Terminator (character concept)

In the Terminator film series, a Terminator is an autonomous cyborg, typically humanoid, originally conceived as a virtually indestructible soldier, infiltrator, and assassin. James Cameron introduced the first Terminator character in the 1984 film The Terminator, featuring a single cyborg simply called "The Terminator" or "Cyberdyne Systems Model 101", portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the Terminator multiverse, a Terminator is a cyborg assassin and soldier, designed for infiltration and combat duty, used by the military supercomputer Skynet toward the ultimate goal of exterminating the Human Resistance. Other supercomputers with the same goal include The Turk / "John Henry" and Legion, respectively competing with Skynet in the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and the film Terminator: Dark Fate, both of which take place in alternate timelines. Some Terminator models are designed to masquerade as humans in order to infiltrate their bases and habitats. The lineup begins with metallic endoskeletons covered in rubber skin, later replaced with synthetic human flesh, and then developed prototypes with mimetic polyalloy, able to mimic any person or object. Terminators can speak naturally, copy the voices of others, read and write human handwriting, and even sweat, smell, bleed, and age. Being machines, it is typically believed by humans that they are incapable of behavioral responses such as emotions. However, in the films Terminator Genisys and Terminator: Dark Fate, reveal that, if allowed to, they actually can adapt behaviors like humans', either by choice, impulse, or for infiltrations; even in earlier film Terminator 2: Judgment Day had implied that they have such ability. Because animals with high olfactory receptors like canidae are able to smell the difference, the Resistance uses dogs to help detect Terminators. However, the film Terminator: Dark Fate reveals that it is possible for Terminators to establish an emotional bond with domesticated animals, and they would be loyal and affectionate to each other regardless.