From its iconic beginnings in 1979 to the convoluted plot of its prequels, the Alien franchise has had audiences screaming and squirming for decades. Over its nearly 50-year span and seven main entries, there have been countless deaths at the hands of the terrifying Xenomorphs.
So to celebrate the legacy of this long-running sci-fi horror franchise, as well as the release of Alien: Earth series on Disney+, it only seems right to look back at some of the most memorable deaths from across the series.
The AvP films were excluded from this list primarily due to their high kill counts and questionable status within the canon of either franchise. They do get an honourable mention here, as there are some truly satisfying kills across both films, but for the sake of ease, this list will only focus on core films in the Alien series.
10. Millburn (Prometheus)
What is commonly cited as one of the dumbest deaths in this Alien prequel is also arguably one of the film’s most memorable. Though the lead-up to this biologist’s demise is just as bumbling as it is stupid, the actual execution of the kill looks excruciating and is a great way to kick off the deaths for this underrated entry to the franchise.
9. Brett (Alien)
The late Harry Dean Stanton managed to bring a lovable charm to the character of Brett in the original Alien, which makes it all the more heartbreaking when he becomes the first fatality of the fully grown Xenomorph. The suspense and atmosphere before his death are palpable as neither Brett nor the audience knows what could happen. The way the creature lurks behind him before grabbing him by the head and biting him is a gruesome kill that certainly leaves its mark.
8. Navarro (Alien: Romulus)
Alien: Romulus delivered a lot of brilliant moments for fans, one of those being this brutal chestburster death. Navarro’s death, which happened to be a significant part of the film’s marketing, is one of the most visceral chestburster scenes in the entire series. The decision to show the alien inside her body with a scanner before it violently bashes its way out of her chest, which is complemented by some gnarly sound design, makes for a truly intense sequence.
7. Clemens (Alien 3)
Whether you love or hate Alien 3, there’s no denying that this death is the one thing you remember the most about the film. Though Clemens’ death is a fairly simple one, it earns its place on this list for two very good reasons. Firstly, it’s a brutal and bloody kill that doesn’t hold back, but more importantly, it is made more impactful by how surprising it is. The kill literally comes out of nowhere during a quiet moment between him and Ripley, shocking everyone, as Clemens is one of the better characters in the film that isn’t trying to attack her at every given opportunity.
6. Tyler (Alien: Romulus)
Tyler’s demise during this already tense sequence in Alien: Romulus is an emotionally impactful one, to say the least. The way he dies is nothing new for the series, but the suddenness of the tail impaling him to the slow rise up into the vents and the drawn-out nature of it all, whilst Rain helplessly watches in horror, is simple but effective. All of this pays off with a swift and gory head bite that kills him instantly.
5. Mary (Aliens)
This death from James Cameron’s classic sequel is one of the more forgiving in the series (take that statement with a grain of salt), as the marines come across this cocooned colonist who begs them to kill her before a chestburster rips out of her, forcing them to burn her alive. As great as Aliens is, a lot of deaths occur off-screen or are slightly obscured to emphasise the suspense. Mary’s death is one of the few we see in its entirety, which makes it all the more poignant moving forward in the story.
4. Ankor (Alien: Covenant)
After a certain point in Alien: Covenant, the deaths start to come in thick and fast. A lot of them are so quick that they may not even register on a first viewing, but there is one blink and you’ll miss it kill that is so savagely violent and unique that it deserves a place on this list. During the commotion and chaos in the wheat field, the Neomorph’s tail whips Ankor’s jaw clean off. It’s a brief moment but one that leaves a lasting impact.
3. Purvis & Wren (Alien: Resurrection)
Despite not being the best film in the series, Alien: Resurrection manages to give fans a truly absurd and memorable double kill during its chaotic final moments. It’s a sequence that doesn’t make much sense in hindsight, but seeing a chestburster exploding through one man’s chest into the head of another is a specific yet gory fate that is all parts odd as it is gruesome. From the camera down Purvis’ throat to his possessed run towards Wren, no other death in the franchise comes close to how deranged this one is.
2. Ledward (Alien: Covenant)
Alien: Covenant arguably has some of the goriest and most intense deaths in the entire franchise, and I think we can all agree that Ledward’s rather messy demise takes the cake. Over the years, this series has given many variations of chestbursters, but Covenant was the first to give us a full-blown spineburster. The entire medbay scene is tense and horrific, made even more chilling by Ledward’s constant shaking as the Neomorph attempts to force its way out of his back.
1. Kane (Alien)
The original and still the best, Kane’s iconic death from the first Alien film is seared into the brains of all who have seen it. No matter how many times you watch the original film, this scene still hits incredibly hard due to its violent nature and the genuine fear of the actors in the scene. However, what really sells the moment is John Hurt’s performance as his convulsions intensify, building up to the aggressive reveal of the now iconic chestburster.
The first two episodes of Alien: Earth are available to watch now on Disney+.
