Androids are one of the most popular science fiction creatures. Similar to humans in certain aspects, but still different enough, they make for compelling characters. They're often highly intelligent and physically superior to humans. That can lead to a level of distrust between them and humans.
As a result, some androids function as antagonists in sci-fi movies and TV shows while others join the side of heroes and more often than not help them fight evil or solve a problem. Whatever the case, the best androids in science fiction movies and TV series have justifiably become iconic and are just as important as their human counterparts.
5 Ava In Ex Machina (2014)
Ex Machina is one of the few sci-fi movies that prove that even with a lower budget, it's possible to create a compelling story. Especially when it revolves around three characters, a scientist, his employee, and a beautiful android girl who's discovering her humanity. But things are much more complicated in Ex Machina and the movie has the power to surprise the audience thanks to its finale. All three main actors - Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander - give strong performances.
Vikander's character Ava has a certain charm to her but at the same time, she remains inhuman enough to come across as chilling in certain scenes. The downside of her character is that the audience doesn't get to see as much of her as with other movie androids. Interestingly enough, before the role of Ava went to Vikander, Felicity Jones of Star Wars fame was considered for the part. The movie was nominated for two Oscars, including the one for the best original screenplay.
4 The Androids In Westworld
When the HBO series Westworld premiered in 2016, it didn't take long to become a huge hit. Even its fans might not realize, though, that there has been another adaptation before - a half-forgotten 1973 sci-fi movie directed by the author himself, Michael Crichton, and with Yul Brynner in the leading role. Of course, the HBO version has many more androids and a part of its charm is to discover who's who and what their intentions are.
Some androids have no mercy for humans while others just want to be left alone and live in peace. With four seasons under its belt, Westworld is one of the series that has the power to make the audience think about where exactly lies the line between good and evil, human and artificial. It's difficult to choose the best character since the series stars multiple known names, such as James Marsden or Evan Rachel Wood.
3 Batty In Blade Runner (1982)
To this day, Blade Runner remains one of the greatest sci-fi classics, and that's despite the fact that it wasn't successful when it first premiered. Set in a future that didn't happen, in 2019, Harrison Ford's Rick Deckard is searching for stray androids, without realizing he might be one of them. The question of Deckard's identity is only one of the many mysteries surrounding the world and story of Blade Runner. What's clear, on the other hand, is that Rutger Hauer's Batty is a recognizable face when it comes to sci-fi androids. Even though he and Deckard stand against each other, Batty never comes across as a one-dimensional villain who's evil just for sake of being evil. Instead, he's a person who wants to be free.
Hauer's performance helps sell the picture of a sad person who wishes for something better, and as a result, it's easy to sympathize with Batty. Interestingly enough, Hauer got the part of Batty without ever meeting the director Ridley Scott before. Scott simply liked Hauer's performances in his previous movies and cast him based on them. Batty isn't often the first android sci-fi fans think of because he doesn't have that much space in the movie, but he easily steals every scene he appears in for himself and is one of the most sympathetic androids ever seen in sci-fi movies.
2 Kryten In Red Dwarf
Right alongside Doctor Who, the sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf is one of the most popular and long-running British sci-fi series as it's been airing since 1988. One of the main characters is the android Kryten, portrayed by Robert Llewellyn. Kryten was originally programmed as a cleaning android but over time, he managed to break his programming and evolved into a much more complex personality. For example, he learned to lie and insult people.
Kryten is easily the smartest member of the Red Dwarf crew, but his low self-confidence often prevents him from seeing that. Just like the other main characters, Kryten is often hilarious. What's more, his development as a character shows that androids can become someone else, if they put their minds to it. Robert Llewellyn subsequently wrote a book about his experience of playing Kryten titled The Man in the Rubber Mask which sheds even more light on the iconic character.
1 Commander Data In Star Trek
Leaving out Star Trek, easily one of the most iconic and influential sci-fi franchises of all time, and its most famous android would be a mistake. Commander Data who serves under Captain Jean-Luc Picard on the starship Enterprise is one of the good guys (unlike his evil twin brother Lore). Data's wish is to become more human, so he does his best to study humans and emulate their social norms and behavior.
His desire to get along with others combined with his remarkable intelligence is what makes Data such a valued member of the crew. Not only that but he strikes close friendships with his co-workers, including his Captain. Data is also instrumental in saving the ship more than once, and he plays a major part in protecting humanity's future when he helps defeat the Borg Queen in Star Trek VIII: First Contact (1996).