Editing The many deaths of Optimus Prime

[[Image:Afterdeath-gameoverman.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Oh, he's gone and died again.  Botheration!  Most inconvenient.]]
Across the various continuities, '''Optimus Prime dies a lot.'''  This happens for various reasons:

* It allows for him to be replaced by [[Hot Rod (G1)|a new character]] (and thus [[To sell toys|a new toy]]).
* It allows for him to come back from the dead in a new body (again, a new toy).
* It's dramatic (in theory).
* It makes him into something of a [[Jesus|Christ]]-figure.
* It allows for numerous [[Optimus Prime memorial|memorials]] to be constructed in his honor (though they're sometimes built even ''before'' he dies, morbidly enough).

Nearly every continuity family has featured Optimus Prime dying at least once; the only exceptions are the Primes from ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' (though [[The Final Battle (RID)|only just]]), and ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' (since in that case, it's  [[Megatron (SG)|Megatron]]'s job).

Some examples:

==Generation 1 cartoon continuity==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
[[Image:Wardawn_orion_dies.jpg|right|210px|thumb|Dying before he's even Optimus Prime (he's that good).]]

* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]] died (or was at least severely damaged by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]) and had to be rebuilt into Optimus Prime by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]. It's possible that if Orion had not been repaired, Optimus Prime would have ceased to exist. Pax's girlfriend Ariel was also heavily damaged, and rebuilt into [[Elita One]]. They were with their friend [[Dion]] when they were attacked by Megatron, although it is unknown if he was likewise rebuilt (That hasn't stopped people from discussing which of the Autobots Dion might have become for several decades, though). {{storylink|War Dawn}}

===''The Transformers: The Movie''===
[[Image:TFTM dead gray Prime.jpg|left|180px|thumb|[[:wikipedia:Oscar Wilde#Exile|"Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."]]]]
* The best-known example is from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] infamously dies of wounds from his battle with Megatron. Notably, his body turns gray as he dies. ([[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|Urban legend]] says his body also ''crumbles,'' but no such footage is known to exist.)  Being the first time he died, it was actually unexpected.
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===''Kiss Players''===
*Sometime between [[The Transformers: The Movie|2005]] and [[The Transformers (cartoon)|2010]], [[Marissa Faireborn]] revives Optimus using the Galvatron cells in her body... by kissing him. Ultimately, all the cells are put back into [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], and without them, Optimus promptly dies again. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD_collections_and_special_episodes|You, I and the Spinning Earth}}

===''The Transformers'' Season 3===
[[Image:Optimusg1zombie.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Mind if I smoke?"]]
* He returns from the dead ''twice;'' first as a [[zombie]] under [[Quintesson]] control in "[[Dark Awakening]]" as part of a plan to destroy the [[Autobot]]s, only to die again when he overcomes the Quintesson control through the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] and possibly the strength of his will, and sacrifices himself to save the Autobots.

* He then was brought to life again (and stayed alive) in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1]]".
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===''The Headmasters''===
[[Image:Headmasters-primedies.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"...I'm dead."<br/> "YES, you are!"<br/> "You think that's funny, Jennings?!"]] 

* In ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'', Prime's death in ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was sort-of recreated in a flashback montage at the beginning of "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", but not really.  Rather than die while taking down his ultimate nemesis in a one-on-one struggle to the death to defend his city, his comrades, the planet [[Earth]], and freedom itself, he just kind of gets randomly shot while in the middle of an ordinary battle outside of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]], and turns gray. Nobody else seems to notice this. It's not clear that ''Prime himself'' notices it. It's about the most half-hearted death ever.

* Optimus Prime later died again — in another act of self sacrifice, of course — when he walked into [[Vector Sigma]] and tried to bring it back under control directly in "[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]". His body turned gray as he died, followed by a (likely only symbolic) scene of him telling [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] that it would be his responsibility to keep leading the Autobots and to continue his work, seen as a transparent, light-haloed figure against the sky and heard in third person narration as Rodimus stared into the sky. (Then again, given the [[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime|proven]] [[Starscream's Ghost|exis]][[Ghost in the Machine|tence]] of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|gho]][[Alpha Trion (G1)|sts]]...)
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===''Return of Convoy''===
*The  [[Battlestars]] managed to restore Optimus's life with the power of the [[Zodiac]], evolving him into Star Convoy in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars]]''.

