History Characters / TransformersFilmSeriesDecepticons

** He disappears again towards the climax of ''The Last Knight'', having been given a surprise blaster shot from Bumblebee that sent him careening off the road and into a lightpole, leaving him collapsed in a heap and groaning in pain, "Agh, that ''hurt''..."

* VocalEvolution: His voice was heavily modulated to rival Hugo Weaving's in deepness during the first film, but the modulation was removed for the subsequent films.

* BreakoutVillain: Barricade proved to be one of the most popular movie exclusive characters and gone on to appear in three films, outliving most of the cons that debuted with him. He was adapted into ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' and future G1 stories either bring him in or modify the existing G1 Barricade to better resemble his movie version.

* VocalEvolution: Jess Harnell reprises his role in ''The Last Knight'', but he gives Barricade a quieter, more dignified voice with a vaguely British accent, compared to the deep, loud voice he had in the first film. Possibly justified, as in the first film he's interrogating Sam, whereas in ''The Last Knight'' he's addressing [[BadBoss Megatron]].

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: Gets eliminated by Bumblebee in ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The Video Game'' and is blown up by his own (hacked) jets in the [=DS=] version.

* AnArmAndALeg: In ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Optimus cleaves off his right arm and [[GrievousHarmWithABody clubs him with it]] in the forest fight. Later, after Optimus is ([[DeathIsCheap temporarily]]) killed in the aforementioned battle, Starscream is shown trying to reattach it during the argument with Megatron on top of a skyscraper.
* AnimalMotifs: His robot mode has some predatory avian features, including talon-like feet, backward-kneed legs, and what looks like the tip of a beak in his mouth (his head, overall, bears a slight resemblance to a praying mantis).

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: Jazz offs him alongside Starscream in ''VideoGame/TransformersTheGameConsole'' while Ratchet does the job in ''VideoGame/TransformersTheGameDS'''.

-> See [[Characters/TransformersFilmSeriesMegatron Megatron's page]].

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[[caption-width-right:350:''"You still fight for the weak! That is why you lose!"'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/HugoWeaving (''Transformers'', ''Revenge of the Fallen'', ''Dark of the Moon''), Creator/FrankWelker (''VideoGame/TransformersTheGameConsole'', ''Revenge of the Fallen'' tie-in game, ''The Last Knight''), Creator/FredTatasciore (''Dark of the Moon'' tie-in game)

--> See [[Characters/TransformersFilmSeriesMegatron his page]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Starscream]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:''"Oh, my poor master! How it pains me to see you so wounded, so weak..."'']]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/CharlieAdler (films, ''Revenge of the Fallen'' tie-in game), Daniel Ross (''VideoGame/TransformersTheGameConsole''), Creator/SteveBlum (''Dark of the Moon'' tie-in game)\\
'''Hologram pilot played by:''' Brian Reece
->''"[[TemptingFate Not to call you a coward, master,]] but sometimes, cowards do survive."''

Megatron's [[TheDragon second-in-command]]. Starscream led the Decepticons in his master's absence and didn't fare too badly at the job, maintaining the Decepticons' advantage over the Autobots for several eons. However, circumstances force Starscream to lead a team to Earth in search of the Allspark and the missing Megatron. Now Starscream looks for any opportunity to covertly undermine his master and one day take command of the Decepticons again for himself. He transforms into an F-22 Raptor, which is considered the most powerful fighter jet in the U.S. Air Force.

* AnimalMotifs: His robot mode has some predatory avian features, including talon-like feet, backward-kneed legs, and what looks like the tip of a beak in his mouth.

!Introduced in ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' (2007)

* RecurringCharacter: Here's a little game: number each live-action CGI Transformers movie by release date from earliest to newest (count Film/{{Bumblebee}} too!). Then separate them by odd and even numbers. Barricade's only in the odd-numbered ones, that's how you know if you'll find him or not.

* SuddenNameChange: He is actually referred by the name "Devastator" in ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', but by his real name in the merchandise. Bay considered "Devastator" a cooler name. The actual Devastator appears in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' instead.

* ShoutOut: Since he reuses Crankcase's model, he also bears a heavy resemblance to Film/{{Predator}}.

* AdaptationalWimp: Many of them are not anything more than cannon fodder, with even exceptionally notable Decepticons being wiped out without any real feats to their name.

* GutturalGrowler: A specialty of Tony Todd.

* GutturalGrowler: Does this a lot while fighting.

* GutturalGrowler: Courtesy of Creator/KeithSzarabajka.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Not ''him'', but he proves this of the TRF and Megatron, the former absolutely refusing to release him and the latter actually accepting their decision. Keep in mind, Megatron absolutely wanted and the TRF (albeit begrudgingly) was willing to release with some restrictions Dreadbot, who robbed a bank but simply killed nine people without actually stealing money.

** The [=ROTF=] games in fact combine the two versions, and the end result is someone who, underneath the deep, creepy and authorative voice filter sounds genuinely insane and volatile. This is particularly interesting in that Creator/FrankWelker reprises his role as Megatron in the games, meaning that ''Starscream's voice is actually deeper than Megatron's'' in the [=ROTF=] games. Even more interestingly, his [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1 Counterpart]] is also in the game and uses the same voice lines without the filter, revealing that he's still using the same screechy tone as there beneath it.

* EyeScream: [[spoiler:Gets both his optics gouged out by [[LethalJokeCharacter Sam]]; first he gets a grappling hook fired in one and then a Boomstick gouged into the other, which then detonates and explodes his head]].

* TheStarscream: ''Very'' downplayed. He's less proactive than other incarnations, although he was happy to leave Megatron to die in Mission City. Though Megatron accuses Starscream of ''actually'' attacking him [[note]]As a ShoutOut to the popular fan theory that Starscream was one of the jets that shot him[[/note]], Starscream at least claims he didn't and doesn't try anything so direct at any other point in the series. This comes back to bite him hard when Megatron [[BackFromTheDead makes his return]]. Then again, the mere fact that he could lead the Decepticons quite effectively in the tens of thousands of years of Megatron's absence would probably have Starscream being justified in feeling that he's the better leader compared to Megatron. However there are some hints to Starscream being just as treacherous as his cartoon and comic book counterparts in the live-action films:

** In ''Dark of the Moon'', Starscream mocks Megatron for his rotted face burnt by [[HoistByHisOwnPetard the latter's own laser cannon]] in the climax of ''ROTF''.

