Rodimus Star

The Rodimus Star is an award from the 2005 IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family

Rodimus knows that you can't choose when fate decides to test your mettle. He could've ignored the urge to lead several Autobots on a quest to find the Knights of Cybertron. He could've turned his back on destiny and said "Go find another hero". However, for those who follow in his footsteps and rise to the occasion, he awards them with the Rodimus Star, a medal with his smiling face emblazoned on it.

The criteria for earning one is also ridiculously easy for the most part, and he hands them out like Energon goodies. Unfortunately, using one's natural abilities and just "being yourself" (and sometimes, the opposite) do not make one qualify for the award, making it difficult for some people to earn this award.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

Rodimus awarded Chromedome, Brainstorm, and Highbrow (but conspicuously not Trailbreaker) for repairing a hull breach caused by fragment from Metroplex. Neither Tailgate nor Chromedome seemed dazzled with it, but Trailbreaker felt left out and under-appreciated for not getting one. Finding out that just about everyone on the ship including Whirl (who doodled over his) received one didn't make him feel any better. Even Swerve was promised one if he completed his sponsored silence. When Whirl and Trailbreaker confronted Rodimus about it, he blew them off, claiming he'd just be rewarding Trailbreaker for doing what he always does.

Eventually, Trailbreaker, now Trailcutter, received one for driving a pack of Titan Hunters off the Lost Light while everyone the ship was accidentally paralyzed by one of Brainstorm's pulse weapons. Unfortunately, Rodimus awarded everyone who was frozen, even Brainstorm, giant golden Rodimus crests "For exceptional endurance in the face of adversity", putting him back where he started. The Reluctant Specialist

Magnus had received seven of them. Little Victories When Trailcutter was murdered by the Decepticon Justice Division, someone placed a star in his corpse's hand. The Custom-Made Now When his point of creation was in danger Megatron demanded to be sent back in time to murder Brainstorm himself. Perceptor pointed out Rodimus and his team would handle it. Megatron lashed out saying the Rodimus Stars were a way of Rodimus distracting everyone from his own shortcomings and only when Perceptor played his logic trump card and told Megatron to shut up did the ex-Decepticon back down. He and Magnus compared Rodimus Stars to pass the time. One of Magnus's was for "Neatest Handwriting", Megatron's was for "Abandoning his evil ways". Though the whole time travel fiasco was sorted out, Megatron overheard Rewind's true words over the time phone that the galaxy would have been a much better place if Megatron was never born and he later sulked in his quarters with Ravage regarding his star. Predestination: An Expert's Guide This star would later take on special significance for Megatron once he was trapped in the functionist universe, holding onto it for 819 years as a keepsake of as he put it his "best life". After his re-trial by Prowl and the Galactic Council, Megatron passed the star onto Rodimus. Rodimus himself would years later leave the battered and weathered star at Ratchet's grave, where it joined the rest of the dedications by the former Lost Light crew. How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2

Ask Vector Prime

When asked, Vector Prime noted that he hadn't received any form of faced-shaped award from Rodimus. If he were to receive one, he felt it should be due to his services in guarding time and space. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/13