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* DidntThinkThisThrough: The founder of the "''Decepti''"-"''cons''" has his BadLiar moments. When trying to convince an amnesiac Optimus/Orion Pax that the Decepticons were the good guys in the War for Cybertron, Megatron creates a story with two gaping flaws: 1) Ratchet is the supposed leader of the Autobots, and 2) Starscream - his still-listed second-in-command - is dead. It's an ironic case where telling the truth and being ''DECEPTIVE'' about it could have made the ruse last longer. First, Megatron could have told Orion that Optimus Prime was, in fact, the leader of the Autobots, leaning into the idea that they're two different people and that Orion is a dead ringer for him (both of which are true, due to the amnesia). Second, instead of claiming the obviously-still-alive Starscream was dead, it would have been simpler to call him what he was: a deserter. Consulting Soundwave so that their stories lined up would've also been a good idea.
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* FantasticRacism: They have a generally low opinion of humans; viewing them as vermin. Knock Out is an exception though, he admires human culture for its automobiles and cinematic movies (at drive-in theaters).
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* FantasticRacism: They have a generally low opinion of humans; viewing them as vermin. Knock Out is an exception though, he admires human culture for its automobiles and cinematic movies (at drive-in theaters). Megatron occasionally has lapses of this, admiring Raphael's resilience after being scorched by Dark Energon, admitting to Jack's worthiness in holding the Matrix of Leadership and the Key to Vector Sigma, and being genuinely startled by Miko's tenacity when told she was the one who killed Hardshell.
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* NeverMyFault: A consistent theme of such a thuggish group that has heightened Megatron's sense of forgiveness and his intolerance for "preening." Generally speaking, whenever the Autobots fail, they introspect and blame themselves if it really is their fault. Whenever the Decepticons fail, they blame the Autobots or each other. However, Megatron is the pinnacle of the notion since the escalation of the war - after the Old Guard had already fallen - was all a means to craft his throne and seize it. Whenever the question comes up of how Cybertron was destroyed, the Autobots will say that it was the war itself and that everyone had their reasons for fighting and acting out of desperation, even defending the likes of Megatron and Soundwave over the mistreatment that made them become Decepticons; if the discussion is among the Decepticons, they tactlessly say it was only the Autobots' fault and try to vilify the Primes as holier-than-thou tyrants.
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* GreenEyedMonster: Megatron's hidden agenda before founding the Decepticons was to seize the power of the Primes, blatantly giving himself the same name as an existing one. After being passed up for his friend Orion Pax, he severed their friendship and one of his goals became to undermine the legacy of the Primes by snuffing them all out, later painting them as tyrants who held back his efforts to create a better Cybertron. Once he attaches Leige Maximo's arm to himself and becomes able to wield the Primes' unique power, [[AGodAmI it goes to his head.]]
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Let's not overestimate the extent of his regard for Knock Out. While, yes, we can see a friendship that Starscream didn't seek to establish for pragmatic reasons, Starscream isn't above throwing KO under a bus, like he did in "Thirst". As for his relationship with Megatron, he indeed ended up becoming loyal, but affirming that he came to see him like a father figure is bold, to say the least...
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** He comes to ''genuinely'' care for Knock Out as a friend and sees [[spoiler:Megatron]] as a kind of father figure when the latter [[spoiler:gives him the forgiveness that he frankly is undeserving of,]] enough so to be torn by genuine grief and rage when [[spoiler: Bumblebee kills him.]]
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** He comes starts to ''genuinely'' care for consider Knock Out as a friend and sees comes to respect [[spoiler:Megatron]] as a kind of father figure when the latter [[spoiler:gives him the forgiveness that he frankly is undeserving of,]] enough so to be torn by genuine grief and rage when [[spoiler: Bumblebee kills him.]]
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Additional names are not needed in the folder if Optimus Prime is any indication
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[[folder:Megatron/Megatronus/D-16]]
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-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeDecepticons his folder.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
to:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SteveBlum, Creator/SatoshiTsuruoka (Japanese), Creator/JoseAntonioMacias (Latin American Spanish)
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1" (''Transformers: Prime''), "Pretzel Logic" (''Transformers: Robots in Disguise''; voice only), "Mighty Big Trouble" (''Transformers: Robots in Disguise''; onscreen)
[[quoteright:1000:https://static.tvtropes.
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One
[[caption-width-right:350:''"I have always considered my wits to be my sharpest weapon."'']]
-->''"I am no stranger to ambition."''
Originally an Air Commander of the Seekers and neutral during the civil war, Starscream found himself enticed by the power Megatron commanded and wished to acquire it for himself, rising in the ranks to eventually become Megatron's
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* AcePilot: Naturally, being the commander of the Seekers. Starscream's flight skills are his biggest credit, and he pulls off maneuvers that would put even the best human pilots to shame. Even when navigating terrain not ideal for fighter jets, such as a cave or the interior of a ship, Starscream is a master flyer.
* AdaptationalIntelligence: In terms of scheming, this is by far one of the most competent versions of Starscream; he tends to be a bit more strategic in his planning and is much better at feigning loyalty to Megatron, compared to his ''G1'' and ''Animated'' incarnations, who both tended to be rather shortsighted and could not have been more obvious about their intentions.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Not to the extent of his ''Armada'' counterpart but Starscream undergoes some pretty significant character development he normally doesn't get in other media. While he starts out his normal, treacherous and ambitious self, Starscream gradually learns to genuinely respect Megatron as a leader. He eventually becomes one of the most loyal Decepticons. He'll also show some small instances of mercy and help save those who have spared his life in the past, like in Arcee's case where he considered the debt paid after rescuing her from Airachnid. [[spoiler: When Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Shockwave has to physically restrain Starscream to stop him from suicidally trying to avenge him.]]
* AdaptationalWimp: He's a rather weak fighter compared to his ''Unicron Trilogy'' and ''Animated'' counterparts (the latter show directly preceding this one), both of whom could fight entire teams of Autobots to a stand-still, this Starscream barely ever poses a physical threat to the Autobots. In fact, in "Armada" one of his clones, which is equal in strength to him, gets bludgeoned to death by Bulkhead quite effortlessly.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Whenever Starscream's threatened by someone with the ability to end his life, he invariably devolves into a groveling mess.
* AntiVillain: Make no mistake, Starscream is a selfish, egotistical, sadistic jerk to the core, but most of the time, particularly after he is cast out from the Decepticons, he's just doing his best to survive when he's surrounded by people that pose a massive threat to his life and despise him. Hell, his treachery is motivated just as much by his awareness Megatron will likely kill him eventually as it is by his ambition and ego.
* ArmorOfInvincibility: Possesses the Apex Armor a few times throughout the series.
* AwesomeButImpractical: His wrist mounted missiles can cause major damage, but he only has one on each arm and he's unable to reload in the heat of battle.
* BadassBoast: "I studied under our former master for millennia. Therefore, I am ''equipped'' to lead you! I, Megatron's true heir, '''LORD STARSCREAM''', '''''EMPEROR OF DESTRUCTION!'''''" Subverted almost immediately after, since not even the Vehicons are impressed.
* BadBoss: Technically better than Megatron, but that's not saying much. The only reason he's not as violent as Megatron is he lacks Megatron's brute strength.
* BaritoneOfStrength: His voice is less screechy, but more sneaky, yet menacing, courtesy of Creator/SteveBlum.
* BastardUnderstudy: To Megatron.
* BatmanGambit: Pulls one in "Evolution" where he lures the Autobots to Shockwave's lab [[spoiler:in hopes that they would destroy the Predacons to prevent Predaking from forming a rebellion, and also trick Predaking into destroying the Autobots.]] Also doubles as a XanatosGambit.
* BerserkButton: Don't insinuate that he's not in charge. Cliffjumper found this out the hard way and Wheeljack would have met the same fate if Soundwave hadn't restrained Starscream. Likewise, Starscream probably would have killed Agent Fowler if not for the Autobots' intervention. This stops being an issue as he goes through CharacterDevelopment, but he still reacts poorly to people questioning his authority.
* BigBadDuumvirate: He and Shockwave briefly ''attempt'' to become this after [[spoiler: Megatron's death]] by working together to rebuild the Decepticons and clone a new army of Predacons to conquer Cybertron. [[BigBadWannabe Unicron's arrival, among other factors, puts an end to it]].
* BigBadWannabe: [[DragonAscendant He's actually in command of the Decepticons]] for the first half of Season 1 due to Megatron's ConvenientComa, but it's clear that he doesn't command the same respect among the troops that his master does, and when Megatron returns, Starscream quickly falls by the wayside and never manages to upstage him. Even when Megatron is out of the picture in Predacons Rising, Screamer can barely get two Mooks to serve him.
* BigNo: [[spoiler:When Megatron is killed and is falling off the Nemesis, towards the Earth, ''Starscream'' of all bots is screaming in rage.]]
* BigOlEyebrows: So big his eyelids are hidden right under them.
* BreakTheHaughty: The second half of Season 1, and Operation Bumblebee.
* BroughtDownToNormal: A downplayed example, but he spends most of season 2 being unable to turn into jet form and access his blasters after losing his T-Cog in "Operation Bumblebee Part 2". He's still able to shoot his wrist missiles, but those are AwesomeButImpractical
* BullyingADragon:
** Frequently tries usurping Megatron's leadership and spews slander about him behind Megatron's back - all for Megatron to find out sooner or later.
** Told Arcee he was the one who killed Cliffjumper -- [[TooDumbToLive while he was handcuffed and at Arcee's mercy]].
** Tried to wrest an Energon crystal from an Insecticon in "Crossfire" and then ''kicks'' the beast for refusing to give it to him.
** With literal dragons Predaking, Darksteel and Skylinx, he electrocuted them with a prod.
* ButtMonkey: As usual luck for the typical Starscream, he doesn't have a lot going for him in the luck department. Most of his activities in any field often result in either humiliation or agony, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs agonizing humiliation.]] He also gets little respect among the Decepticons and Autobots because of his sycophantic and cowardly nature. This exchange with Miko sums it up quite well:
-->'''Starscream:''' Even the strongest armor can't protect the weakest of creatures.
-->''(Miko, equipped with the [[spoiler: Apex Armor]] grabs his arm and gives a DeathGlare)''
-->'''Miko''': Protected ''you'', didn't it?
-->''Cue Screamer's OhCrap face''
* CharacterDevelopment: After being allowed to rejoin the Decepticons, Starscream starts thinking a bit more logically and acting more loyally, which is taken to a hilt when he openly [[spoiler:mourns Megatron after Bumblebee kills him]]. However, when he returns by the time of ''Robots in Disguise'', whatever loyalty he might have gained is completely destroyed, and he intends to find his old master and kill him for all the mistreatment he had been put through.
* ChestInsignia: A small Con symbol.
* TheChewToy: His life [[HumiliationConga slowly falls apart]] over the entire course of the first season, and nearly all of it is his own fault.
* ClassicVillain: Ambition, Greed, Pride, and Wrath.
* ClippedWingAngel: In "Shadowzone", Starscream boasts about his power after imbuing himself with Megatron's original shard of Dark Energon and facing down a squad of Autobots by himself. He immediately gets his arm blown off and is sent scrambling for a rescue [=GroundBridge=].
* CoDragons: As of ''Beast Hunters'', he's this with Shockwave. Starscream handles military matters while Shockwave attends to the scientific, though Starscream doesn't enjoy sharing his position.
* CombatPragmatist:
** When Arcee tries to get him to agree to a fair fight, he refuses and begs for mercy... so she'll get close enough for him to cause her serious wounds before actually fighting.
** He kills two Vehicon guards when sneaking aboard the ''Nemesis'' by distracting them with small talk, then shooting one and impaling the other.
* CombatStilettos: A design choice that has ''not'' gone unnoticed in the fandom ''or'' in-universe, being {{lampshaded}} by Smokescreen in "New Recruit". Its presence is downplayed through specific camera angles, though.
-->'''Smokescreen:''' Starscream? I heard about that stiletto-heeled creep back on Cybertron!
* CompositeCharacter: of the original Starscream and several other characters.
** During his brief tenure as leader of the Decepticons, he has all the traits of G1 Megatron that TFP Megatron didn't inherit: [[DidntThinkThisThrough short-sighted]], [[GeneralFailure day-to-day plans that are prone to fail]], a tendency for melodramatic EvilGloating and [[SmallNameBigEgo trouble keeping his soldiers in line]]. He also has the screechy voice and the gray-red-black color scheme, although that's not much of a departure from G1 Starscream, either.
** His defection to a base of his own, outfitted with a lab, isn't unlike ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas. He also has a similar PsychoStrings {{Leitmotif}}.
** Outside of the ''Transformers'' franchise, Steve Blum uses the same shrill voice he did for [[WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan another evil, cackling pointy-faced flyer]].
* ConsummateLiar: Approximately half of what Starscream is some kind of a lie or half-truth. Of course, how good his lies are depends on the situation and how panicked he is.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: His punishment of Knock Out is to ''scratch his car finish''.
* CoolPlane: He transforms into an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet.
* CreepyLongFingers: He can use them as weapons, too.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: At times, he can be a fumbling coward, but he's also a highly dangerous combatant who, in supplementary materials, managed to fight Megatron and hold his own for a while before his overconfidence got the best of him.
* DangerousDeserter: From "Partners" until "Patch". He went rogue and deserted Megatron, but then got hungry being starved of Energon, tried stealing it from Megatron's fridge in "Orion Pax, Part 1", and finally crawled back to him near the end of Season 2 becoming reinstated.
* DarkerAndEdgier: He gets this treatment in the sequel show ''Robots in Disguise'', apparently having become more hostile and aggressive as a result of being the punching bag of the Decepticons for the duration of the ''Prime'' continuity.
* DeadpanSnarker: Starscream has a biting wit, and won't hesitate to use an opportunity to snarkily throw shade on his fellow Decepticons.
* {{Determinator}}: Credit due where credit's due, Starscream absolutely refuses to give up, no matter how much misfortune and humiliation he faces.
* DirtyCoward: As expected from Starscream. Especially when he lacks a shipful of Vehicons at his command.
* TheDragon: To Megatron, as is tradition.
** DragonAscendant: He assumes command of the Decepticon army after Megatron's [[NeverFoundTheBody "death"]] by [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat exploding space bridge]]. And gets to maintain ascendancy when Megatron is recovered and has to be placed in stasis due to his injuries... [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown some of which Starscream caused]]. It's also a DeconstructedTrope. None of Megatron's followers fear or respect Starscream, he can't get any of his own schemes to work longer than five minutes.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Part is his motivation for many of his plans is this, since he wants respect he feels he deserves. He has a point; nothing he does, not even saving Megatron's life from Predaking, gets him anything except derision and abuse from his colleagues.
* EasilyForgiven:
** In a contrast to Generation One Starscream (who was never really punished for his blatant insubordination) and Animated Starscream (who Megatron actively tried to kill once his treachery was found), this Starscream is [[AvertedTrope neither easily forgiven]] nor are his skills and talents ignored by Megatron as an asset. After operating as a third party against both Decepticons and Autobots, he is only accepted back in their ranks as part of a greater plan by Megatron to curtail the infighting by making it clear any hint of insubordination would no longer be tolerated.
** When Shockwave returns in "Scattered", he initially questions why Starscream abandoned him after the Spacebridge explosion, which meant he spent years trapped alone on Cybertron; however, he relents when Starscream explains that nobody thought he could've survived the explosion, deeming Starscream's explanation logical.
* EpicFail: His attempt to create a SuperSoldier from Knock Out's cocktail of synthetic energon and dark energon causes a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Terrorcon]] outbreak that wiped out half of the Decepticon forces.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** He comes to ''genuinely'' care for Knock Out as a friend and sees [[spoiler:Megatron]] as a kind of father figure when the latter [[spoiler:gives him the forgiveness that he frankly is undeserving of,]] enough so to be torn by genuine grief and rage when [[spoiler: Bumblebee kills him.]]
** In Robots In Disguise's last issue, [[spoiler:it is revealed that one squad of three Vehicons (including [[AscendedMeme Steve]]) survived to the war's end because he assigned them to a mission. These three are [[UndyingLoyalty very loyal to him]] and betray Steeljaw when they realize that Steeljaw wasn't sent by Megatron.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** In "Darkness Rising, part 2", Starscream is horrified by Megatron's use of Dark Energon. By the time of "Shadowzone", [[SubvertedTrope however]], he has gotten past this, instead coveting such power for himself.
** In "Crisscross", he proves that he's not ''completely'' ungrateful, freeing Arcee as repayment for her earlier mercy.
** He's genuinely horrified and repulsed when [[spoiler:Unicron reveals that he's possessed Megatron's body, and then resurrects a legion of undead Predacons]].
** He's pretty weirded out by how eager Knock Out is to experiment on CYLAS, [[spoiler:who is Silas piloting around Breakdown's corpse]], without any apparent thoughts about how he's doing this what is left of his [[spoiler:best friend.]]
* EvilGloating: He doesn't ever shut up about killing Cliffjumper.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Not as deep as Megatron's voice, but still pretty deep since thanks to his [[Creator/SteveBlum voice actor]].
* EvilVirtues: Ambition, Determination, and surprisingly enough, Gratitude.
* EvilIsPetty: He spends a good portion of the "Operation: Bumblebee" two-parter mocking Bumblebee for his missing T-cog ForTheEvulz.
--> '''Starscream:''' Time to jet! Because I ''can!''
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. Starscream's ego always winds up causing him problems, whether it be his arrogance blinding him to things that could (and do) cause his plans to fail, or his attempts to heal his ego whenever it is bruised, he will always wind up shooting him self in the foot and ruining whatever plan he has. The rare occasion he actually puts aside his ego, it usually nets him success.
* FantasticRacism: He doesn't think much of ground-based alternate modes.
-->'''Starscream:''' ''[to Knock Out]'' Yes, right, you're... one of ''those.''
* FauxAffablyEvil: While he can be polite and servile, he's always conniving and lives up to [[TheStarscream his namesake trope]].
* FinalSolution: The chief architect of the Predacon clone genocide in season 3.
* {{Flanderization}}: His cowardice and opportunism are increasingly emphasized over the course of the series at the cost of his more menacing demeanor at the beginning of the series, and he also becomes far more expressive and exaggerated in his movements. It never reaches the level of VillainDecay, but it's still noticeable.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric.
* FragileSpeedster: He's basically like Arcee in this regard. He hits strong and quick, but goes down down easily when he's hit.
* GenreBlind: He has his moments. Seems to be a particular problem in the third season.
* GloryHound: Starscream wants the glory of being leader of the Decepticons without actually having plans for leading. Even after he gives up his treachery, this still never goes away.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Both in red and purple.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He's been left with a slash on his face, just below his left eye, after his encounter with Arcee in "Partners" when she tried to kill him. He even comments on it when he introduces himself to Silas, who has some facial scars of his own.
* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Shockwave. And he's ''not'' shy about it either.
* HandicappedBadass: Loses his ability to transform early into season 2, though he regains it when Knock Out gives him a new T-cog towards the end of the same season.
* TheHeavy: For most of season 1 until Megatron's return.
* HeelFaceDoorSlam: He tries to join the Autobots during "Partners" after becoming a pariah to the Decepticons, but Arcee tries to kill him after discovering that he killed Cliffjumper. He winds up striking out on his own instead.
* HesBack: After being gone for several episode "Orion Pax, Pt. 1" shows him sneaking onboard the ''Nemesis'' to make off with some pilfered Energon Cubes, and along the way, brutally killing the two Vehicons guarding said Cubes.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Starscream is a genius schemer and very crafty, making him dangerous. The problem is that his prideful ego continues to set him back, getting him in harm's way or netting him more enemies than he needs to have, both from Autobots and Decepticons. Whenever he does seem to get a handle on his FatalFlaw, it eventually crops back up. In ''Robots in Disguise'', Bumblebee even notes that while no one truly sees themselves as the villain of their own story, Starscream is the exception.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In season 2, though he is starting to get better. See IneffectualSympatheticVillain below.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** When Bulkhead, who can't fight back due to holding a collapsing cave ceiling up, tells him he's not going to beg for mercy, Starscream nervously agrees that begging ''would'' be rather pathetic. Hours earlier, Starscream was begging for his life with Megatron's cannon to his head.
** He considers Shockwave an arrogant glory hog. Keep in mind that he was opposed to letting him interrogate Arcee and Cliffjumper because he was annoyed that Shockwave would take all the credit.
** He bitterly calls Airachnid a "showoff", about a minute after getting smug about how his altmode has thrust capacity and hers doesn't.
* HypocrisyNod: While he won't admit it out loud, Starscream's embarassed reaction does indicate that he acknowledges the hypocrisy in his response towards Bulkhead's [[DefiantToTheEnd defiance]].
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: When he loses his ability to transform thanks to MECH taking his T-Cog, Starscream becomes little more than a bum scavenging for Energon scraps and selling information to Autobots in exchange for medical treatment. This ends as of "Triangulation" [[spoiler:where, throughout the remainder of Season 2, he gains the Apex Armor, loses it but acquires Red Energon which he uses to retrieve ''all four Omega Keys'', which he uses as bargaining chips to return to the Decepticons.]]
* TheInformant: His role in season 2, selling information to the Autobots in exchange for medical treatment.
* InsistentTerminology: "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis It! is! 'LORD'!]]"
* {{Irony}}:
** In "Operation Bumblebee, Part 2", Starscream mocked Bumblebee with his lost T-Cog and how being unable to transform must have been a terrible experience. Upon destroying it and being subjected to dissection by MECH following, he finds his own T-Cog missing.
