Debate: Should Megatron Always Be A Villain?

[@Bolt966]

Megatron is like magneto. . . He works as both

[@Stuffies2022]

They are also both known for their absolutely glorious bucket-like helmets

[@Wineandjazz]

@@Stuffies2022omg, that’s crazy true.

[@MarvelandDC379]

Both are also revolutionaries who want what's best for their respective races and former friends to the hero.

[@TomMSTie1138]

​@@MarvelandDC379 The stories are very similar: both sides want the same thing just have different opinions on how to get it.

[@bennewbury2572]

Couldn’t put it into better words

[@EnerPrime]

Honestly, IDW convinced me that a Megatron turned hero can work. Not that you could do it with just any Megatron, or that it should be done often, but the idea of a Megatron that started the Deceptions for a noble purpose, lost himself to rage, vengeance and hate, and then stepped back from the abyss and realized what a galactic scale monster he had become? That is the basis of a compelling story.

[@leebulger7112]

I have not read Shattered Glass but I think there should be a TV Show adaptation of that because it's very interesting from what I heard.

[@glory2cybertron]

TF1 follows suit: Optimus and the Autobots weren't his real enemies but became substitute targets because he couldn't stop what he had set in motion, and Optimus got in his way, literally. But TF1 avoids IDW's pitfall of making him a total victim of the system by giving him agency in that he chose to be a bad person of his own volition when he could have stopped fighting.

[@jasonschneider7224]

@ I like this take, and feel like we should see his continued descent. At first it's just momentum, then it becomes bad blood, then he starts to enjoy it. Finally, what ideals he once had become impediments he can just cast aside. I personally think if they have the guts, and have a final fight between them where Megatron kills Optimus, Megs should win because he's shamelessly willing to tug on his former friends remaining regard for him, just to prove that there really is nothing left of the miner he knew. Heh, make Optimus's death traumatic again....

[@starlepus9437]

judging by the other comments i fear i may be in the minority here but i actually enjoy when we get to see a "good" megatron, but only when he starts as a villain and spends well over 80% of the story that way. i dont want him to be redeemed at all, but simply come to terms that he was wrong

[@samurexatlas7373]

@@starlepus9437 Yes. But I wanna see the total Decepticon fallout. Earthspark was a little bit, but I want more of it.

[@jasonschneider7224]

I think being forced to pick one side doesn't necessarily mean you don't enjoy the other. I personally loved the run of Megatron trying to redeem himself and knowing he never could - it was amazing writing. However, for a number of reasons, if I have to choose one or the other, I end up landing on a side that says there are too many story options and paths in transformers that virtually require Megs remain a villain. HOWEVER, like anything, it depends on the creativity and skills of the writers. In the right hands, I'd love to see either or even both.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

I think this could also be expanded out into a debate of "should we retrofit post-G1 character traits or characterizations onto G1 characters for new media?" Sure, redeemed Megatron and Armada Starscream worked, but they really only work in their original contexts. Good guy Megatron is not compelling if we don't know the depths of his evil (see EarthSpark); you cannot have Starscream be a sad abused boy when you also want him to be an unrepentant murderer and backstabber (not saying the two can't coexist, but applying Armada Starscream's honorable sad boy characterization to a more "MEGATRON HAS FALLEN, I AM THE NEW LEADER OF THE DECEPTICONS" Starscream requires a level of tact that only one or two writers have been able to get right; otherwise, it comes off as an excuse for him being terrible).

[@SammySinner6]

I agree with this so much

[@bennewbury2572]

I think Megatron has enough potential to be view as a full on villain, a hero, or just an antihero, and having that capacity is what makes him a great character

[@billywhite6703]

I do like the idea of Megatron being sympathetic while still being the villain at the same time

[@HubPie3]

I think it all depends on what kind of Megatron we're going for. If we're talking about something like G1 or Animated, I think Megatron being a capital V villain works perfectly. An unsympathetic bastard who wants to be the biggest force in the universe. However, if you're the route of something like IDW or TFOne, I think having Megatron redeem himself is an interesting story angle. I know some people *hate* the idea of Megatron not being evil, but I like the idea of a Megatron who initially had good intentions but fell so far that he forgoed his philosophies for something as abhorrent as "peace through tyranny." I especially like how IDW made his redemption a process, one where he had to overcome a lot of his worst tendencies. Made for some fantastic character work. I love villain Megatron as much as anybody else, but I'm not against the idea of going the redemption route with him.

