History Characters / TransformersGeneration1Decepticons1984To1986

!![[center: [[Characters/TransformersGeneration1 G1 Character Index]]: [[Characters/TransformersGeneration1Autobots Autobots]] ([[Characters/TransformersGeneration1Autobots1984To1986 '84-'86]]) | [[Characters/TransformersGeneration1Decepticons Decepticons]] ('84-'86)]]


This character sheet is for listing the tropes related to ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'' Decepticons introduced between 1984 and 1986. For tropes relating to Decepticons introduced in later years of the series, go [[Characters/TransformersGeneration1Decepticons here]].

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!!Nemesis Decepticon crew

[[folder:Megatron (メガトロン ''megatoron'')]]
[[quoteleft:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/megatron_7372.jpg]]
!!!'''Function:''' Leader
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Walther P-38 Pistol
->''"Peace through tyranny."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Creator/SeizoKato (JP)

The tyrannical, power-hungry leader of the Decepticons who aims to conquer Cybertron and then the rest of the universe. He also continues his search for energy from other sources, even if it's on planet Earth.
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* AdaptationOriginConnection: The third ''ComicBook/GIJoeVsTheTransformers'' miniseries, ''The Art of War'', has his remains used to create Serpent O.R. (that continuity's version of Cobra leader Serpentor).
* AdaptationalBadass: His IDW incarnation is a TookALevelInBadass variation. He went from being a lowly miner to a gladiatorial WarriorPoet to a ruthless WellIntentionedExtremist. It also helps that he has other alt-modes (a stealth bomber and a tank) aside from his iconic Walter P38 handgun form.
* AdaptationalHeroism: The original cartoon version of Megatron was a standard villain who simply wanted to TakeOverTheWorld and often mistreated his henchmen. Several other continuities since have tried to add [[FallenHero depth]] to his [[WellIntentionedExtremist character]] in an effort to portray him in a more nuanced light, especially IDW, in which he eventually becomes an Autobot by the end of the ''Dark Cybertron'' arc.
-->'''[[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Megatron_(G1)/IDW_Generation_1_continuity TFWiki]]:''' Megatron [[LaResistance waged a battle to destroy the evil forces of the Senate]]! Then he [[KnightTemplar continued to wage a war]] against the evil forces of [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill freedom]], [[FantasticRacism organic life]], and [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget the very idea of an Autobot living]]. After some [[HeelRealization life-changing events]], he [[TheAtoner waged a war against the evil forces of his own past legacy]].
* {{Antimatter}}: He can use this by interdimensionally linking up to a black hole. He rarely uses it though, since it's, y'know, '''[[AwesomeButImpractical antimatter]]'''.
* ArchEnemy: To Optimus Prime as most incarnations portray them as this.
* ArmCannon: His iconic fusion cannon remains attached to his right arm and can pack incredible destructive power. With it, he provides the page image for the arm-mounted type.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority:
** If him taking on Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Starscream and ''Devastator'' for Decepticon leadership and '''winning''' in "Triple Takeover" is anything to go by.
--->'''Megatron:''' Get this straight: ''I'' am Decepticon Leader. '''You''' are recyclable!
** Subverted in the comics. He tries enforcing this on Shockwave, only for it to get turned on him pretty damn quickly. Though, as he was still recovering from injuries, it could be counted as a case of WorfHadTheFlu, as two issues later he's recovered enough to handle the Dinobots.
* BadBoss:
** In the Sunbow cartoon. Though having a bit more pragmatism and camaraderie than standard cartoon {{Big Bad}}s, he still regularly chides and insults his henchmen; the sole exceptions are Soundwave and Shockwave, who, due to the two of them being both [[UndyingLoyalty loyal]] and [[TheReliableOne competent]], he treats with genuine respect.
** It's also implied in "The Secret of Omega Supreme" that he brainwashed at least some of his troops into servitude with the Robo Smasher.
** The comic version is just a bad boss in general, shooting or hitting his soldiers for talking back, ''including'' Soundwave. In one instance of insanity, he crushed Brawl's head. His emotional instability is why Shockwave regularly challenged him.
* {{BFG}}: He not only has one, but turns into one. In addition, the barrel of his gun mode appears on his back and can seemingly flip under his right arm (which is how the toy is meant to be transformed) and be fired.
** Usually wielded by Starscream or Soundwave when Megatron turns into one, twice he let Optimus Prime use him (once to launch [[MadScientist Dr. Arkeville's]] Exponential Generator into space before it could turn Earth into energy, once to shoot antidotes into the Insecticons before they could explode and kill everyone in Iron Mountain.)
* BigBad:
** He's the Decepticon leader (well, one of them, but he's the most famous), and Optimus Prime's ArchEnemy. Generally, he's only ''not'' this when [[EldritchAbomination Unicron]] or The Fallen are about.
** Subverted in the original Marvel comics: Megatron was just one of many warlords on Cybertron, and he's not the leader of the Decepticons on Earth for very long, and when he is, things don't usually go very well. Shockwave, Scorponok and Ratbat last longer in the job than he did.
* BigBadWannabe: Averted in the original 80s cartoon. Despite being a laughably incompetent GeneralFailure, Megatron lacks the necessary competition to fall fairly into this trope. He retains the role of BigBad simply because there is no other villain to put him in his place. The only competition he has is Starscream, who’s even more inept than he is. This all changes in the film when [[KnightOfCerebus Unicron]] shows up.
-->'''Megatron:''' Nobody summons Megatron!
-->'''Unicron:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Then it pleases me to be the first.]]
* BodyHorror: In the comics, he and Ratchet end up fused together after an accident involving a [[TeleFrag teleporter and some bombs]].
* BoisterousWeakling: [[ZigzaggedTrope It depends]]. He can take down heavyweights like Grimlock with about three solid hits, but when he fights Optimus Prime it's rarely an even matchup: Megatron is ''never'' able to beat Prime without cheating (e.g. going for a gun in a hand to hand fight or [[JustYouAndMeAndMyGUARDS summoning his mooks for backup]]).
-->'''Starscream:''' Megatron is a wimp!
-->'''Devastator:''' So is Starscream.
-->'''Starscream:''' [[FragileSpeedster Yes, but I'm fast]]!
* ContinuitySnarl: In ''Generation 2'', his connection to Ratchet (where neither could survive without the other) is left unmentioned, which naturally meant there was no explanation for how Megatron could still be functioning after Ratchet seemingly died in the Ark's crash.
* CoolSword: Has a [[Franchise/StarWars lightsaber-esque]] sword in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie''. Some versions of the original figure (mostly Japan exclusive ones) give him a silver sword too.
* DeathByAdaptation: Several G1 continuities have killed him off.
** ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' has his reformatted self Galvatron die by being entombed in ice, though he'd later be revived as Super Megatron in the ''Battlestars'' story pages.
** ''ComicBook/TransformersGIJoe'' ends with the Joes and the Autobots destroying him and the rest of the Decepticons.
** The first ''ComicBook/GIJoeVsTheTransformers'' miniseries ends with his deactivation at the hands of Optimus Prime.
** The Marvel Comics continuity SequelSeries ''Regeneration One'' kills him off at the end of the first arc.
** ''ComicBook/TransformersDeviations'', a WhatIf take on ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' has him perish instead of Optimus Prime during the battle at Autobot City, resulting in the Decepticons leaving his body behind on Earth and never giving Unicron a chance to reformat him into Galvatron.
** He is dead by the end of ''ComicBook/TransformersVsGIJoe''.
* DrivenToSuicide: Subverted. Upon Optimus Prime's [[DeathIsCheap initial death]] in the Marvel comics, Megatron (rightfully so) believed Prime to be still alive and blew up the Space Bridge while he was riding it. [[spoiler:Except he was faking some of it. The space bridge exploding wasn't part of the plan, though, instead leading to LaserGuidedAmnesia.]]
* EmperorScientist: This guy ''invented'' (or at least [[{{Retcon}} rediscovered]]) transformation in the Marvel Comics, and is behind many doomsday machines of the week. In the Sunbow cartoon, he's also capable of making working Transformer bodies from human cars to create the Stunticons.
* EnemyMine: During G2, after his forces get slaughtered by Jhiaxus, Megatron decides to work with the Autobots.
* EpicFlail: Has a purple energon mace.
* EvilLaugh: The sheer ''creepiness'' of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMUjcr87XfM Megatron's Evil Laugh]] in the [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 original animated series]] is in and of itself NightmareFuel.
* EvilMentor: Pentius in the IDW comics. One can practically hear the {{Leitmotif}} of [[Franchise/StarWars a certain Sith Lord]] when the student finally surpasses the master:
-->'''Pentius:''' [[AdmiringTheAbomination At last... the student... becomes the master. You are... truly... monstrous.]]
-->'''Megatron:''' Farewell, Pentius. Know that your legacy of hate... [[StartOfDarkness shall live on in me]].
* EvilOverlord: He's the leader of the Deceptions.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Courtesy of Creator/SeizoKato in the Japanese dub. Creator/JasonMarnocha also tended to voice him this way in the ''[[WebAnimation/TransformersPrimeWarsTrilogy Prime Wars]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersWarForCybertronTrilogy War For Cybertron]]'' trilogies.
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Creator/FrankWelker gave Megatron a fairly raspy voice. A few obscure audiobooks made him even raspier.
* AFatherToHisMen: He's this in some continuities, albeit a gruff and angry one. In the cartoon, he even worked with Optimus Prime on numerous occasions to protect his warriors.
-->'''Megatron:''' ''(as he teams up with Optimus to stop his drill from puncturing Earth's core)'' I do this only for the welfare of my Decepticons. It grieves me that you should profit from it.
* FallenHero: In some continuities, particularly IDW, he started out as a revolutionary who wanted to tear down Cybertron's caste system and create an equal society, before those instincts transformed into a mere lust for power and violence.
* {{Flight}}: Most media depict him as able to do this, despite not transforming into any form of aircraft.
* ForTheEvulz:
** Why did comic Megatron start the war? He was bored with a peaceful Cybertron.
** IDW Megatron ''claims'' to be this. [[spoiler:He's lying.]]
-->'''Megatron:''' I would happily wade across a river of corpses, chest-deep in rust and grease and engine oil, just to crush the spark of the last Autobot standing. And I would not do so simply as a means to an end. No. I'd do it, Prime, because it would give me '''pleasure.'''
* FromNobodyToNightmare: In IDW comics he started out as a low-class miner.
* GeneralFailure: Cartoon Megatron has made some...well, questionable decisions during the war. Such as an overly-complex scheme involving [[HumongousMecha Bruticus]] firing at the moon causing it to shift Earth's tides to make a tidal wave that would flood a single dam causing a massive power surge... when, as an earlier episode proved, Rumble was all he needed. Even Starscream would tell Megatron when a plan was bound to fail, [[CassandraTruth but he would hear nothing to do with failure]]. He was [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness more competent]] in the FiveEpisodePilot, though.
-->'''Starscream:''' Forgive me, but I believe your boast sounds vaguely familiar.
-->'''Megatron:''' [[NeverMyFault We've failed before through no fault of mine!]] But this time I shall not be denied.
* GeniusBruiser: Has an Intelligence score of 10 out of 10 and is capable of bashing Autobots into the ground solo.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Whenever he is ''very'' happy, making the accompanying EvilLaugh all the more creepy.
* GoodGunsBadGuns: The Walther P38 (which is his alt-mode) is a Nazi handgun. Coincidence? Probably, as his specific design was based on the gun used by [[Series/TheManFromUNCLE the heroic spy agency U.N.C.L.E.]] (specifically, the chrome version in Takara's Micro Change toyline).
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. Aside from leading the Decepticons (whom the Predacons are descendants of), [[spoiler:it's his recorded message on the Voyager's Golden Disk, which hundreds of years later ends up being stolen by a Predacon named after him, that ends up kickstarting the whole conflict on prehistoric Earth]].
* HeelFaceTurn: In IDW, he becomes an Autobot. [[Main/NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer Yes, you read right.]]
** In the Japanese continuity, between G1 and G2, he turned good and joined forces with Optimus. Then his old friend Kiloton got killed by some angry humans, and Megatron took it pretty hard.
** In the IDW continuity, after ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron Dark Cybertron]]'' Megatron has a true change of heart and becomes an Autobot.
* HeelRealization: In the IDW continuity, he describes one of these as motivating his HeelFaceTurn.
-->'''Megatron''': I once told Optimus that I kill for the sake of killing. I wanted to make him hurt me, you see, because when [[AllLovingHero he hurts others, he hurts himself.]] But, when those words were in my head, I didn't think I meant them, but when they left my mouth, I realized that I did. If the world thinks you're a monster, what does it matter? The world is wrong. But... when you start to think of yourself... as a monster... I grew to hate the person I'd become, and I decided the best way to leave that person behind... maybe the easiest way... was to become an Autobot.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Why does he keep Starscream around, no matter how often he betrays? Because, in his own words, he's an ''idiot'' and he finds the attempts amusing more often than not, that's why. IDW did eventually give a justification - Starscream's treachery (and the inevitable consequences of Starscream getting in charge) keep Megatron from getting complacent.
* LargeHam: Courtesy of the legendary Creator/FrankWelker. As a result, he's often seen yelling things at the top of his voice chips while sounding raspy and bombastic at the same time.
* LaserBlade: Has one in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie''.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia:
** In the Marvel Comics, when his suicide attempt failed, he was transported to the Dead End region of Cybertron and wandered around as an Empty. He got better when he saved Blackjack from a group of Autobots.
** He also experienced this in the UK Comics after Straxus attempted a botched GrandTheftMe on him, and Ratbat sending him back to Earth expelled Straxus's mind from him.
* LivingWeapon: When he transforms into his gun mode, he's generally wielded by one of his lieutenants. Soundwave and Starscream are some of his most frequent users.
* LosingYourHead: His ''Titans Return'' toy features the Titan Master Doomshot forming his head, granting him the ability to fire super-fusion fireblasts.
* MachiavelliWasWrong: In ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', an injured Megatron has to [[AintTooProudToBeg beg]] [[TheDragon Soundwave]] just to not to leave him behind. Then when his Decepticon minions realize they could [[ColdEquation jettison the wounded]] on Astrotrain to make it go faster, Megatron is ThrownOutTheAirlock despite his pleas, not one Decepticon lifting a finger to help him. It seems once his forces had no reason to fear him, they had no reason to be loyal to him. This is contrasted with the Autobots going back for [[AFatherToHisMen Optimus Prime]], and showing reverence for him even in his final moments.
* MultipleChoicePast: He is often depicted as being a gladiator (sometimes a miner beforehand) before he created the Decepticon faction. However, the original cartoon and ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' claim he was created for conquest by the Constructicons. Also different is how much of a WellIntentionedExtremist he is or if he just wants raw power.
* MultiversalConqueror: Some of his stronger incarnations are shown to be this, such as in ''Transformers: Alternity'' and ''Transformers Cloud''.
* MythologyGag: His Selects Super / Ultra Megatron toy also has a third face designed in homage to his ''The Last Knight'' counterpart. Fitting, giving both Megatrons are in new bodies given to them by sinister alien entities for their own agenda.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Despite being an infamous GeneralFailure, Megatron could still prove to be formidable and calculating, often losing to the Autobots by an inch, and sabotaging many of their attempts to get a permanent advantage over the Decepticons (eg. he instantly reversed around Mirage's attempt to turn them and the Insecticons against each other and also managed to steal or outmatch some of Wheeljack's gadgets such as the Immobilizer and the Dominator Disc). This really came into play by the time of TheMovie, where the Decepticons have actually started to dominate the war under Megatron's leadership, and in one unsuspected invasion, managed to destroy a lot of key Autobot soldiers.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: During the comics. The screaming breakdown after Optimus' death was all part of a ruse to fake his death. Pity shooting the Space Bridge point blank gave him some LaserGuidedAmnesia.
* OneManArmy: Megatron is frequently portrayed as unstoppable against Autobots on the battlefield. Barely a handful of Transformers (Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Shockwave) have been able to go up against him and live to tell the tale. The cartoon episode "Triple Takeover" showed he even took on Starscream, Astrotrain, Blitzwing '''and''' Devastator to come out the undisputed Decepticon Leader after a coup d'etat attempt.
** He was especially formidable against human forces, particularly in the comics. About the only chance they could have against him without help from the Autobots is if he ran out of energy and shut down. A crossover with ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' had him battling ComicBook/IronMan (outfitted in a [[HumongousMecha Transformer-sized mech]] for this occasion) and defeating him.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Megatron is pretty territorial about who ends up offing Optimus Prime.
** Deconstructed in the comics; Megatron may obsess over killing Optimus Prime but he has often left the killing up to subordinates so that he can focus his energies on Ratchet, who Megatron [[HeroicSpirit respected]] after Ratchet single-handedly beat him.
** Then, in ''Regeneration One'', he is focusing on Optimus once again, wanting one final DuelToTheDeath on Earth. Either he kills Prime, or Prime kills him, and his failsafes launch Earth's remaining nuclear arsenal.
** Used against him in the cartoon, when he gets overpowered by a juiced up Optimus and signals for help, Starscream objects to butting into the two leaders' sacred rivalry, and smugly watches Megatron takes an inevitable pounding.
* OutOfCharacter: In the "Kids Stuff" audio books, he verbally abuses Soundwave on a regular basis, treats his troops' ideas as his own, has a NeverMyFault attitude and takes offence at innocent statements. In short, he acts more like Galvatron than his canon personality.
* OutOfFocus: In the original G1 comics, he was often pushed aside in favor of having others lead the Decepticons. He was put out of commission after blowing up the Space Bridge, returned post-Underbase saga for a brief storyline, then was seemingly killed again, only to once again make a brief return, with only two appearances after that.
* OverarchingVillain: Since his first appearance, Megatron has been the most traditional and recurring BigBad of the Franchise, even if he loses his status as leader, he always takes it back.
* PaintItBlack: His [[https://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/4/46/IDWongoing15_megatrons_new_body.jpg stealth bomber incarnation]] from [[ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW the Mike Costa era]].
* PetTheDog: In his various incarnations, Megatron has occasionally been depicted as being capable of kindness.
** After he and Ratchet were unfused in the ''Classics'' continuity, Megatron keeps the crippled Ratchet around as someone to talk to. Ratchet feels that it's a CruelMercy and that he was just kept as someone to gloat to, but at the conclusion of the Decepticon civil war, Megatron has him placed in a CR chamber, healed, and left for the Autobots to rescue.
* TheRedBaron: "The Slag Maker," "The Emperor of Destruction".
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In the Sunbow cartoon and the IDW comics.
* ReformedButRejected: Very few Autobots were willing to accept IDW Megatron after his becoming an Autobot. The crew of the Lost Light ignore him at best and insult him at worst.
-->'''Getaway:''' Seriously, can someone explain to me how the war can end with the '''instigator''' being [[KarmaHoudini allowed to go about his business as if nothing happened]]? The death camps! The massacres! The cities razed to the ground! Apparently all of them were just missteps - painful but necessary - on Megatron's path to self-discovery!
* SizeShifter: His iconic Walter P38 form can be held by Decepticons or normal humans. [[http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/d/d7/Stargatebattles_giant_megatron.jpg Or even become as large as Optimus Prime]]. IDW's ''Escalation'' actually addresses the size-shifting: It consumes a ''lot'' of energy, which neither side has a lot of, so Megs hasn't used it in a while.
* TheStarscream: In the Marvel comics, Megatron was this to Shockwave and Scorponok after their [[KlingonPromotion Klingon Promotions]]. He was generally smarter about it than the trope namer, his attempt to whack Shockwave involved blackmailing Ratchet to sic the Dinobots on him (since they had beaten Shockwave before). He saw this as a XanatosGambit, since if they failed, he would still at least have the satisfaction of having effectively killed six more Autobots. He didn't plan on Ratchet [[TakeAThirdOption taking a third option.]] Ironically, he attempted to use a brainwashed Starscream to assassinate Scorponok, with Ratchet again putting a SpannerInTheWorks.
* StoryBreakerPower: One of his often-forgotten powers is the ability to use {{antimatter}} as a weapon. Though his original bio was written with the intent that it was a property of his fusion cannon, some continuities (i.e. the UK Marvel and IDW comics) depict Megatron himself as being able to create it. Given how violently antimatter reacts with matter, there's probably a good reason ''why'' said power is often forgotten by writers.
* SuperMode: In the Japanese continuity, he's resurrected during ''Return of Convoy'' as the imaginatively named "Super Megatron". When that doesn't prove enough, he gets another upgrade into "''Ultra'' Megatron".
* TankGoodness: Modern incarnations of him usually transform into a tank instead of a Walter P38 pistol (mostly because changes in US law prohibit [[MerchandiseDriven the sale of firearm replicas in toy stores]], along with doing away with his contentuous SizeShifting and need to be wielded by his troops) Besides the fact that the tank is the vehicle that maintains the spirit of his original pistol mode, it has precedence in the tank-like space cannon mode of his upgraded self Galvatron.
* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: Part of Optimus' BatmanGambit was for Megatron to get fired up enough to defeat the usurpers for the title of Decepticon Leader in "Triple Takeover."
* VillainousFriendship:
** Type 1 with his most loyal lieutenant Soundwave, who along with the Mini-Cassettes are the ''only'' sentients that he has shown to be fond of. Though ironically, it didn't keep Soundwave from letting Starscream expel Megatron into outer space in the movie.
** He obviously trusts and even respects Shockwave (that is, his cartoon version; not so much in other continuities). We just don't see it as much since Shockwave never leaves Cybertron.
* VillainRespect: In the G1 comic story "Shooting Star" Megatron is about to kill Joey Slick, the human who had been using him as a weapon against his will. However, Joey states that he's not afraid of him, due to having just confronted and knocked out the man he was most afraid of. Megatron is impressed enough to spare Joey's life, acknowledging that he's never seen such courage in a human before.
* VillainsWantMercy: In the movie, Megatron begs Optimus Prime to spare his life, [[ISurrenderSuckers while reaching for a blaster on the ground]].
* WarriorPoet: Used to be this in the IDW comics, even after founding the Decepticons.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: The first IDW version. Not so much any other. He first led the Decepticons to end the FantasticCasteSystem he deemed to be plaguing Cybertron's development as a society... until he, shall we say, goes off the deep end and just goes all out violent. "Peace through tyranny.", [[SarcasmMode indeed]]...
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Optimus in the IDW comics. Averted elsewhere. While he did call Optimus "old friend" in both the Marvel comic and the Sunbow cartoon, it was always in a mocking, sarcastic tone, referring to their millennia-long [[ArchEnemy rivalry]] rather than a genuine past-friendship.
** Their early history in the Marvel comics continuity is explored a bit more in UK exclusive storylines; they were rivals who regularly competed with each other in "[[GladiatorGames The Games]]" but to describe them as friends at this point would be a bit of a stretch.
* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: His altmode is a pistol, which cannot aim or fire by itself and has to be held by someone. Some stories have suggested it'd be more powerful, but it's anyone's guess whether that's true or not based on [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy his in-show record]]. And he already has an arm cannon, anyway. This is just one more reason why his alt mode has since been anything else, usually a tank, which keeps the spirit of the pistol mode, but being a fully functional, independent, and dangerous vehicle on his own.
* WorldsStrongestMan: Megatron is the most powerful Decepticon and one of the most powerful Cybertronians alive - the only Autobots who can even hold their own against him are Optimus Prime and Grimlock.
* WorthyOpponent:
** His rivalry with Optimus Prime transcends petty hatred into a deep respect and understanding: so much so that whenever they fight side by side for a common goal, they are unstoppable.
** More so with Ratchet in the comics; Megatron doesn't like Prime in the comics but he's AffablyEvil to Ratchet during their fights and will tell Ratchet that he respects him, something he'll never do to Prime.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Starscream (スタースクリーム ''sutāsukurīmu'')]]
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|| [[quoteleft:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/starscreamofficialart_2667.jpg]] || [[quoteleft:205:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pretenderstarscream.jpg]]
|| Starscream || Pretender Starscream ||
!!!'''Function:''' Air Commander
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet; Armored Warrior (Pretender Shell)
->''"Conquest is made of the ashes of one's enemies."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Chris Latta (EN), Creator/HirotakaSuzuoki (JP)