** He always sought after Megatron's throne. And yet in "Predacons Rising" [[spoiler:when it seems he gets to have it for good, the Predacons arrive and Starscream is last seen cowering on top of the throne before they attack]].
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: Said almost verbatim to Knock Out in ''Thirst'' when he thought they were going to die. The moment is lost when they're confronted by Megatron and he pins the blame on Knock Out.
* IOweYouMyLife: The reason for his sudden UndyingLoyalty to Megatron in late second season and the entire third season, after when Megatron not only allows him back to the Decepticons, but also saves his life from a vengeful [[spoiler:Dreadwing by killing him before he can kill Starscream.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: He's not the nicest Decepticon around, to say the least. Though he does have his PetTheDog moments as mentioned below.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: This exchange in "Triangulation" puts it best:
-->'''Starscream''': ...and I cannot believe you would take our alliances for granted; helping to restore your memories, saving Arcee's life...
-->'''Optimus''': While you have, at times, proved beneficial to us, it has been only to further your own interests.
-->'''Starscream''': Well, we all can't be as selfless as you now, can we?
* KarmaHoudini: Unlike previous incarnations, he manages to get away with frequent attempts at betraying Megatron. Alive, at least, but [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown far from unscathed]].
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Starscream at one point surfs the internet to see if the human datanet would be useful. His search results are... interesting.
-->'''Starscream''': A trillion gigabytes of data, none of it useful! [Watches animated .gif of a monkey dancing in a tophat and diaper] Though some... oddly engrossing.
* KneelBeforeZod: To the point where even other Decepticons get annoyed by it.
* KnightOfCerebus: Starscream tends to alternate on being this or LaughablyEvil. When he isn't playing around, he can drain all the levity out of a scene and murder fellow Cybertronians, be they Autobot or Decepticon, in cold blood while expressing nothing more than either annoyance or TranquilFury, if he even shows emotion.
* [[LanternJawOfJustice Lantern Jaw Of Injustice]]: It may even rival ''Animated'' Screamer's chin!
* LargeHam: Starscream can get ''really'' dramatic when he wants to be.
--> "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis It! Is!]] [[InsistentTerminology LORD!]]"\\
"And what do YOU intend to do about it, '''''commander?'''''"\\
"'''I, LORD STARSCREAM,''' '''''EMPEROR OF DESTRUCTION!'''''"
* LaserGuidedKarma: A frequent victim of this. His manipulation of events leading up to the Predacon genocide, as well as his treatment of the [[spoiler: three Predacons in the series (Predaking throughout the third season, Darksteel and Skylynx in "Predacons Rising") culminates in the trio cornering him in a confined space in the finale. What happens to Starscream isn't shown, but it most likely wasn't pleasant and ''Robots in Disguise'' implies he barely escaped with his life.]]
* LastVillainStand: [[spoiler:When Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Starscream attempts to do this to avenge him, but is stopped by Shockwave.]]
* LaughablyEvil: Zigzags between this and KnightOfCerebus. Starscream's sarcasm, cowardice, and status as the resident ButtMonkey make him a joy to watch.
* LeanAndMean: He's even worse than Soundwave in the "mean" department, too. Soundwave's at least pragmatic, while Starscream is just plain sadistic.
* ManipulativeBastard: He tries to be this, but it doesn't always work on account of his arrogance. Still, when he does pull it off, he ''really'' pulls it off.
* MightyGlacier: Thanks to the Apex Armor, he's both slow and insanely powerful and able to take on both Optimus and Dreadwing with ease.
* MisterBig: DownplayedTrope. He's still a giant robot and no shorter than the average Vehicon. Still, when compared to everyone else, especially [[LargeAndInCharge Megatron and Optimus]], he really isn't all that physically imposing. Until he gets the Apex Armor.
* MoralMyopia: Starscream is perfectly fine with treachery, so long as he isn't the one being betrayed. If he is, expect him to react with self-righteous rage.
* MythologyGag: When Starscream loses an arm, Knock Out offers a replacement equipped with a Null Ray, one of [=G1=] Starscream's signature weapons. Starscream immediately declines.
* TheNapoleon: Isn't the tallest of Decepticons, but is certainly one of the most ambitious.
* {{Narcissist}}: As per usual. He even takes it a step further than most versions of Starscream when he starts actively admiring himself and his alt-mode.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: In ''Thirst'', [[spoiler: he has Knock Out infuse Cylas with Dark Energon, which not only leads to Cylas causing havoc around the ship and freeing Airachnid, but also costs Megatron all of the Insections under his control, as well as a significant number of his Vehicon soldiers.]] Megatron is ''not'' happy about it.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: He's victim to many of these from Megatron. [[spoiler:Whatever Predaking, Darksteel and Skylynx did to him was probably this ''at best''.]]
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Optimus and Dreadwing both write him off as scrap after Dreadwing detonated a series of bombs that sent Starscream plummeting through the Antarctic ice. Of course, he ''was'' wearing the Apex Armor at the time.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Whenever he seems to fall into IneffectualSympatheticVillain territory, he finds a way to snap back to being a threat again. In general, he tends to alternate between a ruthless killer and a bumbling coward.
* NoSell: Once he gains the Apex Armor, he casually shrugs off everything Optimus and Dreadwing could throw at him.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Starscream's silver tongue might sometimes get him what he wants, but his big mouth puts him in trouble just as often. When he's just deserted and Arcee starts bonding with him over their hatred for Airachnid, he blurts out that ''he'', not Airachnid, killed Cliffjumper. Later when he causes Silas to lose Bumblebee's T-cog, he just stands and talks and eventually gets stunned and robbed of his own T-cog.
* PetTheDog:
** Starscream may have no sense of honor, but it appears he's not without a sense of ''gratitude'', as shown when he repays Arcee's mercy towards him in Season 1 by sparing her life when he could have killed her instead. More details in VillainousVirtues below.
** In "Thirst", he also tells Knock Out that ItHasBeenAnHonor when he thinks they are both about to die. Even though he tried to blame Knock Out for the incident going on at the time ''straight after'' when caught by Megatron (he can't help [[TheStarscream who he is]]), it doesn't change the fact that when there's nothing else left to lose, even ''Starscream'' of all people is capable of showing friendship towards another being.
** In "Deadlock", Starscream seems genuinely distressed and enraged when [[spoiler: Megatron is killed by Bumblebee. This is a far cry from earlier in the series when he genuinely desired to see Megatron perish so he could take command of the Decepticons for himself.]]
* PowerHigh: Whenever he gets any new power, physical or political. Calling him drunk with power would be an {{Understatement}}.
* PreMortemOneLiner: He gives two to the last of his clones, who was about to kill him to curry favor with Megatron.
--> '''Clone:''' Lord Starscream, I, your most loyal servant, regret to inform you that our ''[[ExactWords collective]]'' mission has failed.\\
'''Starscream:''' Mmm, yes, I got that sense. ''(Clone prepares to fire)'' something to do with... ''a throbbing ache in my side!''\\
''(Starscream turns around and shoots the clone)''\\
'''Clone:''' You ''knew'' I would attempt to terminate you!\\
'''Starscream:''' ''(grunts and clutches his chest in pain)'' ''I feel your pain.'' '''''Really, I do.'''''
* {{Pride}}: His fatal flaw. Starscream ''is'' competent at leadership, can deliver a pretty impressive veneer of charisma to keep the rank and file in line, and he's a good enough CombatPragmatist that he can get by in combat, but he tends to overestimate just ''how good'' he is at all of these when facing off with the Autobots or other Decepticons.
* PsychoticSmirk: He rarely ''isn't'' doing it.
* PsychologicalProjection: He thinks Shockwave is an arrogant glory hog who wants to take Starscream's position. Pretty much all of these traits can be used to describe Starscream himself, which he is blissfully unaware of.
* PuppyDogEyes: For a backstabbing psychopath, he's disturbingly effective at this. [[http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/Flavenstein/tumblr_louffjOAON1qgjyu7o1_500.jpg Case in point.]]
* PutOnABus: Disappeared for a time after "Partners" and TheBusCameBack in the second season premiere "Orion Pax".
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His color scheme.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Like most Decepticons.
* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to almost anybody you pair him with, but especially his {{Foil}} Soundwave.
* [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun Remember When I Killed Cliffjumper?]]: Time and time again, he brings up the fact that he killed Cliffjumper. Since it's one of few times in the series when we see a Decepticon kill an Autobot, he's pretty proud of it.
* {{Sadist}}: Starscream loves the pain of others, and greatly enjoys serving as a TortureTechnician whenever he can.
* ScarsAreForever: Never shown to get them fixed, even though theoretically he should be capable of having it done.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: As time goes on, Starscream starts doing this more often.
* SendInTheClones: He does this, in an effort to assassinate Megatron. It almost works, but Bulkhead kills a clone that gets too arrogant; three more find Megatron, but are killed after Airachnid's Insection attack distracts them. The last tries turning on the original and gets brutally dispatched.
* SelfSurgery: He comes close in the beginning of "Triangulation", when he tries to put the T-Cog he recovered from his dead clone into himself.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: His cowardice and relative lack of power in combat contrast him with Megatron's Manly Man.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: MECH stole his T-Cog and left him stuck in robot mode for a time. He swiped a new one from one of his dead clones, which Knock Out surgically implants when he rejoins the Decepticons.
* SissyVillain: Starscream's effeminate personality is complemented by his appearance, from his lithe, curvaceous frame to his FemmeFatalons and CombatStilettos, the latter of which gets him mocked by Smokescreen.
* SlasherSmile: The few times he isn't doing a PsychoticSmirk, and he's fairly good at them, to say the least.
* SlouchOfVillainy: The way he's often animated.
* SmugSnake: A legitimately threatening antagonist, but still not ''nearly'' as smart, charismatic, or deadly as he thinks he is.
* TheSociopath: Despite a few PetTheDog moments aside, he shows many symptoms of sociopathy; his inflated sense of self-worth, disregard for everyone but himself, and habitual lying/manipulation being the most prominent ones
* SpannerInTheWorks:
** Unknowingly, to Megatron's attempts to deceive Orion Pax. Megatron told Orion that Starscream is dead. When Starscream snuck aboard the ''Nemesis'' and came across Orion, he referred to him as Optimus Prime. Needless to say, a dead bot calling you by another name was the first dent in Megatron's deception and if not for his sudden appearance and subsequently passing information to the Autobots about the Space Bridge, Optimus would likely have remained Orion Pax.
** In "Hard Knocks", Starscream uses Red Energon and steals [[spoiler: the third Omega Key]], hampering both teams' efforts and causing them to both believe that the other stole it first. This causes Megatron to speed up his plan to flush the Autobots out.
* TheStarscream: Despite being the namesake, he's a great deal subtler about this than [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated the other fellow]], blurring the line between this and the BastardUnderstudy at times.
** By the end of the first season, he seems genuinely humbled and willing to give up his treachery and declare his UndyingLoyalty to Megatron. Until he's betrayed by Airachnid and captured by the Autobots, then nearly killed by Arcee which convinces him to ditch both sides.
** By the time of the third season, it's completely averted and Starscream is completely loyal to Megatron. Most notable is in "Deadlock" after [[spoiler: Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Starscream genuinely vows to avenge him.]]
* SuperSpeed: Gains Red Energon in "New Recruit", then refines and uses it in "Hard Knocks" to gain this.
* TakeAThirdOption: After becoming a pariah to the Decepticons and not being welcomed into the Autobots as a form of revenge, Starscream basically says "screw the both of them" and decides to be part of ''neither'' faction.
* TemptingFate: Starscream probably shouldn't have gloated too much about his ability to transform to Bumblebee before he flew back to Silas.
* ThrowTheDogABone: His stint wearing the Apex Armor. While it doesn't last, he still manages to kick the crap out of Dreadwing and Optimus and gets away scot-free.
* TooCleverByHalf: His plans are often reasonably well thought out, but owing to his arrogance, he often leaves out miniscule details which end up unravelling the entire plan.
* TooDumbToLive: He once slapped an Insecticon for refusing to give him a large chunk of energon. Predictably, it tried to kill him, and he wound up hiding in a hole to small for it to get in until it left.
* TookALevelInBadass: Things ''finally'' seem to go his way in "Triangulation", as he obtains the Apex Armor, and throws Optimus and Dreadwing around like ragdolls. And even though he loses it to a Phase Shifter-wielding Smokescreen, he gets a shard of Red Energon in exchange, which he uses to steal three Omega Keys from the Autobots. And when he gets his T-Cog back and rejoins the Cons, he leads an airborn armada and even shoots down Wheeljack.
** In Season 3, when things stop going his way for a while, he [[spoiler:eventually engineers a ''perfect'' plan to eliminate the Predacon clones]], and hinder Shockwave's efforts in the process. Then he's seen [[spoiler:saving Megatron from Predaking]] and in the final fight onboard the ''Nemesis'' he's actually holding his own and refusing to run.
* TookALevelInKindness: Has some. In "Operation: Breakdown" episode, he comes to Breakdown's rescue while Megatron did not allow him to do. He also saves Arcee from Airachnid and has some PetTheDog moment with Knock Out in "Thirst".
* TortureTechnician: Took this position in Season 1 and in a Season 2 flashback. Shockwave ultimately proves better at it than he does.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A toward Knock Out. They always argue with each other though Starscream cares for him.
* TwinTelepathy: Of a sort. Starscream feels all of the pain that his clones experience. This doesn't dissuade him from killing the last one before he could betray him.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: It's unclear whether he survives his encounter with the Predacons by the end of ''Predacons Rising.'' Georgia Ball, writer of the sequel series's comic tie-in [[http://askmaridee.tumblr.com/post/115922928462/this-was-actually-announced-easter-sunday-at jokingly asked if she could ressurect him for it]].]] ''Robots in Disguise'' reveals [[spoiler:he did in fact survive, and even managed to inadvertenly kill Skylnyx and Darksteel in the process ([[UnreliableNarrator at least]], [[DirtyCoward so he claims]]).]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** Has a VERY bad habit of this. Then again, this is ''[[SmugSnake Starscream]]'' we're talking about here. Ruthlessly lampshaded in the episode "Patch".
** Starscream can also be the Badass being underestimated. Several of his opponents wind up dead or nearly dying when they forget how dangerous Starscream really is, especially when he's backed into a corner.
* UndyingLoyalty: Yes, when shown genuine forgiveness (however final) for his treachery, Starscream becomes this towards Megatron in late ''Season 2'' and the entirety of ''Season 3.''
* UnexplainedAccent: Sometimes has a British-ish accent, despite no other Transformer having one. Also oscillates between a [[OohMeAccentsSlipping British accent and an American one, seemingly randomly]].
* UriahGambit: In "Evolution", he didn't tell Shockwave that his BatmanGambit was underway in hopes that the Autobots would scrap him. When Shockwave questions this, Starscream tells him that it was to [[EnforcedMethodActing make it seem genuine]]. It doesn't work, but it does force Shockwave to retreat without saving his research, thus lowering his usefulness to Megatron. Also, the whole thing with Predaking himself.
* VillainBallMagnet: He ''really'' shouldn't have taken credit for Cliff's death in Arcee's presence.
* VillainTeamUp: With MECH in "Operation Bumblebee". [[ShapeshifterModeLock It doesn't end well for him]].
* VillainDecay: Subverted. Starscream turns into a total ButtMonkey and is eventually reduced to a bum barely scraping by at the end of the first season, but he manages to crawl his way back into being a threat thanks to his opportunism and wiles.
* VillainousBreakdown: Had one after Megatron's return.
* VillainousFriendship: Type 1 with Knock Out; on the level of both being sarcastic [[SissyVillain Sissy Villains]], they are able to relate to and understand each other perfectly.
* VillainousRescue: Saves Arcee from Airachnid in "Crossfire".
* VillainousUnderdog: Downplayed. He ''thinks'' of himself as this in Season 2 but disregards how he made poor decisions and made his own unfavorable conditions. Refusing to take anymore of Megatron's abuse (after trying to overthrow him), Starscream flies off to be on his own and takes up the Harbinger as his refuge. After his alliance with MECH goes haywire, they steal his T-Cog and he is left unable to fly. Sick of being starved of Energon and living as a recluse without any accomplices or weaponry, he finally gives in to returning to the Decepticons.
* VillainousVirtues: Gratitude. What makes ''this'' particular Starscream stand out amongst his multiverse counterparts is that once you show him ''genuine'' friendship and kindness, he ''will'' repay you '''fully''' in kind. This is demonstrated in him sparing Arcee whe she was bound and helpless, (''"Consider us even"'') his close friendship with Knock Out, and his '''genuine''' sorrow-and-rage at the death of [[spoiler: Megatron, whom not only granted him the final forgiveness that he didn't deserve, but saved his life by killing someone (Dreadwing) who was better in every way to him.]]
* VocalEvolution: His voice has gradually became less raspy and slightly higher-pitched over the course of the series.
* WeakButSkilled: He can't take a hit and his striking power has never been shown to be particularly impressive either. However, he's a CombatPragmatist with enough skill and cunning to rise up to [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership leader of the Decepticons]].
* WelcomeBackTraitor: Megatron allows him to rejoin the Decepticons in "Patch", albeit only after plugging into Starscream's mind and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech raking him over the coals]], making it very clear that if Starscream's thoughts and memories don't illustrate that he's learned his lesson about loyalty then he'll find himself on the chopping block.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:Did he survive the beatdown that Predaking and his lackeys gave him, or did he just die from it? ''Robots in Disguise'' reveals [[HesBack he did]].]]
* WhenHeSmiles: The just plain... sincere look he gives to Knock Out in "Thirst" was rather jarring in this regard.
* WhosLaughingNow: His reaction whenever Megatron is buried alive is to cackle like a maniac.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Unlike the other Decepticons, he's utterly terrified of the Predacons, particularly Predaking, not that it stops him from [[BullyingADragon repeatedly electrocuting Predaking whenever he refuses to follow Starscream's orders.]]
* WildCard: It's stated that while Megatron is crazy and genocidal, he's still predictable in that way. Starscream, on the other hand, is so unpredictible that he's generally the one to be more careful around.
* WingedHumanoid: And they actually do something, too.
* WolverineClaws: His fingers resemble talons and he has no qualms about using them as weapons. It's funny, considering one of Creator/SteveBlum's [[WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009 most famous roles]].
* WouldHurtAChild: Displayed as he terrorizes Miko in "Rock Bottom," and again during "Darkest Hour".
* YouHaveFailedMe: He kills the last of his clones for betraying him, having realized beforehand that at least one of the clones would try selling him up the river.
* XanatosGambit: His BatmanGambit in "Evolution." [[spoiler:The Autobots either destroy Predaking and the Predacons or Predaking will destroy them.]] Either way, they lose an enemy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
----
* AdaptationalIntelligence: In terms of scheming, this is by far one of the most competent versions of Starscream; he tends to be a bit more strategic in his planning and is much better at feigning loyalty to Megatron, compared to his ''G1'' and ''Animated'' incarnations, who both tended to be rather shortsighted and could not have been more obvious about their intentions.
* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Not to the extent of his ''Armada'' counterpart but Starscream undergoes some pretty significant character development he normally doesn't get in other media. While he starts out his normal, treacherous and ambitious self, Starscream gradually learns to genuinely respect Megatron as a leader. He eventually becomes one of the most loyal Decepticons. He'll also show some small instances of mercy and help save those who have spared his life in the past, like in Arcee's case where he considered the debt paid after rescuing her from Airachnid. [[spoiler: When Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Shockwave has to physically restrain Starscream to stop him from suicidally trying to avenge him.]]
* AdaptationalWimp: He's a rather weak fighter compared to his ''Unicron Trilogy'' and ''Animated'' counterparts (the latter show directly preceding this one), both of whom could fight entire teams of Autobots to a stand-still, this Starscream barely ever poses a physical threat to the Autobots. In fact, in "Armada" one of his clones, which is equal in strength to him, gets bludgeoned to death by Bulkhead quite effortlessly.
* AintTooProudToBeg: Whenever Starscream's threatened by someone with the ability to end his life, he invariably devolves into a groveling mess.
* AntiVillain: Make no mistake, Starscream is a selfish, egotistical, sadistic jerk to the core, but most of the time, particularly after he is cast out from the Decepticons, he's just doing his best to survive when he's surrounded by people that pose a massive threat to his life and despise him. Hell, his treachery is motivated just as much by his awareness Megatron will likely kill him eventually as it is by his ambition and ego.
* ArmorOfInvincibility: Possesses the Apex Armor a few times throughout the series.
* AwesomeButImpractical: His wrist mounted missiles can cause major damage, but he only has one on each arm and he's unable to reload in the heat of battle.
* BadassBoast: "I studied under our former master for millennia. Therefore, I am ''equipped'' to lead you! I, Megatron's true heir, '''LORD STARSCREAM''', '''''EMPEROR OF DESTRUCTION!'''''" Subverted almost immediately after, since not even the Vehicons are impressed.
* BadBoss: Technically better than Megatron, but that's not saying much. The only reason he's not as violent as Megatron is he lacks Megatron's brute strength.
* BaritoneOfStrength: His voice is less screechy, but more sneaky, yet menacing, courtesy of Creator/SteveBlum.
* BastardUnderstudy: To Megatron.
* BatmanGambit: Pulls one in "Evolution" where he lures the Autobots to Shockwave's lab [[spoiler:in hopes that they would destroy the Predacons to prevent Predaking from forming a rebellion, and also trick Predaking into destroying the Autobots.]] Also doubles as a XanatosGambit.
* BerserkButton: Don't insinuate that he's not in charge. Cliffjumper found this out the hard way and Wheeljack would have met the same fate if Soundwave hadn't restrained Starscream. Likewise, Starscream probably would have killed Agent Fowler if not for the Autobots' intervention. This stops being an issue as he goes through CharacterDevelopment, but he still reacts poorly to people questioning his authority.
