Maximal General Optimus Primal

continued from the previous post...

The two main factions in the "Beast Wars: Transformers" CG-animated series were descendants of the two main factions in the original cartoon: the Maximals were the descendants of the Autobots and the Predacons were the descendants of the Decepticons. The names were intended to stem from the terms Mammal and Predator but were not necessarily consistent with the alternate forms of the Transformers.

Optimus Primal was the commander of the Maximals and their ship the Axalon. A brave and compassionate leader, Optimus named himself after a great hero of old: Optimus Prime. When I found out that the latest incarnation of Optimus was a gorilla, I was pretty shocked. I may not know Transformers well but everybody knows Optimus Prime was COOL and an ape just wasn't.

But my first born (who will be 16 this year - my, how time flies) enjoyed watching the animated series and it was a kind of father-son bonding thing to watch it with him so when it came time to have toys, I let him choose the ones he liked. So here he is, Optimus Primal. Optimus Primal was an ape in the Ultra size class.




Though the transformation from primate to humanoid was a relatively simplistic one, the toy compensated with more than a fair share of weaponry and action features.

A compartment on his right forearm opened to reveal a skull-shaped mace he could hold in his fist. His left forearm could open into a double-barreled missile launcher.


Double-barreled missile launcher on left forearm


Mace hidden in right forearm

Optimus Primal with mace

On his back were two spring-loaded missile launchers which auto-flipped over each shoulder.

Optimus Prime fully loaded to take on the Predacons

Optimus Primal also came with two swords which could held with one hand, just like Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsabre

Or Optimus Primal could just have one sword for close quarter combat, robot-to-robot

By pulling a lever in the center of his back, both arms would either spin at the bicep or bend in and out at the elbow, depending on the placement of notch-buttons located on either bicep. This gimmick was shown to be an effort to simulate a gorilla beating its chest while Optimus was in beast mode, but could also be used in robot mode, making him swing his weapons wildly before himself.


Like many first-year Beast Wars toys, there was also a battle mask / "mutant head" which could be deployed over his robot head but it's UGLY so I opted to do without.

Optimus Primal's most repeated quote: "Well, that's just prime."

Almost all the Beast Wars Transformer toys in Jared's past collection assembled in one place can be seen HERE