Alien 3: Why Ellen Ripley Was Killed Off

The first Aliens movie, Alien, debuted in 1979 with Sigourney Weaver starring as the film’s protagonist, Ellen Ripley. Despite premiering well over four decades ago, Weaver’s Ripley is still one of the best leading ladies in science fiction to date. Unfortunately, while the Alien franchise continues to live on, Ripley’s future in the franchise was cut short with 1992’s Alien 3.

Alien 3 saw Ripley return from LV-426, crash-landing in a maximum-security prison. As the movie progresses, Ripley comes to realize that she didn’t return alone. The film had some behind-the-scenes drama, with original director Ripley Scott dropping out of the project. This impacted the film’s quality, as it is one of the lowest-rated films in the franchise on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it also serves as an important ending to Ripley’s story. So, why exactly did the franchise’s heroine die in Alien 3?

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What Happens to Ripley in Alien 3?

In Alien 3, Ripley wakes from cryosleep on Fiorina ‘Fury’ 161 after the Sulaco crash-lands into a colony. The crash ultimately kills Ripley’s friends, including Newt, and their bodies are incinerated in order to avoid any potential contamination. However, they soon discover that a Facehugger managed to sneak on board. The Xenomorph goes on to kill tons of people, but spares Ripley. This is because Ripley is carrying the embryo of a new Alien queen. Rather than removing the embryo and protecting herself, Ripley makes a pivotal decision.

As they have been throughout the franchise, the Weyland-Yutani corporation is still determined to get their hands on a xenomorph. In Alien 3, that hasn’t changed, and they want the embryo that Ripley is carrying. Deciding it is best to destroy the embryo, Ripley decides to sacrifice herself after killing the Xenomorph, refusing to let Weyland-Yutani take her in alive. She dives into the furnace, destroying both herself and the embryo inside her. In doing so, she hopes to prevent Weyland-Yutani from using the Xenomorph as a biological weapon.

It’s a powerful decision by Ripley, one which finally sees her break free of Weyland-Yutani’s hold. It is also a rather bleak ending for the character’s story, as she’s been fighting for so long. It is worth noting that the film’s distributor, 20th Century Fox, did ask for an alternate ending that would have allowed Ripley to survive the events of Alien 3. However, that ended up not happening for a specific reason, and it involves Sigourney Weaver.

Why Did Ripley Die in Alien 3?

For Weaver, Ripley’s storyline in the original trilogy was complete and well-executed (even though Ripley was later cloned for 1997’s Alien: Resurrection). Still, for many fans of the Alien franchise, the decision to kill Ripley off in the third movie was a surprising move. As it turns out, though, there’s a simple explanation as to why Ripley died in Alien 3. After bringing the character to life in multiple films, Weaver was eager to see Ellen Ripley’s story end. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Weaver explained that she felt there was only so much they could do before it became repetitive. Continuing to have Ripley come back again and again, to battle the Alien with each new installment, simply wasn’t worth it.

Alien 3 had plenty of issues behind-the-scenes, and only earned $55.4 million at the box office. However, general opinion on the film has shifted in the 30 years since its release. It still remains one of the lowest-rated installments in the franchise, with 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it serves as an important arc in Ripley’s story. It allows her to take back her agency by making the decision to end it all in order to try and stop Weyland-Yutani. She has spent her time trying to stop the Aliens, and understandably, doesn’t want to sit by and watch as they use the Xenomorphs as weapons.

Although a frustrating decision for some fans, it was a powerful moment for Ripley. For three films, fans watched as Ripley was awakened and forced to fight for her survival against the Aliens. One might have hoped to see her finally achieve a happy ending of sorts. For the character, though, Ripley’s death is the perfect ending. She’s always been about fighting back. That’s what makes her one of the best and most iconic science fiction characters around. And with her death, she managed to successfully fight back against Weyland-Yutani in the best way possible: by taking away the one thing they wanted. She ended her own life to prevent them from securing the embryo. Alien 3 might not be a fan-favorite, but it does a good job at providing a complete character arc for its leading lady, letting her go out with a bang.

While Ripley’s story is over, fans can enjoy a brand-new installment in the Alien franchise with Alien: Romulus, to be released this August. With a few months still until the release of Romulus, fans can return to the beginning of the franchise — and Ripley’s story — and binge-watch the first three films now on Hulu.

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