Starscream is a Decepticon in the Transformers toyline and has appeared in many of the related comics, animated television series, and the movie.

In most versions of the story Starscream is extremely ambitious and treacherous, though how strong and successful he is varies from incarnation to incarnation.

Original "G1" cartoon

Starscream was voiced by Chris Latta(US) & Hirotaka Suzuoki (Japan). Second in command of the Decepticons, Starscream is treacherous and ambitious, perpetutally attempting to overthrow the Decepticon leader, Megatron. He is the leader of the Seekers, a group of Decepticons who transform into fighter jets, including Skywarp and Thundercracker .

His origins are unclear, however some claim he used to be a scientist (who once worked with the scientist (later Autobot) Jetfire), who turned warrior. Many fans consider his claim as being a former scientist dubious given Starscream's aggressive personality and tendency for illogical behavior. Since Skyfire acknowledges his former career, it might be assumed that Starscream was not happy (or more likely not very competent) as a scientist and switched (or was transferred) to warrior class.

Starscream often wields Megatron in his deadly gun form.

Optimus Prime and Megatron were once forced to work together against Starscream when Starscream concocted a plan to destroy all other transformers by blowing up the Earth (something which would not normally bother Megatron, if not for the fact that he was ON Earth at the time). This marks the only occasion in which Megatron allowed Optimus Prime to use his gun form.

Starscream is also responsible for the creation of the Combaticons and their gestalt form Bruticus , who were intended to be his own private army after he was exiled from the Decepticons for attempting to betray Megatron one too many times. Ironically, the Combaticons end up betraying Starscream, and in their Bruticus form attempt to destroy Earth by crashing it into the sun. This forces another uneasy alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons, who fight Bruticus and ultimately defeat him thanks to a weak spot revealed by Starscream in exchange for Megatron not blasting him into dust.

In Transformers: The Movie, he disposes of Megatron (who is severely damaged after a fight to the death with Autobot leader Optimus Prime) by throwing him off Astrotrain. When Megatron returned as Galvatron, Starscream was coronating himself as leader of the Decepticons. Starscream did not recognize the intruder at first, but realized it could be Megatron, just before Galvatron obliterated him.

Starscream's Spark (the core of each Cybertron that contains his consciousness) survived, and he continued to exist in a disembodied ghost-like form. Starscream made a few return appearances in the third series of the cartoon, including one occasion where his ghost was able to posess the body of Decepticon Scourge in an attempt to trick Unicron into giving his body back and he succeeded, only for him to be last seen tumbling off through space. It was not, at the time revealed how Starscream could surivive death in this ghostly manner, but that was later covered in...

Beast Wars

Starscream's Ghost made a memorable guest appearance in the 1990s Transformers series Beast Wars, although the explanation for how he travelled back in time is unclear, aside from Starscream's indistinct claim that his spark was "beyond the reach of time itself." Starscream possesses Waspinator's body and goes about his standard backstabbing ways, and is eventually forced out of his body and sent back into space the way he came in. Later in the series, it is revealed that the reason Starscream was able to survive death was because of a mutation in his spark that had rendered it indestructible - Maximal experiments to replicate this effect resulted in the creation of the insane monster, Rampage.

As Chris Latta had passed away by this time, Starscream's voice was supplied by Doug Parker (who voiced the Starscream-esque Beast Wars character, Terrorsaur ). In Japan, he was vocalised by Kazuki Yao.

Beast Wars Second

A character named Starscream (misspelled as "Starscrem" on toy packaging) was one of Galvatron's most loyal minions (though it is unclear if he is intended to be the original Starscream). He was the only sophiscated member of the bunch, but used his hulking sidekick, BB, to back him up. In Episode 31 of the series, he was evolved from exposure to the Angolmois energy into Hellscream, a cybernetic flying shark. He was voiced by Hiroki Takahashi

Armada/Energon

In the Transformers: Armada and Transformers: Energon shows, Starscream was an important member to the series. While not the same Starscream as in G1, he was similar. He considers himself the strongest warrior in the galaxy.

Starscream transfroms into a jet that bears heavy resembalance to his G1 counterpart but still holds a degree of distinction. With his minicon Swindle he can activate the powerful Null Laser Canon. In robot mode he is capable of flight, and can extend his left wing for use as a sword. Unaided, he seems to be a physical match for Hot Shot .

However Thrust convinces Megatron that Starscream's ambition is a threat to Megatron's power and for a while Starscream joins the Autobots. However, Thrust then tries to convince Starsrcream to return to the Decepticons (although at the time, Thrust was indirectly being manipulated by Unicron). Inevitably, Starscream gives his life to convince Megatron to team up with Prime to join against Unicron. And with his last breath he teaches Megatron how to be a leader of integrity.

Ten years later, Alpha-Q resurrects Starscream to assassinate Megatron (however, in the original Japanese version, it is never clearly established that the character, there called "Nightscream," is Starscream). However, he runs out of Energon before he can complete the process, leaving Starscream fluctuating between a physical and etherial state, teleporting by "ghosting" from one location to the next (in homage to the original Starscream and his return as a ghost). Megatron however is able to trap Starscream & managed to get the new Starscream need to be whole, recruiting Starscream to rejoin his new army of Decepticons. Later, when Megatron/Unicron uncovers a reservoir of Super Energon under Cybertron's surface, Starscream is powered up by it, becoming a true-transformer, yet retaining his teleporting power.

Starscream was voiced by Jin Yamanoi (Japanese, Micron Legends), Nobuo Tobita (Japanese, Super Link) and Michael Dobson {English, both}.

In the Armada/Energon comics published by Dreamwave he has had a much smaller role, but has been written in a fashion much closer to the original G1 character (which, in the opinions of many fans, has made him come across as much less interesting that the new take on the character in the cartoon series), which caused him to be eliminated mercilessly by Scorponok. He has since been seen existing in a ghostly form, haunting Energon refineries on Cybertron, but with the closure of Dreamwave's studios, it remains to be seen if we will see resolution to this story.

Transformers Cybertron

• This Starscream bears a strong resemblance to the version seen in "War Within" comics.

Although he participates as Megatron's righthand man, Startscream has his own ambitions to become Decepticon leader. He excels in both various fighting arts & speed. In addition to firing his special nullbeam cannons, he can use the Force Chip to unlock the blades in his arms to inflict fatal wounds, inspiring terror. Though his battle prowess is legendary, he lacked the practical intelligence to hide his ambition to takeover the Decepticon throne, with Megatron more than aware of Starcream's plotting.

He's voiced by Takaya Kuroda