Terminator (character)

This article is about the title character portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Terminator films. For the first film in the series, see The Terminator (film).

For all "terminator" characters in the Terminator film series, see Terminator (character concept).

For all other uses, see The Terminator Series template at the bottom of this page, or here.

The Terminator
"The Terminator", played by Arnold Schwarzenegger
First appearance	The Terminator
Last appearance	Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Created by	James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd
Portrayed by	Arnold Schwarzenegger
In-universe information
Species	Android
Gender	Male

"The Terminator" is a fictional character portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The character is a cyborg, initially portrayed as a programmable assassin and military infiltration unit. "The Terminator" character first appeared in the 1984 movie of the same name, directed and co-written by James Cameron. The character also appeared in two sequels. The first film in the series (titled simply The Terminator, like the character) features only one cyborg: the one portrayed by Schwarzenegger. In the sequels -- Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines -- Schwarzenegger reprises the role, but with a twist: Schwarzenegger plays a different, but visually identical cyborg in each of the three films. (A tagline used in early teaser trailers for Terminator 2 was "Same Make. Same Model. New Mission.") In both sequels, Schwarzenegger's terminator is pitted against other terminator androids, each portrayed by different actors (and, in some cases, robot props).

"The Terminator" is the name of Schwarzenegger's character in the credits of the three Terminator movies. At different times, the character is given more specific designations such as model and series numbers, in efforts to distinguish Schwarzenegger's character(s) from other terminators. However, this is done with several inconsistencies. (See the "Character nomenclature" section, below.) No definitive canonical explanation is present in any of the films which clarifies what exactly the differing numbers ascribed to the character represent.

Within the Terminator universe created by Cameron, the word "terminator" refers to any of an unknown number of mass-produced androids. Terminators of the same "model" share identical characteristics, just as automobiles do in reality. Cameron has suggested that Schwarzenegger's terminator is like a "Panzer tank", compared with Robert Patrick's T-1000 terminator character whom Cameron likened to a Porsche..

Character nomenclature

The end credits of all three Terminator films list Schwarzenegger's character as simply "The Terminator". Later films call the newer terminator characters by their model numbers (T-1000, T-X, etc.). The only consistent name for Schwarzenegger's terminator character has been "The Terminator"; however the character has been ascribed model numbers, albeit with some inconsistency.

• In Terminator 2, Schwarzenegger's character refers to himself as being a "Cyberdyne Systems Model 101" when he initially identifies himself to John Connor.

• In the making-of documentary included with most DVD versions of Terminator 2, director and Terminator creator James Cameron refers to the Schwarzenegger character as an "800 series" terminator. Discussing the casting of Robert Patrick to play the T-1000, Cameron states:

"Well I wanted to find someone who would be a good contrast to Arnold. If the 800 series is a kind of human Panzer tank, then the 1000 series had to be a Porsche."

However, in contradiction, other features in the Terminator 2 Extreme Edition DVD package quote Cameron as calling the character a "T-800":

For the T-1000, Cameron wanted a look that was strikingly different from Schwarzenegger's to reflect the newer, sleeker model terminator: "I wanted someone who was extremely fast and agile. If the T-800 series can be compared to a human Panzer tank, then the T-1000 series is a Porsche." He found that look in Robert Patrick (...)

• In Terminator 3, Schwarzenegger's terminator character is referred to a a "T-101" in the film's dialogue. The following dialogue is from Terminator 3. John Connor and The Terminator are discussing events from Terminator 2:

John Connor: Do you even remember me? Blowing up Cyberdyne? "Hasta la vista, baby"?

The Terminator: That was a different T-101.

• In the Terminator 3 DVD extras, Schwarzenegger's character is referred to varyingly as a "850 series Model 101", a "T-850", and a "T-101".

Fans who have analyzed canon and non-canon Terminator material have speculated that "T-800" and "T-850", or simply "800 series", refer to the android's endoskeleton, while "Model 101" refers to the complete cyborg -- the "mass-produced" version of the 800 series, whose human characteristics all look like the character(s) played by Schwarzenegger. A deleted scene from Terminator 2 that is present in DVD versions of the film lends the most weight to this explanation. In the cut scene, John and Sarah shut down The Terminator according to his instructions. When he reboots, the upper-left of his HUD reads:

CYBERDYNE SYSTEMS
SERIES 800 MODEL 101
VERSION 2.4

Characteristics

In the fictional Terminator universe, "The Terminator" is a formidable robot assassin and soldier, designed by the military supercomputer Skynet for infiltration and combat duty, towards the ultimate goal of exterminating the human resistance. It was thought that a machine, designed to the physical dimensions of the human body, and encased in specially-grown flesh and tissue, would be able to infiltrate structures disguised as a human and subsequently terminate all life from within. Every aspect of this cyborg is geared towards infiltration without detection. It can speak naturally (and copy the voices of others), read human handwriting and even genuinely sweat, smell and bleed. One of the primary defenses against Terminators is the ability of most dogs to alert humans to their presence, something which is put to good use but often ends up marking them for termination alongside their human keepers.

