Best Megatron designs in Transformers

Since the franchise's TV inception, Megatron has served as the primary villain in the Transformers. A powerful, badass Decepticon, the classic villain has led the sinister machines into all kinds of villainous shenanigans over the years.

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Transformers: 8 Strongest Megatron Versions, Ranked

These are some of the most powerful versions of the iconic Transformers villain, Megatron.

With so many animated series and movie adaptations of the beloved toy line over the years, Megatron has had a variety of interesting designs. From surprising humanoid forms to the monstrous rust and screw aesthetic of the Michael Bay movies, Optimus Prime's nemesis has come in many shapes and sizes. A constant throughout his appearance is his penchant for chaos and destruction, furthering his status as Transformers' most recognizable antagonist.

6

Transformers: The Animated Series

A scary, over-the-top take on the classic look

  • Series premiere: December 26, 2007

  • Creators: Matt Youngberg, Sam Register

  • Production company: Hasbro Entertainment, Cartoon Network Studios

The exaggerated anatomy of Transformers: The Animated Seriess animation style suits the often savage villain Megatron perfectly. The series sees a neat combination of G1 elements with a sleeker style for the Decepticon head honcho.

With a huge cannon, a spikier version of the classic helmet and mean, red eyes, Megatron is a suitably imposing figure here. This rendition can transform into both a tank and a jet, with remarkable similarities to the Cybertronian vehicles the character used in the Michael Bay films, the first of which had proved a huge hit earlier that year.

5

Transformers: The War for Cybertron Trilogy

A richly detailed, emotional experience of Megatron.

  • Series premiere: July 30, 2020

  • Creators: FJ DeSanto, George Krstic

  • Production companies: Allspark Pictures, Rooster Teeth Studios, Polygon Pictures

This surprisingly human aesthetic brought Megatron's facial expressions to life in a way that no other series has managed. War for Cybertron giving fans a clever update to the classic G1 design.

Along with the more detailed, humanized face, Megatron's armor also gets an update. Rich in line work and signs of battle damage, the classic villain's appearance here conveys his status as a battle-hardened leader. Overall, this aesthetic is a nice middle ground between old and new, serving as a unique greatest hits collection of Megatron's looks and styles over the years.

4

Transformers: The Unicron Trilogy (Armada, Energon, Cybertron)

A powerful, heavily armed upgrade.

  • Series premiere: August 23, 2002

  • Creators: Ryo Motohira, Hidehito Ueda

  • Production company: Actas

The Unicron trilogy gave viewers a colorful reimagining of Megatron's appearance. Instead of the classic silver set, the Decepticon arc received a surprising, eye-catching, fresh coat of purple.

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When powered up, Megatron's larger-than-life aesthetic is turned up to 11 when he reaches his Galvatron form. Galvatron, in this case, is a much less dark and gloomy situation for the classic Transformers villain than in the controversial 80s film. Acting like a Megatron at peak power level, the Galvatron powerhouse is a whole new level of trouble for the Autobots to contend with. Full of armor and weapon upgrades, this rendition of the character proved to be both off-beat and explosively memorable.

3

Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Bayverse offered fans a particularly monstrous Megatron.

  • Initial film release: July 27, 2007

  • Creators: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Michael Bay

  • Production companies: Dreamwork Pictures, Hasbro, Paramount Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures

2007 finally saw the long awaited live action treatment of the beloved franchise. With it came a new, incredibly detailed, surprisingly realistic image of what Transformers might look like in real life.

For Megatron, this meant a huge, spiky, dark silver exterior. With red eyes and sharp teeth, this appropriately mean Megatron is enhanced by Hugo Weaving's distinctive voice work for the character. With his angular helmet and alien spaceship transformation, this Megatron is one of the most memorable, imaginative versions of the character out there. While the nuts and bolts style was met with a polarized reception from fans at the time, the quality of the effects and action here is undeniable.

2

Transformers G1

The first animated megatron remains influential to this day.

  • Series premiere: September 17, 1984

  • Creators: Kazutaka Miyatake, Shoji Kawamori

  • Production company: Hasbro, Toei Animation

The classic original can be transformed into two very different forms. On his home planet of Cybertron, the ever-dangerous frontman of the Decepticons takes the relatively conventional form of a tank.

On Earth, however, he will shrink down to a Walther P38 pistol. This surprising transformation allows him to be wielded by other Transformers with suitably lethal power. Aesthetically, the silver and black design is simple yet distinct, ensuring simple, appropriate armor for the villainous machine. His devastating fusion cannon and distinctive helmet add more menace to his exterior, helping him further stand out as the show's premier villain.

1

Transformers: Prime

The character's most sinister, impactful design to date.

  • Series premiere: November 26, 2010

  • Creators: Duane Capizzi, Jeff Kline, Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci

  • Production companies: K/O Paper Products, Polygon Pictures, Hasbro Studios, Darby Pop Productions

This more alien design proved to be a big hit with the crowd. The appearance has several similarities with G1 classic, including silver armor, a helmet and a fusion cannon.

Where the original looked relatively humanoid in shape, however Foremost version is more of a monster. With a sharp-toothed, angry gaze and superior physical anatomy, this rendition of Megatron is far more hideous to behold. Given the character's general ferocity and style, the horror-like updates bring much more villainous life to the classic Decepticon. The character also benefits from his fallen hero origins in the series, adding a surprising level of tragic nuance to his intimidating style and presence.

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