The Soapbox IV: Top 10 Characters of All Time
This topic’s one of those bandied around forums from time to time. What often happens though is the discussion nosedives into personal preferences and meaningless banter. So what this column hopes to do is provide a reasoned analysis of who the top 10 Transformers characters of all time are.
The focus is on characters as opposed to toys. Toys change and there are and will continue to be countess iterations of many Transformers characters. That’s why we’re looking at the characters that go to the core of the franchise. Characters that will always be relevant and identifiable.
So, who are they? Come on in and find out.
1.) Optimus Prime
This one was a no-brainer. I do not think anyone could possibly have suggested otherwise. Optimus Prime is the cornerstone of the Transformers. There is no character who comes even close to Prime in terms of their relevance to the franchise. Like it or not, through Beast Wars to Animated, no line has never existed without an Optimus Prime. Yes, some may argue that Optimus Primal is not Optimus Prime, and they’d be technically right, but we all know the aesthetic and the persona was to channel Prime himself. In form or not, Beast Wars Primal for all intents and purposes is just another Optimus Prime.
So, that said, why is Prime held in such lofty regard? TFTM. Sure, in terms of the G1 cartoon there was no one more relevant than Prime but TFTM turned him into a tragic figure. The noble and courageous leader who loses his life fighting for his fellow Autobots.. His unprecedented death sent many children into tears but it also catapulted his greatness into Transformers folklore. It was a shadow that the G1 cartoon never escaped until they brought him back to life. The Japanese Headmasters got rid of him not long after but even they could not escape the one undeniable fact: Transformers needs Optimus Prime.
Optimus’ name is one that is immediately identifiable with the franchise. He is and will always be a figure of unity. That’s what makes him the face of the Transformers and his spot will never be doubted.
2.) Megatron
This was somewhat difficult initially but it made more sense as the list started to gather shape. Megatron is the number two Transformer of all time because he is the arch-nemesis of Optimus Prime. There has not been a line in my memory without a Megatron. Perhaps in the Japanese ones where I am not as well-versed but from the Western point of view, when you say Optimus Prime, you immediately think of Megatron. And that ultimately is why he occupies the number two spot. If there is an Optimus, there has to be a Megatron. Period.
Does that make Megatron a lesser character in his own right? No. He is the unrivaled nemesis of Optimus Prime because he is the leader of the Decepticons. He is the embodiment of evil in the war waged between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He personifies the cause, he gives them relevance, he gives them teeth. No other Decepticon leader can lay a claim to that. Galvatron doesn’t even come close. Before Galvatron even existed, Megatron had cemented his role as not only Prime’s opposite number but the one ‘bot who all the other Decepticons would bow unconditionally to. This has continued to be the case throughout all the lines since G1 and it’s not going to change anytime soon.
3.) Bumblebee
This is where we hit more murky territory. Bumblebee claims 3rd spot despite the fact that he is hardly a favourite amongst the fandom. Heck, he wouldn’t ever register in my top 100, let alone my top 10. And I’m sure many others would agree with that assertion. So why is that? Why is it that he lays claim to the 3rd spot? Quite simply: he’s relevant and identifiable. Even before TFM, he was a character that everyone remembered as the Transformer who was supposed to connect with humans, the one that we were supposed to identify with. Not everyone necessarily liked him though and he slowly faded away as characters like Cheetor and Hot Shot took his place.
What TFM did in 2007 for Bumblebee was astounding. It lifted him from the cesspool of mediocrity and returned him to the highest echelons of Transformers mythos. His portrayal carried an undeniable charm and it’s no secret that he’s a favourite of young and old, male and female. You only had to look at the toy shelves in the months after the movie and up to Christmas to see how quickly he had flown off the shelves. And you’ve got to remember in the mass market, they buy the toys a lot less for its quality and way more for identifiability. And that’s why Bumblebee has soared into the 3rd spot. He is a well-liked character and the movie succeeded where Animated and G1 didn’t. They made him an interesting character that we could identify with.
And like it or not, it’s going to stay that way.
4,) Starscream
Again, not an easy choice. Starscream is the would-be Decepticon leader. He’s always there to undermine Megatron’s every move and always dreams but inevitably never succeeds at sequestering authority from his leader. For a long-time now, he is the second Decepticon that comes to mind. Unlike the subservient Soundwave who relies on his eerie voice and creepy silence, Starscream’s whiny, screeching tone in Transformers lore is like a meteor blazing through the evening sky.
