Transformers is an awesome franchise. Not all of it's awesome of course but most of the time, it is an awesome franchise. And one of the reasons why it's so awesome is its villainous faction that the Autobots find themselves at war against in almost every iteration of the franchise: the Decepticons.
As a kid watching and playing with Transformers, the Decepticons were ALWAYS my favourites. They tended to be some of the coolest characters and have some of the best toys to collect for me and I feel when it comes to the Cybertronians, the Decepticons were the faction to watch. Not that I ever want them to win of course because I'm not evil but still, this franchise wouldn't be what it was without the Decepticons and that's a fact.
So to celebrate the best of the best for the evil Transformers, I'll be listing down my Top 10 Favourite Decepticons from the franchise. For this list, I can pick a Decepticon from ANY continuity. This list isn't restricted to just one continuity so whether it's from G1, the Unicron Trilogy, the aligned continuity, it's all fair game here. HOWEVER, I cannot put two of the same character on the list so don't expect five versions of Megatron or Starscream or the like on this list. If a character's on the list, it can only be that character from that continuity.
So without further ado, let us Transform and roll out as I count down my Top 10 Favourite Decepticons...
Number 10: Tidal Wave (The Unicron Trilogy)
I know he hasn't got much going for him as he's just the big brute but Tidal Wave's always left a big impression on me and I always remember him when it comes to Transformers characters so he's on this list.
Tidal Wave doesn't have much in terms of personality what with being just a giant brute for Megatron to sic on his enemies but yet he still makes a big impression (quite literally) for his gargantuan size and his powerful looking appearance. Not only does he transform into an aircraft carrier, which makes his name of "Tidal Wave" immensely appropriate, but he towers over all the other Autobot and Decepticons on the field and that alone makes him very intimidating. I know his scariest and most memorably moment for many (including me) was in the Transformers Armada video game for the PS2 where we go through him in vehicle mode and then get treated to an awesome cutscene where he transforms and gets ready to destroy us. The game sells just what a giant monster he is and how a fight with him is instant death if we don't defeat him. The game alone made Tidal Wave even more memorable for me and even to this day that cutscene still gives me awe and chills when I watch it. On a side note, whenever I played this level on the game, I would often use his toy as a map to navigate my way around him. Funny, eh? XD
The boss fight in the game is also another example as to why I like Tidal Wave so much. His design is awesome and he just looks completely unstoppable. You get the feeling that this guy could just take down the Autobots by himself once he starts swinging and you certainly can't blame them for being intimidated by him. And if that wasn't crazy enough, he can actually split into three parts and combine with Megatron to make him even stronger! So yeah, Tidal Wave is either a massive juggernaut that can barely be stopped or he's a means to power up Megatron! The Decepticons are lucky to have this guy on the team! Now one has to wonder how terrifying an intelligent Tidal Wave would've been...
Tidal Wave may be small on character but he's big in terms of screen presence, design and power and that alone is why he's one of my favourite Decepticons. The Unicron Trilogy may have done a lot wrong, but it did right in creating this guy...
Number 9: Blackout (Movie Continuity)
The first ever Transformer to be seen onscreen in any of the live-action films, Blackout will always be remembered for making such a big first impression.
I cannot stress enough how I HATE the Michael Bay Transformers films. They've done more harm than good for the franchise and have tarnished its reputation to the point the franchise is too focused on Bumblebee nowadays and general audiences mistakenly believe Transformers is nothing but mindless action scenes, obnoxious characters, immature and raunchy humour that only dumb teenagers think is funny and gratuitous fanservice. The franchise IS. NOT. LIKE. THIS! I'm sure glad that Michael Bay isn't directing the current movies and Bumblebee and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts definitely feel like steps in the right direction for now. But if there's one thing I can give the Bay films credit for, it's what an amazing first impression the Decepticons give us with Blackout.
I kid you not, when seeing the first movie for the first time, I was blown away by how they depicted Blackout and how the Transformers come to the big screen in such a big way. There's some sinister build-up to Blackout and how it's clear all is not what it seems when the army sees his helicopter mode has the number of a helicopter that was shot down a while ago. Then when the army threatens him, he transforms and all hell breaks loose. Blackout is forever etched in my memory for his first scene alone with how effortlessly he tears the army apart and shrugs off any attempts to stop him. His huge size and menacing appearance make him very memorable and his huge helicopter mode looks absolutely badass whenever he's onscreen. Unlike Tidal Wave, he does have a personality (what little the movie gave him) where he's unflinchingly loyal to Megatron to the point he yells "All Hail Megatron!" when the Decepticons mobilize for the final battle. That only makes him more interesting as a result. What's his story? Why is he so loyal to Megatron? What swayed him to the Decepticon side? I'd love to know and naturally I'll need supplementary material to get that information because the movies sure as hell don't care about characterizing these villains!