Megatron's over-ambitious, egoistic second-in-command and leader of the Seekers who often schemes to usurp leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron.
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* AdaptationalBadass: He's not a complete idiot (though he definitely has his moments) in the G1 cartoon, but his IDW counterpart is a flat-out [[AgentPeacock Agent Peacock]], even becoming a VillainWithGoodPublicity.
* AgentPeacock: He may be vain and flamboyant in the IDW comics, but he's ''definitely'' not someone who should be taken lightly.
* AwesomeMcCoolName: A human character in the comics even commented on how cool his name is.
* BackFromTheDead:
** In the cartoon universe, he can live on after death as a "ghost" thanks to having a mutant spark that is indestructible. In the episode "Ghost in the Machine", Unicron gave him his body back.
** In the Marvel Comics continuity, after Starscream died during the Underbase Saga (taking many characters with him), Megatron had him brought back as a Pretender.
* BadBoss: Generally worse to work for than Megatron. He doesn't usually shoot his underlings, though he will threaten to do it, in-between berating and insulting them with every other breath, usually as they're trying to point out his plans are terrible.
* BerserkButton: Though he doesn't think highly of working under Megatron's command, he seems to get especially standoffish whenever his importance is questioned or unappreciated. Most of the times he tries to overthrow him to his face rather than through scheming behind his back are when Megatron goaded him over his uselessness. In "Enter the Nightbird" when Megatron deemed Starscream dispensable with his new weapon, the Seeker outright ''attacked him'' in a rage, making for one of very few cases the Seeker overpowered him and needed restraining.
-->'''Starscream:''' ''*seethes*'' You'd replace ''me''?? ''*slugs Megatron*'' NEVERRR!!!
* BigBadWannabe: The few times he takes control, he just can't cut it - he's not ''completely'' incompetent at leadership, but he's nowhere near as cruel or dangerous as Megatron.
-->'''Soundwave:''' You have no strategy, no subtlety. You are a missile with a mouth, Starscream!
* BosssUnfavoriteEmployee: Unlike the other Decepticons (whom Megatron is implied to have some small level of care for), Starscream is almost completely despised. Considering this is the TropeNamer for TheStarscream we're talking about, it's hard to blame Megatron.
* BullyingADragon: Iconic for perpetually mocking and criticising Megatron, vowing to knock him from his position right to his face. Despite Megatron's pragmatism, Starscream would often remember too late he'd only take his impudence for so long.
-->'''Megatron:''' Cross me again, Starscream, and I will reduce you to titanium fragments.
* ButtMonkey: A good deal of the comedy in the cartoon series is how much abuse Starscream takes almost every episode. Not that he doesn't deserve most of it.
** [[UpToEleven He gets abused so much someone was able to make a 12 minute montage of G1 Starscream getting punched, shot, yelled at, run over, etc]] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXtEdUmwH3A
* CameBackWrong: In the UK comics, his time with the Underbase means he briefly comes back as a shambling corpse for a while. Then Megatron has him brought back properly.
* CardCarryingVillain: During G2, Starscream starts getting influenced by the Matrix, making him nice and helpful, causing him to scream at Megatron that he doesn't ''want'' to be good.
* CassandraTruth: Starscream often knows when a plan of Megatron's is not going to end well, but Megatron never takes his advice. Expect merciless shrieking and gloating when things inevitably ''do'' go wrong.
-->'''Starscream:''' [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim We had the Autobots disoriented! We could have eliminated them!]]
-->'''Megatron:''' [[BondVillainStupidity We'll do that at our leisure, when our more important work is done]]. You have had the ''only'' warning I intend to give.
* CharacterTic: In the IDW comic, Starscream upgrades his body [[UnlimitedWardrobe more frequently than any other character]] ([[MerchandiseDriven with the change often reflecting his toy at the time]]), suggesting an insecurity with his appearance. It's later confirmed to be an actual case of body dysmorphia.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He will backstab anyone and everyone to get ahead. Or he'll try, at any rate. And this has exactly the result you'd expect, towards the latter half of the comics - none of the Decepticons like or trust him, or even want him around, because they know he'll shoot them all in the back sooner or later.
-->'''Stardrive:''' What kind of monster are you?
-->'''Starscream:''' [[AtLeastIAdmitIt A goal-oriented one]].
* CoDragons: Alongside Soundwave and Shockwave, Starscream is one of Megatron's highest ranking Decepticons.
* CoolPlane: His iconic F-15 form. Though he's had other jet forms as well, especially in the IDW continuity.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: If not for his extreme cowardice and inability to fall in line, G1 Starscream would be a horrifyingly dangerous enemy. He's one of the fastest and most powerful Decepticons physically and can occasionally come up with well thought out plans.
** In the cartoon:
*** Somehow, in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', out of all the Decepticons in the big huge brawl, ''Starscream'' outlasts everybody else. WordOfGod later clarified in an interview that he hid in the corner until one person was left then sucker punched the winner.
*** In the episode, "Starscream's Brigade", Megatron actually kicks Starscream out - so he revives the Combaticons into bodies made from old UsefulNotes/WorldWarII vehicles, and he leads them to victory and overthrows Megatron, becoming the leader of the entire Decepticon army (if ultimately only for one minute). He was only thwarted because the Stunticons intervened---which they actually debated about even doing at first.
*** In the episode, "A Prime Problem", Megatron made a clone of Starscream fight a clone of Optimus. The real Starscream was running the clone on remote, and even the Autobots remarked how good a fight he was putting up that day.
** In the Marvel comic:
*** He managed to absorb the Underbase while playing both sides, and killed off many, ''many'' Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike.
*** After being destroyed at the end of the above mentioned Underbase Saga, he was revived as a Pretender by a NotQuiteDead Megatron, {{brainwashed}}, and almost defeated Optimus Prime and ''all of the Decepticons on Earth''. But Ratchet had actually turned him into a reverse ManchurianAgent, hiding his ''true'' personality deep within his neural circuitry, and when Hot Rod shoots Starscream during the fight, he immediately panics and begs mercy to Scorponok.
* DeadpanSnarker: Mostly regarding Megatron or his comrades' incompetence.
* TheDeterminator: It's very hard not to appreciate Starscream's persistence. No matter how much he fails, it never gets him down.
* DidYouJustScamCthulhu: In "Ghost in the Machine", he talked Unicron into giving him a new body so he could connect the Chaos Bringer's head to Cybertron. Once he got what he wanted, Starscream refused to go through on his end of the bargain, mockingly telling Unicron "Do it yourself!".
* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' notably had him shot by Galvatron when he came back to lead the Decepticons and disrupted Starscream's coronation, but there are some continuities where Starscream died in a different way.
** ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeVsTheTransformers G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]'' ends with him blowing up when Cobra Commander sends him to Shockwave while riddled with explosives.
** ''ComicBook/TransformersDeviations'', a WhatIf retelling of the movie's events where Optimus Prime did not get killed, has Starscream take Megatron's place as Decepticon leader reformatted into Unicron's herald and ultimately ending up destroyed along with Unicron when Hot Rod used the Matrix of Leadership in a HeroicSacrifice.
** The ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse had him go down sacrificing himself to aid in Unicron's defeat in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron''.
* DirtyCoward:
** He wouldn't shoot Megatron in the face if you held a gun to ''his.''
** It's also a plot point in the comic. Megatron has Ratchet revive him after the Underbase incident, as a BlankSlate, but Ratchet makes sure Starscream's personality will take over the minute he's badly hurt. Sure enough, the minute it happens, Starscream grovels and pleads to be spared, screwing up Megatron's plan.
* TheDragon: Megatron's most iconic lieutenant.
* DemonicPossession: If his body is destroyed, his Spark can wander about and take over other Transformers, ordinary machines, or even cyborgs.
* EvilGenius: In the cartoon, he occasionally makes use of his former scientist side, like when he constructed an electric generator to recharge the Decepticons, made gunpower to compensate for running out of regular ammo in "A Decepticon Raider In King Arthur's Court", and his creation of the Combaticons in "Starscream's Brigade".
* EvilIsNotAToy: Learnt this in the Marvel comics. While the Underbase isn't ''evil'', Starscream ended up being destroyed by the sheer power he had absorbed from it.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Inverted; Starscream has the screechiest voice among the Decepticons. When his voice ''does'' drop though, he's much more sinister and/or serious.
* {{Expy}}: In the first IDW continuity, Starscream is one of [[Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse Loki]]: An intelligent, capable warrior who uses guile and stealth to make up for his lack of brute strength. Years of feeling overshadowed by more physically ideal warriors give him an InferioritySuperiorityComplex, turning him into a self-serving OpportunisticBastard who is perfectly willing to step on others to get his way. He eventually [[HeelRealization begins to struggle with the ramifications]] of his morally dubious actions, [[spoiler: and manages to stay on the side of good long enough to pull a HeroicSacrifice]].
* FatalFlaw: It's not [[GreenEyedMonster greed]] or [[AmbitionIsEvil ambition]] (even though he has plenty of both) but {{pride}}, as well as overconfidence in his own skills, mainly as leader.
* FaustianRebellion: Bargained with Unicron for a new body in "Ghost in the Machine", then successfully betrayed him.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He may be a cowardly suck-up, but he's as villainous as you can get with Decepticons.
* FightingFromTheInside: In ''Regeneration one''. The zombified Starscream is able to resist Megatron's control long enough to tell Kup how to stop him (although it is later revealed that Shockwave allowed for this to happen).
* FreudianExcuse: In the IDW comics, many of Starscream's issues stem from the fact that he was [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Reproduction#2005_IDW_continuity cold constructed]], and was [[ForWantOFANail consequently never able]] to assume the {{Animesque}} [[https://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/e/ef/Your_First_Mistake_-_Screamys_True_Form.jpg form originally intended for him.]]
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Few of his fellow Decepticons can stand being around him, especially when he tries to betray Megatron.
-->'''Starscream:''' I still say [[WeNeedADistraction the diversionary attack on the solar plant]] was a waste of energy.
-->'''Skywarp:''' [[YouTalkTooMuch You waste more energy with your mouth]].
* GeniusBruiser: In the cartoon, he was a scientist and explorer prior to joining the Decepticons, and he often uses his smarts to his advantage.
** GeniusDitz: Played up in the cartoon. For all of his scientific knowledge, he's severely lacking in common sense and leadership skills. This can cause him to enter TooDumbToLive territory, and he would've probably been killed repeatedly off if G1 wasn't a kids show.
* HatedByAll: None of the Decepticons are willing to tolerate Starscream and are not keen on seeing him in place of leadership over Megatron. This is because, for all of the latter's faults, Megatron himself is fairly effective and powerful leader, unlike the cowardly and ineffectual Starscream. In the movie, when Starscream actually won a leadership fight and was crowned the leader of the Decepticons, only to get killed during the coronation, the Decepticons immediately accepted his killer, Galvatron (who is actually Megatron himself), as their leader, and none were sad to see him go.
* HeroKiller: In the comics, he manages to kill over ''thirty'' Autobots in the space of a single issue, thanks to absorbing the power of the Underbase.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Very briefly, in the UK comics, after his resurrection. Starscream actually thinks, despite having wiped out no less that fifty-five 'bots on both sides during the Underbase fiasco, that the other Decepticons think he's a joke, taking their avoidance and whispering for mocking, rather than them staying the hell away lest he murder them. Eventually, he runs into a bunch of Autobots, who are also scared of him and try running away, which sends Starscream in a fury. And after murdering them, his usual confidence starts to return.
* InformedAttribute: His treachery was this in the original G1 comics; Though he did speak of overthrowing Megatron in the early issues, he never acted on those thoughts, and his critical injuries at the hands of Omega Supreme put him out of commission for a long time. It wasn't until the Underbase saga that Starscream finally got the chance to showcase his most famous trait, betraying both Decepticon factions for his own benefit.
** In the G2 comics, Megatron actually stated that Starscream's record of deceit and betrayal was "legend". Kind of ironic, considering Starscream's Underbase scheme (his first real act of betrayal in the US comics) happened while Megatron was out of commission. ''Shockwave'' had actually betrayed Megatron more times in the original comic's run.
* InsaneTrollLogic: In "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1", he believed Megatron ''losing his voice'' was valid enough of a reason to take over as the new leader of the Decepticons.
* InSeriesNickname: Characters sometimes call him "Screamer".
* ItsAllAboutMe: Starscream is vain and self-centered, constantly letting his ambition get in the way of his actual competence.
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a self-centered jerk who can be just as rude and condescending to his fellow Decepticons as he is to Autobots.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Starscream at times, mainly thanks to his knowledge as a scientist, realizes when one of Megatron's plans will fail miserably and warns him about it, only for Megatron to dismiss Starscream's concerns and advice. A notable example came in the Dinobot island two-parter, where the Decepticons start collecting a massive amoount of energon cubes thanks to the intense raw energies of the island, but Starscream recognized that the energy barrier surrounding the island and the dinosaurs in it was connected to the time-space continuum, and too much tampering would be disastrous. This naturally comes to occur and the Autobots, who never knew about the Decepticons' plans, intervened and stopped the Decepticons. Had Megatron pulled out when Starscream advised, the Decepticons would've made off with a huge bounty of energon.
* JokerImmunity: As the first iteration of one of the most popular and iconic ''Transformers'' characters, Starscream is rarely killed off. Even in the post-movie cartoon, he lives on with his indestructible spark.
* KarmaHoudini: In the original cartoon, his final appearance sees him successfully scam Unicron into giving him a new body and evading punishment from Galvatron. While he does get sent tumbling uncontrollably through space, he could easily escape this predicament.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Since the Dreamwave days, he's got a knack for AssholeVictims a'plenty.
* LargeHam:
** Cartoon Starscream has a memorably screechy voice.
** Comic Starscream is usually far more composed, but when he gets the Underbase, he spends many pages showing off his god complex, complete with constant pontificating about how great and powerful he is.
--->'''Starscream:''' You have dared to strike me, Transformers... and for that affront you shall pay most dearly! I sentence you to drift in interstellar space for all eternity, until you return to the cosmic dust from which you came!
* LightningBruiser: He's the fastest of the flying Decepticons (with a Speed rating of 9 out of 10), able to reach Mach 2.8 and fly as high as 52 miles. His Strength and Firepower are also listed at a 7.
* MeaningfulName: Bob Budiansky named Starscream such because he envisioned him frequently "[[SkywardScream screaming at the stars]]" whenever he fails, [[SanitySlippage slowly being driven mad]] by his inability to usurp Megatron or destroy the Autobots.[[note]]He also had difficulty pronouncing the original Japanese name, Ulchtar, and anticipated Western audiences would have this same problem.[[/note]]
* NotQuiteBackToNormal: ''Regeneration One'' reveals that Starscream still has a fraction of the Underbase's power within him. The power re-emerges when he does battle with Jhiaxus and his forces (as does the personalities of the archivists who gave themselves to the Underbase - whom Jhiaxus betrayed).
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: For all his flaws, Starscream is a dangerous combatant, with plenty of Autobots under his belt (and as CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass shows, he ''has'' come close to winning many times). This is the only reason Megatron keeps him around. The main problem is he foils almost as many of the Decepticons plans as he succeeds at.
** Meanwhile, in the comics, Starscream manages to do incredibly damage to both sides, taking out some of the most hardened badasses both sides possess.
* OneHitKill: His Null Ray shuts down nearly anything that runs on electricity, meaning he can defeat several Transformers with one clean hit. However, organic beings and powerful Transformers like Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Starscream himself will only get knocked backwards by the Null Ray.
* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Starscream possesses a mutant spark that is indestructible - allowing him to survive death as a "ghost".
* OutOfCharacterMoment: Humbly deferred to and took orders from ''Astrotrain'' in "The God Gambit". [[note]]Interestingly, Astrotrain is ''also'' out-of-character in the episode, acting more like Megatron than his canon personality. This implies Megatron was originally supposed to have Astrotrain's role, but Sunbow changed it in order to promote the new toy.[[/note]]
* PaintItBlack: When his spark possesses someone, their appearance may change to reflect him. This includes Atari Hitotonari's uniform turning black and [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Waspinator's]] Predacon emblem turning into the Decepticon emblem.
* PaletteSwap: With his Seekers (Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Dirge, and Thrust, plus various miscellaneous generics and {{Canon Immigrant}}s).
* PersonOfMassDestruction: He was temporarily one in the Marvel comic. After absorbing the cosmic power of the Underbase, he went on an infamous rampage where he destroyed dozens of Autobots and Decepticons before his power caused himself to blow up. [[BackFromTheDead He got better later on.]]
* PetTheDog: In the UK comics, he got reawakened at the time of Christmas Eve, and a kid tried to teach him the meaning of Christmas. Starscream was so homesick and depressed he couldn't even bring himself to crush a kid, so he reluctantly went along with him. Once he saved the van full of seniors, but he admitted [[JerkWithAHeartOfJerk he did that only to mock Streetwise who tried to blast him and expected him trying to harm people]]. However, despite that, he ''sincerely wished a Merry Christmas to a kid'' before departing on his own.
* PutOnABus: Despite his usual prominence in the franchise, in the Marvel comics he was imprisoned in the Ark following a disastrous battle with Omega Supreme. While he was released over twenty or so issues later, the UK comic let him out much earlier, during their "Target: 2006" storyline.
* RageAgainstTheMentor: Some of Starscream's recent characterizations have this.
* RefuseToRescueTheDisliked: Even when not plotting Megatron's demise himself, he's frequently eager to [[IWarnedYou gloat at his failures]] and watch him fall to the Autobots. Reconstructed in "Divide And Conquer" where he uses [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou Megatron's protectiveness of his rivalry with Optimus against him]]. He ''does'' fetch Megatron out of there eventually, but only after enjoying watching a juiced up Optimus finish trashing his leader, considering this Decepticon loss quite WorthIt.
-->'''Starscream:''' ''*smirks*'' Such a pity.
* RedOnesGoFaster: Has a significant amount of red detailing, and is one of the fastest Decepticons.
* SmugSnake: Starscream believes himself to be smarter, deadlier, and handsomer than the rest of the Decepticons, when this is repeatedly shown to be inferior to several of his teammates much less his boss. No matter how many times he fails his ego is too bloated to realize this. He has frequently been portrayed as more interested in being Decepticon leader for the sake of the title than defeating the Autobots. Unsurprisingly, [[HatedByAll most of the Decepticons hate him.]]
* SnarkToSnarkCombat: Very frequently in the cartoon, he and Megatron exchange insults and criticise the other's lack of strategy; often arguing like a bitter married couple.
* TheStarscream: He constantly schemes to overthrow Megatron as leader of the Decepticons, [[TropeNamer though this really goes without saying...]]
* TerribleTrio: Part of the Seeker trio with Skywarp and Thundercracker. He also forms one with Megatron and Soundwave.
* TheyKilledKennyAgain: After getting destroyed the first time in the cartoon, he can barely keep a host or rebuilt body for a short time before getting blown up again.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: In the IDW comics, after being elected as the leader of a neutral faction.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: Cartoon Starscream used to be chums with Jetfire, back before the war. They have a falling out after meeting up again on Earth.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Soundwave (サウンドウェーブ ''saundowēbu'')]]
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soundwave_9682.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Communications
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Micro-Cassette Recorder
->''"Cries and screams are music to my ears."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Issei Masamune (JP)

One of Megatron's most loyal followers, a communications officer who can deploy small cassette robots.
----
* AdaptationalBadass: Same deal as Megatron in the IDW comics, but in this case, his other alt-modes are based on armored cars.
* AdaptationalHeroism: The IDW comic's version of Soundwave is easily the most sympathetic among all of his incarnations; his [[DarkAndTroubledPast backstory]] is quite [[HomelessPigeonPerson tragic]] [[spoiler: and while he continues to self-identify as a Decepticon, post-''All Hail Optimus'' [[HeelFaceTurn he has renounced the faction's aims of conquest and become an ally of Optimus Prime and the Autobots.]]]]
* AdaptationPersonalityChange: His famous depiction in the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers Sunbow cartoon]] as Megatron's [[TheCreon loyal right-hand-man]] was an example of this; Bob Budiansky's original bio for Soundwave described him as an unscrupulous opportunist in it only for himself. This is a rare example where the changed personality has supplanted the original; in most subsequent iterations of ''G1'' and other ''Transformers'' incarnations, Soundwave's personality is almost always in line with the Sunbow version.
* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: He enjoys music, even calling the alien music from "Carnage in C-Minor" heaven.
* AllThereInTheManual: Soundwave's bio depicts him a telepathic robot who keeps notes on all of his fellow Decepticons for blackmail, and everyone hates him for this. Neither of these were used prominently his comic and cartoon portrayal (though the blackmail element ended up finally showing up during "Earthforce").
* BackFromTheDead: In ''[[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters The Headmasters]]'', he's rebuilt into Soundblaster following a battle with Blaster, in which both combatants died.
* BenevolentBoss: Soundwave is rather respectful towards his cassettes, and are about the only thing that he shows protectiveness and admiration of, though how much he displays this varies from adaptation to adaptation. They, in turn, hold Soundwave in high regard and are happy to come to his aid.
* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: He's going to dig up any dirt you have on you and use it. This is chiefly used in the UK Marvel comics during the "Earthforce" series.
* BodyHorror: In ''Regeneration One'', he and the majority of his cassettes are absorbed by the Shadow Leeches, turning them into a warped fusion of themselves.
* TheBore: In TheMovie, The Constructicons accuse him of being this, claiming that "No one would follow an uncharismatic bore like you".
* BreakoutCharacter: Soundwave's toy was incredibly popular in both North America and Japan and remained in production long after the other original ''Transformers'' line up had been discontinued. This meant that Soundwave was one of the few characters to survive both the original cartoon and the Marvel comic unscathed. He's well-remembered from the cartoon for being Megatron's most loyal and competent underling (alongside Shockwave), and for his cassettes being interesting characters in their own right, which in turn makes Soundwave more interesting.
* BrokenPedestal: IDW Soundwave did ''not'' appreciate Megatron betraying his ideals and [[HeelFaceTurn going over to the Autobots]]... [[spoiler:until ''All Hail Optimus''.]]
* CatchPhrase:
** "[Mini-Cassette], eject! Operation: [action]!"
** "[[UndyingLoyalty As you command, Megatron.]]"
* CoDragons: Across continuities, he's usually this with Starscream and/or Shockwave.
* CommunicationsOfficer: This is his official function in the Decepticon army.
* TheCreon: Unlike most of Megatron's [[TheDragon lieutenants]], Soundwave is content with his position and has no desire to lead the Decepticons himself... [[DependingOnTheWriter usually.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: In the IDW continuity, he was originally a HomelessPigeonPerson who suffered from SensoryOverload, not knowing where he came from or even what his name was. Ravage, Buzzsaw and Laserbeak happen upon him, and Ravage's advice helps him to control his mind-reading through focus. After that, he lives with them on the streets, and they remain loyal to each other, even coming with him when he was employed by the Senate and later when he joined the Decepticons.
* DecompositeCharacter: In Dreamwave comics and ''WebAnimation/TransformersWarForCybertron'' animated series, Soundwave and Soundblaster are two different entities, with the latter being [[CloningBlues the clone]] of the former.
* DependingOnTheArtist:
** While Soundwave's original toy has a yellow visor (which carried over to the Marvel comics), the cartoon opted to give him a red one, in line with all Autobots (the "good guys") having blue "eyes", and all Decepticons (the "bad guys") having red. Various toys and other incarnations have switched between the two at various points.
** In the Marvel comics, Soundwave was consistently colored purple (evidently based on an early animation model), and Sarra Mossoff used the same coloring in the ''Generation 2'' series. In the UK comics, though, he was consistently colored blue. ''Regeneration One'' depicts him as blue, [[spoiler:but this is later shown to be an in-universe change as a result of being possessed by the Dark Matrix entity]].
** In some issues, José Delbo would draw Soundwave with an actual face. Previous and later artists would depict him with his more well-known faceplate.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Soundwave is usually Megatron's most loyal supporter, however, certain sources, like the UK "Earthforce" story and his original Tech Specs, write him as an unscrupulous conman in it only for himself. His use of blackmail varies from continuity as well. In the IDW comics he's usually a complete loyalist, however sometimes he's written as an opportunist. His speech patterns also tend to vary, from normal to stilted and robotic.
* TheDragon: He's Megatron's most faithful and competent subordinate. And every time a new BigBad surfaces in the Marvel comics, Soundwave keeps his Dragon status.
** DragonAscendant: In the UK exclusive future timeline depicted in ''The Space Pirates'' and ''Time Wars'', he has become leader of what's left of the Decepticons. His leadership style is essentially a mixture of what he considers to be the best qualities of his old bosses.
* DroneDeployer: He keeps an army of Mini-Cassettes inside his chest, which he sends out for espionage and battle purposes.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: His cassettes (barring Ratbat in the IDW continuity) and Megatron. As he puts it:
--> '''Soundwave:''' You do not understand '''LOYALTY!'''
* EvilLaugh: Very rarely, he does this in the cartoon. It's rather unsettling when he does it.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Cartoon Soundwave has Frank Welker doing his best Doctor Claw voice, with vocoder work on top of it to give it a deep echo.
* EvilVirtues: [[UndyingLoyalty Loyalty]].
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler: In the IDW continuity, he eventually becomes an ally of Optimus Prime's Autobots. Despite this, he never stops self-identifying as a Decepticon, intending to remake the faction into one that fights for freedom rather than conquest, as Megatron originally intended.]]
* HomelessPigeonPerson: His backstory in the IDW continuity explains why he is called "Soundwave".
* InexplicablyAwesome: In the comics, Soundwave survives everything (being poisoned, the Underbase, ''Unicron'') with nary a scratch, becoming the ''only'' Decepticon to last all the way through the entire series, despite lacking any particular gimmick.
** Note also that the Underbase saga had Soundwave very definitely fried... yet he was up and around later, with no explanation for how. Apparently, Soundwave's just too ''badass'' to die.
* KilledOffForReal: At the end of [=ReGeneration=] One. He got assimilated by the Dark Swarm after his defeat against Blaster.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: Soundwave's main weapon is a concussion blaster (one that transforms into a battery, no less!).
* LaserGuidedKarma: His Tech Specs note that because of his opportunistic blackmailing nature, he's a target of retaliation for fellow Decepticons.
* LosingYourHead: His ''Titans Return'' toy gives him a Titan Master named Soundblaster (not to be confused with his rebuilt black form) who turns into his head.
* LovesTheSoundOfScreaming: According to his toy bio quote (quoted at the top).
* LoyalToThePosition: Of Decepticon leader.
* MachineMonotone: His cartoon depiction has this, as well as a vocoder effect applied to it. Comic depictions made after the cartoon tend to write his dialogue this way, too.
* MakeMeWannaShout: OK, so he doesn't do it by actually ''shouting'', but he does possess sonic powers.
* NoMouth: Mostly, see DependingOnTheArtist. Though it is implied he does have a mouth, since the cartoon makes his mouthplate move as if a mouth were underneath, plus his IDW backstory depicts him with a regular mouth before he is hired by the Senate.
* NotSoStoic: Though he gives off the impression of an emotionless robot in the cartoon, he does have moments of emotion (see ScreamsLikeALittleGirl and EvilLaugh). Also in ''Child's Play'', he tried to ''play baseball'' with Skywarp, while in ''Microbots'' he gets as drunk off his ass from Energon with the other Decepticons.
* OperationBlank: Soundwave would seem to use this trope, except his speech patterns meant he was simply issuing orders to his Casseticons.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: He didn't lift a finger to save Megatron when Starscream had him ThrownOutTheAirlock in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''. Especially after he just risked his neck to save Megatron in the first place. Apparently, this is the result of editing; a DeletedScene would've clarified that his subsequent bid for leadership was just so that [[UndyingLoyalty he could force Astrotrain to go back for Megatron]].
** In the "Kids Stuff" audio books, he's depicted as a whiny, simpering toady who lacks his traditional RoboSpeak.
* PaintItBlack: As Soundblaster, most of him is recolored black.
* PetTheDog: One time Soundwave released all his Cassetticons to watch a duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron. When Ravage sat next to him, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments Soundwave gave him a few pets on the head like Ravage was his pet cat]].
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: He and Shockwave are brothers in ''ComicBook/TransformersVsGIJoe''.
* TheReliableOne: In the G1 cartoon and most of his depictions, Soundwave is one of the most competent Decepticons around, and which is an undeniable factor in why Megatron treats him well and has an VillainousFriendship with him.
* TheRival:
** With Blaster, both being sound-based transformers, they even once had a duel that resulted in them ''both'' dying.
** In the cartoon he would often fight Brawn for whatever reason.
* RoboSpeak: Though he doesn't ''always'' talk robotically in the cartoon, his iconic catchphrases do fall under this.
--> "Soundwave superior, Constucticons inferior."
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Believe it or not - he screams in the cartoon episode, "Roll for It", after being sent flying.
* SizeShifter: Transforms into a microcassette player able to be held by humans. Even more bizarre in the cartoon, [[http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/3/37/Soundwave_shrinks.gif in which we see him quickly shrink in size after transforming]].
* TheSpymaster: He sends his little minions out to spy on the Autobots... and his fellow Decepticons.
* TactfulTranslation: In "Atlantis, Arise!" Soundwave translates what Nergal ''really'' said to his troops--instead of taking Wheeljack to the dungeons as Nergal told Megatron, he's to be taken to the labs to develop weapons against both Autobot AND Decepticon alike.
* {{Telepathy}}: Though an often forgotten power of his, Soundwave can read minds by monitoring electrical brain impulses.
* UndyingLoyalty: Unlike his CoDragons Starscream and Shockwave, Soundwave is consistently depicted as utterly loyal to Megatron.
** In the original screenplay of the movie its shown that he opposed Starscream's decision to throw the mortally-wounded Megatron off Astrotrain, and fought for Decepticon leadership just so he can force Astrotrain to go back for him. This was ExecutiveMeddling, unfortunately, cut to "save screentime" and in the final film, Soundwave is even shown among the Decepticons agreeing with Starscream on throwing Megatron to his death. Maybe Megatron recorded over Soundwave's favorite mixtape before hand?
* VillainousFriendship:
** Type I with Megatron. There is a reason why Megatron begged for ''his'' help when mortally-wounded, as he is the only ''being'', much less Decepticon, he could trust. Thankfully, this love is fully returned even when his leader became Galvatron, as in ''[[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters The Headmasters]]'', he brought him back to life as Soundblaster after he died fighting Blaster.
** Some continuities also have him have a Type I friendship with his cassettes, most prominently his backstory in the IDW comics.
* YesMan: To Megatron, but an unquestionably cool example.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mini-Cassettes/Spy Cassettes/Recordicons/Cassetticons (Cassettron (カセットロン ''kasettoron''))]]
Soundwave's personal soldiers. They all have an alt mode of a micro-cassette and are stored in Soundwave's chest until deployment.
----
* DependingOnTheWriter: How sentient the animal cassettes are varies by continuity. They either act like normal animals [[TalkingAnimal or are intelligent and can speak]].
* UndyingLoyalty: In the original cartoon they are all fiercely loyal to both Soundwave and Megatron.

!!Buzzsaw (バズソー ''bazusō'')
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buzzsaw_2047.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Spy
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Micro-Cassette
->''"My bite is worse than my bark."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Chris Latta (EN/JP)

An egoistic, condor-like 'con who works as Soundwave's main bot for spying and enjoys making art out of his victims.
-----
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: His beak, quoth his Tech Specs, is diamond-hard and can carve up almost any opponent.
* BreakTheHaughty: His ego is not the hardest thing in the world to break.
* BrutalBirdOfPrey: Evil robotic condor.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: His appearances in the cartoon weren't frequent to begin with (see below for why), but Season 3 forgot all about him.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's civil and sophisticated, but also cruel and destructive.
* FeatheredFiend: Even though he doesn't have any feathers, this bird is still not friendly.
* {{Improv}}: He isn't good at it.
* KilledOffForReal: In the Marvel Comics, thanks to an Underbase-powered Starscream.
* MadArtist: Buzzsaw's idea of art is to display his victim's corpses in grotesque ways.
* PaletteSwap: He and Laserbeak are these to each other.
* ParrotPetPosition: In the Marvel Comics, he was perching on Shockwave's shoulder when the latter was Decepticon leader.
* PutOnABus: In issue 25 of the Marvel comics, he's one of many 1984 Decepticons who were destroyed and imprisoned in the Ark. It wasn't until many issues later that he was rescued.
* OutOfFocus: Despite having the "Spy" function and being packaged with Soundwave, most tie-in media (mainly the cartoon) ignored him in favour of Laserbeak (obstensively because so long as Soundwave was advertised, so was Buzzsaw, so he didn't need to appear as much). Somewhat averted in the comics, where he got roughly equal time with Laserbeak up until Buzzsaw was among Omega Supreme's victims, but even Laserbeak fell out of focus after that, despite escaping that battle intact.
* SizeShifter: Goes from a normal sized bird to a microcassette (or a regular cassette in the cartoon).
* SmallNameBigEgo: To the point where he'll sulk if things don't go his way.
* StationaryWings: His wings are often still, with jet engines doing the flying for him.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Taken to ridiculous levels when in the Marvel Comics he takes down ''[[HumongousMecha Omega Supreme]]'', though it does serve as a measure of revenge for his [[CurbStompBattle earlier defeat]].
* VileVulture: Like we said earlier: Evil. Robotic. Condor.
* TheUnintelligible: [[DependingOnTheWriter Sometimes]].

!!Laserbeak (Condor (コンドル ''kondoru''))
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laserbeak_5424.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Interrogation
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Micro-Cassette
->''"The only point I like in Autobots: Melting point."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Chris Latta (EN/JP)

Another condor-like 'con whom Soundwave usually deploys for interrogation and the occasional espionage. He is cunning but will flee at the first sign of danger.
-----
* BrutalBirdOfPrey: Like his friend Buzzsaw.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: He survived the Great Toy Purge that was ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', but, save for a brief cameo in "Webworld," never appeared again, his spot in the cartoon and toyline taken by fellow Mini-Cassette Ratbat.
* CompositeCharacter: In the cartoon, Laserbeak took up Buzzsaw's role as the Decepticons' spy since use of Buzzsaw was rarely encouraged (as a result, Laserbeak's less family-friendly role of "Interrogator" was ignored).
* DirtyCoward: The main reason for his tactic of quickly attacking and quickly disappearing. He even shows hesitation in the episode, "Divide and Conquer", after being told to spy on the Autobots, specifically to report on a severely wounded Optimus Prime's condition. He does end up doing it though.
-->'''Skywarp:''' I think Laserbeak's chicken!
-->'''Megatron:''' He will have more to fear if he refuses to obey me!
* FeatheredFiend: Just without the actual feathers.
* KilledOffForReal:
** In the Marvel comics, due to an Underbase-powered Starscream.
** In the IDW comics he's killed by the legions of Unicron.
* LighterAndSofter: The cartoon version (and subsequently most other adaptations) is not the back-stabbing, [[MutilationInterrogation brutal]] interrogator assassin he's depicted as in his original Tech Specs. Rather, he's merely a spy.
* MutilationInterrogation: Is described as using his lasers to carve into prisoners until he gets what he wants to know.
* ParrotPetPosition: He sits on the shoulder of Soundwave or anyone who is the Decepticon leader at that time. Most noticeable in the comics. A joke on Wiki/TFWikiDotNet tells, "Autobots pass the Matrix, Decepticons pass the Laserbeak". This is usually due to his cowardice -- should the helm change, his loyalty to the previous leader will almost instantly disappear.
* PowerCrystal: His Tech Specs say his lasers are powered by ruby crystals. Running short of them can be enough to panic his systems into shutdown.
* ProfessionalKiller: He is often used as an assassin.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: Primarily red and black.
* SizeShifter: Goes from a normal sized bird to a microcassette (or a regular cassette in the cartoon).
* StationaryWings: Like Buzzsaw, Laserbeak's wings don't flap like real bird wings.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: In some episodes he's easily defeated. In, "A Prime Problem", he effortlessly manhandles Optimus Prime and Starscream.
* VileVulture: Same as Buzzsaw.
* TheUnintelligible: Speaks with bird noises in the cartoon.

!!Ravage (Jagar (ジャガー ''jagā''))
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ravageofficialart_6770.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Saboteur
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Micro-Cassette
->''"Today's Autobots are tomorrow's scrap metal."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Yutaka Shimaka & Creator/FrankWelker (JP)

The Decepticons' spy and saboteur and one of the Mini-Cassettes. Despite being a beast robot, Ravage is one of Megatron's most loyal Decepticons, though he is aloof towards all others.
-----
* AscendedExtra: Of all the Mini-Cassettes, Ravage is the most prominent, with an increased role in the Marvel comics, a reappearance in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' and ''Kiss Players'' as a Predacon, and a member of the Lost Light crew in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye''.
* BlindedByTheLight: Ravage doesn't take too kindly to bright light.
* CatsAreMean: A loyal Decepticon cat who turns his nose up to his comrades. You better believe he's mean. Notable exceptions are Soundwave and Megatron.
* CoolPlane: In addition to a Spy Tablet (in lieu of the outdated Mini-Cassette), his ''Titans Return'' toy has a jet mode.
* DisneyVillainDeath: Zig-zagged in the Marvel comics. During a fight with the Autobot Skids, Ravage fell down a mine shaft, and was presumed dead. He wouldn't resurface until nearly fifty issues later, as a member of Shockwave's rebel Decepticon faction (though he returned much sooner in the UK comics).
* FaceHeelTurn: In the Japanese G1 continuity, Ravage had actually been an Autobot Imperial Guard, before he became a Decepticon.
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: IDW Ravage is torn in half by Tarn in issue 54 of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye''. [[spoiler:He manages to survive this, but eventually succumbs and dies.]]
* IWorkAlone: He operates best alone, and he's not shy about letting the other Decepticons know it.
* LastOfHisKind: One of the few remaining Decepticons in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', while by the end of ''Regeneration One'' he's not only one of the last 'Cons, he's the last known surviving Decepticon Mini-Cassette.
* TheNoseKnows: As a cat, he's got a good sense of smell. Useful for tracking down targets.
* PantheraAwesome: His robot mode is panther-like.
* SizeShifter: Goes from being a normal sized jaguar to a microcassette (or a regular cassette in the cartoon).
* StealthExpert: He has an electromagnetic emission shield, walks without making a single sound and disappears in low light/shadow.
* TheStrategist: He's good at concocting newer, deadlier strategies.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: He can fight evenly with Autobots or be knocked away by humans.
* TookALevelInBadass: He gets reformatted into a Predacon in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'', giving him a humanoid form.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Megatron. In fact, Ravage was his first recruit in the UK Marvel Comics. His loyalty persists in ''Beast Wars'', centuries later; when he realises BW Megatron is actually following one of his namesake's plans, Ravage frees him, and turns against the Maximals.
* TheUnintelligible: As with Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, whether he can speak or not all depends on who holds the pen. While he's this in the cartoon, he did speak once, in "More Than Meets The Eye Part 3".
-->'''Ravage:''' The rocket base is one hundred and forty kilometers due west of the Autobot camp.
** The above instance may have been facilitated by Soundwave, as Ravage was being "played back" while inside Soundwave's chest cavity.
* VillainousFriendship: Ravage is touted as one of Megatron's most loyal and faithful Decepticons. This is most obvious in the UK Marvel story, "Head Games", and in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' (though by then Megatron is an Autobot). To some degree, this also applies to Soundwave and his fellow Decepticon Mini-Cassettes.

!!Rumble (ランブル ''ranburu'') and Frenzy (フレンジー ''furenjī'')
||align=left
|| https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rumbleofficialart_4217.jpg || https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/frenzy_1132.jpg ||
|| Rumble || Frenzy ||
!!!'''Function:''' Demolitions (Rumble), Warrior (Frenzy)
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' Micro-Cassette
->'''Rumble:''' ''"Destroy what's below and what's above will follow."''
->'''Frenzy:''' ''"Sow panic and surrender will bloom."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (both, US), Ken Shiroyama, Creator/KatsumiSuzuki and Ken Yamaguchi (Rumble, JP), Creator/KeiichiNanba and Creator/{{Cho}} (Frenzy, JP)

Two 'cons who look identical except for their colour schemes. They often enter the frontlines to engage the Autobots. Rumble can make tremors with his piledrivers while Frenzy can disorient his foes with his sonic screeches.
----
* AdaptationDyeJob: Rumble is red/black and Frenzy is blue, [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/FIRRIB or it is backwards?]] At one point, due to a limited palette, they were ''both'' blue in the Marvel comics. And at one point in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', they were both red/black![[labelnote:*]]The production bible for the cartoon specifies Rumble as a "red robot", as does a FreezeFrameBonus in "Heavy Metal War" when Teletraan 1 shows some specs of Decepticons, indicating an error happened somewhere in production, suggesting the change in character colors was the fault of the staff at Creator/ToeiAnimation and stuck with the writers going forward. The Japanese version corrects this by reversing their names.[[/labelnote]]
* AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: Frenzy's sonic abilities were never used (or even mentioned) in the Sunbow cartoon. Instead, he had piledrivers like Rumble... which themselves were an invention of the cartoon, with Rumble's Tech Specs saying that his earthquakes are caused by transmitting low-frequency groundwaves.
* AxCrazy: Frenzy, as his name implies, has a few screws loose and is a battle-hungry warrior. His Tech Specs note that his manic attacks can be countered with cool logic.
* BashBrothers: The two fight Autobots well together, though whether or not they really are brothers depends on continuity.
* BattleCry: Frenzy uses his sonic powers as one.
* BloodKnight: To quote his Tech Specs, if Frenzy needed to breathe, war would be his oxygen.
* BoisterousWeakling: Neither one is physically very powerful, but this doesn't stop them from picking fights with larger opponents.
* BrownNote: Frenzy's sonic screeches disrupts electrical flows in other Transformers, causing malfunctions and imbalances. Humans don't fare much better, since they can reach 200[=dB=], ''over twice the human eardrums' threshold''.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Like Laserbeak, the two stopped appearing around Season 3 of the cartoon. The Marvel comics also had it out for them - though they're freed from the Ark after over twenty issues, they're never seen in any major capacity, not even getting killed in the Underbase Saga![[labelnote:*]]Frenzy did get a better deal in the UK comics, where he was freed earlier, but he too sort of faded away until ''Generation 2''.[[/labelnote]]
* DependingOnTheWriter: Rumble can create earthquakes and Frenzy has sonic screeches. Or can both create earthquakes?
* TheDividual: Rumble and Frenzy are incredibly similar and are often characterized together. In the cartoon they even had the same power-set. Though often Rumble ends up appearing more often.
* DubNameChange: In the Japanese dub of the cartoon, Rumble became Frenzy and Frenzy became Rumble. The fact the cartoon swapped the colors of the characters (making Rumble blue and Frenzy red) probably had something to do with it.
* EarthquakesCauseFissures: Rumble's earthquakes sometimes make fissures.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Cons team up with the Subatlanteans in the episode "Atlantis, Arise!" When their King Nergill tries to detonate his kingdom with the Autobots and Decepticons still onboard when the battle goes south, Rumble says he's insane and brings the ceiling down on him.
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: At least four unnamed look-alikes of Rumble and Frenzy turn up in ''More than Meets the Eye, Part 2''. No explanation is given and they were never re-used.
* LongRangeFighter: The duo are effectively this -- their physical strength is pathetic due to their size, and an enemy close enough to them has more or less won, but Rumble's earthquakes and Frenzy's sonic screeches make getting near them a difficult task. In addition, their Tech Specs give them a Firepower rating of 9.
* LoudOfWar: Frenzy uses sonic abilities that can create a high-pitch sound of an instantly-deafening ''200 decibels''.
* MakeMeWannaShout: Frenzy uses his sonic powers as a "battle cry", creating high-pitched screeches that physically harm opponents.
* MeaningfulName:
** Rumble makes earthquakes.
** The IDW comics (mostly ''All Hail Megatron'') have Frenzy as TheBerserker. His powers occasionally drive him mad.
* NerdInEvilsHelmet: Frenzy. Or rather, the other Decepticons ''see'' him this way:
-->'''Skywarp:''' Geek work's made for a geek! Like ''you''!
* PintsizedPowerhouse: While their physical strength is impeded by their size, their earthquake and sonic powers make them formidable opponents and difficult to approach.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: One of the two is colored red and black. Whether they're Rumble or Frenzy differs, but you can bet that whoever it is, they're a Decepticon through and through.
* SingleMindedTwins: They both are punks with a knack for destruction.
* SizeShifter: They are normally no taller than Soundwave's hips. They transform into microcassettes.
* TankGoodness: Rumble's ''Titans Return'' toy gives him an extra tank mode (presumably, this is larger than his alternate Spy Tablet mode).
* ThisIsADrill: The IDW continuities both give Frenzy a pair of drill arms parallelling Rumble's pile driver arms.
* UndyingLoyalty:
** To Megatron. In TheMovie, when Soundwave retrieves a fallen Megatron from the battle, Rumble is seen carrying his leader's precious Fusion Cannon.
** To Soundwave, no doubt.
--> '''Rumble:''' Hey, nobody calls Soundwave "un-cruzimatic!"\\
'''Frenzy:''' Yeah, let's kick tailgate!
* YesMan: Rumble is one of Megatron's more loyal Decepticons, and he eagerly follows his orders. Demonstrated in the cartoon's pilot, where he calmly reasons to Starscream that trying to overthrow someone as powerful and competent as Megatron just isn't worth the hassle.
-->'''Starscream:''' Everyone has a weakness.\\
'''Rumble:''' Yeah? Well, not Megatron.
* YourSizeMayVary: While the cartoon consistently depicted the two as being smaller than Soundwave, other G1 media tended to depict the pair as being just as tall as him. ''How'' small they are also varies; sometimes they're as tall as human adults, other times they're slightly or significantly larger.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Reflector/Refraktor (リフレクター ''rifurekutā'')]]
||align=left
|| https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reflector-1_5568.jpg || https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reflector-2_6559.jpg || https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reflector-3_6929.jpg ||
|| Viewfinder || Spyglass || Spectro ||
!!!'''Function:''' Reconnaissance
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Camera
->''"See and you can know, know and you can destroy."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Chris Latta & Ken Samson[[labelnote:*]]"Transport to Oblivion" only[[/labelnote]] (EN), Yoku Shioya & Creator/KeiichiNanba (JP)

A trio of Decepticons who transform into a camera. They specialise in spying on their surroundings and enemies and blackmailing everyone.
-----
* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: Is said to watch his fellow Decepticons and learn their secrets. He's impressed by his ability at this.
* BlameGame: Spectro blames others when something goes wrong.
* BlindedByTheLight: He can generate a bright flash to blind his enemies.
* CombiningMecha: Of a sort - instead of three robots becoming one large one, they combine into a single small camera.
* CompositeCharacter: The version of Reflector that becomes ''Thrilling 30'' Skrapnel's gun is one guy named Reflector, which uses the orginal Viewfinder design.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Rarely if ever featured after Season One, he was only used in Season One of the cartoon to boost the Decepticon ranks. He was banned from usage in the comics and from the cartoon once the second wave of Transformers started showing up on the show.[[labelnote:Why?]]This is because [[MerchandiseDriven his toy wasn't sold at retail - instead being given away as a mail-in order in 1986]]. Interestingly, the episode "Heavy Metal War" had Teletraan I show various Decepticons with their toy's respective product number - Reflector included. [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Talk:Reflector_%28G1%29 He was planned for retail at one point, but was deemed to be "too boring" in both modes for it to be successful there]]. In Japan, though, he was a general-retail item.[[/labelnote]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: While Reflector's toy depicts the three robots with distinct designs, various fiction (including the cartoon) opts for a composite design, using the humanoid look of Spectro and Spyglass while using Viewfinder's color scheme (as well as his lens apeture on the "main" robot).
* DependingOnTheWriter: Reflector's character is somewhat nebulous - while he's three separate robots collectively known as Reflector, the cartoon instead interpreted him as one single robot who could create copies of himself. In addition, his Tech Specs only described Reflector as a single entity, wth no mention of his components' personalities.
* TheDividual: While the toy bio gives each a different personality they are almost always characterized as a single minded trio of individuals.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim:
** In the Marvel comics, Reflector's sole appearance consisted of a single panel showing Spectro, Viewfinder and Spyglass among several poisoned Decepticons.
** IDW Viewfinder literally has a bridge dropped on him prior to ''Spotlight: Wheelie''.
* FlatCharacter: He had no real personality in the Sunbow cartoon, and Spectro, Spyglass and Viewfinder weren't even given their own bios until years later.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: In the IDW-verse, Viewfinder is impaled by a shard of glass prior to the story's events.
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals:
** The cartoon depicted Reflector as three identical robots (with one having a lens aperture in his chest) that slightly resembled Viewfinder, all of which were simply named "Reflector", rather than the toy's individualy named and designed robots.
** In addition, several Reflectors appeared in various crowd scenes in early episodes. They may or may not be the result of Reflector possessing the ability to [[SelfDuplication produce copies of himself]].
* TheLeader: Viewfinder is the leader of the trio.
* LeaderFormsTheHead: Well, not a ''head'', but Viewfinder forms the lens in camera mode.
* LightEmUp: Both Spyglass and their combined form can use the camera flash to temporarily blind their enemies.
* NeverMyFault: Spectro tries to pin the blame for his screwups on anyone and anything but himself.
* NoNameGiven: In Japan the individual robots do not have names.
* OutOfFocus: Reflector's use in the cartoon was actively discouraged by Season 2, and eventually he ceased appearing in scripts, only making appearances at the animators' discretion. In later years, toys and other incarnations of Reflector are very rare, it wasn't until the WFC Siege line that he was given a proper figure, before then he was an accessory to Megatron and Shrapnel and an expensive Botcon exclusive (retooled from Shockwave's legends figure). Even then the unique designs of the original Reflector toy have never been replicated since the 80s.
* SizeShifter: They're miniature 'Cons whom form a camera that can be held by robots or humans.
* SelfDuplication: Reflector in the Sunbow cartoon could create copies of himself, two of which were almost always accompanying him. Several Reflector-esque Decepticons appear in crowd scenes in "More than Meets the Eye Part 2", as well as a few generics in certain episodes (such as "Divide And Conquer").
* SmugSnake: Viewfinder is smug and self-assured. This comes back to bite him as he is incapable of recognising his own flaws.
* SpeakInUnison: He/they did this in the cartoon.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Due to his name [[ScrewedByTheLawyers not being available as a trademark]], he goes by Refraktor in the most recent media.
* StealingTheCredit: Spectro is quick to take all the credit for any of the trio's successes.
* TerribleTrio: Reflector is made up of one, at least when he's not one robot with SelfDuplication powers.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: The Reflector trio only appeared in the fourth issue of the Marvel comics, amongst a pile of poisoned Decepticons.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Skywarp (スカイワープ ''sukaiwāpu'')]]
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/skywarp_4248.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
->''"Strike when the enemy isn't looking."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Creator/MasashiEbara (JP)

A mischievous, dimwitted Decepticon Seeker with the power of warping himself to other locations around him.
-----
* AdaptationalBadass: Most variants are generally treated as a dim-witted henchman with a useful power but the 2019 version was one of the top soldiers of [[GreaterScopeVillain Exarchon]] and is viewed as a mysteriously dangerous foe by the other characters.
* ArcVillain: Of the Bumblebee miniseries in the 2005 IDW comics. He tried to gather up all sorts of weapons for Megatron's return, and gained a device to disable the Earth Autobots.
* BroughtDownToNormal: After his IDW self suffered from a destabilizing body thanks to an injury interfering with his teleportation powers, the Earth Defense Command restored his form at the cost of his powers. He's not too happy with that.
* CoolPlane: An F-15 Eagle, to be exact. The early IDW comics updated him to the more modern F-22.
* DumbMuscle: Easily one of the stupidest Decepticons. The only time Skywarp actually becomes a credible opponent for the Autobots is when a more intelligent Decepticon, like Megatron or Starscream, is present to supervise his teleportational shenanigans.
-->'''Skywarp:''' [[IWillShowYouX I'll show you dumb]], Starscream!\\
'''Starscream:''' [[InsultBackfire You always do]].
* TheGenericGuy: Of the Seekers; compared to [[TheStarscream Starscream]] and [[AntiVillain Thundercracker]], his [[DumbMuscle characterization]] is a little thin.
* HomingProjectile: Skywarp can fire heat-seeking missiles.
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Four unnamed Seekers in variations of Skywarp's colors turn up in ''More than Meets the Eye, Part 2''.
* InformedFlaw: While he's meant to be a DumbMuscle, Skywarp's Tech Specs were accidentally switched with Starscream's (which has a high Intelligence rating), thus making his stupidity seem odd (one rerelease of his toy even rewrote his bio to HandWave the discrepancy).
* {{Jerkass}}: Skywarp loves to play cruel pranks on his fellow Decepticons.
* KilledOffForReal:
** A powered up Starscream bumps him off in the Marvel comics.
** To a lesser extent, he's this in the cartoon, as despite being reformatted as either Cyclonus or... someone else (it's weird), Cyclonus shows little to no acknowledgement towards having ever been anyone but himself.
* MonsterProgenitor: The backstory of the 2019 comic revealed he was cloned by Shockwave in an attempt to replicate his teleportation ability, it failed but the clones (known as Skywarp drones) were useful as an army for Exarchon. This also prompted the creation of the sapient seeker clones (implied to be derived from him as well) [[SendInTheClones to combat them]] which is the origin for the seeker Decepticons like Starscream and Sunstorm.
* MoreDakka: Skywarp uses variable-calibre machine guns in combat.
* OutOfFocus: Despite having numerous redecos of Starscream toys homaging him, Skywarp has rarely made appearances in media (especially television) -- and when he does, he's more of a crowd-filling {{mook}} than a character with a strong personality. Even his most notable appearance to date, the IDW comics, took a while to make him stand out.
* PaletteSwap: Like Thundercracker, he's one for Starscream. Personality-wise, however, the three Seekers are drastically different.
* ThePrankster: He prefers to use his teleportation powers for this, and often on his fellow Decepticons as well.
* ReformedButNotTamed: While he may be a Joe in ''ComicBook/GIJoe2016'', he's still a Decepticon and therefore not above extreme measures. In addition, he's only around humans because he wants his teleportation abilities repaired.
* SpannerInTheWorks: During "Dark Cybertron", Skywarp loses control of his teleportation due to an injury he sustained from Arcee. This ultimately proved fortunate as once Metalhawk and Waspinator discover [[BigBad Shockwave's]] plans, he luckily appeared long enough to teleport the two (and knowledge of what they had seen) back to the city.
* TheRedBaron: [[spoiler: The 2019 incarnation calls himself the "Lord of Misrule"]].
* {{Teleportation}}: The ''only'' Decepticon with the built-in ability to teleport. While one might think this would make Skywarp a crafty and dangerous adversary, in truth the Seeker is far too dimwitted to employ his unique talents for anything more than pulling childish pranks, [[MemeticMutation like pushing his comrades down a flight of stairs]].
* TerribleTrio: A Seeker alongside Starscream and Thundercracker.
* TokenEvilTeammate: He winds up becoming one to ''ComicBook/GIJoe2016'', of all people, in the ComicBook/HasbroComicUniverse.
* UndyingLoyalty: The first thing he does upon being revived in the cartoon's pilot is ensure Megatron is the next Decepticon who gets revived. Later, in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', he becomes Galvatron's unswervingly loyal and dedicated [[TheDragon dragon]], Cyclonus. Or possibly not. It's weird.
* VillainTeleportation: Skywarp, as his name implies, has the ability to teleport. Subverted in that it's only really effective when someone like Megatron or Starscream tells him how to use it -- he's a complete idiot otherwise.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thundercracker (サンダークラッカー ''sandākurakkā'')]]
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thundercracker_4105.jpg
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
->''"The deadliest weapon is terror."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/JohnStephenson & Wally Burr (EN), Yuu Shimaka (JP)

A Decepticon Seeker who can fly at extremely fast speeds and cause deafening, disorienting sonic booms but is rather doubtful of the Decepticon cause.
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: The first IDW's take on Thundercracker is depicted as a Decepticon TokenGoodTeammate who firmly believes in the ''original'' Decepticonism and has no problems hanging around with the Earthlings.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Thundercracker's doubts over the Decepticon cause are all but absent in the Sunbow cartoon, with most episodes depicting him more as a simple goon that obeys Megatron without question.
* AscendedExtra: Typically a background player, he has a much larger role in the IDW continuity, which is also the first time that his AntiVillain traits were used to full effect.
* AntiVillain: He's uncertain if he really believes in Megatron's cause. Or in the attacking and killing of humans.
* BlueIsHeroic: Downplayed due to him still being a Decepticon, but he's the blue Seeker and the one with the most AntiVillain traits.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The IDW continuity eventually makes him a TV-loving doofus (who is still a dangerous killing machine, just one that loves watching trashy TV). This even applies in his appearance in ''Transformers Vs. Terminator'' (probably not incidentally co-written by John Barber, who is responsible for said personality in the first place).
* CoolPlane: Just like his fellow Seekers, it's an F-15 Eagle.
* HalfheartedHenchman: He's not convinced that the Decepticons' goal of conquest is right, even though he remains on their side.
* HeelFaceTurn: In the IDW continuity, Thundercracker finally abandons the Decepticons to live peacefully on Earth [[spoiler:before eventually joining the Autobots full-time]].
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: Six unnamed seekers in variations of Thundercracker's colors turn up in ''More than Meets the Eye, Part 2''.
* {{Jerkass}}: He may not be fully committed to evil, but don't let that make you think he won't sneer at you. "Fire on the Mountain" even has him get lippy with ''Megatron''.
-->'''Thundercracker:''' What’s the matter, fearless leader? You and Starscream look real geeky!
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Despite his elitist/abrasive qualities, he's arguably the only member of the Nemesis crew with truly redeeming qualities. This is especially true for his more sympathetic incarnations.
* KillItWithFire: His primary weapons fire ceramic bullets containing a highly flammable substance, which break open on contact and set the target ablaze.
* KilledOffForReal:
** Yet another victim of the Underbase powered Starscream in the Marvel comics.
** To an extent he's also this in the cartoon, as Scourge (who Unicron reformats Thundercracker into) doesn't acknowledge him being anyone other than Scourge.
* LoudOfWar: His sonic booms can collapse structures and blow up enemy jets.
* NobleDemon: Has traits of this, especially in the IDW 'verse where he doesn't find joy in human slaughter unlike his allies.
* PaletteSwap: For Starscream.
* PeerPressureMakesYouEvil: The only reason Thundercracker is still a Decepticon is because Starscream and the others have to repeatedly convince him he's where he belongs.
* PlayingWithFire: Thundercracker uses incendiary guns as a weapon. The cartoon occasionally depicted these as straight-up flamethrowers.
* StraightMan: Sometimes, like in "Countdown to Extinction", after Megatron and Starscream go missing, he's the one trying to get everyone to focus on fixing their base, and has to intervene when Skywarp gets into a fight with Rumble and Frenzy. Humorously Soundwave showed signs of TheStarscream by insulting Thundercracker's tentative command.
* TerribleTrio: With Starscream and Skywarp as the Seekers.
[[/folder]]

!!1984/85 Decepticons

[[folder:Shockwave (Laserwave (レーザーウェーブ ''rēzāwēbu''))]]
!!!'''Function:''' Military Operations Commander
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Cybertronian Laser Gun
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shockwave_8271.jpg
->''"Clarity of thought before rashness of action."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/CoreyBurton (EN), Yuu Shimaka (JP)
A Decepticon as cold and logical as you could expect from a machine. Shockwave is Megatron's rival and another Decepticon [[TheStarscream who plots his control over the Decepticons]]. With intellect and power possibly matching even that of Megatron, Shockwave may have his day yet.
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* AdaptationalBadass: Every adaptation tends to ramp his danger levels up just that little bit more. In the IDW continuity, he's a [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] and a manipulative mastermind, [[spoiler:who is responsible for damn near everything that happens there]].
-->'''Jetfire:''' His plans tend to be bad for everyone.\\
'''Aileron:''' Bad's a vague word, Jetfire. I mean, Pyra thinks Optimus is doing bad, but Starscream—\\
'''Jetfire:''' Shockwave once attempted to collapse all of space and time to a point—to not only destroy the universe, but to cause there to have never been one.\\
'''Aileron:''' Oh, you mean ''[[KnightOfCerebus bad]]''. Got it.
* AdaptationalHeroism:
** Simon Furman's follow up to the old Marvel comics in ''Regeneration One'' had Shockwave ultimately pull a HeelFaceTurn and become a peaceful ambassador for Cybertron.
** His IDW incarnation ZigZagged this. He's given a very sympathetic backstory as one of the only decent senators in a corrupt Senate, up until ''Shadowplay'' turned him into the amoral servant to logic he is. As such, Shockwave was given a number of humanizing moments showing that he was once a fairly kind and empathetic bot before the compassion was deleted out of him. However after the procedure Shockwave proceeds to commit his most extreme acts of villainy in the franchise, killing an untold amount of people for his own pursuit of science and destabalizing countless civilizations. Shockwave himself believes that he was EvilAllAlong and the procedure simply freed him but whether that's true or simply more proof that the Shadowplay has permanently changed him is ambiguous.
--->'''Shockwave:''' At the center of everything lies an infinite darkness. When I was young, I fought this. But then, Orion... I realized I must ''become'' it.
* AdaptationalWimp: In contrast to his Marvel counterpart, Shockwave in the cartoon was neither particularly powerful nor intelligent, standing out little from the other Decepticons in this regard. He was also far less ambitious, being a loyal servant of Megatron rather than a self-serving WildCard.
* AliensOfLondon: He was meant to sound similar to Creator/DavidWarner of ''Film/{{Tron}}'' according to Corey Burton, Shockwave's VA (who would ironically go on to voice Sark in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' using his Shockwave voice).
* AndIMustScream: In ''Regeneration One'', Megatron incorporated him into the Ark's systems, forcing him to dedicate himself to coming up with battle strategies to repel attackers.
* ArmCannon: His left arm has a gun in place of a hand.
* ArchEnemy: Grimlock often sees him as one, though Shockwave, being the creature of logic that he is, generally doesn't care, making it more of a one-sided vendetta.
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: The robotically stoic Shockwave was gifted a robotically stoic face -- it bares a single, large optic that can barely emote, if ever.
* {{BFG}}: His alt-mode is a Cybertronian ray gun. Functionally, it's quite a bit different from Megatron's gun mode. Shockwave doesn't [[SizeShifter change size]] when he transforms into this mode, and he remains completely autonomous, able to freely hover in the air and fire without anyone operating him. However, should the need arise, the gun mode is the perfect size for a combiner to wield, as Bruticus does in "The Revenge of Bruticus."
* BadBoss: While not abusive like Megatron or Galvatron, his troops do harbor some fear of becoming guinea pigs in his latest experiments, and he is also not above executing those who fail him.
-->'''Shockwave:''' All life is equal. [[ColdEquation I merely assign it a quantifiable value]]—zero.
* BeamSpam: Being one-handed, when Shockwave fights, he generally relies on the firepower of his arm-cannon. More often than not, however, it's all he needs, it was powerful enough to cripple [[HumongousMecha Fortress Maximus]]. Video game adaptations where Shockwave is a boss will usually take this UpToEleven.
* BigBad:
** Of the first chunk of the Marvel comics; he's in command of the Decepticons for longer stretches than Megatron and more competent in the role to boot.
** Of the second Dreamwave Mini-Series, ''War & Peace''.
** Of ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersDarkCybertron Dark Cybertron]]''. [[spoiler: The revelation in ''Optimus Prime'' that Onyx Prime was actually a time-displaced Post-''Dark Cybertron'' Shockwave, who orchestrated almost the entirety of Cybertronian history, arguably makes him this for the IDW continuity as a whole, as almost every event that transpires in the continuity can ultimately be traced back to Shockwave's actions.]]
* TheBlank: His face consists of ''nothing'' beyond his eye. In the IDW comics he originally had a normal face, but after angering Cybertron's corrupt leadership, he was arrested by Sentinel Prime and forced to undergo empurata to symbolize his status as an outcast.
* TheChessmaster: His IDW self enacts a plan millions of years old that would effectively make him a god. [[spoiler:And when that fails, he gets sent back in time and enacts ''pretty much the entire IDW saga''.]]
-->'''Shockwave:''' The strong will survive, Orion Pax. And we shall build a new Cybertron on Earth. Our tainted past will finally be put behind us, and a new future stands ready for the taking. A Last Empire, if you will.\\
'''Optimus Prime:''' [[YoureInsane You're mad]].
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: In the Sunbow cartoon, he totally disappeared after ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''. While he was supposed to have been killed by Unicron, this scene was never actually animated, leaving his status by the movie's end questionable.
* CoDragons: Usually with Starscream and Soundwave, being on the same level of importance as them.
* CyberCyclops: Shockwave's face is nothing but a single yellow eye.
* DeathByAdaptation:
** ''ComicBook/TransformersGIJoe'' has him die from overexerting himself and Cobra Commander refusing to allow Megatron to use the Matrix to restore him.
** He perishes in an explosion at the end of ''[[ComicBook/GIJoeVsTheTransformers G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II]]''.
** While his intended death scene was cut from ''The Transformers: The Movie'', it did make it to IDW's comic adaptation ''Transformers: The Animated Movie''.
* DependingOnTheWriter: While he was originally a cold and logical commander [[TheStarscream seeking to usurp Megatron]], the Sunbow cartoon made him a loyal follower of Megatron. These days, however, you're likely to see the former depiction over the latter.
-->'''Starscream:''' For the longest time, it seemed like he and Soundwave were in a running competition to win the "Most Obsequious Decepticon" award, fawning over Megatron's every order, oozing loyalty like a bad Energon leak, and stopping any attempt to replace him as leader. But now I see what should've been obvious the whole time: Shockwave is run by logic, pure and simple.
* TheDragon: With a Rank of 9 and the function of Military Operations Commander, Shockwave is among Megatron's most important Decepticons.
* DragonAscendant: In the Marvel comics, having driven Megatron "[[SubvertedTrope to]] [[NotQuiteDead suicide]]".
* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler:By the end of ''Dark Cybertron'', Shockwave's emotions and morality return, and, horrified by what he has become, allows Optimus Prime and Megatron to kill him. However, it's revealed much later that he survived... and sadly didn't become a better person.]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: He showed up in the first episode of the cartoon, well over a year before his toy was released.
* EmotionsVsStoicism: While his logical approach to battle makes him dangerous, he is often confounded by emotional thinking and initiative.
* EquippableAlly: His ''Combiner Wars'' toy can be held by a Combiner figure, with the packaging associating him with Bruticus.
* EvilutionaryBiologist: Dreamwave Shockwave, who tinkered with Triple-Changers, creating the Duocons and Sixshot, and used Vector Sigma to make the Micromasters, for reasons that were never adequately clear.
* EvilCounterpart: He can be seen as the Decepticon equivalent of Prowl, with both being high-ranking and logic-driven tacticians. The IDW incarnations take it a step further, with both of them having tendencies to work outside their respective factions for the "greater good", [[spoiler: and the comparison only becomes more obvious when Prowl [[EyepatchOfPower loses an eye]] and gains an ArmCannon.]]
* EvilGenius: Shockwave has an Intelligence rating of 10, and is often depicted as being a scientist responsible for many of the Decepticons' weapons (such as the space bridge and even combiners).
* ExactWords: In the Sunbow cartoon, Shockwave swore to a departing Megatron that Cybertron will be as he had left it. Four million years later, Cybertron remained essentially unchanged, with no technological advancements made.
* FantasticRacism: Comic Shockwave's first impression of humanity: We're weak, [[HumansAreMorons stupid]] (his words), and illogical. The inferior of Decepticons in every way.
* {{Flight}}: He has rockets in his legs that allow him to fly in either his robot or gun modes.
* ForScience: Despite the specialty listed on his packaging, he is the Decepticons' resident Science Officer in most media. He created combiner technology in the Marvel comic, Triple Changer technology in the Dreamwave comic, and the Achilles virus and [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars the Maximals]] in the IDW comic.
* GeniusBruiser: He has strength and firepower equivalent to his intellect, and can even take on Megatron himself in a fight.
* GreaterScopeVillain:
** In the Dreamwave Continuity, pretty much everything that happens beyond "The War Within" series is his fault.
** [[spoiler: UpToEleven in the IDW continuity; his time as Onyx Prime means he's ultimately responsible for ''the entirety of Cybertronian history'', and thus basically every major event that takes place in the continuity, including ones orchestrated by his past (though chronologically future) self.]]
--->'''Shockwave:''' [[spoiler: I was always pulling strings. I gave Orion the capacity to carry a Matrix. I made him into Optimus Prime. He was the one who changed... when he stopped viewing my actions as just.]]
* GodhoodSeeker: Shockwave's plan in ''Dark Cybertron'' amounts to "ascend to godhood".
* HyperactiveMetabolism: Shockwave consumes fuel at a high rate, though he can usually work around this liability by using the radioactive materials in his torso reactor.
* ILoveNuclearPower: Shockwave's Tech Specs note that he can be powered with nuclear energy, which helps his high fuel usage. In addition, his laser gun mode can fire lethal beams of any energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, up to and including gamma rays.
* ItsPersonal: Subverted in the IDW comics. When he gets stuck in stasis for several million years, he's woken up and put on an ExplosiveLeash by the humans to stop all other Transformers. He attacks Grimlock out of revenge, and even fights his way through Scorponok to get it, but he spares Scorponok because he has no real reason to fight him. When he finally gets to Grimlock, they brawl, until Shockwave gives up the fight (when he gets the upper hand), because it was all just a distraction to have Soundwave deactivate the leash. He says he has no real quarrel with Grimlock and that he doesn't care about the stasis thing. Grimlock chooses to blow them both up with a grenade instead of letting him walk away.
* JokerImmunity: In the comics. The Marvel comics had him survive being entombed (an avalanche caused by the Dinobots, and later Optimus Prime knocking him into a quicksand pit) and nearly burning up in Earth's atmosphere after his flight systems were disabled in a space battle with Fortress Maximus. A UK exclusive story set in the future had him KilledOffForReal after his troops sold him out to ComicBook/DeathsHead, but it is implied that his present day self, [[TemporalMutability armed with the knowledge of his future murder, might be able to prevent it]].
* KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:His IDW-self, having gone millennia into the past after ''Dark Cybertron'', kills a shepard named Onyx and impersonates him, becoming the Onyx Prime of legend.]]
* LaserGuidedKarma:
** Shockwave spends the whole of the Marvel comics betraying other Decepticons and acting on his own agenda to be in charge. Then, at the finale of the series, he runs into Megatron ''and'' Galvatron, who've just decided to work together.
** He also crippled Josie Beller, causing her descent into violent obsession and transformation into Circuit Breaker. During the second Decepticon Civil War, she finally spots him, and unleashes everything she has. Cue a blasted Shockwave dropping out of the sky.
** In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersUnicron'', his long-range scheming comes back to bite him hard, as his followers betray him, and he is only saved when Prowl and Stardrive arrive to arrest him.
* LogicalWeakness: Literally; his dependence on logic means that more intuitive opponents can run rings around him.
* LosingYourHead: In the ''Classics'' continuity (a continuation of the Marvel US comics), Megatron removed his physical body and reduced him to [[AndIMustScream mere head put on storage]] to prevent any further usurpations. Occasionally, he converses with Shockwave's head when his intelligence is needed, but otherwise, he keeps him locked away.
* MadScientist: He’s usually portrayed as this to the Decepticons.
* MarkOfShame: In the IDW comics, this is the source of his "flashlight head" appearance. After opposing the corrupt policies of Senator Proteus, Proteus forces Shockwave to undergo a mutilation ritual where his face and one of his hands are forcibly amputated. This placed Shockwave at the bottom of the [[FantasticCasteSystem Cybertronian Caste System]], until the Decepticons abolished it.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: His ''Siege'' Leader Class toy gives him a four-armed SuperMode.
* NothingPersonal: Shockwave's actions are never personal, just logical to their best outcome. When The Dinobots attack him out of a personal grudge, he struggles to comprehend why they would follow him so far through space, and waste so many resources over wounded pride.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Shockwave is a cold, emotionless killing machine. When [[TranquilFury he does show emotion]]... ''run''. Shows up early in the Marvel UK comics. Buster manages to cause Shockwave to freak out, and it is terrifying to behold.
** Later on in the Marvel comic, when Unicron starts trashing Cybertron, the magnitude of this threat means that even a creature of logic like Shockwave is telling his fellow Transformers ThisIsGonnaSuck.
--->'''Shockwave:''' Hypothesis? I--I have NO hypothesis. [[UpToEleven This is beyond analysis, beyond logic]]. My vast data grid simply cannot compute. However, I believe I can give an accurate probability projection: [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt I am 100% certain that Cybertron, and every Transformer on it, is doomed!]]
* PurpleIsPowerful: Shockwave, who is mostly portrayed as both physically and intellectually powerful, is predominantly Decepticon purple. His original Japanese "Astro Magnum" template was gray, but, like ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk before him, he was changed to a color that animators and illustrators would have an easier time working with.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:In the IDW-verse, the Shadowplay punishment inflicted on him millions of years prior to "Dark Cybertron" is broken as his old, emotional persona returns. However, the only way the universe can be saved from his actions is to destroy him (as the chronal drive is inextricably bound to him and therefore cannot be detatched. Sadly, although he survived, he ends up engineering the entirety of Cybertron's past as a "test model".]]
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: He and Soundwave are brothers in ''ComicBook/TransformersVsGIJoe''.
* SanitySlippage: UK comics Shockwave, thanks to Cyclonus telling him Cyc and Scourge will help Death's Head kill him, and inadvertently allowing Megatron and Galvatron to team up. Whoops. Touched on in the US comics, when Mindwipe wonders if his plummet to Earth knocked a few screws loose.
* SelfDuplication: Shockwave's cartoon bio mentions an ability to create duplicates of himself, but this never appeared in the show itself. He does, however, use it in ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation''.
* SixthRanger: His ''Combiner Wars'' toy associates him with the Combaticons as [[EquippableAlly a weapon Bruticus can hold]]. This is in reference to how Bruticus briefly wielded him as a {{BFG}} during the Generation 1 cartoon. When the Combaticons' toys are redecoed in their Generation 2 colors in a boxset, Shockwave is also included with them with a new color scheme based on that of his Action Master figure.
* TheSpock: He claims that logic is the only master he serves, and takes a brutally scientific approach to warfare. Fittingly enough, he was written to be an evil version of Spock himself. In one instance, he secedes leadership back to Megatron when he points out that Shockwave has in fact screwed up.
* TheStarscream: Excluding his cartoon depiction, Shockwave is always scheming to overthrow the current Decepticon leader, regularly challenging both Megatron and Scorponok in the Marvel comic. However, unlike the glory-hound Starscream, he does so simply because he believes he's the more logical choice (and in stories where [[KlingonPromotion he succeeds]], he proves that he's not far off).
-->'''Shockwave:''' Megatron will brand me a rogue, a traitor, but such considerations are moot. In the war I envision, one of dislocation and attrition, ''resources'' will become paramount.
* TheStoic: [[spoiler:Though the IDW comics show that originally, he was the complete ''opposite'' of a stoic.]]
* TimeAbyss: [[spoiler:Thanks to time travel shenanigans, IDW Shockwave is one of, if not the oldest living Transformer in existence.]]
-->'''Shockwave:''' Those who claim living well is the best revenge have never explored the benefits of time travel.
* TragicMonster: In the IDW continuity. [[spoiler:Originally one of the only decent Senators in a corrupt government, Shockwave was an outspoken, emotional, friendly guy. Then his emotions were forcefully removed, turning him into an emotionless husk, and his face and hands were taken away and replaced with a blank mask and claws for no reason other than spite. This had the side effect of freeing him from morality, allowing him to choose the most logical path to saving Cybertron... culminating in his GodhoodSeeker plan that would be activated in "Dark Cybertron".]]
-->'''Shockwave:''' There is a finite amount of everything. Even identities. [[BecomingTheMask And I am no longer sure which version of myself was the real one]].\\
'''Prowl:''' [[KirkSummation They]] ''[[KirkSummation all]]'' [[KirkSummation were, Shockwave. All that was done to you, all that you did to yourself... all that you did to others. We are our actions... not our hopes]].
* TraumaButton: In the Marvel UK storyline "Robot Buster", Buster Witwicky managed to temporarily blind Shockwave by throwing sand in his optic. The blindness reminds Shockwave of the millions of years he spent trapped under a pile of rocks following his battle with the Dinobots (and more recently, his submersion in a swamp after Optimus Prime defeated him), with nothing but darkness to keep him company. Shockwave completely ''[[NotSoStoic loses it]]'', and spends the rest of the story angrily attempting to kill Buster.
* UndyingLoyalty: Shockwave has total obedience towards logic and/or Cybertron. In the cartoon, he unusually had this towards Megatron (he apparently kept trying to contact him for ''four million years!'').
* UnexplainedRecovery: In the Marvel Comics run, he was knocked out of orbit and back towards Earth, with Shockwave himself noting that it was "only logical" that he would burn up on re-entry. This didn't stop him from returning just over twenty issues later, none the worst for wear.
* UngratefulBastard: In the Dreamwave comics, Scourge saves him from a pack of wild Sharkticons and immediately tries to warn him about the bad future he comes from. Shockwave returns the favor by shooting him and turning him into a lab rat.
* UnstoppableRage: In the IDW comics, the Dinobots attack him because he destroyed a cargo cruiser they were guarding. Shockwave is mystified at the fact that the Dinobots commandeered a spaceship, took energon and went on a perilous cruise across the cosmos after Shockwave just for revenge at this (minor in the grand scheme of things) offense to their pride. He simply stops trying to think and gets really angry. CurbStompBattle ensues.
* VerbalTic: Declarative: Comic Shockwave eventually gained a tendency to preface statements with an explanation of what they were.
* WhatIsThisFeeling: During ''Regeneration One'', Shockwave saves Starscream from Jhiaxus' forces, despite there being no logical reason for him to do so. To his surprise, Shockwave realizes that he is developing a sense of true camaraderie for Starscream.
* WildCard: He has no problem going behind the other Decepticons' backs or usurping Megatron. Some versions will even work with Autobots, if it's deemed logical enough.
* YouHaveFailedMe: While Megatron would ([[DependingOnTheWriter usually]]) just beat the tar out of anyone who failed him, Shockwave was less forgiving. He would issue a polite warning for the first failure; if you screwed up again, you would face termination unless you could (logically) convince him you were a resource worth maintaining. Even Megatron found himself on the receiving end of this; though he managed to turn the tables.
-->'''Shockwave:''' [[AnyLastWords I will now allow you a few moments to beg for your life before I execute you for gross incompetence.]]\\
'''Megatron:''' Beg? It is you who should beg me, Shockwave -- for ''my'' forgiveness! [[{{Hypocrite}} If I am to be faulted for running into a trap, consider this -- you sat here and watched as a trap sprang up around you!]] Yes, Shockwave -- for is the Ark's apparent vulnerability was but a distraction from the true situation at Autobot base, then the Autobot raid here could be no less! Surely, the raid here had an ulterior goal! I can't say what it was, but I'm certain the Autobots achieved it, and I'm even more certain it is of great importance to them! As of Decepticons lost today -- [[WeHaveReserves they mean nothing! They can be replaced!]] But at least the Autobots now know they can never have a moment's rest as long as we are here to strike at them at any time!\\
'''Shockwave:''' [[SincerityMode Your argument is sound.]] I ''have'' failed...[[DragonAscendant and you have succeeded, Commander.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: In the Marvel comics to ''Megatron.''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Astrotrain (アストロトレイン ''asutorotorein'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Military Transport
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' JNR Class [=D51=] Steam Locomotive; Space Shuttle Orbiter
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/astrotrain_7073.jpg
->''"In confusion there is opportunity."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Jack Angel (EN), Takurō Kitagawa (JP)
A Decepticon who often serves as transport for other Decepticons. He is a Triple Changer - a Transformer with three alternate modes rather than the standard two. He specialises in creating confusion amongst his enemies, and he relishes in their fear and panic.
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* BigBadWannabe: In the Sunbow cartoon. His idea of leading the Decepticons was to create an army of drone trains to collect Energon, which could seem a good idea at first, but their A.I.s were too primitive for creative thinking. Contrast with Blitzwing, whose plan seemed dumb at first but ended being better and more successful.
-->'''Thrust:''' Astrotrain couldn't lead rats to a garbage can.
* BiggerOnTheInside: As a space shuttle. Taken to ridiculous lengths in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersTheMovie'', where not only can he fit in the entire Decepticon army, but there's also enough space for freaking '''Devastator''' to move around in!
* ConfusionFu: He loves to sow confusion and panic against enemies, and when you have three forms at your disposal, you can probably screw with someone effectively.
* CoolStarship: He turns into a space shuttle, and one that seemingly has [[BiggerOnTheInside TARDIS technology]].
* CoolTrain: If outdated. Some modern toys have him become a bullet train instead.
* DisintegratorRay: His weapon of choice is an ionic displacer rifle, which breaks apart a target's molecular bonds.
* TheDragon: In the IDW comics, he replaces Starscream as the second-in-command of the Earthbound Decepticon Infiltration Unit. The fact that Soundwave and Shockwave were MIA at the time probably helped him get there.
* GodGuise: In "The God Gambit", he conned an alien tribe into worshiping him.
* JustTrainWrong: His train mode has no tender. His ''War for Cybertron: Earthrise'' figure finally amends this, giving him a tender that can also become a launchpad for his shuttle form, and a mini-armory to hold his robot mode's weapons.
* KilledOffForReal:
** He's one of the '''many''' victims of a power-mad Starscream in the Marvel comics, though some of the different continuations have him survive or come back from it.
** In the IDW series, [[spoiler:he gets hacked to bits by Arcee after Galvatron ditches him]].
* LosingYourHead: His ''Titans Return'' toy has his head transform into a Titan Master named Darkmoon.
* MeaningfulName: He transforms into an '''astro'''ship and into a '''train'''.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: One of his focus episodes, "The God Gambit", has him ordering Starscream around and making rather grandiose speeches, a far cry from his usual role as a put-upon spacebus. It's believed his role and dialogue in that episode were intended for Megatron, of all people.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Astrotrain never received a proper introduction during the original cartoon's second season; he was presented as if he had always been with them on Earth.
* SizeShifter: Stands shoulder to shoulder to Starscream in robot form; can transform into a space shuttle that can ''fit the entire Decepticon army, even [[HumongousMecha Devastator]]'' in his hull.
* TheStarscream: He tried to be this in the cartoon episode "Triple Takeover". It... didn't exactly work out for him.
* SteamNeverDies: Transforms into a JNR Class C62 steam locomotive. He does get with the times with newer toys, where he's often a bullet train instead.
* VillainousValor: In the cartoon, he was brave enough to take on bigger, stronger opponents, such as Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: A quirkier, more nasally example than most, but Astrotrain has a much louder reverb than the other Decepticons.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Blitzwing (ブリッツウイング ''burittsuuingu'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Ground and Air Commando
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' Soviet [=MiG-25=] Fighter Jet; Japanese Type-74 Assault Tank
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blitzwing_8626.jpg
->''"Destroy first, think later."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Ed Gilbert (EN), Creator/KeiichiNanba (main, Season 2), Creator/KenyuHoriuchi ("Triple Takeover"), Yutaka Shimaka ("Cosmic Rust" and "Prime Target"), Creator/MasashiEbara (Season 3 and ''The Movie'') & Ken Yamaguchi (''Headmasters'') (JP)
Another Triple Changer, able to turn into a tank and a jet. Blitzwing is loud-mouthed, obnoxious, and has a cruel sense of humor only Skywarp could appreciate, but he can transform between his two modes fairly quickly, making him one of the most dangerous Decepticons... provided he doesn't get stuck mid-transformation.
-----
* AbortedArc: After the opening five-parter of the cartoon's third season, he's exiled from the Decepticons and refuses to join the Autobots... but is later seen in some crowd shots with other Decepticons. Is this an oversight on the part of the producers? Or was the whole idea of his exile just quietly dropped? Maybe Galvatron just forgave him for some reason. Who knows. It's [[WildMassGuessing possible]] the arc was going to continue in the episode, "Starscream's Ghost", but his role was taken by Octane to promote the new character.
* AchievementsInIgnorance: In "Triple Takeover," Blitzwing mistakes football practice for battle simulations (he's not ''that'' far off) and kidnaps the coach to aid in defending against the Autobots. The thing is, it works a lot better than anyone would have thought, as it takes the Decepticons fighting amongst themselves[[note]]Specifically, a five-way battle royale between Megatron, Starscream, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, and Devastator for Decepticon leadership.[[/note]] for the Autobots to escape.
* AntiVillain: In "Five Faces of Darkness", it is shown that he cares for the survival of the entire Transformers race over Decepticon victory, and is willing to work with Autobots to prevent their mutual extinction at the hands of the Quintessons. Even after he is exiled by Galvatron for allying with Rodimus and betraying the Decepticons, he graciously refuses Rodimus' offer to join the Autobots and quietly accepts his punishment, such is his loyalty to his own brothers.
* AtopAMountainOfCorpses: In "Triple Takeover", he defeated several Autobots and made a throne from their bodies during his brief reign as the Decepticon Leader. The Autobots were later rescued and repaired.
* TheBrute: Most versions. The Dreamwave version prominently, who during a supposed attempt to get the Autobots to stand down peacefully interrupts Ultra Magnus and tells Optimus if he doesn't surrender, Blitzwing will level a nearby city.
* CoolPlane: He turns into a jet as one of his alt-modes.
* DemotedToExtra: In many continuities where he isn't as important as the main cast, he falls into this. This is pretty noticeable in the IDW comics, where he's introduced in the very first arc, and he has numerous appearances, fights and dialogue in the series, but like Astrotrain, he never really takes center stage, compared to his teammates (The Seekers) and Megatron. [[note]] The Battlechargers were also introduced in the arc, [[spoiler:but they later died]].[[/note]]
* TheDragon: In the Dreamwave continuity, he's Shockwave's top thug. Toward the end of the run, he's fallen from grace, with the implication Sixshot is Shockwave's new favorite.
* ElementalPowers: In ''Transformers: Devastation'', Blitzwing gains the elemental powers of his ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' counterpart, dropping [[AnIcePerson freezing bombs]] in jet mode and [[PlayingWithFire wreathing himself in fire]] in tank mode.
* KilledOffForReal: Dreamwave and the original Marvel Comic.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Once Galvatron has shown himself gullible enough to fall for the Quintessons' "Decepticon Matrix of Leadership" ploy and unwilling to listen to Blitzwing's warnings, Blitzwing knows the Quintessons' are the TRUE enemy the Transformers should be fighting that one time instead of each other. And takes his lumps and leaves the Decepticons after the Quintessons' defeat.
* LosingYourHead: Sometimes he's partnered up with a Titan Master named Hazard, who forms his head.
* MysteriousPast: In the cartoon's "Five Faces of Darkness" five-parter, it's hinted that Blitzwing had somehow met [[AbusivePrecursors the Quintessons]] before. Though the cartoon itself never followed up on this, Japanese media decades later would.
* OrcusOnHisThrone: In "Triple Takeover", he simply sits on a throne while the Autobots [[ItMakesSenseInContext try to make their way through his fortified football stadium]]. [[VictoryByEndurance They're so worn out when they get through that he beats them easily]].
* RememberTheNewGuy: Like many Season Two characters, Blitzwing was introduced without much fanfare or explanation. He even succumbs to Cybertonium depletion alongside the Season One cast (who had been inactive on Earth for four million years), suggesting that he was always there, but never seen.
* SensoryAbuse: His gyro-inhibiter rifle disrupts his opponents' sense of balance.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: A weakness he has is that he occasionally gets stuck while transforming between his three different modes.
* SizeShifter: His jet mode can fit the entire Stunticon team.
* TheStarscream: On occasion. The original cartoon even gives him a chance at claim Decepticon leadership... but it doesn't end well
* TankGoodness: One of his altmodes is a tank.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: Japanese media claims that Blitzwing was once one of many Quintesson tank drones known as "Overcharges", until he was convinced to forge his own destiny (by his own future self).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Constructicons (Buildron (ビルドロン ''birudoron''))]]
A group of Decepticons who transform into construction vehicles and serve as the Decepticons' engineers. They are frequently portrayed as the first combiner team and combine into Devastator.
----
* DependingOnTheWriter:
** The cartoon went in and out with the Constructicons' loyalty. In some episodes they were loyal and enthusiastic followers of Megatron, in others they were perfectly willing to usurp his position. [[MultipleChoicePast Don't even ask about their origins]].
** Who actually leads the Constructicons? While Scrapper is often depicted as their leader, Hook is sometimes their leader too, and even Mixmaster showed some authority once. Then you have the suggestion that there is no leader, and that all of them are on equal standing.[[note]]Scrapper is their Chief Engineer, which is not necessarily the same thing as a Captain.[[/note]]
* TheEngineer: All of them serve as the Decepticons' go-to base/weapon developers.
* FaceHeelTurn: Cartoon Megatron reprogrammed them into Decepticons and gave them the ability to combine. [[MultipleChoicePast Possibly]].
* MultipleChoicePast: The Sunbow cartoon gave the team three wildly different and contradictory origins. Were they built on Earth? Are they Autobots reprogrammed by Megatron? Are they the Decepticons that built Megatron in the first place? Fun Publications stated all three are canon in ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'': Hook had to align the Constructicons with the Decepticons to get needed materials but seven Constructicons got fed up with the arrangement. These seven went underground and built Megatron to help them seize power (Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4). However, Megatron decided he wanted power for himself and used the Robo-Smasher to reprogram the Constructicons (The Secret of Omega Supreme). Finally, the Constructicons were heavily damaged in an ambush and rebuilt on Earth with Hook being demoted to second-in-command while Scrapper was made leader but Megatron didn't bother to change the way the team combined (Heavy Metal War).
* PaperThinDisguise: ...yeah, guys, great disguise, no-one will bat an eye at construction vehicles painted ''bright green and purple''. At least a European rerelease had them painted a more realistic yellow.
* TheRival: To several different Autobot factions and characters throughout the franchise.
** The original rivalry was between the Dinobots and the Constructicons, both amongst the first specialized teams within the opposing factions. The Dinobots were the Autobot's powerhouses while Devastator was the Decepticon's original superweapon. Numerous continuities pit them against each other.
** The cartoon also created the rivalry between Devastator and Omega Supreme. The two were both factions' first massive characters, dwarfing their contemporaries and as such, they would typically fight one another on a more even playing field. Their backstories even intertwined with the Constructicons creating the Crystal City and Omega guarding it. While most other combiners had a designated rival combiner (Bruticus vs. Defensor, Superion vs. Menasor, Abominus vs. Computron) Devastator was paired off with Omega.
** Devastator would also sometimes play as the evil counterpart to Superion as they were the first combiners for their respective factions. The rivalry wasn't presented much in the cartoon (which was more likely to pair Superion with Menasor), but future stories capitalized on the dynamic.
** The on-package bio for Raiden, a ''[[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters Headmasters]]'' anime original Autobot combiner, states that he dislikes Devastator. This is likely a nod to both combiners having a shared origin in the ''Diaclone'' toyline before their figures were ported into the ''Transformers'' franchise. However, in the anime itself, Raiden is seen fighting Predaking far more frequently.
* VillainousValour: Certain episodes such as "The Core" gave the Constructicons blatant showings of camaraderie.

