Undoubtedly, Xenomorphs are still one of the freakiest monsters ever to be released on big screens. The biomechanical design, the green acid blood, and a never-ending hunger for blood still give fans nightmares. Over the years, the franchise has spawned a handful of movies, even Alien vs. Predator spin-offs, but the design of the beast barely changed. However, the Xeno in the recently released FX series looks much different from the ones in the movies.
The difference between Xenomorphs in Alien movies and those in Alien: Earth explained
How exactly do these new Xenomorphs differ from the ones we know from the films? Let’s find out. The changes in the Xenomorph’s design aren’t random; the creators have done it to enrich the lore of these alien killers. So, it is no surprise that they also come with new weaknesses that others can exploit against them. For instance, episode 2, where Murrow actually knocks one out by electrocuting it.
In the old Alien movies, the Xenomorphs were sometimes engineered (Alien: Resurrection (1997), but in Alien Earth, they belong to a much bigger ecosystem of predators. That means they’re not the only dangerous species out there, and have their own place in the alien food chain.
Another significant change is their size and growth. In the Alien movies, Xenos grow huge within hours of hatching, from cocoon to full-blown nightmare in very little time. In the first Alien film, the facehugger latches onto Kane, plants a chestburster in him, and when it bursts out, the creature fully matures within an hour. Alien: Romulus sticks with that idea, too, but in Alien: Earth, Xeno takes way longer to mature.
There are a couple of theories floating around about why the Xenos are growing more slowly this time. Some think it’s because they’re struggling to adapt to Earth’s environment. In contrast, others believe it’s because one was artificially created by letting an alien parasite infect Joe’s damaged, removed lung.
Moreover, the show also plays with the idea that the Xeno might absorb or mimic their host’s traits and characteristics. In the trailer, we also see an alien Xeno having a comoflague ability. This is something fans have never witnessed in any of the Alien movies.
Alien: Earth also modifies posture and movement, so the Xenos spends more time all fours, appearing more feral and animalistic.
Another significant change is Wendy’s ability to communicate with the Xenos. Unlike regular cyborgs or synths, she’s a hybrid, created by transferring a child’s mind into an adult synthetic body. That makes her way more advanced. She can do things like rewrite code that wasn’t even in her programming, and, surprisingly, connect with the Xenomorphs. In one of the episodes, we even see a Xeno toddler nuzzle its face against her hand, hinting that it sees her as a mother figure.