Oh and in the movie tie-in to Transformers 2007, it shouldn't surprise you that Blackout is my favourite to play as. Seriously, it's so fun flying around blowing stuff up as him. XD
Blackout was always one of my favourite Decepticons from the Michael Bay films and a lot of that is down to his appearance, loyalty to Megatron, power and how he gave us one of the most kickass scenes in any of the movies. It's a pity the Decepticons got weaker and weaker as the movies went on because Blackout really set a strong first impression for them. As the first Transformer to appear onscreen in any of the live-action films, Blackout is easily a Decepticon we'll always remember...
Number 8: Bruticus (Aligned Continuity)
Whenever I play Fall of Cybertron, I ALWAYS get excited to play as this guy because who wouldn't want to play as an unstoppable combiner that ploughs through everything with ease?
Bruticus is a combiner made up of five Decepticons known as the Combaticons. The team consists of Onslaught, Brawl, Vortex, Blast Off and Swindle with Onslaught as the leader. Onslaught is a strategist and in the game he proves to be quite competent at his job by salvaging a mission that Starscream bungled due to his incompetence as a leader where thanks to him, they managed to get some of the Energon whereas Starscream would've lost it all. Onslaught genuinely seems to care for his fellow soldiers too, a rare trait in other Decepticons that makes him stand out as a result. The Combaticons are cool enough on their own, but combine them together and you get Bruticus, a one-bot army that is just completely unstoppable once he gets going. He is huge and packing the power of five Decepticons all at once so naturally the Autobots are screwed once he's on the field.
Bruticus is my favourite combiner in all of Transformers and it's all in his design, firepower and the five individuals that make him up. I mean you can't really say no to five army vehicles that combine to make one big bot with the voice of Nolan North am I right? He looks absolutely awesome with his bulky appearance, iconic helmet design and the twin cannons on his back and in Fall of Cybertron, he's an absolute riot to play as. I just feel invincible and like I can take on anything when I'm playing as him! Transformers games should have playable combiners more often as it's so much fun.
With an awesome team of Decepticons that combine together to make him and what a powerful force he is on the field, Bruticus is brutal enough to earn a spot on this list...
Number 7: Shockwave (Aligned Continuity)
It would be a crime if I did this list and didn't include at least one incarnation of Shockwave on it. He's one of the most iconic Decepticons out there alongside Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave so Shockwave should get at least one incarnation that makes it on the list, and of course it has to be this version.
Aligned Shockwave is very much true to the character that Shockwave usually is in Transformers media, that is to say he's a mad scientist and is overly focused on logic. And of course he has the traditional Shockwave appearance too such as the purple colour scheme, the laser hand (or in this a giant arm cannon) and the singular cyclopean optic and antennae on either side of his head. This Shockwave is very true to the original character while also being given some updates and changes to make this version more different, namely how he's much stronger than most Shockwaves and can hold his own in a fight. Seriously, he sends Bulkhead of all Autobots flying with a single punch! This version of Shockwave is badass, creepy and looked so awesome anytime he was onscreen. I'm so glad that he wasn't relegated to just a flashback appearance in Prime and he showed up again in Season 3 so we could see more of him. And when he came in Season 3, he really showed us what he could do with his experiments and how he brings back Predacons from extinction. I also remind you that this guy is responsible for creating the Dinobots too so as you can imagine, this guy really loves screwing with science and nature for the Decepticon cause.
I love this Shockwave above all others because I feel this is the best of everything with him. He looks awesome, he's efficient at his work to the point he can Jurassic Park dead Predacons back alive, he nearly always remains cool under pressure, he can hold his own in battle to the point even an army of undead Predacons can't finish him off and he was truly the MVP of Prime's final season. Seriously, Season 3 wouldn't have even happened if Shockwave wasn't in it. Combine all that with a creepy performance from David Sobolov and you have an incarnation of Shockwave that is bound to be remembered for years to come. I love this version of Shockwave and I doubt any other incarnation will top him.
This incarnation of Shockwave and the way he was portrayed and depicted in his media was most certainly...logical.
Number 6: Shatter and Dropkick (2nd Movie Universe)
This is an odd one because I'm including two characters at once here but Shatter and Dropkick are such a double-act that I have to talk about them together for this one.
