“ | The Decepticons are a malevolent race of robot warriors, brutal and merciless. The Decepticons are led by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the universe. | „ |
~ The narrator on the Decepticons. |
“ | Decepticons! Transform and RISE UP!!! | „ |
~ Megatron's iconic line |
“ | Monster? I am no monster! We Decepticons are but sentient machines who have found our place in this vast universe. | „ |
~ Megatron's lie about the Decepticons' nature in Autobot Spike. |
“ | Flying tools of torment Will penetrate the sphere! Erupt the rock of ages, Bringing final fear! Instruments of destruction! Tools of foul play, It's a vile interruption! Existence drifts away! |
„ |
~ Partial lyrics for the Decepticons' song, "Instruments of Destruction", in The Transformers: The Movie. |
The Decepticons are the main antagonists of the Transformers franchise. an evil faction of Cybertronians, unlike other continuities, they are a separate race from Autobots in their own right. They wage war against the Autobots and seek to conquer the universe.
There is a military subdivision of the Decepticons called the Decepticlones, who are non-sentient artificially programmed foot soldiers designed to execute Megatron's bidding and destroy all Autobots.
Generation 1[]
“ | The Decepticons are an evil race of technologically advanced robots. They are on Earth looking for new sources of energy to defeat the Autobots and conquer the Universe. Their transformation ability is used for the purposes of disguise-- to spy without detection. Unlike the Autobots, the Decepticons have the power of flight. Although they have emotions of anger, greed, envy, and disgust, they prefer mechanical efficiency over human feelings, and consider human life to be inferior and unimportant. | „ |
~ Original cartoon bible bio. |
Beginnings as a slave race and liberation[]
The Decepticons, like the Autobots, were creations of the Quintessons, and were slaves to be sold to other planets in the early days of Cybertron. While the early Autobots were the worker caste known as the consumer goods, the early Decepticons were the warrior caste known as the military hardware. They would fight the wars for the Quintessons and even each other in gladiatorial fights simply out of amusement for their sadistic creators. After a while, both the Consumer Goods and Military Hardware developed emotions, becoming sentient and self-aware enough to rebel against the Quintessons and defeat them. Afterwards, the both races inhabited Cybertron in harmony, but this age of peace did not last.
Civil War[]
The First Great War[]
The Military Hardware, now calling themselves the Decepticons, led by Trannis, felt they were the more powerful race since they were the warriors and wanted to take power for themselves, starting to become similar to the Quintessons. The Consumer Goods, now calling themselves, the Autobots, did not desire this and a civil war broke out. However the Autobots eventually won under the leadership of Sentinel Prime leading to peace and a golden age for Cybertron.
Hundreds of years later Megatron came to power among the Decepticons, he was the most ruthless, merciless, and deadly Decepticon that has ever been created. He restarted the war, ending Cybertron's Golden Age and led the Decepticons to several victories. Megatron also expanded his forces by inventing the Robo-Smasher to brainwash Autobots and neutral Decepticons into serving him.
However one day Megatron, during a terrorist attack on a storage facility, assaulted and maimed a civilian named Orion Pax. This would prove to be Megatron's biggest mistake as the gravely wounded Orion was rebuilt and reformatted into the first battle-ready Autobot, Optimus Prime. Optimus proved to be Megatron's worst nightmare and turned the tide against the Decepticons, winning many battles for the Autobots.
The Great War would get even bloodier and to combat the Autobots, Megatron's war machine exhausted Cybertron's energy, turning the once golden planet into a near silver dying world. Both sides decided they needed to find a new source of power. Optimus Prime plotted a trip to Earth. On the way, Megatron had the followed the Autobots on his own ship with his best Decepticon warriors. They boarded the Autobot ship and they fought all the way to Earth. Meanwhile, back on Cybertron, the war raged on with the de-facto Decepticon leader Shockwave to take up Megatron's duties until his return.
Millions of years later in the Earth year 1984, Teletraan 1, the computer onboard the Autobot ship awoke and repaired both factions and reformatted their alternate forms to resemble Earth vehicles. The war would be brought to Earth. For the next 21 years, the final battles of The Great War was fought until in 2005 the Decepticons invaded Autobot City. It was a bloody fight in which many Decepticons and Autobots were lost, including Megatron and Optimus Prime. This would also be the time when their greatest enemy would come, Unicron. He made a deal with a damaged Megatron, where in exchange for Megatron providing him with the Autobot matrix, Unicron would give him a new body and new troops to command, as well as leave Cybertron mostly intact.
The reformatted Megatron was renamed Galvatron. However, shortly after, Unicron destroyed Cybertron's two moon bases, Galvatron plotted to use the Matrix and enslave Unicron for his powerlust. However Galvatron proved unable to open the Matrix and after being threatened with death by Unicron, sold out Cybertron to Unicron.
