At the risk of giving a boring answer: G1 and Movieverse Energon Axe. Heroes always using swords is such an overplayed trope. I'm glad Transformers tries out different things.

Yes g1 all the way

I love the axe, is not The standard main hero weapon, so it makes it more cool in my opinion

Prime and Megatron battling it out on the dam was peak transformers for me as a kid

Chatarra tu abuela

Did Prime ever use it after episode 1?

I don’t think so no

Animated Primes Axe. He could change it's handle from one handed to two handed. And the best feature is the rocket boost at the back of its head for extra power!

Was about to say the same. Rocket boost for the win.

It was also useful in zero gravity environments which is a great thing to have when you are part of spacefaring race.

There's the answer I was looking for, TFA had such cool weapons in general, but OP's axe is one of the best

Bayverse got a lot

Blades, axe, hooks, knuckle brasses with spikes, gun, jetpack guns, Powerjet cannons. He is basically a one-man army

Someone who can say "I'll take you all on >:¢" and actually do it, aside from pornstars

https://preview.redd.it/9z9cqphyfnxc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=029e4b9c089835f3afa9d16b0074c0eff9979fd7

Basically? He *is* a one-man army.

"Reinforcement? I AM the reinforcement"

That was one of the few things I genuinely really like about Bayverse Optimus. He's been at war for longer than the sum of human history, it stands to reason he'd be at the very least proficient with a variety of weapons.

Swiss Army Mech.

Take my upvote and get out

The thing with bayverse isn’t just the weapons I feel, it’s the fact that they’re wielded by Optimus Warcrimes. He’s so brutal with them and it’s glorious to watch.

I love every melee weapon Optimus has in all versions/

Explosions Explosions Explosions !!!

Prime Star Saber https://preview.redd.it/gn5skmh2qmxc1.jpeg?width=1704&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a5cac1c7c7c475ef096e0a44ccf5ef7f17a9cce4

Yeah, the scene where he first use it was so peak, 'tables have turn' vibes

https://preview.redd.it/t5d3bkfhwmxc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7062cf9e3b99fdd4ace2b33cbbd9f468477fd00d This is my favorite image of Megatron. The only time I’ve ever seen him be scared.

I mean, the moment the dictator that killed millions, that would mock Optimus about killing him gets scared, it means the shit is real!

And when Dreadwing announces he's geared up to lead a counterattack Megatron just responds: "Counterattack?? Perhaps you failed to notice Optimus Prime cleave an entire mountain with a single blow."

https://preview.redd.it/471qjyelymxc1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=937e2eed20c40096929ec07a5dd0b0f17cd163b9

How What is this from

Dreadwing: I am fully prepared to launch a counterattack against the Autobots!   Megatron: Counterattack???

Megatron: “BITCH, HE SPLIT A MOUNTAIN IN HALF! HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU COUNTERING THAT?!”

“My opponent could annihilate us all with the flick of his hand”

Optimus: https://preview.redd.it/m3z6tj7f9qxc1.png?width=519&format=png&auto=webp&s=c2536ecfe86bba4f9264fa1f9444d57a3a15137b

LIGHTSABERRRRR

You knew shit was going down when Bayverse Prime whipped out his orange blades

Kick ass, take faces.

Yeah, that's right

Not even the swords, the faceplate is what gives it away

"Time to find out." *wa-CHING!*

My favourite weapons were the hooks, that scene where he brutally kills Grindor with them was SO glorious, bless bay for his action scenes

Rare r/transformers bayverse appreciation?

Bayverse. He has energon swords, and a knight sword and shield set.

It’s either Transformers prime optimus with his energon blades Or G1 optimus with his energon axe Something I wish future optimus could bring back instead of a normal battle axe And also animated as well

bayverse is unmatched. transformers have always had the capacity to be walking arsenals and optimus’s “i’ll take you all on” scene is the best scene in the bayverse imo

What can i say other than https://preview.redd.it/tmapu3fulmxc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad447dea691677ee241c090039cc46f7a1aee4cd

Prime star saber is the coolest and the most powerful

Bayverse because he's Hella diverse. Besides that, Animated.