Shatter and Dropkick are Decepticons that first appeared in Bumblebee and they were quite the villainous duo to start off the new live-action movie continuity. The villains in the Michael Bay movies are incredibly one-note and lacking in personality and they also tended to get their asses kicked in anti-climactic ways, but not these two. Shatter and Dropkick are actually personified and given characters with Shatter as the level-headed, cold and calculating leader of the two while Dropkick is the Energon-thirsty one who would rather kill his enemies than mess around with them. Yes their characters are pretty simple but again, at least they HAVE personalities! A Decepticon in the live-action movies having personalities is a rare occurrence! Shatter and Dropkick also prove to be effective soldiers too with them both being powerful fighters that keep Bumblebee on his toes to the point he has to fight strategically in order to beat them, which was refreshing to see after the Decepticons essentially became canon fodder in the Bay films.
One thing that also really makes me like these two is their distinctive appearances and how their dynamic is handled. These aren't your typical villainous duo where one's a bumbling idiot to the other. Shatter actually treats Dropkick well and never once treats him like he's an idiot and is nothing but calm and patient towards him, which made them so refreshing to watch as we don't get a lot of duos like this. They also play off each other so well with their contrasting personalities and the different ways they operate with Shatter relying on manipulation tactics and conning her way to victory while Dropkick just shoots and kills whatever he's face with. Need I remind you how with humans, he "likes the way they pop"? It also helps that Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux were so perfect as these characters. Them being triple changers was also fun to watch in the movie where they can go from a pair of muscle cars to a jet and a helicopter and fight in the air or on the ground as a result. Pity their toys couldn't do this but hey, can't have everything we want in life.
Shatter and Dropkick were by far the best villains in any of the live-action Transformers films thanks to being given actual personalities, being capable when in action and not being canon fodder for the Autobots to destroy with ease. I hope these two appear in other media because I'd love to see them again in another universe...
Number 5: Lockdown (Animated)
Before you say anything, yes, I know he says he's not a Decepticon but look, he has the logo on him and he's essentially a Decepticon anyway, so he counts for this list.
I haven't actually seen all of Animated as of this post but I HAVE seen every episode featuring Lockdown so I have enough of an opinion to say what I think of him. And I think he's awesome. It's no wonder that he's gone on to appear in other media like the live-action films and Cyberverse. Lockdown is one of the most awesome concepts ever coined up for Transformers: a Cybertronian bounty hunter. The opportunities just write themselves with that concept alone. Lockdown is a cool customer who does what he does to get his bounty and he usually takes bits and pieces of his victims which we can see with his mismatched body-parts. He's much in it for the thrill of the hunt that, in his own words, he's not so good with names and faces, but he NEVER forgets a trophy. He was even the one who took Ratchet's EMP blaster back in the great war before the Autobots ended up on Earth and he's also the one who captured Arcee, which ended up leading to her getting her memory wiped and thus leading to what would occur later down the line, but that's another story...
Lockdown sadly only had three appearances throughout the whole show and if Animated hadn't been cut short, he might've appeared again. His short episode count didn't stop him leaving such a memorable impression though. His name is cool and fitting for a bounty-hunter character and he was so cool to watch when in action. I mean he successfully subdued and captured OPTIMUS FREAKING PRIME HIMSELF! How is that not awesome?! He was tough to beat, especially with how sneaky and pragmatic he could be when in action to the point he makes even Bulkhead look ineffective. His design is great too with this spiky almost reptilian like appearance going on with the long neck and lanky body and the hook hand evokes a pirate image, which is also fitting for a bounty hunter as pirates were also the kind of people hunting down rewards and treasures and such. And if that wasn't awesome enough, they got Lance Henriksen to play him. Top that if you can!
Lockdown may not have shown up that much in Animated but sometimes a small amount of appearances can have the most lasting impact on people. He's a fan-favourite for a reason and he sure didn't need to hunt for a bounty to get his place on this list...
Number 4: Dreadwing (Aligned Continuity)
Ah Dreadwing, you deserved so much better than what you got.
