Every 2 weeks, Seibertron.com brings to you a Top 5 and occasional Top 10 list written by william-james88. But this week, we are gonna shake some things up a teensy bit. Guest analysis D-Maximus_Primal is here to give you a Top 5 list centered not on toys, but on the fiction that we all love to read and then buy the toys as a result. These are all the opinions of 1 person, so treat them as such as you read along. The point of these sorts of things is to have a lot of fun as well as get the community to tell us what you really think of the shape-shifting toys and characters that we all love. So strap in tight folks! All previous lists can be found
here.
Top 5 Transformers Who Abandoned Their FactionNow when it comes to Transformers, we generally have the 2 opposing factions, whether they be Autobot/Decepticon, Maximal/Predacon, Autobot/Predacon, Rescuebot/Morbot, etc. We usually like to think of the characters being dedicated to one side and only that side, and eventually winning or losing to their respective rivals. But oh so often this is nowhere near the case. Transformers are not black and white; rather, they have so many shades of gray that there are times that you can never truly be sure of a character's true sides and motive. For this reason, we have many different characters that have left their respective faction, whether it be from anger, sadness, betrayal, confusion, and occasionally mind control.
The purpose of this list is to look into those many characters that have left their faction in favor of either another faction or to abandon factions altogether. The list takes into account how important to the overall story the Transformer in question is with his/her actions and how this changed the course of that Transformers Series.
5. IDW ThundercrackerOur list starts off with the blue version of the original Seeker trio. When it came to TV shows, Thundercracker never got a good rap seeing as how he was simply a look-alike to one of the bigger shows stars and basically was second bananas to most everyone else in the show. Now the comics have done him far more justice. Initially joining up with the Decepticons to fight against inequality and to rule by means of "Peace Through Tyranny,"
All Hail Megatron showed us a different Thundercracker. Thundercracker hated slaughtering people and he realized that the Decepticons were not fighting those worthy of their attention. Realizing just how lost they had all become, he abandoned his Decepticon counterparts as Megatron fell to Optimus Prime and Spike Witwicky to save the humans and Autobots still in New York city. He took a hold of the nuclear missile aimed at them, took it to space, and destroyed it. All he got in return was a blast to the face from an angry Skywarp.
He would go on to play pivotal parts in the 2009-2011 ongoing, serving as air reinforcement for the Autobots at times and even turning down an invitation to rejoin the Decepticons. After the war ended, he simply chose to live on Earth, away from Cybertron, until the Cybertronians returned, and he once again stood more Autobot than Decepticon, helping save the humans from a zombie Thrust/Ramjet armada, interpreting Buster the dogs speech to show that Blackrock was shady and that the Autobots were not bad, and even saving Sunstreaker from Galvatron's mighty fusion cannon after combining with him among others against his will.
Thundercracker has done a lot to make up for what he had been a part of, and has proven to be an honorable character that, while gruff, is a good person at Spark.
4. Prime DreadwingDreadwing was always my favorite Decepticon from Transformers: Prime, and I'll tell you why: he was never a truly bad guy. He may have fought for the bad guy and he may have been an explosives expert who blew up people, occasionally without them even knowing it, but he had something that no other Decepticon had: Honor. He cared deeply for his brother, and when he felt his death, he flew all the way to Earth to look for who had killed him and he would avenge his brother. Once he arrived though, he showed a distinct difference from his fellow Decepticons. He served Megatron with honor, preferring to get his mission done and preferably do it as clean as possible, even if it meant letting some Autobots live.
As Season 2 went on, we saw Dreadwing, now serving as second-in-command, gradually progress as a character. He went on questionable missions with Megatron, such as stealing Liege Maximo's arm. He also began to see that Megatron was not as morally balanced as he thought, as he dealt with Megatron not only letting Starscream live, but also welcoming him back into his ranks with full repairs, all after finding out Starscream had revived his brother as a zombie. The final straw broke, He decided the Decepticons were no longer the right people for him, but he refused to join the Autobots. So he did the only thing he could: He stole the Forge of Solus Prime, gave it to the Autobots, tried to kill Starscream to avenge his brother, and finally falling to Megatron in response to his threat against Starscream, one of the saddest deaths in
Prime. But, as a result of his actions, the Autobots were able to make it to Cybertron and thus prevent Megatron from gaining total victory.
Dreadwing proved to be a conflicted character, between his brother and the Decepticons. And he made the tough choice and he made it when it counted. He is the reason
Prime even went on from this point for had he not, Earth would be simply a new Cybertron. His betrayal ultimately led to Earth's salvation.
