Battle #2: Lt. Ellen Ripley (Aliens) vs. Sarah Connor (Terminator)
Lt. Ellen Ripley (Aliens)
Character analysis: Lt. Ellen Ripley originally worked on the freighter ship, the Nostromo, before the Alien attack left her in hibernation with her cat for over 60 years. At that time, she was assigned as an advisor to a military campaign against the Aliens. This ultimately left her on a prison planet where she committed suicide in order to stop another potential Alien infestation. 200 years later, she was re-cloned, causing a minor cross-breeding of human and Alien.
Strength attributes: Adaptation, ability to think on her feet, quick learning, determination, knowledge of computer systems, lives in an age where cloning is possible.
Potential weaknesses: Physically not strong, minimal knowledge of firearms, relies on others in extreme circumstances (not a “loner”).
Sarah Connor (Terminator)
Character analysis: Originally targeted by the future computer system Skynet, Sarah Connor was to give birth to the world’s savor, John Connor. With the knowledge of the future given to her by Kyle Reese (eventually John’s father), she would work to prepare her son for his eventual position in Earth’s future.
Strength attributes: Preparation, resourcefulness, full knowledge of firearms and survival techniques, physically fit, future knowledge.
Potential weaknesses: John Connor, unable to control emotions and outbursts, not compassionate to others, untrusting.
The Battle
Before this battle could occur, Ripley would have to be implanted into a time in which Sarah would potentially exist. This places Ripley at a major disadvantage, as her superior knowledge of computers and systems would be only available in her own time. For this battle, a neutral location/time is found. We will not acknowledge Ripley 8 in this situation, as that would give her an unfair advantage against Sarah Connor.
In any fight, Sarah would push more passion into her move to win and survive. In her mind, the world hangs in the balance, and that is all she has known. With Ripley, the world was never at stake, just her life and the lives of those immediately around her. Though such things potentially could have occurred (and potentially would have, had situations with Ripley 8 endured), every conflict Ripley encountered was contained and isolated involving the Alien menace. When placed in those cricumstances, Ripley will do anything (even commit suicide) to defeat the enemy. In these terms, Ripley and Sarah are equal. Though they view the battle in different terms, both put their hearts and souls into winning.
If things were to move to a solid, cat-like brawl, the hands down winner would be Sarah Connor. After spending years strengthening her body and mind for future battle, she is the immediate and obvious victor. Though Ripley may be agile (against Aliens, one would have to be), she would be no match for a balls out fight against Sarah. We also must give credit to Sarah Connor for using her environment to her advantage in a physical fight, be it a smelting factory or a mental institution.
A major win on Ripley’s side would come from a cool and collected way of thinking and planning out an attack. Even when placed in mind numbing situations (like going into an Alien hive by yourself), she never let her emotions get to her. This is not the case with Sarah, who ruled by the heart more than the head. She has often compromised situations by thinking with her emotions (such as almost destroying the T-800 prior to the destruction of the T-1000). Her son, John Connor, is the conscience that keeps Sarah in line. If he were not around at the time of this battle, she would be an emotionally driven train. This is her weakness, and Ripley could easily take that to her advantage. A level head is sometimes better in battle than brawn.
In the end, however displaced in time, these women are equals. Both are passionate about family and filled with motherly love, and they face overwhelming odds. Neither allows herself to be taken out, nor to be pushed back and let others take the reins. Against each other, they would fall into a standstill. In essence, there could be no winner.
The Winner: It’s a draw!
Well that kind of seems like a cop-out outcome, but I guess it’s acceptable since what you say is true (other than when you said Ripley was in hyper-sleep for over 60 years when it was really only 57 years exactly between Alien and Aliens). I have a hard time figuring out which character I like more, though I may have to go for with Ripley. You should do one on Corporal Dwayne Hicks vs Kyle Reese(only from their Michael Biehn appearances).