[@RenjiAbarai777]

I adore IDW 1.0 Meg's story, it's so much more nuanced than any other take I've seen. And I love how that story ends, with him turning his back on his own ideology.

[@EternityKingdomsHeadHoncho]

"Whatever happens to me... I deserve worse."

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

But then was he when back to his old ideology!!!!!

[@Andyjoe522]

Megatron's a versatile character. For the typical Autobots VS Decepticons war story, yes, he's absolutely the villain, and I wouldn't have it any other way. When the story reaches the end of that war though? That's when a lot of possibilities open up. How does Megatron deal with ultimate defeat? What does he do with himself when all the millions of years of fighting comes to a close, and the Decepticon cause has fallen apart around him? That's part of what makes IDW Megatron so compelling post-Dark Cybertron. I wish we got more stories that tackled just what happens after the war is over.

[@philip164]

Megatron's phlosopy is "Peace Through Tyranny".

[@AU79PLUS1]

I hate when a great lead villain is turned good. I mean, it's awesome that Dinobot died a hero. But I would not want to see BEAST WARS MEGATRON "learn the error of his ways" or whatever.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

Beast Wars Megatron is supposed to be a pompous and evil madman who can't be redeemed.

[@AU79PLUS1]

@bowserbreaker2515 You could easily say the same thing about G1 Megatron.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

@ Or most incarnations.

[@Mecha82]

@@AU79PLUS1 G1 Megatron was 1 dimensional cartoon villain. Evil for sake of being evil.

[@AU79PLUS1]

@@Mecha82 evil for the sake of gaining power and control. Evil for the enjoyment of dominance. It may surprise you to learn that there are actually people like that in the world 🤯

[@honteebee]

hey TJ, just a heads-up for tomorrow's news roundup, in case you're seeing in-hand pics of ss dev optimus from reviews those aren't stolen copies, some of the new wave have been released here in australia for some reason 😅

[@THEeternalllama]

PLEASE do a debate video on complicated vs simple transformers, I need to see it

[@clogs4956]

My hero: Lord Megatron! Honestly, he's a complex character, even in G1 comics. Great way to explore what makes a good bot do bad things for the greater good... and go too far. Loved the MTMTE/LL way he was brought to face the enormity of what he'd done.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

I feel with Transformers Prime and a lot of other series moving onwards, Megs can change his ways and realize there's another way... after doing such villainy as a backdrop.

[@Shadowechokat]

How animated approached the Autobots and Decepticons is something I wish future adaptations would pick up on. Having the Decepticons as freedom fighters in their own sense, yet traditionally evil. While the Autobots are morally good, but elitest bureaucrats. Having a show or story with the Decepticons as the main faction we follow akin to the Decepticons DS game would be great to see. But considering the rut this franchise is in and the quality of shows after Prime. That's pretty much a pipe dream at this point.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

In Animated, the Decepticons may see themselves as heroes, but the show doesn't try to frame them as right. Yeah, the Autobots could be jerks, but they still weren't evil. That was handled well, I agree. I still don't like good guy Megatron, though.

[@MarvelandDC379]

Megatron's origin and motivation in Animated is eaily my favorite. He is against the Autobot government, but is still evil and power hungry.

[@bowserbreaker2515]

@@MarvelandDC379 Yeah. It's my favorite Megatron by far. He's great.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Beast wars kind of did the same thing as Megatron did share that they were treated as slaves for a while and the maximals hierarchy still experimented on other cybertronians...having such characters, such as rampage, be an end result.😢

[@bowserbreaker2515]

@@LowellLucasJr. Rampage wasn't experimented on; he was created in a lab. And I don't think the Predacons were actually treated as slaves, Megatron was just crazy.

[@saychaysarchive7065]

My personal belief is that he starts out sympathetic, but loses his way and becomes the cold cruel monster we know and love. I love seeing him and Optimus team up against a bigger threat, but to me the only acceptable endings to his story is him dying (either sacrifice or having to be killed by Optimus) or him going into self-imposed exile like at the end of Predacons Rising.

[@RevengeoftheBallen831]

Idea: have a Megatron turn to the Autobot’s side after the war is over, and have the power vacuum in the Decepticons’ side be filled by an alternate universe Megatron(or Galvatron). Now you have a Megatron who is trying to reverse the damage he’s done and enact the change he fought for in the beginning, against a Megatron who doubles down on all his flaws and embodied the evil legacy he’s created.

[@MarcosVelasquez-Sanchez]

I know, this works better since it justifies Megatron's goal for peace and equality since Cybertron was living through a corrupted system forcing Cybertronians into jobs and social classes based on their alt-modes All he wanted was to free his lower class brethren and bring equality to all Cybertronians but lost his ways because war and conquest was the point and since he wanted to be the only ruler so that no one has to suffer the pain he went through

[@samurexatlas7373]

I wanna see cons hating him for leaving the cause because they feel one way or another he forced them to be cons. And you know what. Gimme Lugnut confused on what to follow. Oh glorious Megatron, or the Decepticon cause he's fought so hard for? Give me Soundwave sparkbroken because the bot he's been loyal to abandoned him. Give me more IDW AutoMegs

[@folalde]

I prefer Megatron as a villain. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t stories where he makes a good protagonist.

[@alexjewett7455]

I like the more nuanced version where he's still a villain, but you can understsnd how he got to that point, and he has the potential to be redeemed later on. Or at least atone for his past actions.

[@dunkanbulk14]

I long for the days of 2003 Shredder and Skeletor, when villains can be evil and awesome

[@samurexatlas7373]

Oh we can still have PLENTY awesome and evil cons. Tarn, Thunderwing, Jihaxus. With so many big bads, Megs can find his cause has been tainted.

[@SammySinner6]

We get those every once in a while, even if I fell out of it, The Lich from Adventure time is like that, and that one dude from the Owl House I think

[@samurexatlas7373]

@@SammySinner6 Belos. Or Philip.

[@benjaminwiseman6567]

Megatron as a sympathetic villain works the best. Evil for the sake of evil is boring. The Beast Wars version is the best version, and he had depth and was sympathetic at times.

[@noahsterben5666]

I get having pure evil villains in kids shows from ages 5-10 but past 10 villains should have reasons. Even if they’re not agreeable reasons they should be understandable. A way of teaching there’s more to way things happen or do things than the surface and leading to stopping these same problems from occurring in the future. Not to mention it seems like it would also open up more story possibility than “Just evil cuz evil” which is one note.

[@spriggylotus4476]

Nothing wrong with guys who are evil just cause it's their nature. That happens IRL too. Frieza is iconic for a reason.

[@shawnkarg3794]

Megatron should have a character arc. Even Beast Machines gave him that after he lost in Beast Wars.

[@krackkokichi]

we've seen that it can absolutely work and be compelling, but i don't think it should happen too often. there needs to be a balance

[@DarkSilverHedgehog]

Joker has tried to be a hero before. The telltale batman game he tried based on your choices to be a hero

[@camhedmr_5593]

I think Megatron is great as a Tragic Character that was a hero that was Corrupted by the time

[@williamgiambatista7925]

I’m fine with either or. Megatron can be fun as a pure evil threat, but can also be interesting as a hero. Megatron is just awesome, that’s all that matters

[@samurexatlas7373]

14:52 We've had attempts. Tarn and DJD Thunderwing Jihaxus Few really stick because few get the big character treatment Megatron does. Give me Thunderwing as OP's Carnage/Darkseid.

[@theflyingdropbear2009]

probably the best way to go about it, is either a multiverse approach, where in one universe Optimus is as evil as can be, and Megatron is his opposite number. or to create an alternate timeline where the corruption of the Autobots consumed Optimus, and that it was up to the Decepticons fighting for the freedom with Megatron as their leader I think it can be done, but it needs to be done right, I think it would be rather difficult due to how established the roles are for both Optimus and Megatron, It can be done, but it should be done seperate to the lore that has been established over the decades.

[@shanejayell]

It really, REALLY depends on how well written it is. IDW did a really good job of setting up his backstory as a well intentioned extremist and how he fell to becoming the tyrant Megatron.

[@mech_dh9403]

I'm with you that it depends on the story with Megatron. but what I liked with what I read of IDW is while Megatron had his "are we the baddies' moment, it allowed other Decepticons to step up to the plate as genuine villains.

[@robrice7246]

To be completely honest, debates like this regarding characters is one of the reasons why I don't want to be involved in storytelling (lest I start screwing up any characterization).

[@robrice7246]

I'm having this problem of how I interpret my fictional self into my Robertverse (I've recently started developing it on my Google Docs).

[@robrice7246]

Even within my Robertverse, many characters (established & OC) often have stern looks and get into debates regarding someone who has conflicted any wrongdoings (regardless of severity & whether it was towards them, someone or something else through either their words or actions) soon regret their decisions and attempt to seek a better path.

[@ixadorillcasterthe3rd146]

I have trouble seeing him being the full blow hero, but I think there maybe room to move to the anti-hero where he can't be the good guy but better than some of the others.

[@happybuttersblast8334]

I like the idea of say IDW and Transformers one where Megatron was good , then lost his way due to tragic events. And I think he should only ever become a hero through giving his life like Vader/Anakin.

[@praxusprime5392]

As much as people might like to b*tch and moan and pretend otherwise, the context of the story is an important factor. What are his origins? When is it in relation to the war? Was he always evil, or did he lose the plot at some point? IS THERE A BIGGER THREAT? Heroes don't have to be good, and villains don't have to be evil.

[@Rodsuper]

Yes, Megatron is best as the villain/heel, always.

[@Gripen1974]

i think he is more fitting to have Megatron start out as hero to fall and hit rock bottom as villain.

[@VerdantRange]

For me, the big deciding factor for whether a Megatron face turn works is motivation. So long as the motivation for him changing is done well enough, it can be great.

[@vine1313]

I believe the reason IDW worked is along with his "redemption" they explored WHY he chose the path he did. They made him a more complex character. He was no longer Evil, just because. As long as that is the case, I think he can be made into a hero. You just have to remember that he wasnt always one...

[@robrice7246]

14:48 Well one of the major events that's currently happening in my Robertverse is Nova Prime's invasion (and he succeeds, unlike his attempts in IDW).

[@robrice7246]

This is something I've been developing over the past year and a half.

[@guncannon109]

Allow me to answer this question with another question... on what side of the debate does Prime Megatron fall on?

[@nobodyhere8257]

Megatron is one of my favorite villains ever.

[@medafan53]

I think, like you said it very much depends on the story; if we are looking at the more modern depictions where Megatron's origin is someone who starts out with atleast somewhat noble intentions only to succumb to his worst impulses, then a post, or end of war story could potentially include Megatron pulling a Heel Face Turn but I think I prefer the more common case where Megatron is still a villain but has to ally with Optimus against a larger threat, be it Unicron, Quintessons, The Fallen, Starscream or what ever.

[@nucleonegro97325]

I'm actually on the fence, but i voted for he can be good because i think there's potential for good stories where he IS a good guy if done correctly

[@robrice7246]

17:27 I could bring up the issue fans have been stating regarding Prime: Megatron and how he was utilized in Galvatron's Revenge (especially at the end).

[@screamingbean7509]

Personally no I don’t think he should always be a villain, there’s just SO MUCH new potential when he’s a good character. The best part is that it can show the grey area to both the Decepticons and the Autobots together. I really enjoy IDW 1 and Earthspark’s versions because they actually feel different than the usual “generic evil villain” we mostly get. It’s refreshing to see him be something different, especially cause he’s a pure villain 90% of the time anyways? Have him do somethin else for a change. that’s one of the reasons I really like Optimus in Skybound, he’s not just a purely good guy, he’s also a grey area character. I dunno I just really want more from these characters than what we usually get, don’t wanna see the same thing yah know?😄

[@jetseekers]

Guess heres at least part of the line for villans and weather or not they're redeemable or at least turnable: are they a character/human villan, or a force of nature villan. more specifically, is their villany something they pursue for their own ends, or simply as a part of a larger force or power.

[@justadude3659]

Honestly yeah, like in the video I think it depends on the writing. Although I’ll say at least for your standard transformers narrative you can’t just write Megatron as a One- dimensional villain anymore, he has had different interpretations that provide depth into his general character. And tbh, while I do like the redemptive Megatron’s as of late, I worry if they that the effect can lose its impact if it just keeps being written that way. However, I’d also like it if we could explore other villains too yknow? There such a large repertoire of potential TF lead villains out there that just aren’t given the chance.

[@TomMSTie1138]

I love the idea of their being some threat - say Jiaxis - so terrible that Optimus and Megatron could put there differences aside and fight.

[@VRekyl]

You either die a villain or live long enough to become the hero...... I guess?

[@SammySinner6]

He should 100% be a good guy sometimes... but I think after Cyberworld (assuming Megabull is a good guy based on the promo art) we should step away from good guy Megs for a bit, or at least one that doesn't start good. I'd love say a 3 season show that gives Megatron an arc where he starts out as evil but by the final season he becomes good (and actually does things)

[@galvawave8403]

I don't mind it as an occasional "what if" but I don't like any idea that it should or could be status quo, for a couple reasons.(A.) Transformers is a series about conflict, it's not SoL or drama, it's action, it needs "good vs. bad" and if Megatron isn't the big bad, someone else needs to be, and you're not gonna make any villain more iconic than Megatron, so while a change of pace is nice sometimes, he's just the guy in the hearts of most people. (B.) I think one of the things always interesting about TF in the past was that it seemed to give almost equal time to heroes and villains, since it's a bout a war with two sides, this makes sense as opposed to similar shows mostly focusing on the "heroes" pov, and making Megatron a "good guy" TOO often just feels more generic where the story is telling you to like the Autobots more and making the villains feel more secondary or incompetent, which works for super heroes more than a war story to me (C.) I feel like Transformers already has wayyy more villain characters who turn "good", and I'd like to see more balance there with some Autobots/Maximals turning to the other side too, like Armada Wheeljack or something, I don't like when the franchise favors one side too heavily and that's how it feels to me when they often do this not just with Megs but all the turncoat "Cons" of the franchise which seems to grow more than the reverse

[@CuddyFox]

With the Decepticons having so many leaders after Megaton, I see that Megatron can be a hero. There are Decepticons that is more evil then Megatron. I am looking at Death Chicken, aka Deathsaurus.

[@rudyproductions4557]

I’ve always loved the shades of grey to Megatron. Don’t get me wrong, I do love myself a pure evil villain, but those villains still have to have origins that makes sense. The Decepticons being Revolutionaries turned Conquerors is not something you can undo. This automatically makes Megatron a Fallen Hero, like Darth Vader he fell into the clutches of darkness. I don’t think there are as many people that have a problem with this origin as there are who have a problem with his later turn. Good character writing makes sure that a character’s wants and needs are at odds with each other and that they give up the former for the latter. In my eyes Megatron WANTS to wage an endless war upon the Universe until Optimus is the only potential adversary left, and then, when his new world order is set into motion, he will do battle with Optimus Prime once more and immortalize their rivalry by making it the end of them both. The worst fate that Megatron could ever imagine is just getting too tired to fight, finally sitting down and rethinking his life, and realizing that Prime’s been right all along! So I think that is the absolute best place to take his story!

[@Jimboliah3985]

Even if Megatron is the main villain of the Transformers franchise, let him have a shot at redemption every once in a while. So, as long as it's done somewhat sparingly, he can be a good guy.

[@TheMeteoDragoon]

While I prefer him as a villain I can see him being hero when he needs to fight a greater evil.

[@robrice7246]

7:32 It's just like what Rodimus said to Cyclonus in issue 2: "You can save a hundred planets and it won't make a jot of difference."

[@robrice7246]

7:44 I have watched a fan comic on how Megatron's final verdict went down. It's called "Megatron's Sentence".

[@TheLastBabyMan]

For one last time, if there is one Megatron that deserves to change, it's TF One Megatron, formally D-16.

[@MegatronTheDominator]

Nah, they should go full evil route with him. Getting slowly worse and worse with each movie until you no longer feel bad for the guy.

[@WindigoTP]

It's okay for Megs to be a good guy once in a while. But only once in a while, to keep these occasions special.

[@awesomeguy9513]

Kinda shocked that nemesis won the pole between what we’ve seen shattered glass Optimus is much more tyrannical and ruthless lore wise, nemesis is more of a flexible and applicable to stories also he’s been shown a lot more so more people know him as the evil Optimus over shattered glass which was a botcon thing then a recent reissue. As for megatron my opinion he should be used as the villain most of the time, there should be times where he’s out of the picture and starscream or soundwave takes over like animated and having him be good like IDW and earthspark is a nice thing to see sprinkled in. Megatron is just the transformers villian he should be used at the villian most of the time but there should be room for different villans or a good megatron

[@spriggylotus4476]

Nemesis just has a far better colour scheme.

[@Big_006]

I think a combination of cyberverse megs and the machinima series megs would be great to see in a proper full show or movie budget. Though cyber verse wasnt perfect due to being originally made for Cartoon Network, the focus on an all bot cast allowed us to see megatron in a better detail. I’ve never read IDW 1.0, but I’m sure a show or movie would’ve done great with character depth

[@silverharpist51]

My issue is not can he change (anyone can at any time), but is that change believable. Considering the size of his ego, the writer’s going to need a really good plot to make the shift understandable. And I’m someone who likes a Megatron with an honorable streak to him.

[@jasonschneider7224]

I'm going to fall on one side of this for what might strike some people as a foolish reason: I want to see a continuity where they actually do justice to Rodimus Prime. That means eventually D-16 is going to have to end his former friend and become Galvatron at the hands of a cosmic entity. Honestly, with the setup from Transformers One, I can see Megatron totally forget that he can't just take the matrix, and have it disappear as Primus reclaims it. Unicron forcing him to pursue the matrix despite knowing he can never claim it would probably really mess with Megs psychology. In those circumstances, Megatron can't really do a heel turn - although, I guess if you really want to push it, Galvatron could after being free of Unicron's influence (he might even have better odds of getting away with it if no one knows he's a reformatted Megatron), but even if he doesn't go insane the way he did in S3, I can see him so overflowing with hatred for the ancient and spiritual past of Cybertron and the control it can exert over peoples lives that he would be ready to just go scorched earth and end *everything* (including Cybertron) so his followers can start from scratch.

[@jameszetterman4487]

When heroic Megatron works, it's because you have the context of him previously being a villain. Like, on the whole, even IDW and EarthSpark Megatron still had a net negative karma by a lot. So I think Megatron should always be a villain... at least initially. Also, let me take a moment to say that while I think Megatron should always be *a* villain, he doesn't necessarily have to be *the* villain as often as he is. I'd like to see villains other than Megatron, and specifically other Decepticon leaders, more often.

[@ArcologyCrab-gq9ub]

I always felt like the IDW/Aligned origins for the decepticons would’ve worked better as origins for the shattered glass autobots. For me, it would’ve made more sense to have the autobot-decepticon conflict be like the machinegames Wolfenstein reboot, with a band of freedom fighters against a brutal oppressive empire. Making the decepticons revolutionaries who went too far feels weird to me because they’ve always been depicted beforehand as a group of imperialist warmongers who think the strong should always rule over the weak. Anyways villain Megatron all the way, but I really liked the IDW ‘redemption arc’.

[@luminusprime]

Megatron should be an _antagonist,_ even if not depicted villainously. If he and Optimus are on the same side, there should still be a fundamental conflict in their philosophy, and Optimus should be right most of the time. Think about when they first redeemed Vegeta in Dragonball Z. Although I will say that if they are going to keep doing full hero Megatron then the marketing department at Hasbro really need to get over the brand recognition thing because it's really awkward to have a "good guy" whose color scheme is inspired by the SS Waffen parade uniform. >_

[@Undrave]

Variety is the spice of life! I like the idea that sometimes he can be a good guy (or just an ally). I just don't want him to be predictable on that front. Not all stories need a good guy Megatron, but when they do it can be fun!And if he's just a simple monster all the time it's boring too!

[@todddavis2041]

I like the status quo with Megatron. However, it could work with him as a hero, or have him agree to at least a temporary alliance. Depends on how its written.

[@desshinta9428]

You can have a Character have good reasons to be a villain, and still be a villain. Conversely you can have someone fight for liberation and become corrupted by their ideals if they have no-one to pull them back and ground them or to Fight for, which is the hangup on the interpretations of Megs that start out virtuous but become villainous. What we haven't seen is where Megs starts out supporting a corrupt system and then using the means of corruption to behead the prior leader and usurp their power. Variety in motivations and the reasons behind them make for whether a character could or should be redeemed or put down hard. Megs would just be boring if it was the same thing EVERY Time. Hell, even Beast Wars Megs was such a singificant departure despite his motivations being clear; he wanted to flip the table on who ruled and the rest of his faction didn't want to do anything...so he became a renegade of renegades.

[@Thunderwing88]

Definitely good guy once in awhile.

[@egodeth]

I prefer my Megatron as an antagonist, but I do like it when he does something heroic that suits his might makes right mentality.

[@CapriciousChill]

He can be whatever I want him to be in my fan fiction. And whatever y'all want him to be in yours.

