The Xenomorph is among the most feared and dangerous creatures in all of science-fiction. Officially called Xenomorph species XX121, the endoparasitic creature infamously bursts from the chest of its host and progresses through several life cycle phases before taking its final terrifying form.

Here’s our list of the top-5 most influential Xenomorphs in the franchise:

5. The Newborn

While I personally loathe the Newborn, it’s hard to argue against the creature from Alien Resurrection making this list. It was the first time in the franchise that we saw the creation of a hybrid and something other than the XX121. This creature falls under the general category of xenomorph, but is only partially related to the XX121 variety from the first two films.

This notion of a hybrid would go on to play a major role in the franchise lore and provide another vein of storytelling beyond the ability of the XX121 to take on the traits of its host through traditional impregnation and gestation.

The Newborn certainly returned to the franchise a sense of horror and disgust, which may have grown stale for some after the first three films; still many fans felt frustrated by the pivot away from the traditional Xenomorph. This frustration only grew with the release of Prometheus years later.

4. Neomorph

Another creature makes this list that’s not a traditional XX121. Appearing in Alien: Covenant, the Neomorph demonstrated that new creatures within the Alien universe can still be terrifying, an idea many felt damaged by the Newborn. The gothic horror design of this creature is iconic and provides fantastic variety to the Alien bestiary. Some of the attacks late in the film offer extraordinary visuals with dark blood contrasting sharply with its pale white skin. Like the Protomorph that shares this prequel film, the Neomorph is lightning fast, brutally violent, and visually stunning.

3. The Runner

After James Cameron followed up Ridley Scott’s film by introducing the Xenomorph Queen, David Fincher met the challenge of contributing something new by giving us the Dog Alien (or Ox depending on the cut of the film). This implications of this Xenomorph were huge. Sometimes called “The Runner,” this XX121 introduced the lore that the creature takes on the traits of its host, something that would fascinate for decades. Die-hard fans may recall the Kenner line of toys that explored this with some incredible iterations, including a scorpion, gorilla, and snake Alien.

This Xenomorph also has one of the most iconic in-film nicknames in “The Dragon.”

2. Xenomorph Queen

With perhaps the biggest shadow cast by any Xenomorph in the franchise, the Queen not only provided a terrifying new iteration of the monster in the original film, it massively impacted the lore. While the theatrical version of Alien didn’t explain the full life cycle of the Xenomorph, the Director’s Cut did by including the “egg-morphing” scene in which several members of Ripley’s crew were cocooned into the walls of the ship and had begun transforming into an Ovomorph (Xenomorph egg).

Of course, by the time the Director’s Cut of Alien released in 2003, James Cameron had already answered the question of where the eggs came from, giving fans the legendary Xenomorph Queen.

Beyond completing the reproduction cycle, the Queen also demonstrated remarkable intelligence, following Ripley and Newt up the elevators and escaping on the dropship. The notion of a near genius-level intelligence in the Queen would be extensively explored in the Dark Horse Comics run after the second film.

1. Big Chap

Also known as “Kane’s Son,” the Xenomorph from the 1979 original film Alien is the one that started it all. Keeping viewers on the edge of their seat with shocking transformation after transformation, the original Alien terrified moviegoers at each phase of its life cycle and in so doing, gave birth to a 40+ year franchise.

Based on H. R. Giger’s hyper-sexual, biomechanical designs, the Xenomorph is the ultimate manifestation of cosmic horror, a strange and terrifying creature from beyond the reach of human exploration, a nightmare lurking in the dark of space. Many have tried to recreate the magic of science-fiction’s greatest monster, but none have since come close.

Tell us what you think! What’s your top-five list of favorite or most-influential Xenomorphs? Where do “Grid” from AVP, the “Scorched Xeno” from Alien: Romulus, and “The Offspring” fall in your ranking? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation in Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter .

Featured Image: 20th Century Studios