* BigBadDuumvirate: He and Shockwave briefly ''attempt'' to become this after [[spoiler: Megatron's death]] by working together to rebuild the Decepticons and clone a new army of Predacons to conquer Cybertron. [[BigBadWannabe Unicron's arrival, among other factors, puts an end to it]].
* BigBadWannabe: [[DragonAscendant He's actually in command of the Decepticons]] for the first half of Season 1 due to Megatron's ConvenientComa, but it's clear that he doesn't command the same respect among the troops that his master does, and when Megatron returns, Starscream quickly falls by the wayside and never manages to upstage him. Even when Megatron is out of the picture in Predacons Rising, Screamer can barely get two Mooks to serve him.
* BigNo: [[spoiler:When Megatron is killed and is falling off the Nemesis, towards the Earth, ''Starscream'' of all bots is screaming in rage.]]
* BigOlEyebrows: So big his eyelids are hidden right under them.
* BreakTheHaughty: The second half of Season 1, and Operation Bumblebee.
* BroughtDownToNormal: A downplayed example, but he spends most of season 2 being unable to turn into jet form and access his blasters after losing his T-Cog in "Operation Bumblebee Part 2". He's still able to shoot his wrist missiles, but those are AwesomeButImpractical
* BullyingADragon:
** Frequently tries usurping Megatron's leadership and spews slander about him behind Megatron's back - all for Megatron to find out sooner or later.
** Told Arcee he was the one who killed Cliffjumper -- [[TooDumbToLive while he was handcuffed and at Arcee's mercy]].
** Tried to wrest an Energon crystal from an Insecticon in "Crossfire" and then ''kicks'' the beast for refusing to give it to him.
** With literal dragons Predaking, Darksteel and Skylinx, he electrocuted them with a prod.
* ButtMonkey: As usual luck for the typical Starscream, he doesn't have a lot going for him in the luck department. Most of his activities in any field often result in either humiliation or agony, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs agonizing humiliation.]] He also gets little respect among the Decepticons and Autobots because of his sycophantic and cowardly nature. This exchange with Miko sums it up quite well:
-->'''Starscream:''' Even the strongest armor can't protect the weakest of creatures.
-->''(Miko, equipped with the [[spoiler: Apex Armor]] grabs his arm and gives a DeathGlare)''
-->'''Miko''': Protected ''you'', didn't it?
-->''Cue Screamer's OhCrap face''
* CharacterDevelopment: After being allowed to rejoin the Decepticons, Starscream starts thinking a bit more logically and acting more loyally, which is taken to a hilt when he openly [[spoiler:mourns Megatron after Bumblebee kills him]]. However, when he returns by the time of ''Robots in Disguise'', whatever loyalty he might have gained is completely destroyed, and he intends to find his old master and kill him for all the mistreatment he had been put through.
* ChestInsignia: A small Con symbol.
* TheChewToy: His life [[HumiliationConga slowly falls apart]] over the entire course of the first season, and nearly all of it is his own fault.
* ClassicVillain: Ambition, Greed, Pride, and Wrath.
* ClippedWingAngel: In "Shadowzone", Starscream boasts about his power after imbuing himself with Megatron's original shard of Dark Energon and facing down a squad of Autobots by himself. He immediately gets his arm blown off and is sent scrambling for a rescue [=GroundBridge=].
* CoDragons: As of ''Beast Hunters'', he's this with Shockwave. Starscream handles military matters while Shockwave attends to the scientific, though Starscream doesn't enjoy sharing his position.
* CombatPragmatist:
** When Arcee tries to get him to agree to a fair fight, he refuses and begs for mercy... so she'll get close enough for him to cause her serious wounds before actually fighting.
** He kills two Vehicon guards when sneaking aboard the ''Nemesis'' by distracting them with small talk, then shooting one and impaling the other.
* CombatStilettos: A design choice that has ''not'' gone unnoticed in the fandom ''or'' in-universe, being {{lampshaded}} by Smokescreen in "New Recruit". Its presence is downplayed through specific camera angles, though.
-->'''Smokescreen:''' Starscream? I heard about that stiletto-heeled creep back on Cybertron!
* CompositeCharacter: of the original Starscream and several other characters.
** During his brief tenure as leader of the Decepticons, he has all the traits of G1 Megatron that TFP Megatron didn't inherit: [[DidntThinkThisThrough short-sighted]], [[GeneralFailure day-to-day plans that are prone to fail]], a tendency for melodramatic EvilGloating and [[SmallNameBigEgo trouble keeping his soldiers in line]]. He also has the screechy voice and the gray-red-black color scheme, although that's not much of a departure from G1 Starscream, either.
** His defection to a base of his own, outfitted with a lab, isn't unlike ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas. He also has a similar PsychoStrings {{Leitmotif}}.
** Outside of the ''Transformers'' franchise, Steve Blum uses the same shrill voice he did for [[WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan another evil, cackling pointy-faced flyer]].
* ConsummateLiar: Approximately half of what Starscream is some kind of a lie or half-truth. Of course, how good his lies are depends on the situation and how panicked he is.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: His punishment of Knock Out is to ''scratch his car finish''.
* CoolPlane: He transforms into an F-16 Fighting Falcon jet.
* CreepyLongFingers: He can use them as weapons, too.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: At times, he can be a fumbling coward, but he's also a highly dangerous combatant who, in supplementary materials, managed to fight Megatron and hold his own for a while before his overconfidence got the best of him.
* DangerousDeserter: From "Partners" until "Patch". He went rogue and deserted Megatron, but then got hungry being starved of Energon, tried stealing it from Megatron's fridge in "Orion Pax, Part 1", and finally crawled back to him near the end of Season 2 becoming reinstated.
* DarkerAndEdgier: He gets this treatment in the sequel show ''Robots in Disguise'', apparently having become more hostile and aggressive as a result of being the punching bag of the Decepticons for the duration of the ''Prime'' continuity.
* DeadpanSnarker: Starscream has a biting wit, and won't hesitate to use an opportunity to snarkily throw shade on his fellow Decepticons.
* {{Determinator}}: Credit due where credit's due, Starscream absolutely refuses to give up, no matter how much misfortune and humiliation he faces.
* DirtyCoward: As expected from Starscream. Especially when he lacks a shipful of Vehicons at his command.
* TheDragon: To Megatron, as is tradition.
** DragonAscendant: He assumes command of the Decepticon army after Megatron's [[NeverFoundTheBody "death"]] by [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat exploding space bridge]]. And gets to maintain ascendancy when Megatron is recovered and has to be placed in stasis due to his injuries... [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown some of which Starscream caused]]. It's also a DeconstructedTrope. None of Megatron's followers fear or respect Starscream, he can't get any of his own schemes to work longer than five minutes.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Part is his motivation for many of his plans is this, since he wants respect he feels he deserves. He has a point; nothing he does, not even saving Megatron's life from Predaking, gets him anything except derision and abuse from his colleagues.
* EasilyForgiven:
** In a contrast to Generation One Starscream (who was never really punished for his blatant insubordination) and Animated Starscream (who Megatron actively tried to kill once his treachery was found), this Starscream is [[AvertedTrope neither easily forgiven]] nor are his skills and talents ignored by Megatron as an asset. After operating as a third party against both Decepticons and Autobots, he is only accepted back in their ranks as part of a greater plan by Megatron to curtail the infighting by making it clear any hint of insubordination would no longer be tolerated.
** When Shockwave returns in "Scattered", he initially questions why Starscream abandoned him after the Spacebridge explosion, which meant he spent years trapped alone on Cybertron; however, he relents when Starscream explains that nobody thought he could've survived the explosion, deeming Starscream's explanation logical.
* EpicFail: His attempt to create a SuperSoldier from Knock Out's cocktail of synthetic energon and dark energon causes a [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Terrorcon]] outbreak that wiped out half of the Decepticon forces.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** He comes to ''genuinely'' care for Knock Out as a friend and sees [[spoiler:Megatron]] as a kind of father figure when the latter [[spoiler:gives him the forgiveness that he frankly is undeserving of,]] enough so to be torn by genuine grief and rage when [[spoiler: Bumblebee kills him.]]
** In Robots In Disguise's last issue, [[spoiler:it is revealed that one squad of three Vehicons (including [[AscendedMeme Steve]]) survived to the war's end because he assigned them to a mission. These three are [[UndyingLoyalty very loyal to him]] and betray Steeljaw when they realize that Steeljaw wasn't sent by Megatron.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** In "Darkness Rising, part 2", Starscream is horrified by Megatron's use of Dark Energon. By the time of "Shadowzone", [[SubvertedTrope however]], he has gotten past this, instead coveting such power for himself.
** In "Crisscross", he proves that he's not ''completely'' ungrateful, freeing Arcee as repayment for her earlier mercy.
** He's genuinely horrified and repulsed when [[spoiler:Unicron reveals that he's possessed Megatron's body, and then resurrects a legion of undead Predacons]].
** He's pretty weirded out by how eager Knock Out is to experiment on CYLAS, [[spoiler:who is Silas piloting around Breakdown's corpse]], without any apparent thoughts about how he's doing this what is left of his [[spoiler:best friend.]]
* EvilGloating: He doesn't ever shut up about killing Cliffjumper.
* EvilSoundsDeep: Not as deep as Megatron's voice, but still pretty deep since thanks to his [[Creator/SteveBlum voice actor]].
* EvilVirtues: Ambition, Determination, and surprisingly enough, Gratitude.
* EvilIsPetty: He spends a good portion of the "Operation: Bumblebee" two-parter mocking Bumblebee for his missing T-cog ForTheEvulz.
--> '''Starscream:''' Time to jet! Because I ''can!''
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. Starscream's ego always winds up causing him problems, whether it be his arrogance blinding him to things that could (and do) cause his plans to fail, or his attempts to heal his ego whenever it is bruised, he will always wind up shooting him self in the foot and ruining whatever plan he has. The rare occasion he actually puts aside his ego, it usually nets him success.
* FantasticRacism: He doesn't think much of ground-based alternate modes.
-->'''Starscream:''' ''[to Knock Out]'' Yes, right, you're... one of ''those.''
* FauxAffablyEvil: While he can be polite and servile, he's always conniving and lives up to [[TheStarscream his namesake trope]].
* FinalSolution: The chief architect of the Predacon clone genocide in season 3.
* {{Flanderization}}: His cowardice and opportunism are increasingly emphasized over the course of the series at the cost of his more menacing demeanor at the beginning of the series, and he also becomes far more expressive and exaggerated in his movements. It never reaches the level of VillainDecay, but it's still noticeable.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric.
* FragileSpeedster: He's basically like Arcee in this regard. He hits strong and quick, but goes down down easily when he's hit.
* GenreBlind: He has his moments. Seems to be a particular problem in the third season.
* GloryHound: Starscream wants the glory of being leader of the Decepticons without actually having plans for leading. Even after he gives up his treachery, this still never goes away.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Both in red and purple.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: He's been left with a slash on his face, just below his left eye, after his encounter with Arcee in "Partners" when she tried to kill him. He even comments on it when he introduces himself to Silas, who has some facial scars of his own.
* GreenEyedMonster: Towards Shockwave. And he's ''not'' shy about it either.
* HandicappedBadass: Loses his ability to transform early into season 2, though he regains it when Knock Out gives him a new T-cog towards the end of the same season.
* TheHeavy: For most of season 1 until Megatron's return.
* HeelFaceDoorSlam: He tries to join the Autobots during "Partners" after becoming a pariah to the Decepticons, but Arcee tries to kill him after discovering that he killed Cliffjumper. He winds up striking out on his own instead.
* HesBack: After being gone for several episode "Orion Pax, Pt. 1" shows him sneaking onboard the ''Nemesis'' to make off with some pilfered Energon Cubes, and along the way, brutally killing the two Vehicons guarding said Cubes.
* HisOwnWorstEnemy: Starscream is a genius schemer and very crafty, making him dangerous. The problem is that his prideful ego continues to set him back, getting him in harm's way or netting him more enemies than he needs to have, both from Autobots and Decepticons. Whenever he does seem to get a handle on his FatalFlaw, it eventually crops back up. In ''Robots in Disguise'', Bumblebee even notes that while no one truly sees themselves as the villain of their own story, Starscream is the exception.
* HowTheMightyHaveFallen: In season 2, though he is starting to get better. See IneffectualSympatheticVillain below.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** When Bulkhead, who can't fight back due to holding a collapsing cave ceiling up, tells him he's not going to beg for mercy, Starscream nervously agrees that begging ''would'' be rather pathetic. Hours earlier, Starscream was begging for his life with Megatron's cannon to his head.
** He considers Shockwave an arrogant glory hog. Keep in mind that he was opposed to letting him interrogate Arcee and Cliffjumper because he was annoyed that Shockwave would take all the credit.
** He bitterly calls Airachnid a "showoff", about a minute after getting smug about how his altmode has thrust capacity and hers doesn't.
* HypocrisyNod: While he won't admit it out loud, Starscream's embarassed reaction does indicate that he acknowledges the hypocrisy in his response towards Bulkhead's [[DefiantToTheEnd defiance]].
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: When he loses his ability to transform thanks to MECH taking his T-Cog, Starscream becomes little more than a bum scavenging for Energon scraps and selling information to Autobots in exchange for medical treatment. This ends as of "Triangulation" [[spoiler:where, throughout the remainder of Season 2, he gains the Apex Armor, loses it but acquires Red Energon which he uses to retrieve ''all four Omega Keys'', which he uses as bargaining chips to return to the Decepticons.]]
* TheInformant: His role in season 2, selling information to the Autobots in exchange for medical treatment.
* InsistentTerminology: "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis It! is! 'LORD'!]]"
* {{Irony}}:
** In "Operation Bumblebee, Part 2", Starscream mocked Bumblebee with his lost T-Cog and how being unable to transform must have been a terrible experience. Upon destroying it and being subjected to dissection by MECH following, he finds his own T-Cog missing.
** He always sought after Megatron's throne. And yet in "Predacons Rising" [[spoiler:when it seems he gets to have it for good, the Predacons arrive and Starscream is last seen cowering on top of the throne before they attack]].
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: Said almost verbatim to Knock Out in ''Thirst'' when he thought they were going to die. The moment is lost when they're confronted by Megatron and he pins the blame on Knock Out.
* IOweYouMyLife: The reason for his sudden UndyingLoyalty to Megatron in late second season and the entire third season, after when Megatron not only allows him back to the Decepticons, but also saves his life from a vengeful [[spoiler:Dreadwing by killing him before he can kill Starscream.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: He's not the nicest Decepticon around, to say the least. Though he does have his PetTheDog moments as mentioned below.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: This exchange in "Triangulation" puts it best:
-->'''Starscream''': ...and I cannot believe you would take our alliances for granted; helping to restore your memories, saving Arcee's life...
-->'''Optimus''': While you have, at times, proved beneficial to us, it has been only to further your own interests.
-->'''Starscream''': Well, we all can't be as selfless as you now, can we?
* KarmaHoudini: Unlike previous incarnations, he manages to get away with frequent attempts at betraying Megatron. Alive, at least, but [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown far from unscathed]].
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: Starscream at one point surfs the internet to see if the human datanet would be useful. His search results are... interesting.
-->'''Starscream''': A trillion gigabytes of data, none of it useful! [Watches animated .gif of a monkey dancing in a tophat and diaper] Though some... oddly engrossing.
* KneelBeforeZod: To the point where even other Decepticons get annoyed by it.
* KnightOfCerebus: Starscream tends to alternate on being this or LaughablyEvil. When he isn't playing around, he can drain all the levity out of a scene and murder fellow Cybertronians, be they Autobot or Decepticon, in cold blood while expressing nothing more than either annoyance or TranquilFury, if he even shows emotion.
* [[LanternJawOfJustice Lantern Jaw Of Injustice]]: It may even rival ''Animated'' Screamer's chin!
* LargeHam: Starscream can get ''really'' dramatic when he wants to be.
--> "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis It! Is!]] [[InsistentTerminology LORD!]]"\\
"And what do YOU intend to do about it, '''''commander?'''''"\\
"'''I, LORD STARSCREAM,''' '''''EMPEROR OF DESTRUCTION!'''''"
* LaserGuidedKarma: A frequent victim of this. His manipulation of events leading up to the Predacon genocide, as well as his treatment of the [[spoiler: three Predacons in the series (Predaking throughout the third season, Darksteel and Skylynx in "Predacons Rising") culminates in the trio cornering him in a confined space in the finale. What happens to Starscream isn't shown, but it most likely wasn't pleasant and ''Robots in Disguise'' implies he barely escaped with his life.]]
* LastVillainStand: [[spoiler:When Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Starscream attempts to do this to avenge him, but is stopped by Shockwave.]]
* LaughablyEvil: Zigzags between this and KnightOfCerebus. Starscream's sarcasm, cowardice, and status as the resident ButtMonkey make him a joy to watch.
* LeanAndMean: He's even worse than Soundwave in the "mean" department, too. Soundwave's at least pragmatic, while Starscream is just plain sadistic.
* ManipulativeBastard: He tries to be this, but it doesn't always work on account of his arrogance. Still, when he does pull it off, he ''really'' pulls it off.
* MightyGlacier: Thanks to the Apex Armor, he's both slow and insanely powerful and able to take on both Optimus and Dreadwing with ease.
* MisterBig: DownplayedTrope. He's still a giant robot and no shorter than the average Vehicon. Still, when compared to everyone else, especially [[LargeAndInCharge Megatron and Optimus]], he really isn't all that physically imposing. Until he gets the Apex Armor.
* MoralMyopia: Starscream is perfectly fine with treachery, so long as he isn't the one being betrayed. If he is, expect him to react with self-righteous rage.
* MythologyGag: When Starscream loses an arm, Knock Out offers a replacement equipped with a Null Ray, one of [=G1=] Starscream's signature weapons. Starscream immediately declines.
* TheNapoleon: Isn't the tallest of Decepticons, but is certainly one of the most ambitious.
* {{Narcissist}}: As per usual. He even takes it a step further than most versions of Starscream when he starts actively admiring himself and his alt-mode.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: In ''Thirst'', [[spoiler: he has Knock Out infuse Cylas with Dark Energon, which not only leads to Cylas causing havoc around the ship and freeing Airachnid, but also costs Megatron all of the Insections under his control, as well as a significant number of his Vehicon soldiers.]] Megatron is ''not'' happy about it.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: He's victim to many of these from Megatron. [[spoiler:Whatever Predaking, Darksteel and Skylynx did to him was probably this ''at best''.]]
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Optimus and Dreadwing both write him off as scrap after Dreadwing detonated a series of bombs that sent Starscream plummeting through the Antarctic ice. Of course, he ''was'' wearing the Apex Armor at the time.
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Whenever he seems to fall into IneffectualSympatheticVillain territory, he finds a way to snap back to being a threat again. In general, he tends to alternate between a ruthless killer and a bumbling coward.
* NoSell: Once he gains the Apex Armor, he casually shrugs off everything Optimus and Dreadwing could throw at him.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Starscream's silver tongue might sometimes get him what he wants, but his big mouth puts him in trouble just as often. When he's just deserted and Arcee starts bonding with him over their hatred for Airachnid, he blurts out that ''he'', not Airachnid, killed Cliffjumper. Later when he causes Silas to lose Bumblebee's T-cog, he just stands and talks and eventually gets stunned and robbed of his own T-cog.
* PetTheDog:
** Starscream may have no sense of honor, but it appears he's not without a sense of ''gratitude'', as shown when he repays Arcee's mercy towards him in Season 1 by sparing her life when he could have killed her instead. More details in VillainousVirtues below.
** In "Thirst", he also tells Knock Out that ItHasBeenAnHonor when he thinks they are both about to die. Even though he tried to blame Knock Out for the incident going on at the time ''straight after'' when caught by Megatron (he can't help [[TheStarscream who he is]]), it doesn't change the fact that when there's nothing else left to lose, even ''Starscream'' of all people is capable of showing friendship towards another being.
** In "Deadlock", Starscream seems genuinely distressed and enraged when [[spoiler: Megatron is killed by Bumblebee. This is a far cry from earlier in the series when he genuinely desired to see Megatron perish so he could take command of the Decepticons for himself.]]
* PowerHigh: Whenever he gets any new power, physical or political. Calling him drunk with power would be an {{Understatement}}.
* PreMortemOneLiner: He gives two to the last of his clones, who was about to kill him to curry favor with Megatron.
--> '''Clone:''' Lord Starscream, I, your most loyal servant, regret to inform you that our ''[[ExactWords collective]]'' mission has failed.\\
'''Starscream:''' Mmm, yes, I got that sense. ''(Clone prepares to fire)'' something to do with... ''a throbbing ache in my side!''\\
''(Starscream turns around and shoots the clone)''\\
'''Clone:''' You ''knew'' I would attempt to terminate you!\\
'''Starscream:''' ''(grunts and clutches his chest in pain)'' ''I feel your pain.'' '''''Really, I do.'''''
* {{Pride}}: His fatal flaw. Starscream ''is'' competent at leadership, can deliver a pretty impressive veneer of charisma to keep the rank and file in line, and he's a good enough CombatPragmatist that he can get by in combat, but he tends to overestimate just ''how good'' he is at all of these when facing off with the Autobots or other Decepticons.
* PsychoticSmirk: He rarely ''isn't'' doing it.
* PsychologicalProjection: He thinks Shockwave is an arrogant glory hog who wants to take Starscream's position. Pretty much all of these traits can be used to describe Starscream himself, which he is blissfully unaware of.
