I’m sure you’ve heard the line “One man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter.” Well, in the case of the Decepticons, that line doesn’t apply. The Decepticons were great villains for the show and I had so many favorite villains. Here are 10 of them.
10. Skywarp (alt mode: airplane) VA: Frank Welker
Skywarp was just one of several voices Frank Welker had on the show, and one of the best. What made Skywarp so cool? Not only was he one of the most cunning members of the Decepticons, but he could teleport! I loved the way he got the jump on the Autobots with this talent. Fun fact: Check out Frank Welker’s LOONG list of characters he’s voiced over the years. The man is amazing!
9. Soundwave (alt. mode: boombox) VA: Frank Welker
Soundwave had, IMHO, the coolest voice on the show. That booming filter was just creepy to listen to. Not only that, but he was a freakin’ army! He had several cassettes all ready to do his bidding: Ravage, Lazerbeak, Buzzsaw (who eventually “disappeared” from the show for some reason), Ratbat, Frenzy, and Rumble.
8. Blitzwing (alt modes: tank and jet airplane) VA: Ed Gilbert
Blitzwing was one of several “triple-changers”, meaning he had not one, but two alternate modes. The thing that bugged me was that I knew there were Autobot triple-changers too, but we almost never saw them on the show. Blitzwing was my favorite of the triple-changers. Come on, he’s a tank! What’s not to like?
7. Thrust (alt mode: Jet airplane) VA: Bud Davis
Hoo boy, was Thrust ruthless. This was one Decepticon you DIDN’T want to cross.
6. Mindwipe (alt mode: bat) VA: Stephen Keener
I want to take a moment to talk about the Transformers comic book Marvel ran. In the Headmasters mini-series, we met Mindwipe. This evil Headmaster (the Headmasters had separate partners who transformed into their heads, hence the name) had the ability to hypnotize people and Transformers. Hypnosis is one of my favorite abilities, so I thought he was a great villain.
5.Cyclonus (alt. mode: Jet) VA: Roger Carmel–movie, Jack Angel–TV
Cyclonus was one of three Decepticons introduced in the movie, along with Scourge and of course Galvatron. Of the three, Cyclonus was the one I liked the best. He was the most ruthless Decepticon ever and was fiercely loyal to the cause.
4. Thundercracker (alt. mode: F-14) VA: John Stephenson
Did you really think I’d forget one of the true fan-favorites? Thundercracker was one of the best ever! I mean, even his name sounds like something to fear!
3. Shockwave (alt. mode: Ray gun) VA: Corey Burton
Shockwave was a Decepticon you watched very closely, because you just knew he was looking to take over sooner or later, but unlike Starscream, he bided his time. Fun Fact: Corey Burton has a pretty impressive resume. Among his roles include Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne’s dad), Dracula (TWICE!), and Jaga in the very underrated reboot of Thundercats.
2. Megatron/Galvatron (alt. mode: Gun) VA: Frank Welker
Aw, yeah! Megatron was Frank Welker’s best character. A smug talker who had some of the best moments in the show. He was a worthy opponent for Optimus Prime, and showed us just why we should fear him. Especially when he turned into Galvatron. But more on that next week.
1. Starscream (alt mode: F-14) VA: Chris Liotta
MEGATRON HAS FALLEN! I AM YOUR NEW LEADER! (I had to)
I just loved Starscream. It was fun to watch him constantly backstab Megatron and try to usurp his position as leader of the Decepticons. He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and he finally did become leader…for about 20 seconds before Galvatron practically obliterated him in the 1986 movie. But death couldn’t stop him. He came back in the show as a ghost and still managed to be a thorn in Galvatron’s side in his numerous attempts at revenge. Sure he may not be able to defeat Rainbow Dash, but I still love this dude. Fun Fact: Back in the 80’s if a cartoon had a backstabbing villain, chances are Chris Liotta did the voice. He was also Decompose on Inhumanoids (One of the scariest 80’s Saturday morning villains ever!) and Cobra Commander himself.
Next week: I conclude my Transformers tribute with a retrospective of the Transformers 1986 movie.
Aspie Catholic 
Starscream also returned as a ghost in an episode of “Beast Wars.” He possessed Waspinator. It was a fun episode.
My theory is that episode came out because Chris Liotta had died. It was a tribute to him. I’ll have to look into it, but I don’t see why there wouldn’t be a tribute.