The Best Hero Aliens In Movies

Summary

• Not all aliens in films are evil; aliens are diverse and symbolize various themes.
• Neytiri in Avatar and Optimus Prime in Transformers are iconic alien heroes.
• Characters like Yoda in Star Wars and E.T. changed the perception of aliens in cinema.

Aliens are often considered a terrifying idea by many, and this idea that they are something to fear has been perpetuated across many films for decades. However, it isn’t always the case that aliens in films are necessarily evil, and this has continued to become a more popular idea as the sci-fi genre continues to expand in many different directions.

From sweeping epics featuring only aliens to a crash-landed alien on Earth with no ill intentions whatsoever, alien stories can be representative of many fascinating themes and ideas. Aliens capture the imagination, they are diverse, and by their nature have created new questions for humanity to ask themselves, becoming an expansive idea. In doing so, these aliens have transitioned from standardized villains to cinematic heroes.

8

Neytiri

A Hero Fighting Against Human Invaders

• Appears In: Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water
• Played By: Zoe Saldana

There are few franchises, and no films, that have achieved the level of success that Avatar has already managed ahead of the third film in the series even being released. Jake Sulley, having rejected his humanity in favor of remaining with the Na’vi, has been considered the hero of the series, but his wife, Neytiri, has gone through a lot in her fight against humans.

Zoe Saldana’s excellent performance as the huge blue alien shows how she has gone from peacemaker to fighter, proving herself fierce as a warrior and a loving mother, all while suffering unbelievable losses and basking in great victories against humanity in the fight to keep her homeland safe from their invasion.

7

Optimus Prime

The Ultimate Autobot

• Appears In: Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Transformers: The Last Knight, Bumblebee, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (along with countless animated films)
• Played By: Peter Cullen

The Transformers series is another great franchise filled with heroic, and villainous, aliens who fight their wars against each other with humans often finding themselves in the crossfire. Optimus Prime is the greatest of the Autobots, and their leader, and he has proven himself worthy of this status over the years and across decades’ worth of Transformers movies.

Optimus Prime takes on tragic struggles as a leader, while also fighting in many battles and showing himself to be one of the best warriors in the history of his race or any other. Transformers One was the most recent reboot, and looked at his growth from a simple worker on his homeworld, Cybertron, into a great hero and leader, proving that he was always a hero within.

6

The Guardians Of The Galaxy

Heroes Across The Known Universe

• Appear In: Guardians Of The Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• Played By: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillian, Pom Klementieff, Maria Bakalova, Michael Rooker, and Sean Gunn

One of the best superhero teams in the history of cinema has (barely) any humans among them. The Guardians of the Galaxy may have been formed and mostly led by Peter Quill, but he is the only human in their ranks (and only a half-human at that), with the rest of them being aliens from a variety of planets. They prove that traditional aliens who are very human-like aren’t the only ones who can be heroes.

Gamora, a deadly assassin (and another Zoe Saldana character), Drax, a lovable but headstrong warrior with a tragic past, and other colorful characters like Rocket and Groot. Together, the Guardians headlined one of the best trilogies in the MCU to date, charmed audiences worldwide, and proved the directorial mettle of James Gunn before he took the reins at DC Studios.

5

Stitch

The Lovable Monster Turned Hero

• Appears In: Lilo & Stitch, Stitch! the Movie, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, Leroy & Stitch, Lilo & Stitch (2025)
• Played By: Chris Sanders

A lovable hero about to be reborn in live-action, Stitch is also known as Experiment 626, and he began life as a creation of the mad scientist, Jumbaa. Intended to be a creature capable of great devastation, Stitch broke out of an alien prison and came to Earth, where he miraculously crash-landed in Hawaii instead of in the ocean, which could have killed him.

Meeting Lilo changed Stitch, and proved that nobody has to become what they were meant to be; they can choose who they are. The beautiful lessons of Lilo & Stitch are about to be revitalized for a whole new generation through the live-action remake, and Stitch will be considered an even larger piece of pop culture and a more memorable alien hero.

4

Spock

The Calm Hero With A Heart Of Gold

• Appears In: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock, Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home, Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier, Star Trek 6, The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond
• Played By: Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto

Star Trek is, unsurprisingly, home to many great alien heroes and villains who have made their mark on cinematic and television history over the decades of stories told by the franchise. Of the many alien heroes that have proven themselves on the cinematic stage, Spock is definitely the most beloved and an iconic symbol of the franchise.

From his heroic sacrifice in The Wrath of Khan to an entire film being titled The Search for Spock, Leonard Nimoy put an indelible mark on the character and Zachary Quinto continued the proud legacy in the trio of more modern reboot films featuring the character, making Spock a true pop culture icon.

3

Yoda

The Diminutive But Wise Jedi

• Appears In: Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi
• Played By: Frank Oz

Another major franchise that has played a huge part in the development of the sci-fi genre over the years, Star Wars, is breathtaking in what it has achieved. Yoda, one of the most iconic non-human characters in the series, is considered a wise teacher and great hero who has appeared across the franchise in many films and TV series.

From a leader of the Jedi in peace times to a General in wartime, Yoda later exiled himself to Dagobah and became a hermit, which is where Luke Skywalker found him in the original trilogy. Proving himself one of the wisest and most legendary figures in cinematic history, Yoda is a very different type of alien, one who proved that size does not equal strength, and that wisdom matters above all.

2

E.T.

A Gentle Creature Who Just Wants To Go Home

• Appears In: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Played By: Tamara De Treaux, Pat Bilon, Matthew DeMeritt

There are few characters considered as innocently iconic as E.T. This alien was one of the earliest in cinema to challenge the idea that creatures from outer space were only to be feared. E.T. is an incredible character, one who heals his friends instead of fighting enemies, and one who didn’t come to conquer. He only wanted to find a way home.

A cinematic adventure unlike any other, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial remains an iconic film on the all-time list today. It cemented Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi chops, and the character, though speaking hardly any English in the film, managed to become a legendary film hero. E.T. is another character that very much changed the idea of what aliens could be and how they could act in films.

1

Superman

The Symbol Of Hope

• Appears In: Superman, Superman 2, Superman 3, Superman 4: The Quest for Peace, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, Superman (2025)
• Played By: Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, David Corenswet

There is perhaps no greater hero in all of pop culture history than the iconic paragon of good himself, Superman. Having been made legendary beyond any other figure in the Christopher Reeve films, Superman has continued to blast to greater heights of recognition throughout the decades. As other superhero films have become more popular, Superman has remained an icon.

There are dozens of characters influenced by Superman, from the Iron Giant to Homelander, and the one thing they have in common is not belonging. After all, Superman is an alien from the planet Krypton, and he is the ultimate proof that where someone is born does not, and should not, define who they are.