The aligned continuity gave us by far the most important and noteworthy version of Dreadwing. Any other version of the character was pretty much just a character-less toyline exclusive but come Transformers: Prime, we got this guy and he's easily one of the best Decepticons in the show. Dreadwing is the twin of Skyquake, a Decepticon who was killed off as quickly as he was introduced, and while he literally just looks like Skyquake but blue and yellow and with a differently designed laser cannon, Dreadwing isn't the same as his twin. He has his own personality and battle-style, being more focused on laying traps for his enemies and catching them off-guard with a sneakily placed explosive that he seems to have an endless supply of. That always made him very cool and interesting to watch as you wonder just what he might have hidden in his chassis for the Autobots. He also has a strong code of honour, a rare trait in a Decepticon, and you always got the idea that he was never as evil as his fellow brethren, which does raise an interesting question on why he joined the cons in the first place...
Dreadwing also clearly cares a lot for his twin brother with Skyquake's death being a primary motivator behind much of what he does in the show and his grudge against Optimus Prime. Even the fact that Starscream rose him from the dead greatly angers the poor con and drives him to try murdering Starscream...
...with disastrous results. Even now I consider this to be one of the show's lowest points even if I love it so. Killing off Dreadwing was such a terrible idea and I wish it didn't have to happen. But I guess Tony Todd was just too expensive to keep hiring so he had to go. Still doesn't stop it from stinging though. X(
Still, Dreadwing was great for the time he was around in the series and will never be forgotten anytime soon. With his cool design, slick jet mode, neat weaponry, sneaky battle-style, code of honour, complex characterization and Tony Todd's amazing vocal performance, this Decepticon was a treat to have on the show and one of my favourite things we got in Season 2. It sucks he had to die but for what we got, I'm grateful he was in the show at all. Hopefully future versions of Dreadwing will follow his example and be great too...
Number 3: Soundwave (Aligned Continuity)
I doubt anyone will disagree with me when I say this is the most badass and capable version of Soundwave in any Transformers media.
The Decepticon army just never feels complete without Soundwave and while the original G1 character is as iconic as they come and Animated gave us a near version of the character, for me the Aligned continuity has the unquestionable best version of him. Contrary to previous incarnations, this Soundwave is the silent but deadly spy who lurks in the background always observing and keeping watch over Megatron's forces to make sure there's no signs of mutiny among the Decepticon army. Soundwave always had a very creepy onscreen presence because of how he never really spoke, just often repeating recorded dialogue he's picked up from somewhere, and his tall, slender appearance and faceless head makes him look like some kind of nightmare creature you might see stalking you in your nightmares. Hell, fans like to jokingly call him "Slendercon" for...obvious reasons. XD Soundwave somehow managed to be a big scene stealer even without saying a word and considering even Starscream is afraid of him, it says a lot about why he's one of Megatron's most valuable allies.
He's not only creepy, intelligent and efficient at spywork, but he's also a damn solid fighter too. He's very swift and slick on the battlefield, able to parry Airachnid's attacks with ease and subdue her without moving from his spot and even Wheeljack struggles to hold his own against him. He also fights dirty, relying on his deployable Minicon Laserbeak to launch sneak attacks or his extendable tentacles to shock and grab his opponents. Or if he's feeling really cheeky, he'll just Groundbridge you away and not bother fighting you at all. He can end fights in literal seconds as he displayed against Airachnid, Smokescreen and Bulkhead and he's so tough to beat that the only way to realistically stop him for good was to pull off the Shadowzone trick on him. And even THAT didn't stop him for good because he came back in the sequel series later on! Soundwave is a total badass and when you consider the fact HE of all Cybertronians nearly beat MEGATRON HIMSELF in a fight (yes, that's actual lore in the Aligned canon), that really makes you question why he isn't Megatron's second-in-command instead of Starscream!
I doubt we'll ever get another version of Soundwave as awesome as this version. He was cool, creepy, badass and efficient all at once and was a show-stealer throughout the entirety of Transformers Prime.
ALIGNED SOUNDWAVE SUPERIOR: OTHER SOUNDWAVES INFERIOR.
Number 2: Steeljaw (Aligned Continuity)
Transformers: Robots in Diguise 2015 was a very mediocre follow-up to Transformers Prime. But the show did one thing right at least and that was giving us Steeljaw.
Curiously, most other versions of Steeljaw are Autobots but this one was a Decepticon and I have a feeling for many people, he's going to be the most memorable incarnation of the character for years to come. Steeljaw already sets up a big first impression with his striking, unique design. RiD 2015 in general got creative with some of these robot designs with the cons usually having humanoid animal appearances despite still turning into vehicles and Steeljaw is no exception with this cyber-werewolf design going on. He just looks so cool and I love how they designed him! He turns into a jeep (cue jokes about him being a "wolf in jeep's clothing") and is surprisingly fast on the road when he gets going, even able to stay ahead of fast Autobots like Bumblebee and Sideswipe when on the run. And while he's not the best Decepticon in battle, Steeljaw makes up for it by being very intelligent. He's skilled in the use of subsonic technology which he uses to keep Bumblebee and his team out of their base in one episode and he's also a very skilled liar and manipulator, working that silver tongue of his to get Decepticons to do whatever he wants and sway them to his side with ease. And despite not being the strongest con out there, he clearly commands a lot of respect and is feared by his subordinates, even keeping fellow crime boss Thunderhoof under control despite how strong he is.