* AdaptationalSympathy: He's a straightforward villain in the films themselves, but the comics continuity portray him as a WellIntentionedExtremist fed up with the war, and whose treachery is just born of wanting it to finally ''end''.
* AdaptationalVillainy: The Starscream in the Decepticon campaign of the [[VideoGame/TransformersTheGameDS 2007 DS game]] is one of, if not ''the'', most monstrous incarnation of the character to be depicted. He takes the treachery up to eleven, slaughters Decepticons who turn on him without a thought, and is in general incredibly creepy and sadistic.
* AnArmAndALeg: In ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Optimus cuts off his right arm in the forest fight and [[GrievousHarmWithABody clubs him with it]]. Starscream is later shown reattaching it after the argument with Megatron on top of a skyscraper.

* KilledMidSentence: "I'm gonna kill y--" (''BOOM!'').

* AdaptationalUgliness: For lack of a better description, this version of Megatron looks like a modern art project that grew arms and legs; his body is composed of chunks and shards of spiky metal, his hands and feet are huge claws, and he has a mouth full of fangs. He gets worse in the third film, where he's adopted a rusty semi-truck as an alt mode and his head is missing a chunk from his last battle with Optimus. However, by the fourth film, [[spoiler:he gains a new, shiny, high-tech version of his original body after being resurrected as Galvatron and then in the fifth, he receives a more human-esque, knight-inspired body after joining Quintessa]].
* AdaptationalWimp: Make no mistake, Megatron is a ''savage'', but in the second and third movie he plays second fiddle to the Fallen and later [[spoiler:Sentinel Prime]]. However near the end of ''Dark of the Moon'', [[spoiler:Carly brings up how he's become a shadow of his former self by becoming "Sentinel's bitch", which triggers his self-destructive lust for power and leads him to take down Sentinel before he could kill Optimus]]. He then goes back to being a serious threat in the next two films.
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:He loses his cannon arm to Optimus twice; first at the climax of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', then at the climax of ''The Last Knight'']].
* ArchEnemy: To Optimus Prime, obviously.
* ArmCannon: It wouldn't be Megatron, otherwise. ''Revenge of the Fallen'' has it incorporated directly into his arm.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The most powerful Decepticon is the one in charge.
* AxCrazy: Especially after being freed from his icy prison, Megatron is downright gleeful to get back to killing.
* BackFromTheDead: He's revived in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[spoiler:and again in ''Age of Extinction'', this time as Galvatron]].
* BadBoss: A staple of Megatron's character, and this incarnation is no exception. He has almost no care for the soldiers under his command so long as he attains his goals.
* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: In ''Dark of the Moon'', he [[spoiler:charges and defeats Sentinel to reassert himself as leader of the Decepticons, allowing Optimus to finish Sentinel off after Megatron is defeated]].
* BatmanGambit: In ''Dark of the Moon''. [[spoiler:He knew the Autobots would find Sentinel Prime on the moon and reactivate him. Since he and Sentinel had agreed to work together, all Megatron needed was for the Prime to gain the Control Pillar for the Space Bridge from NEST, thus allowing them to carry out their long term plans]].
* TheBerserker: Particularly in the first film, Megatron is an absolute animal on the battlefield.
* {{BFG}}: His fusion cannon, which forms out of both his hands in the first movie, is integrated into his right arm in the second, becomes a sawed-off shotgun in the third, and becomes an ArmCannon in the fifth.
%%* {{BFS}}: Gains one for ''The Last Knight'', with shades of an axe at its tip.
* BigBad: In the first film by himself and for the film series as a whole, although he's DemotedToDragon in the second, the junior member of a BigBadDuumvirate in the third ([[spoiler:up until [[EvilerThanThou the end]]]]), part of the BigBadEnsemble in the fourth, and in a BigBadDuumvirate alongside [[spoiler:Quintessa]] for the fifth.
* BigBadassRig: In ''Dark of the Moon'', tired and hurting, he finally humbles himself to adopt an Earth alternate mode so that he can hide in the African savanna. He still chooses the largest and most imposing vehicle one could find there--a heavily modified Mack tanker truck littered with {{spikes|OfVillainy}} and chains, which would fit right in on the set of ''Film/MadMax''.
* BigBadDuumvirate: He starts out as this in the third with [[spoiler:Sentinel]], although the latter keeps usurping power from him and he is very briefly DemotedToDragon before snapping back into action. He also serves as the partner of [[spoiler:Quintessa]] in the fifth. While he agrees to follow her plan (and the only instruction she gives him onscreen is to kill Viviane), he carries it out not because he is her minion but because he is the brawn while she is the brains.
* BigBadEnsemble: Every film after the first has him sharing the spotlight with a new villain. [[TheManBehindTheMan The Fallen]] in the second, [[spoiler:Sentinel Prime]] in the third, Lockdown and Harold Attinger in the fourth, and Quintessa in the fifth.
* BigBadWannabe: In ''Dark of the Moon'', he still hasn't recovered from the blast he took to the face from his own fusion gun and chooses to stay out of fighting in the battlefield (Chicago). Carly uses this to her (and Optimus Prime's) advantage by telling Megatron [[spoiler:he'll be dethroned by Sentinel if he doesn't take him out]].
* BodyHorror: He loses roughly ''a quarter of his head'' when Optimus [[HoistByHisOwnPetard forces him to take a blast from his fusion cannon]], and as a result spends most of ''Dark of the Moon'' sitting out of the fighting, unlike the first two movies where he reveled in combat. While his wounds have healed enough to restore his eye, [[spoiler:Sentinel rips out another chunk of his head]], and he has about half a dozen 'Scalpels' crawling around the wound and trying to repair the damage (the whole healing process might go faster if Megatron didn't kill the medical bots out of sheer boredom).
* BondVillainStupidity: In ''Dark of the Moon'' he had a chance to kill a badly wounded Optimus Prime relatively easily. He decided to offer a truce instead. [[spoiler:In ''The Last Knight'' he could decapitate Prime with his own sword, but again, he had to remind Optimus that they used to be brothers]]. It appears that Megatron is not interested in the easy kill when it comes to Optimus.
* BreakTheHaughty: Megatron got broken hard ''twice'' in ''Revenge of the Fallen'':
** First by the humans, who Megatron dismisses as nothing more than "insects". Said "insects" proceed to rain fire on him and his Decepticon team (even killing some of the luckless ones) with tanks, machineguns, and aerial ordnance, which totally screwed him over and forced him to retreat.
** Second was by Optimus Prime, where he attempts jumping on Optimus... only for Optimus to deliver a CurbStompBattle so devastating (specifically, he is forced to eat a headshot from his own cannon that blows off half of his face, gets half his arm chopped off, then blown through a wall by the backblast from the jet engines Optimus obtained from Jetfire) ''it leaves him incapacitated for several months afterwards and forces him to hide out in Namibia to nurse his wounds'', not to mention forcing him to adopt an altmode of a vehicle made by these "insects".
* TheBusCameBack: A variation; by the time of ''The Last Knight'', he has shed the "Galvatron" identity and reverted back to using his original name and a body type closer to his original appearance.
* CainAndAbel: His relationship with Optimus, who is his brother.
* CameBackWrong: In ''Revenge of the Fallen'', he's rebuilt and brought back to life by his followers, it's in a body that had to be repaired using whatever materials that were at hand, mostly [[HumanResources parts from a donor decepticon]], resulting in an ungainly and disproportionate form with a massive, bulky ArmCannon. As a result, he's nowhere near the LightningBruiser he was in the original movie.
** [[spoiler:Also applies in ''Age of Extinction,'' where his spark remains extinguished, and the Galvatron drone is powered solely by Megatron's mind, namely his personality and memories. This, in essence, makes Galvatron a soulless copy of Megatron, something that is lampshaded in the movie by both Optimus and himself.]]
* CapturedSuperEntity: He was dug up and kept in a classified area for research before the events of the first movie.
