Terminator (character) facts for kids
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The Terminator also known as a Cyberdyne Systems Model 101 or the T-800, is the name of several film characters from the Terminator franchise portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and numerous actor stand-ins digitally overlaid with Schwarzenegger's likeness. The Terminator himself is part of a series of machines created by Skynet for infiltration-based surveillance and assassination mission.
The first appearance of the Terminator was as the eponymous antagonist in The Terminator, a 1984 film directed and co-written by James Cameron. While the original Terminator was destroyed, other machines with the same appearance are featured in the sequels. In Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Schwarzenegger's Terminator serves as the main protagonist, while in Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate, he serves as a supporting protagonist, and is pitted against other Terminators sent by Skynet and its successor Legion. In Terminator Salvation and Dark Fate, the character also appears briefly as an antagonist. In the context of the stories, the plot device of having various robots looking the same provides a certain continuity for the human characters by exploiting their emotional familiarity with a particular "human" visage associated with each "model". The "Terminator" title is also used as a generic name for other human-simulating characters in the Terminator franchise, such as the liquid-metal T-1000 antagonist in Judgment Day.
Concept and characteristics
The Terminator is a formidable robotic assassin and soldier, designed by the military supercomputer Skynet for infiltration and combat duty, towards the ultimate goal of exterminating the Human Resistance. It can speak naturally, copy the voice of others, read human handwriting, and even genuinely sweat, smell, and bleed. However, it has no human emotions such as pity or fear unless learned through human contact and never stops until it fulfills its mission or is destroyed or shut down (although it appears to be able to sense moments of urgency or danger, as it is depicted as raising its voice or widening its eyes in shock on several said occasions). Later Terminators are outwardly indistinguishable from humans, but dogs become agitated and bark loudly in their presence; as a result, the human resistance uses the animals to detect Terminators. In the first film, Kyle Reese explains that the T-800 was designed to be an improvement over the earlier T-600 units, which could be easily detected because their skin was made of rubber and not organic tissue. Later models, such as the Guardian from Terminator Genisys or Carl from Terminator: Dark Fate, showed a greater capacity for emotion and physical aging.
The most notable science fiction characteristics are that of an expert system featuring strong AI functionality combined with machine learning, and the system can interpret arbitrary non-formalized tasks. The other notable science fiction component is that of a power source which can last 120 years.
A trait persistent throughout the series is the faint red glow of the "eyes" when the cyborg is online (or blue in the case of the T-X), which dim to nothing when a Terminator shuts down. In all six movies, the lack of the glow has been used to show when one is out of action. The trait is so characteristic that light-up eyes are often found on Terminator merchandise, with some even replicating the dimming/reillumination effect that occurs during shut down or start up.
Images for kids
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Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator (Model 101), in the promotional art of Terminator 2: Judgment Day
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See also
In Spanish: Terminator T-800 para niños
