This study conducts a comprehensive examination of the nonlinear propeller pendulum system's angular position control, utilizing three distinct control strategies: Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, State Feedback (SF) controller, and Sliding Mode Control (SMC). In order to optimize the performance of each controller, Gorilla Troops Optimization (GTO) is employed to identify the optimal value of the controllers' design parameters. The dynamics of the system under each controller are simulated via MATLAB software, and the performance of the controlled system is quantitatively assessed utilizing the Integral Time of Absolute Error (ITAE). The resilience of the controllers under uncertainties is evaluated by introducing an external disturbance to the system. Simulation results indicate that the SMC, tuned by GTO, exceeds the performance of the other controllers in reducing the settling time, eliminating maximum overshoot, and minimizing the ITAE index. Moreover, under external disturbance, the SMC tuned by GTO demonstrates superior robustness compared to other controllers.