===''Generation 2''===
* In the Japanese version of ''Generation 2'', Optimus Prime was badly wounded by Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] and almost died, but was resurrected and evolved yet again, this time into [[Laser Rod]] Optimus Prime, by the power of the [[Reconfiguration Matrix]]. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (pack-in manga)##13 Battle Convoy (2-pages)|G-2 #13}}

==Marvel Comics continuity==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Pmoptimusprimedeath.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Give me my face!"]]

*In "[[Afterdeath!]]", [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], after failing to live up to his moral principles while playing a video game against [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], actually ''volunteers'' to be killed. The Autobots launch his [[Transformer funerary practices|funeral]] bier into space. Fortunately, the creator of the video game, [[Ethan Zachary]], saves a backup copy of Prime's mind on a [[floppy disk]]. We first meet this virtual Prime sixteen issues later in "[[Pretender to the Throne!]]". He gets his new [[Powermaster]] body two issues thereafter, in "[[People Power!]]".

*A previous attempt was made at making virtual Prime a new body in "[[Totaled!]]". The body ''spontaneously blew up''.

*About thirty issues later, Prime sacrifices himself again to defeat [[Unicron]], in "[[On the Edge of Extinction!]]". But he didn't actually die until "[[Still Life!]]". However, his Powermaster partner, [[Hi-Q]], survives, and almost immediately begins babbling about how he's ''really'' Optimus Prime.  This turns out to be true, and the [[Last Autobot]] metamorphoses Hi-Q into Prime (with a new [[Action Master]] body) in [[End of the Road! (US)|the last issue of the original Marvel US series]].
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===''Generation 2''===
[[Image:Swarmoptimus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Unleashing the light of the Matrix upon a great evil.  Again.]]
*This Prime wasn't done dying yet. His adventures continued in the G2 comics, and he died defeating the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]] in the final issue of that series, "[[A Rage in Heaven!]]". The Swarm reconstituted him three pages later (in a body based on his then-current [[Hero (G2)|Hero]] toy).
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==IDW Generation 1 continuity==
*It looks like [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|this Optimus Prime]] made a habit of dying even before he became a Prime - [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] shoots him in the back in [[Overthrown|Autocracy issue 8]], and one issue later every Autobot believes Orion Pax is dead... but is he? (SPOILER ALERT: No, he's not.) {{storylink|Overthrown}}
*In his first battle with the [[Ore-13]] powered Megatron, Optimus was killed. {{storylink|Escalation issue 5}} Or at least, his ''main body'' was: by quickly downloading his consciousness  into [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]] (and then back again), Optimus was able to survive. Being that close to death meant he briefly existed in a [[infraspace|limbo]] state, which got him noticed by [[Nova Prime]] in the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6}}
*He then spends the first half of [[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]] badly damaged and near death. He is revived, however, when [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and his crew arrive.
*A rare ''metaphorical'' version occurs when he leaves Cybertron to appease the anti-Autobot [[NAIL]]s. With no duties or lives to mind but his own, and no Matrix to carry, he claims that Optimus Prime is dead, but Orion Pax has been reborn. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}}

==''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity==
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Smelt Prime.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"I'm not quite dead yet!  I feel happy!"]]
In ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', you could mark the end of a season by the near-death experience of one [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus]] or [[Optimus Prime (G1)|another]]...

*At [[Other Voices, Part 2|the end of the first season]] of ''Beast Wars'', Optimus Primal piloted a bomb-equipped [[stasis pod]] in an attempt to destroy the [[Planet Buster]].  Unfortunately, [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] had sealed the pod's hatch, and Optimus blew up with it. [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)|Early in the second season]] (a few hours later as far as the characters were concerned), [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] managed to unite Optimus's drifting [[spark]] with a [[blank]] [[protoform]], thus bringing him back to life (and in a new [[Transmetal]] body, too).

*At [[The Agenda (Part III)|the end of second season]], the ''Beast Wars'' Megatron came very close to killing the original Optimus Prime. But [[Optimal Situation|Prime didn't ''quite'' die]], so we really shouldn't count it.

===''Beast Machines'' cartoon===
*At [[End of the Line|the end of the first season]] of ''Beast Machines'', Optimus and Megatron had a cataclysmic battle, using the energies of [[Vector Sigma]] and the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. This would have destroyed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], but Optimus took the warring energies into himself and disintegrated. However, his spark was trapped within the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], and the other [[Maximal]]s convinced him to return to the real world at [[Fallout (episode)|the start of second season]]. The Oracle kindly gave him a new body (which, believe it or not, was ''not'' a new toy).

