On Fanlore, users with accounts can edit pages including user pages, can create pages, and more. Any information you publish on a page or an edit summary will be accessible by the public and to Fanlore personnel. Because Fanlore is a wiki, information published on Fanlore will be publicly available forever, even if edited later. Be mindful when sharing personal information, including your religious or political views, health, racial background, country of origin, sexual identity and/or personal relationships. To learn more, check out our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Select "dismiss" to agree to these terms.
Starscream
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | English: Starscream Japanese: スタースクリーム (Starscream) (more on TFWiki.net) |
| Occupation: | Decepticon second-in-command |
| Relationships: | varies by series |
| Fandom: | Transformers |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
This article or section needs expansion. |
Starscream is a major character from the Transformers franchise. He is usually the Decepticon aerial commander and Megatron's second-in-command.
Canon Background
Starscream is a Decepticon in most continuities; the only exception is Beast Wars II, where he is a Predacon. He always turns into some kind of jet, usually resembling a fighter jet of some kind. He is usually a coward who spends most of his time trying to overthrow Megatron, although when he succeeds and takes command of the Decepticons he's generally actually fairly good at it; Prime and Animated are examples of this.
Major Appearances
- The Transformers TV series
- The Transformers Generation One Marvel Comics
- The Transformers Generation One IDW Comics
- Transformers Beast Wars
- The Transformers Unicron Trilogy
- Transformers Bay Movies
- Including Bumblebee (2018)
- Transformers Animated
- Transformers Aligned (Prime) Continuity
- Transformers Cyberverse
- Transformers Earthspark
- Transformers One
See Starscream (disambiguation) on TFWiki.net for more of his appearances.
Popular Tropes & Fanon
- Starscream Redemption: where Starscream defects from the Decepticons, joins the Autobots as Autobot Starscream, and becomes redeemed. This is a canon-divergent AU in all major continuities (as of 2025) aside from Armada, where he did actually canonically defect (though only for a brief period of time.)
- Starscream Needs A Hug: common in angst and hurt/comfort works, with Megatron typically being the one doing the hurting.
- Starscream is a Little Shit: in-tune with his canon and fanon characterization, along with Starscream Being An Asshole.
- Competent Starscream: where Starscream is seen as a capable leader, whether of his Seeker Trine or the Decepticons as a whole. It may also be applied to fanworks in the Transformers Generation One IDW Comics canon, where he ruled Cybertron after the war.
- Parent "Dadscream" Starscream: where he's seen as a father/mother/parent figure. Most works (as of 2025) that depict him as parental have him be good at it in a unique way, or at least, he makes a worthy attempt at being a good parent. Related are that his personality (effeminate, bratty) makes him like a "Wine Aunt," usually used in a positive way. Also related is Protective Starscream, where he may "accidentally acquire" human children and become protective of them.
- Immortal Starscream: implied canon, first in the 1984 cartoon series after his death in the movie. Common Immortal AU tropes may be explored, as are ghost AU tropes in the also canon Ghost Starscream.
- Sparkling Starscream: where Starscream is de-aged and like the equivalent to a baby or a small child. "Sparkling" is a trope specific to the Transformers fandom used to describe a baby (or thereabouts in age) Cybertronian.
Subjects of Fannish Interest & Meta
TBA
Relationships
Megatron/Starscream is overwhelmingly the most popular pairing involving Starscream, with it being shipped since the 1990s and the most popular pairing for both characters as of 2024. Megatron/Starscream is a controversial pairing in some corners of fandom for their canonical relationship's perceived resemblance to domestic abuse.[1] Fanworks may explore their canonical relationship further or have them reconcile as a form of fix-it fanwork.
Other popular pairings are Skyfire/Starscream, which pairs him with Skyfire, and Optimus Prime/Starscream, which pairs him with Optimus Prime.
Skyfire, also known as Jetfire (due to copyright issues,) has a major role in only a few episodes of the original series, though also appears as "Jetfire" in Prime's expanded universe and in the Bay movies. Their relationship in Skyfire's introductory episode, where they are portrayed as old friends and scientific colleagues from before the war, managed to capture the audience's imagination enough that thirty years later, it is one of the most popular pairings in the fandom.
Optimus Prime/Starscream is almost as popular as Skyfire/Starscream, and is also popular mostly in the original cartoon fandom. This pairing often involves memory loss on the part of Starscream, or paints him as a domestic abuse survivor who escaped Megatron, needing Optimus Prime's comfort.
This is purposefully an incomplete list, as Starscream is shipped with many of the other Transformers. He's also popular for self-insert shipping.