!!!'''Scrapper''' (スクラッパー ''sukurappā'')
!!!'''Function:''' Construction Engineer
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Payloader
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scrapper_2535.jpg
->''"My work is a monument to - and of - my enemies."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelBell (EN); Toshio Ishii (Seasons 2 and 3), Yutaka Shimaka ("Heavy Metal War") & Creator/KeiichiNanba (''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'') (JP)
The Architect of the Constructicons. Scrapper designs the creations his teammates are tasked with building. He forms the right leg of Devastator.
----
* AffablyEvil: Despite being the Decepticons' top fortress designer, Scrapper is surprisingly modest. Doesn't stop him from [[HumanResources using the corpses of Autobots in the construction of said fortresses]].
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Michael Bell gave him a raspy voice in the Sunbow cartoon.
* HumanResources: Scrapper tends to incorporate his enemies' corpses into his buildings.
* KilledOffForReal: In the IDW series, Scrapper is killed sometime after ''ComicBook/TheTransformersAllHailMegatron''. As such, the Constructicons have had a few replacement members (though eventually Scoop ends up being his permanent replacement).
* ThinkNothingOfIt: Scrapper is humble and easygoing about praise for his work. If he wasn't the kind of person to take enemies' corpses and integrate them into his structures, this would actually be a pleasant character trait instead of a terrifying one.

!!!'''Hook''' (Gren (グレン ''guren''))
!!!'''Function:''' Surgical Engineer
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Nissan Diesel Unic Truck Crane
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hookofficialart_486.jpg
->''"Strive for perfection even if others must suffer."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Neil Ross (EN), Yoku Shioya (Seasons 2 and 3), Kōki Kataoka ("Heavy Metal War"), Creator/KeiichiNanba ("Microbots"), Creator/MasashiEbara (''The Movie'') & Creator/MasaharuSato (''Headmasters'') (JP)
The team's craftsman and mechanic, Hook prides himself on his surgical precision, viewing each of his creations as a work of art. He forms the head and shoulders of Devastator.
-----
* InsufferableGenius: Hook is a skilled craftsman, but his snobbish attitude and perfectionism hasn't won him many friends.
* TheMedic: Hook occasionally acts as one, as indicated by his Surgical Engineer function.
* NumberTwo: Is usually portrayed as Scrapper's second-in-command.
* ThePerfectionist: Hook demands that his job be done flawlessly, often leading to construction taking far longer than it should. That he's damn good at said job regardless keeps him around.
!!!'''Mixmaster''' (ミックスマスター ''mikkusumasutā'')
!!!'''Function:''' Material Fabrication
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' [=F12=] Concrete Mixer
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mixmaster_7553.jpg
->''"How strong the steel, how quick the conquest."''
The primary chemist for the Constructicons, Mixmaster is particularly skilled in creating powerful acids and solvents, which can be weaponized should a combat situation arise. He forms the left leg of Devastator.
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (main, Season 2), Creator/MasashiEbara ("Heavy Metal War"), Takurō Kitagawa ("The Core") & Ken Shiroyama (Season 3) (JP)
-----
* EvilGenius: Though all Constructicons have an eye for engineering, Mixmaster is sometimes depicted with a background in science, being a chemist. On account of the group usually being depicted as TheDividual it doesn't come up very often.
* MadScientist: Mixmaster is likened to a chemistry lab on wheels, and he uses a variety of acids and bonding agents to dissolve anything and recombine it into something else with his cement truck mode's drum.
* VerbalTic: "City of Steel" has him repeat certain words (or syllables), three times. While absent for the rest of the series, it has become commonly accepted in other continuities and the fandom.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: While the robot mode of Mixmaster's ''Combiner Wars'' figure remains largely faithful to his G1 depiction, the figure's vehicle mode is instead a more modern front discharge concrete mixer, which dispenses concrete from the front of the vehicle rather than the rear. This is especially notable as the other Constructicons in the set largely retained their G1 vehicle modes. As such, ''Combiner Wars'' Devastator's left foot is formed from the vehicle's ''rear engine'', rather than the cab. The ''Unite Warriors'' version of Devastator, however, includes some additional paint applications to the engine to make it more resemble a truck cab, in service of giving Devastator a more G1 accurate foot.
!!!'''Bonecrusher''' (ボーンクラッシャー ''bōnkurasshā'')
!!!'''Function:''' Demolitions
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Bulldozer
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bonecrusher_8632.jpg
->''"Hit it till it stands no taller than dust."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Neil Ross (main) & Creator/MichaelBell ("The Autobot Run") (EN), Creator/KeiichiNanba (main, Seasons 1 and 2), Creator/ShowHayami ("The Core), Yoku Shioya ("The Autobot Run" and Season 3) & Toshio Ishii (''The Movie'') (JP)
The strongest of the Constructicons, Bonecrusher serves as the team's Demolition specialist. He forms the left arm of Devastator.
-----
* TheBrute: The most physical member of the team, often serving as their primary muscle when they are not combined.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Bonecrusher tends to get buried in rubble while demolishing buildings. He's usually unharmed, but is left stuck until his comrades can dig him out.
* MightyGlacier: Bonecrusher has a Strength rating of 9, but his Speed is at 2.
* OmnicidalManiac: Bonecrusher's idea of a beautiful landscape is a rubble-strewn wasteland. Naturally, Devastator is also this given how his one purpose is to commit total destruction.
!!!'''Long Haul''' (ロングハウル ''ronguhauru'')
!!!'''Function:''' Transport
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Hitachi DH-321 Mining Truck
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/long_haul_5784.jpg
->''"A battle front is only as good as its supply line."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/GreggBerger (EN), Creator/MasashiEbara (main, Seasons 1 and 2), Toshio Ishii ("The Golden Lagoon" and ''Scramble City''), Yutaka Shimaka ("The Core"), Takurō Kitagawa ("The Autobot Run"), Creator/ShowHayami (Season 3) & Ryōichi Tanaka (''Headmasters'') (JP)
The transporter for the Constructicons, Long Haul's raison d'être is to ferry construction materials from one work site to the next. This is to his chagrin, as he would prefer to actually help build something. He forms the torso of Devastator.
-----
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being a genius level engineer in his own right, like the rest of the Constructicons, the Decepticons largely overlook this and consign him to hauling supplies and building materials for their construction projects. Needless to say, Long Haul is hardly pleased with this.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Long Haul is largely known for his unglamorous role hauling construction materials and supplies for the Decepticon. The truckbed of his ''Combiner Wars'' figure has various ports and slots intended to accomodate the kibble that becomes Devastator's forearms, chestplate, and {{BFG}}, meaning that out of the team, he's stuck hauling those bits around in vehicle mode.
* SourSupporter: Long Haul understands the importance of his role as the Constructicons' materials transport, but that doesn't mean he's happy with it.
-->'''Long Haul:''' REMOVE! REMOVE! ALWAYS REMOVE! I didn't join this outfit to be a dump truck!
* YouDontLookLikeYou: Downplayed, but Long Haul's ''Combiner Wars'' toy makes him significantly stockier and chunkier compared to his orginial toy and depictions in the comic and cartoon. Though labelled as a Voyager, said figure has the size and heft to approach Leader class. This is all in service to the fact that as Devastator's lower torso, Long Haul has to provide much of the combined form's stability. Additionally, while his truckbed traditionally forms his legs, it instead ends up on his back on said figure.
!!!'''Scavenger''' (スカベンジャー ''sukabenjā'')
!!!'''Funciton:''' Mining & Salvage
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Power Shovel
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scavenger_4678.jpg
->''"Everything is worth something, even me."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/DonMessick (EN), Takurō Kitagawa (main, Seasons 2 and 3), Yoku Shioya ("Heavy Metal War"), Creator/MasashiEbara ("The Core") & Creator/KeiichiNanba ('"TheMovie'') (JP)
The Mining and Salvage specialist for the Constructicons. Perceived as the team's weakest member, he is eager to prove himself as a worthwhile contributor to their projects. He forms the right arm of Devastator.
-----
* {{Beachcombing}}: Scavenger's shovel has a variety of sensors that can detect metals and fuels. He constantly tries to use this ability to find valuable things in an attempt to prove his worth to the team.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Poor, poor Scavenger. Were it not for his shovel's ability to detect fuel and metal, both Megatron and the Constructicons would've left him in the dust long ago. In Classics on the other hand, he's a lot bigger and is the one who forms Devastator's head and torso!
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Scavenger constantly tries to prove his worth to the team, which only reinforces the poor sap's image as a loser in his teammates' eyes.
* SensorCharacter: Scavenger's shovel has magnetic, ionic, electrical and gas sensors, allowing him to detect underground resources.
!!!'''Devastator''' (Devastor (デバスター ''debasutā''))
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/devastatorofficial_4324.jpg
->''"Thinking and winning do not mix."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Arthur Burghardt (EN); Seizo Kato (series, ''Scramble City'' and ''Headmasters''), Yutaka Shimaka (''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'') & Hirohiko Kakegawa (''Zone'' OVA) (JP)
The combined form of the Constructicons, deployed when the team seeks to destroy rather than create. Though his actions are limited to what all six of his components agree upon, his sheer size and strength make him one of the most feared warriors in the Decepticon ranks.
-----
* AdaptationalBadass: The IDW version of Devastator is treated as a dangerous threat, despite being a [[SuperPrototype combiner prototype]]. In ''Combiner Wars'', it took '''three combiners''' working together to beat him.
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: Devastator's construction theme reinforces the idea of ''building'' a bigger robot quite nicely. This, in turn, helped introduce the concept of combiner teams during the original toyline; Devastator was the franchise's very first combiner figure.
* {{BFG}}: Devastator sometimes has a gun the size of his arm. This would mean the gun is as big as a Transformer. The 2019 IDW continuity gives it an origin as an anti-air cannon Devastator appropriated.
* TheBrute: Devastator is often depicted as the heavy hitter of the Decepticons and one of the most physically powerful Transformers on their side.
* CombiningMecha: The original, and one of the most iconic. He's unique for having a body made of six members instead of five.
* DecompositeCharacter: A late Marvel UK story featured the Constructicons (who had somehow lost the ability to combine) attempting to recreate Devastator as a singular entity.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Devastator's cartoon model had two different head designs - one with two distinct small eyes (seen in "Heavy Metal War") and one with a red visor. The latter seems to have been adopted as the official design. Both interpretations are used in the 2019 IDW run, with the two eyed version representing the Constructicons being in control of the gestalt, while the visor represents Devastator's own personality taking over. The ''Combiner Wars'' figure features the visored face, while the version exclusive to San Diego Comic-Con retools the head to the two eyed version. The [=SDCC=] head was used for the ''Unite Warriors'' version, but given a retool that included a flip down visor, allowing the head to sport both looks.
* TheDreaded: The Movie treats him as the Decepticons' ultimate weapon (due to being produced before Bruticus and Menasor came along), causing Kup (who is usually unfazed by anything) to whisper his name in horror once the Constructicons combine.
* DumbMuscle: Devastator sets the ground-rule in G1 that once Combiners become one, their conflicting personalities WILL make the resulting giant as dumb as a box of rocks, no matter ''how'' smart each individual component may be. Devastator, case in point, is made up of six genius level engineers, only to be a roaring, screaming monster whose mind is severely hampered by the competing thoughts of his components. If they actually agree on a certain plan, however, Devastator gets far more dangerous.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Both his English and Japanese voice actors gave him a deep, metallic voice.
* FlawedPrototype: Devastator is usually the first Decepticon combiner, and the first combiner at all. He also usually has the brains of a particularly stupid lump of rock. Inverted in the IDW comics, which instead portray him as a SuperPrototype.
-->'''Springer:''' You really were first off the production line, weren't you? Six of the sharpest minds on Cybertron, mushed into "[[HulkSpeak Devastator smash]]".\\
'''Top-Spin:''' Hey -\\
'''Whirl:''' - that's progress for you.
* HeelFaceBrainwashing: Underwent an infamous bout of this in the cartoon episode "The Core".
* HumongousMecha: Devastator towers over several Transformers, who themselves are on the large side.
* KilledOffForReal: Devastator is killed (and thus all the surviving Constructicons including Scoop) near the end of the original IDW run, torn apart by Victorion's gravity powers.
* LeaderFormsTheHead: Averted with the Constructicons, the first of the combiners. Scrapper, the leader shovel-dozer of the six warriors, actually forms the ''right leg'' of Devastator, whereas it is actually ''Hook'' the crane who forms the head instead. In the Wings Continuity, he was the leader, but after a defeat, he was demoted, and Scrapper given the position. In Classics on the other hand, due to the way the Constructicons were rebuilt, Scavenger is the one who forms the head and torso.
* MightyGlacier: Since Devastator is limited to actions all his components agree on, he has a slow reaction time. But he brings ''a lot'' of hitting power to the table.
* SizeShifter: Devastator is shown to be several times larger than his components, so this is implied. A few continuities make it an explicit ability of his (and of combiners in general), however.
* SplitPersonalityTakeover: In the 2019 IDW continuity, Devastator is an entirely separate persona from the other Constructicons, and when they combine, he takes over the wheel. At first, the Constructicons are freaked out by this, but with some "advice" from Bombshell, they decide not to fight it.
* SuperPrototype: The IDW comic portrays him as this in comparison to other combiners, hailing from a time before the Enigma of Combination made combiners ridiculously easy to spontaneously create. He is consistently shown as capable of standing toe-to-toe against several other combiners simultaneously.
* ThisIsADrill: The original Constructicon figures came with two drills, which could be used as missiles. These drills are used by Devastator in ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'', albeit as replacements for his hands [[TurnsRed midway into his fight]].
* TheWorfEffect: Hailing from a MerchandiseDriven show like Transformers, the fearsome Devastator would usually be the go-to character to have the newest toy [[CurbStompBattle curb stomp]] to show just how powerful he is.
* YourSizeMayVary: While Devastator is big, ''how'' big he is varies wildly. Then you have his Action Master toy, which depicts him as being the same size as Megatron (did the Constructicons shrink?)!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dirge (ダージ ''dāji'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' Delta Wing F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dirge_8498.jpg
->''"Fear is the element that unites all losers."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Bud Davis (EN), Creator/KeiichiNanba (JP)
A Seeker who forms part of the "Conehead" trio. Dirge is a gloomy and mournful master of fear who puts even other Decepticons off, but if he's lost control of a situation, he succumbs to fear himself. [[TheyKilledKennyAgain He's also prone to dying repeatedly over several continuities]].
-----
* AscendedExtra: Like many minor characters, Dirge was given screen time in the 2005 IDW series. He had a sizable role during the first few arcs of RID before settling in as a recurring background character. It was one of the few times Dirge was characterized as an entity of his own rather than a crowd filling mook.
* BadassBoast: "Death comes to he who crosses me." Ironically, it becomes less badass when one knows Dirge has a nasty habit of dying in many continuities.
* BrownNote: Dirge's engines are able to spark fear and dread in anyone who hears them.
* TheChewToy: In the IDW-verse, lots of bad things happen to him. He's been injured in an explosion, almost executed, mind-controlled, shot, and put on Cybertron's most wanted because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
* CoolPlane: A modified F-15 Eagle that has a delta wing.
* DependingOnTheArtist: As the picture above shows, the original toy of Dirge depicts him as having his nosecone down. The cartoon and most other media, however, depict it pointing upwards instead.
* DirtyCoward: When his ability to sow fear is overcome, he gets scared himself.
* TheDreaded: His morose and silent nature causes people to fear him, but if he finds himself in a situation over which he has no control, [[{{Irony}} Dirge will find himself crippled and paralyzed with terror]].
* TheEeyore: Dirge constantly acts gloomy, morose and mournful, something which gives his fellow Decepticons the creeps.
* PaletteSwap: Like all Seekers, he's a recolored Starscream. However, as part of the Conehead trio, Dirge has a pointy head, formed by leaving the jet mode's nosecone up when transformed. Succeeding toys adopted the Conehead design in different ways. Dirge also has a distinct set of wings -- specifically, delta wings with a front canard -- which he keeps oriented downward when transformed. Notably, he's the only Seeker to lack rear stabilizers of any sort.
* RememberTheNewGuy: As with many Season Two characters, he appeared without comment or an explanation partway through the season (though an early draft of the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' episode "Nemesis Part 2" would have suggested he and his fellow Coneheads were on Earth with the Season One cast all along).
* SoleSurvivor: His IDW incarnation, in an act of irony, is the only Conehead Seeker to ''not'' get killed off (at least until Unicron arrives and AnyoneCanDie).
* TerribleTrio: Along with fellow Coneheads Thrust and Ramjet.
* TheyKilledKennyAgain: He tends to die or get severely damaged a lot in every iteration of G1 in which he appears. A lot. The fandom, naturally, has picked up on this tendency [[CharacterExaggeration and run away with it]].
-->'''Starscream:''' Dirge died.\\
'''Skywarp:''' Dirge? Aw, hell, I kinda liked that idiot.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He seemingly bites it in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' when Unicron bites him, but turns up alive and well in Season 3 of the Sunbow cartoon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Insecticons (Insectron (インセクトロン ''insekutoron''))]]
!!!'''Shrapnel''' (Sharpnel (シャープネル ''shāpuneru''))
!!!'''Function:''' Electronic Warfare
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Stag Beetle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shrapnel_4106.jpg
->''"Control electricity and you control the world."''