* PuppyDogEyes: For a backstabbing psychopath, he's disturbingly effective at this. [[http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/Flavenstein/tumblr_louffjOAON1qgjyu7o1_500.jpg Case in point.]]
* PutOnABus: Disappeared for a time after "Partners" and TheBusCameBack in the second season premiere "Orion Pax".
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: His color scheme.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Like most Decepticons.
* RedOniBlueOni: The Red to almost anybody you pair him with, but especially his {{Foil}} Soundwave.
* [[RememberWhenYouBlewUpASun Remember When I Killed Cliffjumper?]]: Time and time again, he brings up the fact that he killed Cliffjumper. Since it's one of few times in the series when we see a Decepticon kill an Autobot, he's pretty proud of it.
* {{Sadist}}: Starscream loves the pain of others, and greatly enjoys serving as a TortureTechnician whenever he can.
* ScarsAreForever: Never shown to get them fixed, even though theoretically he should be capable of having it done.
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: As time goes on, Starscream starts doing this more often.
* SendInTheClones: He does this, in an effort to assassinate Megatron. It almost works, but Bulkhead kills a clone that gets too arrogant; three more find Megatron, but are killed after Airachnid's Insection attack distracts them. The last tries turning on the original and gets brutally dispatched.
* SelfSurgery: He comes close in the beginning of "Triangulation", when he tries to put the T-Cog he recovered from his dead clone into himself.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: His cowardice and relative lack of power in combat contrast him with Megatron's Manly Man.
* ShapeshifterModeLock: MECH stole his T-Cog and left him stuck in robot mode for a time. He swiped a new one from one of his dead clones, which Knock Out surgically implants when he rejoins the Decepticons.
* SissyVillain: Starscream's effeminate personality is complemented by his appearance, from his lithe, curvaceous frame to his FemmeFatalons and CombatStilettos, the latter of which gets him mocked by Smokescreen.
* SlasherSmile: The few times he isn't doing a PsychoticSmirk, and he's fairly good at them, to say the least.
* SlouchOfVillainy: The way he's often animated.
* SmugSnake: A legitimately threatening antagonist, but still not ''nearly'' as smart, charismatic, or deadly as he thinks he is.
* TheSociopath: Despite a few PetTheDog moments aside, he shows many symptoms of sociopathy; his inflated sense of self-worth, disregard for everyone but himself, and habitual lying/manipulation being the most prominent ones
* SpannerInTheWorks:
** Unknowingly, to Megatron's attempts to deceive Orion Pax. Megatron told Orion that Starscream is dead. When Starscream snuck aboard the ''Nemesis'' and came across Orion, he referred to him as Optimus Prime. Needless to say, a dead bot calling you by another name was the first dent in Megatron's deception and if not for his sudden appearance and subsequently passing information to the Autobots about the Space Bridge, Optimus would likely have remained Orion Pax.
** In "Hard Knocks", Starscream uses Red Energon and steals [[spoiler: the third Omega Key]], hampering both teams' efforts and causing them to both believe that the other stole it first. This causes Megatron to speed up his plan to flush the Autobots out.
* TheStarscream: Despite being the namesake, he's a great deal subtler about this than [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated the other fellow]], blurring the line between this and the BastardUnderstudy at times.
** By the end of the first season, he seems genuinely humbled and willing to give up his treachery and declare his UndyingLoyalty to Megatron. Until he's betrayed by Airachnid and captured by the Autobots, then nearly killed by Arcee which convinces him to ditch both sides.
** By the time of the third season, it's completely averted and Starscream is completely loyal to Megatron. Most notable is in "Deadlock" after [[spoiler: Megatron is killed by Bumblebee, Starscream genuinely vows to avenge him.]]
* SuperSpeed: Gains Red Energon in "New Recruit", then refines and uses it in "Hard Knocks" to gain this.
* TakeAThirdOption: After becoming a pariah to the Decepticons and not being welcomed into the Autobots as a form of revenge, Starscream basically says "screw the both of them" and decides to be part of ''neither'' faction.
* TemptingFate: Starscream probably shouldn't have gloated too much about his ability to transform to Bumblebee before he flew back to Silas.
* ThrowTheDogABone: His stint wearing the Apex Armor. While it doesn't last, he still manages to kick the crap out of Dreadwing and Optimus and gets away scot-free.
* TooCleverByHalf: His plans are often reasonably well thought out, but owing to his arrogance, he often leaves out miniscule details which end up unravelling the entire plan.
* TooDumbToLive: He once slapped an Insecticon for refusing to give him a large chunk of energon. Predictably, it tried to kill him, and he wound up hiding in a hole to small for it to get in until it left.
* TookALevelInBadass: Things ''finally'' seem to go his way in "Triangulation", as he obtains the Apex Armor, and throws Optimus and Dreadwing around like ragdolls. And even though he loses it to a Phase Shifter-wielding Smokescreen, he gets a shard of Red Energon in exchange, which he uses to steal three Omega Keys from the Autobots. And when he gets his T-Cog back and rejoins the Cons, he leads an airborn armada and even shoots down Wheeljack.
** In Season 3, when things stop going his way for a while, he [[spoiler:eventually engineers a ''perfect'' plan to eliminate the Predacon clones]], and hinder Shockwave's efforts in the process. Then he's seen [[spoiler:saving Megatron from Predaking]] and in the final fight onboard the ''Nemesis'' he's actually holding his own and refusing to run.
* TookALevelInKindness: Has some. In "Operation: Breakdown" episode, he comes to Breakdown's rescue while Megatron did not allow him to do. He also saves Arcee from Airachnid and has some PetTheDog moment with Knock Out in "Thirst".
* TortureTechnician: Took this position in Season 1 and in a Season 2 flashback. Shockwave ultimately proves better at it than he does.
* {{Tsundere}}: Type A toward Knock Out. They always argue with each other though Starscream cares for him.
* TwinTelepathy: Of a sort. Starscream feels all of the pain that his clones experience. This doesn't dissuade him from killing the last one before he could betray him.
* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler: It's unclear whether he survives his encounter with the Predacons by the end of ''Predacons Rising.'' Georgia Ball, writer of the sequel series's comic tie-in [[http://askmaridee.tumblr.com/post/115922928462/this-was-actually-announced-easter-sunday-at jokingly asked if she could ressurect him for it]].]] ''Robots in Disguise'' reveals [[spoiler:he did in fact survive, and even managed to inadvertenly kill Skylnyx and Darksteel in the process ([[UnreliableNarrator at least]], [[DirtyCoward so he claims]]).]]
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** Has a VERY bad habit of this. Then again, this is ''[[SmugSnake Starscream]]'' we're talking about here. Ruthlessly lampshaded in the episode "Patch".
** Starscream can also be the Badass being underestimated. Several of his opponents wind up dead or nearly dying when they forget how dangerous Starscream really is, especially when he's backed into a corner.
* UndyingLoyalty: Yes, when shown genuine forgiveness (however final) for his treachery, Starscream becomes this towards Megatron in late ''Season 2'' and the entirety of ''Season 3.''
* UnexplainedAccent: Sometimes has a British-ish accent, despite no other Transformer having one. Also oscillates between a [[OohMeAccentsSlipping British accent and an American one, seemingly randomly]].
* UriahGambit: In "Evolution", he didn't tell Shockwave that his BatmanGambit was underway in hopes that the Autobots would scrap him. When Shockwave questions this, Starscream tells him that it was to [[EnforcedMethodActing make it seem genuine]]. It doesn't work, but it does force Shockwave to retreat without saving his research, thus lowering his usefulness to Megatron. Also, the whole thing with Predaking himself.
* VillainBallMagnet: He ''really'' shouldn't have taken credit for Cliff's death in Arcee's presence.
* VillainTeamUp: With MECH in "Operation Bumblebee". [[ShapeshifterModeLock It doesn't end well for him]].
* VillainDecay: Subverted. Starscream turns into a total ButtMonkey and is eventually reduced to a bum barely scraping by at the end of the first season, but he manages to crawl his way back into being a threat thanks to his opportunism and wiles.
* VillainousBreakdown: Had one after Megatron's return.
* VillainousFriendship: Type 1 with Knock Out; on the level of both being sarcastic [[SissyVillain Sissy Villains]], they are able to relate to and understand each other perfectly.
* VillainousRescue: Saves Arcee from Airachnid in "Crossfire".
* VillainousUnderdog: Downplayed. He ''thinks'' of himself as this in Season 2 but disregards how he made poor decisions and made his own unfavorable conditions. Refusing to take anymore of Megatron's abuse (after trying to overthrow him), Starscream flies off to be on his own and takes up the Harbinger as his refuge. After his alliance with MECH goes haywire, they steal his T-Cog and he is left unable to fly. Sick of being starved of Energon and living as a recluse without any accomplices or weaponry, he finally gives in to returning to the Decepticons.
* VillainousVirtues: Gratitude. What makes ''this'' particular Starscream stand out amongst his multiverse counterparts is that once you show him ''genuine'' friendship and kindness, he ''will'' repay you '''fully''' in kind. This is demonstrated in him sparing Arcee whe she was bound and helpless, (''"Consider us even"'') his close friendship with Knock Out, and his '''genuine''' sorrow-and-rage at the death of [[spoiler: Megatron, whom not only granted him the final forgiveness that he didn't deserve, but saved his life by killing someone (Dreadwing) who was better in every way to him.]]
* VocalEvolution: His voice has gradually became less raspy and slightly higher-pitched over the course of the series.
* WeakButSkilled: He can't take a hit and his striking power has never been shown to be particularly impressive either. However, he's a CombatPragmatist with enough skill and cunning to rise up to [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership leader of the Decepticons]].
* WelcomeBackTraitor: Megatron allows him to rejoin the Decepticons in "Patch", albeit only after plugging into Starscream's mind and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech raking him over the coals]], making it very clear that if Starscream's thoughts and memories don't illustrate that he's learned his lesson about loyalty then he'll find himself on the chopping block.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: [[spoiler:Did he survive the beatdown that Predaking and his lackeys gave him, or did he just die from it? ''Robots in Disguise'' reveals [[HesBack he did]].]]
* WhenHeSmiles: The just plain... sincere look he gives to Knock Out in "Thirst" was rather jarring in this regard.
* WhosLaughingNow: His reaction whenever Megatron is buried alive is to cackle like a maniac.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Unlike the other Decepticons, he's utterly terrified of the Predacons, particularly Predaking, not that it stops him from [[BullyingADragon repeatedly electrocuting Predaking whenever he refuses to follow Starscream's orders.]]
* WildCard: It's stated that while Megatron is crazy and genocidal, he's still predictable in that way. Starscream, on the other hand, is so unpredictible that he's generally the one to be more careful around.
* WingedHumanoid: And they actually do something, too.
* WolverineClaws: His fingers resemble talons and he has no qualms about using them as weapons. It's funny, considering one of Creator/SteveBlum's [[WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009 most famous roles]].
* WouldHurtAChild: Displayed as he terrorizes Miko in "Rock Bottom," and again during "Darkest Hour".
* YouHaveFailedMe: He kills the last of his clones for betraying him, having realized beforehand that at least one of the clones would try selling him up the river.
* XanatosGambit: His BatmanGambit in "Evolution." [[spoiler:The Autobots either destroy Predaking and the Predacons or Predaking will destroy them.]] Either way, they lose an enemy.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
----
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Changed line(s) 41,55 (click to see context) from:
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeMegatron his page]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Starscream]]
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream his page.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
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-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Starscream]]
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream his page.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
to:
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Starscream]]
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream his page.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced
[[caption-width-right:500:''"Why leave matters to fate, if one can forge one's own destiny?"'']]
-->''"Ah, misdirection, Optimus! You would have made a'' fine ''Decepticon!"''
->'''Voiced by:'''
Changed line(s) 58 (click to see context) from:
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
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* AGodAmI: Megatron has always been obsessed with gaining personal power from his race's legends, but he falls headfirst into this trope after he gains the power of a Prime and creates the Dark Star Saber.
-->'''Megatron''': We finally take our rightful places, Optimus. As gods! Wielding the power of the cosmos!
* AdaptationalBadass: The GeneralFailure of ''Generation One'' this Megatron is not.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Not during the show, of course, but his backstory is that he was once a miner/gladiator fighting for the rights of lower-ranking Cybertronians, as opposed to simply being a GenericDoomsdayVillain like other incarnations. [[spoiler:He is also one of the only Megatrons in the franchise so far to pull a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* AffablyEvil: He's always polite and courteous to [[VillainousFriendship Soundwave]]. To everyone else, he's FauxAffablyEvil at best.
* AllThereInTheManual: Both ''Art of Prime'' and ''The Covenant of Primus'' revealed whose body he stole his BadassTransplant from. However...
** ContinuitySnarl: ''Art of Prime'' states it's [[spoiler:Sentinel Zeta Prime's]] arm, whereas ''The Covenant of Primus'' (and the version Website/TFWikiDotNet decided to go with) revealed it came from [[spoiler:Liege Maximo]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: Megatron initially sought to become a Prime, seeing himself as the rightful ruler of Cybertron. When he was denied, he started the war.
* AnArmAndALeg: Optimus severs his scavenged Prime Arm at the elbow in "Darkest Hour." [[MajorInjuryUnderreaction Didn't bother him as much as you'd expect]], and he has his original arm reattached shortly thereafter.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:The DemonicPossession breaks him and he can't do anything to stop it. He also can never become one with the Allspark because his use of Dark Energon has bound him to Unicron's Anti-spark. Though it's possible Unicron's imprisonment has changed this.]]
* AnimalMotifs: Megatron's grey color scheme and fangs make him look rather [[ThreateningShark shark-like]].
* TheAntichrist: For Cybertronians in general.
* AppendageAssimilation: Trades in his cannon/sword arm for an arm harvested from the corpse of a Prime, so he can wield artifacts of the Thirteen Primes.
* ArchEnemy: To Optimus.
* ArmCannon[=/=]{{BFG}}: Mostly due to [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 trad]][[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated ition]], it's one of the few non-{{Shapeshifter Weapon}}s in the series. He gave it up in "Alpha/Omega", trading it for a scavenged Prime arm, though his vehicle mode still retains the cannon. As of "Darkmount NV", he now has his original arm back, presumably due to the damage his stolen arm took.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: He's reduced to a passenger in his own body, enslaved by Unicron and tortured brutally for most of "Predacons Rising". With that said, this eventually gets to the point that ''Unicron'' is the horrible one, with this trope turned on its head as Unicron gets progressively nastier and crueler, even driving Megatron to attempt suicide]].
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: His backstory is that he was a champion gladiator on Cybertron. There's a reason he's maintained his leadership, despite [[TheStarscream the company he keeps]].
* AxCrazy: It's pretty clear that he's not entirely sane, and when angered he brims with homicidal rage on whoever's unfortunate enough to be the bearer of bad news.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Courtesy of Unicron in ''Predacons Rising''. It turns out that he is BarredFromTheAfterlife, allowing Unicron to resurrect him.]]
* BadassTransplant: Steals the right arm of a dead Prime and has Knock Out transplant it on him, thus allowing him to use Forge of Solus Prime to create the Dark Star Saber. By the end of Season 2, he loses it.
* BadBoss: When he's not being FauxAffablyEvil towards his troops, then it's because he's too busy yelling, berating, or threatening them. Starscream is his main victim.
--> '''Megatron''': ...and the first to address him as ''Optimus Prime'', will have their voice box torn out.
* BaritoneOfStrength: He's still voiced by Creator/FrankWelker, but his VocalEvolution has made his voice less raspy and more deep, yet sinister.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler: Due to the Dark Energon bonded to his spark, Megatron is forever bound to Unicron and can never return to the Allspark. It's currently unknown if Unicron's imprisonment has freed Megatron of this fate or not.]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:He wanted all the power of a god, and he gets it in the series finale. The downside is said god hijacks his body and uses him as a slave, torturing his soul for laughs.]]
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: [[spoiler: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Being tortured by Unicron in "Predacons Rising'" results in Megatron's HeelRealization]].
* BigBad: Being the leader of the Decepticons, he's the main antagonist by default. Various [[ArcVillain arc villains]] crop up now and again, and Unicron is the GreaterScopeVillain, but the entire conflict of the series can be traced back to him.
* BigBadEnsemble: With Silas and Airachnid for the early portions of the series, as the former two were as big a threat to the Autobots as Megatron and his Decepticons. Around the latter half of the second season, however, Airachnid is frozen and Silas is killed, leaving Megatron as the sole BigBad from then on.
* BigOlEyebrows: Natch.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Until "Alpha/Omega". He later gets it back.
* BlasphemousBoast: When trying to convince Unicron to take him as his herald, he falls into this. When he gets the Dark Star Saber, he also boasts how he'll use Unicron's power to dominate the world; thankfully, Unicron seems to be dormant and therefore incapable of proving him wrong.
* BlatantLies: During ''Darkmount, NV'', he tries to convince Agent Fowler that because the Autobots are now gone, he only wishes to coexist with humanity peacefully. Fowler knows full well he's lying through his serrated teeth, but also knows that he can't make a move on Megatron as long as his fusion cannons are active.
* BloodKnight: The universe will always be the gladiator pits for Megatron.
* BloodyMurder: The Dark Star Saber, since Dark Energon is Unicron's blood.
* BondVillainStupidity: Letting [[spoiler: Predaking beat up Ratchet proves to be a fatal mistake; not only does it lead to Ratchet revealing the truth about Megatron's treachery against the Predacon, but it also allows the medic to disable the cloaking field on the ''Nemesis'', allowing the Autobots to storm it.]]
* BoredWithInsanity: More like bored with evil. [[spoiler:After centuries of being an irredeemable genocidal maniac, being physically and psychologically tortured by Unicron was apparently enough push him to the point of having an epiphany about the pain he'd been causing others. So much so that once he's freed of the Chaos Bringer, he dissolves the Decepticons and leaves Cybertron without a fight.]]
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Hops back and forth on this one. While the lion's share of his screen time is spent laying out plans and giving orders, when it comes time to throw down, it's clear there's a ''reason'' he is TheDreaded. Megatron is just as comfortable using brute strength as he is his intellect. Lampshaded by himself in one episode where he notes that he was "as known in the gladiator pits for my strength as I was for my cunning."
* BrutalHonesty:
** When he proposes [[EnemyMine an alliance]] to defeat Unicron between himself and the Autobots, he proclaims that it will only last as long as doing so remains mutually beneficial to both factions. When the alliance is over, he will conquer Earth under his own terms. He states in full why he wishes for such an alliance, and how each side needs the other, whilst making it perfectly clear that as soon as the situation is resolved, then they are back to the status quo. Arcee even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the proposal;
-->'''Arcee''': Brutal honesty from a Decepticon?
** While trying to convince [[spoiler:Ratchet to aid in reconstructing the Omega Lock]], Megatron is pretty up-front about the fact that he likely won't honor any deals he makes and probably will kill [[spoiler:Ratchet]] [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once he's completed his task]], but asserts that he should do it anyway because the result will benefit all Cybertronians even if he personally won't be around to see it. [[spoiler:It actually works.]]
* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Being upgraded makes him vastly more powerful, to the point that no one, not even ''Predaking'', can defeat him. His jet mode has lightspeed capability, his robot form is bigger and spikier, and he can form weapons made of pure dark energy. Fortunately for everyone, being enslaved by Unicron soured him on the idea of oppressing anyone else, and it's not clear if he keeps these powers once Unicron is sealed away - though the fact that he flies off, on his own, without any Space Bride or Spaceship to get him far away, at least implies that he kept the FasterThanLightTravel capability]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Megatron remains as haughty and prideful as any of his incarnations during the series, but Jack's restoration of Optimus' memory, [[spoiler: Miko's]] destroying Hardshell, and Cylas' rhetoric concerning the "human factor" giving Optimus the advantage finally convinces him humans are not so harmless after all in the middle of season two.
* ChestInsignia: The Con symbol.
* ClassicVillain: Ambition, Envy and Wrath.
* ColdHam: Unlike some of his predecessors, this incarnation of Megatron is calm and menacing. That being said, he comes off as over-the-top and terrifying while being full of TranquilFury.
* CombatPragmatist: While nobody in the series is exactly the fairest of fighters, he's a particularly brutal one. Hey, it's not like gladiators fight fair if they wanna win.
* CompositeCharacter: This version of Megatron takes cues from both [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]] (the ever-famous buckethead and lower legs resembling a pistol's handgrip) and the [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries movies]] (the sharp angles and bits on his shoulders, along with two-toed feet and a demonic-looking face with sharp shark-like teeth), even including the latter's alt mode from the first film, while the purple highlights are a nod to his ''Beast Wars'' version.
** From G1, story-wise he takes G1 Megs' role of[[spoiler: getting brought back to life in an enhanced form by Unicron]].
** His arc plays out very similarly to ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' Megatron in particular: [[spoiler: He first joins forces with Optimus against a greater danger; then takes advantage of his HeroicSacrifice; then when Optimus gains an upgrade by obtaining a sacred object, Megatron replicates the effect through unholy means; finally he is betrayed by an honorable second-in-command.]]
** From ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]]'', he takes his belated introduction as well as getting incapacitated in a Space Bridge accident.
* CoolPlane: A Cybertronian jet, to be exact. Based on the original form of his ''Film/Transformers2007'' movie counterpart, but simpler.
* CoolSword: His EvilKnockoff of the Star Saber, the Dark Energon-infused ''Dark'' Star Saber.
* CurbStompBattle: Anyone other than Optimus Prime who tries to pick a fight with him will usually find themselves on the receiving end of this.
** Lampshaded during his fight with Ultra Magnus:
-->'''Megatron''': Ultra Magnus. You are ''no'' Optimus Prime!
