Optimus Prime or Princess Twilicorn? Who would win a leadership contest?

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

Just so you know, every time I look at Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the way she became leader of Equestria just because she was also leader of the Mane Six, and it's always taking me back to her male counterpart and leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime.

 

Seriously, back in the 80s, Transformers was meant to be the male alternative to My Little Pony, just because both premiered around the same year as each other.  Even to this day, with MLP beating out Transformers rather than the other way around like in the 80s, both gender-flipped counterparts to each other had team-leaders the Autobots and the Mane Six could get behind, including Optimus Prime and Twilight Sparkle, respectively.

 

But as for me, the most likely winner would be Optimus Prime.  Twilight Sparkle just recently became an alicorn princess, meaning that she still had a long way to go before becoming a full-fledged leader, like Princess Celestia before her.  Sure, she succeeded as a leader in the past, from uniting five mares her age against Nightmare Moon and Discord, to uniting Cadence and Shining Armor against Queen Chrysalis and her changeling army, to sending Spike to defeat King Sombra, and uniting five humans resembling her friends against Sunset Shimmer.  She also united all of Ponyville to organize and complete Winter Wrap-Up, and uncovered the Crystal Heart Spell after learning about the qualities of a true leader.  However, she also had her moments when she panicked, most particularly in Lesson Zero, and she does panic, she becomes mentally unstable as a result.

 

Optimus Prime, on the other hand, had several more years of experience leading his Autobot friends, and is also backed up with a Cybertronian artifact called the Matrix of Leadership, which greatly enhances his energon output to accompany his leadership skills.  He always had this calm demeanor, and thinks of his Autobot soldiers as the equivalent of his own children, unlike Megatron who expects instant gratification at the expense of his own Decepticon troops.  And, while he resorts to violence to defeat the Decepticons, he usually does so out of reluctance, and would never kill Megatron or almost any of his minions out of fear of sinking to their level, even if killing them would save countless more Autobots and humans.

 

Though, sometimes, I have to wonder if, during Optimus' time as Alpha Trion's apprentice, Orion Pax, he was also prone to panicking and fits of insanity any time he cracks under pressure.  After all, he did start off somewhere as expected in any leader, and when you're a beginner like Twilight Sparkle or Orion Pax, you're often the most prone to panicking.

[Twi Rubix 726]

This is quite the odd comparison, but I don't know if it's really fair. Twi has been an Alicorn for... Well, not even one episode, and we haven't even seen how she handles herself as being royalty. However, she does posses the qualities of a leader. I can't really say anything for Optimus because I hardly know the character.

[Mywas 687]

I would Say Prime Is the better leader because Twilight barely leads The Other mane cast while Prime Gives orders are such and is actually called the leader while Twilight is just a friend

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

This is quite the odd comparison, but I don't know if it's really fair. Twi has been an Alicorn for... Well, not even one episode, and we haven't even seen how she handles herself as being royalty. However, she does posses the qualities of a leader. I can't really say anything for Optimus because I hardly know the character.

With regard to Twilicorn, the book titled Crystal Heart Spell reassured me that Twilight will still be herself, only this time a full-fledged leader of both her friends as well as all of Equestria.  *SPOILERS AHEAD*  At first, Twilight had no idea what it meant to be a leader, so she turned to Cadence, a more experienced leader, for guidance.  She then learned from her sister-in-law that she had to turn to her friends for advice.  She tried to get advice from her friends, but rejected them out of doubt.  Then, Gilda the griffon appeared and told Twilight to only listen to herself, and not her friends, because as princess she doesn't need help.  And, when all hope seemed lost and Twilight would be nearly corrupted by Gilda's words, she would soon gain an epiphany from Princess Cadence and her five friends from Ponyville: She still needed help from her friends with regard to leading Equestria, because they had as much of a say in politics as she did despite their lack of alicorn princess status.

 

TL;DR Twilight learned about true leadership in Crystal Heart Spell, and would soon be a few hoof-steps away from becoming a leader, thanks to the combined power of her friends.

