Why do they have to call 'Hot Rod' of the Transformers, 'Rodimus' now?

Question

I have never really figured it out. I mean if the name is copyrighted, they should just do that they did with 'Jazz'. Any toy of his is now called 'Autobot Jazz'. I never really liked the idea of calling 'Hot Rod', 'Rodimus'. The name never sat right with me...

I don't mean, why did his name change as a character when he became leader of the Autobots... I mean, the toy. They cannot call the toy 'Hot Rod' anymore due to some legal or copyright problem. And that is why they refer to him just as 'Rodimus' now. I was just wondering if anyone knew what was the copyright issue...

I don't mean, why did his name change as a character when he became leader of the Autobots... I mean, the toy. They cannot call the toy 'Hot Rod' anymore due to some legal or copyright problem. And that is why they refer to him just as 'Rodimus' now. I was just wondering if anyone knew what was the copyright issue...

Answer 1

I guess it was because he had to replace Optimus Prime as the leader of the Autobots. The operative word would be the word "Prime." If they hadn't changed the name, he would be called Hot Rod Prime. I'd take Rodimus Prime over that anytime.

Answer 2

In autobot lore "the Prime" is a title. There is never more than one as there is only one autobot Matrix, and whomever has it installed is The Prime.

When someone becomes President, they call him Mr.President instead of Mr. Bush as a sign of respect (wether he deserves it or not is another matter) and that is a very similar thing.

In addition to that, the original Hot Rod was a very different figure than Rodimus Prime. It would stand to reason that the time he spent as The Prime with the Auto Bot Matrix installed changed him a little more than simple maturation and evolution would have, so the Hot Rod that once was no longer really exists.

Moreso, the Rodimus transformers, of which there have been several are all different enough to warrant a name change in light of the changes in leadership since the death of Unicron.

Answer 3

In the Transformers animated movie there was the character "Hot Rod." Early in the movie Optimus Prime dies and shortly afterwards Hot Rod ends up with the Autobot Matrix of Leadership (by accident.) Later in the movie Hot Rod activates the Matrix and the Matrix changes him into "Roddimus Prime" sort of a combination of Hot Rod and Optimus Prime. It was kinda like an Autobot Extreme Makeover. He went from being a Hot Rod car to being a Hot Rod truck. It also seemed to age him and make him a little more mature also. So he was no longer just Hot Rod. In the Transformers Universe the matrix is basically a talisman of leadership the holder of the matrix will usualy be changed into a more powerful version of themselves (usually with new transformation modes etc) and the title "Prime" is added to their name.