The T-800 Terminator endoskeleton, a robot-only version of the cyborg played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in three films. In non-covert operations, the robot does not require its human disguise.

Construction

To aid in its role as a killer, its endoskeleton is constructed from extremely tough titanium-tungsten hyperalloy. As seen in the movies, it's able to shrug off 20th century small arms fire, crash through walls intact and survive explosions to some degree, although repeated shotgun blasts actually have enough force to knock it down and temporarily disable it (This however is due to dramatic license, not actual physics. See here). The machine runs on hydrogen power cells that can go for 120 years without needing replacement. If depleted or damaged, an alternate source is available that can keep it going for some time. In the third film, the T-850 operates on two such cells and discarded one of them early on due to damage. It exploded shortly thereafter with enough force to produce a mushroom cloud.

The endoskeleton is actuated by a network of sheathed cables, hydraulic cylinders and servomechanisms. In the films, their strength is often demonstrated. For instance in the third movie, Schwarzenegger's character was able to handle firing a machine gun from the hip with one hand, while supporting an (occupied) coffin on its shoulder with the other.

Late in the first film, the "Terminator" character is stripped of its organic elements (see cyborg) by fire. What remains is the machine itself: in James Cameron's own words, "a chrome skeleton". In the later Terminator films, we see armies of endoskeleton-only Terminators. They are visually identical to the one in the first film, and feature prominently in the "future war" sequences of the second and third movies. As these function as soldiers and not infiltrators, the organic disguise is unnecessary for them.

CPU

Held in a shock-dampened skull cavity, the CPU is an artificial neural network made from advanced materials. The CPU has the ability to learn; however, Skynet "presets the switch to 'read-only' when [terminators] are sent out alone", to prevent them from "thinking too much". (Source: Terminator 2 Extended Version dialogue). In the extended version of Terminator 2, Sarah and John re-enable the hero Terminator's learning ability. (In the theatrical version, this scene is excised, and it is instead stated that the Terminator's learning ability is innate.) While the Terminator is deactivated during the procedure, John and Sarah argue over whether the Terminator is a "he" (John), or an "it" (Sarah). From this point on, the Terminator becomes more curious and begins trying to understand and imitate human behavior. This leads to his use of the catch phrase "Hasta la vista, baby". Similarly, he remarks "I need a vacation," after sustaining heavy damage while saving John and Sarah. As the hero Terminator learns, he begins acting more human; Sarah's perception of the cyborg changes from one of fear and hostility to growing acceptance. She notes to herself while observing John interacting with it that it is essentially "the only father he would ever have". A line spoken by the Terminator at the end of the movie indicates that terminators may have the potential to understand emotion: "I know now why you cry, but it is something that I can never do," he says. Sarah muses in the closing narration that the Terminator had "learn[ed] the value of human life".

Miscellaneous

A T-800 series, model 101 Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the main antagonist in the original Terminator film. Another Model 101, having been reprogrammed by the resistance in the future, is one of the protagonists in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, as is the one in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, as the protector of Kate and John.

The original Terminator was sent to terminate a single target, Sarah Connor, in 1984, to prevent the birth of her son, John, the future leader of the human resistance. It was crushed in a hydraulic-press by Sarah at the end of the first Terminator film after a lengthy chase, having already had its human flesh incinerated and its endoskeleton legs destroyed. However, one arm and its damaged main CPU were not destroyed, and were recovered by Cyberdyne. These relics were used to dramatically advance the technological level and the direction of the research of Cyberdyne, ironically ensuring the creation of Skynet in the first place. At end of the second film, both new Terminators and the surviving components from the first were destroyed in a vat of molten steel.