 

As for Optimus Prime, even people who didn't grow up with Transformers can obviously tell what kind of leader he is.  He isn't just leader of the Autobots, but also the metaphorical embodiment of true leadership, similar to Superman of the Justice League, Captain America of the Avengers, Leonardo of the TMNT, and obviously, Princess Twilight Sparkle of the Mane Six.  He possesses courage that inspires his Autobot troops to fight the Decepticons, and strong compassion for all sentient life, regardless if they are Autobots or humans.  He would gladly die to protect his Autobot friends, and when he can't do that, he simply unites said Autobots with his nearly unbreakable resolve, kindness, and charisma.  As a result, he's the complete moral opposite of his long-time nemesis, Megatron, who would kill and betray his own Decepticon troops to enslave the galaxy.

[Silverwisp the Bard 2,353]

Well, that would mostly depend on which Optimus we're talking about: I wouldn't trust Animated- or Bay Optimus to lead a school excursion.

 

Assuming you mean G1 Optimus, I'd say they about tie in terms of inspiring those around them, but Optimus got Twi beat by centuries when it comes to experience.

 

Though from what we've seen on-screen, Twilight is far more adept at actually hitting opponents with ranged attacks

Edited July 2, 2013 by Silverwisp the Bard

[PonyHag1 591]

I definitely have to go with Optimus, just because of how long he's been a leader--millions of years, technically. All due respect to Twilight, but she just became a princess.

Edited July 2, 2013 by PonyHag1

[Jokuc 8,172]

As OP mentions, Optimus has many many years, of leadership experience for being the leader for the Autobots. He once lived with the enemy and he - as well as his friends - knows about their enemies' ways. Optimus Prime has just a few friends to make decisions for, while Twilight Sparkle has to be the leader for a whole land. And as also said before, Twilight just recently became a leader.

[Commander_PonyShep 349]

As OP mentions, Optimus has many many years, of leadership experience for being the leader for the Autobots. He once lived with the enemy and he - as well as his friends - knows about their enemies' ways. Optimus Prime has just a few friends to make decisions for, while Twilight Sparkle has to be the leader for a whole land. And as also said before, Twilight just recently became a leader.

Actually, the Autobots are more like an entire race of transforming robots, rather than just a small team.  This technically means that Optimus is leader of a vast race of robots, rather than just a select few Autobots.  It's one of the reasons why I wanted to compare Twilicorn with her spear counterpart, Optimus Prime, because they aren't just leaders of their own small groups, but also of entire races.

[Dr. Love 88]

Optimus Prime, no contest, he leads his team into battles and always keeps a cool head when things get out of control, Twilight on the other hand would panic and probably do something rash while risking her friends in the process.

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

I'm going to be a contrarian and vote for Twilight here.  Yes, Optimus has vast amounts of leadership experience that Twilight doesn't have.  But there's one thing Twilight is able to accomplish that ['80's] Optimus can't: victory.  Every day, five days a week, Optimus would lead his Autobots into battle to foil some new Decepticon plan.  The Autobots were clearly the stronger force, yet Optimus would never seize the initiative and launch a counter-attack.  Every day, five days a week, he managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by allowing the Decepticons to retreat in good order and make their next evil plan in complete safety.  As a result, he fought the same enemies over and over and over again in a stalemate caused solely by his own decision as leader to remain permanently on the defensive.  Realistically, that's a recipe for ultimate defeat because, sooner or later, the enemy will get lucky.

 

In contrast, Twilight and her team have racked up an impressive string of enduring victories, usually by winning her enemies over to her side, thus adding to her strength.  Her world is a shining paradise.  Optimus' adopted home lives under constant threat of destructive attacks by giant robots.

 

Twilight, FTW.

[Scootalove 10,684]

I'd have to say that Twilight wins in the leadership contest, but Optimus Prime does have some leadership character traits. So, it is pretty hard to compare the two when it comes to leadership.

[Gabriel Smith 53]

Optimus Prime, hands down.

 

You don't get a device called the Matrix of Leadership for sitting on the couch drinking Energon all day y'know X3

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 20]

EASY Optimus he is a PRIME and he has the MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP inside him not to mention he is the leader of the autobot rase and twi' is a leader of a contry not to mention optimus is also alot older

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

But his "Matrix of Leadership" doesn't actually do him a whole lot of good when it comes to, you know, getting results, does it?  Twilight has the Element of Magic, and: she can do actual magic!

