The Transformers series at face value is just a bunch of giant robots that can transform into Earth vehicles fighting each other. What it actually is is a deep story, full of amazing characters that grow and evolve throughout that are coincidentally giant robots that are able to transform Earth vehicles while going to war with each other.
One of those awesome characters we were talking about just so happens to be the iconic Starscream who is introduced as a sneaky and conniving lackey of Megatron. However, behind that is an amazing character with a huge list of great moments throughout the history of this iconic series.
10 HIS RETURN DURING BEAST WARS
The early 3D animated series Transformers: Beast Wars takes place in the far far future of the world of the robots in disguise. This means that the war of the Autobots and Decepticons is far from over. While the days of Optimus and Megatron are in the past there is a new war, this time between the Maximals and the Terrorcons.
While the characters of old may be gone one's spark still floated in the void of space. The indestructible Starscream! He shows up and possesses Waspinator and wastes no time trying to get back to his old schemes of trying to overthrow a new Megatron.
9 HIS MANY DEATHS IN ANIMATED
In the series Transformers: Animated Starscream dies more times than ever before and truly shows us that he's the hardest character to get rid of in Transformers history. Even though he's shown up as a ghost after death in the past, he's never gone this far.
Once Megatron returns to take his rightful place as the leader of the Decepticons he quickly does away with Starscream. BUT, immediately Starscream comes back and attempts to kill Megatron again. This process goes on for about 6 more times until Starscream finally gives up and goes for another approach.
8 KILLING MEGATRON IN THE FIRST EPISODE OF ANIMATED
In that same series, Starscream does something no other Starscream in any other Transformers continuity is able to accomplish. He does away with Megatron in the first episode of the series and becomes the leader of the Decepticons.
Megatron gets hurt in a battle with an early iteration of Optimus and his team the Autobots. Once he returns to the ship he is damaged and needs immediate aid before his spark goes out. Starscream being his loyal self throws him out and leaves him for dead. He of course lies and pretends he tried to save him to his new subordinates.
7 HIS DEATH IN THE 1986 MOVIE
If you're a Starscream fan, you're lying if you say that you didn't have a teardrop or two roll down your face after watching this scene in the grim Transformers movie of 1986. Many of the Autobots and Decepticons we grew to know and love are dead and that, of course, left Starscream as the new leader of the Decepticons.
Megatron wasn't going down so easily though. He returns as Unicron's new herald Galvatron and after a few words for the new Decepticon leader, quickly evaporates him leaving nothing but a pile of ashes and a crown.
6 "YOU COULDN'T LEAD ANDROIDS TO A PICNIC!"
This is one of the quintessential interactions between Starscream and Megatron in the original Generation 1 series of Transformers. Once you witness this scene you'll know everything there is to know about these two's relationship.
It starts with Starscream and a snarky sarcastic remark after messing up once again. Megatron laughs after he says he's the leader of the future and tells him that he couldn't lead androids to a picnic. Starscream blasts at him but Megatron is alerted by Soundwave and returns fire. Starscream on his knees slides over and begs for mercy.
5 THROWING MEGATRON OUT
While it may seem like Starscream is always the butt of the joke against Megatron he has more than enough moments to make up for it with revenge. This is the case in the 1986 Transformers film after Megatron takes heavy damage in his final battle with the Autobot leader Optimus Prime.
He returns to the Decepticon ship battered and broken but not dead. Starscream carries him to the door in the middle of space to which Megatron tells him, "Wait I still function!" Starscream responds with a "We'll see about that." and throws him into the vacuum of space.
4 HIS BATTLE WITH GALVATRON
If you weren't happy with the depiction of Starscream in the past where he was nothing but a traitor that looked to betray Megatron at every turn then the anime Transformers: Armada may be the series for you. In this series, he was Megatron's best warrior and simply wanted appreciation which led him to fight against the new Megatron, Galvatron.
However, this battle didn't end with a clear winner. Instead, Starscream sacrificed himself to Unicron in order to show Galvatron that it was time to stop fighting and work with the Autobots to fight a greater threat.
3 HIS BATTLE WITH PRIMUS
In case you didn't know, Primus is basically the God of Transformers and is so powerful that he's even above Unicron so you can only imagine how large he is. In the series Transformers: Cybertron both factions, Autobot and Decepticon, team up in order to take on this threat and in one scene Starscream leads the fight.
Using an energy beam, Starscream grows to Primus's size and attempts to hold him back while his new and old allies go on about using other ways to stop Primus. He's a key character in this giant's defeat.
2 ANYTIME HE LEARNS FROM HUMAN KIDS
There's always something great about an evil character finding a lesson in the most unsuspecting places which happens to happen to Starscream quite a few times throughout the series. Many times when Starscream is forced to work with children he finds out how powerful friendship and innocence of youth can really be.
This happens not only in the original Transformers Generation One cartoon but in Transformers: Armada as well and is one of the main types of scenes that truly show how round Starscream's character can be.
1 HIS REIGN OVER CYBERTRON
In the IDW Transformers run, the Autobots eventually win the war and while many remaining Decepticons attempt to scheme and reverse this win from the shadows, Starscream surrenders and gives them all the information they need. This clears his name and allows him clearance to run for office.
He wins the election, beating Bumblebee and becomes the new supreme ruler of Cybertron. When Megatron fails to overthrow this new government Starscream finally has the last laugh and even though Starscream is eventually arrested for corrupting the government, Megatron finally admits he was right.