How the Terminators have evolved in the movies, from Arnold Schwarzenegger's iconic T-800 to Gabriel Luna's cutting edge Rev-9
'The Terminator' (1984) saw Arnold Schwarzenegger boot up as a killing machine, a cyborg assassin sent back in time from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose son John will one day become a savior against machines in a post-apocalyptic future.
Since then, there have been four movies from the same franchise and each of them have showcased a cooler version of the Terminator out to kill John and Sarah Connor.
Linda Hamilton and Schwarzenegger will be back again in 'Terminator: Dark Fate' which will serve as a direct sequel to 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' (and disregard all other Terminator works as occurring in alternate timelines).
The logline reads: "27 years after the events of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', a new, modified liquid metal Terminator (Gabriel Luna) is sent from the future by Skynet in order to terminate Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), a hybrid cyborg human (Mackenzie Davis), and her friends. Sarah Connor comes to their aid, as well as the original Terminator, for a fight for the future."
While 'Terminator: Rise of the Machines', 'Terminator: Salvation' and 'Terminator: Genisys' are not officially part of the timeline, they have still managed to bring in some state-of-the-art killing machines. Here's a look at all the Terminators so far:
'The Terminator': T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
The Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 Series 800 Terminator was sent by Skynet from 2029 to 1984's Los Angeles to kill Sarah Connor, the future mother of John Connor, who grows up to be the leader of the future human resistance.
At that stage, he is a killing machine with a powerful metal endoskeleton and an external layer of living tissue that makes him appear human. Barring from the fact that he is bulletproof with an innate capacity of handling weapons and hand-to-hand combat, there wasn't much to boast off. However, he was a badass machine back in the '80s. Pity the machine couldn't handle the load of a hydraulic press.
'Terminator 2: Judgement Day': T-1000 (Robert Patrick)
The T-1000 was a major upgrade as he was made of liquid metal. Patrick's Terminator was an advanced destroyer composed of a mimetic poly-alloy making him fully capable of shape-shifting, near-perfect mimicking abilities and quick healing from damage. In addition, he could also assume alternate forms, morphing arms, and limbs to deadly tools and travel through solid objects. The more slender frame with superior strength was one of the highlights.
The weakness comes in the form of extreme temperatures and lack of awareness about other Terminator models. Patrick's version was killed after he was tossed into a vat of molten steel.
'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines': T-X (Kristanna Loken)
The third installment saw jaws drop when it introduced Loken as a gynoid assassin. The endoskeleton was designed in an androgynous shape which would permit the android to assume the superficial traits of both men and women. This was the reason she could impersonate any character in the movie. In addition to this, the T-X also had a powerful array of weapons coupled with a system that could better study its predecessors. This was undoubtedly an upgraded version of Patrick's T-1000 that even made Schwarzenegger's T-850 look antique. Plus, it was made of poly-alloy and was bullet-proof like the T-1000.
What's the weakness? Hydrogen fuel cells.
'Terminator: Genisys': T-3000 (Jason Clarke)
The T-3000 is a hybrid nanotechnological cyborg and perhaps the best of the terminators before Gabriel Luna's Rev-9. Played by Jason Clarke, it is revealed that he was a far-advanced T-3000 Terminator. Created by programmable matter, the T-3000 has abilities that go beyond shape-shifting and instant healing powers. Unlike previous Terminators, the T-3000 transforms and regenerates in layers, beginning with its bone structure, then muscle, skin, and clothing.
These aspects are combined with the access the cyborg has to its original human host's memories. In addition, by retaining his or her personality, behavioral traits, and emotions, the T-3000 can easily pass off as a human. Essentially a machine that thinks like humans, the T-3000's kryptonite is that he was susceptible to magnetic attacks. A sufficiently strong magnetic field can pull the T-3000 apart, and if his body is exposed to a powerful magnetic field for a longer time, the cyborg can be torn apart and destroyed, which is exactly what happens in 'Genisys'.
'Terminator: Dark Fate': Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna)
Played by Gabriel Luna ( Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), the Rev-9 is an advanced form of the Terminator with a solid endoskeleton surrounded by a layer of mimetic poly-alloy. What catches the eye is the fact that it can separate the alloy from the endoskeleton to become two Terminators. The Rev 9 almost appears to be a combo of a T-800 and a T-1000.
From what we have seen in the trailer so far, Rev-9 comes across as the most formidable Terminator seen in the franchise so far. The machine can withstand heavy gunfire, extreme temperature and magnetic fields — the weaknesses of all its previous models. However, it will have that one weakness that we'll know when the movie hits the screens this November.
'Terminator: Dark Fate' releases on November 1, 2019