(Peter Cullen)

The leader of the Autobots and protector of humans is the biggest, strongest and smartest. He goes from big rig to his red-and-blue armored self. "We always saw Optimus as the noble knight who was there to protect and to carry on the code. The code extends as far back as to what it represented on Cybertron and the lineage he came from, which was protection of the race," Kurtzman says.

Megatron

(Frank Welker)

The villainous Megatron, who seeks to conquer Earth, has acquired a rare element that allows him mastery over life itself. Kurtzman says Megatron "in many ways is a fallen hero. He is Lucifer. He is the one who used to be the angel. There is something compelling and also really tragic about that character." He sees Optimus and Megatron as "different sides of the same coin. That duality and that friction is what I think has made for a great relationship."

Cliffjumper

(Dwayne Johnson)

This Autobot "lives up to his name in that he is the fearless one, the guy who literally will leap before he looks," Kurtzman says. "His car form is very distinctive. There's a lot of character and specificity in his design of the car. It feels very true to his nature."

Starscream

(Steven Blum)