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Considering that the only way he could find freedom from the back-breaking slavery of the mines was by ripping other robots limb-from-limb in the gladiatorial pits, Megatron never had a positive view on life to begin with.
* DarkIsEvil: Has dark gray armor and one of the worst Decepticons to boot.
* DarkLordOnLifeSupport: For the first half of Season 1.
* DeadpanSnarker: Much like his ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]]'' incarnation. A few examples:
--> '''Megatron:''' ''(visiting the Autobot Base)'' So, this is where the magic happens... Quaint.\\
'''Starscream:''' ''(after [[spoiler: the Decepticons destroy the Autobot base]])'' This is the place all right.\\
'''Megatron:''' This ''was'' the place.\\
'''Megatron:''' ''(unblinking after watching Shockwave nearly kill Starscream)'' Exemplary teamwork.
* DeathGlare: Delivers an unblinking (and nightmare-inducing) one to Starscream at the end of "Rock Bottom". Though, to be fair, this ''is'' [[PerpetualFrowner his default expression]].
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:After Unicron possesses his body, he tries getting Predaking to ''roast his possessed body alive'']].
* DecompositeCharacter: [[spoiler: Although he shares his G1 self's status in being upgraded by Unicron into a new body, he does not take on the name of Galvatron. ''The Covanant of Primus'' would reveal that a Galvtron existed in Cybertron's distant past in a similar fashion to IDW's Galvatron.]]
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Megatron is a deconstruction of the WellIntentionedExtremist trope. According to Ratchet, Megatron wasn't always the bloodthirsty tyrant he is today, but rather a revolutionary who fought for equal rights during a time of social inequality on Cybertron. Over time, however, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget his ambition and lust for power corrupted his initial intentions until he became no better than the ones he fought against, leading to the eventual death of Cybertron]]. [[spoiler:It takes being resurrected, possessed, abused, and tortured by [[GodOfEvil Unicron]] to [[HeelRealization remind Megatron of what he originally fought for, and having experienced suffering himself, Megatron no longer wished to inflict it on anyone else]], and it leads him to go into a self-imposed exile from Cybertron]].
* DemonicPossession: Pulls it on Bumblebee at the end of "Sick Mind".
** Is very briefly at the receiving end of one by Unicron in "One Shall Rise, Part 3." [[spoiler:Unicron eventually does it again in ''Predacons Rising'' but keeps an easier hold on him owing to the fact that Megatron is dead]].
* DemotedToDragon: Played with. When Unicron shows up, Megatron ''wants'' this to happen, to better further his own agenda, but Unicron views Megs as beneath him. [[spoiler:Seemingly played straighter in "Predacons Rising", but that turned out to be more GrandTheftMe, as Unicron stole his body.]]
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: As he claims, no one, not even Unicron the Chaos Bringer, commands him.
* DiscardAndDraw: He sacrifices his primary weapon arm for an arm from a Prime, allowing him to create a Dark Energon copy of the Star Saber using the Forge of Solus Prime, and for that matter, the power to create anything else he wants using the Forge. [[SubvertedTrope He gets the original back once the Prime arm is damaged.]]
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:Probably got as close to this fate as a Transformer can get. His abuse of Dark Energon ended up tainting his spark, so when he died, instead of going to the All Spark, his spirit ends up going to Unicron, who proceeds to enslave him and horrifically torture his soul.]]
* TheDreaded: Possibly the greatest example of all his incarnations in the franchise. When the Autobots are in a fight and Megatron shows up, they'll either run away or pull back and let Optimus handle it. He's even shown to be capable of taking on the ''entirety'' of the original Autobot team, minus Optimus, single-handedly in combat and ''easily winning''. He's THAT dangerous.
* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:[[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The Autobots don't explicitly forgive Megatron after he goes through his HeelRealization about the nature of oppression and disbanding the Decepticons, but they seem content to let Megatron fly off into self-imposed exile. Not that anyone could have stopped him or made him do otherwise, mind you.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Downplayed, but he and Soundwave have a mutual loyalty and borderline VillainousFriendship with one another.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Megatron seemed genuinely repulsed by [[spoiler:Silas' usage of Breakdown's corpse]] and only agreed to a team-up because it seemed practical at the time.
** In "Operation: Bumblebee Part 1", when the Autobots are discussing Bumblebee's missing T-Cog, Ratchet rules out Decepticon involvement claiming Megatron "is no ghoul." These expectations are ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in "Alpha/Omega", where Megatron breaks into a Prime's tomb, steals a Prime's arm, and replaces one of his own arms for it (although given the sheer amount of [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness fear]] he displayed in the [[Recap/TransformersPrimeS2E20Legacy previous episode]], Megatron seems to have felt that it was time to [[GodzillaThreshold take desperate measures]]).
** Although he would be more than happy to be rid of the Autobots, Megatron still favors fighting them on an equal footing, or at the very least, give his opponent(s) a chance to defend themselves. When he sees Starscream's memories in "Patch", and how he terminated Cliffjumper, he's quite disappointed in the less-than-honorable way the latter went out:
--->'''Starscream:''' I've gone through so much trouble to terminate the Autobot in the first place!\\
'''Megatron:''' "Trouble" would have been facing him as a ''gladiator''!
* EvilFormerFriend: To Optimus. They used to be as close as brothers... and then the Council shot Megatron down for position of Prime. Cue war.
* EvilIsBigger: Like [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries recent]] [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated incarnations]], this Megatron also has a bit of a noticeable size advantage over Optimus. [[spoiler: That is, until Optimus Prime's recent upgrade evened things out. In the finale things are evened out once more, as his possession by Unicron granted him a larger body]].
* EvilIsNotAToy:
** Attempts to ally with Unicron as his servent in exchange for power, only to discover that the Chaos Bringer views him as about as useful as a worm and wants to destroy him with everything else.
** [[spoiler:As it turns out, just the mere act of using Unicron's ''blood'' to power himself up was this: the act of doing so tainted his Spark. Instead of returning to the All Spark when he dies, he ends up in Unicron's Anti-Spark, doomed to forever be the Chaos Bringer's slave and vessel until Optimus of all people saved him.]]
* EvilKnockoff: His Dark Star Saber is this to the original Star Saber.
* EvilLaugh: Not prone to these, but when he does give one, it's absolutely ''terrifying''.
* EvilMentor: As Megatronus, to Orion Pax, before the beginning of the Great War. It seems Megatron is quite eager to resume his mentoring when Optimus reverts back into Orion Pax and loses his memories of being a Prime, and more importantly, his enmity with Megatron. It didn't last.
* EvilOverlord: For the Cons.
* EvilSoundsDeep: As a result of VocalEvolution.
* EvilVirtues: Megatron claims to value loyalty above all else.
* EvilerThanThou: To Starscream; once he comes out of his ConvenientComa halfway through Season 1, it becomes very clear as to why he's the one who leads the Decepticons.
* TheExile: His fate at the end of the series. [[spoiler:After realising just how much pain and suffering he caused in his leadership of the Decepticons due to DemonicPossession by Unicron, he willingly disbands the Decepticons and flies away to parts unknown]].
* FallenHero: The founder and former leader of the Cybertronian civil rights movement, desiring to be named the next Prime until a certain 'bot named Orion Pax inadvertently hijacked it from under him. It's possible that he had evil intentions from the start, but his ego descended the movement from civil rights to anarchy.
* FangsAreEvil: It adds to the ObviouslyEvil motif.
* FantasticRacism: He seems to detest humans (and organic life in general) and refuses to believe that they could ever pose a threat to a worthy warrior. This disdain is part of the reason why he keeps his Cybertronian jet mode instead of adapting an Earth-vehicle disguise.
** Around the middle of Season 2, he starts to recognize how dangerous humans can be. And more unfortunately, [[spoiler:how useful they are as hostages.]]
* FatalFlaw: DoubleSubverted. Some would cite his stubborn {{Pride}} as a problem, and they'd be right. That said, he figures this out and works to overcome it, most notably by allowing Starscream back into the ranks and listening to his ideas. [[spoiler: What really dooms him is his {{Greed}}. The war started because Megatron never got the power of the Primes he wanted. Not satisfied with taking Cybertron as his own, he tries to cyberform Earth first, forcing Optimus to destroy the Omega Lock and screwing over both sides. In the series finale, Megatron tries again to cyberform Earth '''first''' and when called out on this by Shockwave, Megatron says he could never be satisfied with '''one planet.''' Ratchet often labels Megatron as a greedy tyrant, citing how he hoarded most of the Energon on Earth, more than his faction could ever need, use or even properly guard, for his own purposes. On top of that, not satisfied with being the strongest Decepticon, Megatron repeatedly infuses himself with Dark Energon, leading to his possession by Unicron in the finale and being tortured so badly he ''breaks.'']]
* FashionableAsymmetry: See RedRightHand below.
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Being killed by Bumblebee allows Unicron to possess his body, and it is also revealed that thanks to Dark Energon coursing through him, he is permanently linked to Unicron's essence and his spark can never pass on and join the [=AllSpark=] in death. Unicron's possession also leaves him so broken that it causes him to undergo a HeelRealisation, and once Megatron is free from his influence, he openly disbands the Decepticons and goes into self-imposed exile]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: Aside from his VillainousFriendship with Soundwave, almost any politeness he exhibits is undoubtedly a façade. He uses it to keep his troops on his side, when not being an outright BadBoss to them. He even attempts diplomacy with Agent Fowler in "Darkmount, NV" about the Decepticons wanting to live peacefully alongside humans. Of course, this isn't the case, even though it ''sounds'' sincere.
-->'''Starscream:''' ...I almost believed you myself.
** He becomes genuinely AffablyEvil after being freed from Unicron's possession.
* FirstNameBasis: He tends to refer to Optimus Prime by just the first half of his name.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric.
* FourthWallMailslot: For a time, Creator/TheHub ran a series of ads called "Ask Megatron", where viewers could send Megatron questions like: "What's your favorite type of cake?", "Will you go to Prom with me?" and "Who's your favorite Autobot?" (To which he responded: DO YOU EVEN WATCH THE SHOW?!)
* FromNobodyToNightmare: To think he was once a (literally) nameless miner in Cybertron's underground...
* FullCircleRevolution: His original reasons for rebelling was the inequality that plagued Cybertron, and how the lives of the lower caste-members were tossed aside without much concern. Guess how lower-ranking Decepticons are treated in comparison to the elite few?
* GeniusBruiser: He might not be a scientific expert, but he's an amazing strategist, effective if brutal leader, former politician (who did quite well too until Orion Pax screwed it up), and he seems to understand science enough to work out who works better on what.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: The scars on his face show that his combat history is ''very'' evident.
* HearingVoices: After injecting himself with Dark Energon, Unicron speaks to him.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After being enslaved in body and soul by Unicron in "Predacons Rising", Megatron no longer wants to do the same to anyone else. He flies off at the end to think about what to do next with his new lease on life.]]
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:During ''Predacon Rising'', he's placed through severe torture and oppression by Unicron. This causes him to realize the error of his ways and abandon the idea of taking over Cybertron once and for all.]]
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: When the war started, he was a rebellious gladiator who wanted to abolish the unfair caste system of Cybertron. However, he became convinced that he was the rightful ruler of Cybertron (desiring to be named the next Prime) and became the megalomaniac warmonger we know today.
* HumiliationConga: Endures an epic one during the episode "Rebellion". Megatron has managed to foil the Autobots' assault on Darkmount and is about to execute them only for Optimus, [[CameBackStrong upgraded by the Forge of Solus Prime]] to appear and punch him so hard that he's sent flying through his throne. Megatron tries to fight Optimus, only for the Autobot leader to toss him into Darkmount's power core, electrocuting him severely and disabling the fusion cannons. He's then forced to retreat as Agent Fowler's air force brings down Darkmount.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He's citing infighting as a major cause for disunity and dissension among the Decepticon ranks. Thanks to the fascistic power structure of the Decepticons, where the more prominent members of his warband try to earn his favor through achievements, he's actively ''breeding'' such infighting. This is made even more evident with Starscream and Shockwave being CoDragons in the third season, as the two are jousting each other for Megatron's favor, while Megs can get back to focus on ruling the Decepticons and expect results from them.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Seconds before he would have slain Optimus, Bumblebee runs him through the spark with the Star Saber. It takes Unicorn literally bringing him back from the dead to make a comeback.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Moreso than any other incarnation, the Decepticons consistently refer to him as ''Lord'' Megatron.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Megatron started a war that essentially killed his entire world because he was denied the title of Prime in favor of Orion Pax. He also assumed that he was a prophesied "rising darkness", which was revealed to truly be [[GodOfEvil Unicron]].
* ItsPersonal: His attitude toward mankind as a whole after they [[spoiler:destroyed Darkmount]]. Much of his plans and plots in season 3 are his attempts to find a way to KillAllHumans as punishment for ''daring'' to put the war to the Autobots' favor, when he earlier didn't mind to just force them to submit before his supreme power and acknowledge him as their superior.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even on just a personal level, Megatron is an angry, sarcastic, and self-important being whose main modes of interaction are insults and abuse; even his FauxAffablyEvil moments only highlight these qualities.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:After countless eons of fighting, the former gladiator of Kaon is NOT killed by Optimus Prime. He's ultimately killed by ''Bumblebee'', the lowly Autobot scout whose voicebox he destroyed so long ago. It becomes even more karmic when you remember who Megatron used to revive his body. And the last words he hears at this point are Bumblebee telling him he'll never be able to harm anyone ever again.]] How's that for FridgeBrilliance?
-->'''Bumblebee:''' You took my voice. You will never rob anyone of anything, '''''ever again.'''''
* KickTheDog: Almost killing Raf is the biggest and best example, though destroying Bumblebee's voicebox, manipulating Orion Pax, and killing [[spoiler:Dreadwing]] are close.
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: His character notes reveal that he enjoys ''online cat videos''. [[spoiler: The Hub's take on 'behind the scenes' also reveals that he and Soundwave are Bronies!]]
* LackOfEmpathy: Oh, he ''knows'' how powerful emotions, hopes and dreams can be, it's just that he just doesn't particularly ''care'' about any that aren't his. [[spoiler: Until Unicron reminded him of what suffering meant while torturing his soul.]]
* LargeAndInCharge: Much like [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries previous]] [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated incarnations]], he's one of the most noticeably huge individual Transformers and still just a bit larger than Optimus Prime, at least until Optimus' upgrade in season 3 evened thing out. Also, Predaking is larger than both him and Optimus. [[spoiler: His possession by Unicron in ''Predacons Rising'' grants him an even larger and more physically imposing body]].
* LargeHam: Downplayed when compared to a [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars certain other Megatron]], but he still has his moments. He still comes off as intimidating, though.
* LightIsNotGood: Watch how bright his armor glows when he fights Optimus.
* LightningBruiser: Tremendously strong, as well as incredibly fast.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: May be this to Starscream, especially during season 3.
* LoopholeAbuse: So the Forge of Solus Prime will only work in the hands of a Prime? Simple; steal the arm of a Prime who is long dead, and replace his own arm with it!
* ManipulativeBastard: He's quite skilled at this. "Persuasion" is basically his crowning moment, where he manages to convince [[spoiler:Ratchet to complete his Synthetic Energon formula to restore Cybertron.]]
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: In "Darkest Hour", he loses his stolen Prime arm when Optimus hacks it off, yet when he notices Optimus [[spoiler:destroyed the Omega Lock]], he laughs maniacally. He doesn't get treatment for his injury at all during the rest of the episode.
* MeaningfulName: He was originally a Cybertronian miner going by the designation D-16, and in the Gladiator Arena he took on the name of one of the original Thirteen Primes, Megatronus: later to be known as The Fallen, [[spoiler: reasoning that that which had Fallen could rise again]]. He shortened his name to Megatron when he started gathering political allies and tried to be named a Prime.
%%* NameTron: Megatron.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: He took the name of the Cybertronian equivalent to the Anti-Christ.
* {{Necromancer}}: Courtesy of Dark Energon. [[spoiler: And it backfires spectacularly in the finale, as HIS body is now the puppet for someone much worse.]]
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Fearing that Predaking would turn on him upon realizing the latter's sentience, he manipulates the Autobots to destroy the Predacons. [[spoiler: [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Predaking learns about this anyway]] and not only deserts Megatron, but nearly destroys him.]] It costs him a very powerful ally in any case.
** For bonus points, [[VillainBall this probably wouldn't have happened]] if Megatron hadn't [[spoiler:given Ratchet to Predaking as a ChewToy.]]
** Even earlier, [[spoiler:during the fight for the Omega Keys, his attempt at using the Omega Lock to cyberform Earth and the resultant energy spike results in Ultra Magnus coming to Earth to investigate, reuniting the Autobots in the process and giving them the firepower and morale boost needed to attack Megatron's new Darkmount facility.]]
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: His preferred method of keeping Starscream in line.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: His body is noticeably more armored and less kibble-heavy than most cybertronians on the show, in keeping with his past as a warrior.
* NotQuiteDead: Is believed to have been killed when the Space Bridge explodes, but found to have survived due to the Dark Energon inside him in the next episode. However, he's so damaged that the Decepticons have to place him in stasis lock while they repair him.
* NowWhat: [[spoiler:As of "Predacons Rising" once he's freed from Unicron's control, he's basically alone now in the universe; he doesn't stay on Cybertron (he knows he'd probably no longer be welcome), and he no longer has any desire to lead the Decepticons in conquest (he even goes so far as to officially disband the army)]].
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: To Optimus, though he's liberal in his interpretation. Apparently, so long as he ''ordered'' it, it counts.
** In "Sick Mind", this is how Bumblebee convinces him to give the Autobots the cure to the plague Optimus has contracted: There's no point in Optimus dying if Megatron can't watch it. To his credit, Megatron doesn't ''completely'' fall for the ruse, insisting that Bumblebee help him in return.
** In "One Shall Fall", when Optimus is raiding the ''Nemesis'' alone, Megatron forbids any Decepticon to attack him and even orders Soundwave to open a bridge for Optimus to allow him to battle his eternal rival.
** He also feels that he's the only one worthy of conquering the Earth, as shown in "One Shall Rise", where after Unicron rejects his offer of an alliance, he allies with the Autobots to defeat him.
** In one exception, he doesn't stop Dreadwing from attempting to kill Optimus. Instead, the second Dreadwing is out of earshot, he dryly notes that he sincerely doubts he'll see Dreadwing alive again.
* OhCrap: Usually, he's not prone to these. However, "Legacy" has him constantly on edge when the Star Saber is discovered, which only gets worse as soon as Optimus demonstrates just what the Star Saber is capable of.
* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: In "Darkest Hour" he attempted to use the Omega Lock to cyberform Earth, a process that would kill all organic life. And in "Minus One", he plans to try again.]]
* OneHandedZweihander: Megs gets a lesson in his second sword duel with Optimus on [[DeconstructedTrope why this trope is generally]] a ''bad'' idea. The first sword-clash unbalances Megatron, while Optimus, with a two-handed grip, recovers faster and quickly slices Megatron's sword arm off.
* OneManArmy: At the end of the "Orion Pax" three-parter, he single-handedly defeated the entire Autobot roster save Prime himself (since Orion Pax/amnesiac Optimus is nowhere near as good a fighter), three of whom he had to fight at the same time.
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler:Seems as though Unicron has taken an interest in dear Megatron to the point of reigniting his spark.]]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Take a good look at his face during "Legacy" when the Star Saber is discovered. That's '''fear'''.
--> '''Megatron:''' [[ThisCannotBe It cannot be...]] power of this magnitude must never be allowed to fall into the hands of Optimus Prime, [[OhCrap no matter what]]!
** During season three, it is clear he finally has reason to fear a potential coup, this time from [[TheJuggernaut Predaking]]. He takes drastic measures to [[spoiler: wipe out the cloned Predacons]], and does his best to assert his dominance over him by requesting him to face him as a beast, not in his robot mode. When Predaking [[spoiler: finally turns on him after learning the truth behind the Predacon massacre]], Megatron is clearly spooked and is [[DissonantSerenity doing his best to steel himself]] for the coming battle he knows he may lose.
** [[spoiler: When he vehemently refuses to resume leadership of the Decepticons at the end of "Predacons Rising", Starscream is ''very'' weirded out.]]
* OpposeWhatYouSuffered: Zigzagged two ways from Sunday. Megatron started out as a [[YouAreNumberSix nameless]] transformer slaving away in the mines underneath {{Bad Boss}}es, and eventually found his way to the [[GladiatorGames Gladiatorial pits]], where he earned his freedom through his victories, taking the name '[[InternalHomage Megatronus]]' after the original TragicVillain of the mythos in the process. After earning his freedom, Megatronus gathered a following of disenfranchised transformers and campaigned for a reformation of the political system of Cybertron to make it more egalitarian than it was at the time... but when he was finally granted an audience with the NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering that ran the planet, he saw the flaws inherent in the political process and demanded that he be named Prime. When this was refused and one of his long-time friends, Orion Pax, was given the opportunity instead, his gathering of loyal followers began a CivilWar against the rulers of the planet to make -- the now-named -- Megatron ruler, a CivilWar that would, after thousands of milennia of conflict, eventually render the planet uninhabitable and every single remaining transformer TheRemnant, and saw his followers rename themselves the 'Decepticons' as their goals [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil eventually became]] little more than [[FullCircleRevolution totalitarian control of everything]]. The final zig of this zagging comes at the end of the series during the ''Predacons Rising'' movie, where [[spoiler: Megatron has been possessed by [[GodOfEvil Unicron]], and is ForcedToWatch as Unicron uses his body for the purpose of finally killing off the dormant [[TheMaker Primus]] at the center of the recently-restored Cybertron. Whenever Megatron tries to resist, Unicron enacts ColdBloodedTorture upon his soul - and this leads to Megatron having a HeelRealization. When the possession is lifted, Megatron disbands the Decepticons and leaves for voluntary exile, realizing that his attempts at becoming this trope has ''utterly'' failed, and that no matter what he does now, his millennia of warfare mean [[VillainousLegacy he will always be remembered]] as an EvilOverlord]].
