I like how this also highlights how aside from any cultural/historical/etc. associations Cybertronians may have in regards to alt-modes in general as a Whole Thing, there is clearly individual approaches to how important alt-modes are, how personal they are, and what they mean to the individual on an internal, personal level.
Tarantulas: Your Alt-Mode is You
Tarantulas explicitly states that an alt-mode isn’t needed to “complete” one’s self, but rather, it is an expression of who a bot is at their core.
Their personality, personal concept of identity-- To Tarantulas, an alt-mode is an outward embodiment of these things, and a deeply personal, natural choice.
And we can reasonably assume that Tarantulas may see alt-modes as holding a deep significance, as he relates it directly to the way someone both perceives and presents who they fundamentally are to the world around them as well. He does not change his alt-mode because he is Tarantulas, and this is who Tarantulas is.
This train of thought is more along the lines of alt-modes not necessarily being a process of choice between X options, because a good alt-mode is just who you are; Your personality will shine through, you will know innately what suits you best, and there is no strict right or wrong because no two bots are really the same.
So for example, two bots might end up with the same make and model of a vehicular alt-mode, but there may be differences like paint job or custom elements like nitro boost/energon boost or fuel injection/energon injection etc. which further distinguish the individual’s identity.
Bumblebee: Your Alt-Mode is a Choice
Contrast this to Bumblebee, who also feels an alt-mode is important, but has also been shown to have changed alt-modes at least once while on Earth.
With Bumblebee, while he does encourage the younger bots to start thinking about alt-modes and helps get them used to the concept, he himself has switched alt-modes to one more suitable for the mission at hand.
He does essentially encourage them to find an alt-mode that feels right, but it may be the case that he himself had to choose a new alt-mode out of necessity-- Lending a possibly more utilitarian feel to choosing an alt-mode in certain circumstances.
“Picking out” an alt-mode implies choice in a more considered way, rather than letting your personality guide you entirely. (If I recall correctly, I’ll have to re-watch it to be sure, but I think this specific phrasing is used by Bumblebee and/or the kids in S1, and I can’t remember who said it or if there was any “correction” of any kind provided by Bumblebee or any of the older bots.)
Now, we don’t really know how Bumblebee might personally feel about it. Yet, anyway.
It may have been purely a necessary difficulty, owing to his need to protect himself, carry out his mission, and stay hidden. A hard choice, but still a choice.
It might also have something to do that he got a bit older over time on Earth, and may have simply felt as though he was growing out of his original alt-mode, and took his mission as an opportunity to try out a new “look” of sorts-- Which would also be a bit in line with Tarantulas’ reasoning, of an alt-mode reflecting the self.
It could be a little of both, which is most likely.
After all, his new alt-mode for his mission does retain his original colour scheme, thus leaving his paint job and colours in root mode essentially intact, thus retaining some identity.
Which is important to point out, since his whole mission is to go into hiding, yet his current alt-mode retains clear visual similarities to his original one!
It is still true that he did choose a new alt-mode, and when he’s talking to the kids about their own alt-modes, he seems to have a little bit more of a set process to everything.
It certainly isn’t a strict process, but there’s clearly a little bit of a methodology or approach to thinking about it that he tries to introduce to the kids, which feels a little more “stiff” compared to the more self-oriented approach Tarantulas has.
Inevitably, choosing an alt-mode is still an expression of identity.
Both of them emphasise the importance of an alt-mode, and emphasise that it isn’t the end-all be all.
Yes, it’s important. But it’s not the end of the world if it takes you some time. If you have to think about it. If you have to work it out. If you struggle at first, or if you don’t.
Because ultimately in the end, you will end up picking something for yourself, and whatever your own unique internal process was when considering your alt-mode or working towards sorting it out, it was right for you.
Whether your alt-mode is purely an expression of yourself and your individual characteristics, or if your alt-mode is a more calculated choice with other things in mind, because you are making the decision, it is still a reflection of you.
All of this having been said, it’s super interesting to consider the differences in how individual Cybertronians/bots might think about their alt-modes, or what they think/feel about having alt-modes at all.
It would be nice to hear more of Bumblebee’s personal take on things, so that a more detailed comparison could be done!
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