!!!'''Bombshell''' (ボンブシェル ''bonbusheru'' or ボムシェル ''bomusheru'')
!!!'''Function:''' Psychological Warfare
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Rhinocerous Beetle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bombshell_6868.jpg
->''"The mind is my playpen."''

!!!'''Kickback''' (キックバック ''kikkubakku'')
!!!'''Function:''' Espionage
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Grasshopper
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kickback_4923.jpg
->''"Friend is another word for fool."''

!!!'''Venom'''
!!!'''Function:''' Psychological Warfare
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Cicada
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/venomofficial_8618.jpg
->''"Friends are more dangerous than enemies."''

!!!'''Barrage'''
!!!'''Function:''' Gunner
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Rhinoceros Beetle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barrage_102.jpg
->''"Nothing left standing means nothing left to change."''

!!!'''Chop Shop'''
!!!'''Function:''' Thief
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Stag Beetle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chop_shop_4430.jpg
->''"I take no prisoners, just spare parts."''

!!!'''Ransack'''
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Locust
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ransack_1604.jpg
->''"The sight of ruin only makes me crave more."''

-> '''Shrapnel voiced by:''' Hal Rayle (EN), Creator/MasashiEbara (main), Creator/ShowHayami ("Traitor"), Yoku Shioya ("The Revenge of Bruticus"), Toshio Ishii (''The Movie'') (JP)
-> '''Kickback voiced by:''' Clive Revill (EN), Toshio Ishii (main), Yutaka Shimaka ("Taitor" and "The Insecticon Syndrome"), Masashi Ebara ("The Revenge of Bruticus"), Yoku Shioya (''The Movie'') (JP)
-> '''Bombshell voiced by:''' Creator/MichaelBell (EN), Ken Shiroyama (JP)
Seven Decepticons who have bugs as their altmodes. Most media tend to show only the three smaller ones (Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel), but occasionally the more-obscure Deluxe Insecticons (Venom, Barrage, Chop Shop and Ransack) may appear.
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* AdaptedOut: The Deluxe Insecticons (Venom, Chop Shop, Ransack and Barrage) didn't appear in the [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers cartoon]], nor did they appear in the Marvel comics (although Venom and Chop Shop did appear in the UK comic's ''Time Wars'' story). This was likely done for reasons similar to the controversy behind Jetfire/Skyfire - the toys were from Bandai, and including them would be giving Takara's competitors free publicity.
* BigCreepyCrawlies: All of them change into insects, but the "big" part is especially evident in the Sunbow cartoon, where they don't change size in their altmodes.
* BigEater: Their depiction in the cartoon made them {{Extreme Omnivore}}s that can, and will, devour anything.
* BlackmailIsSuchAnUglyWord: Kickback's ''modus operandi'' is making friends, digging up anything they don't want getting out, then using it to get them to do his bidding. His Tech Specs note that humans are particularly susceptible to him.
* BloodKnight: Ransack loves to fight and destroy, and is always ready for the next battle.
* DependingOnTheWriter:
** Their loyalty to the Decepticons varies across mediums. While the original toyline and the Marvel comic portrayed them as rank-and-file Decepticons, the cartoon opted to instead show them as Decepticon-allied mercenaries, only tagging along with other Decepticons when there's something in it for them.
** Who leads the Insecticons? Ostensibly it's Venom, but in fiction where the Deluxe Insecticons are absent, it gets more complicated. The cartoon initially presented Shrapnel as the group's spokesperson, but as the show progressed, Bombshell got more and more focus. Meanwhile, Kickback's toy has the highest Rank of the three small Insecticons at 7.
** While the Insecticons are ostensibly Decepticons who turn into robotic insects, ''VideoGame/TransformersDevastation'' depicts them as a separate breed of Cybertronian, with little indication that the "main" three Insecticons ever show up.
* TheEvilGenius: Bombshell is often depicted as having some degree of scientific capability. In the G1 cartoon, he upgraded and reprogrammed Nightbird. In the 2005 IDW continuity, he was responsible for the creation of the Cerebro Shells and completed the Decepticon's work on both the space bridge and combiner technologies.
* ExtremeOmnivore: Bombshell, Kickback, and Shrapnel are shown to be capable of and [[HorrorHunger willing]] [[CannibalClan to eat]] [[HordeOfAlienLocusts anything]].
* FalseFriend: Kickback establishes himself as friends to people he wants to use for his own ends via blackmailing them.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Barrage isn't very popular among the Decepticons thanks to his destructive tendencies, and considering the Decepticons aren't too big on mercy themselves, that's saying something.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: If one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells is removed from a victim's head, it can be used against him.
* HollywoodAcid: Venom's stinger is able to make acids that dissolve metal.
* HordeOfAlienLocusts: Quite literally in the cartoon's case, where they have the ability to create clones and have voracious appetites.
* {{Irony}}: Venom specializes in poisons and acids and has a stinger, yet cicadas are not poisonous insects nor do they sting.
* JapaneseBeetleBrothers: Shrapnel (stag beetle) and Bombshell (rhinoceros beetle), along with Chop Shop and Barrage, are a Type A example of this.
* KillEmAll: The Deluxe Insecticons, in the Dreamwave comics, are murdered by the combined forces of the Autobot and Decepticon Micromasters.
* KilledOffForReal:
** ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' leaves this ambiguous. The trio are wounded at the Battle of Autobot City and ejected into space for Unicron to use as raw material. Skywarp and Thundercracker were effectively dead but the Insecticons showed up later in the movie and in the subsequent episodes. [[UncertainDoom Whether this is an issue with their clones or just an error is ambiguous]].
** In the 2005 IDW comics, Bombshell was fatally stabbed through the head by Arcee in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise''.
** In ''Transformers Vs. The Terminator'' Kickback is killed in an altercation with the Autobots, Arcee fatally kicking him.
* TheLeader: Venom is said to be the Insecticon leader, but in fiction where the Deluxe Insecticons don't appear, Shrapnel seems to take the role.
* MeaningfulName: Kickback is getting repayment for a favour, usually from something illegal. Fitting name for someone who loves blackmail. Also, he can kick people ''really'' hard.
* MechanicalInsects: Per the name of their group, Insecticons are Decepticons who transform into robotic insects.
* MindControlDevice: Bombshell uses cerebro-shells, which he can inject into his target's heads (be they robot or human) and use to control them as he wishes.
* NoOntologicalInertia: In the cartoon, if the control beam for the Insecticons' clones is disrupted, said clones will disintigrate.
* OmnicidalManiac: When Barrage is sent into battle, he's not stopping until the entire ground is smouldering rubble and every last opponent, be they wounded or taken prisoner, is dead. Ransack, likewise, is perfectly fine with killing high numbers of innocents and levelling settlements so long as his enemy is among the dead.
* OutOfFocus: The main three Insecticons were introduced in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersAllHailMegatron'' as major players in the Decepticon ranks. However after that their roles got smaller and smaller, being recurring minor soldiers in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersIDW,'' and Bombshell having a role in the Decepticon's resurgence in the opening arcs of ''ComicBook/TheTransformersRobotsInDisguise''. After that, Bombshell was killed and Kickback and Shrapnel would only occasionally show up in crowd shots.
* TheParanoiac: Venom is constantly afrad that his position as Insecticon leader will be usurped one day (and with Decepticons like Starscream and Shockwave around, can you blame him?), and as such he doesn't trust a single one of his subordinates.
* PoisonousPerson: Appropriately enough, Venom's stinger can release dangerous toxins. He even uses this on fellow Decepticons thanks to his constant paranoia.
* PunnyName: Kickback is technically named after recoil, such as the type one might find in a cannon...but as a charming yet shameless manipulator who blackmails people, he also happens to be named after illicit bribery commonly disguised as 'facilitation fees.'
* PsychoElectro: Shrapnel's main power is manipulating electricity, and he considers the noise of war and screaming to be music.
* SendInTheClones: The main three Insecticons are capable of creating [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Insecticon_clone clones of themselves]]. Often overlaps with ExpendableClone and TheSwarm.
* ShockAndAwe: Shrapnel's antennae can attract lightning bolts, which he can then shoot out from his hands. Venom is also armed with an electric-blaster gun, and Ransack's anennae can shoot up to 80 kilovolts.
* SizeShifter: The Insecticons are sometimes shown to be able to shrink down to the size of an actual insect.
* StickyFingers: Chop Shop is a kleptomaniac who can't help but steal things from friend and foe alike. Something seems thief-proof? He only wants to grab it that much more.
* TheSwarm: The Insecticon clones are often depicted as a huge, menacing swarm. The IDW comics also show an army of failed Insecticons known as, fittingly enough, the Swarm.
* {{Technopath}}: Shrapnel's insect antennae can uplink with machines, allowing him to control them.
* ThemeNaming: For some reason, the three primary Insecticons are named after the dangers of an exploding bomb.
* ThunderBeetle: Shrapnel is an Insecticon who transforms into a stag beetle, and he can use electric powers on massive scale.
* UnexplainedRecovery: While the three small Insecticons are heavily damaged and reformed into the Sweeps (and possibly Cyclonus) in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', Shrapnel shows up perfectly fine on Junkion. All three even appear in the opening five-parter of Season 3. Their duplication abilities may have something to do with this, but it's never explicitly spelled out.
* VerbalTic: Shrapnel always repeats the last word of his sentences, sentences.
* VillainDecay: They got hit with this hard in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', especially Shrapnel, who is taken down three times over the course of the Battle of Autobot City.
* VirtueIsWeakness: Barrage is a firm believer that showing kindness only stirs hope among the vanquished, and that's not happening while he's around.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ramjet (ラムジェット ''ramujetto'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Delta Wing F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ramjet_7196.jpg
->''"If it flies, crash it!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Jack Angel (EN), Toshio Ishii (JP)
Another Seeker who forms part of the Conehead trio. Ramjet considers himself the king of the skies, and excels at colliding into things. He doesn't care if his target is an opponent or not; he'll still do it out of sheer pleasure.
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* BigBadWannabe: His IDW incarnation tried to overthrow Megatron, and got [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown exactly what you'd expect]] in return.
* CoolPlane: An F-15 Eagle with F-16XL wings.
* DependingOnTheArtist: While most fiction has his nosecone pointing upwards, the IDW series has him resembling his original toy (where the nosecone was meant to go behind his head).
* ExtremeMeleeRevenge: When IDW Ramjet plots against Megatron, he's brutally beaten and dismembered to death.
* HiddenDepths: Ramjet has higher-than-average competence even when only compared to his wingmates Dirge and Thrust. In fact, whenever it's only the three of them he becomes the de-facto leader of the group and directs them or tells them to get their acts together.
* KilledOffForReal: In the 2005 IDW comics he tries to launch a coup against Megatron, only for Megatron to kill him. He's rebuilt and mass-produced for a drone army for the humans, but those are just imitations and the original Ramjet is long dead.
* LightningBruiser: He can fly as fast as Mach 2.8 and is strong enough to withstand several md-air collisions.
* {{Nanomachines}}: His plan in the IDW verse involved mind controlling humans by injecting them with microscopic "Mini-Constructicons".
* PaletteSwap: Like all Seekers, he's a recolored Starscream. However, as part of the Conehead trio, Ramjet has a pointy head, formed by leaving the jet mode's nosecone up when transformed. Succeeding toys adopted the Conehead design in different ways. Ramjet also has a distinct set of wings -- specifically, delta wings adorned with [[MeaningfulName ramjet]] engines -- which he keeps oriented downward when transformed.
* RememberTheNewGuy: He just appeared in the cartoon's second season without any explanation, as if he were always among the original cast.
* TheStarscream: In the IDW-verse, he was basically a less-effective (and more killable) one than the original.
* StraightMan: Among his wingmates, the gloomy Dirge and the obnoxious Thrust, he serves as this.
* SuperToughness: His nose module can withstand flying into three-foot thick concrete at 1500 miles per hour. His internal mechanisms, however, aren't nearly so used to constant collisions. Fortunately, a glitch in his pain receptor wiring gives him an abnormally high tolerance to injuries.
* TerribleTrio: Forms the Conehead trio of Seekers with Dirge and Thrust.
* UnexplainedRecovery: He shows up alive in the Sunbow cartoon's third season, despite apparently dying to Unicron in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''.
* UseYourHead: Ramjet, as one would expect, likes to ram things with his conehead -- in and out of vehicle mode. [[http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/6/6e/Ramjetinpast.gif Case in point]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Thrust (スラスト ''surasuto'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Modified F-15 Eagle Fighter Jet
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thrust_6407.jpg
->''"My engines' roar is my enemies' song of doom!"''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Ed Gilbert (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (JP)
Another Conehead Seeker, Thrust is a brash and arrogant Decepticon who makes no effort to be subtle. Though he often declares victory to be his before the battle even begins, he's largely all bark with little bite.
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* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: Thrust's wings are the widest and bulkiest of any Seeker by far. They also have a unique position in robot mode, giving him a ton of clumsy, undignified visual weight in his middle. They make it seem like Thrust is trying too hard to seem more imposing and intimidating than he truly is.
* BigEntrance: He uses his engine's roar to create one for himself, letting his enemies [[SmallNameBigEgo know just who they're dealing with]].
* CoolPlane: Like the other Coneheads, he is a modified F-15 Eagle -- in his case, he has different tailfins and VTOL wings.
* DirtyCoward: An unusual example. While he can go into battle without pause, a strong enough counterattack can break his nerve, driving him to retreat.
* DependingOnTheArtist: While Thrust's nosecone is ''supposed'' to go behind his head like the other Seeker toys as pictured above, the cartoon and comic had it pointing up and stylised as a helmet (alongside Dirge and Ramjet).
* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: When trapped in a Starscream-possessed Trypticon in the cartoon episode "Ghost in the Machine", Runabout, Runamuck, Thrust and Dirge realize they need to stop him. Thrust himself smashes Trypticon's controls, throwing a wrench in Unicron and Starscream's plans and saving Cybertron (Unicron makes one last attempt, but this is stopped by Starscream being Starscream). It's never spoken of afterwards.
* MilesGloriosus: He'll brag and boast about how his mere presence has guaranteed Decepticon victory, but if the enemy is stronger than he gives them credit for, he'll quickly turn tail and flee.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Unlike his fellow Coneheads, Thrust's wings end up on his back, much like the first set of Seekers. But unlike the latter trio, Thrust's wings are placed somewhat lower due to their orientation.
* OutOfFocus: In the IDW continuity, Ramjet gets ADayInTheLimelight, Dirge gets to be a major character in ''Robots in Disguise'', and Thrust... is unglamorously murdered by some human police. Sucks to be him.
* PaletteSwap: Like all Seekers, he's a recolored Starscream. However, as part of the Conehead trio, Thrust has a pointy head, formed by leaving the jet mode's nosecone up when transformed. Succeeding toys adopted the Conehead design in different ways. Thrust also has a distinct set of wings -- specifically, VTOL wings and a thin set of rear stabilizers -- which he keeps oriented downward when transformed.
* RememberTheNewGuy: Where exactly he came from between the first and second seasons of the original cartoon is never explained; he's treated as if he was always there.
* SizeShifter: The cartoon episode "Kremzeek!" had Megatron fly in Thrust's jet mode cockpit. In his robot mode. Bear in mind that robot mode Thrust is only as tall as Megatron, if not smaller.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Thrust believes himself to be ''far'' more competent than he actually is, and he wants you to know that he's coming.
* SpannerInTheWorks: In the episode "Ghost in the Machine", Thrust happens to be inside Trypticon when Starscream possesses him and uses him to send Unicron's head down to Cybertron to become his new body. He immobilizes Trypticon from the inside, preventing Starscream from making the necessary connections unless his physical form is restored (and once it is, he's all to happy to ditch Unicron).
* TerribleTrio: He forms part of one with fellow Coneheads Dirge and Ramjet.
* UnexplainedRecovery: In ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', he and his fellow Coneheads fly into Unicron's mouth and seemingly die, but he shows up alive in Season 3 of the cartoon.
[[/folder]]

!!1986 Decepticons

[[folder:Galvatron (ガルバトロン ''garubatoron'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' City Commander
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Cybertronian Artillery Unit
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/galvatron_7073.jpg
->"''My power is everything; defeat is absurd!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/LeonardNimoy (''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''), Frank Welker (''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'') (EN), Seizo Kato (JP)
A powerful, cold-hearted and oftentimes-insane Decepticon, Galvatron is a dangerous Decepticon leader. While mostly known for being a reformatted Megatron after a chance encounter with Unicron following a final battle with Optimus Prime, sometimes he's an ancient Transformer warlord, separate from either entity.
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* AdaptationalBadass: His comic selves were shown to be immensely powerful, shrugging off multiple Autobot assaults in rapid succession, and surviving many experiences that could have killed other Transformers. In the IDW comics, he even killed a ''Prime!''
* AdaptationalWimp: Galvatron II suffers this in ''Regeneration One''.
** In Issue #0, it is revealed that he only managed to kill his version of Rodimus Prime because the time-jumping mainstream Hot Rod distracted his counterpart at a crucial moment (not to mention he had Cyclonus and Scourge backing him up, making his victory far less impressive either way).
** UK Galvatron battled Ultra Magnus many times, and won all but the last fight. Galvatron II battles Ultra Magnus twice during ''Regeneration One'', losing to him the first time and being killed by him during the second encounter.
* AllTakeAndNoGive: When Energon-low Decepticons (who'd already given Energon to bring back Galvatron) were hired by the Quintessons to take on the Autobots with enough Energon to keep going, they're seen as "disloyal," and Galvatron makes no bones about it. Swindle calls him out on it.
--> '''Swindle:''' They gave us Energon! They led us on this raid! What can ''you'' give us that '''they''' didn't?
* {{Angrish}}: Cartoon Galvatron was pretty prone to yelling "BWAAAAAA!"
* ArchEnemy: To Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus.
* ArmCannon: Galvatron wields a powerful particle cannon much like Megatron's fusion cannon.
* AxCrazy:
** In the third season, he becomes so unstable that Cyclonus and Scourge take him to a planet designed to deal with psychotic people. Galvatron ultimately ends up driving ''[[GeniusLoci the planet itself]] insane'' when it connects to his mind.
** Meanwhile, the UK comic version starts off as relatively composed. However, it soon becomes clear he's holding back a great deal of madness, and circumstances keep pushing him over the edge.
* BadBoss:
** Whereas Megatron was genuinely respected by his warriors, Galvatron is feared and hated for his erratic tendency to suddenly kill them for the most insignificant of slights.
** In his first appearance, the Marvel US version threatens to kill Wildfly for bad-mouthing him, then actually ''does'' kill Cyclonus for being overpowered by an Autobot.
---> "[[YouHaveFailedMe I only saved you so I could destroy you myself.]]"
* TheBadGuyWins: One alternate universe Galvatron (dubbed "Galvatron II") managed to conquer Earth and allow Unicron to devour Cybertron in his universe.
* BarbarianHero: He's far from being a hero, but his portrayal in the IDW continuity perfectly fits the bill.
* BerserkButton: ''Starscream''. The winning BatmanGambit of "Target: 2006" relies entirely on Galvatron's sheer hatred for him (and Starscream's ChronicBackstabbingDisorder).
* {{BFG}}: He transforms into a futuristic howitzer cannon.
* BigBad: As he's (usually) Megatron himself in an upgraded form, Galvatron naturally fills this role. Even in the IDW-verse where he's a separate entity, he managed to become Decepticon leader following Megatron's HeelFaceTurn.
* TheCaligula:
** After his being submerged in a lava pit on the planet Thrull, he went into a more insane state after his "sanity chips" had suffered from being in a "plasma bath" that long.
** The Marvel US version (a.k.a. Galvatron II) clearly had a few screws loose, talking to, yelling at and shooting Rodimus' corpse.
* CameBackStrong: Following Megatron's deal with Unicron in his near-death throes, he became far stronger than before as a result, [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie as Starscream can attest to]].
* ContinuityDrift: In the Transformers UK series, this happened with Galvatron when Simon Furman took over writing the US Transformers comic and wanted to bring Megatron back. While Megatron had survived Shockwave's attempt to drive him to suicide in the UK comic, he was still dead in US comic canon and could not simply evoke the UK canon since no one in the US knew about the Transformers UK stories. So for the UK stories, the Megatron Galvatron ran around with in the ''Time Wars'' was made into Lord Straxus, who put himself inside a clone body of Megatron (although that later revelation resulted in a ContinuitySnarl, since ''Time Wars'' had Galvatron remembering events through the clone's eyes).
* DealWithTheDevil: Megatron's transformation into Galvatron was essentially a Faustian pact with Unicron.
* DecompositeCharacter: In some continuities (especially the IDW comics), Galvatron is a completely separate entity from Megatron rather than an upgraded iteration of the latter.
* DependingOnTheWriter: Galvatron's relationship with Megatron. In most cases he is an upgraded Megatron going by a new name. However, the IDW comics show him as a completely separate entity from Megatron.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: In issue 78 of the ''Marvel'' comic, Galvatron encounters the resurrected Megatron and tries to kill him under the pretense of "breaking the cycle" by destroying his past self before he becomes Galvatron. Thankfully, Galvatron regains some clarity, acknowledging that killing his past self, even if he's from an alternate timeline, is a ''very stupid idea'', both for potential time travel paradoxes and the fact he has no reason to do so.
-->'''Galvatron:''' I almost... I almost '''''killed myself!'''''
* TheDreaded: The mere mention of Galvatron conjures despair in the bravest of hearts, and whereas Megatron was respected by his own warriors (except Starscream), said warriors now fear for their lives every waking moment thanks to Galvatron's temper and insanity.
* DroppedABridgeOnHim: ''The Headmasters'' anticlimactically buries Galvatron under mounds of ice, which serves to write him out of the series and the rest of the Japanese continuations of the original cartoon. Bear in mind he managed to survive an exploding planet beforehand.
* EnemyMine: He starts to propose a truce with Hot Rod in order to fight Unicron. Unfortunately, Unicron is still able to cause Galvatron pain to keep him in line, having Galvatron attack Hot Rod instead.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the cartoon, he expresses a disgust for the Quintessons and their treachery. He generally despises treachery in general; any Decepticons caught undermining him will either be beaten senseless or banished from the faction for life.
* EvilLaugh: With a gloriously-goofy-sounding one in the Malaysian-dub.
* EvilOldFolks: IDW Galvatron, who's a good twelve million years old, and has been killing and murderising pretty much everyone that's gotten in his way all that time.
* EvilOverlord: He's the Decepticon leader given a considerable upgrade. Even when he isn't, he still commands a powerful army and even takes command of the Decepticons.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Leonard Nimoy and Seizo Kato provided [[GutturalGrowler fairly gravelly]] voices for him. Frank Welker averted this, providing Galvatron with the voice he used for [[WesternAnimation/SuperFriends Mr. Mxyzptlk]] and [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Jorak Uln]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: ''Target: 2006'' Galvatron initially acts calm, reasonable and measured. It eventually becomes clear that Galvatron is not all the way sane (and this is before he starts ''really'' going mad).
* GracefulLoser: After the HatePlague crisis is resolved in "The Return of Optimus Prime", he graciously calls a temporary ceasefire.
-->'''Galvatron:'''There will be no war today, Optimus Prime; you have earned Galvatron's respect.
* HairTriggerTemper: Even Megatron had a better temper than Galvatron did.
* HeroKiller:
** The Marvel US version helped Unicron destroy Cybertron, and by the 21st century, pretty much every Autobot's dead (including Rodimus Prime, whose corpse has been strung up between the ruins of the World Trade Center).
** The UK comic version killed several of the Wreckers when they fought him.
* IHatePastMe: Marvel US version actually tries to beat an insensate, just-revived Megatron to death when they meet, thinking it will cure his madness. His UK version's first order of business was usurping Megatron and burying him alive.
* ImplacableMan: The Galvatron that appears in Dreamwave's ''Armada'' comic just effortlessly walks through the local Decepticons (of whom, admittedly, there are only three, besides Megatron). Had the Air Strike Team decided not to [[EnemyMine help out]], he would've killed Megatron too.
* InformedAbility: He's actually a Triple Changer, his second transformation being a human-sized laser pistol. This was never brought up in the cartoon, and only shown once in the Marvel UK comics (where he had forced a terrified bystander to transport him covertly). His Dreamwave profile notes it, but has Cyclonus declaring most aren't "worthy" enough to wield it.
* JokerImmunity:
** The Marvel UK incarnation basically had nearly all of his appearance involve something that would turn anybody else to scrap metal, but he kept coming back, over and over. It eventually took a time rift erasing him from existence to [[KilledOffForReal get rid of him for good]].
** His IDW self has returned from apparent death several times. First when the ''Ark'' was sent to the Dead Universe and its crew revived as undead beings, then when he was thrown into a solar pool by Optimus Prime and survived against all odds, ''then'' when the D-Void seemingly atomized him (in actuality sending him back to the Dead Universe), until [[spoiler:he ''finally'' gets killed by Optimus Prime in the climax of ''All Hail Optimus''. But considering how [[OffWithHisHead his head survived]], and his ''Titans Return'' toy has a Titan Master that turns into his head, he probably would have returned from even that had the series not been rebooted]].
* TheJuggernaut: Galvatron in the UK Marvel comics was so powerful, it's easier to list the attempts to hurt him that actually ''do'' something.
* KneelBeforeZod: Played completely straight:
-->'''Galvatron:''' Before a society can move forward, all must agree on the rules. Now kneel!
* LargeHam: It does ''not'' help that Creator/FrankWelker decided to give Galvatron a high-and-screechy voice, not unlike another screeching-and-effeminite villain called [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 Skeletor.]]
* LaughablyEvil: In the cartoon, his sheer insanity makes him a blast to watch.
* LeeroyJenkins: Doesn't care about any battle tactics, opting to charge into battle recklessly.
--> '''Cyclonus:''' Mighty Galvatron, we must use strategy!\\
'''Galvatron:''' STRATEGY IS FOR ''COWARDS!'' ''(punches Cyclonus)''
* LightIsNotGood: Galvatron's original toy, in contrast to his design in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', was predominantly bright white. This color scheme carried over to his appearance in the Marvel comics (as well as "Galvatron II") and even his post-''Dark Cybertron'' IDW body.
* LosingYourHead: His ''Titans Return'' toy has a mini-Megatron lookalike named Nucleon who turns into his head.
* MoodSwinger: In Season 3 of the cartoon, he could switch between calm, insanely gleeful, sarcastic, terrified, enraged at the drop of a hat. It was even lampshaded in one episode.
-->'''Galvatron:''' (''after being told to stop'') [[SarcasmMode And just how do you intend to stop me?]] ''[[HairTriggerTemper You lump of--]]''
* NighInvulnerability: He's often portrayed as being nearly unbeatable. Some sources claim that this is due to him drawing power from Unicron himself.
* OneManArmy: Comic Galvatron is usually capable of plowing through anything thrown at him.
* PetTheDog: In the IDW comics, a Sweep mistakes Autobots for a threat and attacks them, but is shot down and found by Galvatron. He heals the Sweep, and claims to be the Savior of Cybertron and that they all need to unite to save it.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: His IDW counterpart is a barbaric ten million-year old badass.
* PsychopathicManchild: In Season 3 at times, his behaviour's similar to that as a spoilt child with [[HairTriggerTemper a horrible temper]] with [[UndyingLoyalty Cyclonus]] being the "damage control" for the Decepticons ''and'' he's leader of an entire army of Decepticon warriors. He definitely fits the third dot point of the trope.
* PurpleIsPowerful: Galvatron is often depicted as being purple, and there's no denying that he's very powerful.
* TheRedBaron: In ''Beast Wars: Uprising'', he's remembered as "The Mad Tyrant".
* RedOniBlueOni:
** Cartoon Galvatron is the red to his lieutenant Cyclonus' blue.
--->'''Cyclonus:''' Mighty Galvatron ''please!!'' We must use ''strategy'' and--\\
'''Galvatron:''' ''[punches him into outer space]'' Strategy is for ''COWARDS!''
** Inverted with the comics, where Galvatron is the calm, cunning blue to Cyclonus' red.
* RelatedInTheAdaptation: In the IDW comics, Galvatron and Arcee are twins.
* {{Samurai}}: The crests upon his head clearly invoke an imagery of the helmet worn by Samurai.
* SanitySlippage: He wasn't exactly playing with a full deck before, but in the UK comics his second time-jaunt leaves him disoriented. Then, in a fight with some Autobots Blaster zaps him with his electro-scrambler, and much of Galvatron's remaining sanity evaporates.
* SanityStrengthening:
** After being hit by the Autobot Matrix by Optimus Prime, Galvatron seems to regain some of his marbles, enough to show lucid appreciation for Prime in the end. This came into play in both "The Rebirth", where Galvatron shows himself to be a (comparatively) more calculating and reserved commander who can manage some amount of strategy again.
** Zigzagged in the ''Headmasters'' cartoon, which for a while, similarly follows with the idea of Galvatron being a more cunning and stable commander. Then he reveals his master plan; to make himself into a Unicron-esque entity called "Grand Galvatron", with a new body [[BadBoss made out of the components of most of his loyal soldiers]]. Sixshot, who is apparently planned for "donations", is quick to double cross Galvatron upon seeing his utterly ludicrous idea.
* TheStarscream:
** Ironically for a character usually born of Starscream's treachery, Galvatron tends to plot against Unicron the first chance he gets [[note]] According to Flint Dille, Galvatron's relationship with Unicron was purposely intended to reflect the one he had with Starscream as Megatron. [[/note]]
--->'''Galvatron:''' [[KryptoniteFactor I now possess that which you most fear.]] [[BullyingADragon You will do my bidding or taste my wrath!]]\\
'''Unicron:''' [[DoNotTauntCthulhu You underestimate me, Galvatron]]. For a time, I considered sparing your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now, you shall witness its dismemberment!
** Galvatron's Tech Specs note how he's a City Commander (therefore of a similar rank to Ultra Magnus) who plots against his allies and is determined to lead the Decepticons, as if he were one of Megatron's [[TheDragon dragons]] and not Megatron himself.
* TankGoodness: Like Megatron, most of Galvatron's modern toys are tanks.
* ThatManIsDead: Subverted in the cartoon (everyone knows Megatron and Galvatron are the same but don't make a big deal out of it) and deconstructed in the Marvel Comics, as the various time travelling Galvatrons have a hard time coping with past versions of themselves that somehow manage to cheat fate and not become Galvatron, often having to tell themselves that they are not Megatron to muster up the courage to attack their past selves.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Double subverted. Upon Megatron's initial reformatting in the movie, he is actually a fairly stable commander. However, his "plasma bath" in the third season alters Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him insane.
* TranquilFury: In an OOCIsSeriousBusiness kind of way. In Season 3, when this happens, it means [[UpToEleven he's even more furious than usual.]]
* TwoFaced: His UK comics version got half his face blown off toward the end. That didn't help his sanity one iota.
* UnstoppableRage: If someone ticks Galvatron off (something easy to do, given his degraded mental state), expect to see things blowing up.
* VillainousFriendship:
** Surprisingly, he retains this with Soundwave after his transformation. This carries over to ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'', where he showed genuine grief after Soundwave's death and cared enough to bring him back to life as "Soundblaster".
** To a lesser degree, Season 3 of the cartoon series shows he had a similar relationship with Cyclonus, even though he didn't show it nearly as often as [[UndyingLoyalty Cyclonus]] did.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Subverted; when Megatron first becomes Galvatron, he is perfectly rational. The insanity part usually comes soon after.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Cyclonus (サイクロナス ''saikuronasu'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Saboteur
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Cybertronian Fighter Jet
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cyclonus_1932.jpg
->''"Compassion is the Autobots' downfall."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Roger C. Carmel & Jack Angel (EN), Minoru Inaba (series) & Creator/FumihikoTachiki ("The Rebirth") (JP, Cartoon), Creator/TomomichiNishimura (JP, ''Headmasters'')
Galvatron's second-in-command, created by Unicron from the remains of either Bombshell, or Skywarp. Or some guy named Life-Spark. Or was always Cyclonus; it various from continuity and fan you speak to. Fiercely loyal to Galvatron, he is often tasked with the thankless job of babysitting his insane leader.
-----
* AdaptationalHeroism: In the [[ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye IDW comics]] he's at his most heroic, pulling a HeelFaceTurn and becoming a brooding AntiHero, who nevertheless allies with and assists the Autobots.
* AdaptationalVillainy: Whilst a NobleDemon in the cartoon, the Universe Wreckers comic and Rodimus Vs. Cyclonus comic both depict him as only pretending to be one to cover his cowardly duplicitous nature.
* TheBerserker: In the IDW comics, Cyclonus's main conflict is that internally, he's a huge ball of rage, despite trying to be TheStoic, and wanting Nemesis Prime's peaceful "utopia." As the series goes on, he mellows, being calmer in action and more silent off the field, he mentions in issue 1 of the MTMTE ongoing, that if he gets into a real fight, he's gonna have trouble stopping.
* CoDragons: Alongside Scourge, he serves as Galvatron's highest-ranking minions.
* TheConsigliere: In the cartoon, he is constantly trying to keep Galvatron's AxCrazy attitude in line. Compared to Starscream however, who is a compulsive CommanderContrarian, he's just trying to keep things smoothly for his master, aware many Decepticons are just a stone throw away from turning on their commander as much as the Autobots he risks diving head first into in his insane rampages.
* ContinuitySnarl: Cyclonus in the US Marvel Comic, along with Scourge, had a blink and miss cameo appearance in "The Headmasters" comic in order to pimp their Targetmaster figures. This created a problem since the book was set in the present. Simon Furman ultimately fixed this (even though the Headmasters comic would not be published in the UK) by creating a time travel scenario where Cyclonus and Scourge would be sent back in time and ultimately hook up with Scorponok.
* ContrastingReplacementCharacter: Sunbow Cyclonus is one to Starscream; he took the Air Commander's place as Decepticon second-in-command with a jet alt-mode, but whereas Starscream was... well, TheStarscream, Cyclonus is [[UndyingLoyalty blindly devoted]] to Galvatron.
* CoolStarship: He transforms into a space fighter, sometimes even serving as Galvatron's personal transport.
* DependingOnTheWriter: His true identity. In recent comic continuity, writers sidestep the issue by either having him be created by Unicron from scratch or having him be always Cyclonus and not a Transformer who got upgraded into a new body.
** In the G1 cartoon, he was either Bombshell or Skywarp. Due to an animation error, this has been hotly debated.
*** Some debates TakeAThirdOption; namely that all the Decepticons save Megatron actually were dead when Unicron found them, and that Cyclonus was made from ''both'' Bombshell and Skywarp, accounting for Cyclonus' loyalty (a trait of Skywarp that Bombshell utterly lacks) and high intelligence and cunning (a trait of Bombshell that Skywarp utterly lacks).
** In the Marvel comics, he was a Decepticon called Life-Spark.
** In the Universe continuity, he's implied to be Bombshell, calling Skywarp his Armada.
** In Macrocosmic Seekers, he's implied to be Skywarp.
** In the Dreamwave comics, he's himself and a servant of Unicron, and there seems to be many of him.
** In the IDW comics, he's still himself, an old Transformer from before the war.
** The official Hasbro reveal for his ''War for Cybertron: Kingdom'' figure just couldn't decide:
-->"CYCLONUS, a herald of UNICRON, first appears in the 1986 movie when BOMBSHELL/SKYWARP were reformatted into the second-in-command of GALVATRON."
* DemonicPossession: In ''Starscream's Ghost''.
** CastAsAMask: Roger C. Carmel still voiced Cyclonus when the story demanded he "act normal" to fool Galvatron in that episode. When he made the deal to betray Galvatron to Rodimus, Chris Latta voices Cyclonus.
* DiscontinuityNod: IDW comics, after being erroneously labeled as a Decepticon throughout Heart of Darkness and Chaos (he really is non-affiliated), Cyclonus mentions in ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' that he isn't and never was a Decepticon, and in the issue before, he's seen protesting being locked up with the Cons, as he isn't one.
* DumbMuscle: The Marvel UK version, who is even dumb enough to tell Shockwave that he and Scourge would help kill him one day. He is also this the Japanese Headmasters anime.
* EarAche: In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'', Whirl breaks one of his horns in the first issue. He goes for over 30 issues before it finally gets fixed.
* EmpathicWeapon: As a Targetmaster, his gun is formed by Nightstick.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the IDW comics, Cyclonus goes to activate a Nega-core, which will flood the positive universe with his Negative Universe, and he has several debates with himself over if he should activate the guardian, Thunderwing, who destroyed his planet. Ultimately he decides not to, but when the Autobots corner him, he banishes his doubts and activates the guardian.
* EvilCounterpart: To Ultra Magnus. This is actually [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by a Quintesson scientist in ''The Killing Jar''. When their leaders seemed to attack them in an insane rage, BOTH Magnus and Cyclonus tried to use reason before they fought, only doing so when they "were given no other option."
* EvilSoundsDeep: Courtesy of Roger C. Carmel.
* FlatCharacter: Invoked by his ''Transformers Universe'' profile, which states he has no personality beyond being a ferocious warrior. Averted pretty much everywhere else, where he usually has some kind of personality.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: In the cartoon, he was created from either the remains of Bombshell or Skywarp, two low ranking Decepticons. In the UK continuity, he's a no-name Decepticon called "Life Spark".
* ILoveNuclearPower: His jet engines are nuclear powered, allowing him to cruise at Mach 2 and reach escape velocity.
* NobleDemon: Depends on the continuity; while he's willing to save Ultra Magnus from certain doom in the cartoon, he's more than willing to employ Death's Head to kill Shockwave so he wouldn't have to get his hands dirty himself.
* NumberTwo: To Galvatron. It has been stated he could ''easily'' become a better leader than Galvatron any time he wanted to, were it not for his UndyingLoyalty to the maniac.
* OffWithHisHead: His Marvel UK version gets his head torn off by Megatron.
* OnlySaneMan: Shares this with Soundwave in Season 3. He serves as the voice of reason in the Decepticon command.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: A trait of his primarily in the cartoon and the original IDW run. It's exemplified in the latter, where he's an ancient warrior from the same barbaric age of Cybertron as Galvatron.
-->'''Cyclonus:''' Warriors such as you and I should meet their end in ''battle.''
* RealityBreakingParadox: In the ''Marvel UK'' comic, a Megatron clone decapitates Cyclonus. But his death, twenty years before his creation, created a time rift that threatened to consume the Marvel UK universe until his remains are fed to it.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to his commander Galvatron's red.
-->'''Cyclonus:''' Mighty Galvatron ''please!!'' We must use ''strategy'' and--\\
'''Galvatron:''' ''[punches him into outer space]'' Strategy is for ''COWARDS!''
* ShrugOfGod: InUniverse. In a coded Ask Vector Prime from a [[AllThereInTheManual Transformers Animated guidebook]], Vector Prime, an immortal multiversal traveler, says that Cyclonus's identity varies by universe.
* SizeShifter: Even though he is as tall as Galvatron, if not slightly taller, Cyclonus can fit his leader perfectly in his plane mode's cockpit.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Cyclonus's Tech Specs claim he has vast resources of power, from which he can draw upon in proportion to his current needs.
* ThatManIsDead:Evoked in a comic included in a Hot Rod/Cyclonus toy box set, by Cyclonus.
* TookALevelInDumbass:
** Several, actually. ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' inexplicably changed him and Scourge from genuinely menacing and formidable warriors into dumber DirtyCoward IneffectualSympatheticVillain comic reliefs who manage little more than cheap childish {{slapstick}} whenever they appear.
** In the Marvel UK comics. He was dim enough to be outmaneuvered by a pair of human jet pilots, and later on loudly announced that he and Scourge had betrayed and killed Shockwave to become Decepticon leaders in their time - right in front of the present day Shockwave.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Galvatron. To emphasise, he uses Starscream's [[SarcasmMode "Mighty Galvatron"]] addressing with complete sincerity.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: That "tells Shockwave they're going to kill him" bit mentioned up above? So much death could've been avoided if Cyclonus hadn't said that. The remark provokes Shockwave into [[TemporalMutability finding a way to save himself]], which kickstarts the whole ''Time Wars'' storyline, and Cyclonus' own death.
* VillainousFriendship: In S3 he is loyal to only Galvatron and the Decepticon cause. He always stayed by Galvatron's side. In Webworld he even attempted to find help for him when his insanity caused mutiny to stir in the ranks of the Decepticons, he demonstrated towards the end of the episode he'd rather have a [[AxCrazy psychotic boss]] rather than just a mindless machine (the therapists were about to lobotomise him) and in Burden Hardest to Bear he's the only Decepticon who stayed by Galvatron's side after a Matrix empowered Scourge usurped command of his army from him.
* WorthyOpponent: He respects Ultra Magnus as a brother-warrior, and the feeling is mutual.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Scourge (スカージ ''sukāji'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Sweep Leader
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Cybertonian Hovercraft
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scourge_6449.jpg
->''"Desolation follows in my tracks."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Stan Jones (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (Season 3) & Creator/MasashiHirose ("The Rebirth") (JP, Cartoon), Creator/MasaharuSato (JP, ''Headmasters'')
Created from a former Decepticon (originally former Seeker Thundercracker, though recent adaptations have him just be a Transformer named Scourge), he serves Galvatron as the leader of the Sweeps, a battalion of robotic doppleganger huntsmen who track down and assassinate elusive Autobots.
-----
* AdaptationDyeJob: His beard in the box art appears white (or light grey on his toy itself). In the cartoon, it's [[DependingOntheArtist either]] dark blue, dark greyish blue, dark grey, or black.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: Marvel-UK Scourge was considerably smarter than his Sunbow cartoon counterpart.
* BeardOfEvil: A stylish Fu Manchu and Goatee. Or Van Dyke.
* TheBrute: Under Galvatron.
* ButtMonkey: While Cyclonus gets his fair share of abuse from Galvatron, it is Scourge who truly bears the brunt of his leader's hideously-bad temper, as he is not one TENTH the warrior that Cyclonus is.
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: In the IDW comics, after the ''Chaos'' event, the Dead Universe Transformers are all accounted for; Galvatron is temporarily dead, Cyclonus has pulled a HeelFaceTurn (kinda) and Jhiaxus has gone to cause trouble in space, but Scourge has disappeared. In the first issue of MTMTE, Cyclonus is seen searching for him, before leaving, and Sky-Byte mentions that a Sweep head looks like someone he knew. Editor John Barber eventually confirmed [[KilledOffscreen he was considered dead]].
* CoDragons: Alongside Cyclonus, he serves as Galvatron's highest-ranking minions.
* ContinuitySnarl: Scourge, in the US Marvel Comic, along with Cyclonus, had a blink and miss cameo appearance in "The Headmasters" comic in order to pimp their Targetmaster figures. This created a problem since the book was set in the present. Simon Furman ultimately fixed this (even though the Headmasters comic would not be published in the UK) by creating a time travel scenario where Cyclonus and Scourge would be sent back in time and ultimately hook up with Scorponok.
* DemonicPossession: Starscream possesses him in ''Ghost in the Machine''.
* DirtyCoward: It's implied that the Sweeps in general are cowards, but after what happened to a Sweep that was shot in the eye in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3" by Wheelie, soon after they recovered Galvatron, nobody would blame them.
-->'''Sweep:''' My guidance system is hit! Galvatron, save meeee!
-->'''Galvatron:''' Please, [[FaceDeathWithDignity meet your end with dignity]]! I ''despise'' [[TheStarscream whiners]]!
* DisintegratorRay: His vehicle mode's cannon fires a blast that destroys molecules, causing whatever it hits to dissipate.
* EmpathicWeapon: The Nebulan Fracas transforms into his gun as a Targetmaster.
* HeelFaceTurn: At the end of the ''Timelines'' comics, a continuation of the G1 cartoon, Scourge signs a peace treaty on behalf of the Decepticons with the Autobots Neutrals and Second Generation Transformers that ends the war.
* LosingYourHead: ''Titans Return'' reinvents Fracas as an ancient Cybertronian Titan Master, and he forms Scourge's head as opposed to his weapon.
* MookLieutenant: His main role in the Decepticon Army is commanding the Sweeps, {{Mooks}} who either look almost or entirely identical to him.
* OutOfFocus: While he's nominally part of a trio with Galvatron and Cyclonus, ol' Scourge tends to get the short end of the stick, almost never getting the same amount of face time as them.
** Zigzagged in the Marvel Comic: Stateside readers didn't get much more than a couple quick cameos to promote his Targetmaster toy, but he was fairly prominent in UK exclusive storylines.
** Dreamwave introduced him as a sort of ChekhovsGunman, but the company folded before they could finish the story.
** IDW planned to introduce him in ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersAllHailMegatron All Hail Megatron]]'' as an EvilCounterpart to Kup, but Hasbro vetoed this idea. He was hastily retconned as a member of Nemesis Prime's crew along with Galvatron and Cyclonus, and [[SpearCarrier made a handful of appearances]] before dying offscreen in some kind of NoodleIncident.
* PaletteSwap: The Sweeps are occasionally palette swaps of Scourge. The ''Wings of Honor'' continuity made them all paler blue than Scourge and certain toys of them are released with slight differences to Scourge's figure. Though of the time they look exactly like him and Scourge is distinguished only by appearing more.
* PowersViaPossession: When he takes in the Autobot Matrix of Leadership in his own body, he turns into a hideous freak with the power of ''a hundred Decepticons'' and [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity great madness]] to boot in "The Burden Hardest to Bear." Scourge wipes the floor with Galvatron and Cyclonus and usurps control of the Decepticons for a strike on Earth. However, Hot Rod, having seen the changes the Matrix did to Scourge, defeats him to reclaim it and become Rodimus Prime once again.
* RealMenWearPink: His claw-tips are painted pink, and DependingOnTheArtist, the tips of his toes as well.
* RememberTheNewGuy: In the IDW comics, he just shows up in ''All Hail Megatron'' #14. In the ''Revelation'' miniseries the Dead Universe Transformers were: Nemesis Prime, Galvatron, Cyclonus, Straxus, Jhiaxus, and Grindcore. 14 states that Scourge was also one, despite having not been seen before.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: This is mostly an InformedAbility, but Scourge did display ridiculously powerful Telescopic Vision in an early part of the "Five Faces of Darkness" episode of the television series. Scourge was able to trace the trail of Galvatron's wild trajectory from the severed head of Unicron to the planet Thrull, ''light years away''. He was also able to zero in and focus on Galvatron's hand protruding through the lava pit. But outside this one instance, Scourge's tracking skills are never displayed again.
* SuperSenses:
** Demonstrated when a storm erupts on Jupiter (from Galvatron shooting at it) is audibly painful to the Sweeps, but not Galvatron or Cyclonus.
-->'''Sweep 1:''' This is blowing out my audio sensors!
-->'''Sweep 2:''' It's torture!
-->'''Galvatron:''' [''EvilLaugh''] No, no, it's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!
** At the beginning of "Five Faces of Darkness", Scourge is able to telescopically track Galvatron's trail light years away, and zoom in on him in his lava bath.
* TookALevelInDumbass: Several, actually. ''Anime/TransformersHeadmasters'' inexplicably changed him and Cyclonus from genuinely menacing and formidable warriors into dumb DirtyCoward IneffectualSympatheticVillain comic reliefs who manage little more than cheap childish {{slapstick}} whenever they appear.
* YesMan: Unlike Cyclonus, he's not so willing to speak up against Galvatron's deranged choices.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Combaticons (Combatron (コンバットロン ''konbattoron''))]]
Five Decepticons who transform into military-based vehicles. One way or another, they end up serving as Starscream's troops in several continuities.
----
* AdaptationalHeroism: Swindle and Blast Off are given more sympathetic characterizations in the IDW comics. Eventually, even Brawl had a HeelFaceTurn.
* CombiningMecha: They merge into Bruticus.
* FaceHeelTurn: According to the ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' comics, they were once part of the Autobot Elite Guard.
* MultipleChoicePast: In the Sunbow cartoon, Starscream created the bodies from junked WWII vehicles and inserted the minds of five renegade Decepticons. Said Decepticons could also have been part of the Autobot Elite Guard who defected to Deathsaurus' Decepticons to later be imprisoned by Megatron's Decepticons (to coincide with the TV origin, [[BroadStrokes yet still with some slight discrepances]]). And so on.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Were among the Decepticons shown boarding Scorponok in the third part of "The Rebirth", and are never seen again after.

