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Terminator

The Terminator franchise, launched by James Cameron in 1984, explores a dystopian future where intelligent machines wage war against humanity. The relentless pursuit of key human figures by time-traveling cyborg assassins known as Terminators is central to the narrative. John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance, is the core target of the malicious machines.

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Terminator (1984) Movie Poster
Terminator
Movie(s)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Created by
James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd
First Film
The Terminator
Latest Film
Terminator: Dark Fate

First Episode Air Date
January 13, 2008
Cast
Emilia Clarke, Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes
TV Show(s)
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008)
Character(s)
The Terminator, Sarah Connor, Kyle Reese, John Connor, T-1000, Kate Brewster, Marcus Wright, Grace (Terminator), Dani Ramos
Video Game(s)
The Terminator (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), RoboCop versus The Terminator (1993), Terminator 3: War of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator: Resistance (2019)

Terminator

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Sarah-Connor-in-Terminator-2
What Happened To Sarah Connor After Terminator 2: Every Timeline & Alternate Future Explained
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The Terminator

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T-1000 walking through the prison bars in Terminator 2
Terminator's Best Villain Accidentally Created The Franchise's Biggest Plot Hole
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day

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Edward Furlong's John Connor sits on a motorbike as Arnold Schwarzenegger's T 800 aims a gun in Terminator 2 Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger Returned For A Terminator 2 Sequel 7 Whole Years Before Terminator 3
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Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

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Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking as the T-800 in Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3 Fan-Made Trailer Imagines All Of The Original Stars Returning For Alternate Version Of The Movie
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Terminator Salvation

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Terminator--Salvation-Had-Two-Unused-Alternate-Endings-That-Would've-Changed-Everything
Terminator: Salvation Had Two Unused Endings That Would've Changed Everything
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Terminator Genisys - Videos

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Terminator Genisys - Matt Smith, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clark, Jai Courtney
Terminator: Genisys Official Trailer #1 (2015)
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Terminatior: Dark Fate

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's Carl looking worried in Terminator Dark Fate
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator Looks Much Older In Genisys & Dark Fate
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The Sarah Connor Chronicles

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Terminator's-Forgotten-Sequel-Is-So-Good,-It-Makes-The-Recent-Movies-Even-Worse
Terminator's Forgotten Sequel Is So Good, It Makes The Recent Movies Even Worse
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Sarah Connor

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Two versions of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator side-by-side, one smiling, one with a missing eyeball.
After Seeing Terminator's T-600, I'll it It: Skynet Could Kill Us All In an Instant
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An image of Sarah and John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
The Real Sequel To Terminator 2 Is Much Better Than The One James Cameron Came Up With
The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Terminator: Dark Fate was Jame Cameron bringing the timeline back to T2, but another franchise entry already beat him to it.

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John Connor looks on dramatically in Terminator Salvation
"I'm Not A Big Fan": James Cameron's Review Of The Worst Terminator Movies Explains Where It All Went Wrong
Movies

James Cameron has never been shy about sharing his opinion, and in a Reddit AMA he explained what went wrong with the Terminator franchise.

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Old-John-Connor-from-Terminator-2,-teenage-John-Connor-from-Terminator-2,-and-John-Connor-from-Genisys
The Real John Connor Only Appeared In 1 Terminator Movie (And It Was The Worst One)
Movies

Only one Terminator movie featured John Connor as the leader of the human resistance against Skynet, but sadly it was the worst in the series.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator T-800
All 5 Sequels To Terminator 2 Explained (& How They Fit In The Timeline)
Movies

Terminator movies deal with time travel, with the characters moving through time, but with so many entries in the franchise, the timeline gets messy.

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Custom imagery of Terminator
Terminator’s Time Travel: Every Rule & Retcon Explained
Movies

The Terminator franchise has established a lot of time travel rules across all movies and shows, although some of them have been retconned.

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Matt Smith and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator Genisys
Matt Smith’s Terminator Genisys Character Explained & What It Was Setting Up
Terminator: Genisys

Matt Smith's Terminator Genisys character was one of the most confusing aspects of the movie and set up things for a sequel that never happened.