* ChainedByFashion: In ''Dark of the Moon'' he has a harness of chains wrapped around his torso. Given [[HowTheMightyHaveFallen the general state of him]] in the movie, the effect is less "so mighty he needs restraints" than "these are keeping him from falling to pieces".
* CharacterDevelopment: At the beginning, he wanted to rule Earth and enslave the human race. In ''The Last Knight'', he simply wants to go home.
* TheChessmaster: Shows shades of this in ''Dark of the Moon'', setting up the events of the film centuries in advance.
* CruelAndUnusualDeath:
** The Allspark being shoved into his spark caused his chest to ''melt from the inside out''. Considering his thrashing and [[HellIsThatNoise the sounds he made]], it certainly wasn't pleasant.
** In ''Dark of the Moon'', Optimus kills him again (temporarily) by throwing a giant battle axe into his chest, before jamming the axe into his [[FacialHorror gaping head wound]], and finally yanking his head off with his spine coming with it, à la [[Franchise/MortalKombat Sub-Zero]].
* {{Determinator}}: You have to admire his dedicated pursuit of his goals. Once he's set his mind to it, anything short of decapitation is not going to stop him. [[spoiler:And he even survives being decapitated, as ''Age of Extinction'' shows]].
* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: In the Autobot Campaign of ''VideoGame/TransformersTheGameConsole'', after the FinalBoss, Optimus grabs Megatron's flail and pulls the Decepticon leader in and crushing the [=AllSpark=] in his other hand, punches the [=AllSpark=] straight into Megatron's spark, killing Megatron.
* DiminishingVillainThreat: In the first movie, Megatron is an unstoppable killing machine. In the second movie, Megatron is still very powerful, but obeys orders from The Fallen and is more easily taken down by the heroes. Optimus severely cripples Megatron, causing him to become much weaker for the third movie. [[spoiler:Then the fourth movie undoes this by having him upload his brain into his much more powerful Galvatron body--and by out-maneuvering the main human villain, at that]]. By the fifth movie, he's back to his original menace and is once again TheDreaded.
* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:When Carly points out that Sentinel made him "his bitch", he decides to try and take back the position of top dog, and turns on Sentinel just before the latter can kill Optimus]].
* TheDragon: In the second and third movies, though it is {{Subverted|Trope}} in the third film, where [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary material]] reveals that serving Sentinel Prime was only one method he used in his XanatosGambit spanning several millennia.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:He pulls this on both sides in the third movie: He sides with Sentinel Prime to stop humanity and the Autobots, although he later ends up aiding Optimus in eliminating Sentinel Prime after the latter makes it clear that he's not in charge anymore, only for Optimus to kill both him and Sentinel Prime. In ''The Last Knight'', he pulls one with the TRF, agreeing to help them hunt and kill Cade's Autobots in exchange for having some of his men freed from prison]].
* EpicFlail: Only in his first movie incarnation. By the second film, he replaces it with a blade mounted on his arm.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** A variation; he seems to genuinely love Cybertron, and is ready to sacrifice anyone who stands on his way to return it to it's former glory. However, he doesn't like to acknowledge the fact that he ruined it in the first place, [[HistoryRepeats and it's likely he would just re-establish himself as it's leader and ruin it again]] if it were ever saved.
** A more straightforward example can be found in ''The Last Knight'', where Megatron carries around (and even talks to) Starscream's head after the latter's death in ''Dark of the Moon''. For all the abuse he put him through, it seems Megatron truly did have a soft spot for his second-in-command.
---> '''Megatron:''' The end is near, my old, treacherous friend. [[AlasPoorYorick What a shame you'll be unable to see it]].
* EvilOverlord: As with all other incarnations of him, he is the leader of the Decepticons.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Being voiced by Creator/HugoWeaving in the first trilogy does help. In ''The Last Knight'' Creator/FrankWelker uses a combination of his ''Prime'' Megatron voice and the [[EvilSoundsRaspy raspy voice he gave Galvatron]] in ''Age of Extinction'', giving Megatron this trope over multiple voice actors.
* EvilVirtues: Determination and Resourcefulness. Megatron pursues his goal with single-minded resolve, which includes manipulating others to do his bidding. Whenever he hits a major snag, such as getting temporarily killed, it doesn't deter him in the slightest, it just makes him change tactics.
* FantasticRacism: Against organic lifeforms.
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. [[spoiler:In ''Dark of the Moon'', the Decepticons get very close to victory, but the idea of ''someone else'' being the one to lead them to it really doesn't sit well with him. His following actions end up [[NiceJobFixingItVillain ruining everything]]]].
* FinalBoss: For the original trilogy, where he's the last opponent Optimus faces [[spoiler:after swooping in to [[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork defeat Sentinel Prime.]]
* FireBreathingWeapon: His fusion cannon in ''The Last Knight'' is capable of spewing flames, though he only demonstrates this in his introductory scene in that movie. His Leader class figure from that movie comes with two flame effects, partly to evoke that scene.
* FixedForwardFacingWeapon: His ''The Last Knight'' Leader class figure has his fusion cannon stored within his jet mode's nosecone and it can be deployed while in that mode. The instructions even outright demonstrate that one of the flame effects included with the figure can be plugged into the cannon while the figure is in jet mode, thus showing that the figure's designers intended to evoke this trope.
* {{Foil}}: Is unsurprisingly this to Optimus in all of the films he has appeared in.
** In the first film, both are the leaders of opposing factions of the Transformers race who fight for possession of the [=AllSpark=] so they could save Cybertron. However, while Optimus is benevolent and cares about the humans as much as his own race, Megatron is malevolent and wants to end all life on Earth. Also, Optimus is accepting enough of Earth to take on an Earth-based alternate mode, while Megatron retains his Cybertronian alternate mode, likely out of repulsion for Earth-based vehicles. In addition, Optimus has been leading the Autobots throughout the events of the film, while the Decepticons initially appear under the temporary leadership of Starscream as opposed to Megatron (naturally because Megatron spends most of the film frozen).
** In ''Revenge of the Fallen'', both were killed by having their sparks utterly extinguished but later brought back to life after having their spark chambers stabbed with a MacGuffin (an [=AllSpark=] shard for Megatron, the Matrix of Leadership for Optimus) and their bodies reformatted with the parts of another Cybertronian, with the extra benefit of new weapons and abilities. However, Optimus retains his full body, albeit wounded, and his new parts were a SuperMode given by a consensual Jetfire and later removed, whilst Megatron had missing body parts with his new parts being a permanent replacement and taken from the body of a not-so-willing Decepticon who was pretty much murdered by his colleagues.
** In ''Dark of the Moon'', both now transform into trucks, are genuinely concerned about the future of their race, and are working towards making their respective visions of that future a reality. However, while Optimus envisions a future of peaceful coexistence between the Transformers and the humans, Megatron believes in using the humans as slave labor for the sole purpose of rebuilding the damaged Cybertron. Also, much like the first film, Optimus is active in his leadership of the Autobots, while Megatron has become passive due to the injuries he suffered in ''Revenge of the Fallen'', leaving most of the villainy to Sentinel Prime. However, the latter is eventually {{subverted|Trope}} when Carly calls Megatron out on said passiveness, thus inciting him to turn against Sentinel and reassert his position as Decepticon leader.
** In ''The Last Knight'', both have taken Cybertronian Knight-esque forms, have red scars going down their faces, and have gained a {{BFS}} for a melee weapon. However, while Optimus spends most of his time in outer space in the fifth movie, Megatron spends his on Earth (ironically, Optimus still turns into a truck while Megatron has regained his jet mode, though it may not be capable of interstellar transport like his first incarnation). [[spoiler:Also, while Optimus is egged and brainwashed into servitude, Megatron isn't and has absolutely no problem destroying the Earth, for surprisingly good reasons]]. In addition, Optimus' red scar is on the left side of his face, while Megatron's is on the right.
* GeniusBruiser: Implied by his official bio, but ''Dark of the Moon'' and supplemental material reveal his somewhat elaborate scheming tendencies.