!!!'''Onslaught''' (オンスロート ''onsurōto'')
!!!'''Function:''' Combaticon Leader
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Anti-Aircraft Truck
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onslaught_8690.jpg
->''"The mind is the greatest weapon."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Marc S. Jordon, Terry [=McGovern=] ("The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1") & Creator/SteveBulen ("The Rebirth") (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (Seasons 2, 3 and ''Scramble City''), Jin Horikawa ("The Rebirth") (JP, Cartoon), Michitaka Kobayashi and Creator/KojiTotani (JP, ''Headmasters'')
The captain of the Combaticons, as well as their primary strategist and tactician. One of Megatron's best generals, Onslaught prefers to call shots from afar. He forms the torso and head of Bruticus. His G1 toy also forms into a base/gun emplacement for Trypticon.
----
* ArmCannon: His ''Universe'' toy had a flip-out gun on his right arm as his primary weapon. Onslaught's ''Wings of Honor'' depiction drew from this design and the wrist cannon was shown to have an impressive range and a lot of firepower.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Though he prefers to have his troops carry out his plans without getting his hands dirty himself, when he does personally enter the battlefield, he is a fierce combatant.
* BerserkButton: He flies into a rage whenever [[DidntSeeThatComing something unexpected messes up his plans]].
* DubNameChange: In the Italian G1 dub, he is called '''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Destroyer]].'''
* TheLeader: Of the Combaticons.
* SonicStunner: He uses a powerful stun gun, which Bruticus also uses. Said stunner is strong enough to "stun" a hillside into powder, so the term "stun gun" is used [[SarcasmMode perhaps loosely]].
* TheStrategist: Rather than get his hands dirty, he prefers to devise strategies for his Combaticon subordinates to carry out on his behalf.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: He fires photon missiles equivalent to 3,000 ''tons'' of TNT.

!!!'''Blast Off''' (ブレストオフ ''buresuto'ofu'')
!!!'''Function:''' Space Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Modified International NASA Space Shuttle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blast_off_3623.jpg
->''"I destroy Autobots by choice, not command."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Milton James (as Milt Jamin) (EN), Creator/ShowHayami, Creator/KenyuHoriuchi ("Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4") & Eiji Yanagisawa ("The Rebirth") (JP)
The aerial surveillance specialist for the Combaticons, Blast Off monitors Autobot activity from a suborbital distance, touching down to pounce on his enemies at just the right moment. He forms the right arm of Bruticus.
----
* AloofAlly: He considers himself to be above the rest of his comrades -- figuratively and literally, given that he's often out in space.
* CoolPlane: His ''Combiner Wars'' toy gives him a thematically more appropriate Harrier jet alternate mode (though this is due to being a redeco of the Aerialbot Quickslinger/Slingshot from the same line), despite transforming into a low-altitude attack jet being quite unfitting for the character.
* DeathFromAbove: He's good at raining destruction down on Earth from orbit, with an x-ray laser that can hit targets over 12,000 miles away.
* DependingOnTheArtist: The portrayal of his face varies.
** His original ''Generation 1'' toy is sculpted with two large eyes similar to Swindle's, but his nose is painted the same color as his eyes to give him a visor. Said face also had a faceplate, and therefore, no visible mouth.
** His ''Generation 2'' repaint and ''Encore'' reissue left the nose unpainted to give him separate eyes as the sculpting intended.
** In the cartoon, his face has a faceplate like his original toy, but his ''head crest'' is colored rather than his actual eyes, giving him a visor very high up on his face. His ''Unite Warriors'' figure uses this head as a reference.
** His first ''Combiner Wars'' figure was recolored from Quickslinger's toy. As such, the figure retains Quickslinger's head, which has a visor but incongruous with any other depiction of Blast Off, no faceplate, and thus, a visible mouth. This head was used in the IDW comics. Some fans have found this choice of head bizarre, as the Quickslinger figure was a head retool of Firefly's figure, and Firefly possessed a faceplate that would have been more in line with how Blast Off was traditionally depicted. This led them to question why Firefly's head was not used instead. Said fans thus postulated that the designers prioritized the visor on Quickslinger's head as a more recognizable feature of Blast Off's face, as Firefly's head has a pair of eyes that are considerably smaller than those of Blast Off.
** His second ''Combiner Wars'' figure, which was recolored from the ''Unite Warriors'' figure, gives him two large eyes, similar to the ''Encore'' reissue figure. As is the case with the ''Encore'' figure, this figure leaves the nose unpainted to facilitate this.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: He likes to act as if he's superior to others, but that behavior is just a mask, to conceal how lonely he is when he's up in space.
* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: When the rest of the group transforms into a jeep, a tank, a missile trailer and a helicopter, his space shuttle mode looks very out of place. His ''Combiner Wars'' toy made him a more thematically appropriate fighter jet (though the Japanese ''Unite Warriors'' toyline made a different version that retained the classic space shuttle).

!!!'''Brawl''' (ブロウル or ブロール ''burōru'')
!!!'''Function:''' Ground Assault
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Leopard [=1A3=] Battle Tank
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brawlart_6353.jpg
->''"I was built to be wild."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Tony St. James (EN), Toshio Ishii (JP)
A violent berserker with a hair-trigger temper, Brawl is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. He forms the left leg of Bruticus.
----
* BoisterousBruiser: He is not only a strong fighter, but he's also a loud, noisy one.
* DumbMuscle: A fighter, not a thinker.
* HairTriggerTemper: He has an extremely foul temper that sets him off into a wild outrage.
* LightningGun: He carries a 10 megawatt electron gun in robot mode.
* LoudOfWar: He has a twin sonic cannon that can fire off sound at 300 decibels.
* TankGoodness: He transforms into a tank.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: His tank turret fires shells equivalent to 200lbs of TNT.
* WeaksauceWeakness: His turret is prone to locking up in sandy environments.

!!!'''Swindle''' (スィンドル ''suindoru'')
!!!'''Function:''' Munitions Expert
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' FMC XR-311 Combat Jeep
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/swindle_5529.jpg
->''"Make deals, not war."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Johnny Haymer (EN), Osamu Saka (main, Season 2), Kōki Kataoka ("Aerial Assault"), Ken Shiroyama (main, Season 3), Yoku Shioya ("Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2"), Minoru Inaba ("Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3"), Takurō Kitagawa ("Webworld") (JP)
The munitions specialist for the Combaticons, Swindle sees the Autobot-Decepticon conflict as an opportunity for networking, cutting deals, making profits. He forms the right leg of Bruticus.
----
* ArmCannon: His scatter blaster is mounted to his arm in the cartoon.
* ArmsDealer: He acts as the team's munitions expert, and he knows all about weapons and their market prices.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: While he's fairly well-armored in jeep mode, a direct hit on his unprotected dashboard can completely incapacitate him.
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: He's the only Combaticon to lack a faceplate and visor, leaving his face plainly visible. This distinction among his teammates reads like an attempt to appear more personable, an extremely valuable asset for a salesman like Swindle to have.
* TheBarnum: Considering how his name is ''Swindle'', it'd be kind of shocking if he didn't enjoy conning people out of cash/energon.
* BreakoutCharacter: While they were all introduced and characterized together, he has gotten the most focus out of all of them in the years since, having the most moments away from the team in the cartoon, and is the most prominent Combaticon in the IDW comics. He's also the most heavily featured of the team's ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'' counterparts, as well as the only Combaticon to be adapted into ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''.
* TheChewToy: In the IDW comics. He's had an illegal weapon that drains a victim's energon tested on him, Optimus Prime once landed on him in truck-mode and crushed him, he's had his arm shot off and hung by a chain attached to his back for interrogation, and Astrotrain ran him over and dismembered him. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Most of these happened to him for reasons contrary to his wrong doing]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's a shameless ConArtist, yet even he is disgusted by how the Micromaster Airwave treats ''everything'' as an extortion racket.
* TheFace: As a smooth-talking salesman, he often serves as the liason between the Combaticons and everybody else. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3", Swindle is even sent to negotiate with the Quintessons on behalf of all the Decepticons on Chaar.
* HonestJohnsDealership: He thrives on wheeling and dealing, and loves to... well, swindle people for his own materialistic personal gain.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: In the cartoon, most Decepticons have red eyes (to show that they're the bad guys). Swindle stands out as one of the few with purple eyes. They're also noticeably pretty large, something that's consistent about his design starting from his original toy (in an age when Transformers actually looking like their toys or vice versa was... haphazard at best). Unlike his fellow Combaticons (including Bruticus), he's the only one who doesn't sport a faceplate/visor combo.
* PragmaticVillainy: "Webworld" has Motormaster and Swindle disillusioned with the insane Galvatron, and give Cyclonus an ultimatum:
-->'''Swindle''': Either you do something about his craziness, Cyclonus--\\
'''Motormaster''': --Or we'll do something about both of ya!

!!!'''Vortex''' (Vorter (ボルター ''borutā''))
!!!'''Function:''' Interrogation
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Kaman SH-2 Seasprite Helicopter
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vortex_29.jpg
->''"I'm Vortex, fly me - if you dare."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Johnny Haymer (EN), Ken Shiroyama (main, Season 2), Yoku Shioya ("Aerial Assault"), Toshio Ishii (main, Season 3), Osamu Saka ("Surprise Party"), Eiji Yanagisawa ("The Rebirth") (JP)
The reconnaissance specialist for the Combaticons, who also doubles as an interrogator. He forms the right arm of Bruticus.
----
* BlowYouAway: He can use his rotor blades to create wind funnels of speeds up to 300 miles per hour.
* HighAltitudeInterrogation: This is his main way of interrogating enemies. However, he doesn't just hang them out of his helicopter altmode -- he also takes them on death-defying wild rides until they spill the beans.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Creating wind funnels takes a toll on his rotors, leaving them vulnerable to breaking. It also severely limits his maneuverability, making him an easy target.
* PsychoPartyMember: He is sometimes portrayed as this, being one of the more openly sadistic Combaticons and a torturer. In the 2005 IDW comics he was the only one written without any redeeming qualities, Starscream even references penchant for dropping Cybertronians from heights to kill them.
* StickySituation: He uses a semi-automatic glue gun that traps his targets in place.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Once he's done interrogating his victims, he usually lets them drop to the ground.
!!!'''Bruticus''' (ブルーティカス ''burūtikasu'')
!!!'''Function:''' Super Warrior
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bruticus_9151.jpg
->''"The road to conquest is paved with Autobot wrecks."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Roger C. Carmel (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (JP, Cartoon), Michitaka Kobayashi & Ryōichi Tanaka (JP, ''Headmasters'')
The combined form of the Combaticons. Envisioned as the ultimate front-line soldier, Bruticus was specifically designed to be more resistant to artillery and radiation than previous combiners. Though lacking in intelligence and imagination, he is nevertheless a formidable warrior when a strong leader is guiding his actions.
-----
* AchillesHeel: In the G1 Cartoon, he had three target points on his back, that when struck would take him down. ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' and the 2005 IDW Continuity emphasized his durability but noted that his main weakness was his eyes (Dion blasting him in the former caused him to separate and Ironhide fired a rocket through them in the latter damaged Bruticus's cranium so much he had to break up). The target points were also present in ''Wings of Honor'' but never taken advantage of by his enemies.
* DesperatelyNeedsOrders: He is a force to be reckoned with, but without orders to follow, he's liable to just stand around the battlefield, looking confused. This unquestioning obedience to orders, however, makes him the perfect soldier in Megatron's eyes, and as such, Megatron has frequently wished that he had an army of Bruticuses.
* DumbMuscle: He's a model military grunt. This is good in that he'll faithfully execute any commands his commanders give him...but it's bad in that he won't think for himself and won't even do ''anything'' if there's no one to tell him what to do.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Courtesy of Roger C. Carmel.
* HelicopterBlender: In the episode "The Revenge of Bruticus", he uses Vortex's helicopter blade (which is attached to his right arm) to shred a couple {{mooks}}.
* HulkSpeak: Speaks this way in the cartoon.
* TheJuggernaut: He tries, he tries so hard. ''Wings of Honor'' shows him as one, having heavy weapons and near-invincible armor, he rips his way through the Elite Guard, and even when he's brought down, there's barely enough of them left to form a team.
* MightyGlacier: He isn't quick or agile, but he is able to lift up to 500,000 pounds.
* SuperPrototype: In ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' he's established as the first combiner and he single-handedly slaughters almost all of the Autobot Elite Guard. The Decepticon's follow-up, Devastator, was taken down much easier.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gnaw (ノー ''nō'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Assault Sentry
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Alien Shark
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gnaw_8148.jpg
->''"I live for the taste of an Autobot's fuel line!"''
->'''Voiced by (generic Sharkticons):''' Creator/FrankWelker, Bud Davis (speaking in "The Quintesson Journal"), Creator/JimCummings and various others (EN), Ken Yamaguchi, Minoru Inaba & Creator/KeiichiNanba (JP, [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie movie]]), Creator/KenyuuHoriuchi & Creator/MasashiEbara (JP, series)
A Sharkticon from planet Quintessa, Gnaw's loyalties lie with whoever feeds him. He must get lots of food from the Decepticons, then, as he proudly wears their symbol.
-----
* AdaptedOut: While Sharkticons were present in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' and Season 3 of the cartoon, none of them were allied with the Decepticons like Gnaw.
* BigEater: As with all Sharkticons, and Gnaw in particular is loyal to whoever last fed him.
* EpicFlail: His weapon of choice in robot mode, which also acts as his shark-mode's tail.
* HeelFaceTurn: In at least one comic continuity, he's joined the Autobots and become Wheelie's best friend.
* ImAHumanitarian: Presumably, like most Sharkticons, he's perfectly fine with devouring Cybertronians.
* MixAndMatchCritter: Despite being referred to as sharks (Sharkticon/Sharktron), the only thing sharklike are their teeth. Their bodies are mostly like frogs while they have the spiked fins and tails like piranha.
* MookPromotion: Once a Sharkticon identical to the rest of his kind, Gnaw now holds a spot in the Decepticon army.
* SixthRanger: Curiously, the Japanese ''G1'' continuity classifies him as a Predacon.
* ThreateningShark: Well, his altmode is more akin to a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot robot frog pirahna]] thing.
* UniformityException: His Decepticon insignia is the only thing distinguishing him from any other Sharkticon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Octane/Tankor/Fuselage/Octone (オクトーン ''okutōn''/タンカー ''tankā'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Fueler
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' Extended Cab Tanker Truck, Boeing 767 Jet
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octane_3078.jpg
->''"He who has fuel, has power."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Beau Weaver (EN), Creator/KenyuuHoriuchi (JP, cartoon), Ryōichi Tanaka (JP, ''Headmasters'')
A greedy Triple Changer who becomes a jumbo jet and a fuel tanker. Octane is a mean-spirited bully who enjoys forcing planes to abort landings and watching Decepticons painfully fall inoperative due to a lack of the fuel he is supposed to provide.
-----
* AchillesHeel: In his tanker mode, he is heavily armored everywhere except for the underside.
* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Especially noticable compared to the other more consistent Decepticon Triple Changers
** In the Marvel comics he's a bully and DirtyCoward... most of the time. Other times he's a moderately competent soldier.
** In the G1 cartoon he's a greedy opportunist who eventually goes neutral and befriends Sandstorm. This persists in the Wings of Honor continuity where he's a reluctant ally to the Autobot/Decepticon alliance.
** In the classics continuity he's a high ranked soldier in Megatron's splinter faction and largely in it for the money.
** In the Legends continuity... he's a pervert and tries to make a sexy video business. [[{{Flanderization}} This was based on a gag from the cartoon in which he oggles a fembot.]]
** In the IDW continuity he's a fairly standard soldier until post-war where he goes onto be one of the more moral ex-Decepticons and works to promote peace.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: He'll do anything if it'll get him something in return. Just ask Galvatron about Trypticon's vacation in Carbombya.
* DirtyCoward: His Tech Specs give him a Courage rating of ''3''.
* DeflectorShields: He has a deflecto-shield that repels beams and artillery.
* FireBreathingWeapon: His weapon of choice is a fuel-powered flamethrower, which is fed from his own tanks.
* FriendlyEnemy: To Sandstorm.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Octane's self-serving outlook and habits of making his allies beg for drops of fuel have made him one of the more despised Decepticons. That he's able to locate fuel and transport it as well as he does is probably what keeps Megatron from kicking him out.
* HazyFeelTurn: After the Decepticons kick him out in the cartoon, he sorta sides with the Autobots, getting a job as a salvage operator, and being friendly with Sandstorm. He never actually became an Autobot, but he did seem to scheme with Starscream and Rodimus to get Galvatron killed.
* KillItWithFire: In a surprising show of backbone, Octane once takes on a Scraplet monster with the other Triple Changer Decepticons in the Marvel comics. He sets it on fire with his flamethrower, which is powered by his large fuel supply.
* KilledOffForReal:
** He dies in the Marvel comics, killed alongside his fellow Triple Changers against Starscream.
** He's also killed in the ''War & Peace'' mini-series from the Dreamwave continuity.
* IHaveManyNames: At different points, he's been renamed Tankor, Fuselage, and Oct'''o'''ne, almost always for trademark reasons.
* LosingYourHead: Sometimes the Titan Master Murk transforms into Octane's head.
* OffWithHisHead: Courtesy of Slag in the Dreamwave continuity.
* TheStarscream: He tried to be this in the cartoon episode "Thief in the Night". As with the original, this didn't work out well for him, and after getting kicked from the Decepticons, he meets the ghost of the REAL Starscream, who shows him how it's done.
* {{Troll}}: Loves to make commercial aircraft abort landings. The other Decepticons find such activities to be pointless. They're not particularly happy with his hobby of withholding fuel from them and watching as they fall painfully inoperative, either.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He teams up with Starscream and the Autobots to defeat Galvatron in "Starscream's Ghost", and when Galvatron comes back in the end, Octane just runs off, and is never seen again. Future appearances had him back in the Decepticons, but they might have just been animation errors. The fact that it's possible Octane's role in those episodes was meant to have been filled by Blitzwing doesn't help.
* WritingAroundTrademarks: Due to Hasbro losing the rights to the name Octane, he underwent a couple name changes over the decades. Hasbro seems to have decided to just go with his original Japanese name, Octone.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Predacons (Animatron (アニマトロン ''animatoron''))]]

A quintet of wild and powerful Decepticons with powerful, savage animals as their beast modes. In some continuities, they are the forebears and original leaders of the Predacon faction from ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars.'' In most continuities, they are able to combine in order to form the mighty Predaking.
----
* CombiningMecha: The team combine to form Predaking.
* CoolSword: All five Predacons (including Rampage the gunner) and Predaking use swords as weapons, and all of them have some extra feature.
* EvilCounterpart: A quintet of five vicious, near-feral robots with savage animal modes? Sounds like they fit the bill for the Dinobots (which their original commercial even pointed out).
-->'''Megatron:''' Few Decepticons can stand up to the Dinobots, but the Predacons can!
** [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by the rivalry between Divebomb and the Dinobot Swoop in the UK Marvel comics. When they picked up their rivalry on Earth, the rest of the Dinobots and the rest of the Predacons joined in the fight. The Dinobots were less than impressed.
** After the Dinobots merge into the Beast in ''The Beast Within" comic series, the Predacons form Predaking to try and counteract it, only for the latter to be easily killed by the former.
** This rivalry is also emphasized in the ''Power of the Primes'' toyline and the [[WebAnimation/TheTransformersPowerOfThePrimes accompanying animated series]], ''Earth Wars'' game, and the ''Generations Selects Special comic'', all of which feature Predaking clashing with the Dinobots' combined form, Volcanicus.
* {{Foil}}: The Predacons are this to their ArchEnemy in the cartoon, Sky Lynx. To wit, while they're a group of five Transformers that [[CombiningMecha combine]] into the gestalt Predaking, Sky Lynx can split into two autonomous components that are still considered parts of him. While the Predacons have humanoid robot modes, animal alternate modes, and a humanoid combined form, Sky Lynx's combined robot mode and those of his components are animalistic, and he has vehicular alternate modes for both his components and combined form. Ironically, the Predacons were initially conceived as an ''Autobot'' subgroup called the Anibots, which would have debuted in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'' and whose members would have beastial alt-modes and could combine into a massive robot dragon. On the other hand, Sky Lynx was frequently shown in the cartoon bearing a ''Decepticon'' insignia, suggesting that a character model of him with the insignia existed (and not by animation errors) and was being used frequently in the cartoon, leading to speculation that he was initially planned to be a Decepticon.
* KilledOffForReal: The hunters became the hunted in the Marvel comics thanks to Starscream during his Underbase power-trip. Some continuations of the story have some or all of them recover, however.
* MythologyGag: The stickers included with the Predacons' ''Power of the Primes'' figures contain the Japanese ID numbers of their respective ''G1'' figures as part of their detail.
* NonIndicativeName: While powerful and highly dangerous, buffalo and rhinos are not predator animals.
* PredecessorVillain: Certain continuities establish them as the founders of the Predacon faction in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''. When the Decepticons accept the Autobot's offer for peace, the Predacons separate from them, gathering together former dissidents and protoforms to begin the conflict anew.
* RememberTheNewGuy: The Predacons simply show up without any origin in the original cartoon's third season, though Japanese media would claim they were created by the Quintessons as a means of gaining the Decepticons' trust during "Five Faces of Darkness" (though that explanation ignores Razorclaw, Headstrong and Divebomb briefly being seen among the Decepticon forces beforehand).
* TheRival: They've had a couple over the course of the G1 continuity.
** As mentioned above, under EvilCounterpart, a commercial and various pieces of media pit them against the Dinobots.
** The cartoon gives them a recurring enmity with the massive and powerful Autobot, Sky Lynx. This is reminiscent of fellow Decepticon combiner Devastator's rivalry with the another massive Autobot super soldier, Omega Supreme. Notably, Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme had a common origin, with both characters' toys having been manufacted by Tomy under contract by a company called Toy Box, whom Hasbro licensed the toys from as ''Transformers'' characters.
** The ''[[Anime/TransformersHeadmasters Headmasters]]'' anime frequently depicted the Japanese original Autobot combiner Raiden sparring with Predaking. Despite this, Raiden's on-package bio stated that his rival was Devastator, a nod to how both combiners originated in the precursor ''Diaclone'' toyline before their figures were incorporated into the ''Transformers'' franchise.
* SixthRanger:
** The Japanese ''G1'' continuity strangely classifies the Sharkticon Gnaw as a member of the Predacons.
** Predaking's ''Power of the Primes'' figure additionally includes the Prime Master of Onyx Prime, one of the original Thirteen Transformers.
* SwordAndGun: All the Predacons use swords and guns at the same time, and each of those has a distinctive function or advantage.