Please add any notable relationships in fanworks if they are missing.
| Primary Canon | With... | Who is a(n)... | Full Label | Type | Ship Name(s) | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| various | Megatron | Decepticon | Megatron/Starscream | M/M | Megastar | Megascream | スタメガ | メガスタ | Often an adversarial, but mutually beneficial, relationship |
| various | Megatron | Decepticon | Megatron & Starscream | Gen | (n/a) | Pre-slash or background, often, if focused on in fanworks |
| G1 Cartoon | Skyfire | Jetfire | Autobot | Skyfire/Starscream | M/M | Skyfire | Skystar | Jetscream | Jetstar | スカファスタ | スタスカファ | Former friends and science partners |
| G1 Cartoon | Skyfire | Jetfire | Autobot | Skyfire & Starscream | Gen | (n/a) | Pre-slash, often, if focused on in fanworks |
| G1 Cartoon | Optimus Prime | Autobot | Optimus Prime/Starscream | M/M | Starop | オプスタ | スタオプ | Starscream defecting to the Autobots AU is common |
| various | Soundwave | Decepticon | Soundwave/Starscream | M/M | Soundstar | Soundscream | 音波スタ | スタ音波 | Opposites Attract; both high-ranking Decepticons |
| IDW Comics | Rodimus | Autobot | Rodimus/Starscream | M/M | Starrod | Rodistar | Hot Shot/Starscream from the Unicron Trilogy may be called this |
| Prime | Arcee | Autobot | Arcee/Starscream | F/M | Starcee | スタアシ | Enemies; Arcee hates Starscream |
| IDW Comics | Bumblebee | Autobot | Bumblebee/Starscream | M/M | Starbee | Allies, but only in the IDW continuity post-war |
| various | Megatron, Optimus Prime | Autobot, Decepticon | Megatron/Optimus Prime/Starscream | Poly | Megastarop | Megopstar | All three non-poly versions of this ship are popular |
| various | Shockwave | Decepticon | Shockwave/Starscream | M/M | Starshock | Shockscream | Opposites Attract; both high-ranking Decepticons |
| Generation 1 | Skywarp, Thundercracker | Decepticon x2 | Skywarp/Starscream/Thundercracker | M/M | Seekercest | All three share a mold/body type and are considered a trio |
| Generation 1 | Skywarp, Thundercracker | Decepticon x2 | Skywarp & Starscream & Thundercracker | Gen | Seeker Trine | Elite Trine | Jet Trio | All three share a mold/body type and are considered a trio |
| G1 Cartoon | Thundercracker | Decepticon | Starscream/Thundercracker | M/M | Soundcracker | サン音 | 音サン | 音波サンクラ | (n/a) |
| IDW Comics | Wheeljack | Autobot | Starscream/Wheeljack | M/M | Starjack | Both are scientists |
| IDW Comics | Rattrap | Autobot | Rattrap/Starscream | M/M | Startrap | スタラト | ラトスタ | One of Starscream's only allies in post-war Cybertron |
| Prime | Knock Out | Decepticon | Knock Out/Starscream | M/M | Knockscream | KnockStar | KOSS | Both like being fashionable |
| G1 Cartoon | Jazz | Autobot | Jazz/Starscream | M/M | Jazzscream | マイスタ | スタマイ | Often enemies to lovers |
| G1 Cartoon | Astrotrain | Decepticon | Astrostrain/Starscream | M/M | Astroscream | アススタ | スタアス | (n/a) |
| IDW Comics | Windblade | Autobot | Starscream/Windblade | F/M | Starblade | Enemies |
| Prime | Breakdown, Knock Out | Decepticon x2 | Breakdown/Knock Out/Starscream | Poly | KOBDSS | (n/a) |
| Earthspark | Hashtag Malto | Autobot | Hashtag Malto & Starscream | Gen | (n/a) | (n/a) |
| Prime | Ratchet | Autobot | Ratchet/Starscream | M/M | Ratchscream | (n/a) |
| Prime | Predaking | Decepticon | Predaking/Starscream | M/M | Predastar | (n/a) |
| various | Prowl | Autobot | Prowl/Starscream | M/M | Prowlscream | Rarepair, but possible in multiple continuities |
See List of Transformers Relationship Names for more.
Notable/Example Starscream-Centric Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fan Communities/Fan Events
- Autobot Starscream Week, a fanweek held in 2020
- Screamer-Servants, Archived version, a club on Deviantart
- Starscream-Supporter, Archived version, a club on Deviantart
- Armada-Starscream-FC, Archived version, a club on Deviantart for Armada Starscream
- TFPStarscreamLovers, Archived version, a club on Deviantart
Collections
- Archive of Starscream Fiction, Archived version, a community on FanFiction.Net
- When Stars Fall to Earth, Archived version, a community on FanFiction.Net
Wikis
- スタースクリーム on PixivEncyclopedia
- アルマダスタースクリーム on PixivEncyclopedia
- スタースクリーム(プライム) on PixivEncyclopedia
- Starscream on the TFWiki
- Starscream on Wikipedia
Fan Fic
- Into the Void, Archived version by fierceawakening/stainless. G1, PG-13. 2010. What really happened during the moments in The Transformers: the Movie when Starscream abandons Megatron.
Fan Art
Gallery
Fallen Seeker by Saturn-155 – Based on The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel.
General Fanworks
Fan Mixes
- ♕It must be M I N E♕ by Cadet Dork, Archived version (2015)
- god complex by couchprince, Archived version (2015)
- The Primadonna by criolize, Archived version (2017)
- Tricky Tricky by Hans Landa, Archived version (2014)
- decepticon queen by xenopolitics, Archived version (2014)
Meta
G1
- G1 Starscream Ramblings by sepublic, Archived version (2021)
- Coming up on the end of S2 of transformers and there are a couple of scenes where Starscream is shown repairing the other Decepticons by penny-anna, Archived version (2024)