If there is anything the Transformers film franchise is infamous for, besides having far too many terrible films, it's the way they handle and incorporate human lead characters into the plot. Since the debut of the first live-action Transformers film, fans have been wondering why human characters needed to lead the films in the first place. After all, audiences came to see the robots in disguise.

Still, a great human character can be engaging and compelling, giving the story a more personal and relatable approach. Fortunately, not all human characters in the Transformers movies have felt unnecessary and annoying.

While some are, other human characters are active protagonists in the Transformers movies, bring comedic relief and don't steal a ridiculous amount of screen time from the real stars of the show.

10 Cade Yeager

Played by Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yeager first appeared in the latter half of the Michael Bay collection of films in Transformers: Age of Extinction. Sadly, Wahlberg has the distinction of starring in arguably the worst Transformers films, so he's not supported much on the writing side of things whatsoever.

Cade Yeager is very much a "nothing" character. While it can certainly be argued that he is a proactive character who helps move the plot along, Cade simply has nothing going for him as a character himself. There's truly not much depth to him, and while including a daughter adds a sense of uniqueness compared to other protagonists in the franchise, the films really give the audience no real reason to like Cade aside from being played by Wahlberg. Indeed, if this character is noteworthy at all, it's all because of Mark Wahlberg's inherent appeal, with the actor doing the most to elevate otherwise mediocre material, succeeding sometimes.

9 Maggie Madsen

Played by Rachael Taylor

Appearing only in the first Transformers film, Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor) is an NSA analyst and a key factor in cracking the code of the Decepticons after they hack into Air Force One. Doing so is crucial in stopping the Decepticons' plans and saving the world as everyone knew it.

One of the key issues with the Michael Bay era of the Transformers movies is the mishandling of female characters, who are often characterized as simply eye candy or a device to serve the male characters. But Maggie Madsen serves an incredibly important role in the development of the plot, and while she has help from her friend, Glenn Whitmann (Anthony Anderson), he would not have been able to complete his task in the plot without her.

8 William Lennox

Played by Josh Duhamel

An officer of the U.S. Army Rangers, William Lennox (Josh Duhamel) is one of the most recurring human characters in the Transformers franchise, appearing in four films. Lennox is the main connection between the Autobots and the U.S. government, an incredibly capable soldier who is incredibly active in action sequences. He is also one of the few characters to have killed a Transformer, Blackout.

Lennox is a favorite character among the fanbase. While not very complex, Lennox consistently gets things done and is proactive, helping move the plot forward better than most supporting characters. Plus, not many humans in the franchise can say they've successfully killed a Transformer, especially in such an epic: sliding off of a motorcycle and attacking Blackout from below. Lennox never feels like he's stealing screen time, as he is always interacting with the Autobots, and his action feels necessary.

7 Sam Witwicky

Played by Shia Labeouf

As a character, Sam Witwicky (Shia Labeouf) has many of the same issues that Cade Yeager does. However, he's still a better version of the leading man trope simply because Sam has a far closer relationship with the Autobots and is more appealing to watch.

Sam is more enjoyable because he's funnier, even if it's not for reasons the films want him to be. Where Cade is a poorly written, boring character, Sam is a poorly written, funny character, so it's more enjoyable to see his character get involved in the action. Audiences can get a good chuckle out of Labeouf's outlandish screaming and overacting, with the actor bringing a palpable and anxious energy to the screen, like a Chihuahua dog trying to fight a Rottweiler.

6 Mikaela Banes

Played by Megan Fox

For a character that often plays side fiddle to Labeouf and is seemingly there most of the time to serve him and his story, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) is actually a far more active protagonist than Sam in almost every way. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty at any moment and always fights her hardest when she needs to.

With her father having a criminal record and being jailed, Mikaela also happens to have a far more interesting backstory than Sam. Her mechanical prowess could have been a major asset to the Autobots in times of need. While she still displays many issues this franchise has with portraying women, with some rewriting, Mikaela could easily have been the main protagonist of the first three Transformers films. It's a shame the character never really got the spotlight she deserved so she could live up to her full potential.