 

Twilight still wins.  *great big Pinkie grin*

[Gabriel Smith 53]

But his "Matrix of Leadership" doesn't actually do him a whole lot of good when it comes to, you know, getting results, does it?  Twilight has the Element of Magic, and: she can do actual magic!

 

Twilight still wins.  *great big Pinkie grin*

 

He's been "getting results" for the best part of nigh on 30 Years right now. Let's also not forget that Twilight basically earned her position through a series of blunders and errors X3

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

This needs to be a Death Battle, or an Epic Rap Battle of History. XD  In fairness to Optimus, I'm only talking about his G1 version from the '80's.  I haven't seen subsequent generations of Transformers cartoons, so I can't evaluate his leadership qualities there.  He does have a great voice which (well, in addition to the "he's a ginormous super-robot" bit) inspires confidence.  His force has strong unit cohesion, and they demonstrably hold tactical superiority over their enemies.  Still, Optimus' leadership is primarily military in character, and he has the long-standing primary failing of being unwilling to secure victory against a markedly inferior force.  In fairness to Optimus, the Decepticons are markedly inferior because Optimus is by most standards a superior leader to Megatron.  Nonetheless, who would praise a general who, for 30 years, was unable to secure a strategic victory even though his forces could defeat the enemy tactically in every single confrontation, especially without the difficult dynamic of guerrilla warfare involved?  To quote Sun Tzu, "Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

 

In Twilight's case, she is not primarily a general leading a force of warriors in battle.  Still, she does have more success when it comes to dealing with Equestria's enemies.  On the other hand, she did fail some crucial tests of leadership, such as in "The Return of Harmony" (IIRC), where she was not able to counter Discord's "turning" of her friends, and even succumbed to it herself, requiring Celestial intervention.  On the other hand, Discord is a cosmic force of chaos, and Twilight is a teenage girl with magic powers.  Unlike Optimus, Twilight consistently faces superior opponents.  The utility of her primary weapon, the Elements of Harmony, relies on the relationships she is able to maintain with her friends, or in other words, unit cohesion and esprit de corps.

 

It's been a looong time since I've seen any G1 Transformers, so I can't really compare the social dynamics of the Autobots with the social dynamics of the Mane 6.  Perhaps it could be argued that Optimus does a better job with the internal dynamics of his group (would Discord have been able to divide the Autobots against each other?), while Twilight does better on the battlefield.

 

I think we can all agree that Twilight has the better writers.

 

Aside: Seeing as Optimus is an immortal, wise being who has ruled for millennia and is the undisputed leader of his group, perhaps he should be measured not against Twilight (who is really just a newly-minted regent in training), but against Celestia?  She is much closer to being his Equestrian equivalent than Twilight is.

[Gabriel Smith 53]

This needs to be a Death Battle, or an Epic Rap Battle of History. XD  In fairness to Optimus, I'm only talking about his G1 version from the '80's.  I haven't seen subsequent generations of Transformers cartoons, so I can't evaluate his leadership qualities there.  He does have a great voice which (well, in addition to the "he's a ginormous super-robot" bit) inspires confidence.  His force has strong unit cohesion, and they demonstrably hold tactical superiority over their enemies.  Still, Optimus' leadership is primarily military in character, and he has the long-standing primary failing of being unwilling to secure victory against a markedly inferior force.  In fairness to Optimus, the Decepticons are markedly inferior because Optimus is by most standards a superior leader to Megatron.  Nonetheless, who would praise a general who, for 30 years, was unable to secure a strategic victory even though his forces could defeat the enemy tactically in every single confrontation, especially without the difficult dynamic of guerrilla warfare involved?  To quote Sun Tzu, "Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

 

In Twilight's case, she is not primarily a general leading a force of warriors in battle.  Still, she does have more success when it comes to dealing with Equestria's enemies.  On the other hand, she did fail some crucial tests of leadership, such as in "The Return of Harmony" (IIRC), where she was not able to counter Discord's "turning" of her friends, and even succumbed to it herself, requiring Celestial intervention.  On the other hand, Discord is a cosmic force of chaos, and Twilight is a teenage girl with magic powers.  Unlike Optimus, Twilight consistently faces superior opponents.  The utility of her primary weapon, the Elements of Harmony, relies on the relationships she is able to maintain with her friends, or in other words, unit cohesion and esprit de corps.