You cannot mistake who Starscream is. You cannot mistake his malicious intents and design. Sure, many in G1 argue why Megatron never finished him off. On top of that, many consider him to be an utter coward. But there’s a little affection one feels for his stupidity, His failures draw a bit of sympathy and yet serve also a plot device that makes the Decepticons interesting rather than just an undying unit dedicated to fulfilling the wishes of a Megatron or Galvatron. Again, he was required in the third season of G1 because of that balance that he provides to the Decepticons. Octane just didn’t cut it.
That’s why its understandable why Starscream is one of the most often used characters in new lines. He provides a spark to the Decepticons that allow the writers to make something interesting about them. And you have to admit, Animated has used him well for that purpose.
Even in TFM, the writers could not help but throw in the jarring line from Megatron. “You fail me yet again, Starscream.” The line fits in the movie as Godzilla’s foot would in a size 10 shoe. So why did the writers of the live-action movie see fit to include the line? It’s a reminder of the treachery that exists, the tension between Megatron and his scheming subordinate.
One can only imagine that with the sequel in production, Starscream will only gain a more significant role given we last see him blasting off into outer space. His star will only rise but it’s hard to see him ever eclipsing Bumblebee. Bumblebee is the vehicle writers rely on establishing a human connection. As such, he will always figure much more prominently than ol’ Screamer. That’s not to say, of course, that Screamer is irrelevant. He isn’t. He is the one character that breathes life into the Decepticons giving them texture and depth and his role in the Decepticons is unparalleled.
5.) Soundwave
Soundwave sneaks in at number 5. Outside of Starscream he is the next most identifiable Decepticon. His strange manner of speaking and the cassette gimmick forced him to be a memorable part of G1. Apart from Cybertron, it has been a while since Soundwave even featured in predominant TF fiction but the character carries unmistakable qualities that other Transformers do not. His face mold is unique amongst the Decepticons. Sure, there are characters like Six-Shot but they are fan favourites. They lack idenitifability. Soundwave doesn’t.
Soundwave was always loyal and faithful to Megatron. Yet there was always something that made him creepy and edgy. That’s why he stands out. You don’t get that with Cyclonus who is just Galvatron’s loyal lieutenant. You always had that nagging feeling that there was something that was more than meets the eyes with Soundwave. Throw in Ravage and then the likes of Rumble and Frenzy, you have a wonderful offering that Soundwave offers as a character.
All that makes him one of the most identifiable Transformers and that’s why he occupies spot number 5 on the list.
6.) Devastator
This is a case of where it pays to be first. The Constructicons on their own mean very little. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that they’re only relevant because they formed Devastator. Without that, they are really just uninspiring characters. But Devastator as the first amongst the gestalts/combiners, captured the imagination of many a youth. His bright green and purple colour scheme made him easy to recall from the lost vaults of many people’s childhoods.
When TFM’s success started getting the mainstream public talking about possibilities of a sequel, one of the first concepts and names that were bantered around was Devastator. I lost count of the number of times, I’ve heard people refer to those green construction vehicles that transformed into that massive robot. Predaking may be a favourite amongst the fandom but that’s beside the point. He just isn’t recognizable. He lacked the screen time that Devastator had in the first two Seasons and was more of a periphery combiner in an era that featured Abominus and Bruticus.
The other thing about Devastator is his uniqueness at the time. The whole concept of one humungous robot formed from six other smaller figures was just mindblowing. As a child, I have no doubt that for many of us that the combiners were on the top of our want lists. Many of us might even recall struggling to find that one limb or having to trade off another Transformer in order to get the missing combiner limb. That’s how certainly I got my vintage Superion which has amazingly survived the passage of time. And when one thinks about it even more, Devastator has to be one of the best combiners in terms of the transformation. His six pieces aren’t the same as a Defensor or a Predaking which basically rely on one central body component to attach everything else too. And that just adds to his allure as a combiner.
Devastator had a lot of time to himself and, combined with his uniqueness, that cemented his place in TF lore.
7.) Grimlock
An undeniable fan favourite. If this was a column about fan favourites he’d be ranking much higher. But it isn’t. However, he still makes the top 10 of all time in my opinion. Grimlock is a character that has seen many characterizations. His cartoon appearances were less than flattering on his intelligence. His comic appearances made him a worthy commander with a unique manner of speaking and one to be wary of which gave him texture and depth. I contend that either way, both made him quite memorable. As a kid, you have to have liked Grimlock’s antics. In many ways, he’s what Bulkhead was to Transformers except he was bit more primal.
