A fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization. Formerly a scientist, Starscream is a treacherous, high-ranking Decepticon who turns into a jet and is known to often challenge his leader Megatron for leadership of the Decepticons.

Due to his treachery and personality, Starscream has had many future characters within the franchise to bear his name, most of which share his desire to become leader of the Decepticons. Starscream has, at some points, had control over the Decepticons, but his actions usually lead him to being defeated, or overruled by the more powerful Megatron. Starscream makes no secret of his ambition to overthrow Megatron as leader of the Decepticons. He is more intelligent than the average Decepticon, ruthless and cruel, but he is also unlikely to directly act on his ultimate ambition without assurance of conditions favourable to his ascension. He considers himself vastly superior to other Decepticons, and looks down on Megatron for being antiquated in his military strategies and tactics. Starscream believes that the Decepticons should rely more on guile and speed rather than brute destructive force to defeat the Autobots, although when he is given the chance to strike out on his own, he is often less successful than Megatron. Megatron frequently overlooks the potential threat that Starscream represents, though it is occasionally suggested that Megatron tolerates his presence for various reasons, such as a grudging respect for his scheming nature, or a mere safety precaution to keep an eye on him. However, Starscream often exhausts Megatron's patience quickly; violent-yet-brief verbal and/or physical conflicts are not uncommon between the two.

Starscream transforms into a McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and serves as the Decepticon Air Commander, leading the other Decepticon Seeker jets, many of whom share his physical design. According to his technical specifications, he can reach speeds up to Mach 2.8, and can climb up to sub-orbital altitudes of 52 miles (84 km) and nose-dive down to ground level in minutes (the real aircraft has a top speed of Mach 2.5 with an altitude ceiling of 65,000 feet (19,800 m), or 12.3 miles). His arm is mounted with launchers (mounted under his wings in jet mode), which can launch two types of weaponry—cluster bombs, each of which can level an area 10,000 square feet (900 m2), and his signature weapon, the null ray, which can disrupt the flow of electricity in any circuitry it hits for brief periods, effectively rendering any electronic device or machine temporarily inoperable.