5 Izabella

Played by Isabela Merced

As a direct consequence of the final Battle of Chicago in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Izabella (Isabela Merced) was orphaned and found sanctuary in the destroyed city. Becoming good friends with two robots in disguise, Canopy and Sqweeks, she gains the expertise to fix Cybertronians.

Izabella is incredibly useful within the plot of Transformers: The Last Knight due to her unfortunate upbringing.

Izabella is tough as nails, unafraid when it comes to danger and never backing down from challenges when they come around. With her prowess at fixing Cybertronians, she's incredibly handy to the Autobots and doesn't detract from the story at hand or any objectives; on the contrary, she's incredibly helpful. Izabella even finds a way to fix Bumblebee's voice box (too bad he didn't like the voice).

4 Elena

Played by Dominique Fishback

2023 saw the release of the second installment of the soft reboot of the Transformers franchise with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The film saw the Autobots meeting the Maximals in 1994 and meeting Noah (Anthony Ramos) and Elena (Dominique Fishback). Elena proves human characters can work if written well. Unfortunately, while she gets lost in the shuffle towards the end, Elena is a character that improves upon the plight of women in the Transformers franchise almost tenfold.

Rather than play her for a joke or simply characterize her with broad strokes of characterization, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts emotionally invests in Elena. She's a researcher at the National History Museum whose boss keeps taking credit for her good work. Everyone knows how it feels to be undervalued somewhere or to simply be screwed over, which makes her relatable. Elena is also an active protagonist, actually getting stuff done alongside Noah Diaz. Together, they consistently move the plot forward while the Autobots execute the action sequences.

3 Agent Simmons

Played by John Turturro

There is but one human character that makes the Bay era of Transformers more enjoyable to watch: Chief Agent of Sector Seven Simmons (John Turturro). Agent Simmons is easily the most quotable character in the entire Transformers franchise and one of the few humans who actually gets things done. Not only is he an active protagonist, he's the funniest character in the series.

Agent Simmons is a huge provider of comedic relief in the series, with fans everywhere adoring him for his numerous hilarious quotes. More importantly, he also does a lot as a protagonist. For example, in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Agent Simmons is the only reason why the U.S. Navy can fire upon Devastator. Once he succeeded in helping take down Devastator, he got NEST military back up for the final battle. Simmons is a scene-stealer, largely thanks to the brilliant John Turturro, who can make the most with even the most mediocre material.

2 Noah

Played by Anthony Ramos

The other half of the protagonists in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is Noah, who is the more developed of the two. Just like Elena, Noah is crucial in keeping the plot moving and even takes on the Decepticon Scourge (Peter Dinklage) by having Mirage (Pete Davidson) form an exo-suit around him during Rise of the Beasts exciting ending. This makes Noah the only human protagonist to physically hand-to-hand fight a Cybertronian.

Noah is also far easier to relate to and invest in. His background in taking care of his little brother, Kris (Dean Scott Vazquez), who keeps in contact with him over the radio, gives him a ton of layers and depth. Noah brings a great deal of heart to the story, with audiences rooting for him to make it back to his little brother alive. The moment before he gets his upgrade from Mirage and has a pep talk from his brother is incredibly emotional and rallies the audience behind him one last time for his final fight.

1 Charlie

Played by Hailee Steinfeld

Bumblebee is the best Transformers movie bar none, and part of its success comes from the masterful handling of the human cast, particularly Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld). The relationship between Charlie and the endearing robot Bumblebee (Dylan O'Brien) is the heart and soul of the film, making it the most compelling story in the franchise. Charlie's story surrounding her mental issues following the death of her father is super captivating and makes it borderline impossible not to root for her.

The way Charlie and Bumblebee's relationship develops is the whole reason the film works as well as it does. Charlie is more important to Bumblebee than any other human character in the series, making audiences want to see her just as much as they want to see the titular robot. Steinfeld's performance is incredible and makes Charlie even more of a riveting character. There's a clear reason that Bumblebee is the best Transformers movie there is.

NEXT: Every Transformers Movie, Ranked by Rewatchability