[@kendrickvieraramos]

Why can’t megatron be both

[@AcePianoNoises]

Megatron is the villain of Transformers. BUT I do like the recent-ish trend of magneto-ifying him with the backstory of "yeah he belonged to the oppressed class of Cybertronians and staged a revolution and has just gotten out of hand". Although one is tempted to go in a Castlevania direction with this idea. Like "you were totally justified in killing those responsible but now you're taking it way too far, buddy"

[@jeffreytempleton3213]

I think Optimus Prime's "til all are one" makes me think all decepticons could eventually unite with the autobots. Optimus wasn't into killing the decepticons so i believe his goal was to turn every one "good" in a way. So Megatron eventually turning "good" shows that the autobot cause was just and millions of years of fighting wasnt in vain. So megatron should eventually go from villian to good.

[@Ezilla82]

Honestly, Megatron can ride that fine line between being a villain and as a hero.

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

I would like to see a nemesis prime done like a shattered glass, Optimus, but still calling him nemesis prime. As for this debate, I would have to go with making him turn good halfway through the first season of a transformer series, so that way people could get the best of both worlds. I’d like to see Megatron as a good guy more often. I feel like Cyberverse and EarthSpark are starting something with classic characters that will probably be followed up on later.

[@ShadowEclipex]

Joker isn't quite an exception, there was a time where he turned good I think it was the "White Knight" persona? He had his Joker persona suppressed for awhile and was able to work for good for awhile.

[@haydenreviewscustomcombos]

If star Stream is going to become leader of the Deceptacon at some point, Megatron almost has to be a good guy and see the error of his ways in order to finally take Starscream down.

[@Megamanlanprime]

I think Hero Megatron can work but it cannot be constantly happening. If it’s done sparingly I think it can be a great idea though. Change up the formula a bit when needed. Although honestly, we do need some villains between the scale of Megatron and Megatronus. It’s disappointing we have only really seen that in comics most of the time. My general pitches of Characters that are great there: Sixshot Dezaras (Deathsaurus) Nova Prime Thundertron Thunderwing Bludgeon Overlord Maybe a Combiner leader that developed to use their team and Combined form to be a threat to all factions… and more. Also anyone else who has some other ideas, feel free to add to the lisr

[@douglasbrownell2704]

It would actually be interesting to see if Megatron can be a hero. For me I have no preference.

[@MunkyDrag0n]

I would actually like a megatron who may be either depending on perspective. To the Decepticons he is charismatic, confident, powerful, intelligent, and inspiring. They follow him fanatically and would lay down their lives for his cause. To the Autobots he is cruel, merciless, manipulative, cunning, and self serving. I don't like cartoon villains who are jerks to everyone and cannot inspire loyalty, because their movements are bound to fail. A believable and well written megatron would be exactly to the Decepticons what optimus is to the Autobots. That is why the two sides are at a stalemate.

[@Mike-1911]

Megatron will be the main antagonist for Transformers, but I’m not against the idea of him being a heroic character, or at least putting aside villainy for a greater threat like Galvatron or The Fallen (who is depressingly underutilized as a threat)

[@MrTonyJ]

He already is a villain who is sometimes a redemptive character. So is Starscream. No use debating it.

[@fatenabu1]

What if instead of a good Megatron just a peace treaty. Treat the relationship between Autobot and Decepticons like two different countries. In other words have the war end in peace in a realistic way. Peace treaties signed, and maybe both leaders pass on leadership to others and then both just live in their societies or something.

[@Azzylovestransformer]

I like to see a megatron who is like ….confused…like mentally unstable ( I hope I didn’t offend anyone I just don’t know how to put in words ) he is like ….not super evil just believes his ideology ignoring the flaws .

[@spriggylotus4476]

I wouldn't mind Megatron turning "good", but he shouldn't turn his back on the Decepticons, I hated how he was so unloyal to his own men in IDW, rather than him trying to steer the faction into a force for good instead. That's why "Cybertronian truce" endings are the best.

[@God0ptimusPrime]

With Megatron is now a Autobot. The new leader of the Decepticons should be Gigatron.

[@nonapplicable4795]

Good guy Megatron is fine if he's written correctly and the story properly sets things up for him to HAVE that story arc. Largely though, I vastly prefer a villainous character who is occasionally agreeable to the protagonists when the need arises. I feel that's a better way of showing a villain's CAPACITY for good while still allowing them to stick to their own reasons for doing what they're doing, whereas them just straight switching sides gives off the impression of wanting to abandon those ideals. Note that this does not necessarily hold true for instances like G1 Thundercracker or Armada Starscream. In those cases, they JOINED the cause and ultimately discovered that their ideals and beliefs did not align with the ideals of their respective Megatron, resulting in questioning the cause for Thundercracker and outright defection to the Autobots from Starscream. Megatron is a different story though. He embodies the beliefs of the Decepticon cause as their leader and his hand realistically should guide the ideals and values of the faction as a whole due to the kratocratic nature of the Decepticons. This fact makes a straight defection without properly set up cause feel cheap and unsatisfying.

