Megatron is the dreaded leader of the Decepticons and thesworn enemy of Optimus Prime, and with that,Transformersand pop culture have one of the greatest villains. Megatron is a true menace, and his ruthless savagery and demented ideals for Cybertron have been displayed in both his cruel actions and his spoken words, given such gravitas by immense talent over the years.
Megatron holds strong not only as a great character fromTransformersbecause of his design and writing, but also for the vocal talent attributed to him. Over the decades, Megatron has been played by various performers, and all of them add their own unique spin to the character.
8David Kaye
Cocky and Smugness Hold this Predacon
The Predacon variant of Megatron from the Beast Wars series has far different attributes than when compared to other versions of the character, and that’s not just in the physical design. David Kaye provides a menacing, yet regal approach to Megatron’s voice,one of superiorityand class over spitting bile.
This is a Megatron that knows he is a cut above the rest, and he isn’t shy about it. This Megatron holds both smugness and confidencebefitting of a Decepticonleader who just doesn’t know when to quit, and David Kaye presents Megatron in a sophisticated light.
7Marc Thompson
A Megatron That’s Unrelentingly Vicious in Tone
Marc Thompson’s Megatron went a step above the competition to provide a voice that fits the menacing nature of the Decepticon leader. Marc Thompson’s Megatron has a bile-spewing voice, one that is venomous with each word spoken as if there is much that angers and disgusts this rendition of the character who justwants to kill and conquer.
It’s a voice work that feels directly inspired by Frank Welker. There’s a veteran crackling in the vocal tones that demand to be the champion of new life to Cybertron. It’s a great portrayal that doesn’t skimp out on the harshness of Megatron’s voice.
6Jason Marnocha
Passionate, Manipulative, and Cunning
Jason Marnocha’s Megatron presents a stoic and villainousportrayal of theTransformers: War for Cybertrontrilogy, and his voice remains calm and manipulative as he speaks to those who oppose him, and those who bend the knee to him. This is a Megatron who seeks to conquer and claim victory over Autobots and Optimus Prime, and shows no loyalty to those beneath him.
Marnocha’s Megatron voice also benefits from a subtle synthesizer, and it provides a robotic growl to the voice that leaves lasting impressions on audiences that can really hear the metallic alien of Megatron that seeks great power.
5Fred Tatasciore
A Strong and Booming Villain
Fred Tatasciore impresses with his own Megatron, which both serves as an inspired role from Hugo Weaving, while also bringing in his own rendition of the character. Fred Tatasciore’s Megatron shouts with each line, booming on the battlefield to command the fealty of his Decepticon allies and throw fear into those who oppose him.
Fred Tatasciore’s Megatron makes for a great Megatron who seeks to be the master of all, and as the leader of the Decepticons, a voice such as this is needed to command legions and armies of Decepticons against the waged war on Autobots.
4Hugo Weaving
The Live-Action Megatron Who Spues the Hate and Jealousy of a Tyrant
Despite harboring no real love for Megatron’s character, Hugo Weaving didn’t skimp out on one ounce of talent when it came to providing Megatron with a voice in live-action. Hugo Weaving’s Megatron is regal and has a voice thatseeks the throne of Cybertronand of the newly invaded planet of Earth that works so well with such a sharp design.
Hugo Weaving’s Megatron features a trilogy of live-action movies that work wonderfully within each movie. With each movie, it seems that Weaving’s Megatron rots both physically and vocally, and his withering and venomous voice befits a true villain for the ages.
3Brian Tyree Henry
A Rageful and Betrayed Origin for Megatron
Brian Tyree Henry is the newest voice for Megatronwith 2024’sTransformers One, and it’s a voice that’s both familiar and unique. Brian Tyree Henry provides his own take on Megatron through the origins of a cogless D-16, with elements of the true Megatron slowly creeping forward as Megatron’s ideology becomes clearer to him with each betrayal of Iacon and Cybertron.
Brian Tyree Henry’s Megatron voice is booming and rageful, and with each shouting and rousing speech, it sounds reminiscent of Terrence C. Carson’s Kratos from the originalGod of Wargames. Brian Tyree Henry has a distinct Megatron that works wonderfully as an origin for the character.
2Corey Burton
Immortalized Menacing That Feeds on Fear
Corey Burton is a veteran voice actor who is famed for playing legendary alien villains like DC’s Brainiac, but his Megatron is one of the best out there. Corey Burton provides a cold voice to Megatron, one that lacks emotional reasoning to provide a slyness that only he would be capable of providing the great Megatron.
Corey Burton thrives in bringing villains to life, and Megatron is no ordinary villain, which is why Corey’s voicework lends itself so well to the character, for there is a ruthless calculation in Megatron’s methods and manipulation bound to this portrayal.
1Frank Welker
The Original and Ultimate Megatron
Frank Welker is one of the greatest voice actors of all time, and when he’s not making audiences laugh as Scooby-Doo, he’s scaring them with his ultimately menacing Megatron, a character who he has voiced for decades, and hopefully decades more. Welker’s Megatron is the original and the best for good reason, as he exhibits a deepened voice that commands attention and loyalty from fellow Decepticons.
Only Frank Welker’s performance as Megatron canrival that of Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime, and their on-screen rivalry is on par with that of Hamill’s Joker and Conroy’s Batman. What makes Welker’s voice so great is how it adapts to emotion and scene, and there’s a calmness to his menace or a refined rage that is untethered.
