The Leadership Structure Of The Seekers

The leadership structure of the Seekers

The Winglord theme is actually so interesting in itself. I like that most people in the fandom somehow unanimously decided that such a position exists, and it makes sense since the cities on Cybertron are city-states, meaning they have a local ruler/government and other structures.

On the other hand, it seems to me that Winglord should not only be a position of power, but also full of obligations. What is Winglord for? (Obviously, for governance, but its position cannot be just a privilege). What obligations can this position bear for the one who occupies this position. Here are my couple of ideas.

It seems to me that the Seekers' leadership structure is actually arranged like that of birds. Birds in nature do not actually have a leader. This concept simply goes to the oldest and most experienced birds, who stand at the head of the wedge. It is no secret that humanity, in its desire to conquer the skies, focused on birds, but what if Cybertronians do it differently? What if, in fact, Winglord is not a title earned by birth or inheritance like the same kings, but a title given to the most experienced flyer among all? Sounds good, plus it would explain why Starscream takes this place.

A Winglord is not a title that can be inherited, it is a calling that a true ace of his craft receives, anyone, be it forged or constructed, can receive it, age also plays no role. There is no luck or fortune in the sky, only cold calculation and the risk that the pilot is willing to take. In the process, you either succeed or die, there is no other way from it. A Winglord is a master of his craft, any noble king or general he will displace from their position with his skill. His task is to teach young seekers to reach their level of skill, as well as to provide weaker brothers with safety. If you give a Winglord a choice between his brothers and an imaginary leader (usually a bot, not necessarily having a flying altform), then he will choose his brothers. The duty of a Winglord is to care for the well-being of everyone, regardless of social status or work. If the previous Winglord dies, his fellow triads must take it upon themselves to finish his work, keeping the Seeker community safe and in order until a new bot can be chosen to take his place. Like birds in a flock, the Winglord and his fellow triads must lead their charges to a better future. (They do not have to be ready for this, as leadership can never be. Experience in leading others always comes with experience.)

I would compare Winglord to a person who received the flame of Prometheus for the first time. It is not only a blessing, but also the greatest duty to distribute this flame to everyone. An obligation that does not allow you to chicken out and retreat. I think Winglord's obligations consist mainly of preserving the number of seekers, he cannot allow even the weak to die, since this is a risk of losing the chance for the development of their society, losing the much-needed and vital primacy in the sky (flight is life). It can also be a vision of treaties, about better supplies, in exchange for the energon they found, they could set their own conditions (perhaps one of these conditions once became the city of Vos, because having your own city/settlement, you could avoid discrimination). The amount of obligations may vary depending on the political situation of Cybertron (I think during the golden age or pre-war period, Winglord was a status similar to King and was inherited because it greatly limited the seeker society, focusing them not on mastery but on the "military" path. This was a guarantee of stability, although it could cause unrest in the seeker society).

Many write that Starscream Winglord, probably during the war that we see in the comics, this is indeed true. Vos fell, the wonderful city in the "heavens" was destroyed, like other cities. There is a possibility that many senior Seekers who were there could have died. Starscream has always been ambitious, but as much as he craves leadership, he is also a master in flying (let's not deny it, after all, he hardly got his position only because of the "Beautiful Scarlet Optics"). Starscream not only could, but probably was a good leader for his comrades. He was definitely not ideal, but he learned this gradually gaining experience. Starscream has all the good qualities of a leader: charisma, intelligence, oratory skills. It probably also kept him in the position of Winglord for a long time, and also this management experience helped him become a good leader after the war (and although this is debatable, but I consider him a better leader than Windblade. He knew what problems Cybertronian society could face after such a long war. About those problems that preceded the war. He knew what he was managing, that he had the best potential… Honestly, this makes him even more tragic in my eyes)

Winglord is a duty to move society forward and take care of it, a guarantee of progress. Stagnation for this status means loss of independence for all seekers.