[@TFGourmet]

well I think that after Megatron playing the good guy, next thing going to happen is that no Human or Autobot is going to "SWALLOW THAT PILL", then he is going to get angry and go back to been evil.

[@arkbot5071]

Majority of the time Megatron works best villain.But once in a blue moon, him turning good is a nice change of pace. But if you are gonna turn him good it's best to make it a change of heart rather than him starting off good. And besides, the more often he turns good, the less special it is.

[@pinkstinger]

Straight up, he can work as both. I never cared for cardboard cutout moustache twirling villains, people are complicated, characters can be the same. It's boring when you take an entire alien species, split it down the middle and say "red half good, purple half bad", specially the leaders. I'd like to actually see that turn instead of just picking up afterwards tho (IDW is the exception), I find that interesting. Furthermore, I never thought of Transformers as a story about the Autobots fighting the Decepticons, always saw it more as a war where the audience is watching both sides (that's what you get for making most games have an Autobot and Decepticon campaign), so I like to see their reasoning.

[@diegodankquixote-wry3242]

Nuanced doesn’t not always mean "I can fix him/her". BWII Galvatron is a nuanced character but his goal is very evil and self-centered.

[@eliasseymour]

Tbh im not 100% on a full on good megatron but rather one that’s is willing to either; A. Admits he messed up and tries to own up to it B. Willing to say that enough is enough and stop the war. I do like the “victim turned monster” when it’s done right but the end game has to be something like A or B above if I have to choose an incarnation that works it would probably be either animated or cyberverse. Specifically he is bad but you can see where he is coming from and even say he has a point in some areas like how vain and condescending the autobots were in animated minus a select few were. Not to mention animated had more decepticons that genuinely believe megatron was right iirc, beyond just respecting megatrons strength and hating autobots

[@Hawbitten]

For me, I'd say Shockwave works as the pure heel. The one who can never be redeemed. He has the record. And he's pretty strong. Having beaten both Megatron and Grimlock in differnt continuities. I think if you're doing a more morally nuanced or optimistic take on Transformers, there is room for a good guy Megatron. He's the only thing that's held my attention in Earthspark. Seeing him trying to confirm to Prime's ideas, when really, even as a good guy, he has to be able to do things his own way.

[@lynngreen7978]

If you don't have him as a villain, then you don't HAVE a proper villain. Starscream is the villain *seeking* power. If he actually *has* it, it detracts from his character.

[@1002Ecaps]

I think megatron is best as villian but one with noble qualities. Willing to work with Optimus; when the situation calls for it. Treating his troops with some level of respect, it's other reason why megatron is the leader. Has genuine reasons for fighting. That be a very interesting Megatron.

[@MitchBam]

Now, in KZbin comments I’m like the G1 Megatron guy. I’m the person who says that if a toy of Megatron is made that’s meant to be the G1 version, he should be a gun. So what I have to say might be pretty surprising compared to a lot of my stances: I love the occasional good guy Megatron. My favourite type of good guy Megatron is if he’s been evil for most of the story, and given how many stories use Megatron as the main antagonist in this franchise; some of my favourite Decepticons haven’t gotten a lot of time in the spotlight. The Decepticon Combiner-team leaders like Onslaught, Motormaster, Scrapper, and even Hun-gurrr. Some other more well-known high ranked cons like Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream, and even Tarn or Nemisis Prime. Megatron stepping down creates a giant singularity of Decepticon egotism and confidence so dense it could swallow the universe as a whole. That’s the story I want to see when Megatron steps down, the 300 other morons who want to be leader out of pure ego, pride, obligation, revenge, spite, or because they see a valuable opportunity to ruin someone else’s day by commanding a tidal wave of selfish morons like a natural disaster. In my opinion, the least explored and most interesting part about a reformed Megatron isn’t about his character arc, or struggle. It’s about what everyone else does after, and who tries to take the intangible matrix of Decepticon leadership. There’s hundreds of characters who could have some really unique interactions, and a whole lot of less-tread story paths or unmarked roads to take the story after that one single point. To summarize, I want to see Onslaught as a main villain, and I’m using Megatron as an excuse to warp your minds into agreeing with me.