The American Film Institute (AFI) has chosen their highest regarded lead characters from the most honored science fiction films since the inception of motion pictures. There are standouts from James Cameron's Terminator films, George Lucas' Star Wars saga, and Ridley Scott's blend of sci-fi and horror in the original Alien.
Interestingly, the AFI has highlighted several characters who are not human. Some are classic extraterrestrial examples, while others are robotic posing as human. In other cases, there are those who are masters of their craft. Most wield their power for their own benefit with some exceptions.
The Greatest Villains
The Terminator - The Terminator (1984)
The role that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star saw him suit up as a cyborg from the year 2026 posing as a human assassin. The emotionless and efficient killer bot searches for the mother whose son will lead the war against his fellow machines after a nuclear cataclysm years later to erase his time stream.
Schwarzenegger delivers the iconic "I'll be back" line during an epic shootout with police while in pursuit of Sarah Connor, his target. Underneath its artificial skin, The Terminator is a menacing skull-faced drone that when battled with, short of complete destruction, keeps coming like a flesh-eating zombie with no fear.
The Martians - War Of The Worlds (1953)
To produce the desired antagonistic effect, the Martians appeared in physical form with three glowing eyes and smaller versions of a mother ship that crashed. The vessels look like stealth bombers with antennae and destroy with impunity.
The idea of total annihilation by alien invaders stems from the Cold War-era fear of a nuclear holocaust where millions would die within a short-term span. While H.G. Wells could not have conceived of such an event when he wrote his 1897 novel, the conditions set forth in it reflected the time period in which the film was made. Steven Spielberg directed his own version of the story in 2005, starring Tom Cruise.
The Xenomorph - Alien (1979)
In Alien, the commercial towing vessel, Nostromo, is drawn to a mysterious signal from an uncharted planet designated LB-426. When a crew member finds the remains of a nest, he becomes a host and subsequently dies a violent death at the creature's birth. One by one, the crew is viciously mauled by the Xenomorph leaving one survivor, Ripley, to dispose of the creature and escape before the Nostromo self-destructs.
The Xenomorph is among the most frightening creatures to grace theaters. It has many methods of killing its enemies that include a second set of jaws, a spiked tail, and acidic saliva. The alien leaves a high body count when it encounters humans whether they be deep space explorers, scientists, or perhaps Colonial Marines and colonists, as seen in Aliens.
HAL 9000 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
In the future postulated by 2001: A Space Odyssey, an interplanetary spacecraft will feature a crew and a supercomputer with artificial intelligence assisting their efforts. In Stanley Kubrick's screen adaptation, the AI is HAL 9000. While on route to Jupiter to investigate the origins of extraterrestrial artifacts on Earth, HAL becomes self-aware and attempts to commandeer the vessel he inhabits.
Like a Terminator, HAL is not human, seen only as a talking red light. It operates logically until its programming evolves to a state where it calculates that its human counterparts are a threat to its existence and engages in self-preservation measures. 2001 released during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, forecasting great dangers not only inherent in space travel, but the technology needed to do so.
Darth Vader - Star Wars (1977)
There is no other iconic villain in the history of science fiction cinema than Darth Vader. He is the embodiment of evil and the main antagonist of the original Star Wars films. The audience learns that Vader is Luke Skywalker's father at the climax of The Empire Strikes Back.
All that is known about Vader's origins is that he was a young Jedi Knight who was "seduced by the dark side of The Force," a metaphysical power if properly disciplined can give its students unnatural abilities. Vader's villain status is amplified when he attempts to force Luke to surrender to his will in Return of the Jedi. However, he realizes, in the eleventh hour, that it has been his master, The Emperor, influencing him all along.
The Greatest Heros
The T-101 - Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Perhaps the most unlikely swap from villain to hero occurs in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This time, Schwarzenegger wears leather, cool shades, and rides a Harley Davidson to the rescue of John Connor. He protects John from the more advanced shape-shifting T-1000, which its parent artificial intelligence, Skynet, is more determined to eliminate.
While the T-1000 pursues the Connors, Arnold's T-101 conjures up a risky plan to destroy Skynet before its created. Unlike the original T-101, the newly programmed cyborg has the ability to learn and become more human by learning body language, curse words, and the meaning of life. In the end, he has his allies destroy him to satisfy the greater good, stopping Judgment Day.
Obi-Wan Kenobi - Star Wars (1977)
Alec Guinness portrayed the mentor of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Kenobi's back story is heavily explored in the prequels. He studied under Master Qui-Gon Jinn, defeated Sith apprentice Darth Maul, and became a general during the Clone Wars. Following Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan sought refuge on Tatooine where he could protect Luke from the Empire.
Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi is a master of the Jedi arts and quite philosophical. He blames himself for losing his former pupil, Anakin Skywalker, to the dark side and vowed not to repeat the same mistake. When he learns Luke's sister, Leia, is leading a resistance at risk from the Empire's planet-killing Death Star, he begins teaching Luke and assists in the rescue efforts.
Han Solo - Star Wars (1977)
The merc who shoots first with his blaster before asking questions, Han Solo is the pilot commander of the Millenium Falcon that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. After teaming up with Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa in A New Hope, Han becomes their trusted partner in their rebellion against the Empire where he helps destroy two Death Stars and one Starkiller Base.
Filling the role of the swashbuckler space pirate is Harrison Ford. With a reputation as a smooth-talking scoundrel, Solo pursues a romantic courtship of Princess Leia and becomes a father to Kylo Ren, formally Ben Solo. In an unselfish heroic act, Solo sacrifices himself to steer Kylo back toward the light. His friendships with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian bring experience to the resistance ranks and help turn the tide of the wars fought against the Empire and First Order.
Ellen Ripley - Alien (1979)
Sigourney Weaver is Ellen Ripley, the Nostromo's warrant officer. She is calm under pressure and always knows what to do in an emergency. With her crewmates dropping like flies, Ripley sets the emergency destruct system, grabs Jonesy the cat and carries him to the escape shuttle, whilst wielding a flamethrower. She has a moment of panic when the xenomorph stows aboard the pod but her better senses tell her to hop into a spacesuit and blow it out the airlock.
Ripley is among the first strong female leads in a science-fiction franchise. She is in good company with Sarah Connor and Princess Leia, who hold their own alongside their male counterparts and contribute in unexpected ways. Ripley outsmarted dozens of xenomorphs across four movies.
Indiana Jones - Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
Harrison Ford dons the fedora, leather jacket, and bullwhip traversing the globe searching for artifacts that prove some of Earth's most popular myths correct. He is an archeologist by trade and uses the scientific method to conduct his investigations. The Indiana Jones films blend history and mythology together adding a touch of supernatural intrigue.
The AFI defines science-fiction as a "genre that marries a scientific or technological premise with imaginative speculation." Raiders of the Lost Ark speculated the Nazis' obsession with the occult led them to believe acquiring the Ark of the Covenant from the Book of Exodus would grant them extraordinary power over the world. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull examined the possible role ancient aliens played in the development of civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs.