Humanity has always been infatuated with aliens. And given recent events with the American government, that interest has never been higher. The idea of beings from outer space visiting us — either to invade or just to say hello — has captivated our imaginations and has been the subject of countless science fiction movies. For filmmakers, one of the key aspects of these films is determining the alien’s design. What do these creatures look like? And more importantly, how can they be made to appear differently from their sci-fi counterparts?
For audiences, seeing what these creatures look like is one of the funnest things about alien movies. Many extra-terrestrials are humanoids, such as the Yautja from the Predator franchise or the Martians from Mars Attacks! Others look a lot like bugs, like the creatures from Men in Black and Starship Troopers. But there are some alien designs that are unique and creative, allowing these extra-terrestrials to stand apart from their Hollywood peers — and ultimately stand out in our minds. Here are ten of the most creative and different alien designs from classic sci-fi movies.
10 The Monster from the Id – Forbidden Planet (1956)
Forbidden Planet is one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made. It was the first sci-fi movie to be set on another planet in interstellar space, the first sci-fi movie where humans traveled at light speed in their own spacecraft, and the first sci-fi movie to feature a robot with a human-like personality. It also features one of the most unique creatures in science-fiction. Is this being an alien? It’s a monster living on another planet, created by psychic energy and described throughout the film as a “planetary force.” We’re saying it counts.
Known as the Monster from the Id, this creature is invisible throughout the film, attacking the film’s characters unseen. We get a brief glimpse of this creature when it interacts with a force field’s energy, outlining its giant and monstrous form. Some people might say that an invisible alien isn’t that creative. But hey, it was the 1950s. Hollywood didn’t have the visual effects or make-up capabilities that we see today, forcing Forbidden Planet’s team to get creative with their alien design.
9 Arquillians – Men in Black (1997)
There are a lot of memorable aliens throughout the Men in Black franchise, such as the dreaded Bug, the coffee-loving Annelids, and the unfortunate but appropriately named Ballchinians. But the most creatively designed extra-terrestrial has to be the Arquillians from the first movie, Men in Black. At first, it seems like the Arquillians are merely aliens that look like humans, which we’ve seen many times before. But in a surprising turn of events, the face of a dead Arquillian suddenly opens up to reveal that its human body is merely a disguise, a giant machine that’s being operated by the small creature living inside of it. Lo and behold, the true face of the Arquillian. While the Arquillian does resemble a stereotypical alien, it’s interesting to see one in this petite form.
8 Pod people – Invasions of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Based on the 1955 novel of the same name, Invasions of the Body Snatchers is a classic alien invasion story. Except here, the aliens are plant-like creatures known only as pod people. Their origin and species are never identified. These creatures are giant pods that birth human replicas, mindless and empty beings that will replace the human originals. Invasions of the Body Snatchers is regarded as a sci-fi classic, as is its 1978 remake.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is regarded as one of Steven Spielberg’s best films, and that’s largely thanks to its titular character. E.T. resembles the classic alien: a hairless humanoid with large eyes and a bald head. But his design comes with a few additions. His body is rotund, whereas the stereotypical alien is more slender. His neck can expand and retract, and his forefinger (and maybe his other fingers? It’s unclear) and his heart are capable of glowing, which makes for some cool nighttime shots. Aside from his physical appearance, E.T. also comes with extraordinary abilities like telekinesis, telepathy, and healing. It’s probably not easy designing a cute alien, but Spielberg and his team knocked it out of the park with E.T.
6 Chewbacca – Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
The Star Wars series features a whole galaxy full of creative aliens. There’s the gluttonous, slug-like Hutts, the mysterious Jawas (what do they look like under those hoods?!), the smiling, fish-faced Mon Calamari, and so many others. But one of the most creatively designed aliens, and also one of the most famous, in the Star Wars franchise is Chewbacca. First appearing in the original movie, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Chewbacca is a Wookiee that stems from the planet Kashyyyk. Most Hollywood aliens resemble the stereotypical extra-terrestrial: a hairless humanoid with large eyes and a bald head. Chewbacca, however, came with a totally different look. His appearance is more like the stereotypical monster: a massive humanoid that’s covered from head to toe with thick fur. He may look like an over-sized teddy bear, but don’t forget: Chewbacca, and Wookiees as a whole, have no problem ripping your arm from its socket if provoked.