In retaliation for Galvatron's attempt as betrayal, Unicron abandonded plans to leave some of Cybertron alive and decided to fully level the planet, whilst unsuccessfully attempting to stop Unicron, the Decepticon forces suffered heavy casualties.
Eventually the Autobots journeyed inside Unicron, as Hot Rod battled the traitorous Galvatron, he opened the Matrix and was reformatted into Rodimus Prime and defeated Galvatron before destroying Unicron with the Matrix. The Decepticons were in no condition to fight the Autobots so they retreated from Cybertron in defeat. The First Great War was over.
The Second Great War[]
The exiled Decepticons were living on a wasteland planet known as Chaar. With very little energy, they were reduced to weakened scavengers. They fought each other for energy and were in no condition to wage war against The Autobots, but an elite team of Decepticons decided that they needed to get back Galvatron to restore them to glory. They went in search of Galvatron and once they found him in a plasma pit, he had gone insane from his defeat to Rodimus. Galvatron would abuse his troops, but despite this, they still needed him.
However, the Quintessons returned after they encountered the Autobots shortly after Optimus died, and Galvatron allied the Decepticons of with them, much to the disgust of Blitzwing, whom remembered the Quintessons past treatment of them. Thus the Second Great War began.
After nearly one Earth year in the war, the Autobots, Decepticons, and even the Quintessons were once again facing a common enemy, but this time it was a disease known as The Hate Plague. It would infect anyone, human, Cybertronian, animal, or anything. It was originally a plot that was devised by a human who wanted to get his revenge on the Cybertronians for destroying his lab and the injuries to his daughter. During these events, Optimus was resurrected and he got rid of the plague and resumed his duties of being Autobot leader. Galvatron called for a temporary cease-fire.
However, the war would resume when the Decepticons stole the Key to a Plasma Energy Chamber from The Autobots. This would drag the planet of Nebulous into the war. The Nebulans and the Hive joined forces with the Decepticons. When they discovered that the Autobots are headmasters, the Hive and a few Decepticons became Headmasters, some others became target masters. They fought the Autobots and the Nebulan resistance who themselves were head and target masters. Meanwhile, Galvatron brought Cybertron to Earth. When the Autobots and Decepticons returned to Earth, Galvatron out of pure madness opened the plasma energy chamber. Though little did he know, he was fulfilling a prophecy that the Matrix revealed to Optimus Prime that this would start Cybertron's second golden age.
The Decepticons lost, but Galvatron vowed he would rule the Galaxy. The Second Great War might have come to an end, but the battle to take control of Cybertron would rage on.
Notable Members[]
- Leaders/Commanders:
- Megatron (the main antagonist in most media and most iconic)
- Galvatron (sometimes reformatted Megatron and sometimes a seperate entity)
- Shockwave (Sometimes known as Shockblast)
- Cyclonus (Second-in-command to Galvatron)
- Scourge
- The Fallen/Megatronius Prime (Original leader and Founder in the bayverse)
- Straxus (Comics and Toyline)
- Jhiaxus (Comics and Toyline)
- Liege Maximo (Creator in the G2 Comics)
- Devil Z (Transformers SuperGod Masterforce)
- Deathsaurus (Transformers Victory)
- Seekers
- Starscream (Air Commander, Temporary Leader of the Decepticons) (formerly)
- Thundercracker
- Skywarp
- Ramjet
- Thrust
- Dirge
- Sunstorm
- Acid Storm
- Nacelle
- Hotlink
- Bitstream
- Slipstream
- Jetfire (Defected to the Autobots)
- Cyclonus' Armada
- Other various Seekers
- Soundwave/Soundblaster
- Reflector
- Insecticons
- Combiner Teams
- Constructicons/Devastator
- Stunticons/Menasor
- Combaticons/Bruticus
- Predacons/Predaking
- Razorclaw
- Rampage
- Divebomb
- Tantrum
- Headstrong
- Terrorcons/Abominus
- Seacons/Piranhacon ("King Poseidon" in the Japanese continuity)
- Snaptrap/Turtler
- Nautilator
- Overbite
- Seawing
- Skalor
- Tentakil
- Triple Changers
- Headmasters
- Pretenders
- Runabout and Runamuck
- Trypticon
- Thunderwing
- Counterpunch (Autobot double agent)
- Sixshot
- Overlord
- Mayhem Attack Squad
- Bludgeon (leader)
- Octopunch
- Stranglehold
Non-Cybertronian Allies and Associates[]
- Barricade
- Bludgeon
- Driller
- Dreads
- Skyquake
- Dreadwing
- Vehicons
- Dispensor
- Mohawk
- Dreadbot
- Nitro Zeus
- Night Bird
- Thunderblast
- Steeljaw's Pack
- Decepticon Justice Division (IDW)