!!!'''Razorclaw''' (レーザークロー ''rēzākurō'' or レーザークロウ ''rēzākurou'')
!!!'''Function:''' Predacon Leader
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Lion
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/razorclaw_6544.jpg
->''"All good things succumb to those who wait."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Joe Leahy (EN), Minoru Inaba (JP)
The captain of the Predacons, and one of the most fearsome assassins in the Decepticon ranks. He forms the head and torso of Predaking.
----
* AbsurdlySharpBlade: His claws are able to rip through one foot-thick steel.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His habit of remaining perfectly still until he believes the time is right to strike can sometimes lead to his joints locking in place, severely hampering his movement.
* InASingleBound: In lion mode, he can leap distances as long as a football field (120 yards or 110 meters).
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: He wields twin concussion blasters, which do the bulk of their damage through physical force.
* KingOfBeasts: He transforms into a mechanical lion and commands the Predacons, who also transform into beasts.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: In "Nightmare Planet", after being freed from Daniel's nightmares, they're ready to go after Rodimus and the Autobots -- all except Headstrong, whose leg had been injured by a giant Nightmare Galvatron badly enough to keep him from transforming into his beast mode. Knowing that without him, they can't form Predaking, Razorclaw calls for a retreat (since without Predaking, the odds are with the Autobots, not them).
* TheLeader: Of the Predacons.
* NoNonsenseNemesis: He doesn't clown around when he's on the hunt -- he won't waste a drop of energon unless he's certain the results are worth it. He's willing to go long periods of staying motionless (causing others to mistake this for laziness) until the opportune time to strike, when he finally goes all-out.
* {{Vibroweapon}}: He wields a sonic sword, the vibrations of which shatter metal on contact. Predaking also uses this sword as a weapon.

!!!'''Divebomb''' (Dimebomb (ダイムボム ''daimubomu'')/Divebomb (ダイブボム ''daibubomu'')
!!!'''Fuction:''' Aerial Assault
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Eagle
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/divebomb_7049.jpg
->''"Conquer the skies and below you will fall."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Laurie Faso (EN), Creator/KenyuuHoriuchi (JP)
The Predacons independent-minded air warrior, who likes to "live comfortably" when he's not hunting targets. He forms the left arm of Predaking.
----
* AffablyEvil: He's the most cheerful of the Predacons, particularly (and especially) when he has several targets to choose from while in the air.
* BrutalBirdOfPrey: He's the only Predacon whose alternate mode is not mammalian. Specifically, he's an eagle.
* FeatheredFiend: He transforms into a mechanical eagle.
* HeadHat: The head of his eagle mode serves as a helmet of sorts for his robot head.
* LaserSight: Has a very unusual example in that his ''sword'' uses it -- specifically, it locks onto a target and guides the sword towards it.
* TheRival: To Swoop, the TokenFlyer of the Dinobots. In the Marvel comics, he took Swoop's original name (Divebomb) for himself after besting him in combat.
* SigilSpam: His ''Power of the Primes'' figure becomes this if you choose to apply all of his stickers, as most of the many stickers that go on his wings each has a miniature Decepticon symbol printed on them.
* ThievingMagpie: He has shades of this, using late-model sports cars (among other things) to build mecha-nests for himself on buildings and mountains.
* TokenFlyer: He's this for the team as his alt mode is an eagle.
* WeaksauceWeakness: His internal guidance system is vulnerable to electromagnetic interference, which causes him to lose control and even crash.
!!!'''Headstrong/Headlock''' (ヘッドストロング ''heddosutorongu'')
!!!'''Function:''' Ground Assault
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Rhinoceros
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/headstrong_4775.jpg
->''"The best advice is not to listen to advice."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Ron Feinberg (EN), Takurō Kitagawa (JP)
The ground assault specialist for the Predacons, Headstrong is stubborn and reckless. He uses his tenacity to compensate for his shortcomings, such as his lack of intelligence. He forms the left leg of Predaking.
----
* EnergyBall: He uses a plasma-sphere shooter that fires explosive energy balls.
* HollywoodAcid: He releases corrosive acid from his rhino mode's horns.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: He acts stubborn to hide his own deep insecurities. Too bad for him that he's more susceptible to psychological (rather than physical) attacks.
* MasterOfIllusion: He uses a diffraction sword, which bends light and makes him appear somewhere he isn't while hiding his true location.
* RhinoRampage: His beast form is a rhinoceros.
* TalkingTheMonsterToDeath: Thanks to his deep-seated insecurities, he's vulnerable to this. If an opponent starts questioning his resolve, he's more likely to collapse under the weight of his own doubts than from an enemy attack.
* UseYourHead: Since he transforms into a horned animal, this is naturally a favored tactic of his.
!!!'''Rampage''' (ラムページ ''ramupēji'' or ランページ ''ranpēji'')
!!!'''Function:''' Gunner
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Tiger
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rampage_2065.jpg
->''"Those who conquer, act; those who are conquered think."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Laurie Faso (EN), Osamu Saka (JP, cartoon), Ryōichi Tanaka (JP, ''Headmasters'')
A ferocious warrior who is easily distracted when Razorclaw isn't there to supervise his shenanigans. He forms the right arm of Predaking.
----
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Rampage is different type. Seemingly, television is his FatalFlaw.
* FlamingSword: He uses a thermo-sword that can reach temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees.
* HairTriggerTemper: As his name implies, he is prone to frequent and violent rages.
* InASingleBound: He can jump up to 300ft high and 500ft long in tiger mode.
* LightningGun: He uses a 60,000 volt lightning rifle as a weapon.
* PantheraAwesome: Transforms into a mechanical tiger.
* UnstoppableRage: He goes through this a lot, and friend and foe get torn to shreds during these outbursts. Strangely, TV is one way of keeping him under control; rock music videos in particular keep him enraptured for hours.
!!!'''Tantrum''' (タントラム ''tantoramu'')/'''Torox''' (トロックス ''torokkusu'')
!!!'''Function:''' Fueler
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Buffalo
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tantrum_4470.jpg
->''"Anger gets me running better than any other fuel."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Philip L. Clarke (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (JP, cartoon) Creator/MasaharuSato (JP, ''Headmasters'')
A violent berserker who lives for brute force and destruction. He forms the right leg of Predaking.
----
* BrutishBulls: He turns into a water buffalo.
* ChemistryCanDoAnything: One of his weapons is a catalytic carbine, which sprays a foe with reactive chemicals and forms hazardous compounds on contact with metal.
* InformedAbility: His function is to refuel his teammates, and he carries four fuel tanks to serve this purpose. He's never seen actually performing that function.
* HairTriggerTemper: As his name implies, he is prone to frequent and violent rages.
* HornedHumanoid: Retains the horns from his beast mode in robot mode.
* LogicalWeakness: His external fuel tanks, while heavily armored, could easily explode if breached by enemy fire.
* ShockAndAwe: He wields an electro-sword and can shoot bolts of electricity from his horns (up to 20,000 volts). Predaking can also generate a protective electric field.
* UseYourHead: Since he transforms into a horned animal, this is naturally a favored tactic of his.
* WritingAroundTrademarks: Tantrum's later figures bear the name "Torox", likely owing to Hasbro not being able to trademark his original name.

!!!'''Predaking''' (プレダキング ''puredakingu'')
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/predaking_1369.jpg
->''"Destroy first, ask questions later."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Bud Davis (EN), Minoru Inaba (JP, cartoon), Yukimasa Kishino (JP, ''Zone'')
The combined form of the Predacons, Predaking serves as the ultimate hunting robot. The smartest of the gestalt combiners, Predaking's components are united by their shared love of the hunt, producing a single complete persona.
-----
* ArchEnemy: Sky Lynx in the cartoon.
* GeniusBruiser: Unusually for combiners, the Predacons' mental merging as Predaking is successful, resulting in a highly effective (if animalistic) super warrior.
* GodInHumanForm: His ''Power of the Primes'' toy includes Onyx Prime's Prime Master, which is contained behind Razorclaw's lion head, and thus the robot chests of Razorclaw and Predaking. The inclusion of Onyx Prime's Prime Master, who was the first Transformer with a beast form, is likely owing to the animalistic nature of the team.
* InformedAbility: He is supposedly a nigh-unbeatable [[GeniusBruiser Genius]] LightningBruiser. In all the myriad continuities in which Predaking has appeared (excluding the toy commercials), however, the big guy acts like a dumb brute and has had perhaps ''one'' victory against anyone, [[EnemyCivilWar and that was against the Combaticons]].
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: After Devastator, Predaking is only the second gestalt in the franchise to not be a Scramble City combiner (a combiner wherein the robots that form its limbs can swap places with each other or other limb robots from other such combiners). The arms and legs of his ''G1'' and ''Power of the Primes'' figures can swap sides, but are not interchangeable.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: The individual Predacons are dangerous and well-armed by themselves, but as a combiner, Predaking takes it to a new level, being a successful (if animalistic) merge of the five.
* WingsDoNothing: Divebomb's wings detach to form Predaking's wings. Though it looks [[RuleOfCool visually impressive]], Predaking is just too big to get any lift from them. PlayedForLaughs in the ''Power of the Primes'' where Predaking falls into a chasm and tries to flap them in an attempt to slow down his descent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ratbat (ラットバット ''rattobatto'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Fuel Scout
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Micro-Cassette
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ratbat_4982.jpg
->''"The road is my dinner plate."''
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker (EN), Ken Shiroyama (JP, cartoon and ''Scramble City''), Ken Yamaguchi & Creator/HochuOtsuka (JP, ''Headmasters'')
The Decepticons' cold-blooded and efficiency-obsessed fuel scout, who tends to criticise the waste of fuel in each Decepticon plan. He's one of Soundwave's tapes, but sometimes he finds himself in a high position despite his size -- often to the position of Decepticon leadership!
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* AdaptationalBadass: His Marvel comics incarnation is a great deal more effective than his other characterizations; besides being a rather effective Decepticon leader for a Mini-Cassette, [[http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/0/0c/Ratbatfortmax.jpg he managed to take on]] ''[[HumongousMecha Fortress Maximus]]''.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: In the Sunbow cartoon, he was shown to have an animalistic intelligence like all animal Transformers. In the Marvel comics, he was Cybertron's chief fuel auditor, with a talent for calculating expenditures and profits. The Japanese cartoons split the difference: He filled the same role that his Western animation counterpart did, but was smarter (ProperlyParanoid of Autobot spy [[TheMole Counterpunch]]) and capable of speech.
* BalefulPolymorph: IDW afflicts him with a robotic form of this -- once a humanoid with bat-like features, his former goon Soundwave places his spark into a smaller body that is all bat.
* BatOutOfHell: His robot mode is that of a giant mechanical bat.
* BigBad: Some continuities have him be in some position of Decepticon leadership.
** In the Marvel comics, it was really more of a BigBadDuumvirate with Scorponok, until Scorponok killed him.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Decepticon equivalent of one, using "fuel" and "energy efficiency" in the context that a human would use "money" or "profit." An issue of the Marvel comic mentions that he was an accountant before the war.
-->'''Narrator:''' On Cybertron, Ratbat was an accountant. He used to count fuel stockpiles. But since his arrival on Earth, this energy-efficiency expert has become commander of this planet's Decepticons. Today he prepares to count Autobot casualties. To Ratbat, it's all the same job... just a different inventory.
* CorruptPolitician: In the IDW comics, he is shown to have once been a senator who did immoral things for profit, such as arming Megatron's little band of gladiators (not that [[BalefulPolymorph it ended well for him]]).
* DependingOnTheWriter: While most continuities have him capable of speech and put him in some high ranking position, the cartoon merely made him TheUnintelligible and a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for Laserbeak.
** The Dreamwave comics attempted a sort of middle ground; during the ''War Within'' era he's a relatively powerful warlord with [[http://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/5/57/Ratbatwarwithin.jpg a bipedal body]]. However, once Shockwave conquered Cybertron, Ratbat refused to swear fealty to him, so as punishment, he was dismantled and reformatted into a more animalistic form closer to his cartoon counterpart.
* EvilOverlord: In the Marvel comics, he became Decepticon leader for a considerably long while, and later G1 material has put him in a similarly high position of power.
* FantasticRacism: Shares the average Decepticon hatred of humans, but will put this prejudice aside for the right business opportunities.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In IDW, he was a greedy senator who used Megatron's uprising for his personal gain. Then his minion, Soundwave, betrayed him, destroyed his body and placed his spark in his current "cassette" body, thus making ''him'' Soundwave's servant.
* InTheBack: How Scorponok killed him.
* ItsAllAboutMe: His only allegiance is to himself. As for his friends? They're not friends, just business partners.
* KilledOffForReal: Offed by Scorponok in the Marvel comics and Arcee in the IDW comics.
* MisterBig: While he's usually larger than the mini-cassette he transforms into, he's still a good deal smaller than most of the Decepticons he finds himself leader of in most continuities (such as the Marvel comics).
* NonActionBigBad: Played with in the comics; he's a businessman, not a soldier. However, when he does have to fight, he takes full advantage of his flight maneuverability, shoulder mounted blasters, and powerful bite.
* TheQuietOne: He could talk in the Japanese animated continuity, but only did so in three episodes of ''Headmasters''.
* SensorCharacter: His wings contain sensors that can locate fuel sources. His primary function per his Tech Specs is as a fuel scout for the Decepticons.
* SizeShifter: Turns from a microcassette into a bat. His Tech Specs note that his wingspan can change from being one foot to ten feet, implying he can also change his robot mode size.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: While supposedly the Decepticons' fuel scout, the cartoon used him more often as a spy as if he were Laserbeak (who made less and less appearances in the third season).
* VampiricDraining: He refuels himself by biting into the gas-lines of cars. He prefers high-quality cars as they have higher-quality fuel. He can also use this bite to take down Autobots.
* WasOnceAMan: Sometimes (most prominently in IDW), he was once a humanoid Transformer before being [[BalefulPolymorph unwillingly given a new animal robot mode]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Runabout (ラナバウト ''ranabauto'') and Runamuck (ラナマック ''ranamakku'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Shock Troopers
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Lotus Turbo Esprit Sportscar (Runabout), Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sportscar (Runamuck)
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/runabout_2561.jpg
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/runamuck_3454.jpg
->'''Runabout:''' ''"A pretty car makes an even prettier wreck."''
->'''Runamuck:''' ''"The road is my playpen; cars are my toys!"''
->'''Voiced by:''' Roger Behr (both, EN), Yoku Shioya (Runabout, JP), Creator/TomomichiNishimura (Runamuck, JP)
A duo of Decepticons collectively known as the Battlechargers, with the ability to transform faster than any other Transformer, taking under half a second to do so. The two are dim, but equally committed to causing chaos and mayhem.
-----
* AffablyEvil: Sometimes, like in the ''Wings of Honor'' continuity, they happily inform Jhiaxus of the war, and even give advice on how to pursue a fembot to Sideburn.
* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Both of them suffer this to an extent, but Runabout in particular. He's easily distracted and prone to indulging in flights of fancy, random violence, and petty vandalism.
* ChaoticStupid: Both are violent, short-sighted, impulsive, "wacky", and not as clever as they think they are.
* CoolCar: Both transform into different sports cars.
* DelusionsOfEloquence: One of the few differences between them is that while Runabout is fully aware that the duo's pranks and graffiti are childish and silly (and gladly embraces this fact), Runamuck has deluded himself into believing that he's a brilliant, Banksy-style artist who creates revolutionary art and social commentary. His art is actually poorly scribbled phrases like "humans are wimps".
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Though not to the extreme of the Stunticons, the Battlechargers have little regard for humans and their silly little traffic laws.
* EvilCounterpart: In toy terms, they mirror the Autobot Jumpstarters, another duo with a quick-change gimmick.
* {{Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain}}s: In most continuities, like in Marvel, where they put graffiti on the Statue of liberty, and especially in the Wings Continuity, where they are incredibly dim, and fairly awkward.
* TheHyena: Runamuck's constant chuckles are always written as "heh heh," almost to the point of a VerbalTic.
* KilledOffForReal: They suffer this fate in both the Marvel and IDW comics.
* LongBusTrip: In the Marvel comics, the two effectively vanished after their debut appearance. They eventually returned as members of Shockwave's rebel Decepticons, taking part in the attack on Scorponok's base.
* MonumentalDamage: Though more like monumental petty vandalism, since their most memorable moment is [[http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Decepticon_Graffiti! spray-painting "Humans are wimps!" on the Statue of Liberty.]]
* PaletteSwap: Averted, surprisingly. You'd think from their designs that they share a body type and were just recolors of each other like the Seekers, but they have noticeably different heads, bodies, and legs. They were produced simultaneously so it's likely each one had his own mold instead of one being retooled to make the other.
* PlayingWithFire: Runamuck's friction rifle increases the generation of heat between molecules for five minutes, meaning a target hit with it will burn to death if they make even the slightest move before then.
* {{Psychopathic Manchild}}ren: Basically what you get if WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead were giant robots.
* RedOniBlueOni: Runamuck's Red to Runabout's Blue -- and Runabout is only the Blue Oni by being compared to Runamuck.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Stunticons (Stuntron (スタントロン ''sutantoron''))]]
A quintet of Decepticon car soldiers who [[DysfunctionJunction barely manage to work together as a team]]. They can merge to form the saber-wielding giant, Menasor.
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* AdaptationPersonalityChange: Their toy bios paint them as a DysfunctionJunction with the combined Menasor being insane from the group's hatred of Motormaster and conflicting psyches. The cartoon portrays them more like a group of standard tough guys with Menasor acting more like DumbMuscle than TheBerserker.
* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: The group saves Megatron from Bruticus and Starscream when they combine in "Starscream's Brigade" -- earlier, Bruticus had taken out Devastator and was about to get Megatron to submit to Starscream. Only Motormaster's point about Starscream's ego not knowing when to quit got them to do it though.
* CarFu: Their ''modus operandi''. They were specifically built to be able to demolish anything and everything on the road, in fact. [[MeaningfulName Wildrider]] is the worst driver of the bunch, though.
* CastAsAMask: For "Masquerade," where Autobots who closely resemble their alt-modes impersonate them, the voices of Motormaster and Wildrider (Roger C. Carmel and Terry [=McGovern=]) are used when Optimus and Windcharger impersonate them.
* CombiningMecha: They combine into Menasor.
* CoolCar: All of them transform into cars (or a truck in Motormaster's case).
* DependingOnTheArtist: Menasor's cartoon model either depicted them attaching to Motormaster directly forming the limbs like every other combiner (and the toy), or Motormaster's limbs growing in size and his teammates attaching to the outside, making the combination process to achieve a large robot mostly pointless. The IDW comics [[ReimaginingTheArtifact build on the latter idea]] by having parts detach from Motormaster to form forearms and feet with the rest of the Stunticons forming the missing parts needed for full limbs.
* DubNameChange: In the Italian G1 dub, each Stunticon is named after a predatory animal who got a military vehicle named after them:
** '''Motormaster''' = '''Barracuda'''
** '''Drag Strip''' = '''Iguana'''
** '''Dead End''' = '''Cobra'''
** '''Wildrider''' = '''Shark'''
** '''Breakdown''' = '''Caiman'''
* DysfunctionJunction: Every one of them has a disorder of some sort.
* ThePsychoRangers: Of the Aerialbots. Played straight in the comics, but interestingly [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in the cartoon, as the Stunticons were created first: Megatron originally built them because the Autobots thwarted his plans one too many times by being able to drive into places where Decepticon jets couldn't follow them, and he decided he needed his own fleet of cars. That they were mistaken for Autobots early in their existence was a nice bonus.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: They ''despise'' each other, yet the four smaller cars are united in how much they hate and fear Motormaster. They're forced to join minds to form Menasor and are thus constantly to exposed to each other's neuroses and loathing. The only way they manage to work together is because they fear Motormaster or, more likely, fear the possible wrath of Megatron if they don't cooperate and do as he commands.
* VillainDecay: In their debut appearance in the cartoon, they had "automatic [[ForceField forcefields]]" that made their hulls impenetrable, and were more than capable of pounding practically the entirety of the Autobot forces. In later appearances, they were taken down much easier, with no mention of their forcefields.

!!!'''Motormaster/Motorbreath''' (モーターマスター ''mōtāmasutā'')
!!!'''Function:''' Stunticon Leader
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Kenworth [=K100=] Aerodyne Tractor Trailer Truck; Modular Repair Bay
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/motormaster_9425.jpg
->''"These wheels are made for crushing."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Roger C. Carmel (EN), Kōji Totani (JP, cartoon and ''Scramble City''), Michitaka Kobayashi (JP, ''Headmasters'')
A blockade runner who serves as the Captain of the Stunticons. Motormaster's Earth-based configuration was chosen to serve as a [[EvilCounterpart demented parody]] of Autobot Leader Optimus Prime. But while [[AFatherToHisMen Prime commands with compassion and respect]], Motormaster leads through bullying and intimidation. He forms the head and torso of Menasor and can also become a Modular Repair Bay for Trypticon.
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* BadBoss: He treats his teammates like trash, which ultimately hampers Menasor's mental acuity since his four limbs all hate him.
-->'''Red Alert''': How vile must a Decepticon be to earn the hatred and disgust of his own comrades? Motormaster is the answer to that question. It's not just his [[TheUnfettered absolute cruelty and remorseless]] that make him a menace, it's the [[FauxAffablyEvil unhidden joy that he takes in causing pain and suffering]], even among his own troops.
* BlowYouAway: He uses a cyclone cannon to fire off devastating high-force winds.
* CombatPragmatist: He realizes in "Starscream's Brigade" that Starscream's ego would not let Starscream and Bruticus stop with just defeating Megatron and Devastator. This lets him convince the other Stunticons to form Menasor and defeat Starscream and Bruticus.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: He's a notoriously BadBoss to the Stunticons, but even ''he'' can't abide the literal madness that drives Galvatron to actively open fire on his men.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Courtesy of Roger C. Carmel. "Bottomless pit" deep, in this case.
* GuideDangIt: His Modular Repair Bay mode was supposed to attach to Trypticon. This is never mentioned anywhere on Motormaster's packaging, instead being documented only on Trypticon's instructions.
* LargeAndInCharge: He is the largest of the quintet in both modes and acts as their tyrannical boss.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Considers Optimus Prime to be his rival as "King of the Road" and goes out of his way to destroy him before Megatron can. In the cartoon, he finally gets his chance in "Masquerade" to go up against Optimus when he [[GameOfChicken rams the Autobot leader at maximum speed when they're both in their truck forms]].
-->'''Motormaster:''' Well, look who's here! The ''old'' King of the Road! [[BadassBoast When I'm finished with ya, you'll be King of the Junkyard]]!
** The resulting collision gives Optimus a headache...while also [[EpicFail leaving Motormaster utterly wrecked from his front grill, windscreen and tires, to his huge ego and vehicular status]].
* PragmaticVillainy: "Webworld" has him and Swindle disillusioned with the insane Galvatron, and give Cyclonus an ultimatum:
--> '''Swindle:''' Either you do something about his craziness, Cyclonus--
--> '''Motormaster:''' --Or we'll do something about both of ya!
* RammingAlwaysWorks: He was designed to smash through enemy ground blockades, and his tech specs even go so far as to describe him plowing through K-rails without even cracking a headlight. Doesn't do him much good against Optimus, though.
* SmallNameBigEgo: EvilCounterpart or not, he's not nearly as close to Optimus Prime's weight class as he thinks he is.
* UnknownRival: His vendetta against Prime is mostly one-sided, with Optimus already having an ArchEnemy in Megatron.

!!!'''Breakdown''' (ブレークダウン ''burēkudaun'')
!!!'''Funtion:''' Scout
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Lamborghini Countach Sportscar
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/breakdown_7105.jpg
->''"Keep your optical sensors to yourself."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/AlanOppenheimer (main) & Jack Angel ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1") (EN), Creator/KeiichiNanba (main), Takurō Kitagawa ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1") & Creator/ShowHayami ("Cosmic Rust" and "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1) (JP)
The saboteur for the Stunticons, Breakdown is equipped with a sonic emitter that can cause mechanical failures in other vehicles. He forms the right leg of Menasor.
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* MeaningfulName: His name is Breakdown and can cause other vehicles to ''break down'' with his weapon.
* TheParanoiac: Thinks everyone and everything, living or nonliving, is out to get him.
* WeaksauceWeakness: He suffers from a leaky fuel pump, which seriously hampers his endurance.

!!!'''Dead End''' (デッドエンド ''deddoendo'')
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Porsche 928 Sportscar
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dead_end_9573.jpg
->''"We are all just food for rust."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Philip L. Clarke (EN), Creator/MasashiEbara (main, Season 2), Creator/KeiichiNanba ("Starscream's Brigade"), Creator/TomomichiNishimura (main, Season 3) & Ken Shiroyama (Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1) (JP)
A brooding, cynical nihilist who sees existence itself as a little more than a losing battle against entropy and decay. Nevertheless, he is a fierce warrior when he is properly motivated to fight. He forms the left arm of Menasor.
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* BlowYouAway: He wields a compressed air cannon powerful enough to demolish an entire grove of oak trees in a single blast.
* TheEeyore: He sees no point in the Transformers' war and is convinced that life itself is meaningless.

!!!'''Drag Strip/Dragstrip''' (Drag Stripe (ドラッグストライプ ''doraggusutoraipu'')/Drag Strip (ドラッグストリップ ''doraggusutorippu''))
!!!'''Function:''' Warrior
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Tyrrell [=P34=] Racecar
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/drag_strip_8369.jpg
->''"The first one to cross the finish line '''lives'''."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Ron Grans (EN), Kōki Kataoka (main, Season 2), Creator/ShowHayami ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1"), Yutaka Shimaka ("Masqurade") & Creator/KenyuHoriuchi (Season 3) (JP)
A vain, egocentric car soldier who specializes in hit and run attacks. He forms the right arm of Menasor.
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* TheFriendNobodyLikes: ''None'' of the other Decepticons, Megatron included, can stand his constant bragging and glory seeking. If it didn't make him a dangerous and motivated foe against the Autobots, Megatron would've gladly reduced him to scrap.
* GloryHound: Very obsessed with victory, to the point where he'd rather die than lose. [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating And when he does win, he'll make sure everyone knows it]].
* GravityMaster: He has a gravito-gun, which enhances the gravity of its target, tearing them to pieces.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His obsession with competition can cause him to overheat, or be easily baited into a fight he can't win.
* LeeroyJenkins: Tends to recklessly rush into battle, only to discover that he has bitten off more than he can chew.
* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: He loves brushing his ego and bragging about his accomplishments at any opportunity he can get.