5 The Blob (1958)
The Blob from the 1958 film called…well, The Blob, is exactly like it sounds. It’s a shapeless pile of goo that was brought to Earth by a meteorite. Interestingly, the Blob’s origins are a mystery. Its home planet, species name, motivations, and population are all unknown (just imagine: a whole planet crawling with these disgusting, gelatinous things). It also seems impossible to kill. For a slithering organism, the Blob moves pretty quick. It traps and consumes everything in its path. Originally white and transparent, the Blob becomes darker and redder with the more blood it consumes — and also larger in size. Since 1958, The Blob has appeared in a few movies, including the1988 horror remake.
4 The Thing (1982)
Long before Pennywise or It, there was John Carpenter’s The Thing. The film’s titular character and antagonist is a murderous, shape-shifting alien from another world. Like the Blob, the Thing is a total mystery. Everything about it, from its home planet to its motivations, are unknown, including its true appearance. The Thing takes many forms throughout the film, and as it shape-shifts, we catch bits and pieces of its earlier appearances, such as human faces and tentacles. But we never glimpse the Thing in its natural form.
3 Martians – War of the Worlds (1953)
Based on the 1895 novel of the same name, The War of the Worlds is the OG of science fiction. It’s one of the earliest stories about alien invasions and has had an immeasurable impact on both science fiction and actual science. Fun fact: in 1938, legendary filmmaker Orson Welles dramatized this story on live radio and caused a panic among listeners who mistook it for current events. It would be another 15 years before audiences got to see The War of the Worlds play out on screen. The invading Martians are short, bipedal reddish-brown creatures. While they do have arms and fingers, they appear to have no mouths and only one eye with red, green, and blue lenses. Although they differ from their literary, squid-like counterparts, the film’s Martians are some of the most uniquely designed aliens in cinema, especially given the time period.
2 N.T.I. – The Abyss (1989)
As we all know, James Cameron loves science fiction and stories that involve water. He combined both things to create a movie, and no, we’re not talking about Avatar: The Way of Water. We’re talking about his 1989 film, The Abyss. This movie took viewers into the depths of the ocean to find Non-Terrestrial Intelligence, or N.T.I. Unlike most entries on this list, the N.T.I. actually live on Earth. They’re marine, luminous, and majestic beings, almost like a cross between manta rays, aliens, and angels. Did they come from outer space and decide to establish an underwater civilization? Or had they always lived on Earth, long before humanity came around? It’s unclear. But to this day, the N.T.I. remains one of cinema’s most intriguing and creatively designed aliens.
1 Xenomorph – Alien (1979)
No extra-terrestrial is as terrifying or influential as the Xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s horror/sci-fi masterpiece, Alien. To fully appreciate it, let’s go back to 1979 and pretend like we’re seeing this movie for the first time. At first, it seems like the parasitic life form sucking on that man’s face is the alien from the title. But then we see it: that little creature, bursting out of that man’s chest. The moment is creative, unique, and utterly terrifying, culminating in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema. The little alien evolves and grows over the course of the film, so we’re never quite sure what the Xenomorph looks like or what it can do. By the end, you’re looking at a 7-foot, hostile alien with an elongated head, no eyes, acidic blood, salivating jaws, and a slimy appearance (apparently, they used tons of KY jelly to create the saliva and slime) People love to debate the creature’s, uh, sexual appearance. Regardless of where you stand on that, one fact remains: the Xenomorph is one of the most famous aliens in cinema, and that’s largely because of its unique and cool design.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
