People told me that it was hard to make out who’s an Autobot and who’s a Decepticon as we came out of the theater…TRANSFORMERS 2! So I couldn’t stop myself from writing this down, not to mention the fact that I totally enjoy doing this. So here goes…
Symbols! Just about every Decepticon or Autobot introduced in the movie first has his symbol shown, which is a way to make things clear to people.
Decepticons
Autobots
The wolf looking face covered symbol is for Decepticons. And the “looking straight into your eyes “confident symbol for Autobots. Most of the Transformers have their respective symbols on their hoods/chest.
Even I misunderstood that the Gray and dull colored machines are Decepticons, but that isn’t the case. There are a lot of them who have transformed themselves in the first machine they can scan and get transformed into. That’s why the green, yellow Decepticons.
Lets move according to the movie so that its easy to recollect the movie and relate the characters to the scenes.
Demolisher
Transformation mode: Construction Equipment
This is the first decepticon you’ll come across in the movie.The one which is sited in Shanghai and is the reason for a lot of devastation. Also he’s the one who references the “fallen” while dying, “The Fallen shall rise!”.
Sideways
Transformer mode: Audi R8
The second Decepticon to be tracked, this one doesn’t get time to transform and is killed in its Car mode, by Sideswipe (Chevrolet Stingray), again in Shanghai.
Ravage:
This is the cat like Decept which puts small balls of robots through the air vent of the US Naval Base Stronghold to steal the only remaining fragment of the ‘All Spark’. Ravage returns in the last battle of the desert.
Megatron
Transformation mode: Cybertronian Jet
Megatron as you might already know was thrown into the Laurentian Abyss to be frozen. But is brought back to life using that very last piece of the All Spark stolen from the US Naval Base.
Starscream
Transformation mode: F-22 Raptor
He maintains a simian body shape with a large, triangular chest, large shoulders formed by the jet's distinctive twin tails and small bird-like feet. His chest is formed by the jet's nose. The jet's powerful main engines end up on his back, allowing him to leap great heights into the air and take flight. He is first sighted in this movie when Megatron shoots from the Laurentian Abyss to the Planet Cybertron.
The Fallen
One of the earliest transformer from Cybertron can also be termed as the founder of Decepticons. He tries to go against the Cybertronian rules of ‘not destroying suns which have a planet dependent on it’, and so named the Fallen. He can be only killed by a Prime (here Optimus Prime).
Wheelie
Not exactly the destructive Decepticon, he tries to steal the All Spark fragment from Mikaela’s shop safe. Sam and Mikaela then use him to find more about the truth of the hidden energy.
C-35 Helicopter
This helicopter too doesn’t get a chance to be transformed. You’ll see him taking Sam & Mikaela to Megatron, who are driving a silver car trying to get away from the female Decepticon.
Scalpel
This “bug” is also known as doctor and he inserts a small robotic worm through Sam’s nose which goes inside and gets info on Sam’s head projecting a holographic image of the location of the hidden energy source.
Devastator
A giant robot formed by joining a bunch of construction machines together. This one you’ll see in the dying moments of the movie. It tries to uncover the Energy making machine made by the earlier ancestorial transformers under the Pyramid. Individually the Decepticons are:
Bonecrusher (Demolitions)
He transforms into a bulldozer.
He forms the left arm of Devastator.
Scavenger (Mining and Salvage)
He transforms into an excavator.
He forms the right arm of Devastator.
Scrapper (Construction Engine)
He transforms into a wheeled front-load shovel.
He forms the right leg of Devastator
Hook (Surgical Engineer)
He transforms into a crane.
He forms the head and shoulders of Devastator.
Long Haul (Transport)
He transforms into a dump truck.
He forms the lower torso of Devastator.
Mixmaster (Materials Fabrication) He transforms into a concrete mixer truck.
He forms the left leg of Devastator.
Rampage
Transformation mode: Bulldozer.
You can recall him when Sam tries to talk to him in the desert battle while Bumblebee attacks him from behind.
Scorponok
This awesome bug started the first movie, and comes to help Megatron in this movie’s desert war too.
Mixmaster
Transformation mode: Concerete Mixer
First "Starring" on one of the NY Bridges taking out a flag on that bridge when Megatron tells every Decepticon to come out in the open. Mixmaster is then destroyed by Jetfire, the SR-71 Blackbird old decepticon-turned-autobot.
All the other transformers you see in the movie are Autobots. So all the other green, yellow or any other color are not Decepticons. Any more questions are welcome, I would love to answer each and everyone!!! :D