!!!'''Wildrider''' (ワイルドライダー ''wairudoraidā'')/'''Brake-Neck''' (ブレークネック ''burēkunekku'')
!!!'''Function:''' Terrorist
!!!'''Alt Mode:''' Ferrari 308 GTB Sportscar
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wildrider_5647.jpg
->''"Either you're out of my way or you're out of luck."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' [=Terry McGovern=] (EN), Ken Shiroyama (main, Season 2), Yutaka Shimaka ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2"), Takurō Kitagawa ("Tans-Europe Express") & Yoku Shioya (Season 3) (JP)
A violent psychotic, Wildrider serves as a one-bot demolition derby. He tends to take point in missions, because his fellow Stunticons are afraid to drive anywhere near him. He forms the left leg of Menasor.
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* AxCrazy: He exults himself in the accidents and mayhem he causes.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: While all Stunticons do this, he goes above and beyond largely because he himself ''is'' crazy.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: His crazy driving style can lead to tire blowouts.
* InsaneEqualsViolent: While this applies to all the Stunticons, he's the most overt example.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: Subverted. Those who don't know him believe his mad attacks are part of a calculated strategy to unnerve the enemy. Those who ''do'' know him better are aware that he really ''is'' that crazy.
* TheParanoiac: Hates quiet because he's convinced there are enemies out there, waiting to pounce.
* UnexplainedAccent: In "The Burden Hardest to Bear," he inexplicably develops a DeepSouth accent.
!!!'''Menasor''' (メナゾール ''menazōru'')
!!!'''Fuction:''' Super Warrior
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/menasor_8872.jpg
->''"Leave no Autobot uncrushed."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Regis Cordic (main) & Roger C. Carmel ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2") (EN), Kōji Totani (JP, cartoon and ''Scramble City''), Creator/HochuOtsuka & Creator/TomomichiNishimura (JP, ''Headmasters''), Masato Hirano (JP, ''Zone'')
The combined form of the Stunticons. Because of his violent, unstable nature, Menasor is generally deployed alone into battlefields where neither finesse nor oversight are necessary.
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* AxCrazy: Rendered this as a result of his components all despising Motormaster.
* BlowYouAway: Is still capable of using Motormaster's cyclone gun when combined.
* DumbMuscle: He's an idiot like nearly every other combiner, but he is made worse by the fact that since '''all''' five components absolutely ''hate'' each other, he is a ''self-loathing and criminally insane'' idiot.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: When Megatron's constructed weapon explodes in the cartoon episode "Masquerade", Autobot reinforcements arrive. Menasor retreats, as the number of Autobots greatly increased from five.
* OutOfFocus: Menasor appeared a grand total of ''once'' in the whole of Marvel's comics.
* ThisCannotBe: He is insulted in "Masquerade" when "Motormaster" (really Optimus Prime in disguise) accuses ''him'' of being an impostor, but this trope hits when with Windcharger's magnetism and Mirage's illusion-creating ability, the "Stunticons" form a '''second Menasor!'''
--> '''Starscream:''' IMPOSSIBLE!\\
'''Megatron:''' (looking at them both) ''Two'' Menasors??\\
'''Menasor #1:''' Can't be! '''I''' Menasor! Me!
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: When he is formed, he is very powerful. Too bad that his components not only consist of a cruel tyrant, an egotistical glory-hog, a nihilist, a paranoid wreck and a complete nutter, but also that all of them hate the cruel tyrant. As such, this practically makes Menasor a ''walking asylum''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Trypticon (Dinosaurer (ダイナザウラー ''dainazaurā'')]]
!!!'''Function:''' Assault Base
!!!'''Alt Modes:''' Fortress, Mobile Battle Station
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/trypticon_5582.jpg
->''"Total victory requires total destruction."''
-> '''Voiced by:''' Creator/BradGarrett (EN), Yutaka Shimaka (JP, cartoon), Masato Hirano (JP, ''Headmasters''), Creator/DaisukeGori (JP, ''Zone'')
A giant saurian robot who transforms into a battle station and a city. He acts as the Decepticons' ultimate weapon, but he finds war to be a pointless and boring prospect. His G1 toy includes two drones under his control named Brunt (a tank) and Full-Tilt (a car that becomes a robot). The Marvel comics add a third drone, a robot named Wipe-Out.
-----
* AdaptationalBadass:
** The ''Legends'' comics gives Trypticon an [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:LG-43-Legends-Trypticon-new-mode.jpg additional monster mode]] by taking his spaceship mode, transforming the legs backwards, and using the front of the spaceship as the head. His ''Titans Return'' figure can be converted into this form.
** Brunt was originally depicted in most G1 fiction as being nothing more than a tank drone that had no autonomy of his own, and aside from being a tank, can split up into armaments for Trypticon. The ''War for Cybertron: Siege'' toyline turns him into a full-fledged Transformer, giving him an actual robot mode. Said toyline also gives him the ability to split into weapons and armor that can be utilized by other Transformers, not just Trypticon.
* AdaptationalDumbass: While Trypticon's Marvel depiction and Tech Specs don't exactly paint him as a genius, they don't make him out to be an idiot. The Sunbow cartoon, however, essentially turned him into an upscaled, evil Grimlock, to the point they even got ''Creator/BradGarrett'' (an actor known to be type-cast as dim-witted thugs) to voice him.
* AdaptationalHeroism: In the 2005 IDW comics. Trypticon had a reputation as a fearsome monster but only because so many other characters controlled him. When left to his own devices he chooses to fulfill his purpose as a Titan and create new Cybertronian life rather than extinguish it. He also befriends Slug and the Dinobots and acts as a grumpy ally to the Autobots. Wipe-Out was also imagined as a neutral character who aided the Autobots, though his connection to Trypticon removed.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: In the Dreamwave comics, he acts an awful lot like a GeniusBruiser.
* AdaptationalSuperpowerChange: His ''Titans Return'' toy replaces his battle station mode with a spaceship mode instead.
* AdaptationalWimp:
** His toy bio mentioned him having the ability to MindControl others, and possessing AntiGravity projectors in his city mode that kept his enemies away. Neither of those abilities show up in any other media.
** While his Sunbow cartoon incarnation was no genius, he was treated as a major problem that couldn't be handled easily. In the ''Headmasters'' anime, he's taken out by Wheelie. ''Wheelie''.
* AdaptedOut: Brunt and Full-Tilt effectively never existed in the Sunbow cartoon, with Full-Tilt only appearing as part of Trypticon's chest. Likewise, Brunt only "appears" as the centre tower in Trypticon's city mode, and the main cannon in battle station mode.
* TheArtifact: His rivalry with Metroplex, which came from them both being the biggest toys of 1986. Pretty much no depiction of them since the cartoon has actually had them as rivals.
* BigEater: Oh yeah, he consumes '''50 energon cubes''' (50000 barrels of oil) '''an hour'''!
* BrilliantButLazy: There's no questioning Trypticon's raw power, but he cares very little for it, or for the war in general.
* CoolCar: He has a car drone named Full-Tilt, which can transform into a small robot. The Marvel comics also featured the similar character Wipe-Out.
* CompositeCharacter: In a sense, as Brunt's ''War for Cybertron: Siege'' figure gives the previously non-transforming tank drone a new robot mode heavily based upon the Centurion droids that guard Vector Sigma, in particular the IDW comic depiction of them. Recursively, Brunt's figure was then later redecoed into said Centurion droid.
* DroneDeployer: Full-Tilt can be sent out in any of his forms (hanging on Trypticon's chest when not in use). When in his alt-modes, Trypticon can send out Brunt as well.
* EquippableAlly: Brunt is able to split up into armaments for Trypticon. ''War for Cybertron: Siege'' figure further has the ability to turn his parts into weapons and armor for other Transformers.
* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: His robot mode resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Being voiced by Brad Garrett (cartoon) and Creator/FredTatasciore (video game adaptations) tends to help.
* FauxAffablyEvil: His Dreamwave incarnation talks in a sophisticated and polite fashion, as he's testing his weapons out on Prowl's troops.
* GeniusLoci: He can transform into a city and a fully armed mobile battle station.
* HiddenDepths: "Call of the Primitives" showed him as being quite the team player during the animal Transformers' brief alliance, humbly following Sky Lynx's directions, and taking steps to keep the others from fighting while within his body.
* HumongousMecha: He's a city-sized dinosaur that can turn into a mobile battle station.
* InformedAttribute: His bio states that Trypticon secretly finds warfare boring and pointless, and is filled with much self-loathing. This has been brought up precisely ''never''.
* LosingYourHead: Not Trypticon himself, but Full-Tilt, whose ''Titans Return'' toy has the Titan Master Necro (a renamed Wipe-Out) form his head.
* MeaningfulName: "Trypticon" is derived from "triptych", used to refer to a painting or object that's divided into three hinged segments. When in his battle station or city modes, Trypticon transforms by effectively splitting into three attached segments.
* MindControlDevice: Strangely enough, Trypticon's optical sensor has a hypno beam (which he has never used).
* OmnicidalManiac: While he finds war boring, once he starts attacking, he won't stop until there's nothing but rubble.
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Giant city-sized dinosaur? Yep. Strength and Firepower ratings of 10? Yep. A WeaponOfMassDestruction as an altform? When they say he's the Decepticons' ultimate weapon, they're not exaggerating.
* TheRival: He functions as this to the Autobots' giant city-bot, Metroplex.
* RunningGag: In the Sunbow cartoon, every time Metroplex defeats him, Trypticon ends up being thrown into a large body of water.
* ShoutOut: As was probably bound to happen with a giant dinosaur-bot, there's been more than one time where Trypticon has been used as an homage to the king of kaiju, Franchise/{{Godzilla}}. The ''Legends'' comic even goes as far as naming his ''Titans Return'' form "[[Film/ShinGodzilla Shin Dinosaurer]]".
* StoryBreakerPower: If Trypticon was ever depicted as being as powerful as a city-sized 'bot armed to the teeth and then some ''should'' be... there probably wouldn't be many Autobots left. This probably has something to do with his scant appearances in most media.
** In the Japanese exclusive ''Transformers: Zone'', Trypticon is one of the nine "Warriors Elite" [[ResurrectedForAJob resurrected]] by the BigBad. They destroy an entire planet in a matter of ''minutes''.
* SwallowedWhole: His ''Titans Return'' figure can "eat" Titan and Prime Masters if they are dropped into his mouth. A compartment in his stomach can be opened to retrieve them. He would do this in the ''Legends'' comics, gobbling up many Headmasters to steal their energy.
* TankGoodness: While in city mode, a tank drone called Brunt is deployed.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: His mouth contains heat-seeking plasma bombs.
* WeaponOfMassDestruction: Trypticon's battle station mode is armed with a laser cannon, rotating blasters, destructo-beams and dual photon launchers. Oh, and it can move and is around the size of a city.
* YesMan: Wipe-Out Trypticon's right-hand syncophant, laying so much praise and compliments upon him that he annoys the city-bot at times.
* YourSizeMayVary: Trypticon's size has never been consistent. In the Marvel comics, he was only around two to three times the size of regular Transformers, while other depictions make him as tall as a building or two. Meanwhile, his size hardly ever comes close to representing a robot the size of an entire human-scaled city (let alone one scaled for Transformers).
[[/folder]]

* GeniusBruiser: Has an Intelligence score of 10 out of 10 and is capable of singlehandedly bashing Autobots into the ground.

--->'''Megatron:''' Get this straight: ''I'' am Decepticon Leader. YOU are recyclable!

** The ''Legends'' comics gives Trypticon an [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/File:LG-43-Legends-Trypticon-new-mode.jpg additional monster mode]] by taking his spaceship mode, transforming the legs backwards, and using the front of the spaceship as the head. His Titans Return figure can be converted into this form.

* AdaptationalBadass: Brunt was originally depicted in most G1 fiction as being nothing more than a tank drone that had no autonomy of his own, and aside from being a tank, can split up into armaments for Trypticon. The ''War for Cybertron: Siege'' toyline turns him into a full-fledged Transformer, giving him an actual robot mode. Said toyline also gives him the ability to split into weapons and armor that can be utilized by other Transformers, not just Trypticon.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Whenever he is VERY happy, making the accompanying EvilLaugh all the more creepy.

-->'''Jetfire:''' His plans tend to be bad for everyone.
-->'''Aileron:''' Bad's a vague word, Jetfire. I mean, Pyra thinks Optimus is doing bad, but Starscream—
-->'''Jetfire:''' Shockwave once attempted to collapse all of space and time to a point—to not only destroy the universe, but to cause there to have never been one.
-->'''Aileron:''' Oh, you mean ''[[KnightOfCerebus bad]]''. Got it.

-->'''Shockwave:''' The strong will survive, Orion Pax. And we shall build a new Cybertron on Earth. Our tainted past will finally be put behind us, and a new future stands ready for the taking. A Last Empire, if you will.
-->'''Optimus Prime:''' [[YoureInsane You're mad]].

-->'''Shockwave:''' There is a finite amount of everything. Even identities. [[BecomingTheMask And I am no longer sure which version of myself was the real one]].
-->'''Prowl:''' [[KirkSummation They]] ''[[KirkSummation all]]'' [[KirkSummation were, Shockwave. All that was done to you, all that you did to yourself... all that you did to others. We are our actions... not our hopes]].

-->'''Shockwave:''' [[AnyLastWords I will now allow you a few moments to beg for your life before I execute you for gross incompetence.]]
-->'''Megatron:''' Beg? It is you who should beg me, Shockwave -- for ''my'' forgiveness! [[{{Hypocrite}} If I am to be faulted for running into a trap, consider this -- you sat here and watched as a trap sprang up around you!]] Yes, Shockwave -- for is the Ark's apparent vulnerability was but a distraction from the true situation at Autobot base, then the Autobot raid here could be no less! Surely, the raid here had an ulterior goal! I can't say what it was, but I'm certain the Autobots achieved it, and I'm even more certain it is of great importance to them! As of Decepticons lost today -- [[WeHaveReserves they mean nothing! They can be replaced!]] But at least the Autobots now know they can never have a moment's rest as long as we are here to strike at them at any time!
-->'''Shockwave:''' [[SincerityMode Your argument is sound.]] I ''have'' failed...[[DragonAscendant and you have succeeded, Commander.]]

%%* TheStarscream: On occasion.

-->'''Starscream:''' Dirge died.
-->'''Skywarp:''' Dirge? Aw, hell, I kinda liked that idiot.

--> "There will be no war today, Optimus Prime; you have earned Galvatron's respect."

--->'''Cyclonus:''' Mighty Galvatron ''please!!'' We must use ''strategy'' and--
--->'''Galvatron:''' ''[punches him into outer space]'' Strategy is for ''cowards!!''

--->'''Galvatron:''' [[KryptoniteFactor I now possess that which you most fear.]] [[BullyingADragon You will do my bidding or taste my wrath!]]
--->'''Unicron:''' [[DoNotTauntCthulhu You underestimate me, Galvatron]]. For a time, I considered sparing your wretched little planet Cybertron. But now, you shall witness its dismemberment!

* TheConsigliere: In the cartoon, he is constantly trying to keep Galvatron's AxCrazy attitude in line. Compared to Starscream however, who is a compulsive CommanderContrarian, Cyclonus is just trying to keep things smoothly for his master, aware many Decepticons are just a stone throw away from turning on their commander as much as the Autobots he risks diving head first into in his insane rampages.

* CoolStarship: Cyclonus transforms into a space fighter, sometimes even serving as Galvatron's personal transport.

--> "Warriors such as you and I should meet their end in ''battle.''"

'''Galvatron:''' ''[punches him into outer space]'' Strategy is for ''cowards!!''

* AdaptationDyeJob: Scourge's beard in the box art appears white (or light grey on his toy itself). In the cartoon, it's [[DependingOntheArtist either]] dark blue, dark greyish blue, dark grey, or black.

* BerserkButton: Onslaught flies into a rage whenever [[DidntSeeThatComing something unexpected messes up his plans]].

* SonicStunner: Onslaught uses a powerful stun gun, which Bruticus also uses. Said stunner is strong enough to "stun" a hillside into powder, so the term "stun gun" is used [[SarcasmMode perhaps loosely]].
* TheStrategist: Rather than get his hands dirty, Onslaught prefers to devise strategies for his Combaticon subordinates to carry out on his behalf.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: Onslaught fires photon missiles equivalent to 3000 ''tons'' of TNT.

* AloofAlly: Blast Off considers himself to be above the rest of his comrades -- figuratively and literally, given that he's often out in space.
* CoolPlane: Blast Off's ''Combiner Wars'' toy gives him a thematically more appropriate Harrier jet alternate mode (though this is due to being a redeco of the Aerialbot Quickslinger/Slingshot from the same line), despite transforming into a low-altitude attack jet being quite unfitting for the character.
* DeathFromAbove: Blast Off is good at raining destruction down on Earth from orbit, with an x-ray laser that can hit targets over 12,000 miles away.

** Blast Off's first ''Combiner Wars'' figure was recolored from Quickslinger's toy. As such, the figure retains Quickslinger's head, which has a visor but incongruous with any other depiction of Blast Off, no faceplate, and thus, a visible mouth. This head was used in the IDW comics. Some fans have found this choice of head bizarre, as the Quickslinger figure was a head retool of Firefly's figure, and Firefly possessed a faceplate that would have been more in line with how Blast Off was traditionally depicted. This led them to question why Firefly's head was not used instead. Said fans thus postulated that the designers prioritized the visor on Quickslinger's head as a more recognizable feature of Blast Off's face, as Firefly's head has a pair of eyes that are considerably smaller than those of Blast Off.

* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Blast Off likes to act as if he's superior to others, but that behavior is just a mask, to conceal how lonely he is when he's up in space.
* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: When the rest of the group transforms into a jeep, a tank, a missile trailer and a helicopter, Blast Off's space shuttle mode looks very out of place. His ''Combiner Wars'' toy made him a more thematically appropriate fighter jet (though the Japanese ''Unite Warriors'' toyline made a different version that retained the classic space shuttle).

* BoisterousBruiser: Brawl is not only a strong fighter, but he's also a loud, noisy one.

* HairTriggerTemper: Brawl has an extremely foul temper that sets him off into a wild outrage.
* LightningGun: Brawl carries a 10 megawatt electron gun in robot mode.
* LoudOfWar: Brawl has a twin sonic cannon that can fire off sound at 300 decibels.
* TankGoodness: Brawl transforms into a tank.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: Brawl's tank turret fires shells equivalent to 200lbs of TNT.

* ArmsDealer: Swindle acts as the team's munitions expert, and he knows all about weapons and their market prices.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: While Swindle is fairly well-armored in jeep mode, a direct hit on his unprotected dashboard can completely incapacitate him.
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: Swindle is the only Combaticon to lack a faceplate and visor, leaving his face plainly visible. This distinction among his teammates reads like an attempt to appear more personable, an extremely valuable asset for a salesman like Swindle to have.

* BreakoutCharacter: While they were all introduced and characterized together, Swindle has gotten the most focus out of all of them in the years since, having the most moments away from the team in the cartoon, and is the most prominent Combaticon in the IDW comics. He's also the most heavily featured of the team's ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'' counterparts, as well as the only Combaticon to be adapted into ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''.
* TheChewToy: Swindle in the IDW comics. He's had an illegal weapon that drains a victim's energon tested on him, Optimus Prime once landed on him in truck-mode and crushed him, he's had his arm shot off and hung by a chain attached to his back for interrogation, and Astrotrain ran him over and dismembered him. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Most of these happened to him for reasons contrary to his wrong doing]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Swindle is a shameless ConArtist, yet even he is disgusted by how the Micromaster Airwave treats ''everything'' as an extortion racket.

* HonestJohnsDealership: Swindle thrives on wheeling and dealing, and loves to... well, swindle people for his own materialistic personal gain.

-->'''Swindle''': Either you do something about his craziness, Cyclonus--
-->'''Motormaster''': --Or we'll do something about both of ya!

* BlowYouAway: Vortex can use his rotor blades to create wind funnels of speeds up to 300 miles per hour.
* HighAltitudeInterrogation: This is Vortex's main way of interrogating enemies. However, he doesn't just hang them out of his helicopter altmode -- he also takes them on death-defying wild rides until they spill the beans.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Vortex. Creating wind funnels takes a toll on his rotors, leaving them vulnerable to breaking. It also severely limits his maneuverability, making him an easy target.
* PsychoPartyMember: Vortex is sometimes portrayed as this, being one of the more openly sadistic Combaticons and a torturer. In the 2005 IDW comics he was the only one written without any redeeming qualities, Starscream even references penchant for dropping Cybertronians from heights to kill them.
* StickySituation: Vortex uses a semi-automatic glue gun that traps his targets in place.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Once Vortex is done interrogating his victims, he usually lets them drop to the ground.

* AchillesHeel: In the G1 Cartoon, Bruticus had three target points on his back, that when struck would take him down. ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' and the 2005 IDW Continuity emphasized his durability but noted that his main weakness was his eyes (Dion blasting him in the former caused him to separate and Ironhide fired a rocket through them in the latter damaged Bruticus's cranium so much he had to break up). The target points were also present in ''Wings of Honor'' but never taken advantage of by his enemies.
* DesperatelyNeedsOrders: Bruticus is a force to be reckoned with, but without orders to follow, he's liable to just stand around the battlefield, looking confused. This unquestioning obedience to orders, however, makes him the perfect soldier in Megatron's eyes, and as such, Megatron has frequently wished that he had an army of Bruticuses.
* DumbMuscle: Bruticus is a model military grunt. This is good in that he'll faithfully execute any commands his commanders give him...but it's bad in that he won't think for himself and won't even do ''anything'' if there's no one to tell him what to do.

* TheJuggernaut: Bruticus tries, he tries so hard. ''Wings of Honor'' shows him as one, having heavy weapons and near-invincible armor, he rips his way through the Elite Guard, and even when he's brought down, there's barely enough of them left to form a team.
* MightyGlacier: Bruticus isn't quick or agile, but he is able to lift up to 500,000 pounds.
* SuperPrototype: In ''ComicBook/TransformersWingsOfHonor'' Bruticus is established as the first combiner and he single-handedly slaughters almost all of the Autobot Elite Guard. The Decepticon's follow-up, Devastator, was taken down much easier.

* {{Foil}}: The Predacons are this to their ArchEnemy in the cartoon, Sky Lynx. To wit, while the Predacons are a group of five Transformers that [[CombiningMecha combine]] into the gestalt Predaking, Sky Lynx inverts this, possessing the ability to split into two autonomous components that are still nonetheless considered parts of the same singular Transformer. While the Predacons have humanoid robot modes, animal alternate modes, and a humanoid combined form, Sky Lynx's combined robot mode and those of his components are animalistic, and he has vehicular alternate modes for both his components and combined form. Ironically, the Predacons were initially conceived of as an ''Autobot'' subgroup called the Anibots, which would have debuted in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''. Similarly, to the Predacons, the Anibots had beastial alternate modes, but unlike the Predacons, could combine into a massive robotic dragon. On the other hand, Sky Lynx was frequently shown in the cartoon bearing a ''Decepticon'' insignia. This suggests that rather than animation errors, a character model of him with the insignia existed and was being used frequently in the cartoon, leading to speculation that he was initially planned to be a Decepticon.

* AbsurdlySharpBlade: Razorclaw's claws are able to rip through one foot-thick steel.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Razorclaw's habit of remaining perfectly still until he believes the time is right to strike can sometimes lead to his joints locking in place, severly hampering his movement.

* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: Razorclaw wields twin concussion blasters, which do the bulk of their damage through physical force.
* KingOfBeasts: Razorclaw transforms into a mechanical lion and commands the Predacons, who also transform into beasts.

* NoNonsenseNemesis: Razorclaw doesn't screw around when he's on the hunt -- he won't waste a drop of energon unless he's certain the results are worth it. He's willing to go long periods of staying motionless (causing others to mistake this for laziness) until the opportune time to strike, when he finally goes all-out.
* {{Vibroweapon}}: Razorclaw wields a sonic sword, the vibrations of which shatter metal on contact. Predaking also uses this sword as a weapon.

* AffablyEvil: Divebomb is the most cheerful of the Predacons, particularly (and especially) when he has several targets to choose from while in the air.
* BrutalBirdOfPrey: Divebomb is the only Predacon whose alternate mode is not mammalian. Specifically, he's an eagle.
* FeatheredFiend: Divebomb transforms into a mechanical eagle.

* LaserSight: Divebomb has a very unusual example in that his ''sword'' uses it -- specifically, it locks onto a target and guides the sword towards it.

* SigilSpam: Divebomb's ''Power of the Primes'' figure becomes this if you choose to apply all of his stickers, as most of the many stickers that go on his wings each has a miniature Decepticon symbol printed on them.
* ThievingMagpie: Divebomb has shades of this, using late-model sports cars (among other things) to build mecha-nests for himself on buildings and mountains.
* TokenFlyer: Divebomb is this for the team as his alt mode is an eagle.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Divebomb's internal guidance system is vulnerable to electromagnetic interference, which causes him to lose control and even crash.

* EnergyBall: Headstrong uses a plasma-sphere shooter that fires explosive energy balls.
* HollywoodAcid: Headstrong releases corrosive acid from his rhino mode's horns.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Headstrong acts stubborn to hide his own deep insecurities. Too bad for him that he's more susceptible to psychological (rather than physical) attacks.
* MasterOfIllusion: Headstrong uses a diffraction sword, which bends light and makes him appear somewhere he isn't while hiding his true location.
* RhinoRampage: Handstrong's beast form is a rhinoceros.
* TalkingTheMonsterToDeath: Thanks to his deep-seated insecurities, Headstrong is vulnerable to this. If an opponent starts questioning his resolve, he's more likely to collapse under the weight of his own doubts than from an enemy attack.

* FlamingSword: Rampage uses a thermo-sword that can reach temperatures of up to 5,000 degrees.

* LightningGun: Rampage uses a 60,000 volt lightning rifle as a weapon.

* UnstoppableRage: Rampage goes through this a lot, and friend and foe get torn to shreds during these outbursts. Strangely, TV is one way of keeping him under control; rock music videos in particular keep him enraptured for hours.

* BrutishBulls: Tantrum turns into a water buffalo.
* ChemistryCanDoAnything: One of Tantrum's weapons is a catalytic carbine, which sprays a foe with reactive chemicals and forms hazardous compounds on contact with metal.
* InformedAbility: Tantrum's function is to refuel his teammates, and he carries four fuel tanks to serve this purpose. He's never seen actually performing that function.

* ShockAndAwe: Tantrum wields an electro-sword and can shoot bolts of electricity from his horns (up to 20,000 volts). Predaking can also generate a protective electric field.

* GodInHumanForm: Predaking's ''Power of the Primes'' toy includes Onyx Prime's Prime Master, which is contained behind Razorclaw's lion head, and thus the robot chests of Razorclaw and Predaking. The inclusion of Onyx Prime's Prime Master, who was the first Transformer with a beast form, is likely owing to the animalistic nature of the team.
* InformedAbility: Predaking is supposedly a nigh-unbeatable [[GeniusBruiser Genius]] LightningBruiser. In all the myriad continuities in which Predaking has appeared (excluding the toy commercials), however, the big guy acts like a dumb brute and has had perhaps ''one'' victory against anyone, [[EnemyCivilWar and that was against the Combaticons]].

* BatOutOfHell: Ratbat's robot mode is that of a giant mechanical bat.

* CorruptPolitician: In the IDW comics, Ratbat is shown to have once been a senator who did immoral things for profit, such as arming Megatron's little band of gladiators (not that [[BalefulPolymorph it ended well for him]]).

* EvilOverlord: In the Marvel comics, Ratbat became Decepticon leader for a considerably long while, and later G1 material has put him in a similarly high position of power.

* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In IDW, Ratbat was a greedy senator who used Megatron's uprising for his personal gain. Then his minion, Soundwave, betrayed him, destroyed his body and placed his spark in his current "cassette" body, thus making ''him'' Soundwave's servant.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Ratbat's only allegiance is to himself. As for his friends? They're not friends, just business partners.

* MisterBig: While he's usually larger than the mini-cassette he transforms into, Ratbat is still a good deal smaller than most of the Decepticons he finds himself leader of in most continuities (such as the Marvel comics).

* SensorCharacter: Ratbat's wings contain sensors that can locate fuel sources. His primary function per his Tech Specs is as a fuel scout for the Decepticons.

* WasOnceAMan: Sometimes (most prominently in IDW), Ratbat was once a humanoid Transformer before being [[BalefulPolymorph unwillingly given a new animal robot mode]].

* CastAsAMask: For "Masquerade," where Autobots who closely resemble the Stunticons' alt-modes impersonate them, the voices of Motormaster and Wildrider (Roger C. Carmel and Terry [=McGovern=]) are used when Optimus and Windcharger impersonate them.
* CombiningMecha: Menasor.

* DependingOnTheArtist: Menasor's cartoon model either depicted the Stunticons attaching to Motormaster directly forming the limbs like every other combiner (and the toy), or Motormaster's limbs growing in size and his teammates attaching to the outside, making the combination process to achieve a large robot mostly pointless. The IDW comics [[ReimaginingTheArtifact build on the latter idea]] by having parts detach from Motormaster to form forearms and feet with the rest of the Stunticons forming the missing parts needed for full limbs.

* TeethClenchedTeamwork: The Stunticons ''despise'' each other, yet the four smaller cars are united in how much they hate and fear Motormaster. They're forced to join minds to form Menasor and are thus constantly to exposed to each other's neuroses and loathing. The only way they manage to work together is because they fear Motormaster or, more likely, fear the possible wrath of Megatron if they don't cooperate and do as he commands.
* VillainDecay: In their debut appearance in the cartoon, the Stunticons had "automatic [[ForceField forcefields]]" that made their hulls impenetrable, and were more than capable of pounding practically the entirety of the Autobot forces. In later appearances, they were taken down much easier, with no mention of their forcefields.

* BadBoss: Motormaster treats his teammates very poorly, which ultimately hampers Menasor's mental acuity since his four limbs all hate him.

* BlowYouAway: Motormaster uses a cyclone cannon to fire off devastating high-force winds.
* CombatPragmatist: Motormaster realizes in "Starscream's Brigade" that Starscream's ego would not let Starscream and Bruticus stop with just defeating Megatron and Devastator. This lets him convince the other Stunticons to form Menasor and defeat Starscream and Bruticus.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Motormaster is a notoriously BadBoss to the Stunticons, but even ''he'' can't abide the literal madness that drives Galvatron to actively open fire on his men.

* GuideDangIt: Motormaster's Modular Repair Bay mode was supposed to attach to Trypticon. This is never mentioned anywhere on Motormaster's packaging, instead being documented only on Trypticon's instructions.
* LargeAndInCharge: Motormaster is the largest of the quintet in both modes and acts as their tyrannical boss.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Motormaster considers Optimus Prime to be his rival as "King of the Road" and goes out of his way to destroy him before Megatron can. In the cartoon, he finally gets his chance in "Masquerade" to go up against Optimus when he [[GameOfChicken rams the Autobot leader at maximum speed when they're both in their truck forms]].

* PragmaticVillainy: "Webworld" has Motormaster and Swindle disillusioned with the insane Galvatron, and give Cyclonus an ultimatum:

* RammingAlwaysWorks: Motormaster was designed to smash through enemy ground blockades, and his tech specs even go so far as to describe him plowing through K-rails without even cracking a headlight. Doesn't do him much good against Optimus, though.

* WeaksauceWeakness: Breakdown suffers from a leaky fuel pump, which seriously hampers his endurance.

* BlowYouAway: Dead End wields a compressed air cannon powerful enough to demolish an entire grove of oak trees in a single blast.
* TheEeyore: Poor, poor Dead End. He sees no point in the Transformers' war and is convinced that life itself is meaningless.

* TheFriendNobodyLikes: ''None'' of the other Decepticons, Megatron included, can stand Drag Strip's constant bragging and glory seeking. If it didn't make him a dangerous and motivated foe against the Autobots, Megatron would've gladly reduced him to scrap.
* GloryHound: Drag Strip is obsessed with victory, to the point where he'd rather die than lose. [[UnsportsmanlikeGloating And when he does win, he'll make sure everyone knows it]].
* GravityMaster: Drag Strip has a gravito-gun, which enhances the gravity of its target, tearing them to pieces.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Drag Strip's obsession with competition can cause him to overheat, or be easily baited into a fight he can't win.

* UnsportsmanlikeGloating: Drag Strip loves brushing his ego and bragging about his accomplishments at any opportunity he can get.

* AxCrazy: Wildrider exults himself in the accidents and mayhem he causes.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: While all Stunticons do this, Wildrider goes above and beyond largely because he himself ''is'' crazy.

* InsaneEqualsViolent: While this applies to all the Stunticons, Wildrider is the most overt example.
* ObfuscatingInsanity: Subverted. Those who don't know Wildrider believe his mad attacks are part of a calculated strategy to unnerve the enemy. Those who ''do'' know him better are aware that he really ''is'' that crazy.

* UnexplainedAccent: In "The Burden Hardest to Bear," Wildrider inexplicably develops a DeepSouth accent.

* DumbMuscle: Menasor is an idiot like nearly every other combiner, but he is made worse by the fact that since '''all''' five components absolutely ''hate'' each other, he is a ''self-loathing and criminally insane'' idiot.

* ThisCannotBe: Menasor is insulted in "Masquerade" when "Motormaster" (really Optimus Prime in disguise) accuses ''him'' of being an impostor, but this trope hits when with Windcharger's magnetism and Mirage's illusion-creating ability, the "Stunticons" form a '''second Menasor!'''

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: When Menasor is formed, he is very powerful. Too bad that his components not only consist of a cruel tyrant, an egotistical glory-hog, a nihilist, a paranoid wreck and a complete nutter, but also that all of them hate the cruel tyrant. As such, this practically makes Menasor a ''walking asylum''.

Megatron's overly-ambitious, egoistic second-in-command and leader of the Seekers who often schemes to usurp leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron.

* SixthRanger: The Japanese ''G1'' continuity strangely classifies the Sharkticon Gnaw as a member of the Predacons. Predaking's ''Power of the Primes'' figure additionally includes the Prime Master of Onyx Prime, one of the original Thirteen Transformers.

*** Ironically, the Predacons were initially conceived of as an ''Autobot'' subgroup called the Anibots, which would have debuted in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie''. Similarly, to the Predacons, the Anibots had beastial alternate modes, but unlike the Predacons, could combine into a massive robotic dragon. On the other hand, Sky Lynx was frequently shown in the cartoon bearing a ''Decepticon'' insignia, suggesting that rather than animation errors, a character model of him with the insignia existed and was being used frequently, leading to speculation that he was initially planned to be a Decepticon.

* GodInHumanForm: Predaking's ''Power of the Primes'' toy includes Onyx Prime's Prime Master, which is contained behind Razorclaw's lion head, and thus the robot chests of Razorclaw and Predaking.

Megatron's ambitious, egoistic second-in-command and leader of the Seekers who often schemes to usurp leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron.

Megatron's second-in-command and leader of the Seekers who often schemes to usurp leadership of the Decepticons from Megatron.

*** He managed to absorb the Underbase while playing both sides, and killed off many, MANY Transformers, Autobot and Decepticon alike.

* DependingOnTheArtist: Devastator's cartoon model had two different head designs - one without a red visor (seen in "Heavy Metal War") and one with. The latter seems to have been adopted as the official design. Both interpretations are used in the 2019 IDW run, with the two eyed version representing the Constructicons being in control of the gestalt, while the visor represents Devastator's own personality taking over.

* YouDontLookLikeYou: Downplayed, but Long Haul's ''Combiner Wars'' toy makes him significantly stockier and chunkier compared to his orginial toy and depictions in the comic and cartoon.