The Terminator franchise has been forever trademarked by its titular character – a cybernetic organism sent back through time to eliminate the human resistance before it becomes a threat. The principal antagonist SkyNET was responsible for the creation of the Terminators, but that’s not the only weapon at its disposal.
Throughout the years, we’ve seen many other variants of machines that SkyNET has used in its battle against humanity. Some are larger threats than others, but none should be taken lightly! Here’s a list of SkyNET’s machines, ranked by their danger quotient.
Hydrobot
This simplistic machine was essentially a large mechanical tentacle with a clawed face that could seek out enemies in watery environments and either drag them under or mangle them to death. It was able to propel itself through the water either as a means of locomotion or to leap at its prey.
Hydrobots served a single function, but they did it with cold and calculating efficiency. They could be used for recon duties or kill-on-sight missions. Like several other of SkyNET’s creations, the Hydrobot may have been based on pre-war technology later adapted and perfected to suit its purpose.
Silverfish
Silverfish were originally supposed to have been featured in Terminator 2: Judgment Day during the opening future war scene, but they did make appearances in several forms of spinoff media, most notably the 2019 video game Terminator: Resistance. Their slim size and reduced height made them difficult to spot on the battlefield.
These dangerous machines were planted in the ground to lie in wait for unsuspecting humans. Using a sophisticated sound detection technology, Silverfish would quickly identify targets and rush them before initiating a kamikaze attack, blowing themselves up and taking their targets with them.
Moto-Terminator
This machine resembled a Ducati from hell, complete with the killer instinct to prove it. Primarily a scout unit, the Moto-Terminators were also effective in battle thanks to their outrageous speed, enhanced sensor package, and gyroscopic balancing mechanism. Their main weapons were a pair of plasma emitters.
While not as effective against large groups, the MT’s could easily run down several humans at a time, making them highly efficient if deployed in rural or remote areas. Their speed also gave them an advantage in hit-and-run tactics against more formidable opposition.
T-1
The T-1 could literally be regarded as the first Terminator unit ever conceived. It was originally taken over by the software-based SkyNET and used to overpower the Cyber Research Systems division of the U.S. Air Force right before Judgment Day. It would later serve as the inspiration for the much larger and more frightening Ground H.K. units.
This particular Terminator was a tank-based robot with an upper torso that could rotate 360 degrees to deal with assailants on all sides. Its primary weapons were a pair of devastating miniguns paired to the T-1’s rudimentary sensor package. While far from perfect, they were more than a match for all but the most cunning of opponents.
T-800
The T-600 series might have been SkyNET’s first relative success with bipedal infiltrator units, but their rubber skin made them too easy to spot. It would revise the model with the T-800, a game-changer that spread fear and paranoia among the leftover human resistance. With very few methods to detect them, T-800s began infiltrating resistance bases and slaughtering their inhabitants with ease.
These machines sported a hyper-alloy combat chassis that could withstand a brutal barrage of punishment. They could be deployed on the battlefield in traditional endoskeleton form, or coated with living tissue to pass as an authentic human. They would eventually be retired in favor of the T-850, an upgraded model with greater resistance to energy and plasma-based weaponry.
T-47
SkyNET created a variant of its Hunter-Killer line by incorporating a bipedal design that could be used in ground-based assaults. The T-47 could reach places a larger H.K. could not, while still packing a deadly amount of firepower. Its main purpose was exclusively for war.
Its base design featured a weapons package consisting of twin Gatling guns and a pair of rocket launchers to deal with front-line assaults from larger groups of enemies. The machine made its debut in the Terminator: Resistance video game, offering fans a glimpse at a unique new kind of machine.
Ground H.K.
The Ground H.K. (or H.K. Tank) is one of the fiercest and most frightening of SkyNET’s creations. This ground-based machine is a variant of the stationary model first introduced by SkyNET in the early days of the war, sporting tank treads that allow it to cover ground quickly while searching for targets.
These deadly machines mowed down human opposition with pivoting twin-barreled plasma cannons married to highly effective tracking systems. Eventually, the resistance got wise and began developing effective methods to take these bad boys down, prompting SkyNET to recalculate.
T-1000
In the latter days of the war, SkyNET began losing ground quickly to John Connor and the human resistance. To compensate, it deployed the prototype T-1000 on a time travel mission to eliminate Connor before Judgment Day kicked off. This fearsome Terminator was almost impossible to kill thanks to its mimetic poly-alloy construction.
The T-1000 could take the shape of anything it touched that was in close approximation to its own size – including people. While highly effective, the prototype was marred by design flaws that caused it to glitch if it took too much repeated damage. This would eventually lead to its destruction at the hands of the second T-800 sent to protect John.
Aerial H.K.
Similar in function to the Ground H.K., the Aerial Hunter Killer rained down terror from the sky as both a patrol unit, and a weapon of destruction. Its armaments included missiles and plasma cannons, and its twin turbine engines gave it massive maneuverability in the sky, making them hard to hit.
Aerial H.K.’s could go where ground units could not, and cover large territory in a small space of time. The resistance had significant trouble taking these machines down, relying heavily on surface-to-air missiles rather than conventional weaponry. They also proved highly effective in psychological warfare, as the mere sound of their shrill engines could demoralize and traumatize nearby human survivors.
Harvester
SkyNET went for broke when it created the Harvester, a nightmarish version of its bipedal Terminator infiltrators. Massive in size and height, these dangerous machines were primarily deployed to gather defenseless humans and deposit them into a transport vessel so experiments could later be conducted on them.
However, when agitated, the Harvester was more than ready for battle. Its tough outer plating made it resistant to most attacks, and a shoulder-mounted plasma cannon could make short work of the opposition. Most humans knew better than to face this machine head-on, instead choosing to hide, or run.
