I didn't know that killing Optimus, Jazz, and mortally wounding Sentinel Prime was considered weak.

And the reason why no one complains about Megatron submitting to Unicron in TF Prime is...

Optimus got just as badly beaten in the first film. Megatron was killed by a kid after getting shot by like 10 Missiles. And he died so easily in DOTM because Optimus got the drop on him, and he because he was firing his gun.

 

G1 (the original, Mass murderer of many autobots including optimus)
Prime (intelligent, powerful)
Animated (Major threat...even when he was just a head, unstoppable)
Beast wars
2007 movie (bad ass)
RID
Unicron Trilogy (they were all prett corney, never seen megatron so silly)
ROTF (2nd in command, lacky, too weak to face optimus 1 on 1)
DOTM (Weak, Inocent bystander)

 

1. Prime

2. Movie

3. G1

I think G1 was a ruthless, evil, leader.
Movie Megs (besides DOTM) was terrifying and a real threat, and definately the best looking, and Rotf sickest alt mode.
Prime Megs is an awesome leader, fighter, and looks pretty awesome although not as cool as Movie Megs IMO.

 

1. G1

 

This is very approximate, and puts success, personality, and other character-related aspects over visual design (in most cases).

-BW
-Animated
-Movie
-Prime (haven't seen much of the show so far, though, so I'll probably place him differently once I know more about him)
-Cybertron
-BM
-Armada/Energon
-G1 (admit it: he was a pretty awful leader, and not too bright at times)

 

BW
Animated
Prime
G1
RID

Never saw Bay movies and can't really rank UT Megatron as I only saw half of Cybertron during the era.

 

1. Beast Wars/Machines. - Cunning, intelligent, and currently the only Megatron to actually conquer a perfectly intact, useful Cybertron. Amazing voice and amazing designs. He was a person, and an incredibly awesome one.

2. Animated. - Everything Beast Wars had, minus the successes. (but still incredibly smart and he came really close now and then) Smooth, cunning, terrifying voice and a design that said "I dare you."

3. Movie. - Brutal, violent, and had some not-terrible plans. He had awesome designs and was actually kinda sympathetic in DOTM, considering the poor guy was reduced to second banana. Of course he did reclaim his honour, if he only got to enjoy it for a few moments before Optimus cut off his everything. That voice makes my knees weak. Just incredible. Plus his method of fighting is literally just to tear big wads of his enemy off until they die. Even in the movies where most of the action is all hardcore he manages to stand out as especially brutal.

4. Prime. - Talks a big talk, but isn't really all that. His design is awesome, his voice is just good. His plans are largely happenstance or incredibly one-track. (Project Iacon is a big, out-of-nowhere accident provided by Optimus' unintentional amnesia) He's not a big schemer. His grand plan is kind of fuzzy, and he's shown too often to just be standing around.

5. UT. - He's your typical anime villain. Not much in the way of interesting personality or motives. Just a big dragon for the hero to fight. This sort of altered at the end of Armada where he set aside his own wnats for what was truely best for his world... only for Energon to ruin it. Then Cybertron just made him a big uber-DBZ-powerful dragon to be slain again, but fuck if his Galvatron design in Cybertron wasn't awesome as hell, and his Energon design is one of the best Megatron designs ever.

6. RID. - Ugh. Neat design, though. That voice makes me want to hurt myself.

7. G1. - Just... Ugh. Nothing about him is right.

 

Animated - best, cunning, manipulative, and badass from beginning to end

Alligned (WFC/FOC/Prime) - the most merciless Megatron by far, not as calculating as Animated though

Beast Era (BW/BM)- not a BW/BM fan, but the only Megatron that actually conquered and enslaved Cybertron while enacting sweet revenge on the Maximals, but crapped out after losing his body...many times.

Unicron Trilogy (A/E/C)- great military commander in Armada, slowly went downhill in Energon, total joke in Cybertron

G1 - brutal killer, but virtually no cunning or brilliance behind his body count

Movieverse (TFTM/ROTF/DOTM)- ok in TFTM, The Fallen's bitch in ROTF, Sentinel's bitch in DOTM

RID - need I say more? I loved RID, but yeah.

 

From what I have seen recently
Beast era
Prime
Animated
G1
Movie

 

1 - g1 japanese transformers
2 - japanese headmasters
3- master force
4 - tf victory
5 - japanese beast wars

 

Animated
Movie
G1
Armada
BW

 

Prime
G1
Energon
Armada
Robots in disguise
Beast wars
Beast machines
Animated
Movie
Cybertron

 

1.Prime Megatron
Starscream
2.Animated Megatron
Starscream
3.Beast Era Megatron
Starscream
4.MT Megatron
Starscream
5.UT Megatron
Starscream
6.RID Megatron
Starscream
7.SG Megatron
Starscream
8.Transtech Megatron

 

G1/Beast Wars - tied
Animated
Movie
Armada
Prime
Energon
Cybertron
RiD

 

#1 Beast Wars

#2 Prime

#3 Animated

#4 Movie

#5 Armada

 

Beast Wars
Animated
Prime
Armada
G1
Beast Machines
Cybertron
Energon
Robots in Disguise
Movieverse

 

Animated. The only competent, calculating, manipulative powerhouse that isn't even killed by a massive bomb a few metres away. Without using Dark Energon. Yeah, he's the best.

What do you mean, other Megatrons?

 

G2 Comic
G1 Comic (same continuity but G2 Meg's is just EVIL)
Prime
G1 Show
Beast Wars
Animated
RID

The Rest do not make my list.

 

G1, Prime, movie. That is all.

 

I tend to prefer Beast Era Megatron and Prime Megatron, though you do raise a good point about Animated Megatron. Animated Megatron's problem is that the writers never really let him cut loose.