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Even when he's up and running rather than comatose in the medbay, he generally leaves the fieldwork to his minions. Not because he's incapable, but because he prefers to monitor his troops' affairs.
* PetTheDog:
** He is genuinely corteous and respectful to Soundwave at all times.
** In ''Thirst'', even after Starscream and Knock Out's experiment has disastrous results for the Decepticons, Megatron hears out Knock Out and lightly reprimands him, recognizing that he was only following orders. Starscream, [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on the other hand...]]
* PowerGlows: After injecting himself with Dark Energon, his joints and eyes glow with purple energy whenever he's actively using it.
* PragmaticVillainy: Tends to be smart regarding his soldiers, many of whom hold treacherous desires to overthrow him. He forgives Starscream (and Knock Out's treachery as well) and allows him to rejoin at the end of season two, insisting the Decepticons must be united to successfully revive Cybertron. Despite Airachnid having deserted, once she proves her competence, he has no problem eventually giving her a role as TheDragon, and even leaves her in command. Once he learns of her attempted coup, he leaves her alone, still requiring her services for the time being. This is also the reason he is furious when he believes Starscream has been captured by the Autobots, enraged that a vital part of his war machine is at the fingertips of the Autobots.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Life will ''always'' be a gladiator pit for Megatron, one way or another.
* PsychoticSmirk: Does it to Starscream frequently.
* PurpleIsPowerful: Most prominently with his Dark Energon-influenced eyes, but his armor is also partially purple as well.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: He's one of the most powerful members of the cast, tied only with Optimus, if their fights with each other are any indication.
* RedemptionEqualsLife: [[spoiler:By the end of "Predacon Rising", he abandons his ambitions to take over Cybertron and Earth, and makes it out of the film -- ''and the greater war'' -- alive.]]
* RedIsHeroic: As Megatronus, he had red highlights in his armor instead of the present day's purple.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Starscream's red. Though he can dip into red territory (namely anger) if pressed. Also serves as the red to Soundwave's blue.
** He's also the villainous red to Optimus' heroic blue.
* RedRightHand: Literally. He replaced most of his right arm with that of a dead Prime, giving him the power to use the artifacts of the Primes until it was severed by Optimus.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: Back on Cybertron, he advocated for violent revolution where Optimus wanted peaceful reform, and it got worse from there. [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope A lot worse]].
* SadisticChoice: In "Darkest Hour". The Decepticons have captured the kids, and Megatron offers their lives in exchange for the Omega Keys, and thus the future of the Cybertronian race as well as the means to bring an end to the war.
* SanitySlippage: Even in the opening miniseries, Starscream suggested he was starting to lose it, especially once he injected himself with Dark Energon. But it got particularly evident when he gets the Dark Star Saber.
** To elaborate, this guy took the limb off of an ancient corpse, and that of a Cybertronian with their equivalent to sainthood, then used it to replace his own arm, and then forged a sword from what is, for all intents and purposes, [[BloodyMurder the blood of the devil]].
* SatisfiedStreetRat: He wears his life as "a gladiator from the pits of Kaon" as a badge of pride in spite of the fact he was a slave because of it.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: With Starscream, as the [[BloodKnight very obvious]] Manly Man.
* SlasherSmile: Perhaps the foremost expert in the show. [[FangsAreEvil The teeth help]].
* SpikesOfVillainy: As in the films. [[spoiler:He gets even more after his body is possessed, which causes him to resemble Unicron. They don't go away after Unicron is expelled from his body, [[HeelFaceTurn though the villainy part does]]]].
* SportsHeroBackstory: "Let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross a Gladiator of Kaon!"
* TheSociopath: Whether he was one prior to the series is debatable, but by the time of the show it's pretty clear that any morals he once had, if they were ever there in the first place, have long eroded. [[spoiler:It takes Unicron possessing him to restore them, making this a subversion.]]
* StrongAndSkilled: One of the most powerful Cybertronians alive, he's also an exceptionally skilled warrior capable of bringing down Insecticons relying as much on his technique as his strength, match Optimus Prime blow for blow and defeat Predaking using his quick thinking.
* SwordBeam: The Dark Star Saber, much like the original, can do this.
* TeamDad: Becomes somewhat of a stern but fair type of this in the third season, after he'd realizes that it was his BadBoss-type of leadership from before that had caused infightings and treachery to run rampant amongst his troops.
* ThisCannotBe: Says this almost verbatim when he discovers the Star Saber.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: For probably the first time since the Fall of Cybertron. Megatron admits that the Decepticon faction is in for a ''very'' uphill battle once Optimus demonstrates the power of the Star Saber.
* TinTyrant: His plating invokes this.
* TranquilFury: Unlike the [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 G1]], WesternAnimation/{{Beast|Wars}} [[WesternAnimation/BeastMachines Era]], [[Anime/UnicronTrilogy Armada]], and [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Movieverse]] Megatrons, this one is rarely hammy and over-the-top, and is usually soft-spoken and cool-headed like [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]] Megs. But it's obvious from the start that behind Megatron's cold front lies a beast that is only driven by long-burning rage and hatred towards anyone who's ever wronged him, and sometimes even to those who haven't. Sometimes, that front slips and the beast inside will make things ''[[UnstoppableRage really]]'' ugly.
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** He did this to Team Prime during the "Orion Pax" arc, allowing them to temporarily seize the Space Bridge. However, he acknowledges this and states that he will never make this mistake again, before proceeding to deliver them a CurbStompBattle.
** He also believed humans were incapable of harming his cause, yet he's quite clearly shocked when he finds out it was [[spoiler:[[TookALevelInBadass Miko]]]] who killed Hardshell.
** Calls out Predaking for thinking that brute strength is the only tool in Megatron's belt, saying that he didn't become the champion of the gladiator pits on strength alone, but also for his cunning...right as he springs a trap that he expertly manuevered the predacon into.
* TheUnfettered: Megatron has no limits to his lust for power. He'll sacrifice anyone or anything, defile the most sacred artifacts, transform the dead into mindless berserkers, and even ally with Unicron if it serves his ends.
** And as "Darkest Hour" shows, he's perfectly willing to [[spoiler:sacrifice ''Cybertron'']] if it means he wins.
* VillainousBreakdown: Has one at the end of ''Rebellion'' where he goes from confident to boiling mad at the sight of the upgraded Optimus. Further exacerbated when Optimus manages to disable Darkmount's fusion cannons. Starscream is forced to order the Vehicons to escort him out over his protests.
-->'''Megatron''': What are you doing?! ''NO!'' We will not '''''RETREAT!'''''
** Earlier in the series, Optimus's triumphant return and escape in the beginning of season 2 leaves Megatron a screaming mess.
* VillainousFriendship: With Soundwave due to their gladatorial backgrounds.
* VocalEvolution: Creator/FrankWelker's return to the role prompted a newer version of the voice which is much less screechy, and more quiet and menacing. He even admitted that the classic Megatron voice did not allow much range, while this voice allows him to be both reserved and bombastic at different times.
* WhamLine: After [[spoiler: Unicron]] is defeated at the end of Predacons Rising, Starscream approaches Megatron with the intention of [[spoiler: restarting the war]], picking up where they left off. Megatron, [[spoiler: who CameBackStrong]], is in [[{{pun}} prime]] position to do just that, and yet he, in no uncertain terms, makes it clear that this will ''not'' be happening.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's mentioned a few times in the sequel series to 'Prime', but never makes an actual physical presence, nor is it ever stated where he went or what he's been up to. Now that the Aligned continuity is over, we'll probably never know.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: While Megatron is obviously quite evil, he was always [[FauxAffablyEvil quite sane]] about it. This is in stark contrast to his quote at the end of "Alpha Omega".
--> '''Megatron:''' [[EvilLaugh *maniacal laughter*]] "Run, Optimus, run! Those trinkets from Iacon won't save you. Not when I now possess the power to ''TEAR THIS WORLD APART!!"''
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: According to Creator/FrankWelker.
* WorthyOpponent: Somewhat interestingly, ''Optimus'' appears to be considered this by ''Megatron''. In fact once Megatron creates the Dark Star Saber, a counterpoint to the Star Saber, itself one of the most powerful weapons seen on the show up to that point he even flat out says that now that they have these weapons, that they've taken their "rightful place" in the universe as gods, wielding the powers of the cosmos. (His exact words from the show, in fact.) Bear in mind, this is ''[[BigBad Megatron]]'', the Lord of the Decepticons and generally a power mad, often genocidal maniac saying this. And yet he thinks Optimus ''deserves to be considered a god alongside him''. A strangely unique worldview for a villain of Megatron's long and storied history. Could be justified that they were friends before the war (To the point that Megatron once considered him as close as a brother, as established in the novels). Or maybe Megatron's days as a gladiator in the pits of Kaon still inform his behavior when it comes to fighting. Either way, it's telling that he considers Optimus worthy of being considered a deity as much as he does once they both have their own magic swords. Basically, Optimus is this in his eyes, plus a healthy dose of straight up VillainRespect from Megatron throughout the entire series, but the battle in Egypt was the first time that Megatron had ever outright ''said'' it.
* WouldHurtAChild: In "One Shall Fall", he shoots Bumblebee, who was transporting Raf at the time, almost killing the boy. When Megatron finds out, he's downright pleased that he managed to "swat a bee and squash a bug".
** And again in "Darkest Hour:" He has Starscream, Soundwave, and Knock Out kidnap the kids and threatens to expose them to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere if the Autobots don't give him the Omega Keys.
* WreathedInFlames: When using Dark Energon, he approaches this look, but he really goes into it when Unicron takes control of him (probably a reference to the original Megatronus Prime, AKA The Fallen).
* WrongAssumption: From some points of view, his wanting to terminate the Predacons he had Shockwave create would be logical, since there was a chance that they could realize they outnumber/outgun him and rebel later on down the road. Still, it cost him a valuable ally (in Predaking, once he found out) and substantial fighting force (which had been drastically reduced by that time).
** On a side note, he admits his only mistake was "not seeing the termination through"--i.e. allowing Predaking to outlive his brethren.
* XanatosGambit: In "Darkest Hour." After forcing the Autobots give him the Omega Keys, [[spoiler:he begins to cyberform Earth instead of restoring Cybertron. This presents two scenarios for him: If Optimus does nothing, he gets two planets under his control. If Optimus rises to the bait and destroys the Omega Lock, then Cybertron remains a wasteland permanently and Megatron has enough leeway to turn more Cybertronians against the Autobots.]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: Megatron does ''not'' take failure lightly.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: His stated reason for attempting to execute Starscream in "Rock Bottom".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Starscream]]
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeDecepticons his folder.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
----
-->'''Megatron''': We finally take our rightful places, Optimus. As gods! Wielding the power of the cosmos!
* AdaptationalBadass: The GeneralFailure of ''Generation One'' this Megatron is not.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Not during the show, of course, but his backstory is that he was once a miner/gladiator fighting for the rights of lower-ranking Cybertronians, as opposed to simply being a GenericDoomsdayVillain like other incarnations. [[spoiler:He is also one of the only Megatrons in the franchise so far to pull a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* AffablyEvil: He's always polite and courteous to [[VillainousFriendship Soundwave]]. To everyone else, he's FauxAffablyEvil at best.
* AllThereInTheManual: Both ''Art of Prime'' and ''The Covenant of Primus'' revealed whose body he stole his BadassTransplant from. However...
** ContinuitySnarl: ''Art of Prime'' states it's [[spoiler:Sentinel Zeta Prime's]] arm, whereas ''The Covenant of Primus'' (and the version Website/TFWikiDotNet decided to go with) revealed it came from [[spoiler:Liege Maximo]].
* AmbitionIsEvil: Megatron initially sought to become a Prime, seeing himself as the rightful ruler of Cybertron. When he was denied, he started the war.
* AnArmAndALeg: Optimus severs his scavenged Prime Arm at the elbow in "Darkest Hour." [[MajorInjuryUnderreaction Didn't bother him as much as you'd expect]], and he has his original arm reattached shortly thereafter.
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:The DemonicPossession breaks him and he can't do anything to stop it. He also can never become one with the Allspark because his use of Dark Energon has bound him to Unicron's Anti-spark. Though it's possible Unicron's imprisonment has changed this.]]
* AnimalMotifs: Megatron's grey color scheme and fangs make him look rather [[ThreateningShark shark-like]].
* TheAntichrist: For Cybertronians in general.
* AppendageAssimilation: Trades in his cannon/sword arm for an arm harvested from the corpse of a Prime, so he can wield artifacts of the Thirteen Primes.
* ArchEnemy: To Optimus.
* ArmCannon[=/=]{{BFG}}: Mostly due to [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 trad]][[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated ition]], it's one of the few non-{{Shapeshifter Weapon}}s in the series. He gave it up in "Alpha/Omega", trading it for a scavenged Prime arm, though his vehicle mode still retains the cannon. As of "Darkmount NV", he now has his original arm back, presumably due to the damage his stolen arm took.
* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler: He's reduced to a passenger in his own body, enslaved by Unicron and tortured brutally for most of "Predacons Rising". With that said, this eventually gets to the point that ''Unicron'' is the horrible one, with this trope turned on its head as Unicron gets progressively nastier and crueler, even driving Megatron to attempt suicide]].
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: His backstory is that he was a champion gladiator on Cybertron. There's a reason he's maintained his leadership, despite [[TheStarscream the company he keeps]].
* AxCrazy: It's pretty clear that he's not entirely sane, and when angered he brims with homicidal rage on whoever's unfortunate enough to be the bearer of bad news.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Courtesy of Unicron in ''Predacons Rising''. It turns out that he is BarredFromTheAfterlife, allowing Unicron to resurrect him.]]
* BadassTransplant: Steals the right arm of a dead Prime and has Knock Out transplant it on him, thus allowing him to use Forge of Solus Prime to create the Dark Star Saber. By the end of Season 2, he loses it.
* BadBoss: When he's not being FauxAffablyEvil towards his troops, then it's because he's too busy yelling, berating, or threatening them. Starscream is his main victim.
--> '''Megatron''': ...and the first to address him as ''Optimus Prime'', will have their voice box torn out.
* BaritoneOfStrength: He's still voiced by Creator/FrankWelker, but his VocalEvolution has made his voice less raspy and more deep, yet sinister.
* BarredFromTheAfterlife: [[spoiler: Due to the Dark Energon bonded to his spark, Megatron is forever bound to Unicron and can never return to the Allspark. It's currently unknown if Unicron's imprisonment has freed Megatron of this fate or not.]]
* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:He wanted all the power of a god, and he gets it in the series finale. The downside is said god hijacks his body and uses him as a slave, torturing his soul for laughs.]]
* BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil: [[spoiler: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]. Being tortured by Unicron in "Predacons Rising'" results in Megatron's HeelRealization]].
* BigBad: Being the leader of the Decepticons, he's the main antagonist by default. Various [[ArcVillain arc villains]] crop up now and again, and Unicron is the GreaterScopeVillain, but the entire conflict of the series can be traced back to him.
* BigBadEnsemble: With Silas and Airachnid for the early portions of the series, as the former two were as big a threat to the Autobots as Megatron and his Decepticons. Around the latter half of the second season, however, Airachnid is frozen and Silas is killed, leaving Megatron as the sole BigBad from then on.
* BigOlEyebrows: Natch.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Until "Alpha/Omega". He later gets it back.
* BlasphemousBoast: When trying to convince Unicron to take him as his herald, he falls into this. When he gets the Dark Star Saber, he also boasts how he'll use Unicron's power to dominate the world; thankfully, Unicron seems to be dormant and therefore incapable of proving him wrong.
* BlatantLies: During ''Darkmount, NV'', he tries to convince Agent Fowler that because the Autobots are now gone, he only wishes to coexist with humanity peacefully. Fowler knows full well he's lying through his serrated teeth, but also knows that he can't make a move on Megatron as long as his fusion cannons are active.
* BloodKnight: The universe will always be the gladiator pits for Megatron.
* BloodyMurder: The Dark Star Saber, since Dark Energon is Unicron's blood.
* BondVillainStupidity: Letting [[spoiler: Predaking beat up Ratchet proves to be a fatal mistake; not only does it lead to Ratchet revealing the truth about Megatron's treachery against the Predacon, but it also allows the medic to disable the cloaking field on the ''Nemesis'', allowing the Autobots to storm it.]]
* BoredWithInsanity: More like bored with evil. [[spoiler:After centuries of being an irredeemable genocidal maniac, being physically and psychologically tortured by Unicron was apparently enough push him to the point of having an epiphany about the pain he'd been causing others. So much so that once he's freed of the Chaos Bringer, he dissolves the Decepticons and leaves Cybertron without a fight.]]
* BrainsEvilBrawnGood: Hops back and forth on this one. While the lion's share of his screen time is spent laying out plans and giving orders, when it comes time to throw down, it's clear there's a ''reason'' he is TheDreaded. Megatron is just as comfortable using brute strength as he is his intellect. Lampshaded by himself in one episode where he notes that he was "as known in the gladiator pits for my strength as I was for my cunning."
* BrutalHonesty:
** When he proposes [[EnemyMine an alliance]] to defeat Unicron between himself and the Autobots, he proclaims that it will only last as long as doing so remains mutually beneficial to both factions. When the alliance is over, he will conquer Earth under his own terms. He states in full why he wishes for such an alliance, and how each side needs the other, whilst making it perfectly clear that as soon as the situation is resolved, then they are back to the status quo. Arcee even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the proposal;
-->'''Arcee''': Brutal honesty from a Decepticon?
** While trying to convince [[spoiler:Ratchet to aid in reconstructing the Omega Lock]], Megatron is pretty up-front about the fact that he likely won't honor any deals he makes and probably will kill [[spoiler:Ratchet]] [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness once he's completed his task]], but asserts that he should do it anyway because the result will benefit all Cybertronians even if he personally won't be around to see it. [[spoiler:It actually works.]]
* CameBackStrong: [[spoiler:Being upgraded makes him vastly more powerful, to the point that no one, not even ''Predaking'', can defeat him. His jet mode has lightspeed capability, his robot form is bigger and spikier, and he can form weapons made of pure dark energy. Fortunately for everyone, being enslaved by Unicron soured him on the idea of oppressing anyone else, and it's not clear if he keeps these powers once Unicron is sealed away - though the fact that he flies off, on his own, without any Space Bride or Spaceship to get him far away, at least implies that he kept the FasterThanLightTravel capability]]
* CharacterDevelopment: Megatron remains as haughty and prideful as any of his incarnations during the series, but Jack's restoration of Optimus' memory, [[spoiler: Miko's]] destroying Hardshell, and Cylas' rhetoric concerning the "human factor" giving Optimus the advantage finally convinces him humans are not so harmless after all in the middle of season two.
* ChestInsignia: The Con symbol.
* ClassicVillain: Ambition, Envy and Wrath.
* ColdHam: Unlike some of his predecessors, this incarnation of Megatron is calm and menacing. That being said, he comes off as over-the-top and terrifying while being full of TranquilFury.
* CombatPragmatist: While nobody in the series is exactly the fairest of fighters, he's a particularly brutal one. Hey, it's not like gladiators fight fair if they wanna win.
* CompositeCharacter: This version of Megatron takes cues from both [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation 1]] (the ever-famous buckethead and lower legs resembling a pistol's handgrip) and the [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries movies]] (the sharp angles and bits on his shoulders, along with two-toed feet and a demonic-looking face with sharp shark-like teeth), even including the latter's alt mode from the first film, while the purple highlights are a nod to his ''Beast Wars'' version.
** From G1, story-wise he takes G1 Megs' role of[[spoiler: getting brought back to life in an enhanced form by Unicron]].
** His arc plays out very similarly to ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' Megatron in particular: [[spoiler: He first joins forces with Optimus against a greater danger; then takes advantage of his HeroicSacrifice; then when Optimus gains an upgrade by obtaining a sacred object, Megatron replicates the effect through unholy means; finally he is betrayed by an honorable second-in-command.]]
** From ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]]'', he takes his belated introduction as well as getting incapacitated in a Space Bridge accident.
* CoolPlane: A Cybertronian jet, to be exact. Based on the original form of his ''Film/Transformers2007'' movie counterpart, but simpler.
* CoolSword: His EvilKnockoff of the Star Saber, the Dark Energon-infused ''Dark'' Star Saber.
* CurbStompBattle: Anyone other than Optimus Prime who tries to pick a fight with him will usually find themselves on the receiving end of this.
** Lampshaded during his fight with Ultra Magnus:
-->'''Megatron''': Ultra Magnus. You are ''no'' Optimus Prime!
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Considering that the only way he could find freedom from the back-breaking slavery of the mines was by ripping other robots limb-from-limb in the gladiatorial pits, Megatron never had a positive view on life to begin with.
* DarkIsEvil: Has dark gray armor and one of the worst Decepticons to boot.
* DarkLordOnLifeSupport: For the first half of Season 1.
* DeadpanSnarker: Much like his ''[[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]]'' incarnation. A few examples:
--> '''Megatron:''' ''(visiting the Autobot Base)'' So, this is where the magic happens... Quaint.\\
'''Starscream:''' ''(after [[spoiler: the Decepticons destroy the Autobot base]])'' This is the place all right.\\
'''Megatron:''' This ''was'' the place.\\
'''Megatron:''' ''(unblinking after watching Shockwave nearly kill Starscream)'' Exemplary teamwork.