 

It's been a looong time since I've seen any G1 Transformers, so I can't really compare the social dynamics of the Autobots with the social dynamics of the Mane 6.  Perhaps it could be argued that Optimus does a better job with the internal dynamics of his group (would Discord have been able to divide the Autobots against each other?), while Twilight does better on the battlefield.

 

I think we can all agree that Twilight has the better writers.

 

Aside: Seeing as Optimus is an immortal, wise being who has ruled for millennia and is the undisputed leader of his group, perhaps he should be measured not against Twilight (who is really just a newly-minted regent in training), but against Celestia?  She is much closer to being his Equestrian equivalent than Twilight is.

 

Probably not. There's a good reason ERB hasn't adapted any non-humans onto the roster. I can't see them adapting Twilycorn without it looking bad. And Death Battle often fails to get some of it's facts straight X3

 

And yes, Optimus and Celestia would be a more worthwhile comparison. Going by similarities, both have had an extensive experience in a leadership role, have had to make some rather tough decisions and have some combat experience (who has more is open to debate) X3

[--Thunder Bolt-- 534]

Combat experience?  Optimus, manipulators down.  He fights pretty much every. single. day.  Celestia's battles, that we know of, can be counted on one hand: vs. Nightmare Moon, vs. Discord (historical), vs. Chrysalis.  Tactically, she's 2 and 1, but strategically she's quite the Xanatos, if you look at the way she subtly arranges things to go her way.  Optimus' combat wins have to be in the thousands.  But, Patton would never forgive him for repeatedly failing to "make those other bastards die for their country."

[Gabriel Smith 53]

Combat experience?  Optimus, manipulators down.  He fights pretty much every. single. day.  Celestia's battles, that we know of, can be counted on one hand: vs. Nightmare Moon, vs. Discord (historical), vs. Chrysalis.  Tactically, she's 2 and 1, but strategically she's quite the Xanatos, if you look at the way she subtly arranges things to go her way.  Optimus' combat wins have to be in the thousands.  But, Patton would never forgive him for repeatedly failing to "make those other bastards die for their country."

 

Again, that we know of. But Celestia has been around for at least a thousand years. Her first year of office being the busiest (what with the "evil" spirit of Chaos walking the Earth, Demon Lord's trying to take over a nation of shiny silicon ponehs, and of course lest we forget her own Sister being possessed by a Demon from the Warp itself X3).

[hawkflame 3,308]

Optimus has *far* more experience than the still-new-to-her-position Princess Twilight.  He's been the leader of the autobots for decades, if not longer, whereas Twilight is still learning.  Optimus is more like Celestia, very powerful and wise; the Big Good of the series. 

 

Twilght, unfortunately, compares more to Prime's successor, the less-than-popular (among the fans) Rodimus Prime, who was still trying to figure out how to be leader in the months after Prime's passing. 

[Mr. Critical 433]

this really isn't a fair debate. Optimus prime has been a leader for a few thousand years, and military training. Twilight on the other hand... well I don't think I need to speak for her, you all know already. But in ways they are both great leaders. Prime took the position of leader because the last one died. Be knew without a leader autobots would face defeat. Twilight just showed signs of a leader. She didn't need to take up the position or else its the end of equestria. So in conclusion they are, or at least will make, great leaders.

[H.P.Lovecolt24 107]

I love the analogy between Alicorn Twilight and Optimus Prime. the Optimus from TF Prime and the war for cybertron games has many similarities to Twilight Sparkle. they were both librarians, both earned their titles by achieving what others thought imposable. both had a near omnipotent mentor (for Twilight its Celesia and for Optimus its Alpha Trion who was one of the original 13 primes.)

 

that having been said who would make the better leader? I'd have to go with Prime. while we haven't seen Twilights full potential Optimus became a leader during a time of strife and war. he was forced to make the hard choices early choices Twilight may never have to make.