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Custom Terminator image of Robert Patrick as the T-1000 and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800
These 2 Terminator Shows Are Just As Good As The James Cameron Movies (& Better Than Their Sequels)
Movies

The Terminator movies have long failed to be as good as the two made by James Cameron, but the franchise boasts two TV shows that meet that standard.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 beside a Terminator exoskeleton
Why The Date Of Judgment Day Keeps Changing In Terminator
Movies

The Terminator series changed the date of Judgment Day more than once, but the franchise did justify altering the all-important event's timing.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 stares at the camera in The Terminator
I Know What Terminator 7 Should Be After 4 Awful Sequels (And This TV Show With 86% On RT Proves I’m Right)
Movies

Terminator Zero proved that Terminator 7 can save the struggling franchise, but not with minor changes like recasting Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 stares at the camera in The Terminator
You'd Think Terminator 7's Biggest Challenge Would Be Replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger, But It's Something Else Entirely
terminator 7

Replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 might seem like the major roadblock standing in the way of Terminator 7, but there is a bigger issue.

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Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from T2 - Judgement Day
Every Terminator Movie & TV Show, Ranked
Movies

A staggering 40 years since it launched, the Terminator franchise shows no signs of slowing down, but not all Terminator movies and shows are hits.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 in Terminator: Dark Fate
Terminator’s Replacement For Arnold Schwarzenegger Was So Good, He Should Return In The Next Movie
Movies

The Terminator franchise has struggled to replace Arnie as the face of the film series, but another project quietly teased who could step in.

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Lena Headey's Sarah Connor aims a gun in The Sarah Connor Chronicles
You Probably Haven't Seen The Best Terminator Sequel (And It's So Much Better Than The Last 4 Movies)
Movies

Almost of the follow-ups to Terminator 2: Judgment Day are disappointing, except for one largely forgotten addition to the blockbuster sci-fi series.

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Christian Bale's John Connor from Salvation and Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator
Terminator's War Against Humanity Is More Messed Up Than You Realize. Just Ask Skynet
Comics

The war between humans and Terminators is one that has raged since the franchise first began, but the nature of the conflict isn't what fans think.

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Custom imagery of Terminator Genisys
Where Did Terminator Get Its Iconic Look From? Skynet's Answer Will Traumatize You
Comics

The Terminator has an absolutely iconic appearance, but the story of how it got that look is profoundly disturbing, & fans might not be ready for it.

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Custom Image of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 in Terminator: Dark Fate
Terminator 7 Replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger Is So Difficult, Only One Franchise Has Successfully Done It
terminator 7

Schwarzenegger has appeared in every Terminator movie to date, and the failure of most other franchises he has departed could be a reason for that.

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Imagery-from-The-Terminator,-Universal-Soldier-and-Cyborg
10 Best Movies If You Love The Terminator Franchise
Movies

From RoboCop to Minority Report to Universal Soldier, there are plenty of great sci-fi action movies that fans of the Terminator franchise will love.

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arnold schwarzenegger inn the first Terminator movie and in Dark Fate.
If Terminator 7 Casts This Actor As Arnold Schwarzenegger's Replacement, I Hope It Copies An Iconic 34-Year-Old Twist
terminator 7

If Terminator 7 casts this perfect Schwarzenegger replacement, I would love to see it repeat the franchise's best and most iconic twist.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 Terminator with the broken skull of a Terminator floating in space behind him.
What Happens When Terminators Meet Zero Gravity? The Answer Is Pure Nightmare Fuel
Comics

Terminators have always been terrifying, but they have never been as scary as they are in zero gravity! Why T-800s in space are pure nightmare fuel.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger looking over his shoulder as the T-800 in Terminator 2 Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Forgotten Terminator Character Was More Important Than Any Of The Terminators He Played
Movies

Arnold Schwarzenegger has played a killer cyborg in every single Terminator movie, but his forgotten human role was his most important character.

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