* GlasgowGrin: His head design in the first three movies has a set of metal plates that resemble an unnaturally wide smile. This is most apparent in the close up of his head after [[spoiler: Optimus rips it from his body.]]
* TheHeavy: Makes all decisions for the Decepticons, and plays a key part in the conflict of each film.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:In the novel of ''Dark of the Moon''--see SparedByTheAdaptation below]].
* HellIsThatNoise: He has a tendency to growl like a beast, [[spoiler:even when mourning the death of Starscream]], and makes ''extremely'' unsettling sounds when he's severely injured and/or dying.
* HeroKiller: He kills Jazz in the first film, and killed Optimus and Sam in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' ([[BackFromTheDead temporarily]]). In ''The Last Knight'', he kills [[spoiler:Sir Edmund Burton]].
* HiddenDepths:
** As much as he hates humans, he seems to have taken an interest in human history, and appreciates the irony of him being frozen by the Americans while Shockwave was frozen by the Soviets during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar (if the [[VideoGame/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon video game prequel]] to ''Dark of the Moon'' is any indication).
** [[spoiler:In ''The Last Knight'', Megatron finds Starscream's head...[[AlasPoorYorick and actually mourns for him]]. Sure, Megatron always abused him, as is the norm, but we see here he actually cared for Starscream]].
*** [[spoiler:Also, he seems to have grown tired of fighting Optimus, stating that they were "brothers once".]]
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: By the third film, this describes him pretty well, as he's still heavily damaged from Operation: Firestorm, and Sentinel has more or less taken command of the Decepticons from him.
* HumanPopsicle: Cybertronian popsicle, in the first movie.
* IconicSequelOutfit: Played with, in that it's his actual ''body'' rather than an outfit. Megatron has a new alternate mode in each film he appears in: in ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', he transforms into a [[CoolPlane Cybertronian jet]] with massive cannons on either side of the nose cone; a [[TankGoodness winged tank]] in the [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen second movie]]; a beat up tanker truck in the [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon third]]; and [[CallBack a more traditional yet still alien jet]] in the [[Film/TransformersTheLastKnight fifth]]. Hasbro itself seems to enjoy using the tank-based body design from ''Revenge of the Fallen'', while fans have latched onto his design in ''The Last Knight'' for its more humanoid appearance, [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 G1-aesthetics]], and general badassery (being voiced by original Megatron's actor Creator/FrankWelker instead of Creator/HugoWeaving certainly helps).
* ImAHumanitarian: Ancillary material describes him as cannibalistic and eating the Sparks of his victims, but it was cut from the movies.
* InTheHood: In ''Dark of the Moon'', a canvas cover over his tanker trailer becomes a hood to hide his gaping head wound.
* JokerImmunity: Oh, did you really think he'd stay down? [[spoiler:He returns as Galvatron in the fourth film after his apparent permanent death in ''Dark of the Moon'']].
* TheJuggernaut: Virtually unstoppable unless you're a proficiently large amount of human troops or Optimus Prime himself.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Despite Starscream's comment in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' about cowards surviving, it's more accurate to describe Megatron with this trope, instead. At the end of that movie, the Fallen had been killed, the solar harvester had been destroyed, most Decepticons had either been killed or captured and Megatron himself was grievously wounded and would have likely continued a battle he had no chance at winning had Starscream not stopped him. Say what you will about Megatron, but the guy knows when the risk is higher than the reward.
* LargeAndInCharge: With the exception of special 'Cons like Devastator and the Driller, he's unfailingly the tallest and bulkiest Decepticon in each movie. Especially noticeable in the first and fifth movies.
* LargeHam[=/=]EvilIsHammy: Even though he later claimed to have no investment in the role, Hugo Weaving was considerably hammy as Megatron, especially in the first film. When Frank Welker takes over, he's even hammier.
* LightningBruiser: His original, and ''The Last Knight'' incarnations count as this. Due to being an EvilCripple in the third movie, his ''DOTM'' incarnation has this downplayed significantly, while his ''ROTF'' incarnation was [[MightyGlacier literally a walking tank]].
* MidSeasonUpgrade: If by "mid-season" you mean technically every movie. He's [[MightyGlacier beefed up to the point where it affects his speed at times]], and given a one-handed ArmCannon with a BladeBelowTheShoulder as well as a new flying tank mode in ''Revenge of the Fallen''. By the end of ''that'' film, Megatron's so beat up that he requires his cannon arm to be rebuilt, and finally scans an Earth alternate mode, reformatting his fusion cannon into a HandCannon for ''Dark of the Moon'', though this variation of him seems more like he's a DarkLordOnLifeSupport due to the mini "doctor" drones swarming his scarred head. [[spoiler:Because this body is so ramshackle, it's easly torn apart by Optimus; however, for ''Age of Extinction'', Megatron [[BodySurf transfers his consciousness into the Galvatron body]] after his seeming demise in the previous film, but doesn't do too much with it]]. Finally, Megatron gains a permanent body upgrade in ''The Last Knight'' thanks to his alliance with Quintessa.
* MonsterInTheIce: He's discovered by Archibald Witwicky in the Antarctic ice, where he'd been frozen for thousands of years. He was removed from the ice cave and transported to [[spoiler:Hoover Dam]], where Sector 7 has been keeping him frozen up to the present day, until [[spoiler:Frenzy]] thaws him out.
%%* NameTron: Obviously.
* OddlyShapedSword: His weapon in TLK, resembling the obscure [[http://www.higgins-collection.org/artifacts/1605 Ikakalaka]].
* OffWithHisHead: Is beheaded by Optimus at the end of ''Dark of the Moon''. [[spoiler:The head survived]].
* OnlyMostlyDead: Until ''Revenge of the Fallen'', [[spoiler:and again in ''Dark of the Moon'']].
* ParentalIssues: In the IDW comics, where all the anger in him is over the fact that Optimus, not Megatron, is Sentinel's favorite.
* PetTheDog:
** Megatron's reaction in ''Dark of the Moon'' at seeing Cybertron again and thinking it's saved. It really shows how he does care for something other than himself. It's brought up again in ''The Last Knight'', where he is furious at Optimus for not taking a role in saving Cybertron, and swears to devastate Earth in response.
** In ''Dark of the Moon'', Megatron is confronted by an angry Carly, who points out that while Cybertron may be saved, Sentinel will be taking all of the credit as he already overturned Megatron as the new leader of the Decepticons, and that Megatron will be written off as "Sentinel's bitch" if he doesn't do anything about it. Initially, Megatron intends to kill Carly for this, but upon realizing that she has a good point, he spares her and proceeds to confront and attack Sentinel.
** [[spoiler:When the Decepticons are invading Cade Yeager's junkyard in ''The Last Knight'', Megatron comes across the head of Starscream. He muses almost fondly that it's a shame his former lieutenant won't be around to see what's coming]].
* PragmaticVillainy: In ''The Last Knight'', even Megatron knows that Berserker is a nasty piece of work and would cause more trouble than he's worth, and politely agrees to pass on him in favor of Onslaught.
** As well, [[spoiler:in ''Dark of the Moon'' when he's [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu told he'll be reduced to nothing but Sentinel's bitch]], Megatron fiercely advances toward her... then realizes she does have a point and decides to direct his anger right to Sentinel Prime himself]].
* PreMortemOneLiner: When he kills Jazz in the first movie, he inflicts this one.
