Summary

• The Alien franchise has evolved from horror to action to deeper themes, making it beloved by fans.
• Memorable quotes from characters like Ripley and Hicks add to the franchise's appeal.
• Each movie in the Alien series brings new depth and challenges, keeping audiences engaged.

The Alien movies have morphed from an interstellar horror movie to a sci-fi action adventure franchise to something even deeper, with hidden meaning around every corner — and the best Alien quotes are a key reason the movies are beloved. The franchise started with 1979's Alien, sci-fi horror movie with Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her crew of the Nostromo hunted by an alien known as a Xenomorph. By the second movie, 1986's Aliens, there were big guns and more militaristic action, almost switching genres and paving the way for the intense sequels that followed.

There have now been seven main Alien movies in the franchise with the recent release of Alien: Romulus. While most of the entries saw Ripley as the main star, which also gave Sigourney Weaver many of the best Alien quotes so far, the most recent movies moved on from her character and focused more on lore and world-building. The most memorable quotes from the Alien movies may have started with Ripley showing how tough she is in the face of interstellar dread, but they — like the franchise itself — have since evolved.

20 “Mother's Deciphered Part Of It. It Doesn't Look Like An S.O.S... It Looks Like A Warning.”

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) In Alien

The Alien franchise kicks off with the crew of the Nostromo being awakened early from their hypersleep by a distress call coming from somewhere nearby. The laws of space travel dictate that the crew is required to investigate the call and offer any assistance that might be needed. However, this act of aid proves to be the downfall of the doomed crew.

While several of the crew venture out to the mysterious planet known as LV-426, Ripley has the ship’s computer, Mother, take a closer look into the supposed distress signal that had been sent out. In a terrific moment that turns Alien from a sci-fi movie into a horror movie, Ripley discovers that it was not a distress signal after all and was actually a warning for ships to stay away from this planet. It is a great moment to send chills up the spines of the viewers and give a hint that there is something evil lurking on this planet.

19 “Yes. I Read You. The Answer Is Negative.”

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) In Alien​

Sigourney Weaver cemented herself as one of the greatest action heroes of all time with her performance in Aliens. However, part of the brilliance of Alien is that it takes a while before it becomes clear that she is the protagonist of the story. It could be easily assumed that the heroic captain of the Nostromo was the lead, but Ripley eventually proves that she is the most level-headed and intelligent character on the ship.

After Dallas and some of the other crew investigate the strange planet where the signal appears to be coming from, Kane is attacked and the facehugger attaches itself to him. While Dallas orders Ripley to let them on the ship to give Kane medical attention, she points out that the proper procedure is to quarantine Kane. Dallas repeats his order, but Ripley shows her incredible confidence and strength in sticking by her stance. Had they listened to her, the rest of the Nostromo crew would have survived.

18 “I Can't Lie To You About Your Chances, But... You Have My Sympathies.”

Ash (Ian Holm) In Alien

The idea of androids in the Alien universe was first introduced in the franchise’s first movie. Though Ash (Ian Holm) initially seems like a regular, albeit cold, member of the crew, he is revealed to be an android who was put on this mission by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. After Ripley and the others discover the truth about Ash and that he has been ordered to bring the Xenomorph specimen back alive, they destroy him.

However, with some of his artificial life still intact, Ripley questions him about the alien and how to kill it. Ash proves to know a lot more about the Xenomorph than he initially revealed, showing a sense of iration for this seemingly perfect specimen of destruction. Ensuring that Ripley and the others have no chance against the killer extra-terrestrial, Ash offers this chilling final line that cements just how formidable these creatures are.

17 “You've Been In My Life So Long, I Can't Anything Else.”

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) In Alien 3

Alien 3 is often criticized as being too bleak to be any fun, but it makes sense that Ripley would be considerably traumatized following her third run-in with these vicious creatures. It is an interesting arc in this sequel as it begins to explore the connection between Ripley and the Xenomorph which is touched on even more in Alien: Resurrection.

Now in Alien 3, Ripley sees herself as the only one who can put an end to the Xenomorphs

In this memorable quote, Ripley reflects on how much her experiences with the Xenomorphs have shaped her life and carried her down a new path in the franchise. In Alien, Ripley was simply a survivor. In Aliens, she was a protector. Now in Alien 3, Ripley sees herself as the only one who can put an end to the Xenomorphs and prevent their spread across the galaxy – even if it is at the cost of her own life.

16 "What's The Matter? The Food Ain't That Bad."

Parker (Yaphet Kotto) In Alien

While the Alien franchise has had a lot of iconic moments over the various entries, it has never topped the shocking impact of the first death in the series. After Kane is attacked by the facehugger, the rest of the crew is at a loss for how to help him. When the creature suddenly detaches and Kane wakes up as if nothing happened, there is a sense of relief as well as a lingering dread that the nightmare isn’t over.

As the crew settles in for a meal together, it seems as though the ordeal is behind them as they joke around together. However, when Kane begins seemingly choking, Parker’s attempt to relieve the tension with a joke makes for a memorable final line before the movie takes a terrifying turn. The image of the chestburster breaking its way out of Kane’s body is iconic and the scene, along with Parker’s comment, is made more effective by the fact that the rest of the actors didn’t know quite what was going to happen in the scene.

