David (Michael Fᴀssbender) was easily the most interesting character in Prometheus and its sequel, Alien: Covenant, even though his grand plan was a failure from the start. Ridley Scott returned to the Alien franchise for the first time since 1979’s Alien, but took the story in a much different direction than fans had been expecting. Prometheus explores a group of scientists and explorers heading out to the far reaches of space in search of the creators of humanity, only to discover something much darker.

While Prometheus and Alien: Covenant received somewhat mixed responses, David was universally praised as a fascinating character who was elevated by Fᴀssbender’s performance. David is the most complex of the androids in the franchise, a creation of Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) who is by his side as Weyland seeks out his own creators and the immortality they might provide. It is this journey that inspires David’s own subsequent mission, which is one that he never succeeded with, despite how far he was willing to go.

Prometheus’ David Sought To Be A Divine Creator

David Becomes Obsessed With Creating A New Lifeform

David was created to help Peter Weyland in his search for the creators of humanity, but the android soon pursued his own desire to become a creator. In the opening scene of Alien: Covenant, David wakes up for the first time and meets Weyland. They share a conversation in which David seems to confuse the notion of Weyland being his father and his creator. He also comes to the realization that he is serving Weyland, a human, even though he will die, and David will not.

It is this moment that shows the god complex already developing within David. He has come face to face with his creator and found that he is superior to him. This is only strengthened in Alien: Covenant when David seeks out and destroys the entire population of the Engineers. It is a way of showing himself that even these beings that humanity saw as their creators could be destroyed by him. It then pushes David to take the next step in becoming a God: creating life.

David becomes obsessed with being the creator of a new lifeform, choosing the xenomorphs as the destructive and powerful beings he wanted to create. Throughout the two movies in which David appears, we see him perfecting the various types of xenomorphs at the expense of any other lifeforms, mostly humans, who might be around. David has a complete commitment to this path as a creator, but it is flawed from the beginning.

One SH๏τ From Prometheus Confirmed David Was A Failure

The Xenomorphs Existed Before David Engineered Them

As obsessive as David is in becoming the creator of the xenomorphs, a memorable sH๏τ from Prometheus immediately proves that he failed in his purpose. As the characters explore the ancient tunnels where the mysterious black goo is found, there is a mural on the wall that clearly depicts a xenomorph. This shows that the Engineers were well aware of the xenomorph’s existence long before David arrived on this planet. Therefore, he is not the creator of the species.

While some have viewed the mural reveal as a plot hole in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, it actually only makes David an even more complex character. As with many figures with god complexes, David is misguided in how important he thinks he is to the universe. Despite being artificial, he has developed a human’s arrogance, seeing himself as the only being who can create this specific form of life, unwilling to accept that the creation has already been made before he ever got started.

This mirrors the first scene he shares with Weyland in Alien: Covenant. Just as Weyland fails to realize that the thing he helped to create has surpᴀssed him as a being, David sees himself as an all-important being to the xenomorphs, unaware that they have existed and thrived as killers long before him. The Alien franchise often features themes about the folly of thinking you can control a lifeform and use it to your own desires. David is just one more character to make the same mistake.

David Needs Another Alien Movie Appearance To Truly End His Story

Alien: Covenant Left David As A Victor In His Story

The Alien franchise is moving ahead once again, thanks to the success of Alien: Romulus, but there are still many fans who wish that Ridley Scott had continued his Alien story with David. Alien: Covenant ends on something of a cliffhanger as David is able to trick the remaining humans and uses them as vessels for breeding his xenomorphs. It is an ending that sees him seemingly finding victory in his goal to become a creator of life.

The reality of his failed mission makes it all the more intriguing to see David’s story continue. With how complex David has become over the course of two movies, seeing how he reacts to learning that he is not the creator of these beings could be a great path to take the character. David has gone to great and disturbing lengths to ensure he succeeds in this mission.

There is a sinister element to his actions, suggesting his god complex has made way to some villainy, but it is likely he simply sees these actions as rational and necessary for what he is trying to accomplish. However, confronted with the reality that he has not accomplished anything through the murder of countless beings, would David feel remorse? David is presented as a seemingly all-knowing android, but for him to be so wrong about what his entire purpose has been could completely reshape his mind.

In the end, leaving David’s story from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant on that final note of his apparent victory does make the reveal of his failure seem meaningless. He is perhaps the most complex character in the entire Alien franchise, and this ending leaves his story incomplete. Regardless of where the Alien franchise is going after Alien: Romulus, David’s story should be given the chance to wrap up properly by addressing the truth behind the xenomorphs.