Why Are Decepticons Bigger & Stronger than Autobots?

The Autobots and the Deceptions are two main factions of Cybertronians in The Transformers franchise. Holding opposing views on the world and their society, the two factions – led by Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively – are constantly fighting for supremacy, making for the whole franchise’s basic plot idea. Although the Autobots, as the good guys, most often win, the Decepticons are usually depicted as much stronger and bigger than the individual Autobots. But why is that?

Decepticons are stronger than Autobots

To answer this question, we must go back into Cybertron’s history. The explanation lies within the societal roles of the two factions in ancient times, but note that each continuity (or generation) can have its own specific answer to this question, which differs from this one.

In the history of Cybertron, after the Transformers had rebelled against the Quintessons, the planet was ruled by a corrupt political elite that was eventually overthrown in an uprising led by Megatron. But Megatron, who was the leader of the Decepticons, soon became a power-hungry tyrant himself, and this led to his former associate, Orion Pax (who would get the Matrix of Leadership and become Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots), challenging him.

Divided once more, Cybertron entered a period of civil war between the Decepticons and the Autobots. Led by Megatron, the Decepticons soon became notorious for their brutality and evil deeds, which they could freely execute because they were – initially at least – much stronger than the Autobots.

Namely, the Decepticons comprised a former warrior class of Transformers who, during the old system, most often served as soldiers, warriors, and spies. They were specifically trained to be physically dominant; now that they had united, they were a force to be reckoned with.

This is also why more Decepticons transform into battle vehicles and/or weapons than is the case with the Autobots, who are most often just regular transportation or maintenance vehicles.

As for the Autobots, they were usually just laborers and couriers in the old area. They were rarely created for fighting purposes, which explains why the Autobots transform into regular and/or maintenance vehicles and rarely anything else.

Most Autobots were civilians caught up in a war they were not ready for, so the Decepticons initially had an easy task in defeating them. Still, as time passed, the Autobots learned some essential skills and, under the leadership of the powerful Optimus Prime, became strong warriors who could oppose the Decepticons.

With these remarks, we can conclude today’s story. As you can see, in the history of Cybertron, the Decepticons had to be stronger and more resilient due to their duties and jobs. They were mostly soldiers and warriors, so they had to be strong. The Autobots, on the other hand, were pacifists, laborers, and artisans, and they – initially at least – had no need for physical strength, which is why they were weaker than the Decepticons.