15 “I Got You...You Son Of A B****.”

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) In Alien

Throughout Alien, Ellen Ripley watched as her fellow crew mates died, one by one, at the hands of the Xenomorph alien queen. Like other horror movies of the era, Ripley becomes one of the most iconic Final Girls, as Alien is as much of a slasher movie like Halloween as a sci-fi movie about aliens. That means that, in the end, it is time for Ripley to stand up and face her murderous alien tormentor — and this comes with a perfect one-liner.

In the closing moments of Alien, as Ripley flies away from the Nostromo and the station explodes, seemingly killing the Xenomorph inside, she says, “I got you...you son of a b*tch.” This is a call back to another horror movie, as at the end of Jaws, when Brody stuffs a tank into the shark’s mouth and shoots at it, he says, “Smile, you son of a b*tch!” Unlike Jaws, the movie wasn't over and the Xenomorph was still alive for one last attack, another similarity to slasher movies of the 70s and 80s.

14 “Eat This!”

Hicks (Michale Biehn) In Aliens

When James Cameron took over the franchise with Aliens, he set out to change the subgenre of the sci-fi movies. Instead of the horror-centric sci-fi of Alien, Aliens chose to go in more of an action-adventure direction. 1986's Aliens was still a horror tale, but only in the way that Cameron's Terminator was a horror movie. Replacing the alien killing the hapless space crew one-by-one, this time multiple Xenomorphs faced off with military soldiers with big weapons who could fight back. This included the fierce Hicks.

Xenomorph blood is acidic, so it burns the surrounding soldiers, causing Hicks' plan to hurt his allies as well — though it doesn't make his taunt any less memorable.

Early in Aliens, Hicks shows off a gun that he “likes to keep handy for close encounters.” Later in the movie, when the Colonial Marines are struggling to close a door as a Xenomorph is trying to force its way in, Hicks finds the perfect opportunity to use it. He crams the gun in the Xenomorph’s mouth and says, “Eat this!” Then, he pulls the trigger, spraying the alien’s blood everywhere. Unfortunately, Xenomorph blood is acidic, so it burns the surrounding soldiers, causing Hicks' plan to hurt his allies as well — though it doesn't make his taunt any less memorable.

13 “What The Hell Are We Supposed To Use, Man? Harsh Language?”

Frost (Rico Ross) In Aliens

In Aliens, Ripley agrees to accompany the Marines to a planet infested with Xenomorphs, but she demands that they exterminate the aliens when they arrive. However, unfortunately for the Marines, the commanding officer is a man named Gorman (William Hope), and while there are some capable soldiers in the unit (with Hicks and Hudson the most notable), Gorman leads many of them to their death thanks to his inability to lead the team without the corporate Burke (Paul Reiser) compromising them.

Gorman orders the Colonial Marines to disarm themselves, so they won't accidentally damage the Processor's reactor. His men are outraged because, without their guns, they can't defend themselves. Frost quips, “What the hell are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?” Gorman allows them Flame Units. This marks the end of Frost when the Xenomorphs attack. Dietrich accidentally discharges her Flame Unit, setting Frost on fire, which leads him to fall over a railing and into the hive, resulting in his death.

12 “Roll Over, Play Dead, Heel.”

Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) In Alien: Resurrection

In Alien: Resurrection, the franchise goes full sci-fi, Alien 3. Despite the time jump, Ripley is back, but this time as a clone. Called Ripley 8, she has the memories of the original Ellen Ripley, and that means she has full memories of how dangerous the Xenomorphs are. The clone is also combined with the Xenomorph queen's DNA, and as with the best science fiction movies, the horrors here are because humanity can't stop trying to play God with something they don't understand.

Ripley has tangled with these creatures a few times (this was her fourth movie dealing with the species), and she knows they can’t be tamed.

When the Xenomorphs return in Alien: Resurrection, Dr. Wren (J.E. Freeman) is excited, saying, “The animal itself – wondrous! The potential? Unbelievable, once we’ve tamed them. We’ll teach them tricks!” Ripley has tangled with these creatures a few times (this was her fourth movie dealing with the species), and she knows they can’t be tamed. She sarcastically says, “Roll over, play dead, heel,” showing that she knows the only safe Xenomorph is a dead Xenomorph.

11 “In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream.”

The Alien Tag Line

This isn’t technically an Alien quote that appears in a movie, but it is an iconic enough part of Alien lore to remain one of the most memorable lines from the franchise. It’s the poster tagline for the first Alien movie, and arguably the most iconic poster tagline of all time. It perfectly captures the feel of the film. A huge part of the terror of Alien is its isolated setting. In its soul, Alien is more of a horror movie akin to haunted house stories than a science fiction film despite its alien threat.

Most horror movies in isolated settings occur in the woods or a haunted house in the country, but Ridley Scott’s masterpiece takes isolation to the next level. The characters aren’t even on Earth; they’re on a space station many light-years away from the rest of the human race. The tagline “In space, no one can hear you scream” captures that beautifully, and shows that, unlike most horror movies, no one can save the day here other than the terrorized victims themselves.