A comedic deleted scene from T3 reveals that the Model 101 used one Chief Master Sergeant William Candy (played by Schwarzenegger) as its physical template. For something in a Terminator film, the scene was uncharacteristically humorous due to Candy's overly-cheerful Southern accent, and also explicitly indicated that the Terminators were developed by human beings before Judgement Day, rather than being purely creations of Skynet as previously indicated. This subplot contradicts information provided in the previous two films, such as that earlier T-600 model Terminators designed with rubber skin, which was easily detected by the human resistance. Such developments existed in Kyle Reese's future timeline before the development of the Terminator (see below). However, the fact that the scene was deleted suggests that its content was deemed by its makers to be either too blatant a violation of Terminator canon, too humorous in tone, or both.

An entirely different origin of the Model 101's physical and vocal templates was provided in the novel T2: Infiltrator (published prior to T3), in the form of former counter-terrorist Dieter Rossbach, who comes to work with Sarah and John Connor against the Infiltrator, an advanced Terminator designed to efficiently infiltrate human bases. The reason stated for copying Dieter was that Skynet was looking in the old Military files for someone who's body would be able to effectively conceal the Terminators massive endoskeleton.

References in other works

The Terminator has been referenced in many films, television shows, and other media. Below is a small selection of examples.

• The NES game Darkwing Duck featured anthropomorphic duck versions of the Terminator as enemies in the final level. Initially, they had feathers and leather clothes with sunglasses, and fire from one spot. After several hits they ignite, burning away the outer covering, leaving the robot to walk around. Further damage removed their legs, leaving them to hop around dangerously by their arms.
• In Revenge of Shinobi for the Sega Genesis one of the bosses is a homage/parody of the terminator. His skin peels off during the course of the battle to reveal the metallic skeleton of the Model 101 terminator.
• The video game Snatcher has obvious influences from the film, in which the titular antagonists are Terminator-like androids with an artifical skin designed to kill humans that they resembled to take their place in society.
• In Part 1 of the Beavis and Butt-head Christmas special, Beavis dreamt of the future in which he is the cyborg manager of Burger World, which strongly resembled the Terminator. After driving away/killing all the customers with his laser pistol, Cyber-Beavis said "I'm back" upon greeting Butt-head, an obvious play on the Terminator's catchphrase "I'll be back" (the phrase, "I'm back" was later used instead of "I'll be back" in Terminator 3).
• Parodies of Terminators can also be seen occasionally in Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series.
• In the final mission of Metal Slug 4, there are several enemies that, after receiving enough damage, have their skin vaporize, revealing a metal endoskeleton.
• The Discworld character Constable Dorfl, while mostly based on Robocop, also has elements of the "good" Terminator from Terminator 2, most notably at the end of Feet of Clay.
• In the computer game Ultimate Body Blows the final boss has to be defeated in two stages, on the first of which he appears in ordinary human form and on the second of which he fights in his more dangerous Terminator-inspired endoskeleton form. Predating the capabilities of the T-X from Terminator 3, the endoskeleton boss can also shoot projectile weapons from his limbs.
• A crushed Terminator can be found in Duke Nukem 3D episode 3, secret level Freeway, in a portrayal of the T-800's destruction in the first movie. When the player passes by, Duke utters a single word: "Terminated!"
• In an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures where Plucky and Hamton go to Hollywood, the Terminator cameos as a cab driver. As he delivers the two, he utters "I'll be back". Later in the episode, Plucky and Hamton are thrown at the sewers, and saved by the Terminator, which announces "I said I would be back".
• The Neo Geo game Cyber-Lip portrays a grim future, similar to that of the Terminator movies'. It also has enemy cyborgs you fight against that look like the T-800.
• In the Jericho episode Winter's End, character Stanley Richmond says to his sister Bonnie Richmond "I'll be back" using his best impersonation of the Terminator.
• In Conker's Bad Fur Day for the Nintendo 64, after the haystack boss is defeated for the first time, he and Conker fall down to a sewer-like arena where the music and style of The Terminator is parodied and the haystack is revealed to be a machine, using "Suzi 9mm" homing rockets.

Trivia

• "Loading COMMAND.COM" message can be seen in a HUD view of the Terminator. In T3, Macintosh commands appear, such as "Remote Access", "Date and Time", "Multiple Users", "Keychain Access", "Location Manager", "Energy Saver", "Software Update", and "QuickTime Player".
• The Terminator is the only character in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains to appear in both lists (the "original" Terminator is #22 in the villains, while the reprogrammed one from T2 is #48 in the heroes).
• According to a commentary by director James Cameron in the Terminator 2 Special Edition DVD, originally, the Terminator was to be two different characters in Terminator 2 - the reprogrammed Terminator would be the protagonist while a Terminator similar to the one from the first film would be the antagonist. This concept was later dropped and the antagonist Terminator became the T-1000.

External links

• T800 Technical Data