Autobot/Decepticon Rank Structure

[elburrito]

Please point me to it if this discussion is already on the boards, but I wanted to know people's ideas of rank structure amongst Autobots and Decepticons.

If interested, please post your idea of the basic rank structure and your reasons why. For example, one might say that Jazz is a Sgt. based on his depiction as such in the Transformers pilot episodes, "More than Meets the Eye".

Here's mine (only considering the cast of the first two seasons of the 80's cartoon, but not necessarily hoping for the same cast from you). I have signified high to low rank with a corresponding number 1 - 10:

Autobots

Optimus Prime (1) - Supreme Commander of Autobots

- this needs no explanation


Ratchet (Z) - Doctor (the Autobot equivalent of the
Senate to Prime's House of Commons)

- Ratchet is depicted as a medical specialist in pretty much all interations of transformers, and the Doctor can always veto or at least stall a commanding officer's decisions for medical reasons)

Ironhide (5) - Security Officer (Prime's bodyguard)

- Ironhide always sticks close to Prime, but does not appear to exercise any authority over the other bots. Also, tends to often impede plasma fire on its way to Prime with his own chassy.

Prowl (2) - Military Officer

- I cannot actually support this based on the cartoon, but there it is anyway

Red Alert (2) - Security Officer (Base)

- in the cartoon, Red Alert is often given charge of at least Inferno, but as often whatever headquarters the autobots currently inhabit

Wheeljack (3) - Science officer

- Wheeljack is given fairly free reign to create what he will and generally unsupervised. The same is not true of the other science guy, Grapple

Hound (4) - Scout

- well he's not much of a fighter, but tends to get important missions anyways and generally calls the shots when he does

Bluestreak (5) - Gunner, soldier

Sideswipe, Suntreaker, Trailbreaker (6) - soldiers

Mirage (5) - Spy

- not sure how to rank Mirage. He seems to enjoy a fair amount of independence in the cartoon, on the other hand, he seems to be a follower when in a crowd

Hoist (7) - I realize that the comic book Hoist has actually got some personality. The cartoon Hoist appears to be Grapple's assistant

Grapple (4) - Scientist

Inferno (6) - Soldier

Smokescreen (5) - Specialist (Similar to Steak)

Tracks (6) - Soldier

Skids (3) - Tactician

- While not much is seen of Skids in the cartoon, he is described as an advisor to Optimus Prime.

Well, there are my ideas. Look forward to hearing yours.

EDIT: I forgot the decepticons

1 - Megatron
2 - Starscream/Shockwave
3 - Soundwave
4 - Astrotrain

That's all I've got

[AeroShake]

Hakai Taitei Megatron-sama!

[elburrito]

Originally Posted by AeroShake

Hakai Taitei Megatron-sama!

Not sure if you are saying the Emperor of Destruction is #1 and the rest don't matter, or if that is a reference to a semi-obscure fictional work or...

[AeroShake]

Emperor of Destruction IS #1, yeah.

I tend to follow more to the Japanese trilogy, which is pretty much any Decepticon (ahem, Destron) given a title, HAS that title for a reason. Anybody else, was pretty much a mook.

So, basically:

1-Megatron
2-Soundwave, Starscream, Shockwave
3-Everyone else

..continuing onto Headmasters..

1-Galvatron (Scorponok later)
2-Soundblaster, Sixshot, Scorponok
3-Everyone else

onto Masterforce..

1-Devil Z (BlackZarak later)
2-Overlord
3-Everyone else

onto Victory..

1-Deathsaurus
2-Liokaiser
3-Everyone else

..following with Zone, and OC, and Battlestars..

1-BACK TO MEGATRON
2-Like, no one.
3-everyone else

To put it simply.. If you're not the Big Bad, you're a nobody. Even several of the 2's (some I didn't mention) get demoted to 3's later on in their respective series.

In a more North American point of view.. Decepticons are more like a pack ruled by the strongest and smartest. After all, it's difficult to run a hierarchy when everyone is of equal status, 90% of the Decepticons are all warriors.

Decepticons don't really have a structure, they're an everchanging, "transforming" group where the leader and it's members are constantly being replaced by stronger more capable bots.

To quote Starscream from All Hail Megatron.
~"Leadership of the Decepticons must be taken, Prime. Not magically offered up by chance. Something your kind will never understand."

[Bruticus82]

I believe skids is described as a theoreticians on his box tech specs...if that helps.

[justprime]

it all depends on what line your talking about toywise (G1,beast wars etc.. animated it was magnus for example...etc) ,history wise what timeline which universe military or civiliation, primes a military commander with the council being above in one story line for example. a continuty has always been a problem.

[Phantastarr]

According to the official Hasbro website, some of the ranks are as follows:

Optimus Prime = General
Ironhide = Captain
Prowl = Major
Hound = Sergeant
Ultra Magnus = Major

Additionally, Ironhide was always second in command under Optimus in the original series (G1). Whenever Optimus was absent, Ironhide was in charge. Of course, when someone of the highest rank for their field of expertise had something to say about that field (i.e.: medical, espionage, etc.), it was taken without question, because they are the highest ranking expert on the subject.

[optimusb39]

Lets not forget animated where magnus was the supreme commander of the autobots. Hot rod (rip) was a field commander, prowl was first officer to optimus prime, who was a lowly ship captain. Ratchet was a semi retired medical officer, bumblebee was a noob and shockwave was actually a close scientific advisor aka long arm to magnus and a grade A cold blooded (fluid?) Spy for megatron, self appointed leader of the decepticons.
And starscream who was also self appointed leader and sole creator of a clone army of misfit seekers.
And blackarachnia, scorned and betrayed lover of optimus prime who seeks revenge on autobots wherever they may be.
And omega supreme who was a top secret project by the autobot government who suffers from PTSD.

[Darkmatter]

I could have seen either Ironhide or Jazz as 2nd in command. Both are often in charge and give orders. Jazz orders all the Autobots to "Transform" in one of the opening 3 episodes so Optimus doesn't have to give the order.

Also don't forget Preceptor. He had a lot of clout with most of the Autobots, especially Prime. When he talked, you listened.

The Decepticons had a leader, a guy who was tolerated in a psudo-roll of 2nd in command, when not trying to kill said leader, and the rest were a pack of wolves vying for their place in the pecking order. Where you fell in any given hour often depended on the episode, aka, what you did wrong, or the leaders mood at the time. Even more true with Galvatron!