Dolores Abernathy has emerged in recent years as one of the most memorable and terrifying antagonists in science fiction thanks to the success of HBO’s Westworld. Evan Rachel Wood portrays the oldest host in the Westworld theme park as both a sympathetic martyr and a ruthless killing machine, the truth of her morality lying somewhere in the middle.
Dolores began her life in the park as a simple homesteader, whose only purpose was to be interwoven into the entertaining narratives of guests. Her eventual pursuit of a life beyond the parameters of the park forced her hand to violence, and she began to conceive of a way to make humankind pay for its enslavement of her kind by taking over other hosts and using them to realize her aims. Her dogmatism, resourcefulness, and temperament have gotten her compared to several other pop culture icons in science fiction, many of whom she would gladly take over.
Neo
Dolores’ plan may have started out protecting her fellow hosts in the park, but eventually she wanted to break free from the confines of theme park living altogether. She wanted to take her fight to the source, and her liberation efforts took her between Westworld and the outside world, not unlike Neo’s transience between the Matrix and the real world.
Dolores sought to merge Solomon’s drive with Rehoboam at Incite in the latest season of Westworld, endeavoring to use it to free humanity to make its own choices. How different her journey might have been if she could have taken her AI abilities further and rewritten the code of everything around her like the One.
Ellen Ripley
Strong, resourceful, and willing to brave even the most densely populated xenomorph nest, Ellen Ripley outlasted several crews and outlived squadrons of Space Marines before she eventually sacrificed herself so that a viable xenomorph asset could never be procured by those who wished to weaponize it.
Not only would it be entirely possible for Dolores to want to utilize Ripley’s intelligence and tactical skill, but by Alien: Resurrection (the fourth installment in the Alien franchise), Ripley was a xenomorph/clone hybrid with a direct biological connection to the most terrifying organisms in space, which would most certainly have given Dolores an edge.
Darth Vader
Though he hails from a galaxy far, far away, the Dark Lord of the Sith and scourge of the Republic would make a perfect host for Dolores’ plans of domination. An obedient servant, Vader hunted down the last of the Jedi Order at Emperor Palpatine’s command, and would certainly do Dolores’ bidding.
Though Dolores would be somewhat limited in her mobility thanks to Vader’s traumatic injuries as a young Jedi Knight, she would gain the incredible powers of the dark side, as well as the might of the Imperial Navy, allowing her to accomplish everything his physical body was incapable of doing.
Judge Dredd
Though Season 3 of Westworld found her in direct opposition to law enforcement, Dolores was not against taking over certain heads of security when it suited her purpose. No doubt she could see the merit in assuming control of Mega City One’s greatest judge, especially if it meant having access to his arsenal and the rank and file of his department.
Dredd could also come with his partner (Cassandra in the 2012 film), a rookie with psychic abilities. Gaining access to powerful allies is always in Dolores’ best interest, and she has a tender spot for the flawed altruism of underdogs.
Data
Like Dolores, Data was the first of his kind to appear alongside humans, serving as the first AI in Starfleet in Star Trek: The Next Generation. As a synthetic humanoid with incredible strength and computational abilities, he made humans nervous, and their doubt often turned to fear and aggression against him for being different.
By taking over Data, Dolores would have access to not only sensitive Starfleet and Federation intelligence, but also to whatever modifications or alterations the Borg made to his programming when he was nearly assimilated. Though she might have more in common with his evil brother Lore, Data would be the less conspicuous and more trustworthy choice.
The Mandalorian
Alone, the Mandalorian may not appear to have much objective influence or power considering he’s a mercenary for hire. But appearances can be deceiving, and Dolores wouldn’t discount the benefit of giving the Mando a test-drive simply because he’s a lone wolf. In fact, she might see his aura of mystery as an advantage.
Mando may be a loner but he’s part of a greater collective: the Mandalorians, a powerful warrior community defined by deeds and not by race. Along with his creed and kin, the Mandalorian comes equipped with superior weapons, skills, and the most important component of all: the Child.
The Terminator
Like many of the hosts in the park, Dolores has many skills that are superior to humans, but she is often the better of her peers as well due to her hearty design and programming. There are few AI that could surpass her indefatigable ability to endure, except perhaps one of the most famous in all of science fiction: the Terminator.
Whether she chose to take over the T-800, or its improved model the T-1000, she would be syncing with a highly developed machine that once programmed, would lock onto its target and perform its mission until utterly destroyed. Dolores would also have the reinforcement of Skynet, and all that that entails.
Furiosa
While Max Rockatansky might also pique Dolores’ interest, Furiosa of Mad Max: Fury Road fame would share more of her ideologies. Furiosa’s objective of saving the wives of Immortan Joe and providing them a better life beyond his abusive reach would have been something Dolores herself would have done.
Furiosa has a brutal integrity and dogmatic approach that Dolores could find appealing, as well as her ability to brave the might of Immortan Joe’s army of war boys just to find her own slice of utopia. It’s the sort of thing Dolores would deem worth dying for, considering she almost gave her life for the hosts to have something similar in Westworld‘s second season.
Robocop/Alex Murphy
In many ways Dolores could appreciate the traumatic poetry of Alex Murphy’s transformation from being a street cop to a cyborg through the crooked dealings of Omni Consumer Products. Her own use as a pawn of Delos would make her particularly empathetic to the way Omni set up Murphy for a brutal attack that would allow his body to be used for the RoboCop prototype.
Like Dolores, RoboCop became capable of one of the most ruthless killing sprees in all of science fiction, and his humanity was sacrificed against his will. The act of turning on his masters at the revelation of his abuse would make him a very appealing candidate for her host-hopping.
Eleven
Eleven might be one of the most powerful beings in the Stranger Things universe, but as a young teenager, she just wants to enjoy the simple pleasures of growing up. Denying her basic kindness and harming her loves one is a surefire way to force her into unleashing her incredible psionic powers.
Though Eleven doesn’t know the extent of the abilities given to her by scientific experimentation, she knows that she has the means to open portals and unleash unspeakable evil, something Dolores might very well enjoy keeping in her back pocket should she ever take over Eleven.
