Optiratch

Optiratch is the slash ship between Optimus Prime and Ratchet from the Transformers fandom.

Canon
Ratchet if often one of the Autobots depicted most in Transformers media alongside Optimus. The two are often old friends who had been close before the war.

Prime Season 1
MASTERS AND STUDENTS

Ratchet asks why Optimus looks down, given that everyone is now safe with Megatron with him offlined. Optimus says that he agrees, but there is a small part of him that always hoped to change Megatron's mind rather than extinguish his spark. Ratchet points out that Optimus wasn't the one who slayed him, that Megatron was slain by his own arrogance. Optimus just hums in reply, but Ratchet apologizes. He knows that the two of them have a long history, but Optimus knows that the Megatron who was his friends has been gone for Eons. Optimus says that Starscream leads the Deceptacons now, and is far less predictable than Megatron was.

Season 1
Darkness Rising Part 1
 * Optimus asks if Ratchet can track Cliffjumper, but he can't, since it just went offline.

Fanon
Optiratch is one of the more popular Transformers ships, having gained a lot of prominence with Transformers: Prime. Ratchet being one of the few Autobots who was considered an equal with Optimus, as well as them being longtime friends led to a lot of shipping. Due to Optimus not having to be the leader as much around Ratchet meant that he saw a different side of Optimus over the other Autobots. A common perception of the two's relationship is that they were the dads of the group. This extends to other TF media as well, as fans will often joke that Rodimus and Bumblebee are their kids. Many of Ratchet's lines about his relationship to Optimus, lend to the reading that the two are in love, and have been for a long time.

Most fics and art depict the two post Prime canon, obviously fixing that Optimus dies at the end. Although there is quite a bit that focuses on them having a relationship during the series. Often having the two be in a secret relationship that the rest of the team wouldn't know about, as they try to seem professional in front of them. Some will also go with canon and depict how Ratchet deals with Optimus' death.

On AO3, Optiratch is the second most written ship for both Ratchet and Optimus. It is also the eighth most written ship in the Transformers - All Media Types tag and third most written in the Transformers: Prime tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION