The Androids of the Alien-verse, Ranked by Their Humanity

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Spoilers ahead for all of the Alien films and Alien: Earth.

The new show *Alien: Earth* tackles huge philosophical questions – like what it means to be human. Inspired by the classic film series, it doesn’t shy away from asking whether we should recognize the intelligence and even the suffering of artificial beings that can think, feel, and dream, even if they’re as strange as organic sheep possessed by tentacled eyeballs.

It’s interesting that the credits for *Alien: Earth* credit Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett – the original *Alien* screenwriters – as the source material, but don’t mention producers David Giler and Walter Hill. Hill and Giler were actually the ones who developed the ideas about artificial intelligence that seem to be the main focus of the show. This happened before, too, with director Ridley Scott. When he returned to the *Alien* universe with *Prometheus* and *Alien: Covenant*, he made Michael Fassbender’s android, David, the central character across both prequels. While the core plot of a crew member being attacked and unleashing a deadly creature comes from O’Bannon and Shusett, the crucial twist – that the science officer Ash is an android programmed to help the creature survive – was created by Giler and Hill.

The characters in *Alien: Earth* – the synthetic beings, hybrids, and cyborgs – are just as influenced by the show’s broader themes as they are by the original *Alien* story. This is highlighted by a late-season reveal: Atom Eins, the key assistant to the arrogant creator of these beings, Boy Kavalier, is also a synthetic. This comes as a surprise because Kirsh, Kavalier’s other assistant, openly embraces his artificial nature. It makes you wonder if Ash, from the original *Alien*, would have done the same if he hadn’t been instructed to pretend to be human. The series features many different artificial beings, and this analysis will focus on how convincingly they portray humanity. While this is a subjective measure, it’s fitting for a show that explores what it means to be human, even when consciousness is transferred or extended beyond the natural form.

8.
Rook (Alien: Romulus)

Fede Alvarez’s 2024 film serves as a direct sequel to the original *Alien*, set 57 years before *Aliens*. It’s a loving and well-crafted tribute to the entire *Alien* series, though it might have been even stronger without so many references to past movies. One particularly controversial choice was the inclusion of Rook, an android resembling the character Ash, voiced by Daniel Betts but digitally recreated to look like the late Ian Holm. While Holm passed away in 2020, Alvarez obtained permission from his estate to revive his likeness as he appeared roughly four decades earlier. The effects team started with a 1999 life cast of Holm’s head, originally made for *The Lord of the Rings*, and built a full-size animatronic puppet. They then used deepfake technology to convincingly recreate Holm’s appearance from 1979, allowing the puppet to interact with the actors on set.

Even if the special effects had been better, the whole situation would still feel unsettling. Apparently, the initial effects were so weak that director Alvarez persuaded Fox to add some money for improvements before releasing the film on home video. It’s ironic that they went to such lengths to digitally recreate an older character, especially considering that even without the gruesome scene of Rook being split in two, it would be obvious he was just another one of the corporation’s robots, completely devoted to their agenda.

7.
David (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant)

David, an artificial human created by Peter Weyland, begins to grapple with his own existence almost immediately after being activated. This android, who seems fascinated by the film *Lawrence of Arabia*, is revealed to be the main antagonist in *Prometheus*, secretly contaminating the ship’s crew with a strange alien substance. We don’t see his awakening and initial questioning of his creator until the opening flashback sequence of *Covenant*, which came out five years later.

David’s first independent act is choosing what to play on the piano, after being simply told to play *something* by Weyland. He selects Wagner’s “The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla.” Given his disdain for the humans who will ultimately perish, it’s not surprising he’d embrace the legacy of the ancient Engineers instead of trying to impress them.

6.
Kirsh (Alien: Earth)

Kirsh isn’t human and has no desire to be-he refers to humans as simply “food” in the pilot episode of Earth. He finds it amusing that Boy Kavalier programmed the artificial body of the character Marcie/Wendy to mimic the emotional responses caused by hormones, something her original, frail human body experienced.

Despite being advanced, Kirsch isn’t without flaws – he struggles with pride, arrogance, and easily becomes irritated, especially when Kavalier talks down to him, which happens frequently. Kavalier often acts superior, even telling Kirsch dismissively to go back to his work. The brief moment Kirsch maintains eye contact before obeying reveals a very human desire for acknowledgment, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. This dynamic is reminiscent of Leonard Nimoy’s portrayal of Spock – a conflicted being with a hint of humanity – and is beautifully captured by Timothy Olyphant’s performance, particularly through his frequent use of the word “Fascinating.”

5.
Walter (Alien: Covenant)

Walter, a more approachable and less self-sufficient version of David (both played by Michael Fassbender), is one of three androids designed to comfort the easily stressed humans around them with a childlike demeanor. This theme is central to the story of Earth, which explores the unsettling idea of “Hybrids” – beings with the emotional maturity of children but possessing incredible physical strength. Unlike some other androids, Walter, along with the others in this group, doesn’t seem conflicted internally. They genuinely appear to enjoy helping people and appreciate being recognized for their efforts.

Walter, an artificial human crew member on the colonization ship *Covenant*, stands out as a particularly interesting character. The conversations between Walter and his more independent predecessor, David, are the most compelling part of the movie. Walter criticizes David, saying he was “too human” and “thinking for yourself.” However, what Walter sees as humanity in David is actually more like an inflated ego. This leads me to believe Walter is the more human of the two. This discussion takes place in David’s workshop, filled with his unique creations – expressions of individuality that Walter and other synthetics lack. Walter doesn’t have David’s imagination, nor does he share David’s hatred of people. Their fight reveals that while Walter is physically stronger, the lack of independent thought makes him just as susceptible to David’s plans as any of the human crew members.

