LEARN MORE ABOUT LOOT SCI-FI
MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!
Even though it is the 7th. Close enough, right? ANYWAYS! This past week was national Star Wars day and to celebrate I have decided to write a blog on some of the best Sci-Fi characters of all time! Before you get all crazy because maybe your favorite character didn’t make the cut, I must say I am no expert and these are simply my opinion (and in no specific order). Phew! Now that that is cleared up, Let’s beam right in! (get it? cus sci-fi)
Walt Disney Company
Ellen Ripley, Alien saga
GIRL POWER! What does a sci-fi protagonist require to be classed as truly great? The Alien film’s Ellen Ripley is a rare exception, and it’s fair to say that her character is nuanced in the way her male counterparts seldom are – far from merely stoic or virtuous, she’s flawed and human. When we first meet Ripley in Alien, we may not even be sure if we particularly like her or not. It’s her repeated encounters with a creature from another world – a creature which appears to embody everything that we find subconsciously horrifying about reproduction and human nature – which gradually change her over the course of the movies. She emerges as the one character capable of meeting the creature head-on in Alien, and finds the strength within herself to face an entire army of the hideous things in Aliens. -Den Of Geek
Walt Disney Company
Han Solo – Star Wars
The ultimate cinematic lovable rogue, Han Solo is far from the archetypical hero in his first appearance. He’s a loner and a smuggler, out for himself with loyalty only to his first-mate Chewbacca. His cynical nature, and seen-it-all-before attitude is the perfect foil for the naïve Luke Skywalker. While Luke has the better story arch, from farm boy to rebel hero, to the man that saves his father’s soul, Han is by for the more interesting character. -Screen Rant
Universal Pictures
Marty McFly and Doc Brown – Back To The Future Trilogy
You simply can’t have one without the other, Marty and Doc are unlikely, but great, friends. Marty is the epitome of ‘80s cool, his skateboard and guitar skills as well as his rivalry with his principal would make him a legend in any John Hughes movie. Doc is the definitive mad-professor, preoccupied, brilliant, and more than a little over-caffeinated.Michael J Fox’s easy charm, modest yet not self-deprecating, has never been bettered. Christopher Lloyd’s over-the-top performance became the benchmark for mad professor’s ever since. The chemistry between the two is a joy to watch, even thirty years later. Unlike some franchises which kept going until they were hated, Back To The Future made three great movies and knew when to quit.
Sarah Connor – The Terminator, Terminator 2
Skydance Media
Linda Hamilton’s performance as Sarah in T2 is truly brilliant. In her obsession to be a warrior, she’s become as cold and unfeeling as the machines she despises. In seeing the Terminator begin to gain some humanity, Sarah begins to regain her own.While lists like this are often dominated by male roles, it’s important to note that of all the Terminator movies, only the ones with Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor are universally considered to be the best. Overshadowed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the marketing, Linda Hamilton is the (broken) soul of the movie and should never be underestimated, or forgotten. – Screen Rant
Rocket and Groot – Guardians Of the Galaxy
Marvel Studios
Guardians of the Galaxy’ power couple, Rocket (an anthropomorphic raccoon) and Groot (a tree-like being with limited language) were an odd pairing of outcasts that got the job done, with some comedy along the way. Groot was voiced by Vin Diesel, and Rocket was voiced by Bradley Cooper, with motion action by Sean Gunn. Rocket and Groot embody elements from the greatest sci-fi characters of all time. There’s more than a little of a young and mercenary Han Solo in Rocket, there’s a LOT of Chewbacca in Groot. They look odd together, appear to have very different moral compasses on the surface, and are largely along for the ride. But, each has so much more going on that it would appear on the surface. – Star Insider
Spock – Star Treck
Paramount Pictures
It’s only logical that Spock be close to the top of the list. While Kirk may have had the easy-going charm, Spock is the more interesting character. His resourceful, intelligent mind may have saved the day several times, but it was his inner-struggle with his human half that gave him the greater narrative tension.Often seen as the high point of the series, his self-sacrifice to restore power to the Enterprise at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is, on the surface, entirely logical. As he puts it “The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the one.” But it’s also so very human. He gives his life for his shipmates, his true family. Even as he lay dying, he asks if they are out of danger. His heartfelt goodbye to Kirk is as emotional as any moment in the series. – Screen Rant
Darth Vader – Star Wars
Lucas Films
It’s not often that the bad guy is the fan-favourite, but right from the start Darth Vader captured the audience’s attention. Stepping through the destroyed bulkhead, his shiny black armour a stark contrast to the white of the Alderaanian cruiser and white armour of his Stormtroopers, his scuba-gear breathing apparatus set him apart from the rest. Over time, he goes from being Tarkin’s enforcer (remember, he takes orders from Tarkin in Star Wars) to a main character, eventually revealed to be Luke’s Father and the central character of the saga. -Screen Rant
Alex Murphy – Robocop
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
A lesser group of filmmakers could have made RoboCop’s half man, half machine protagonist look absolutely ridiculous, so it’s a testament to suit designer Rob Bottin, director Paul Verhoeven and, most of all, actor Peter Weller for creating one of the most memorable sci-fi heroes in movie history.Weller plays Murphy with pathos and tenderness – remarkable, really, given that he spends a large portion of the film with his face obscured – and he commits himself to a role that many actors would have coasted through. -Den Of Geek
Furiosa – Mad Max: Fury Road
Warner Bros
Highly intelligent, Furiosa is also a skilled warrior and strategist. And of course, she’s one heck of a driver. All this took her to the top of Immortan Joe’s ranks and earned her the name “Bag of Nails.”Despite an initial distain for the women in her care, she slowly started to bond with them, while keeping her distance and not disclosing anything of her past besides her early origins. Eventually, she tries to lead them to the so-called green place and freedom.Turning on her oppressive master to free captives is downright biblical in nature and Furiosa embodies some of the greatest elements of characters from classical mythology. Her courage, and example, is likely to be the centre of the ongoing adventures of the Mad Max universe. – Den Of Geek
Caesar- Rise of the Planet of the Apes
20th Century Fox
A true masterpiece. In the Planet of the Apes trilogy, Caesar is the noble, compassionate leader of the Apes. In the third and final movie, he must lead the apes to find a home safe from the humans who want to kill them. But Caesar also grapples with intense feelings of revenge. For actor Andy Serkis and director Matt Reeves, this simian creature embodies what it means to be a flawed but fearless human being. Caesar himself represents a noble and compassionate character that any true movie fan can’t help but fall in love with .-NPR
Agent J – Men In Black
Columbia Pictures
Not one you usually see on sci-fi top ten list but definitely deserves some recognition is Agent J from Men In Black. Sarcastic and unruly, despite J’s crime fighting abilities, he’s having a difficult time adjusting to M.I.B.’s strict rules. He’s also becoming more and more annoyed by Agent K’s diminutive nicknames for him. He reprimands Agent K, saying, “You chose me… so you recognized the skills, so I don’t want nobody calling me ‘son’ or ‘kid’ or ‘sport’ or nothing like that, cool?” A great overall character and one we all get excited to watch every-time it comes on.
I know that I threw a few into the mix you may not have expected to be here but I can recall watching them as a child and loving their character. Also, was anyone else traumatized as a kid by the movie Alien? No? Just me? OK, well as always, thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Be sure to click on my face below for more content!
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