Great side characters can often steal the show from the protagonists, and this is especially true in sci-fi movies which pride themselves on complex worldbuilding. Sci-fi movies often require several fascinating characters to function, and their high concepts can also create intriguing characters out of thin air.

Whether it’s an iconic villain like Ash in Alien or a memorable ally to the hero like Morpheus in The Matrix, sci-fi movies are filled with characters who are just as interesting as the protagonists. The best sci-fi characters should make the most out of the world they inhabit, but they also need to be intriguing on a basic human level.

10

Roy Batty – Blade Runner (1982)

Played by Rutger Hauer

Roy Batty is nominally the villain of Blade Runner, but it gradually becomes clear that he’s just trying to survive in a world that’s actively hostile to his very existence. He sees his violent acts as justified forms of self-preservation, especially since he’s also fighting for other replicants alongside him.

Roy Batty’s iconic final speech sums up what makes him such an unforgettable character. His poetic farewell plays on Blade Runner‘s themes of humanity, memory and survival. Roy’s death seals his poignant resonance. He seems to be the most human of all the characters in Blade Runner, despite his synthetic origins.

9

Drax – Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

Played by Dave Bautista

Professional wrestlers don’t always have the smoothest transitions to acting careers, but Dave Bautista has done things the right way. The fact that he’s often the funniest and most interesting part of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies speaks to his talents as a performer.

Drax is a relatively minor comic book character, but he’s a great presence on-screen. His lack of emotion lends itself to plenty of ᴅᴇᴀᴅpan humor, but there’s clearly a kernel of humanity lying beneath his tough exterior. Sometimes, this comes from his fierce loyalty, but there are other moments which suggest there’s more to Drax than meets the eye.

8

Al Dillon – Predator

Played by Carl Weathers

The cast of Predator is filled with memorable characters, from Jesse Ventura’s meathead demolitions expert to Sonny Landham’s enigmatic tracker. Al Dillon stands out for a few reasons, the first of which is his dynamic with Dutch. He and Dutch share a history as partners, but their bond isn’t as straightforward as it seems.

Carl Weathers brings a lot of charm to the role of Dillon, but he maintains an air of mystery that hints at the character’s shady motives. Once he finds his back against the wall with the rest of Dutch’s team, he redeems himself admirably. The interesting characters make the original a top contender for the тιтle of the best Predator movie of the franchise.

7

Ash – Alien (1979)

Played by Ian Holm

It takes a while for Sigourney Weaver to emerge as the true star of Alien, since the crew of the Nostromo are picked off one-by-one until Ripley is the only character who remains. This means that every actor has a lot to contribute, and Ian Holm plays a pivotal role as the ship’s android, Ash.

The twist about Ash’s true idenтιтy and intentions creates a dark realization about the ship’s mission. The reveal that the Weyland-Yutani Corporation are willing to gamble away the lives of their workers for the sake of their research has colored the entire Alien franchise ever since. In this way, it makes sense that Ash reappears in Alien: Romulus.

6

Morpheus – The Matrix (1999)

Played by Laurence Fishburne

Throughout the ups and downs of the Matrix franchise, Laurence Fishburne’s performance as Morpheus has always provided something worth watching. This starts in the original movie, with Morpheus acting as a guide for Neo as he shows him the truth about his reality and trains him to defeat the machines.

Fishburne brings his considerable gravitas to the role of Morpheus, making him an iconic sci-fi hero on par with Neo. While he can’t compete with The One in terms of sheer power, his wisdom and emotional control give him a unique presence. It’s no wonder that he has so many of The Matrix‘s best quotes, and he’s key to many of the franchise’s best moments.

5

Mace Windu – The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

Played by Samuel L. Jackson

Many of the actors who have joined the Star Wars franchise since the original trilogy have tried to blend seamlessly into George Lucas’ world, but Samuel L. Jackson made no such concessions with his portrayal of Mace Windu. He plays the Jedi with the same swagger as any of his other characters. Windu’s purple lightsaber embodies his unique status.

The Star Wars franchise has no shortage of unforgettable side characters. Even the more divisive movies have provided some standout characters. The difference with Mace Windu is that he feels like a jolt of originality who doesn’t quite fit with much of his surroundings. Somehow, Jackson makes this work to his advantage.

4

Nux – Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Played by Nicholas Hoult

Mad Max: Fury Road brought the dystopian sci-fi franchise roaring back after a 30 year absence. The big question before the movie’s release was about how Tom Hardy would manage to follow Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Max Rockatansky, but Fury Road provided a few characters with the power to steal the spotlight.

Furiosa was interesting enough to warrant her own spinoff movie, and Immortan Joe immediately went down as a classic sci-fi villain. Nicholas Hoult’s Nux is the surprise package. Nux embodies Fury Road‘s fascinating worldbuilding, as a seemingly single-minded war boy gradually reveals himself to be more complex and more human than he first appears.

3

Jobu Tupaki – Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Played by Stephanie Hsu

Jamie Lee Curtis won an Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, and while she certainly does some of her best work, Stephanie Hsu is often the one in the spotlight. Her splashy performance as Jobu Tupaki captures the off-the-wall, unpredictable humor of the Daniels, but she’s also tasked with bringing a lot of pathos to the character.

Jobu Tupaki is a multiverse villain who truly capitalizes on the boundless potential of sci-fi’s latest trend. Not only does she flex powers which use the multiverse in new and interesting ways, but her psyche seems uniquely affected by her status as a being who straddles all dimensions and all eventualities. Understanding her character reveals the deeper meaning of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

2

Edgar – Men In Black (1997)

Played by Vincent D’Onofrio

Men in Black takes place in a world inhabited by various aliens trying to blend in with humans. Edgar illustrates what can happen when an alien drops all but the flimsiest of pretenses, shambling around like a bloated corpse with all the finesse and subtlety of a car alarm.

Vincent D’Onofrio’s physicality makes Edgar an unforgettable villain. There’s a lot of dark humor to the way Edgar treats humans as gawping inconveniences standing in his way, but this very characteristic also gives him a menacing presence, especially when he drops his skin suit to reveal a giant bug who can devour people in one bite.

1

John Hammond – Jurᴀssic Park (1993)

Played by Richard Attenborough

Steven Spielberg’s Jurᴀssic Park makes a few changes to Michael Crichton’s book, most of which are for the best. John Hammond’s character is the subject of one of the most radical alterations, as he becomes a man plagued by hubris and guilt, rather than the money-hungry villain who appears in the book.

The version of Hammond who appears on screen has a few more layers to him. As his great experiment fails and his guests are hunted all around him, he is powerless to stop his violent creations from acting out their true nature. He displays an intense feeling of remorse, and he becomes a character to pity rather than detest. He captures the idea of humanity’s egotistical drive to dominate the natural world.