4.
Andy (Alien: Romulus)

David Jonsson plays Andy, a kind and somewhat goofy robotic ‘brother’ to Cailee Spaeny’s character, Rain. He’s an outdated Weyland-Yutani robot her father salvaged and repaired to provide companionship, as both parents were suffering from illnesses contracted while working in the mines of the remote Weyland-Yutani settlement, Jackson’s Star. Like many younger siblings, Andy is naive and needs constant supervision. However, a new chip dramatically changes him, turning him into a brave and helpful ally – but unfortunately, it also makes him loyal to Weyland-Yutani instead of Rain.

Jonsson delivers a skillful performance, making Andy both believable as a kindhearted child and a mysterious figure who enjoys solving puzzles. He confidently tells Rain, “I can finally help, and you won’t see me as a child anymore.” Jonsson manages to avoid the common pitfall of young actors playing children – he never becomes irritating. The performance also leaves the audience wondering if Andy will ultimately be revealed as a Bishop, or something else entirely…

3.
Ash (Alien)

Ash, the first of the synthetic humans featured in *Alien* and one of the few whose artificial nature wasn’t immediately obvious, stands out as a particularly compelling character. His aloofness from the *Nostromo* crew is understandable, as he was a recent addition to the team. When he allowed Dallas, Kane, and Lambert to re-enter the ship despite the alien parasite on Kane’s face, it wasn’t a mistake – he was following secret orders from the Weyland-Yutani Company, though this isn’t revealed until later. Initially, viewers only see that Ash disregards Ripley, who is the highest-ranking officer on board while Dallas is away. His dismissal of a competent woman’s concerns felt realistically human, whether in 1979, the film’s setting of 2122, or even today.

2.
Bishop (Aliens and Alien 3)

James Cameron’s brilliant sequel to *Alien* is full of unexpected twists. One of the most impactful is the character of Bishop, a kind and skilled android played by Lance Henriksen, who proves to be a true hero. Ripley initially distrusts him, fully anticipating betrayal, but it’s Bishop who ultimately sacrifices himself – impaled by the Alien Queen’s tail and torn in half. This happens just after he bravely rescues Ripley and Newt from a collapsing structure, destroying the Alien hive and the entire Weyland-Yutani colony in the process. He briefly enjoys Ripley’s gratitude – a simple “You did okay” – before saving her life once more, diverting the Queen’s attention so Ripley can prepare for a final showdown in the Power Loader.

It’s always been unclear why Bishop didn’t seem to be working with Carter Burke, the company representative, who assumed the android would follow orders to keep the captured face-huggers undamaged for delivery to the company labs. However, Bishop’s decision to save Ripley and Newt instead of returning to the *Sulaco* with the specimens he’d collected shows that his programming to protect human life – preventing him from harming or allowing harm to come to a person – was more powerful than any instructions from the company.

It’s not really the place to debate the backstory of actor Henriksen’s character in *Alien vs. Predator* – a story later changed by *Prometheus* (and even further adjusted by *Alien: Earth*) – but we need to address the two versions of Bishop in *Alien 3*. There’s the damaged Bishop that fans adore, the one Ripley briefly connects with to retrieve flight data from the *Sulaco*, who then asks her to disconnect him, stating he’d rather not exist as a broken machine. It’s a surprisingly human sentiment. Then, at the end of the film, another Bishop arrives, attempting to take Ripley into custody and surgically remove the alien inside her. Ripley believes he’s just another synthetic, but he claims to be the human who originally designed Bishop, modeling it after himself. The 2003 extended edition of *Alien 3*, included in the *Alien Anthology* Blu-ray, confirms he’s telling the truth – when hit with a pipe, he bleeds and shouts, “I’m not a droid!”

But even this robot isn’t the most human-like character here. Surprisingly, the artificial person who seems the *most* like a real person is a cynical but hopeful synthetic being named…

1.
Call (Alien: Resurrection)

Let’s be clear: I’m not saying this later installment, written by Joss Whedon and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, is a great movie. However, it does present the most believable android character in the series. More importantly, it introduces concepts – later explored in Hawley’s *Alien: Earth* – like the idea that Ripley is part-human, part-Xenomorph, and can actually communicate with the creatures.

Five years after Sigourney Weaver’s character died in *Alien 3*, she returned for *Resurrection* not as Ellen Ripley, who had been dead for two centuries within the film’s timeline, but as Ripley 8 – a powerful clone created from an alien queen. This made Winona Ryder’s character, Call, the central figure of this movie, acting as the one who raises concerns and the voice of reason that no one listens to. Call famously warns her crew that if the creatures escape, the consequences will be far worse than anything they’ve faced before. The film establishes her as someone with a strong moral compass by showing her defending a crewmate from a bully. Therefore, it’s a genuine shock to discover, with only half an hour left, that she is an android. Ripley 8 observes, “I should’ve known. No human being is that humane.”

Call, the android, is unique and driven by her own interests, likely because she’s a second-generation model – essentially built by other robots – and was created despite a government ban. When asked to repair the freighter *Auriga’s* navigation system, she casually mentions an android uprising, hinting at a much richer history than the movie *Resurrection* reveals. Instead of adding depth to the story, Call’s artificial nature mostly serves the plot – she’s the key to the crew’s plan to destroy the ship, which is overrun by xenomorphs. Interestingly, she makes the sign of the cross when entering the ship’s chapel. Ripley 8 questions if this is programmed behavior, but Call remains silent. It seems Call rejected her intended purpose and embraced faith, or at least the practice of it, which feels surprisingly human.

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2025-09-26 19:57