This

 

And this

 

Optimus, Bumblebee, Sentinel, Megatron, Jetfire.

I was going to put Que on, but after watching the movie more times, I just didn't care for his character when he died. He had about 3 brief scenes, and that's it. I know non-fans who didn't even know who he was or care when he died. Maybe it's just the fandom that thinks he got characterized well and cared about him cause we attached our love of Wheeljack to his character going into the movie.

 

The movies basically revolve around Sam: Sam discovering his connection to the TFs, Sam going to college only to be pulled back in the TFs' war, Sam struggling to find a job and live "normally" while knowing them.

Sam had the most characterization and development.

Of the Autobots, obviously Prime and Bumblebee, due to their significant screen time, were given a lot more characterization.

After those two, it seems like they gave more to the comic relief Autobots than the other (more interesting, IMO) ones.

Basically, Megatron and Starscream were it for the Decepticons.

 

Given the dearth of characterization in these films, I find myself exceedingly hard pressed to answer this question.

Probably gonna have to go with Sam and Jetfire.

 

Anyone that wasn't a low level Decepticon like Brawl.

 

Sentinel, Optimus and to be honest, Jazz.

 

Honestly, a major flaw of the movies is that the Cons didn't receive enough character... Even Megs and Screamer. I felt Bee, Optimus, Jetfire, Sentinel, Ironhide and Ratchet, hell the Twins, even Jazz got more characterization than Megs and Screamer.

The movies didn't make you like or hate the Decepticons. You just knew they were the bad guys so you shouldn't like them. Not to mention how the Cons in ROTF and DOTM seemed to have little aggression towards the bots... everything aside from the Fallen and Devs seemed Autobot scared.

Honestly, in reflection, I would have had Megs die in movie two (I mean finally and totally) and had DOTM focus on Starscreams backstabby nature... would have been far more satisfying to see him get at Sentinel, and a little more interesting w a Prime vs Starscream finale.

But that's the movies flaw all way round... the Cons only serve as cannon fodder to the heros instead of being actual characters of importance to the story and of consequence to the protagonists.

 

Sentinel Prime
Obvious Prime
Bumblebee
===========
===========
===========
Everyone else

 

I am going with Sentinel. The Decepticons are basically all-evil bidimensional characters or simply drone-like killers. The other Autobots are of the "protect the innocent no matter the cost" attitude or comedians (maybe Ironhide is the exception). Sentinel is actually a rich character with a lot of internal conflicts.

 

For Que/Wheeljack 

 

Honorable mention goes to Laserbeak. He was utilized quite a bit and perhaps the one Deception with the most characterization of all. I really feel that he got almost as much of that in DOTM as Starscream and Megatron have received during the entire trilogy.

 

Optimus and Bumblebee. Those are the only two characters who you actually felt as if you knew, to an extent. Oddly enough, I would say Starscream succeeded in that feat, too, as well as Ironhide. Sentinel was also handled relatively well. But yeah, mainly Optimus and Bumblebee.

 

So my main reason for Jazz is because of his dialogue with Prime after Bumblebee's capture.

 

I can't argue this - I agree that the Decepticons were definitely treated worse when it came to characterization and development.

I just think that, while the Autobots had it better, they were still lacking too.

A complaint of mine with the Bayverse trilogy would have to be that, especially in the sequels, sometimes the TFs in general seemed more like.... "props" for the human characters more so than individuals in their own right. You don't really see them interact with each other all that much, and there really isn't much to their relationships with the humans either - save for Bee and Sam. You don't see the human soldiers swapping war stories with the Autobots, or the bond that you can only assume exists between Prime and Ironhide, etc.....

And in the case of the Autobots and Decepticons, the battles lacked a "personal" element, so to speak, outside of Prime and Megatron that would have upped the fights. Like, just for one example, they could have played up Barricade vs. Bumblebee throughout the trilogy instead of having Barricade disappear. Or created a grudge between Ironhide and Starscream, etc, etc, etc....

The absense of that stuff only adds to a lack of characterization and development.

 

Sentinel, Laserbeak, Que, Bumblebee

 

the mountian dew bot  

 

Optimus & Megatron had the most characterization in all 3 movies.

 

Is that some kind of joke? Obviously, Jolt has the most characterization.