Was the problem with Transformers the movie they killed Optimus Prime and the others or everyone did not see it?

[Starsaberdub]

Was it the because of the characters that were killed or because people started to see season 3 before the movie?

[Skyquake87]

Couple of things, Hasbro then viewing it's Transformers as product, rather than character, so killing of a swathe of children's favourites in the first 20 minutes of a film aimed at kids didn't go down well. Maybe they should have watched Watership Down first..!

Second, at least here in the UK, the release date got pushed back and back and back following poor performance in the US, that it ended up in cinemas late in the year so no-one saw it.

I don't think I saw it myself until long after it's release on VHS and had to console myself with the Ladybird adaption and what the Marvel UK comic told of what happened.

[Auntie Slag]

I flipping loved that Ladybird adaptation. A friend had it at school and I would pour over the images. The animation loved so film-like, and so far above the choppy animation & colouring of certain episodes. Every image in the Ladybird book was drenched in shadow, it was so dark and moody. My Mum found me a copy in the local chemist in the mid-90's. It was mint condition, still got it now. An ace addition to the DVD!

[Starsaberdub]

What if instead of killing any of the characters they did these:
1. Have Optimus being rebuilt into Ultra Magnus.
2. Have Optimus pass on the role of leader to Rodimus or Ultra Magnus and live as well stay a part of the main cast in another role.
3.Both live and stay on as the leader and himself.

Would you please say how these three ideas would have likely have gone down with the fandom if they were used?

[Denyer]

1. Magnus obviously then wouldn't exist as a character, and some people like Magnus.
2. You get to see Optimus, Rodimus, etc, interact in this sort of way in the Marvel UK arc Time Wars, and more generally with Autobot/Decepticon forces being split between Earth and Cybertron -- there are multiple leaders active at any one time.
3. Optimus is kind of played out as a character and tends to overwhelm whatever stories he's part of, so there's something to be said for giving other characters the spotlight. Equally, he's the first or second most recognisable TF character and people particularly love Cullen's voice acting.

[Starsaberdub]

1. Magnus obviously then wouldn't exist as a character, and some people like Magnus.
2. You get to see Optimus, Rodimus, etc, interact in this sort of way in the Marvel UK arc Time Wars, and more generally with Autobot/Decepticon forces being split between Earth and Cybertron -- there are multiple leaders active at any one time.
3. Optimus is kind of played out as a character and tends to overwhelm whatever stories he's part of, so there's something to be said for giving other characters the spotlight. Equally, he's the first or second most recognisable TF character and people particularly love Cullen's voice acting.

But what would have been the reaction if they used these ideas when the movie was made?

[Denyer]

The people who like Magnus wouldn't like it (although wouldn't know about it unless it was only in the animated stuff rather than the other media); it's already been done so look at the contemporary reactions to those comic storylines; with Optimus in place the storyline would have been more of the same.

TF:TM '86 is heavily derivative of the Star Wars style "chosen one" narrative device with Hot Rod aimed at being an audience insert/identification character rather than other minor roles such as Bumblebee.

You can get an idea of how various devices work in fiction by spending an evening/days/weeks going down rabbit holes on https://tvtropes.org/

[Starsaberdub]

The people who like Magnus wouldn't like it (although wouldn't know about it unless it was only in the animated stuff rather than the other media); it's already been done so look at the contemporary reactions to those comic storylines; with Optimus in place the storyline would have been more of the same.

TF:TM '86 is heavily derivative of the Star Wars style "chosen one" narrative device with Hot Rod aimed at being an audience insert/identification character rather than other minor roles such as Bumblebee.

You can get an idea of how various devices work in fiction by spending an evening/days/weeks going down rabbit holes on https://tvtropes.org/

I they had use any of those ideas could have the show went on longer?

[Denyer]

Probably not, because it was a decision made by Hasbro based on toy sales.

The show kept Transformers visible but as mentioned elsewhere it wasn't the norm for toy lines to last for years and years in the 80s/90s.

[Starsaberdub]

Probably not, because it was a decision made by Hasbro based on toy sales.

The show kept Transformers visible but as mentioned elsewhere it wasn't the norm for toy lines to last for years and years in the 80s/90s.

If they killed Optimus today and not the 80s how would it likely be received ?

[Denyer]

There'd probably be more expectation of a revolving-door comics style approach to character death, or people simply not caring because there've now been dozens of different continuities and dozens of different Optimuses.