3. Dark of the Moon Sentinel PrimeNow this is a character that had to make his impact fast as he only had 2 and half hours to do so, and an impact he did make. In the past, Sentinel Prime had proven to be a jerk when he was given characterization or Optimus Prime's predecessor when he wasn't given it. When we came into the movie, Sentinel was assumed to be the ultimate good, the thing that would turn the tide against Megatron and the new and all-powerful Shockwave! But then, Sentinel outdid both of them. Quickly. Without any sort of warning, he turns out to be Megatron's partner, kills Ironhide (and Mudflap and Skids technically), teleports an armada of Decepticons to Earth, seemingly removes and destroys the rest of the Autobots, and begins to enslave humanity, not caring even a bit.
While ultimately falling in battle, Sentinel made a huge impact in the movie-verse. For one thing, he was the first bot to turn out to be a bad guy. For another, he declared that he was the Autobots, essentially helping to set up the Autobots future troubles since they too could be the big bad that brings about Armageddon. But, probably biggest of all, he shattered Optimus Prime, showing him what he thought had to be done and doing it with no regards for others, and then almost succeeding with the side effect of destroying part of Cybertron in the process. Sentinel has proven to be the traitor to his kind that the movies will be known by (at least so far).
2. IDW MegatronIf you thought this one would be left off the list, then you really don't know how big this one gets. Megatron. An Autobot.
Yes that's right. How best to finish off a 12 issue crossover event that shattered the multiverse and set up Season 2 for both Ex-RiD and MTMTE? Make the big bad from Transformers lore a good guy. Yep, that'll work!
Megatron, finally realizing how far he had fallen from his days of peaceful reform, took up the badge of his friend Bumblebee and made it his own. In the 2 years and some odd months since, Megatron has proven to be an interesting character. He finds it hard to resist at first, letting slip his hatred for organics and his desire to see himself survive. But then the wake-up calls start hitting hard and fast. Within 6 months of each other, he finds out that the Universe would be vastly better had he not existed, and that he is responsible for so many dead that is is almost unfathomable. And then he is given the showdown with the very figurehead of his evil and the notion that he will not survive. And we see just how far he has come. He hates who he was and he hates seeing what he created. He now rejects violence and he simply wants nothing more than to make up for his past mistakes, something almost no one is willing to let him do.
And his actions have had far reaching consequences. As a result of what has happened, Galvatron has taken over and the Decepticons are in shambles, some even choosing to go the route of doing good or just trying to live on in the post-war era. Soundwave feels so betrayed that he turns the humans against the Autobots thanks to Megatron's defection. Even the Decepticon Justice Division now reforms for the sole reason of picking up where he left off, after killing him first.
So Autobot Megatron has shattered his own world, his home universe, and the fiction behind Transformers. The ultimate evil is now the good. This is almost good enough to make number 1, but there is a very obvious reason why Megatron is not #1...
1. Beast Wars DinobotThis character was a no-brainer really. This Beast War combatant started out as a Predacon, became a Maximal, switched back and then returned to the Maximals, and everytime he did switch something significant happened. The first time he switched sides, he evened the odds of Maximal to Predacon, and would go on to make a big battlefield difference due to him being a warrior. When he switched back, he would harbor in the Golden Disk saga which would eventually lead to Megatron learning he was on Prehistoric Earth and that he could change history. And when he changed to Maximal one last time, he faced down his former Predacons and won, destroying the Golden Disk and severely damaging Megatron's plans, at the cost of his own life. And when he died, it was with honor and he proved to be one of Cybertron's greatest heroes.
Few Transformers characters have proven to be as popular and as important as Dinobot. He was a Beast Wars star and still is to this day. He is the ultimate example of a bot who changed sides, and in the end made the biggest difference he could while proving to be true to the side that he joined with and died for.
Honorable MentionsPrime Knockout is worthy of note considering he is the only Transformers: Prime character to officially switch sides and he did so to help stop Starscream and enable the Autobots to actually fight back against Unicron in
Predacons Rising.
Armada Wheeljack was also up for consideration, but ultimately while he and Hot Shot had a lot of issues and eventually he got mostly over them, he didn't play the pivotal role I felt the others played in their respective series.
Revenge of the Fallen Jetfire was also a pivotal character as he helped the Autobots actually find the Matrix in the movie and essentially revived Optimus and then gave him a power boost, but there was much more that could have been done with him. He needed a bit more to live up to his potential.
