Summary

• Each Terminator model has unique strengths and weaknesses, adding depth to the franchise's history.
• The innovation in each Terminator movie introduces new abilities to differentiate the various models.
• The T-800 remains a formidable force with durability and the ability to learn and adapt, evolving over time.

The Terminator franchise spans multiple alternate timelines, and many different Terminator models have been introduced. Fans have gotten to experience a long history of the killing machine created by Skynet to take over the Earth. The debate that arises for many fans is which model is the most powerful. From the classic T-800 played by Arnold Schwarzenegger to the latest model portrayed by Gabriel Luna, all Terminator models have different strengths and weaknesses that they bring to the table.

Something the Terminator franchise cannot be accused of is the lack of innovation. Each Terminator movie, no matter how well it was received, brings something new to the table with these models. Whether it was turning the human resistance leader John Connor into an evil Terminator or showing what would happen if different Terminator models arrived in an alternate timeline, each of the new Terminator models possesses different abilities, helping them stand out.

13 The T-600 Are Infiltrator Models

Terminator Salvation, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

A predecessor to the T-800, the T-600 Terminator models were intended to be infiltrator models, but they were slow and clunky, and their prosthetic skin was poorly made. As a result, the T-600 became an infantry unit which can be seen throughout the criminally underrated prequel/sequel Terminator Salvation. They aren't nearly as durable as their more iconic successors.

T-600s could be killed with regular weaponry and be crushed by machinery. That doesn't mean that they are pushovers though. John Connor barely survived an encounter against one with no legs.

12 The T-1 Is An Armed, Armored Tank

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines, Terminator Salvation

The T-1, as the name implies, was the first Terminator-class machine Skynet created and wasn’t nearly as refined as the cyborg models that would come later. The T-1 is a heavily armed and armored tank and while it’s certainly a formidable enemy, it also completely lacks maneuverability. The T-1 did end up evolving into the much larger HK-Tanks that plow through the future battlefields with large turrets.

The T-1 made its debut in Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines and was featured again in Terminator Salvation. They were still in service by 2018 and mostly guarded important facilities and prisoners and were set to kill any intruder.

11 Moto-Terminator Is A Terminator On Wheels

Terminator Salvation

The idea of a Terminator-on-wheels was improved upon by Skynet with the Moto-Terminators. They are fast and agile machines that resemble motorcycles; they reach intense speeds of 200 miles per hour and can lean onto their side in mid-acceleration and then keep going. What they lack is their weaponry. Christian Bale's version of John Connor was able to hack into one with seeming ease to get to Skynet Central.

They are not durable Terminator models either, as Kyle shot and destroyed one in Terminator: Salvation and then stopped another when he caught it with a ball hook and dragged it behind them.

10 Hydrobot Is A Water-Based Terminator Model

Terminator Salvation

The Hydrobot water-based Terminator models resemble eels with their elongated bodies that they use to slither through the water. They also have claw-like faces that they use to grab onto their victims and pull them into the water. These Terminators were able to murder an entire helicopter team and would have killed John Connor if it weren't for Marcus Wright.

While they were powerful enough to bring down a helicopter, John Connor took several of them out with just a pistol and Marcus destroyed the last machine to save Connor. They are also not considered "smart" Terminator models.

9 Marcus Wright Was A Terminator Who Believed He Was Human

Terminator Salvation

While the T-800 and T-850 always seem more machine than man (because they are), Marcus Wright was the opposite. Even Wright himself knew nothing of the fact that he was a cyborg until an injury exposed his mechanized parts. Marcus was a Death Row prisoner executed for multiple murders and then his body was turned into a Terminator model.

After the revelation, Marcus's abilities amount to a fairly standard-issue-enhanced strength and wiring himself into the enemy’s systems. He did possess the strength to fight and even decapitate a T-800, which is no easy feat. He also had one other important power - he could manipulate the Skynet network.

8 Harvesters Are Terminator Models That Harvest Humans

Terminator Salvation

Not much is known about these Terminator models other than they do what their name suggests. They harvest humans, storing them inside HK transports. Still, they are Terminator models, and they live up to that name with twin shoulder cannons that fire energy blasts that obliterate automobiles with ease. Harvesters also act as housing units for the Moto-Terminators. This suggests that Harvesters are slower models, which is why it stores itself on an HK transport to deliver its cargo.