*At [[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future|the end of the series]], Optimus Primal gave his life to defeat Megatron once and for all, pushing him into the [[technorganic]] core of the planet. In assorted ancillary media ([[Transformers: Universe (comic)|convention comics]], [[Beast Wars Reborn|text]] [[Transformers: Alternators|stories]]), he comes back to life yet again.

(Strangely, the end of the third season of ''Beast Wars'' had no Optimus deaths whatsoever! A half-dozen ''[[Depth Charge (BW)|o]][[Tigerhawk|t]][[Dinobot II|h]][[Inferno (BW)|e]][[Quickstrike (BW)|r]][[Rampage (BW)|s]]'' died, but not Optimus.)

==Robots in Disguise==
[[Optimus Prime (RID)#Notes|He]]'s one of the only Primes that ''didn't'' die! However, he came ''very'' close in [[The Final Battle (RID)|the final battle]], when he planned to sacrifice himself to stop [[Megatron (RID)|Galvatron]].

==Unicron Trilogy==
===''Armada'' cartoon===
[[Image:Sshot-arm-39-4.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Now Optimus, don't go all to pieces.  You say you have to split?  Well, you're a chip off the ol' block.]]
* In the ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' episode "[[Crisis]]", [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] used his body to block the blast of [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Hydra Cannon]], protecting the [[Earth]].  When the cannon's energy is spent, we see Optimus turn grayish-white, then ''actually'' crumble to bits. A bunch of [[Mini-Con]]s use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to resurrect him [[Miracle|three episodes later]].

===''Armada ''comic===
* The corpse of ''an'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] from an alternate universe where he was killed by Unicron appeared in the ''[[Armada (comic)|Armada]]'' comic issue titled "[[Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4]]". Yep, practically all we know about this Optimus is that he died. He doesn't turn gray, but his colors are faded.
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==''Universe''==
[[Image:Nemesisprimetfuclone.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Technically, this is the clone.]]
* The corpse of an [[Optimus Prime (Balancing Act)|Optimus Prime]] (killed by [[Megazarak (Universe)|Megazarak]]) from an alternate universe was cloned by Unicron to create [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]]. The clone, before he became Nemesis, appeared in ''Cybertron'' comic issue "[[Balancing Act, Part 2]]". Once again, practically all we know about this Optimus is that he died.
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==Movie continuity==
{{Note|Though Optimus Prime doesn't die in the first [[Transformers (film)|movie itself]], he does consider fusing the [[AllSpark]] into his own spark, an action that would destroy them both, if necessary to keep it out of Decepticon hands.}}

===''Transformers The Game''===
In Decepticon mode storyline, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] was beaten to the ground, and as he crawled for the [[AllSpark]], [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] smashed his head with his flail ... poor Prime, he gets the most violent death. {{Storylink|Transformers The Game (console)}}

===Titan Magazines ''Transformers'' movie comics===
{{notetitantlg}}
Optimus was left in a frozen, ''near''-death state. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' movie===
[[Image:ROTF Optimus death.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Shot through the heart, and [[Megatron (Movie)|you're]] to blame, you give love a bad name!]]

Perhaps the most brutal Prime death to date, in keeping with the rather more graphic nature of combat in the live-action movies. To protect [[Sam Witwicky]], Optimus Prime engaged in a brutal battle with [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]], [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]  and [[Grindor (ROTF)|Grindor]]. Despite ''literally'' disarming Starscream and destroying Grindor's head, Optimus is run-through from behind by Megatron and killed. While dead, Optimus' body is depicted with faded colours in reference to his history of turning grey upon death. This event causes Sam to follow the symbols the AllSpark sliver placed in his mind to find the ancient [[Matrix of Leadership#Live-action film series|Matrix of Leadership]], the only thing that could restore life to Optimus. Unfortunately, it crumbled into dust upon touching it in the [[Tomb of the Primes]] on the border between [[Egypt]] and [[Jordan]]. During the climactic battle in Egypt between [[NEST]] and the Decepticons, Sam was seemingly killed by Megatron, only to be taken to another plane of existence where he met [[Dynasty of Primes|the Primes who died]] to prevent [[The Fallen]] from achieving victory, and they bestowed upon him the true Matrix, which allowed Sam to revive Optimus. {{Storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{Note|In the [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (novel)|novelization]] of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', unlike the movie, it is explicitly stated that Optimus Prime survived Megatron's attack, but was so badly damaged his body had gone into [[stasis lock]], and would likely stay that way for many years while his body repaired itself if not for Sam's intervention.}}
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==Animated== 
===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Image:TFAnimated transformandrollout DEATH.jpg|right|150px|thumb|It's a new record, Primey!]]
In the third part of the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' movie, "[[Transform and Roll Out]]", [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] dies after his battle with [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]. Like the Generation 1 Prime before him, he turns gray upon dying. Seventy-five seconds later - for us AND for the characters - [[Sari Sumdac]] uses the mysterious [[AllSpark Key]] to revive him. 
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===''The Cool'' comic===
During their final battle on earth, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] fired a devastating blast from his [[fusion cannon]] which was super charged by Starscream's [[AllSpark]]-fragment-powered head before driving one of his swords straight through Optimus' chest and [[spark]]. However this, somehow, did not completely kill him as [[Burning justice|his cries of justice and heroics caused his spark to shine and made a reaction]] from the shard in Starscream's head, which flew at Optimus giving him new power and a new body. {{storylink|The Cool Episode Final}}

==''Henkei!'' manga==
{{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}}

==''Prime'' cartoon==
[[File:Rebellion-eyes.jpg|left|thumb|300px|]]

Following the creation of a [[Darkmount (Earth)|Decepticon fortress]] practically on the Autobots' doorstep, Optimus had the others evacuate the base while he heroically stayed behind to destroy the [[GroundBridge]] to cover their retreat. He was still in the base when the Decepticons blew it up. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (episode)|Darkest Hour}} [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] pulled him from the rubble and he lay dying in a cavern for several days. {{storylink|Darkmount, NV}}  His lingering death seemed like it was coming to an end when he had a vision of the bright light of the Allspark and spoke with [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]]. In the real world, the light faded from Optimus's optics and his chest opened to reveal the Matrix, at which point Smokescreen used the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] to return him to life in a new, upgraded body. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}}

To defeat Unicron the second time, Optimus had to merge the [[AllSpark]] with the Matrix of Leadership so he could use the empty container to entrap his foe. This essentially resulted in his own spark becoming one with the AllSpark, and thus in order to restore the AllSpark to its rightful place, Optimus was required to make the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, giving up his own existence so that Cybertron might bear new life. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

==''Rescue Bots'' cartoon==
While traveling back in time to the year 1939 in order to save the [[Rescue Bots]] from [[Doctor Morocco]], The Autobots and the human children attempt to escape through the time portal to the present.
However, while the rest of the team makes it through the portal back to the future, it abruptly closes, seemingly trapping Optimus. It appeared that the Autobot leader was lost in time. The portal however, suddenly reopens, and Optimus jumps out. When they emerge from the lab, they find [[Griffin Rock]] greatly changed. This was another near death experience for Optimus Prime. {{storylink|It's a Bot Time}}

==See also==
* [[Primus apotheosis]]
* [[Death]]
* [[Prime Spark (story)|Prime Spark]] - The short story explores the question of where <s>all</s> [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|most]] of those Optimus-es go when they die. (Answer: someplace dull.) 
* [[Ginrai#Victory_cartoon|God Ginrai]] - Often erroneously put in this category.
* [[Dirge (G1)]] - The appropriately named, yet very unlucky guy who gets [[:Image:Dirge DeathSerpentor.jpg|killed]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathSwarm.jpg|off]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathTimelines.jpg|in]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathUnicron.jpg|many]] [[:Image:Dirge DeathArmada.jpg|continuities]] (but less than [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus Prime]]).
* [[Sentinel Prime (disambiguation)|Sentinel Prime]] - The [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime lou.jpg|who]] [[:Image:Sentinel prime dw.jpg|must]] [[Megatron Origin issue 4|always]] [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|die]] ([[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Usually]]).
* [[Cy-Kill (disambiguation)|Cy-Kill]], who is repeatedly killed COS HE SUCKS LOLOLOLOL.
* [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] - [[Starscream (G1)|He]] [[Starscream (Armada)|dies]] [[Starscream (Animated)|a]] [[Starscream (Movie)|lot]].

{{DEFAULTSORT:Many deaths of Optimus Prime}}
[[Category:Stories]]