Grimlock also benefits from the fact that he is unique. He’s a gray, gold and silver Tyrannosaurus Rex. And that’s one of the reasons, on top of his characterization, why Grimlock is an important character to Transformers mythos. Certainly between G1 and Energon, there was hardly even a toy that reflected the character’s G1 self. And no, the Beast Wars toy does not even come close. Yet Grimlock continues today to be one of the most memorable characters. Grimlock therefore has, like Soundwave, had amazing longevity. And that’s in no small part to his unique alt mode, unique colours, and diverse characterizations.
8.) Unicron
I don’t think I really need to say too much. Unicron is the definitive Transformer. His size and scale just blow away one’s imagination. The concept of a sentient planet that could transform is just something that sticks with one. Any one who watched Transformers will remember him and that’s courtesy of some epic animation in the Animated Transformer Movie of 1986 (TFTM). I think no one can deny how mind-blowing the entire transformation sequence of Unicron in TFTM was. It just filled you with so much awe that it would stick with you for the rest of your life. And therein lies Unicron’s timelessness.
9.) Blackarachnia
If I had doubts about any one character on this list, it would have to be this one. Having only recently finished Beast Wars, and then looking at Beast Machines and now Animated, I think that Blackarachnia sneaks in because of her importance to the franchise. Of the fembots that have ever featured in TF fiction, she is the most nuanced and intriguing character. He inner conflicts and character growth are unparalleled.
I’m not joking when I say that she has more depth than 98% of G1 characters. I love my G1 and she doesn’t even begin to compare to them but her relevance to the TF franchise is unmistakable. Some may say her lay to claim is that she’s female and that that’s unfair. Well, I disagree. It’s not her fault that that is what makes her oddly unique. She is unique and you have to live with that fact.
Blackarachnia featured in Beast Wars, a series that revitalized the franchise, whether many like it or not. Many other characters came and went in the show but she was one of the few Predacons to withstand the test of time rather than blurring into other caricatures. The same can’t be said of her in Animated yet but no one can doubt that she is one of the more interesting Decepticons. Her creepy spider alt mode combined with her abrasive, manipulating and scheming attitude helped defined her character not just in the show but in the mind of all fans and that is why she demands a spot in the top 10.
10.) Hot Shot
Hot Shot rounds out the 10 and is perhaps the most contentious on the list. Hot Shot slips in b/c he, like Cheetor before him and Bumblebee, serves the function of being that character that children are supposed to identify with. One cannot deny the importance of that and you need look no further than the 25th Anniversary Deluxe remake of the character to appreciate his significance.
Another fact that others may not be aware of, and nor did I myself until I begun researching this topic, was that Hot Shot was supposed to be TFM Bumblebee’s name. If that had happened, I think no one here would deny that instead of Bumblebee’s star rising to its unprecedented heights, we’d be seeing Hot Shot as one of the key icons of the Transformers now. Animated was supposed to see a return to the Hot Shot name but because of Bumblebee’s success, Hasbro made the obvious strategic choice of renaming the character to Bumblebee.
I am certainly appreciative of the fact too that Hot Shot by no means is the exact same character as Bumblebee. They are different but their function one must admit is the same: A character that younger fans can immediately grapple onto.
That said, at this juncture in time, Hot Shot remains in the top 10 by the thinnest of margins. In the years to come, Bumblebee will take his spot and he will slowly flow back into the blur of Transformers History. However, at this point, one cannot deny the impact that he has had.
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While I’m aware that I have passed on many a fan favourite like Hot Rod, Shockwave, Nightbeat, Springer, Prowl etc, my judgement was moved because compared to those that did make the list, those names and characters just are not as immediately identifiable. I concede that Hot Shot is perhaps a weak link but for many younger fans, I believe he still has some time in the top. Characters like Hot Rod, and Shockwave would immediately make my top echelon of favourite characters. That said, you would not mention them in the same breath as a Unicron, Devastator or Soundwave.
Certainly, I concede that outside of the top 4 characters aforementioned, this list is not set in stone. With a potentially box-office shattering blockbuster movie on the way, we can’t be too sure how this list will withstand the currents of time. But perhaps that’s what the beauty of this is. As fans, we hope that forgotten or new characters will spring to prominence and, quite frankly, that’s what excites us.
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Originally Posted by Lord_Zed