* DeathGlare: Delivers an unblinking (and nightmare-inducing) one to Starscream at the end of "Rock Bottom". Though, to be fair, this ''is'' [[PerpetualFrowner his default expression]].
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:After Unicron possesses his body, he tries getting Predaking to ''roast his possessed body alive'']].
* DecompositeCharacter: [[spoiler: Although he shares his G1 self's status in being upgraded by Unicron into a new body, he does not take on the name of Galvatron. ''The Covanant of Primus'' would reveal that a Galvtron existed in Cybertron's distant past in a similar fashion to IDW's Galvatron.]]
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Megatron is a deconstruction of the WellIntentionedExtremist trope. According to Ratchet, Megatron wasn't always the bloodthirsty tyrant he is today, but rather a revolutionary who fought for equal rights during a time of social inequality on Cybertron. Over time, however, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget his ambition and lust for power corrupted his initial intentions until he became no better than the ones he fought against, leading to the eventual death of Cybertron]]. [[spoiler:It takes being resurrected, possessed, abused, and tortured by [[GodOfEvil Unicron]] to [[HeelRealization remind Megatron of what he originally fought for, and having experienced suffering himself, Megatron no longer wished to inflict it on anyone else]], and it leads him to go into a self-imposed exile from Cybertron]].
* DemonicPossession: Pulls it on Bumblebee at the end of "Sick Mind".
** Is very briefly at the receiving end of one by Unicron in "One Shall Rise, Part 3." [[spoiler:Unicron eventually does it again in ''Predacons Rising'' but keeps an easier hold on him owing to the fact that Megatron is dead]].
* DemotedToDragon: Played with. When Unicron shows up, Megatron ''wants'' this to happen, to better further his own agenda, but Unicron views Megs as beneath him. [[spoiler:Seemingly played straighter in "Predacons Rising", but that turned out to be more GrandTheftMe, as Unicron stole his body.]]
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: As he claims, no one, not even Unicron the Chaos Bringer, commands him.
* DiscardAndDraw: He sacrifices his primary weapon arm for an arm from a Prime, allowing him to create a Dark Energon copy of the Star Saber using the Forge of Solus Prime, and for that matter, the power to create anything else he wants using the Forge. [[SubvertedTrope He gets the original back once the Prime arm is damaged.]]
* DraggedOffToHell: [[spoiler:Probably got as close to this fate as a Transformer can get. His abuse of Dark Energon ended up tainting his spark, so when he died, instead of going to the All Spark, his spirit ends up going to Unicron, who proceeds to enslave him and horrifically torture his soul.]]
* TheDreaded: Possibly the greatest example of all his incarnations in the franchise. When the Autobots are in a fight and Megatron shows up, they'll either run away or pull back and let Optimus handle it. He's even shown to be capable of taking on the ''entirety'' of the original Autobot team, minus Optimus, single-handedly in combat and ''easily winning''. He's THAT dangerous.
* EasilyForgiven: [[spoiler:[[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]. The Autobots don't explicitly forgive Megatron after he goes through his HeelRealization about the nature of oppression and disbanding the Decepticons, but they seem content to let Megatron fly off into self-imposed exile. Not that anyone could have stopped him or made him do otherwise, mind you.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Downplayed, but he and Soundwave have a mutual loyalty and borderline VillainousFriendship with one another.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Megatron seemed genuinely repulsed by [[spoiler:Silas' usage of Breakdown's corpse]] and only agreed to a team-up because it seemed practical at the time.
** In "Operation: Bumblebee Part 1", when the Autobots are discussing Bumblebee's missing T-Cog, Ratchet rules out Decepticon involvement claiming Megatron "is no ghoul." These expectations are ultimately [[SubvertedTrope subverted]] in "Alpha/Omega", where Megatron breaks into a Prime's tomb, steals a Prime's arm, and replaces one of his own arms for it (although given the sheer amount of [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness fear]] he displayed in the [[Recap/TransformersPrimeS2E20Legacy previous episode]], Megatron seems to have felt that it was time to [[GodzillaThreshold take desperate measures]]).
** Although he would be more than happy to be rid of the Autobots, Megatron still favors fighting them on an equal footing, or at the very least, give his opponent(s) a chance to defend themselves. When he sees Starscream's memories in "Patch", and how he terminated Cliffjumper, he's quite disappointed in the less-than-honorable way the latter went out:
--->'''Starscream:''' I've gone through so much trouble to terminate the Autobot in the first place!\\
'''Megatron:''' "Trouble" would have been facing him as a ''gladiator''!
* EvilFormerFriend: To Optimus. They used to be as close as brothers... and then the Council shot Megatron down for position of Prime. Cue war.
* EvilIsBigger: Like [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries recent]] [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated incarnations]], this Megatron also has a bit of a noticeable size advantage over Optimus. [[spoiler: That is, until Optimus Prime's recent upgrade evened things out. In the finale things are evened out once more, as his possession by Unicron granted him a larger body]].
* EvilIsNotAToy:
** Attempts to ally with Unicron as his servent in exchange for power, only to discover that the Chaos Bringer views him as about as useful as a worm and wants to destroy him with everything else.
** [[spoiler:As it turns out, just the mere act of using Unicron's ''blood'' to power himself up was this: the act of doing so tainted his Spark. Instead of returning to the All Spark when he dies, he ends up in Unicron's Anti-Spark, doomed to forever be the Chaos Bringer's slave and vessel until Optimus of all people saved him.]]
* EvilKnockoff: His Dark Star Saber is this to the original Star Saber.
* EvilLaugh: Not prone to these, but when he does give one, it's absolutely ''terrifying''.
* EvilMentor: As Megatronus, to Orion Pax, before the beginning of the Great War. It seems Megatron is quite eager to resume his mentoring when Optimus reverts back into Orion Pax and loses his memories of being a Prime, and more importantly, his enmity with Megatron. It didn't last.
* EvilOverlord: For the Cons.
* EvilSoundsDeep: As a result of VocalEvolution.
* EvilVirtues: Megatron claims to value loyalty above all else.
* EvilerThanThou: To Starscream; once he comes out of his ConvenientComa halfway through Season 1, it becomes very clear as to why he's the one who leads the Decepticons.
* TheExile: His fate at the end of the series. [[spoiler:After realising just how much pain and suffering he caused in his leadership of the Decepticons due to DemonicPossession by Unicron, he willingly disbands the Decepticons and flies away to parts unknown]].
* FallenHero: The founder and former leader of the Cybertronian civil rights movement, desiring to be named the next Prime until a certain 'bot named Orion Pax inadvertently hijacked it from under him. It's possible that he had evil intentions from the start, but his ego descended the movement from civil rights to anarchy.
* FangsAreEvil: It adds to the ObviouslyEvil motif.
* FantasticRacism: He seems to detest humans (and organic life in general) and refuses to believe that they could ever pose a threat to a worthy warrior. This disdain is part of the reason why he keeps his Cybertronian jet mode instead of adapting an Earth-vehicle disguise.
** Around the middle of Season 2, he starts to recognize how dangerous humans can be. And more unfortunately, [[spoiler:how useful they are as hostages.]]
* FatalFlaw: DoubleSubverted. Some would cite his stubborn {{Pride}} as a problem, and they'd be right. That said, he figures this out and works to overcome it, most notably by allowing Starscream back into the ranks and listening to his ideas. [[spoiler: What really dooms him is his {{Greed}}. The war started because Megatron never got the power of the Primes he wanted. Not satisfied with taking Cybertron as his own, he tries to cyberform Earth first, forcing Optimus to destroy the Omega Lock and screwing over both sides. In the series finale, Megatron tries again to cyberform Earth '''first''' and when called out on this by Shockwave, Megatron says he could never be satisfied with '''one planet.''' Ratchet often labels Megatron as a greedy tyrant, citing how he hoarded most of the Energon on Earth, more than his faction could ever need, use or even properly guard, for his own purposes. On top of that, not satisfied with being the strongest Decepticon, Megatron repeatedly infuses himself with Dark Energon, leading to his possession by Unicron in the finale and being tortured so badly he ''breaks.'']]
* FashionableAsymmetry: See RedRightHand below.
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Being killed by Bumblebee allows Unicron to possess his body, and it is also revealed that thanks to Dark Energon coursing through him, he is permanently linked to Unicron's essence and his spark can never pass on and join the [=AllSpark=] in death. Unicron's possession also leaves him so broken that it causes him to undergo a HeelRealisation, and once Megatron is free from his influence, he openly disbands the Decepticons and goes into self-imposed exile]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: Aside from his VillainousFriendship with Soundwave, almost any politeness he exhibits is undoubtedly a façade. He uses it to keep his troops on his side, when not being an outright BadBoss to them. He even attempts diplomacy with Agent Fowler in "Darkmount, NV" about the Decepticons wanting to live peacefully alongside humans. Of course, this isn't the case, even though it ''sounds'' sincere.
-->'''Starscream:''' ...I almost believed you myself.
** He becomes genuinely AffablyEvil after being freed from Unicron's possession.
* FirstNameBasis: He tends to refer to Optimus Prime by just the first half of his name.
* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric.
* FourthWallMailslot: For a time, Creator/TheHub ran a series of ads called "Ask Megatron", where viewers could send Megatron questions like: "What's your favorite type of cake?", "Will you go to Prom with me?" and "Who's your favorite Autobot?" (To which he responded: DO YOU EVEN WATCH THE SHOW?!)
* FromNobodyToNightmare: To think he was once a (literally) nameless miner in Cybertron's underground...
* FullCircleRevolution: His original reasons for rebelling was the inequality that plagued Cybertron, and how the lives of the lower caste-members were tossed aside without much concern. Guess how lower-ranking Decepticons are treated in comparison to the elite few?
* GeniusBruiser: He might not be a scientific expert, but he's an amazing strategist, effective if brutal leader, former politician (who did quite well too until Orion Pax screwed it up), and he seems to understand science enough to work out who works better on what.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: The scars on his face show that his combat history is ''very'' evident.
* HearingVoices: After injecting himself with Dark Energon, Unicron speaks to him.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After being enslaved in body and soul by Unicron in "Predacons Rising", Megatron no longer wants to do the same to anyone else. He flies off at the end to think about what to do next with his new lease on life.]]
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:During ''Predacon Rising'', he's placed through severe torture and oppression by Unicron. This causes him to realize the error of his ways and abandon the idea of taking over Cybertron once and for all.]]
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: When the war started, he was a rebellious gladiator who wanted to abolish the unfair caste system of Cybertron. However, he became convinced that he was the rightful ruler of Cybertron (desiring to be named the next Prime) and became the megalomaniac warmonger we know today.
* HumiliationConga: Endures an epic one during the episode "Rebellion". Megatron has managed to foil the Autobots' assault on Darkmount and is about to execute them only for Optimus, [[CameBackStrong upgraded by the Forge of Solus Prime]] to appear and punch him so hard that he's sent flying through his throne. Megatron tries to fight Optimus, only for the Autobot leader to toss him into Darkmount's power core, electrocuting him severely and disabling the fusion cannons. He's then forced to retreat as Agent Fowler's air force brings down Darkmount.
* {{Hypocrite}}: He's citing infighting as a major cause for disunity and dissension among the Decepticon ranks. Thanks to the fascistic power structure of the Decepticons, where the more prominent members of his warband try to earn his favor through achievements, he's actively ''breeding'' such infighting. This is made even more evident with Starscream and Shockwave being CoDragons in the third season, as the two are jousting each other for Megatron's favor, while Megs can get back to focus on ruling the Decepticons and expect results from them.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Seconds before he would have slain Optimus, Bumblebee runs him through the spark with the Star Saber. It takes Unicorn literally bringing him back from the dead to make a comeback.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Moreso than any other incarnation, the Decepticons consistently refer to him as ''Lord'' Megatron.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Megatron started a war that essentially killed his entire world because he was denied the title of Prime in favor of Orion Pax. He also assumed that he was a prophesied "rising darkness", which was revealed to truly be [[GodOfEvil Unicron]].
* ItsPersonal: His attitude toward mankind as a whole after they [[spoiler:destroyed Darkmount]]. Much of his plans and plots in season 3 are his attempts to find a way to KillAllHumans as punishment for ''daring'' to put the war to the Autobots' favor, when he earlier didn't mind to just force them to submit before his supreme power and acknowledge him as their superior.
* {{Jerkass}}: Even on just a personal level, Megatron is an angry, sarcastic, and self-important being whose main modes of interaction are insults and abuse; even his FauxAffablyEvil moments only highlight these qualities.
* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler:After countless eons of fighting, the former gladiator of Kaon is NOT killed by Optimus Prime. He's ultimately killed by ''Bumblebee'', the lowly Autobot scout whose voicebox he destroyed so long ago. It becomes even more karmic when you remember who Megatron used to revive his body. And the last words he hears at this point are Bumblebee telling him he'll never be able to harm anyone ever again.]] How's that for FridgeBrilliance?
-->'''Bumblebee:''' You took my voice. You will never rob anyone of anything, '''''ever again.'''''
* KickTheDog: Almost killing Raf is the biggest and best example, though destroying Bumblebee's voicebox, manipulating Orion Pax, and killing [[spoiler:Dreadwing]] are close.
* KlingonsLoveShakespeare: His character notes reveal that he enjoys ''online cat videos''. [[spoiler: The Hub's take on 'behind the scenes' also reveals that he and Soundwave are Bronies!]]
* LackOfEmpathy: Oh, he ''knows'' how powerful emotions, hopes and dreams can be, it's just that he just doesn't particularly ''care'' about any that aren't his. [[spoiler: Until Unicron reminded him of what suffering meant while torturing his soul.]]
* LargeAndInCharge: Much like [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries previous]] [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated incarnations]], he's one of the most noticeably huge individual Transformers and still just a bit larger than Optimus Prime, at least until Optimus' upgrade in season 3 evened thing out. Also, Predaking is larger than both him and Optimus. [[spoiler: His possession by Unicron in ''Predacons Rising'' grants him an even larger and more physically imposing body]].
* LargeHam: Downplayed when compared to a [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars certain other Megatron]], but he still has his moments. He still comes off as intimidating, though.
* LightIsNotGood: Watch how bright his armor glows when he fights Optimus.
* LightningBruiser: Tremendously strong, as well as incredibly fast.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: May be this to Starscream, especially during season 3.
* LoopholeAbuse: So the Forge of Solus Prime will only work in the hands of a Prime? Simple; steal the arm of a Prime who is long dead, and replace his own arm with it!
* ManipulativeBastard: He's quite skilled at this. "Persuasion" is basically his crowning moment, where he manages to convince [[spoiler:Ratchet to complete his Synthetic Energon formula to restore Cybertron.]]
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: In "Darkest Hour", he loses his stolen Prime arm when Optimus hacks it off, yet when he notices Optimus [[spoiler:destroyed the Omega Lock]], he laughs maniacally. He doesn't get treatment for his injury at all during the rest of the episode.
* MeaningfulName: He was originally a Cybertronian miner going by the designation D-16, and in the Gladiator Arena he took on the name of one of the original Thirteen Primes, Megatronus: later to be known as The Fallen, [[spoiler: reasoning that that which had Fallen could rise again]]. He shortened his name to Megatron when he started gathering political allies and tried to be named a Prime.
%%* NameTron: Megatron.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: He took the name of the Cybertronian equivalent to the Anti-Christ.
* {{Necromancer}}: Courtesy of Dark Energon. [[spoiler: And it backfires spectacularly in the finale, as HIS body is now the puppet for someone much worse.]]
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Fearing that Predaking would turn on him upon realizing the latter's sentience, he manipulates the Autobots to destroy the Predacons. [[spoiler: [[SelfFulfillingProphecy Predaking learns about this anyway]] and not only deserts Megatron, but nearly destroys him.]] It costs him a very powerful ally in any case.
** For bonus points, [[VillainBall this probably wouldn't have happened]] if Megatron hadn't [[spoiler:given Ratchet to Predaking as a ChewToy.]]
** Even earlier, [[spoiler:during the fight for the Omega Keys, his attempt at using the Omega Lock to cyberform Earth and the resultant energy spike results in Ultra Magnus coming to Earth to investigate, reuniting the Autobots in the process and giving them the firepower and morale boost needed to attack Megatron's new Darkmount facility.]]
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: His preferred method of keeping Starscream in line.
* NonStandardCharacterDesign: His body is noticeably more armored and less kibble-heavy than most cybertronians on the show, in keeping with his past as a warrior.
* NotQuiteDead: Is believed to have been killed when the Space Bridge explodes, but found to have survived due to the Dark Energon inside him in the next episode. However, he's so damaged that the Decepticons have to place him in stasis lock while they repair him.
* NowWhat: [[spoiler:As of "Predacons Rising" once he's freed from Unicron's control, he's basically alone now in the universe; he doesn't stay on Cybertron (he knows he'd probably no longer be welcome), and he no longer has any desire to lead the Decepticons in conquest (he even goes so far as to officially disband the army)]].
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: To Optimus, though he's liberal in his interpretation. Apparently, so long as he ''ordered'' it, it counts.
** In "Sick Mind", this is how Bumblebee convinces him to give the Autobots the cure to the plague Optimus has contracted: There's no point in Optimus dying if Megatron can't watch it. To his credit, Megatron doesn't ''completely'' fall for the ruse, insisting that Bumblebee help him in return.
** In "One Shall Fall", when Optimus is raiding the ''Nemesis'' alone, Megatron forbids any Decepticon to attack him and even orders Soundwave to open a bridge for Optimus to allow him to battle his eternal rival.
** He also feels that he's the only one worthy of conquering the Earth, as shown in "One Shall Rise", where after Unicron rejects his offer of an alliance, he allies with the Autobots to defeat him.
** In one exception, he doesn't stop Dreadwing from attempting to kill Optimus. Instead, the second Dreadwing is out of earshot, he dryly notes that he sincerely doubts he'll see Dreadwing alive again.
* OhCrap: Usually, he's not prone to these. However, "Legacy" has him constantly on edge when the Star Saber is discovered, which only gets worse as soon as Optimus demonstrates just what the Star Saber is capable of.
* OmnicidalManiac: [[spoiler: In "Darkest Hour" he attempted to use the Omega Lock to cyberform Earth, a process that would kill all organic life. And in "Minus One", he plans to try again.]]
* OneHandedZweihander: Megs gets a lesson in his second sword duel with Optimus on [[DeconstructedTrope why this trope is generally]] a ''bad'' idea. The first sword-clash unbalances Megatron, while Optimus, with a two-handed grip, recovers faster and quickly slices Megatron's sword arm off.
* OneManArmy: At the end of the "Orion Pax" three-parter, he single-handedly defeated the entire Autobot roster save Prime himself (since Orion Pax/amnesiac Optimus is nowhere near as good a fighter), three of whom he had to fight at the same time.
* OnlyMostlyDead: [[spoiler:Seems as though Unicron has taken an interest in dear Megatron to the point of reigniting his spark.]]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Take a good look at his face during "Legacy" when the Star Saber is discovered. That's '''fear'''.
--> '''Megatron:''' [[ThisCannotBe It cannot be...]] power of this magnitude must never be allowed to fall into the hands of Optimus Prime, [[OhCrap no matter what]]!
** During season three, it is clear he finally has reason to fear a potential coup, this time from [[TheJuggernaut Predaking]]. He takes drastic measures to [[spoiler: wipe out the cloned Predacons]], and does his best to assert his dominance over him by requesting him to face him as a beast, not in his robot mode. When Predaking [[spoiler: finally turns on him after learning the truth behind the Predacon massacre]], Megatron is clearly spooked and is [[DissonantSerenity doing his best to steel himself]] for the coming battle he knows he may lose.
** [[spoiler: When he vehemently refuses to resume leadership of the Decepticons at the end of "Predacons Rising", Starscream is ''very'' weirded out.]]
* OpposeWhatYouSuffered: Zigzagged two ways from Sunday. Megatron started out as a [[YouAreNumberSix nameless]] transformer slaving away in the mines underneath {{Bad Boss}}es, and eventually found his way to the [[GladiatorGames Gladiatorial pits]], where he earned his freedom through his victories, taking the name '[[InternalHomage Megatronus]]' after the original TragicVillain of the mythos in the process. After earning his freedom, Megatronus gathered a following of disenfranchised transformers and campaigned for a reformation of the political system of Cybertron to make it more egalitarian than it was at the time... but when he was finally granted an audience with the NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering that ran the planet, he saw the flaws inherent in the political process and demanded that he be named Prime. When this was refused and one of his long-time friends, Orion Pax, was given the opportunity instead, his gathering of loyal followers began a CivilWar against the rulers of the planet to make -- the now-named -- Megatron ruler, a CivilWar that would, after thousands of milennia of conflict, eventually render the planet uninhabitable and every single remaining transformer TheRemnant, and saw his followers rename themselves the 'Decepticons' as their goals [[SlowlySlippingIntoEvil eventually became]] little more than [[FullCircleRevolution totalitarian control of everything]]. The final zig of this zagging comes at the end of the series during the ''Predacons Rising'' movie, where [[spoiler: Megatron has been possessed by [[GodOfEvil Unicron]], and is ForcedToWatch as Unicron uses his body for the purpose of finally killing off the dormant [[TheMaker Primus]] at the center of the recently-restored Cybertron. Whenever Megatron tries to resist, Unicron enacts ColdBloodedTorture upon his soul - and this leads to Megatron having a HeelRealization. When the possession is lifted, Megatron disbands the Decepticons and leaves for voluntary exile, realizing that his attempts at becoming this trope has ''utterly'' failed, and that no matter what he does now, his millennia of warfare mean [[VillainousLegacy he will always be remembered]] as an EvilOverlord]].