7 Hunter Killers Are Small Drone Terminator Models

Most Terminator Movies

The Hunter-Killers come in all sizes; smaller drone-sized models and massive aerial assault Hunter-Killers that can wipe out entire squadrons of resistance fighters. Their firepower is easily their strongest feature, but they lack durability, with even a basic sub-machine gun able to take down a smaller HK. Turrets and assault rifles of the future could take down a larger HK. HKs are also fast and agile. It balances out its weak structure with maneuverability to avoid attacks and dish out its powerful ones.

6 The T-800 Is The Original Terminator Model In The Movies

Every Terminator Movie

The T-800 became the face of Skynet's garrison with legions of these cybernetic soldiers fighting on the battlefield and were the ideal assassin to send back in time. The T-800 is incredibly durable, able to be pelted with entire arsenals and keep going. They also feature the strength to tear through steel and iron. What they lack is agility, which can give them a disadvantage in combat.

This model was able to learn, use many different deadly weapons, and evolve

However, this model was able to learn, use many different deadly weapons, and evolve to become more human-like over time. Uncle Bob from Judgment Day and Carl from Terminator: Dark Fate were able to become father figures.

5 The T-850 Upgraded The T-800 Terminator Model

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

Here, again, Schwarzenegger played a cyborg assassin, who had been reprogrammed by the human resistance and sent back in time to protect John Connor and Kate Brewster. This Terminator model, however, is slightly different: it’s a T-850. It possesses a few minor differences and enhancements over the T-800, including a deeper understanding of human psychology.

In the end, though, it relies on its brute strength, endurance, and competence with a range of advanced weaponry to defeat its enemy. The T-850 also features a power cell in its chest which acts as miniaturized nuclear bombs.

4 The T-X Was An Upgrade To The T-1000

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

The Terminatrix AKA The T-X is supposed to be the upgrade from the T-1000 and a proper mix of it and the T-800. However, it results in a Terminator model that seems more like a waste of potential because, other than being a bit more nimble and having an arm cannon, it doesn't appear to be nearly as effective. She's not nearly as imposing or dangerous as her predecessor.

The T-X's biggest trump card is its ability to hack into any piece of machinery and control it remotely. It was actually because of this that Skynet was able to rise and Judgment Day started.

3 The T-3000 Was John Connor As A Terminator Prototype

Terminator Genisys

Nanotechnology was the inevitable future for Skynet, especially since it's a very real-world concept. The first attempt at nanotech was with Terminator Genisys. John Connor was converted into the prototype T-3000, and it made him into a one-Terminator army. Even the beloved T-800 couldn't beat him on his own. As a T-3000, John Connor was given intense strength, super speed, and the ability to phase through matter, shapeshift, and create weapons.

As a result, it feels like a natural progression from the T-1000 but with one big weakness: magnets cause this model to malfunction and render its powers useless.

2 The T-1000 Was The T-800's Most Dangerous Nemesis

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Even though the T-800 is the star of the franchise, it did fail multiple times in the battle against the T-1000. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the T-1000 proved to be the most formidable assassin from Skynet. Thanks to its mimetic poly-alloy (or liquid metal) structure, it could imitate anyone it touched perfectly. It was able to understand and replicate human emotion perfectly, allowing it to blend in as a normal police officer.

In a one-on-one fight, it was able to overpower and disable the T-800 and show no signs of wear. It was only with the rapid shifts between extreme temperatures that the T-1000 was outsmarted but only barely.

1 The Rev-9 Was The Most Adaptable Terminator Model

Terminator: Dark Fate

The Rev-9 is a better execution of the T-X, mixing the abilities of the T-800 and the T-1000. The twist is that the Rev-9 can split his liquid nano-particle metal form and his endoskeleton into two beings that can operate independently. As a result, the Rev-9 proved to be more powerful than any Terminator model.

With its mastery of hand-to-hand combat, it took the combination of a hardened Sarah Connor, an augmented soldier, an aged T-800, and the target Rev-9 was after to even weaken it. The Rev-9 was also given the ability to imitate human characteristics and could hack into any system using the nano-particles.