at all (various PVC and static action figures, Action Master Optimus Prime)

Debatable:

A bat - Technically, the first release of both Beast Wars Gorilla Optimus Primal and Bat Optimus Primal count as Optimus Prime, as they were released before the cartoon (which established Primal as a separate character), and the accompanying fiction indicates it is the same character as G1 Optimus Prime. It is notable that the TF Wiki uses this logic (but also lists both as Optimus Primal). It is also notable that our founder here at Ozformers disagrees .

Things that are definitely not Optimus Prime but have similar names, and what they turn into:

Optimus Minor (monkey)
Big Convoy (mammoth)
Lioconvoy (lion, note next entry)
Leo Prime (liger)
Vector Prime (space ship)
Sentinel Prime (truck)
Sentinel Prime (fire engine)
OP (laser gun, thanks to Ultra Mackness for bringing it up and Delta Prime for clarifying. No, I don't know what Delta turns into and he doesn't get to go on the list. )

Are there any I'm missing?

[liegeprime]

You can add Captimus - he transforms into a cap.



and in Japan there is that TF Go! Train/Dragon/ Robot Optimus - not sure what it's name is...

[BigTransformerTrev]

Was it Optimus Prime that turned into a Gorilla? I know Optimus Primal did, but did Optimus Prime ever have a Gorilla or bat mode? I've got a big poster at home showing tons of different Optimus forms, but the poster encompasses both the seperate characters of Prime and Primal


Oh, and you can add DVD case to the list, I got one of the first movie where the case unfolded into Optimus Prime

[Zommael]

Was it Optimus Prime that turned into a Gorilla? I know Optimus Primal did, but did Optimus Prime ever have a Gorilla or bat mode? I've got a big poster at home showing tons of different Optimus forms, but the poster encompasses both the seperate characters of Prime and Primal


Oh, and you can add DVD case to the list, I got one of the first movie where the case unfolded into Optimus Prime

Technically, yes. In the earliest days of the Beast Wars, before the TV show, the initial pack-in comics depicted Beast Wars as a continuation of G1. Optimus Primal and Megatron were therefore depicted as the same characters as Optimus Prime and G1 Megatron, and so we can add bat and gorilla to Prime's list of alts. For what it's worth, TFwiki.com follows this line of thinking.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Technically, yes. In the earliest days of the Beast Wars, before the TV show, the initial pack-in comics depicted Beast Wars as a continuation of G1. Optimus Primal and Megatron were therefore depicted as the same characters as Optimus Prime and G1 Megatron, and so we can add bat and gorilla to Prime's list of alts. For what it's worth, TFwiki.com follows this line of thinking.

Well there ya go - I learned something today

[Omega Metro]

How about a 'Piece Of Crap'?.........Silver Knight Optimus!..I'm looking at you.

[griffin]

In Cybertron, Optimus had a gorilla toy (redeco of the 10th anniversary toy), so that's counted... but the bat is conjectural if you take retconning into account or if you follow toy bios and ignore cartoon/comics.

However, if you go by just "Optimus" like you would "Megatron" as a name & homage, the Primal would count with Prime... as the point of the list would be the same as if you did up a Megatron list.

[Zommael]

In Cybertron, Optimus had a gorilla toy (redeco of the 10th anniversary toy), so that's counted... but the bat is conjectural if you take retconning into account or if you follow toy bios and ignore cartoon/comics.

However, if you go by just "Optimus" like you would "Megatron" as a name & homage, the Primal would count with Prime... as the point of the list would be the same as if you did up a Megatron list.

I *think* what I'm doing is specifically characters who are/were called Optimus Prime. However, I'm aware that some of the modes I have on that list probably belonged to characters called Convoy in Japan, which would open up a whole other can of worms.

Part of the point of the list was just for fun, given how ridiculously long the list is with him transforming into baseball caps, Mickey Mouse, pens, etc. It was for humour. But it was also to stimulate discussion, which I seem to have succeeded in doing. So go me!

I'll add some of the ones people have posted to the first post this evening, and maybe add some explanatory notes about where they came from and whether we all agree that they "count" or not.

[Ultra Mackness]

Was there not an arms micron Optimus that turned into a laser gun?

[DELTAprime]

I'm on the side of bat counts as Prime.

He also transformers into a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Takara has retired the name Convoy on non-G1 to Cybertron toys and now uses Optimus Prime so that one counts.

Incase anyone says he turns into a Popsicle, he doesn't. That's a character called Gari Gari Kun cosplaying as Optimus.

RID Prime Transforms into a Hino Brandlier fire truck. I love the real life alt modes in RID.

Was there not an arms micron Optimus that turned into a laser gun?

That was a character named O.P. not Optimus Prime