RANKING: THE ALIEN FRANCHISE

What began in 1979 as a terrifying vision of extraterrestrial horror has grown into a universe spanning decades, directors, characters, and wildly different interpretations of the Xenomorph.

With the franchise continuing to evolve, we’re taking a look back at the films and ranking them from worst to best. This isn’t just about which movie has the most aliens or the biggest moments—it’s about the atmosphere, storytelling, characters, visuals, horror, ambition, and the lasting impact each film has had on the franchise.

ALIEN RESURRECTION

Alien Resurrection (1997)

Release: November 26, 1997
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by: Joss Whedon
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman
Setting: 2381

Set 200 years after Alien 3, Ripley is resurrected through cloning—and something unexpected comes with her. The film takes the franchise into a much more bizarre, experimental and darkly comedic direction.

ALIENS 3

Alien 3 (1992)

Release: May 22, 1992
Director: David Fincher
Written by: David Giler, Walter Hill & Larry Ferguson
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance
Setting: 2179

Fincher’s bleak third installment takes Ripley to the prison planet Fiorina 161. With a much darker atmosphere than Aliens, the film returns toward the original’s horror roots while placing Ripley against another Xenomorph threat.

ALIEN : COVENANT

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Release: May 19, 2017
Director: Ridley Scott
Written by: John Logan & Dante Harper
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup
Setting: 2104

A direct continuation of Prometheus. The crew of the colony ship Covenant discovers what appears to be a habitable world, only to encounter the consequences of David’s experiments. The film brings the franchise closer to the familiar Xenomorph mythology.

PROMETHEUS

Prometheus (2012)

Release: June 8, 2012
Director: Ridley Scott
Written by: Jon Spaihts & Damon Lindelof
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Setting: 2093

Scott returned to the universe with a film that moves away from the traditional Xenomorph story and instead explores human origins, artificial intelligence, creation and the mysterious Engineers. It serves as a prequel to the original Alien mythology.

ALIEN : ROMULUS

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Release: August 16, 2024
Director: Fede Álvarez
Written by: Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Setting: 2142

Set between Alien and Aliens, Romulus follows a group of young space colonists who discover an abandoned space station. The film intentionally reconnects with the claustrophobic horror and visual language of the original while introducing a new generation of characters.

ALIEN

Alien (1979)

Release: May 25, 1979
Director: Ridley Scott
Written by: Dan O’Bannon
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
Setting: 2122

The film that started everything. The crew of the commercial spacecraft Nostromo answers a mysterious transmission and encounters the creature that would become one of cinema’s most recognizable monsters. It established the franchise’s combination of science fiction, horror, isolation and corporate dystopia.

ALIENS

Aliens (1986)

Release: July 18, 1986
Director: James Cameron
Written by: James Cameron, David Giler & Walter Hill
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser
Setting: 2179

Cameron transformed the original’s slow-burn horror into an action-heavy war film. Ripley returns to LV-426 with a squad of Colonial Marines and discovers that the threat has grown from one creature into an entire colony of Xenomorphs.

Do you agree with our list? Comment down below your ranking and let us know your favorites of the franchise!