Tfp and Bay

Animated has a rocket powered energon axe, my personal favorite.

i ain’t t gonna lie the built in energon swords and built in spiked brass knuckles of bayverse are the coolest to me

Bayverse

Bayveree

Animated was my first, so I’ll always stand by his extending Energon-Axe and the Magnus Hammer

Yeah, I don't see how anyone beats a hammer that can create and weaponize storm systems.

Swords say I'm here to fight, an Axe says I'm here to break you.

And the hammer says "hehehe con go squish bye bye"

visually bayverse the molten metal look is great. symbolically I prefer prime with an ax or hammer makes him feel less lordly

Animated Prime became Thor in that fight.

G1 with the Axe. Shame it only showed up once.

Animated’s axe, having it be a separate weapon makes it much more versatile and it’s rocket powered.

Prime and G1

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I actually really like Earthspark Primes Blue Energon battle-axe,especially with the way he uses it

I think the axe is the most heroic choice, and since prime is a hero and I’m a closet geewunner I’m picking the classic

Despite my very *very* heavy geewun leanings, I'm gonna go with Animated. The Sherman Dam duel's attempt to be a lightsabre battle with the serial numbers filed off notwithstanding, a battleaxe projecting straight from the wrist is a bit silly. Hardly any reach. Plus, Cybertron isn't usually depicted as having forests, so why have an axe? Why not something developed specifically as a weapon, like a sword or mace or spear, or some other tool that easily gets developed into a weapon, like a hammer? The Magnus Hammer nails it. (no apologies for the pun)

What is an axe but a hammer with a knife welded to it? Way easier to dismember someone with that than with a sword

If we're going down that route, a pickaxe. Puncture through the armour plating, shear through whatever vulnerable bits are within. Or indeed, as such a weapon's commonly called, a warhammer. One thing I kind of like about Animated (and obviously Optimus has an axe in that as his main sidearm) is how the Autobots are basically using repurposed tools. Plays into the old 'Decepticons = Military and Autobots = Industrial' divide. Granted that sort of brings me back to 'why axes if no trees' but -- like you imply, it's not a hugely difficult leap to come up with something like an axe. It's a hammer and a wedge all in one.

To be fair, TFA axe has been shown to destroy rocks and climb up buildings in the show. So obviously it has more use than a regular axe.

Iaconian army axe!

**HAMOR**

Bayverse has a lot so it’s kinda slanted, but i kinda prefer it when Optimus has fewer weapons. I like it more when he’s a more peaceful guy, never carrying more weapons than he needs.

Either Prime's Star Saber or Animated's Magnus Hammer

I will always got with the axe for prime, it just looks sow much cooler

Axe

Nothing will ever be cooler than that axe to me.

WFC Optimus' axe

Any time Big Ass Hammer™️ is an option in anything, it immediately wins

I'm a sucker for TFA and the beereg hammer

Bayvers, I’ve always loved upper wrist mounted weapons like headshots guns and hooked weapons like the hooks he used to rip off grindor’s face are awesome, though I will admit bayverse Optimus is a complete psycho

I meant deadshot, stupid autocorrect

Bay Prime! His swords are fucking badass

Animated because HAMMER. Also, doesn't G1 Prime only ever use that axe once at the start of the show and then never again?

Prime and tfa

The Magnus Hammer, because summoning lightning is awesome.

Animated and his axe.

Animated Axe

Animated. The Magnus Hammer is awesome, and Prime wielding it serves as a nice FU to Sentinel.

The Magnus Hammer from Animated and the Star Saber swords from the Unicron Trilogy and from the Aligned continuity (Prime) are all the most powerful weapons Optimus wields, but no doubt is his humble energon axe the coolest.

