When people talk about TransformersThey often focus on the most powerful figures on the Autobot and Decepticon side. They often focus on characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron, or titans like Metroplex and Fortress Maximus. However, not all robots have the same power level nor can they take down entire groups of enemies single-handedly.
No, some of the Cybertronians are simply weaker by nature. That doesn’t mean they are useless; They can serve as support or carry out reconnaissance and espionage tasks. They won’t be taking down any combiners anytime soon, but they’ve still played pivotal roles for their team over the years.
Gears spends most of his time complaining instead of fighting
Gears reminds us that not all Autobots are always good people. While Gears is dedicated to the Autobot cause, he is known for complaining about everything. He can be quite funny, but it’s made up for by the fact that he’s so weak that he can’t change his situation.
Gears was introduced along with several other Autobots who worked with Optimus Prime when the Ark arrived on Earth. However, while some of the more powerful Autobots immediately began fighting the Decepticons, Gears was a little different. Instead, he spent most of his time assisting with non-combat tasks and helping the Autobots return to the Ark.
The few Gears battles didn’t go very well either. Both he and Cliffjumper lost a fight against Starscream while he was barely trying. He managed to fend off the Decepticon combiner, Devastator, but mostly because he could throw large rocks at him. Still, that’s enough to put him at the bottom of the weakest list, as few Autobots his size could hope to pull it off.
Laserbeak is best when spying for Soundwave
Not all Transformers are designed for combat, and Soundwave’s mini-cassettes certainly aren’t. Instead, they are intended for other tasks that destabilize enemy forces. One of Soundwave’s key partners in his spy work is Laserbeak, one of the first Decepticon fans they met.
Laserbeak is a rare Transformer that does not have a normal robot mode. Instead, he can transform from a cassette into a flying bird, which Soundwave uses to spy on potential targets. It is equipped with weapons, but they are not designed for direct combat. Instead, they are intended to assassinate weaker targets or distract long enough for Laserbeak to quickly retreat.
However, when Laserbeak is caught by enemies, he quickly proves that he is more of a nuisance than a real opponent. Most of his appearances focus on spying on Autobots or threatening defenseless humans rather than fighting anyone face to face. In battle, he has fought everyone from Jazz and Mirage to Ironhide and Prowl, all respectable enemies but nowhere near the most powerful Autobots.
Bumblebee is respected among the Autobots despite his lack of strength.
Outside of Optimus and Megatron, no Transformer is more popular than Bumblebee. It has appeared in most versions of the Transformers It dates back to the original series and even played a role in the live-action films. While he has had With many different versions over the years, its smaller stature and yellow paint have remained remarkably consistent, regardless of interpretation.
Bumblebee has always been popular among his fellow Autobots, but he has also been noted to be weaker than most of them. Still, his willingness to throw himself into battle despite his weakness is what makes him so attractive. Of course, his small size also means he can last longer than other Cybertronians because he doesn’t require as much power as some of the larger Transformers.
Even so, Bumblebee has had to use his intelligence and speed to get out of dangerous situations. Much of the original generation one Cartoons often show him teaming up with humans, protecting them and getting them as quickly as possible when things get dangerous. Since he fights even enemies like Laserbeak and Ravage, it’s understandable why he doesn’t do the more dangerous missions.
Runamuck is just part of the Decepticons causing trouble
Not all factions of the Decepticons or even the Autobots are very good. Runamuck is a member of Battlechargers, a name he shares with his partner, Runabout. Neither is particularly threatening, as evidenced by their limited appearances. If anything, Runamuck feels like a Decepticon who joined the faction to cause trouble, not because he believed in anyone’s cause.
To be fair, Runamuck can transform into a vehicle mode that allows him to run at 180 miles per hour. However, his relatively small size means he can only bother some of the weaker Autobots, not the stronger ones. At the same time, his robot form has a single friction rifle that is not particularly harmful to stronger Cybertronians. Rather, it creates a field that makes defending difficult for a short period of time.
Runamuck’s first appearances saw him controlled by the ghost of Starscream, as he attempted to get revenge on everyone. He was discarded shortly after and barely managed to harm the Decepticons. In the IDW comics, he only seemed impressive when threatening humans. In the end, the aliens known as Reapers destroyed him and Runabout. The Decepticons didn’t even think twice before going on to fight the Reapers.
Freeway is all about making jokes, even when no one else is laughing
Even the weakest Transformers are usually memorable for one reason or another. Freeway, however, proves that there is always an exception to every rule. The character is completely forgettable to all but the biggest fans of Generation 1. He has rarely been used in anything since.
Originally a member of the Throttlebots, Freeway was introduced as another comedic character. While others become the butt of the joke, Freeway often makes fun of everyone else. This leaves the rest of his team nervous, especially since he’s not very good at taking criticism from anyone else. The really frustrating thing about Freeway, however, is that he’s basically useless in battle.
In the original Generation 1 cartoon, one of his first appearances shows the plague of hate taking over him, making him more of a problem than a help. Later, Freeway attempts to fight one of the Horrorcons and is eliminated with a single attack. Even his reconnaissance missions often fail, as Predaking easily eliminated him in the Transformers lively, The directors.
Wheelie is always willing to jump into battle even if he can’t win
Introduced in transformers: the movie, Wheelie was one of the newest Cybertronians to join the Autobots. When they discovered him, he was hiding after crashing on the planet Quintessa. It must be recognized that he managed to stay alive the entire time without help, thanks to his intelligence.
That being said, Wheelie has never been known as a particularly strong Autobot. In fact, just as Bumblebee gets credit from the other Autobots, Wheelie gets credit from the Dinobot team for staying strong despite his diminutive appearance. He is also willing to jump into battle if necessary and proves to be an ally of the Autobot leader, Hot Rod.
Like many of the younger Autobots, Wheelie spends most of his time babysitting. He develops a close relationship with Daniel Witwicky and keeps him safe from Decepticon attacks. By the time of The directors, This rarely worked and often had to be saved by the other Autobots.