There is no definitive answer to who the most powerful Transformer of all time is – which is why fans have been passionately debating the question for decades.
With several iterations of Hasbro’s Transformers franchise having graced our screens over the decades, from the beloved 80s cartoon to the recent Michael Bay action blockbusters, there are no shortage of contenders for the Transformer heavyweight title.
With Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts arriving in UK cinemas this week, we’ve set ourselves the daunting task of trying to determine which 10 characters are the most powerful of them all. Let the debates commence…
10. Grimlock
CrunchyRoll
The Dinobots are a feisty group, so to become the leader of that faction, you need to be a pretty dominant fighter. Step forward Grimlock, a scrappy fighter who has defeated many of the central Transformers on the battlefield at one point or another.
However, despite his gung-ho attitude, there are several bots who are physically superior to him. You wouldn’t want to cross Grimlock – but defeating him isn’t impossible.
9. Megatron
CrunchyRoll
If this list was based purely on battlefield strategy, Megatron would be higher up the ranking. The formidable leader of the Decepticons is able to get in the head of his enemies – which is part of the reason why he can take them down with ease.
However, there is a significant reason why he hasn’t made the top five. He’s long planned for world domination, and he still hasn’t achieved that goal; every successful fight strategy leads to him developing an ego, assuming he’ll win again, only to get crushed in battle as the Autobots fight back.
8. Prima
Hasbro
Next up, we’re going right back to the start, with the first Transformer ever created. Brought to life by Primus, he was given the Star Saber sword and elected the leader of the original Covenant Thirteen to fight against Unicron.
Only a few bots have ever held the sword, which can destroy planets with a single movement, and it’s debatable whether any of them have mastered it like he did – in the eyes of many, this original Prime is still the best for this alone.
7. Quintessa
Paramount
Introduced to movie audiences in 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight, the villainous Quintessa was like no other foe the bots had ever encountered. Her reputation may be preceded by several urban myths about her lineage and abilities, such as the contested claim that she’s the mother of the Cybertronian species, but we do know that she has an insane skillset.
This includes telekinesis, hypnosis, camouflage, energy projection in battle, and most impressively of all, the ability to physically alter her nemeses in battle through the power of creation. She’s a mecha puppet-master, and one that shouldn’t be messed with.
6. Omega Supreme
IDW Publishing
One of the largest Autobots in existence, with his alternate form comprising two military bases and a tank, Omega Supreme is a chonky boi you’ll absolutely want on your side in a fight. The scale of his armour makes him borderline invincible in a fight – and that’s before we unpack all of the weaponry inside it.
He’s millions of years old, but make no mistake: age is no obstacle for him on the battlefield.
5. Metroplex
IDW Publishing
However, Omega Supreme is dwarfed by Autobot Titan Metroplex, whose alternate form is a sprawling city – which means, when in bot form, he dwarfs pretty much everybody who comes near him. It isn’t his size that makes him so powerful though; if anything, he’s too big, and requires three helping hands just to monitor everything going on around him.
No, Metroplex is lauded for his humility as much as his fighting skills, working with his teammates to find ways they can improve wherever possible.
4. Vector Prime
CoatsInk
One of the Primes, the 13 original Transformers created to master different aspects of the universe, Vector Prime is the guardian of time and space. In short, this means that he can travel through both, and even into different dimensions – there are no obstacles to him putting a fighting plan together anywhere in the Multiverse.
Since leaving Cybertron, he’s become something of a loner, but his powers mean he can rock back up at any time.
3. Optimus Prime
Paramount
Several of the bots listed so far have considerably more effective tools in their arsenal than Optimus Prime – but there is a reason that the leader of the Autobots remains the most iconic Transformer of them all.
On the battlefield, he is a tactical mastermind, and shows enough courage to keep fighting even when it looks like the writing is on the wall for him. These are traits that have helped him take down several more powerful enemies, and make him almost unstoppable when he has an army following his every move into battle.
2. Unicron
IDW Publishing
The most nihilistic of all bots – his reason for existence is to destroy everything in the universe? How very emo – Unicron is the most terrifying villain of all. Not only does he have the power to venture across the Multiverse at will, he gains his power by consuming entire worlds, and won’t stop until he’s the last lifeform left.
In short, he’s not particularly fun at parties.
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Primus
IDW Publishing
Naturally, we think the only Transformer more powerful is the only one who can beat Unicron – and that just happens to be his brother, this universe’s equivalent to God. He created all Transformers, and a part of him exists within all of his creations.
And the deity comparisons aren’t all that far-fetched; he transcends space and time, and can be everywhere even when his physical manifestation is rooted in one place. You can’t outsmart Primus: he knew what you were thinking before you did, and already has a plan to take you on.
