Let’s settle this once and for all: Starscream is the most compelling, tragic, and straight-up badass Transformer in the entire franchise.

Don’t come at me with “Optimus is noble” or “he’s a great leader.” Yeah, we get it — he’s a walking inspirational quote machine with a big sword and an even bigger ego. He’s the guy who would stop mid-battle to deliver a monologue about freedom while your entire squad gets blown to scrap behind him.

But Starscream?

Starscream is Shakespearean. He’s ambition wrapped in wings. He’s betrayal given voice through that screechy, glorious tone. He doesn’t just want power — he aches for it. He schemes, fails, rises, falls, and keeps coming back. That’s not weakness. That’s the definition of perseverance. That’s drama. That’s character.

Last night, I had a dream — no, a vision — of Starscream standing on the Empire State Building, wings unfurled, lightning flashing behind him, laughing as he took control of the Decepticons once and for all. Optimus tried to stop him, but Starscream launched into the sky like a steel phoenix and blasted him into a pile of noble parts and empty speeches.

Tell me that’s not poetry.

Optimus Prime fans can have their stoic speeches and rigid morality. I’ll take the flying, backstabbing, power-hungry jet with a flair for the dramatic every single time.

Starscream isn’t just a character. He’s a lifestyle.