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Top 10 Cyborgs in Television and Film from This Millennium


We will be looking at the most kick-ass cyborgs that have graced movies and television since this millennium began. According to Merriam-Webster, a cyborg is “a person whose body contains mechanical or electrical devices and whose abilities are greater than the abilities of normal humans.”Using this definition, we already have them living among us today. To add more context, I have set up the following three perimeters for evaluating which cyborgs to include in our list:

1. Only part humanoid, part machine. No pure robots, and no robots that are merely surrounded by living tissue. Also, we are only looking at beings that resemble or are genetically similar to humanoid life forms.

2. Only living beings whose powers are enhanced by mechanical or computer parts will be considered. For example, cybernetic implants for prosthetic purposes that don’t add significant increases in functionality from biological limbs will not be added to this list.

3. We will be looking at live-action cyborgs only. Sorry, there are quite a few epic anime and cartoon cyborgs, but they will not be included in this list. We may cover those in a separate list in the future.

Before continuing to see the top ten cyborgs of this millennium, here are our Honorable Mentions that didn't quite make it on our list, but still deserve some credit.

-Number Six & Cylons. While having a big impact on science fiction, they originated as a robot with human genetics. For this reason, we excluded them.

-Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. Perhaps the best known Cyborg in cinematic history, Vader was excluded because his prosthesis was more of a handicap then an augmentation.

-Daleks. Known for exterminating beings across the Doctor Who universe, Daleks are far from humanoid, but worth noting for their tremendous history in the cyborg universe.

- Motoko Kusanagi. Major Kusanagi is definitely one of the top cyborgs in importance to the genre, but we are only looking at live-action cyborgs in this list. Lucky for us, there will be a live action version of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi in 2017. You can read more about it here.

With the above in mind, continue this list to view our top 10 Cyborgs in Television and Film from This Millennium.

  1. Kahler-Tek AKA the Gunslinger

    Appeared in: Doctor Who Air Date: 15 September 2012

    Capabilities: - Right arm is composed of a powerful energy weapon - Bionic eye with advanced targeting and facial recognition with the ability to calculate probability of collateral damage - Sensors that can see and identify life forms, heartbeats, and vital signs through solid objects - Short-ranged teleportation

    Biography:  Kahler-Tek was transformed against his will from a humanoid into a soldier cyborg to end a war that had terrorized his planet. His new form didn't have free will and was programmed to fight. The transformation of himself, as well as others, ended the ongoing war within a week. During the war, Kahler was damaged and regained control of his body and mind. After regaining his personality, he began hunting down the scientists who created him. This lead him to Nevada, USA, in 1870. After justice was rendered, he became a protector of the town and a local legend.

    Portrayed by: Andrew Brooke

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    Why he's on our list:

    Kahler-Tek is everything you want a cyborg to be. He presents the classic take on a cybernetic humanoid, created by a mad scientist in times of war. He is capable of massive damage, equipped with the classic cyborg arm weapon, cybernetic eye, and cool tricks like short-ranged teleportation. While his backstory and implants are nothing revolutionary, the creators of Doctor Who did a wonderful job using modern special effects to showcase the feeling of an epic cyborg. Many people even petitioned for a Doctor Who spinoff show based on Kahler-Tek. We think Kahler is a great example of what a classic cyborg can be using 21st century special effects.

  2. Max Da Costa

    Appeared in: ElysiumAir Date: 9 August 2013

    Capabilities:- Durable exoskeleton surgically attached- Enhanced superhuman strength- Increased maneuverability- Additional firing level capabilities

    Biography:  Max was born in poverty and spent many of his early years in and out of jail. While working in a factory, an accident causes Max to receive a lethal dose of radiation and is told he has five days to live. In order to extend his life, he tries to escape to a Med-Bay located in Earth’s orbit. Before leaving Earth, he is retro-fitted with a surgically attached exoskeleton which gives him extra strength and maneuverability.

    Portrayed by: Matt Damon

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    Why he's on our list:

    Max represents a new kind of cyborg that we are beginning to see take shape in real life. Rather than implants that replace entire body parts, Max has an exoskeleton that is surgically attached to his body. This frame gives him the ability to run and jump higher than a regular person, as well as superior strength. While relatively simple, Max illustrates the perfect idea of an exoskeleton frame type cyborg that may not be far from implementation in the present day.

  3. Adam

    Appeared in: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Air Date: 8 February 2000

    Capabilities:- Superhuman strength - Superhuman stamina - Durability - Skewer attack - Collapsible minigun and grenade launcher in arms - Cybernetic abilities

    Biography:  Military scientists created Adam by re-engineering a man with the parts of demons, vampires, and technology. He was designed in the theme of Frankenstein as a horror and perverse use of science and technology.