-->'''Jazz:'''You want a piece of me, huh? YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?! (''gets grabbed by Megatron'')
-->'''Megatron:''' No. I want '''two!''' (''[[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe rips him in half at the waist]]'')
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Has red eyes in each of his forms. In ''Revenge of the Fallen'', these become visible when viewing his tank mode from the front as well.
* ResurrectTheVillain: Twice over. He's resurrected in the second film after his death in the first, and he's brought back again in the fourth film on accident by KSI.
* RetiredBadass: Due to his injuries from the second film, he becomes an evil variant in ''Dark of the Moon''. Instead of fighting, he spends most of his time commanding his {{Mooks}} [[spoiler:and peacefully watching Cybertron about to be restored]]. It takes [[spoiler:Carly, of all people]], to rouse him back into action, and [[spoiler:he plays a significant part in defeating Sentinel--[[CurbStompBattle only for ''both'' villains to be ripped to shreds by Optimus]]]]. He comes back into the fray in the next two movies.
* SealedEvilInACan: In ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', he is kept on ice inside the Hoover Dam, and is pretty angry upon thawing out.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: He uses a handheld fusion cannon that heavily resembles a shotgun in ''Dark of the Moon''.
* SkeletonMotif: Megatron's design in the first three films resembles a demonic skeleton. His chest has armor plates in the first movie that look similar to a rib cage, his face is skull-like with permanently bared teeth and no nose, and has hands lack palms, evoking the look of a human skeleton's palmless hands exposing the metacarpals.
* SlasherSmile: Several times in ''The Last Knight'', most prominently when he steals Quintessa's staff from Optimus.
* SlouchOfVillainy:
** Likes doing it so much that the only reason [[InternalHomage he blasts apart Abe's statue in the Lincoln Memorial]] is because the chair is the right size for him.
** Also does it in his introductory scene for ''The Last Knight''...only to immediately [[MoodWhiplash get fired up when Barricade delivers bad news]].
* SpannerInTheWorks: Ironically, Megatron himself becomes the final nail for the Decepticons' total defeat in ''Dark of the Moon'' as he can't stand the idea of someone else leading Cybertron, and ambushes Sentinel as he's poised to finish off Optimus.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: [[spoiler:The novel of ''Dark of the Moon'' has him actually teaming up with Optimus against Sentinel ("Three shall stand, one shall fall!") and then suing for peace, sincerely admitting he's tired of all the fighting. Optimus lets him go, and Megatron then heads back for Cybertron, aiming to corral the Decepticons still there into helping rebuild their homeworld, with the intention of calling the Autobots back when they're done to live in peace again]]. Then again, [[spoiler:''Age of Extinction'' did show he did survive, after all]]...
* TheyKilledKennyAgain: Megatron has been killed twice, but he [[BackFromTheDead keeps coming back]] over and over, so that he can terrorize Optimus and the Autobots again.
* TookALevelInBadass: Becomes a bigger threat once again in ''Age of Extinction'' after he [[spoiler:uploads his mind to his Galvatron body. See Galvatron's section below for details]].
* UncannyValley: Invoked in ''The Last Knight''. He looks much more human than in the first three movies, but his cheeks tend to open up along with his mouth[[note]]Not unlike Mileena in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX''[[/note]]. As a result, he occasionally puts on a grotesque SlasherSmile.
* VillainousRescue: He comes to the rescue of [[spoiler:Optimus Prime]] when he realized by the end of the invasion he will be nothing more than [[spoiler:"Sentinel's bitch". Though Optimus kills him anyway--temporarily]].
* VitriolicBestBuds: With Starscream. While Starscream's [[TheStarscream usual habits]] had to be pushed to ancillary materials [[PragmaticAdaptation to fit the format of a movie series]], Screamer tends to cower and grovel before Megatron, who in turn beats, insults, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs beats and insults]] the seeker in nearly every scene they share. But he and Starscream have a bit of a ThoseTwoGuys dynamic in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' to the point where Megatron immediately called for Starscream's help after getting [[FacialHorror a chunk of his head blown off]], and when Megatron finds Starscream's severed head in a junkyard, he mourns him, musing on his second-in-command's fate, and goes as far as to wipe dust off of Starscream's chin.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Shows more shades of this as the film series continues, considering that he apparently desires the survival and future of the Transformer race in the second movie, and by the time of the third is in on wanting to restore Cybertron. [[spoiler:The latter reason is why he teams up with Quintessa in the fifth film as well]].
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Optimus used to be brothers in-arm, a long time ago.
* WoundThatWillNotHeal: Subverted. The facial injuries he sustains in ''Revenge of the Fallen'' and are still present in ''Dark of the Moon'' can be healed. It's just that he casually kills the repair-bots like fleas whenever he gets bored or angry.
* WrongGenreSavvy: After realizing that he'll be no more than [[spoiler:Sentinel Prime]]'s [[DemotedToDragon lackey if the latter wins]], Megatron betrays him and saves Optimus from being killed, intending to form a truce with him and gain back his leadership of the Decepticons. ''Optimus''. He tries forming a truce with Optimus, the same Optimus, whom Megatron [[spoiler:brutally killed (temporarily)]] in the last movie, had several of his friends murdered over the course of the war by Megatron, indirectly or directly, and who hates Megatron and the Decepticon cause so much he [[spoiler:''ripped off the face'' of the Fallen before ripping out his spark and had beaten the everlovin' crap out of Megatron after getting resurrected]]. It's no surprise that Optimus decides [[spoiler:to end this shit by ripping out Megatron's head with an axe]].
* XanatosGambit: One spanning several millennia.
** Option A: Follow The Fallen's plan to use the Harvester to produce Energon, or power the [=AllSpark=].
** Option B: Work with [[spoiler:Sentinel]] and bring Earth's resources to repair Cybertron.
** Option C: Take the [=AllSpark=] for himself.
** All three options end up coinciding and crossing over; he originally chose Option B until [[spoiler:Sentinel was apparently killed]]. He decided to follow Option A, until the [=AllSpark=] was launched from Cybertron. The Fallen instructed him to retrieve it, and he followed it to Earth, where the [=AllSpark=] had been drawn to thanks to the Harvester. When the [=AllSpark=] is destroyed, he falls back on The Fallen's plan, but when Prime receives the Matrix, Megatron returns to Option B, which thanks to Soundwave has been brewing for decades already.
* WorfHadTheFlu: Whenever he fights, he is put on a severe disadvantage, if only to give the heroes a chance for a fair fight.
** In the ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Optimus Prime had the upper hand on him during most of the forest battle, which is chalked up to Megatron not being used to his jury-rigged and ungainly new body and weapons, and Optimus had been training since the events of the first movie, whereas Megatron was rotting at the bottom of the ocean dead for 2 years.
** In the ''Dark of the Moon'', the injuries he suffered from Optimus Prime during the battle in Egypt had severely weakened him by that point, and the only reason he was able to [[spoiler:throw Sentinel around like that]] was because he ambushed him. And the second he engaged Optimus in a fair fight, he got destroyed.
** In ''Age of Extinction'', Galvatron was holding his own against Optimus before Lockdown interrupted their fight, and they never even saw each other again for the rest of the film.
** And finally in ''The Last Knight'', Megatron had ''all'' the Autobots attacking him at once, and even then he managed to nearly kill Hound and Bumblebee before Hot Rod saved Hound and Optimus saved Bumblebee. He also managed to briefly pin Optimus down before Optimus caught him monologuing and kicked him out of Quintessa's ship.

