I see Galvatron as essentially a control freak: his greatest fear is that someone will be able to control him again, so he lashes out at the universe and tries to conquer everything in sight, etc. etc. to make damn sure that won't ever happen.
That is...on the one hand Galvatron doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the traditional definition of 'control freak'--he's too unpredictable himself for that--and on the other hand it also explains a lot of the differences in how he treats the other 'Cons: he doesn't have the security in his power Megatron had, to keep Starscream or Octane or Blitzwing around.
So, yeah. Thanks for mentioning that. It is Useful for my Purposes. ;)
Galvatron as a role model makes me laugh a bit--I mean, *Galvatron!* But on the other hand, who else does Roddy have at that point? Optimus led the Autobots for nine million years, a number of the folks in his inner circle died in TFTM as well, and Ultra Magnus is as much out of his depth as Rodimus himself. The only one else Rodimus has to look at for Cybertronian leadership is Galvatron.
(...other than by short-circuiting himself and going into the Matrix, which has a lot of downsides even if it's not *quite* as dangerous as taking up with the 'Con leader.)
Blindingly strong, forceful, charismatic, wild and free: everything Rodimus thinks he isn't.
At least the last bits of that--wild and free--would also be things that Hot Rod was, but Rodimus isn't and, because of the nature of Autobot vs Decepticon leadership, can't be. And of course the reasons that Galvatron can be like that aren't good ones at all but I really wouldn't blame Rodimus for envying him them.
I do definitely tend to view Galvatron as having an, ah, affinity for--as katarik says, I dunno if it's a technical term or not--service-oriented subs. Which Roddy isn't to the extent of, say, Cyclonus where Galvatron is concerned--serving is something he does, as a Prime, but submitting is, I think, something he does in part to get the hell away from having to be a Prime.
Which is an aspect of it that Galvatron does and doesn't do for him--yes, he's not having to be leading and making the decisions here, but on the other hand, he is the Prime when he's with Galvatron--but not in a bad way, necessarily, even if he's 'failed' in the sense of, ah, being tied up in his enemies bed, because Galvatron is one of the few people in the galaxy who's highly unlikely to be "I would prefer to have Optimus!" at him--and, as you point out, Roddy's Chosen One-ness was quite directly useful to him in freeing him from slavery to Unicron.
(...at least until the end of Season 3. I look at some of the ways Optimus and Galvatron are acting there, and I'm not sure Hot Rod may be keeping his Galvatron.
Not that he gets much of a chance, what with the Hate Plague and all.)
Also, the fact that even as Rodimus, Roddy is reckless as all get-out doesn't hurt in terms of getting him to do something as dangerous as hook up with the Leader of the Decepticons. :)
THOUGHTS!
That is...on the one hand Galvatron doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the traditional definition of 'control freak'--he's too unpredictable himself for that--and on the other hand it also explains a lot of the differences in how he treats the other 'Cons: he doesn't have the security in his power Megatron had, to keep Starscream or Octane or Blitzwing around.
So, yeah. Thanks for mentioning that. It is Useful for my Purposes. ;)
Galvatron as a role model makes me laugh a bit--I mean, *Galvatron!* But on the other hand, who else does Roddy have at that point? Optimus led the Autobots for nine million years, a number of the folks in his inner circle died in TFTM as well, and Ultra Magnus is as much out of his depth as Rodimus himself. The only one else Rodimus has to look at for Cybertronian leadership is Galvatron.
(...other than by short-circuiting himself and going into the Matrix, which has a lot of downsides even if it's not *quite* as dangerous as taking up with the 'Con leader.)
Blindingly strong, forceful, charismatic, wild and free: everything Rodimus thinks he isn't.
At least the last bits of that--wild and free--would also be things that Hot Rod was, but Rodimus isn't and, because of the nature of Autobot vs Decepticon leadership, can't be. And of course the reasons that Galvatron can be like that aren't good ones at all but I really wouldn't blame Rodimus for envying him them.
I do definitely tend to view Galvatron as having an, ah, affinity for--as
Which is an aspect of it that Galvatron does and doesn't do for him--yes, he's not having to be leading and making the decisions here, but on the other hand, he is the Prime when he's with Galvatron--but not in a bad way, necessarily, even if he's 'failed' in the sense of, ah, being tied up in his enemies bed, because Galvatron is one of the few people in the galaxy who's highly unlikely to be "I would prefer to have Optimus!" at him--and, as you point out, Roddy's Chosen One-ness was quite directly useful to him in freeing him from slavery to Unicron.
(...at least until the end of Season 3. I look at some of the ways Optimus and Galvatron are acting there, and I'm not sure Hot Rod may be keeping his Galvatron.
Not that he gets much of a chance, what with the Hate Plague and all.)
Also, the fact that even as Rodimus, Roddy is reckless as all get-out doesn't hurt in terms of getting him to do something as dangerous as hook up with the Leader of the Decepticons. :)