    Portrayed by: George Hertzberg

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    Why he's on our list:

    Adam represents a new kind of cyborg that blends in perfectly to the supernatural background of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character still clings to the unoriginal creation story from the minds of mad scientist and has strong ties to Frankenstein. Despite this, his part demon part vampire physiology, and his quest for meaning and self understanding, make him an interesting and new take on the classic Frankenstein and cyborg entity.

  4. Marcus Wright

    Appeared in: Terminator SalvationAir Date: 21 May 2009

    Capabilities:- Bones replaced with metal endoskeleton- Enhanced strength- Enhanced heart with better blood and oxygen flow allowing quicker skin tissue regeneration- Able to live for hundreds of years thanks to endoskeleton

    Biography:  Marcus Wright was a human sentenced to death for murder. He signed his body away to science, and upon his execution was entered into Project Angel and transformed back to life as a living cyborg. Initially he was unaware that he had become a cyborg. Marcus went on to help the resistance fight Skynet. In the heat of battle, John became mortally engaged and Marcus gave his own heart to John as retribution for his past mistakes.

    Portrayed by: Sam Worthington

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    Why he's on our list:

    The Terminator series is rich with quality special effects and intelligent robots; however, most of them are purely machines and more related to androids than cyborgs. Marcus is a bit different. He was once a human, sentenced to death, and transformed into a cyborg. What makes him special is his interesting back story and character progression, which comes full circle when he trades his live to save John Connor.

  5. Alex Murphy AKA RoboCop

    Appeared in: RoboCop Air Date: 12 February 2014

    Capabilities: - Equipped with NI-408 and M2 Battle Rifle deployed from leg compartments - High durability armor - Enhanced strength - Quickened reflexes due to processor connected in his brain - Able to mentally retrieve surveillance and police data - Tracking capabilities, including cellphone signals

    Biography:  Critically injured in a car explosion, Clara Murphy gave her husband’s body to the robotics company Omnicorp. Alex was then turned into a cybernetic police officer. Alex preferred death to his new metallic form, but was persuaded to be a RoboCop. While stationed in Detroit, he drastically reduced crime in the city. After trying to arrest corrupt police officers, he was shut down remotely and taken back to OmniCorp. They planned to have him terminated, but he managed to escape.

    Portrayed by: Joel Kinnaman

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    Why he's on our list:

    RoboCop is one of the best cyborg conceptions to hit the big screens. Unfortunately, not much has changed about him since the original 80s film, which was arguably much better than the remake. Although the story could have been perfected, Alex Murphy's iconic cyborg design, guns, and armor, were presented well. It was a thrill to see him in 21st century CGI. RoboCop was, and still is, a great interpretation of a combat based cyborg. 

  6. Tony Stark AKA Iron Man

    Appeared in: Iron Man, 1-2-3 & The Avengers 1-2Air Dates: 2 May 2008 - 1 May 2015

    Capabilities:- Superhuman Strength- Superhuman Speed- Flight- Heavy Firepower- Hand Mounted Repulsor

    Biography:  Tony is the son of Howard Stark, the founder of Stark Industries, which was a major weapons supplier for the United States Military. At the young age of four, he built his first circuit board, at seven he built an engine, and at the age of 21 he became the CEO of Stark Industries. While doing a weapons show overseas, Tony was captured by the terrorist group Ten Rings. During his captivity, he developed a prototype Iron Man suit and used it to escape. After returning back to the United States, he created more advanced suits that could fly.

    Portrayed by: Robert Downey Jr

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    Why he's on our list:

    Iron Man is not your typical cyborg, but too good not to include in this list. Tony Stark implanted a self designed Arc Reactor inside his chest to keep shrapnel from reaching his heart. His Arc Reactor also acts as the power source to his Iron Man suits. Eventually, he has the shrapnel and reactor removed from his chest, but still retains many of the aspects that define a cyborg. His suits are constantly evolving and can be controlled cybernetically. Rather than an attached appendage like a traditional cyborg, his suits can be taken off. We would have Tony higher up on our list, but as Marvel's cinematic universe progresses, Tony begins to feel less like a cyborg with his chest implant removed. Iron Man and Iron Man 2 are great examples of Tony Stark as a cyborg, showcasing his harmony between suit and self while utilizing his Arc Reactor.