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Even when he's up and running rather than comatose in the medbay, he generally leaves the fieldwork to his minions. Not because he's incapable, but because he prefers to monitor his troops' affairs.
* PetTheDog:
** He is genuinely corteous and respectful to Soundwave at all times.
** In ''Thirst'', even after Starscream and Knock Out's experiment has disastrous results for the Decepticons, Megatron hears out Knock Out and lightly reprimands him, recognizing that he was only following orders. Starscream, [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on the other hand...]]
* PowerGlows: After injecting himself with Dark Energon, his joints and eyes glow with purple energy whenever he's actively using it.
* PragmaticVillainy: Tends to be smart regarding his soldiers, many of whom hold treacherous desires to overthrow him. He forgives Starscream (and Knock Out's treachery as well) and allows him to rejoin at the end of season two, insisting the Decepticons must be united to successfully revive Cybertron. Despite Airachnid having deserted, once she proves her competence, he has no problem eventually giving her a role as TheDragon, and even leaves her in command. Once he learns of her attempted coup, he leaves her alone, still requiring her services for the time being. This is also the reason he is furious when he believes Starscream has been captured by the Autobots, enraged that a vital part of his war machine is at the fingertips of the Autobots.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Life will ''always'' be a gladiator pit for Megatron, one way or another.
* PsychoticSmirk: Does it to Starscream frequently.
* PurpleIsPowerful: Most prominently with his Dark Energon-influenced eyes, but his armor is also partially purple as well.
* RankScalesWithAsskicking: He's one of the most powerful members of the cast, tied only with Optimus, if their fights with each other are any indication.
* RedemptionEqualsLife: [[spoiler:By the end of "Predacon Rising", he abandons his ambitions to take over Cybertron and Earth, and makes it out of the film -- ''and the greater war'' -- alive.]]
* RedIsHeroic: As Megatronus, he had red highlights in his armor instead of the present day's purple.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Starscream's red. Though he can dip into red territory (namely anger) if pressed. Also serves as the red to Soundwave's blue.
** He's also the villainous red to Optimus' heroic blue.
* RedRightHand: Literally. He replaced most of his right arm with that of a dead Prime, giving him the power to use the artifacts of the Primes until it was severed by Optimus.
* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: Back on Cybertron, he advocated for violent revolution where Optimus wanted peaceful reform, and it got worse from there. [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope A lot worse]].
* SadisticChoice: In "Darkest Hour". The Decepticons have captured the kids, and Megatron offers their lives in exchange for the Omega Keys, and thus the future of the Cybertronian race as well as the means to bring an end to the war.
* SanitySlippage: Even in the opening miniseries, Starscream suggested he was starting to lose it, especially once he injected himself with Dark Energon. But it got particularly evident when he gets the Dark Star Saber.
** To elaborate, this guy took the limb off of an ancient corpse, and that of a Cybertronian with their equivalent to sainthood, then used it to replace his own arm, and then forged a sword from what is, for all intents and purposes, [[BloodyMurder the blood of the devil]].
* SatisfiedStreetRat: He wears his life as "a gladiator from the pits of Kaon" as a badge of pride in spite of the fact he was a slave because of it.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: With Starscream, as the [[BloodKnight very obvious]] Manly Man.
* SlasherSmile: Perhaps the foremost expert in the show. [[FangsAreEvil The teeth help]].
* SpikesOfVillainy: As in the films. [[spoiler:He gets even more after his body is possessed, which causes him to resemble Unicron. They don't go away after Unicron is expelled from his body, [[HeelFaceTurn though the villainy part does]]]].
* SportsHeroBackstory: "Let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross a Gladiator of Kaon!"
* TheSociopath: Whether he was one prior to the series is debatable, but by the time of the show it's pretty clear that any morals he once had, if they were ever there in the first place, have long eroded. [[spoiler:It takes Unicron possessing him to restore them, making this a subversion.]]
* StrongAndSkilled: One of the most powerful Cybertronians alive, he's also an exceptionally skilled warrior capable of bringing down Insecticons relying as much on his technique as his strength, match Optimus Prime blow for blow and defeat Predaking using his quick thinking.
* SwordBeam: The Dark Star Saber, much like the original, can do this.
* TeamDad: Becomes somewhat of a stern but fair type of this in the third season, after he'd realizes that it was his BadBoss-type of leadership from before that had caused infightings and treachery to run rampant amongst his troops.
* ThisCannotBe: Says this almost verbatim when he discovers the Star Saber.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: For probably the first time since the Fall of Cybertron. Megatron admits that the Decepticon faction is in for a ''very'' uphill battle once Optimus demonstrates the power of the Star Saber.
* TinTyrant: His plating invokes this.
* TranquilFury: Unlike the [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 G1]], WesternAnimation/{{Beast|Wars}} [[WesternAnimation/BeastMachines Era]], [[Anime/UnicronTrilogy Armada]], and [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Movieverse]] Megatrons, this one is rarely hammy and over-the-top, and is usually soft-spoken and cool-headed like [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Animated]] Megs. But it's obvious from the start that behind Megatron's cold front lies a beast that is only driven by long-burning rage and hatred towards anyone who's ever wronged him, and sometimes even to those who haven't. Sometimes, that front slips and the beast inside will make things ''[[UnstoppableRage really]]'' ugly.
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** He did this to Team Prime during the "Orion Pax" arc, allowing them to temporarily seize the Space Bridge. However, he acknowledges this and states that he will never make this mistake again, before proceeding to deliver them a CurbStompBattle.
** He also believed humans were incapable of harming his cause, yet he's quite clearly shocked when he finds out it was [[spoiler:[[TookALevelInBadass Miko]]]] who killed Hardshell.
** Calls out Predaking for thinking that brute strength is the only tool in Megatron's belt, saying that he didn't become the champion of the gladiator pits on strength alone, but also for his cunning...right as he springs a trap that he expertly manuevered the predacon into.
* TheUnfettered: Megatron has no limits to his lust for power. He'll sacrifice anyone or anything, defile the most sacred artifacts, transform the dead into mindless berserkers, and even ally with Unicron if it serves his ends.
** And as "Darkest Hour" shows, he's perfectly willing to [[spoiler:sacrifice ''Cybertron'']] if it means he wins.
* VillainousBreakdown: Has one at the end of ''Rebellion'' where he goes from confident to boiling mad at the sight of the upgraded Optimus. Further exacerbated when Optimus manages to disable Darkmount's fusion cannons. Starscream is forced to order the Vehicons to escort him out over his protests.
-->'''Megatron''': What are you doing?! ''NO!'' We will not '''''RETREAT!'''''
** Earlier in the series, Optimus's triumphant return and escape in the beginning of season 2 leaves Megatron a screaming mess.
* VillainousFriendship: With Soundwave due to their gladatorial backgrounds.
* VocalEvolution: Creator/FrankWelker's return to the role prompted a newer version of the voice which is much less screechy, and more quiet and menacing. He even admitted that the classic Megatron voice did not allow much range, while this voice allows him to be both reserved and bombastic at different times.
* WhamLine: After [[spoiler: Unicron]] is defeated at the end of Predacons Rising, Starscream approaches Megatron with the intention of [[spoiler: restarting the war]], picking up where they left off. Megatron, [[spoiler: who CameBackStrong]], is in [[{{pun}} prime]] position to do just that, and yet he, in no uncertain terms, makes it clear that this will ''not'' be happening.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: He's mentioned a few times in the sequel series to 'Prime', but never makes an actual physical presence, nor is it ever stated where he went or what he's been up to. Now that the Aligned continuity is over, we'll probably never know.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: While Megatron is obviously quite evil, he was always [[FauxAffablyEvil quite sane]] about it. This is in stark contrast to his quote at the end of "Alpha Omega".
--> '''Megatron:''' [[EvilLaugh *maniacal laughter*]] "Run, Optimus, run! Those trinkets from Iacon won't save you. Not when I now possess the power to ''TEAR THIS WORLD APART!!"''
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: According to Creator/FrankWelker.
* WorthyOpponent: Somewhat interestingly, ''Optimus'' appears to be considered this by ''Megatron''. In fact once Megatron creates the Dark Star Saber, a counterpoint to the Star Saber, itself one of the most powerful weapons seen on the show up to that point he even flat out says that now that they have these weapons, that they've taken their "rightful place" in the universe as gods, wielding the powers of the cosmos. (His exact words from the show, in fact.) Bear in mind, this is ''[[BigBad Megatron]]'', the Lord of the Decepticons and generally a power mad, often genocidal maniac saying this. And yet he thinks Optimus ''deserves to be considered a god alongside him''. A strangely unique worldview for a villain of Megatron's long and storied history. Could be justified that they were friends before the war (To the point that Megatron once considered him as close as a brother, as established in the novels). Or maybe Megatron's days as a gladiator in the pits of Kaon still inform his behavior when it comes to fighting. Either way, it's telling that he considers Optimus worthy of being considered a deity as much as he does once they both have their own magic swords. Basically, Optimus is this in his eyes, plus a healthy dose of straight up VillainRespect from Megatron throughout the entire series, but the battle in Egypt was the first time that Megatron had ever outright ''said'' it.
* WouldHurtAChild: In "One Shall Fall", he shoots Bumblebee, who was transporting Raf at the time, almost killing the boy. When Megatron finds out, he's downright pleased that he managed to "swat a bee and squash a bug".
** And again in "Darkest Hour:" He has Starscream, Soundwave, and Knock Out kidnap the kids and threatens to expose them to Cybertron's toxic atmosphere if the Autobots don't give him the Omega Keys.
* WreathedInFlames: When using Dark Energon, he approaches this look, but he really goes into it when Unicron takes control of him (probably a reference to the original Megatronus Prime, AKA The Fallen).
* WrongAssumption: From some points of view, his wanting to terminate the Predacons he had Shockwave create would be logical, since there was a chance that they could realize they outnumber/outgun him and rebel later on down the road. Still, it cost him a valuable ally (in Predaking, once he found out) and substantial fighting force (which had been drastically reduced by that time).
** On a side note, he admits his only mistake was "not seeing the termination through"--i.e. allowing Predaking to outlive his brethren.
* XanatosGambit: In "Darkest Hour." After forcing the Autobots give him the Omega Keys, [[spoiler:he begins to cyberform Earth instead of restoring Cybertron. This presents two scenarios for him: If Optimus does nothing, he gets two planets under his control. If Optimus rises to the bait and destroys the Omega Lock, then Cybertron remains a wasteland permanently and Megatron has enough leeway to turn more Cybertronians against the Autobots.]]
* YouHaveFailedMe: Megatron does ''not'' take failure lightly.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: His stated reason for attempting to execute Starscream in "Rock Bottom".
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Starscream]]
-> See [[Characters/TransformersPrimeDecepticons his folder.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Soundwave & Laserbeak]]
!![[color:purple:Soundwave]]
[[quoteright:500:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2023_11_21_231119.png]]
-->''(Quoting Starscream) "Must bear witness..."''
-->''[[spoiler:"[[MythologyGag Soundwave: Superior. Autobots: Inferior.]]"]]''
->[[spoiler:'''Voiced by:''' Creator/FrankWelker]]
->'''First Appearance:''' "Darkness Rising: Part 1"
One of Megatron's earliest followers and a fellow gladiator of Kaon, Soundwave is absolutely loyal to Megatron, providing communication and technical skills that gives Megatron's strategies a precise edge. While capable of talking, he prefers to stay quiet and observant, talking only by repeating certain phrases back to explain his point. His extreme competence and significant skill give any troops with delusions of grandeur (such as Starscream) second thoughts.
----
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[[Characters/TransformersPrimeAutobots The Autobots]] | '''The Decepticons''' | [[Characters/TransformersPrimePredacons The Predacons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeUnicronAndTheTerrorcons Unicron and the Terrorcons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeOther Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeNonShowCharacters Non-show characters]]-]]]]]
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[[Characters/TransformersPrimeAutobots The Autobots]] | '''The Decepticons''' | [[Characters/TransformersPrimePredacons The Predacons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeUnicronAndTheTerrorcons Unicron and the Terrorcons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeOther Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeNonShowCharacters Non-show characters]]-]]]]]
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[[Characters/TransformersPrimeAutobots The Autobots]] | '''The Decepticons''' ([[Characters/TransformersPrimeMegatron Megatron]] -- [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream Starscream]]) | [[Characters/TransformersPrimePredacons The Predacons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeUnicronAndTheTerrorcons Unicron and the Terrorcons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeOther Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeNonShowCharacters Non-show characters]]-]]]]]
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[[Characters/TransformersPrimeAutobots The Autobots]] | '''The Decepticons''' ([[Characters/TransformersPrimeMegatron Megatron]] -- [[Characters/TransformersPrimeStarscream Starscream]]) | [[Characters/TransformersPrimePredacons The Predacons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeUnicronAndTheTerrorcons Unicron and the Terrorcons]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeOther Other Characters]] | [[Characters/TransformersPrimeNonShowCharacters Non-show characters]]-]]]]]
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* SmallRoleBigImpact: Skyquake only appears twice in the entire series[[note]]His second episode features his zombified corpse[[/note]], yet his death at Starscream's hands results in Dreadwing betraying the decepticons and giving the Autobots the means to reach Cybertron, inadvertently causing the destruction of the Omega Lock.
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* SmallRoleBigImpact: Skyquake only appears twice in the entire series[[note]]His second episode features his zombified corpse[[/note]], yet his death at Starscream's hands results in Dreadwing betraying the decepticons Decepticons and giving the Autobots the means to reach Cybertron, inadvertently causing the destruction of the Omega Lock.
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* TheDragon: No matter who the Decepticons' official second-in-command is, Soundwave is Megatron's ''true'' right-hand bot and acts as an extension of his leader's will.
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What's that common word doing there?
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* TransformationConventions: Soundwave transforms into a Reaper UAV; an AttackDrone, common. This is very fitting of his personality as TheSpyMaster of the Decepticons. He's also TheBlank and TheVoiceless, referencing how drones are unmanned--there's nothing in there but it's capable of gathering intel all the same.
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* TransformationConventions: Soundwave transforms into a Reaper UAV; an AttackDrone, common.AttackDrone. This is very fitting of his personality as TheSpyMaster of the Decepticons. He's also TheBlank and TheVoiceless, referencing how drones are unmanned--there's nothing in there but it's capable of gathering intel all the same.
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* TransformationConventions: Soundwave transforms into a Reaper UAV; an AttackDrone, common. This is very fitting of his personality as TheSpyMaster of the Decepticons. He's also TheBlank and TheVoiceless, referencing how drones are unmanned--there's nothing in there but it's capable of gathering intel all the same.
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* MakeMeWannaShout: While being held captive by the Autobots, he responds to their interrogation by emitting a sonic pulse to make the Autobots and humans alike temporarily double over in pain.
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* SuperScream: While being held captive by the Autobots, he responds to their interrogation by emitting a sonic pulse to make the Autobots and humans alike temporarily double over in pain.
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* CombatTentacles: Yet another [[{{Film/Transformers}} callback]], though he prefers radio telescopes to satellites this time around. And he's able to use them to pick Wheeljack up and throw him around like a ragdoll. ''By the head''.
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* CombatTentacles: Yet another [[{{Film/Transformers}} [[Film/Transformers2007 callback]], though he prefers radio telescopes to satellites this time around. And he's able to use them to pick Wheeljack up and throw him around like a ragdoll. ''By the head''.
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* VocalEvolution: [[spoiler:Of a sort. Creator/FrankWelker's still using the same underlying voice (the same as his [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget Doctor Claw]] voice) as he did in [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation One]], but with slightly less electronic distortion added post recording. This makes Soundwave's voice sound a bit deeper and more guttural, much like Frank's performance in [[Film/{{Transformers}} the films]].]]
to:
* VocalEvolution: [[spoiler:Of a sort. Creator/FrankWelker's still using the same underlying voice (the same as his [[WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget Doctor Claw]] voice) as he did in [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 Generation One]], but with slightly less electronic distortion added post recording. This makes Soundwave's voice sound a bit deeper and more guttural, much like Frank's performance in [[Film/{{Transformers}} [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries the films]].]]
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* {{Expy}}: He's ''Prime's'' version of the "big, powerful Decepticon who is loyal to Megatron and hates Starscream's guts" character archetype common across ''Transformers''. (Other examples include [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Lugnut]] and [[Film/{{Transformers}} Blackout]].)
to:
* {{Expy}}: He's ''Prime's'' version of the "big, powerful Decepticon who is loyal to Megatron and hates Starscream's guts" character archetype common across ''Transformers''. (Other examples include [[WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated Lugnut]] and [[Film/{{Transformers}} [[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Blackout]].)
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-->'''Vehicon 1''': Pitbound scavengers.
-->'''Vehicon 2''': Scrap eaters!
-->'''Hardshell''': ''[[BerserkButton What did you say?]]''
-->'''Vehicon 2''': Scrap eaters!
-->'''Hardshell''': ''[[BerserkButton What did you say?]]''
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-->'''Vehicon 1''': Pitbound scavengers.
-->'''Vehiconscavengers.\\
'''Vehicon 2''': Scrapeaters!
-->'''Hardshell''':eaters!\\
'''Hardshell''': ''[[BerserkButton What did you say?]]''
-->'''Vehicon
'''Vehicon 2''': Scrap
-->'''Hardshell''':
'''Hardshell''': ''[[BerserkButton What did you say?]]''
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* AdaptationalBadass: As noted under CompositeCharacter, he retains the G1's "MadScientist and logical mindset", but now he's also a "hulking death machine" ala [[Film/{{Transformers}} the film series]] capable of throwing down physically with the likes of Ultra Magnus and breaking even.
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* AdaptationalBadass: As noted under CompositeCharacter, he retains the G1's "MadScientist and logical mindset", but now he's also a "hulking death machine" ala [[Film/{{Transformers}} the film series]] Film/TransformersFilmSeries capable of throwing down physically with the likes of Ultra Magnus and breaking even.
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* CompositeCharacter: Visually, he takes cues from both his [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 G1]] incarnation and from the [[Film/{{Transformers}} film series]].
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* CompositeCharacter: Visually, he takes cues from both his [[Franchise/TransformersGeneration1 G1]] incarnation and from the [[Film/{{Transformers}} film series]].Film/TransformersFilmSeries.
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-->'''Starscream:''' Shockwave! How was your journey?
-->'''Shockwave:''' Long. Explain why you have summoned me to the middle of nowhere.
-->'''Shockwave:''' Long. Explain why you have summoned me to the middle of nowhere.
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-->'''Starscream:''' Shockwave! How was your journey?
-->'''Shockwave:'''journey?\\
'''Shockwave:''' Long. Explain why you have summoned me to the middle of nowhere.
-->'''Shockwave:'''
'''Shockwave:''' Long. Explain why you have summoned me to the middle of nowhere.
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-->'''Cliffjumper:''' Leave her alone! Use it on me instead!
-->'''Shockwave:''' Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, you will be next.
-->'''Shockwave:''' Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, you will be next.
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-->'''Cliffjumper:''' Leave her alone! Use it on me instead!
-->'''Shockwave:'''instead!\\
'''Shockwave:''' Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, you will be next.
-->'''Shockwave:'''
'''Shockwave:''' Do not worry. If her mind does not survive the procedure, you will be next.
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-->'''Wheeljack''': Do your worst, Doc. I'm a Wrecker. I can take it.
-->'''Shockwave''': Trust me. You, in fact, cannot.
-->'''Shockwave''': Trust me. You, in fact, cannot.
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-->'''Wheeljack''': Do your worst, Doc. I'm a Wrecker. I can take it.
-->'''Shockwave''':it.\\
'''Shockwave''': Trust me. You, in fact, cannot.
-->'''Shockwave''':
'''Shockwave''': Trust me. You, in fact, cannot.
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* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Unlike his version in Exodus, his cruelty is a bit toned down. Furthermore, he doesn't plan to overthrow Megatron and is loyal to him instead.
* AffablyEvil / FauxAffablyEvil: He comes across as rather polite even when experimenting on captives, in part owing to the fact that he is TheSpock.
* AffablyEvil / FauxAffablyEvil: He comes across as rather polite even when experimenting on captives, in part owing to the fact that he is TheSpock.
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* AdaptationalNiceGuy: Unlike his version in Exodus, his cruelty is a bit toned down. Furthermore, he doesn't plan to overthrow Megatron and is loyal as he finds Megatron's rationale behind his insane plans to him instead.
be a logical one.
*AffablyEvil / FauxAffablyEvil: AffablyEvil: He comes across as rather polite even when experimenting on captives, in part owing to the fact that he is TheSpock.TheSpock. It's simply not logical to be needlessly sadistic, especially when such emotions can impede his work.
*
* PragmaticVillainy: Shockwave is only loyal to Megatron because Megatron is able to appease his sense of logic. It's also how Starscream is able to weasel his way out of Shockwave's wrath by framing his clear sabotages as either incompetence or misunderstandings that often deliver unexpected salvations for the Decepticon cause.
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* [[RedEyesTakeWarning Red Eye, Take Warning]]: As the picture should show.
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* [[RedEyesTakeWarning Red Eye, Take Warning]]: As the picture should show.RedEyesTakeWarning: A big, glowing red eye and he's a hulking death machine with a cold mind.
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* GutturalGrowler: His voice is deep.
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* GutturalGrowler: Imagine Lugnut but growling a bit more.
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%%* GutturalGrowler:
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* GutturalGrowler: Extremely guttural growler.
