I have to ask, what did shockwave ever do in the cartoon that makes people think he was smart? All I remember was him being massively loyal to megatron not much else.

 

Yeah, Shockwave wasn't that smart at all, just a total kiss-ass.

My vote is for Starscream too. And Hook/Scrapper.

 

Cyclonus was the brains behind the Decepticons in season 3.

 

Starscream is incredibly clever, just not wise. Soundwave is also very intelligent, didn't he invent the "cube" part of energon cubes?

 

Shockwave speaks like an Oxford professor. If he sounded like Wheeljack or Rattrap no one would think he was the smartest 'con.

 

Cyclonus definitely belongs in this discussion. He keeps the 'Cons together and works as Galvatron's PR/front guy (and does a pretty damn good job at that). Plus his tech specs rate his intelligence at 8 consistently.

+-MWG-+

 

Yeah, his voice of reason was always trumped by his loyalty to the insane Galvatron.

 

I thought brawl was the smartest

 

Starscream

 

Shockwave to me.

 

And Cyclonus ofcourse, forgot about him.

 

soundwave because he knows how to keep his mouth shut

 

I think both Shock Wave and Soundwave were the most intelligent Transformers in the G1series. Megetron was pretty smart too, but definitely not as smart as Shockwave.  

 

Megatron: His plans had some merits
Shockwave: He had Logic on his side (though it wasn't until Prime that Shockwave was closer to his Marvel depiction)
Soundwave
Hook
Starscream: Sometimes, other times he was an idiot

 

Soundwave.

 

Thundercracker, because he did not let Megatron or any of his fellow decepticons know, that he feels a certain amount of pity for humans.