Steeljaw was always great to watch whenever he was onscreen thanks to his cunning personality, dark charisma and smooth voice at the hands of the legendary Troy Baker and how despite being an average con he commanded a lot of respect and authority regardless. I was always excited to see what he would do next to the point where the only reason I kept watching the show to the end was just to see more of him. He was cool and crafty and I enjoyed watching him in action to see how he'd get the best of the Bee team and what he'd get up to next with his schemes. Season 2 I feel was him at his best when he successfully managed to weave his way into power on Decepticon Island and usurp command from Glowstrike with absolute ease. The fact she and Saberhorn didn't see it coming is just hilarious and ridiculous on their part. XD It even took Prime and Bumblebee teaming up together to finally take him down because of how powerful and dangerous he became because of his brilliant scheming.
Cool, charismatic, interesting to watch, uniquely designed and crafty as a fox, Steeljaw is one wolf you don't want to run into in a dark forest...
And My Number 1 Favourite Decepticon Is... Megatron (Aligned Continuity)
The Aligned Universe has my all-time favourite Decepticon and also my all-time favourite version of Megatron we currently have to date. He's also one of my favourite villains in all of media.
The Aligned continuity gave us the version of Megatron that all Megatrons should follow. In the past he was pretty one-note with not much going for him in terms of backstory or motivation, he was just the evil leader of the Decepticons. Aligned Megatron on the other hand was re-written and re-invented to be a revolutionist who rose up from the pits of Kaon to challenge and overthrow what he saw as a "corrupt" society and fight back against the caste system that was more oppressive towards other Cybertronians than anything else. He was also a friend of Orion Pax, the bot who would one day become Optimus Prime, but he would feel like he'd been thrown to the wolves after the Council took a liking to Prime's vision over his own. And thus Megatron became Prime's lifelong enemy and would become the leader of the Decepticon army. He was once a gladiator in the pits of Kaon, now he's the leader of the Decepticons and he'll do whatever it takes to ensure victory over the Autobots and a Cybertron remade in his own image.
Megatron was awesome to play as in the War for Cybertron games and a delight to watch in Transformers: Prime. His designs in both medias were great and every G1 inspired while also having their own spin on the classic design with the Prime design especially looking like a neat hybrid of the G1, Animated and Movie designs. This Megatron looks very strong and powerful and it's easy to believe he's the one leading an army with how he has this brutal, invincible look to him. He's also a very cunning and intelligent warrior too, being able to use the environment to his advantage like when he fought the Predaking or coming up with a solution to the Star Saber problem he was faced with after Optimus Prime got his hands on it. He's also smart enough to keep an eye on Starscream and even admits he only keeps him around because he finds his constant failures amusing. And of course whenever he's in battle, he kicks ass and shows why he's the con at the top with his battle with Optimus in "One Shall Fall", his battle with Airachnid's Insecticon warrior and him effortlessly tossing the other Autobots around in "Orion Pax Part 3" being the best showcases for his brute strength and savage might. He even successfully destroys the Star Saber when fighting Optimus with his new Dark Star Saber for the first time!
Megatron would often bellow how he would not be denied in the War for Cybertron games and he certainly wasn't denied his place at the top spot. Aligned Megatron is the quintessential portrayal of Megatron and the one I will always use as THE standard for Megatron portrayals in the future. Strong, powerful, charismatic, scary, cool, intelligent and portrayed flawlessly by Fred Tatasciore in the games and Frank Welker in the show, it's no wonder how of all the Decepticons, this is my all-time favourite. Aligned Megatron is easily my Number 1 Favourite Decepticon of all time...
And that's all I have for this list. I hope you enjoyed it and I invite you all to share your favourites down below. Which Decepticons do you love the most and which continuities do you choose from? Do share down below.
In the future, I may do a sequel list where I countdown my favourite Autobots. But for now, I'll be counting down my Top 10 Favourite Nice Girls next week, because I feel like doing something nice for you all. See you then media fans!