>>89974728It's natural to root for the underdog. To want to see that "comeback kid" story of the guy in last place surging ahead at the finish line. The unlikely victor.
The Decepticons were always the underdog. They were always losing, always knocked back on their heels. The Autobots made victory seem so assured, so easy, that it was impossible not to see them as kind of... smug bullies, basically. Even though they were always displayed as being noble and well-intentioned, you kind of wanted to see them get the shit beaten out of them just to introduce some genuine conflict. Some real tension. Some sense that they had to work for a win because defeat was possible.
You just wanted to see the impossible happen. Just once.
That's why even as a child of the 80s who grew up with the Transformers I wasn't one of those whiners who were heartbroken when Optimus died. To me, it just raised the stakes, and gave us a new leader who felt like he had to work for a win, which made it easier to WANT to root for him.