  7. Kiera Cameron

    Appeared in: ContinuumAir Date: 27 May 2012

    Capabilities: - Enhanced senses - Firearm detection - Facial recognition - Night vision - Heightened strength - Increased speed - Passive audio/visual playback from memory - Uniform with ability to resist bullets and grant invisibility

    Biography:  Born in the year 2046, Kiera joined a special branch of the military and was assigned to take down members of a terrorist group. She discovered that the terrorists had assembled their own time travel device and was sucked into the devices portal by accident. She arrived in the year 2012 in Vancouver, Canada, and attempts to find and stop the terrorists.

    Portrayed by: Rachel Nichols

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    Why she's on our list:

    Kiera represents a new type of cyborg: one that's elegant and modern in design. Rather than have crude metallic implants, she has cybernetic augmentations that are hidden from view. Continuum's vision of a cyborg detective is a completely new take off the classic RoboCop formula. Rather than being largely machine, her uniform acts like armor and her cybernetic implants are simply integrated. Much like a person in the 80s might have a large and gaudy pair of glasses for eyesight, Continuum's cyborg is like the upgrade to contact lenses- capable and yet discreet. Kiera is a less obvious and more natural idea of cyborg that will probably be developed further in other franchises.

  8. Nebula

    Appeared in: Guardians of the GalaxyAir Date: 1 August 2014

    Capabilities: - Rapid Health Regeneration - Able to reshape her body back into original form after catastrophic injuries - Cybernetic eye with improved targeting - Super Strength - Super Durability - Tempersteel Claws - Able to create concussive blasts

    Biography:  Nebula is an adopted daughter of Thanos. She was trained to be an assassin at an early age and given cybernetic implants that drastically increase her capabilities. She is often at the mercy of Thanos in his quest for power, whom she fears and despises.

    Portrayed by: Karen Gillan

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    Why she's on our list:

    Nebula is a great comic book version of a high-tech cyborg. She received her cybernetic implants to accommodate various injuries. It was epic watching her implants repair her broken body in Guardians of the Galaxy. Her combative and competitive nature make her scenes with Gamora tense and exciting. While she hasn't received much screen time thus far, we will see more of her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

  9. Dr. Otto Octavius AKA Doctor Octopus

    Appeared in: Spider-Man 2 Air Date: 30 June 2004

    Capabilities:- Advanced mechanical tentacles connected to his brain and spinal cord controlled via a computer interface- Tentacles are sentient and have artificial intelligence- Superhuman strength- Tentacles have extreme durability and can survive massive temperature fluctuations

    Biography:  Dr. Octavius was a scientist who was working to develop a fusion device that could create vast amounts of energy. In order to operate the fusion reaction, he developed intelligent metal arms controlled via computer interface. His experiment backfired and the inhibitor chip allowing control of his tentacles was destroyed, leaving them permanently attached to his body.

    Portrayed by: Alfred Molina

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    Why he's on our list:

    Considered to be the best Spider-Man movie by many, and arguable the best villain, Doctor Octopus triumphs as a great example of a cyborg in Spider-Man 2. His computer controlled tentacles extend the capabilities of his body for both science and battle. The tentacles were wonderfully designed in CGI for the big screen, and felt like a character on their own (they did have artificial intelligence). Doc Ock differentiates himself as a cyborg with his own unique look and feel that is easily distinguishable from the run-of-the-mill cyborg. 

  10. Seven of Nine

    Appeared in: Star Trek: VoyagerAir Dates: 21 May 1997 – 23 May 2001

    Capabilities:- Superior visual acuity- Eidetic memory- Superior physical strength- Reinforced heart and respiratory system- Resistant to injury and radiation- Able to act as a physical host for holographic characters

    Biography:  At the age of six, Annika was assimilated by the Borg. Her mind was altered and her individuality was purged so she could become a part of the Collective. Her new name or identification was Seven of Nine. As a drone, she helped the Borg assimilate others into their hive mind. The Borg later encountered a deadly new alien life form, which caused them to forge an alliance with the Federation. After a succession of events, Seven of Nine was disconnected from the Collective and became a member of the Voyager crew.

    Portrayed by: Jeri Ryan

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    Why she's on our list:

    The Borg have been one of the most impactful foes in the Star Trek Universe for decades, making appearances in multiple shows and movies. One of the best examples of the Borg is Seven of Nine. Seven has been hailed by many as the best character from Star Trek: Voyager. Throughout the show, her part human part machine nature makes her question, learn, and reinvent herself as a human. It is interesting to watch her develop as a cyborg that is cut off from the Borg collective, while still retaining many of their cybernetic abilities.

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