I think the biggest misunderstanding for me was the timeline of the cartoons. I was about 4 when I got into transformers and really started with the cartoons. I used to mostly watch them by hiring out the VHS tapes from the local video rental store. Most of the ones that I saw first were season 3 I think so I thought Rodimus was a Prime before Optimus as I saw all the Season 3 eps then ultimately the Return of Optimus Prime. It was a confusing time before the internet and the ability to figure out the watching order