* BackFromTheDead: Sort of. [[spoiler:He isn't a new character, but rather Megatron in a new body]].
* BigBadassRig: About the only aspect of Optimus that KSI successfully copied for Galvatron is his alt mode, a sleek gray cab-over semi that contrasts nicely with the boxy, rusted-out cab-over that Optimus starts the movie disguised as. [[spoiler:And it's very likely that only happened because Megatron let it happen]].
* BigBadEnsemble: With Lockdown and Attinger in ''Age of Extinction''. While he and his drone army are definitely dangerous, they're not the only problem to the Autobots as Lockdown and Attinger are also threats, and he only takes part in direct combat once.
* BrainUploading: He contains [[spoiler:Megatron's]] consciousness.
* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Following his resurrection, he is capable of standing toe-to-toe with Optimus, compared to the third movie where as Megatron, he was effortlessly [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]] by Optimus]].
* CompositeCharacter: He's a mixture of the ''Transformers'' archetypes of Galvatron ([[spoiler:Megatron reincarnated]]) and Nemesis Prime (an EvilCounterpart for Optimus, human-built like the ''Prime'' version).
* EvilCounterpart: He was supposed to be a Vehicon version of Optimus Prime, but the programmers were unable to make anything besides his alt mode resemble Optimus. [[spoiler:With good reason considering Megatron was pulling the strings]].
* ForTheEvulz: Much like Megatron, when released on a highway, he attacks and kills a number of humans because he can, before engaging Optimus.
* ItsPersonal: [[spoiler:His actions during the freeway brawl suggest this when it comes to humans and Optimus, having convenient "malfunctions" to kill scores of humans [[ForTheEvulz for no reason]] and speaking to taunt his ArchEnemy with the knowledge of his resurrection]].
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: [[spoiler:Galvatron immediately retreats when the Dinobots arrive and soundly thrash his army]].
* LargeHam: Very much so, in stark contrast to Lockdown's ColdHam.
* MythologyGag: Creator/FrankWelker voiced both Megatron and Galvatron in the G1 series, as well as the former in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime''. Consequently, Welker voices him with a [[EvilSoundsRaspy raspy version]] of the [[EvilSoundsDeep deeper voice]] he employed for Megatron in ''Prime'', [[spoiler:with very good reason]].
%%* NameTron: Obviously.
* NoSell: [[spoiler:Grabs Optimus's sword and drives it through the hole in his chest, causing absolutely no damage to himself. Though given what he's constructed with, and who he is, it's sort of justified. In a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, he actually ''grinds'' Optimus's sword to pieces like a piece of log being shredded]]!
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Galvatron is meant to be a remote-controlled drone, and Joyce is allegedly remotely controlling him during his battle with Optimus. [[spoiler:Turns out Galvy is faking it, and both Optimus and the humans are tipped off by his convenient human-killing malfunctions and ability to speak by the end of the battle]].
* ObviouslyEvil: Lampshaded by Joshua, who complains that him looking so evil means people will have difficulty believing that he's supposed to be a good guy. [[spoiler:Turns out to be a bigger issue than he realized since Megaton had uploaded his mind into it]].
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: He possesses a pale color scheme, the ability to NoSell attacks, and a transformation sequence that's more or less the giant robot equivalent of going incorporeal, and isn't technically alive by Cybertronian standards, making him pretty much their version of this. [[spoiler:Being a resurrected Megatron helps as well]].
* ResurrectTheVillain: [[spoiler:In using Megatron's parts to make a robot, KSI inadvertently resurrected him.
* RuleOfSymbolism: Joshua complains about the large hole in Galvatron's chest that they didn't program in, which some scientists consider [[RuleOfCool badass]]. If you look at the NoSell and TheSoulless entries, the hole is a clear visual metaphor.
* {{Shapeshifting}}: A side-effect of Transformium-based transformation, his shifting is more akin to the T-1000 then the more schematized Autobots.
* TheSoulless: In-universe, since he lacks a spark. He's not bothered by it, as his first spoken lines prove.
-->'''Optimus Prime:''' You have no soul!
-->'''Galvatron:''' [[BadassBoast That is why I have no fear!]]
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Meant to be this to Optimus in-universe, but ends up looking more like a cross between him and Megatron. [[spoiler:This is undoubtedly due to the influence of Megatron himself]].
* TookALevelInBadass: In the third movie, [[spoiler:Megatron was out-maneuvered by the actual BigBad, hardly got to fight, and got killed by Prime in a CurbStompBattle. Now he's back, stronger than ever, and engineered his resurrection by out-maneuvering the apparent human BigBad]].
* TronLines: Mostly on his chest, highlighting the big hole in the middle of it.
* VillainOverride: Once he breaks free in KSI's factory in China, he hacks into their servers and reprograms all of the KSI drones, Stinger included, to do his bidding.
* WalkingSpoiler: Knowing too much about him reveals that [[spoiler:he is Megatron resurrected as the new Decepticon overlord]], though this isn't really a surprise for people familiar with Galvatron unless you expected Michael Bay to throw a curveball. [[spoiler:The bio on the back of the box for his Voyager class figure does not even mention anything about him, but rather how the Autobots face new adversaries after the Battle of Chicago, ostensibly to avoid spoilers about him being a resurrected Megatron]].
* WeWillMeetAgain: He says this nearly word for word in his last appearance in the film.
-->'''Galvatron:''' [[spoiler:We shall meet again, Prime, for I am reborn]].
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: An odd variant in that he does reappear in the next film - [[spoiler:but as Megatron once more. Not only that, but he's lost the Galvatron body/KSI-cloud transformation ability in favour of a more humanesque Knight body/normal transformation sequence. How all this came about is never explained]].
* YouCanTalk: Despite being a drone, it [[spoiler:or rather, ''he'', responds to a comment from Prime about being soulless during their fight, tipping Optimus off to his true identity and causing Joyce to start to realize something is seriously wrong with his "drones"--they weren't designed to speak at all, let alone on their own]].