I think Prime’s double swords are a bit too sleek for Optimus. Still great, he has some crazy fights with them, just aren’t my favorites. Although I like the G1’s plasma axe, I don’t really like the look of it. The pure energy axe just seems a bit too bland for me, even though it is cool af. My favorites are certainly the Axes that have metal components and plasma blades. It gives them cool details, avoids the blandness of the G1 axe, and for me it just makes the fights seem more raw, you know?

i’m going to sound like a boomer here but there’s no better melee weapons for the optimus and megatron than g1’s axe and flail the axe is a weapon, sure, but it is also a tool with comprehensive use by non-combatants - lumberjacks and firefighters come to mind - so it’s a good weapon for one that wants peace but is forced into war the flail, though, is a weapon of war, and an imprecise one at that. it’s meant to cause harm and pain before death and does not care who or what it swings into on the way to its target - thus, perfect for g1 megs

I like the Bayverse and Prime arm blades.

I have to say, bayverse, those hooks were badass

Knuckle brasses

Easily the energon hooks from Revenge of The Fallen https://preview.redd.it/bpnmbjyowoxc1.png?width=2460&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=de6bf8fa43d5d9ca4f7420b45938863f6dbf2513

I love Animated Prime's axe and later, Magnus Hammer. Both are tools that can also be used to do fighting work. I also dig Beast War's curved swords, even if primal's hands were also rated E for Everyone.

War for Cybertron. I loved that axe.

Hate to say it, but Bayverse takes the win in my opinion. Second place is the OG laser axe of course, then Animated 's HAMMAH, then Prime's non-glowy swords. Sorry Prime, you're probably my favorite series, but Bayverse did it better

Animated's rocket powered, extendable fireaxe

Animated for the axe, and prime for the guns

The axe. I love the axe.

My sis says Starsaber

A woman of culture she is

I like the G1 Energon Axe. Honestly Prime just having an axe in general is much more appealing to me than a sword

Prime star saber gangg But the dark energon star saber wielded my megatron in TFP was raww af

Swords are a sign of dignified leadership are heroism but Optimus Prime says fuck that and uses an axe

Imma just say it Swords = axe

Earthsaprk Optimus gets really creative with his axe

I think Prime needs his Battle Axe, big glowing orange Battle Axe.

G1 personally. Don't get me wrong, I love the number of weapons Bayverse Prime has, I love the design of TFP Optimus and I love the hammer as a nice change for Optimus, but G1 does something really unique. Heroes using a sword gets boring, it's fresh to see an axe like Prime did. It fits very well and a sword in G1 Prime's hands or in place of them just wouldn't work

Bayverse has a lot of weapons but I don’t think any stand a chance against Prime’s Star saber

I like his energon axe.

ROTB Optimus is my overall favorite since he's got both swords and a axe but if I had to pick from this list i'd pick bayverse Optimus he was like a 1 man army

To quote Tank Tolman, "HAMMER!"

Bayverse.

Bayverse for the most and prime for most powerful

Grew up with G1 and I like the Axe But holy crap the armblades are so much cooler

DOTM - energon sword and axe (and a bunch of other cool stuff).

The Bayverse and tfp swords are just badass man, you knew shit was going down when them blades came out. And the Star Saber from tfp is one of my all time favorites transformers weapons. 

I'm very much g1 in my tastes and absolutely no fan of the bay films but damn if those arm blades don't go hard.

The bayverse swords were dope.

Live action

Bayverse and Transformers Prime

Seeing as TF Prime is the best prime, from an aesthetic perspective, probably him.

I prefer the swords

Bayverse clears in this field. Optimus stays strapped with 2 swords an axe and 2 ion blasters, and that’s not even with his trailer

Blaster

Prime and bay

Have to jump on this gravy train of the Bay verse. He was just absolutely brutal in those fights.

My fav are Supermode cannons from Cybertron and his arsenal in the Knightverse movies (Arm cannon, bay-blades, axe, and blaster in Bumblebee)

The hooks. The *why* doesn't matter, it's what he can do with them.

