Summary
WithAlien: Romulus, fans are given the iconic Xenomorph as expected, but it also continues a long-running tradition of featuring at least one android character. These artificial people are almost as important as the titular monsters because they are often an important part of the cast and plot.
One of the best things that Alien: Romulusalso maintains is that the android character is always vastly different in each new entry. Some are heroic and show as much, if not more, humanity than the humans, while others are twisted villains who can be just as scary as the Xenomorph due to their soft-spoken voices and eerily collected personality.
Major story spoilers ahead for Alien: Romulus
8Bishop II - Alien 3
Too Little, Too Late
In the last five minutes ofAlien 3, even after the Xenomorph has been killed, audiences are given a literal last-minute villain in the form ofBishop II. Though he is enigmatic, with Lance Henriksen stealing the spotlight for a brief but sinister performance, it is far too brief.
The wayAlien 3displays this character, it’s not even clear if he is a synthetic or not. On one hand, he displays red blood like a human, but even his name is a hint of him being one, and the character Aaron calls him an android. It makes for a confusing final mystery beforeAlien 3ends with the sacrifice of Ellen Ripley and the character leaves little to no impact.
7Rook - Alien: Romulus
Surprising But Slightly Jarring Fan Service
When the scavengers of the Corbelan IV become victims of Xenomorph horror inAlien: Romulus, they end up being guided by the surviving science officer of the Renaissance station. Much to the surprise of audiences, it turns out to be a synthetic of the same model as Ash from the originalAlien.
Science officer Rook even features Ian Holm’s likeness via CGI replication, which was consented to by his family, and a nearly perfect impression of his voice by Daniel Betts.It makes for a fun nostalgia tripbut, with the occasional Uncanny Valley factor, Rook doesn’t provide anything new other than a surprising connection to previous movies.
6Call - Alien: Resurrection
The Most Human-like Android
Winona Ryder provides a memorable performance inAlien: Resurrectionas the character of Call since it’s not clear at all that she is an android until the latter half. Somehow, Call knows of Ellen Ripley and the attempt to clone her along with the Xenomorph strain, leading to her trying to kill both byhiding among the pirate crewof the Betty.
There are many interesting aspects to Call, such as her mysterious origin, compassion for humanity, and her being far more human-like than any other synthetic before and since. Unfortunately, Call is one of the few enjoyable aspects ofAlien: Resurrectionand even her best qualities are often ruined by inconsistent tones and lack of development.
5Walter - Alien: Covenant
Unsung Hero Of The Covenant
InAlien Covenant, Michael Fassbender was given the chance to flex his acting skills by playing a heroic and villainous variant of the same android model. While David becomes vehemently frustrated with humanity, Walter shows kindness, curiosity, and care in his own Stoic ways that showcase a drastic contrast between the two androids.
The conflict between the brothers remains a strong part ofAlien: Covenant. When Walter can clearly see where David is coming from in his desire to createthe perfect organism via the Xenomorphout of spite of humans, Walter also sees the beauty in humanity, especially in Daniels, whom he seemingly has feelings for, showcasing androids becoming more human-like with each generation.
4Ash - Alien
The First Android And Still Iconic
Back in 1979, the reveal of Ash being an android was a shock in the originalAlien.While the Xenomorph is a terrifying creature, Ash being this cold and calculated machine willing to sacrifice and kill all members of the Nostromo crew just to bring the Xenomorph back to Weyland-Yutani is arguably even creepier.
Ian Holm cleverly plays Ash to be an emotionless and arrogant science officer who should make it obvious that he isn’t human, but there are just enough human qualities to keep him hidden, even from the audience. Combined with his eerie admiration for the alien life form, he is an an iconic character in Ridley Scott’sAlienand across the whole franchise.
3David - Prometheus & Alien: Covenant
Scariest Artificial Person In The Galaxy
DespitePrometheusandAlien: Covenantbeing the most divisivefilms in theAlientimeline, even critics would give credit to Michael Fassbender for show-stealing as David. InPrometheus, David starts as this curious servant of his human masters, fascinated by the Engineers and their sciences. However, from the start, there is an eeriness about him similar to Ash but also different.
David performs experiments with the Pathogen, which leads to him becoming far more evolved inAlien: Covenant, where he’s rediscovered himself and created the first Xenomorph. Arguably, he goes through more growth than any human character does, showing a slow evolution into an even more twisted version of Dr. Frankenstein, which is equally fascinating to witness as it is creepy.
2Bishop - Aliens & Alien 3
Famous Face Of The Franchise
After Ellen Ripley is nearly killed by an android in the first movie,Aliensintroduces Bishop, played by Lance Henriksen, and director James Cameron was clever with him. Ripley, as well as the audience, naturally doesn’t trust Bishop at first and the movie even makes Bishop a bit peculiar to a degree to keep first-time viewers from fully trusting him, such as his interest in the Facehuggers.
However, the moreAliensprogresses, the more Bishop proves himself. From volunteering to crawl through yards of tunnels on his own to saving Ripley and Newt when they needed him most. He even saves Newt from being sucked into space. It can be said that he’s not bad for an artificial person, andhe inspired future sci-fi gamessuch asDetroit: Become Human.
1Andy - Alien: Romulus
He Stole The Entire Movie
WhileAlien: Romulusretreads a lot of familiar space,it also introduces several new conceptsto the Alien mythology, such as lower-class working androids. One of them is a brother figure to the main character, Rain, named Andy. Andy is almost like a child at first, only caring about his sister’s well-being with a timid but kind nature.
However, thanks to an upgrade, Andy becomes a servant of Weyland-Yutani, swapping his personality for a more phlegmatic and unwavering one. In a way, Andy has the qualities of Walter and David rolled into one, even down to his accent changing between the two personas. Andy is considered a highlight ofAlien: Romulusand much of that goes to David Jonsson’s performance.