* ReusedCharacterDesign: He reuses Blackout's robot mode, only differing in color scheme. Subverted with his helicopter mode, where he transforms into a CH-53 Sea Stallion instead of the similar MH-53 Pave Low.

* AdaptationalDumbass: In the film, Shockwave shows absolutely no sign of his usual cold-blooded MadScientist self, and mostly just serves as an inarticulate GiantMook [[spoiler:who gets killed quite easily by a combination of Optimus, human guns... and a ''parachute'']].

* AnimalMotifs: With a big segmented eye, spiky and segmented armor plating and the creepy, spider-like mandibles, Shockwave has a very insect-like appearance reminiscent of a praying mantis.

* CyberCyclops: Besides his insect-like mandibles, a single, red optic is Shockwave's main facial feature.

* LovesTheSoundOfScreaming: In the IDW movie comics, Shockwave openly admits to enjoying the sounds Autobots make when they die.

* SealedEvilInACan: [[AllThereInTheManual Prequel comics]] for ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' reveal him to be this; he was found by the USSR decades ago and had been sealed underneath the abandoned [[UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station]] in Ukraine for decades. When he gets out, he's ''ticked off''.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:Optimus kills Shockwave [[CurbStompBattle in about twenty seconds]] upon confronting him directly.]]
* TankGoodness: As seen in the toys and IDW comics, Shockwave's alt mode is a heavily-armored Cybertronian tank with his [=AstroMag=] Cannon for its turret. Sadly, he never gets to use it on-screen.

* EyeScream: On two counts. [[spoiler:Being shot in the face with an RPG by the N.E.S.T. troopers leaves Shockwave crippled and with his optic dangling out from his head. When Optimus arrives shortly after to assist, he ultimately kills the Decepticon assassin by pulling said optic out through his throat.]]

* PsychoForHire: Functions as Megatron's top assassin, and absolutely ''revels'' in slaughtering Autobots in the most brutal way possible.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: Or in this case, Red ''Eye''. As is common for the character, Shockwave has only a single red glowing optic, and he's one of Megatron's most dangerous assassins.
* RedHerring: Michael Bay made a very public announcement that Shockwave would be the BigBad of ''Dark of the Moon'', he got a massive part in advertising befitting a BigBad, and the first few scenes of the film play him up as the new main Decepticon threat. [[spoiler:However, Sentinel turns out to be the actual BigBad, and [[AdvertisedExtra Shockwave has only a minor role]].]]
* {{Sadist}}: In the IDW movie comics, he describes [[spoiler:his massacre of the NEST Diego Garcia base]] as "scintillating", and remarks that he loves hearing [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming the sounds Autobots make when they die]].

* UndignifiedDeath: For all his reputation as a master assassin, [[spoiler:Shockwave gets probably the most embarassing death for a main Decepticon besides [[ButtMonkey Starscream]]. He gets his face covered by a parachuting N.E.S.T. trooper, shot practically to bits by the other soldiers while barely managing to fend them off, and he's then curb-stomped by Optimus within less than 20 seconds of the latter's arrival.]]

* BladeBelowTheShoulder: His left hand has very long, claw-like fingers to match his [[ArmCannon AstroMag Cannon]].

* ArmCannon: His most prominent weapon. Unusually for a Shockwave, it's mounted on his ''right'' arm.