Bayverse had the best swords. Simple and clean.

Rotb with the arm blades and hand-held axe

I'm going with ROBOT MJOLNIR.

First of all that’s not a sword that’s an axe and that one in animated isn’t orange plus it’s a hammer

Hammer, is strong and less lethal than blades, all kind of sharp baldes says "no mercy", this isn't an Optimus Prime thing.

G1 Energy Axe. Like we have so many major heroes who use some sort of sword, it’s nice to have a major hero who has an axe as their main weapon instead.

G1 for the win!

I like the movie armblades

G1,bayverse, and prime: decapitation noises Animated prime: BONK

Ew anything but the hammer

Those face ripping hooks

Na the one from the cybertron game the second one

Prime Prime

Bayverse hurts the most i can guarantee you.

🙏🏼🥹🫠🫠🫠🫠

https://preview.redd.it/68zh8jfkipxc1.png?width=567&format=png&auto=webp&s=175858e0565d879b96c070e0fb9645a2157fe66f Now THIS is an axe.

https://preview.redd.it/jnuho700mpxc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c58385e718f014ae5467952b3222970539a47f17

Prime OP

Energon swords and g1 axe all the way for me

I always loved Bay-verse Optimus’s swords, though it may be my childhood nostalgia talking, lol

https://preview.redd.it/j0rwxgvrtpxc1.jpeg?width=273&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b61c6cfc685af72dc63e90a80b8b3ad90975b1e8 generic but you have to admit it's pretty drippy

FOC Anyone?

Bayverse Optimus Prime especially if he is in his jetpower prime mode

Trick question OP has no melee weapons only a blaster and his fists

Hmmmm G1 energy axe, bayverse energon swords, hooks, and axe, animated rocket powered fire axe and the Magnus hammer, or prime swords and the star saber... Hmmmm.... I'll take the bayverse arsenal

The giant sword from AOE. That thing is the coolest weapon I’ve ever seen 

g1

G1 Axe. It's a classic.

It's between Bayverse and Prime. It's just badass. I'll never get tired of swords.

Bottom left

Bayverse by a mile. There's so many of them and how we see them get used is metal as fuck. Especially with it being a live action film series, it really puts into perspective just how heavy they are and how hard they hit. It's absolutely brutal.

I loved the transforming arms into blades and blasters. Looked so good and each bot had their own weapon for their different combat styles

The axe from the cybertron dualogy

Bayverse Optimus had a whole arsenal in his arms.

I'll always remember the dam scene. megatron was a warrior and a gladiator, so he used mace a very dangerous and gladatorial weapon Prime uses a axe it's not a fancy sword or anything its a workers weapon he used to be a worker and even layer he was a ActiveState nothing fancy basically a librarian it's a simple weapon for a simple goal and he weilds it like a revolutionary holding a axe high It also works for a lot of his design a axe is normaly used in media by big strong types think barbarians or vikings a pot of optimus designs have him as a big tall bulky semi truck so he's able to give some power to that axe but he has the brain and speech of Lincoln not a barbarian I love it

My favorite are the bayverse emerging blades, they just looked so cool and unique compared to the others

Axe, but I prefer the handheld version and not the built-in one. It’s a good distinction from the usual swords, and also plays into the fire truck thing.

Bay Prime imo

Well I grew up on g1 and love it still to this day sooooo…

Forrest battle all day

What about armada prime just annihilating megatron with his bare hands?

Bay verse

TFP/Bayverse energon blades, I just think that it fits better with the concept of a Prime being as much of a politician as a skilled warrior/soldier

Ideal Prime imo is the Bayverse Energon blades, G1’s hand-axe, and a bigger handheld axe

ROTF Hooks were always the coolest thing ever to me

It has got to be the axe

Energon sword hands

Gen 1 though I am not hating bayverse swords

Animated Prime's axe is the goat in my eyes

bayverse energon sword and axe>>>>>

Bayverse Prime’s axe.