* BladeBelowTheShoulder

* CyberCyclops: A single, red eye is his only real facial feature.

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:Optimus either rips his throat out (film) or [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bisects him vertically]] (novelization)]].
* HeroKiller: Not in the movie, but in the IDW comics, good ''Lord'', he's killed [[spoiler:Elita-1, Jolt, Knock Out, Dune Runner, Longarm, and Salvage, as well as [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Galloway]]]]. In fact, the go-to explanation for why an Autobot from ''Revenge of the Fallen'' is not present for the third film seems to be "Shockwave did it".

* MightyGlacier: In the game. He's got a top damage gun, but he runs like a turtle and is the only character in the game that doesn't have a vehicle form.

* [[RedEyesTakeWarning Red Eye, Take Warning]]
* RedHerring: Michael Bay made a very public announcement that Shockwave would be the BigBad of ''Dark of the Moon'', he got a massive part in advertising befitting a BigBad, and the first few scenes of the film play him up as the new main Decepticon threat. [[spoiler:However, Sentinel turns out to be the actual BigBad, and Shockwave has only a minor role]].
* {{Sadist}}: In the IDW movie comics, he describes [[spoiler:his massacre of the NEST Diego Garcia base]] as "scintillating".
* SealedEvilInACan: [[AllThereInTheManual Prequel comics]] for ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' reveal him to be this; he was found by the USSR decades ago and had been sealed under Chernobyl for years. When he gets out, he's ''ticked off''.

* EvilSoundsDeep: Being voiced by Creator/HugoWeaving in the first trilogy does help. Creator/FrankWelker uses his ''Prime'' voice in ''The Last Knight'', so he counts as well.

* DisneyVillainDeath: Although [[spoiler:it isn't what directly kills him, Starscream stumbles off the top of a tall building after having his head blown up by Sam (using one of Que/Wheeljack's bombs) in ''Dark of the Moon'', hitting the ground in pieces while Bumblebee saves Sam by catching him out of mid-air with a DivingSave]].

* PragmaticAdaptation: His vastly different design from practically every other version of Starscream is the result of this; as mentioned elsewhere, the plane has to go somewhere in robot mode without making him the size of a combiner (hence his shape), and his usual red, white and blue color scheme doesn't exactly blend in with the grey planes of the U.S military.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Disappears from the first movie after getting overwhelmed by a U.S. aircraft and retreating into the ground, leaving only a bit of his tail for Lennox’s team to bring back. He doesn’t join the rest of the Decepticons in the final battle (where Blackout somehow has the helicopter parts Scorponok would usually make up) and is still left alive in the desert. [[spoiler: He returns in the second movie’s climax, but only to do minor damage to Jetfire before getting quickly killed.]]

* BeatStillMyHeart: Starscream kills the traitorous Dreadwing this way in the ''Reign Of Starscream'' tie-in comic. After the latter lands on Mars after both Trypticon[[note]]In this universe, the capital city of Cybertron[[/note]] and the Space Bridge between the red planet and Cybertron are destroyed, Dreadwing marvels at surviving the incident and begins to gloat... only for Starscream to [[https://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/5d/ROSWannabet.jpg sneak up on him and impale him from behind with his claws,]] crushing Dreadwing's Spark Core and dropping [[MythologyGag a familiar line]] as he does so.

* ButtMonkey: Despite being Megatron's second-in-command and a crucial player on the battlefield, his master uses him as a punching bag and a scapegoat.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: One long HumiliationConga. [[EyeScream One eye torn out with a grappling hook, the other gouged out with a knife blade]], and all he can do is flail blindly while N.E.S.T troops and Sam attack him. And it's entirely possible that he [[OhCrap overheard Sam tell Lennox that the aforementioned knife was a bomb]].
-->'''Starscream:''' [[KilledMidSentence I'm gonna kill y—]]

-->'''Starscream''': [[CouldSayItBut Not to call you a coward, master]], but... sometimes, ''cowards do survive''.

* UndignifiedDeath: [[spoiler:It doesn't get much more embarrassing than being killed by ''[[LovableCoward Sam Witwicky]]'', of all people.]]
* UnexplainedRecovery: A rare [[spoiler:non-living]] variant. Despite Starscream [[spoiler:having his head blown to bits by Sam in ''Dark Of The Moon'' -- promptly followed by the rest of him hitting the ground in pieces from the resulting fall off a tall building -- his head has been scavenged, repaired and eventually came into the possession of Daytrader by the time of ''The Last Knight'', looking completely intact and no worse-for-wear otherwise]].

* YourHeadAsplode: [[spoiler:By [[TookALevelInBadass Sam]], after having a bomb stabbed into one of his optics. His head was implied to be scavenged by humans and repaired, though, as Daytrader finds it fully intact in Buffalo, New York, by the time of ''The Last Knight'']].

* AdaptationalDumbass: The original Scorponok was a MadScientist and other iterations while not as bright were not idiots. This version is a practically feral monster who is more akin to a highly intelligent animal than a sentient being.

* AdaptationalBadass: Somewhat. He is definitely a capable fighter throughout all three films, but he's much more toadying and sycophantic. Although the caption's been removed by now, Website/TFWikiDotNet once said about Starscream: "Ironhide's [[OhCrap reaction]] to seeing Starscream is the first time in 25 years for it to be fully deserved".

-->'''Starscream:''' After all, in your absence, ''someone'' had to take command.

** An earlier one occurs in the ''Revenge Of The Fallen'' video game. Starscream's Special Ability there is the Null Reactor -- which temporarily increases the damage of his weapons and gives them the ability to slow opponents with each shot -- referencing the similarly-functioning Null-Rays that his [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers G1 self]] had. He even gets a G1-inspired paintjob as an unlockable PaletteSwap, albeit altered to better accommodate his different jet form[[note]]The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, as opposed to the [=McDonnell=] Douglas F-15 Eagle[[/note]] in the live-action series.

* GutturalGrowler: In the films and most adaptations, his voice is screechy and raspy.

* SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Defied. The problem when designing him was that planes are large. His odd appearance (bird-like legs, wideness) is because the plane had to go somewhere when he transformed, and using a more humanoid design would have resulted in him dwarfing every other character of the film. Thus most of his mass was shifted to his torso, and [[TopHeavyGuy his leg design means he looks shorter than he actually is]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Disappears from the first movie after getting overwhelmed by a U.S. aircraft and retreating into the ground, leaving only a bit of his tail for Lennox’s team to bring back. He doesn’t join the rest of the Decepticons in the final battle and is still left alive in the desert. [[spoiler: He returns in the second movie’s climax, but only to do minor damage to Jetfire before getting quickly killed.]]