Netflix’sTerminator Zeroanime is arguably the bestTerminatorproject since the James Cameron movies, and there are plenty of thingsTerminator 7can learn from it. WhileJames Cameron has confirmed that he is working on a secretTerminatorproject, thestatus ofTerminator 7is unclear. However, assuming that a newTerminatorfilm does happen eventually, it will have big shoes to fill after how well-receivedTerminator Zerowas. With an 86% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes,Terminator Zerois the franchise’s highest-rated movie or show sinceTerminator 2: Judgment Day.
Terminator Zerotakes placemostly two years after the events ofTerminator2, although it also includes scenes set in the near future. The anime series can be considered one of the manyTerminatortimelinesand is not too worried about how it intersects with the movies. Instead,Terminator Zerotells a somewhat self-contained story that perfectly fits into that world. Between interesting new characters like Malcolm Lee and Misaki and well-executed new concepts like Kokoro,Netflix’sTerminatoranime delivered everything that the movies had been lacking and more.Terminator 7, whenever it happens, will have to do the same.
8Terminator 7 Can Move On From Sarah & John Connor
If there is one lesson futureTerminatormovies must learn fromTerminator Zerois that they don’t have to rely on Sarah and John Connor.EveryTerminatormoviehas featured at least one of the Connors, with either Sarah or John usually being the driving force of the story. Althoughit is difficult not to associateTerminatorwith John and Sarah Connorwhen the entire franchise was built around them, both characters have been used way too many times by this point.
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EvenTerminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which was the franchise’s only TV show before the release ofTerminator Zero, couldn’t let go of the Connor family.Terminatorhas had plenty of opportunities to grow beyond Sarah and John, and while new characters kept being introduced, those two remained key players in the franchise between recasts and comebacks.Terminator Zerodoes not feature or even mention Sarah and John Connor, although it does acknowledge that there have been “saviors” before.
7Terminator 7 Also Doesn’t Need Arnold Schwarzenegger To Work
Terminator Zero Made Its New Terminator As Scary As The Original
Sarah and John Connor are not the only charactersTerminatorcan’t seem to bid farewell to. In fact, tellingTerminatorstories without Arnold Schwarzenegger seems to be an even bigger challenge for the franchise, at least on the big screen. The originalTerminator– and its many variations across multiple timelines – has been featured in everyTerminatormovie. BothTerminatorGenisysandTerminator: Dark Fatehad to come up with creative explanations for how a Terminator could age, which is an example of how the series hasn’t been able to move on from Schwarzenegger’s character.
Terminator Zeroseason 2 has yet to be confirmed.
Terminatoris synonymous with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it is indeed very difficult to imagine the franchise without him. That said,Terminator Zeroshowed that it can be done. The concept of a Terminator, which Schwarzenegger helped establish through his performance, can be used to create plenty of other heroes and villains. The T-1000, one of the best villains of all time, is an example of it.Terminator Zero’s main Terminator was very reminiscent of the original T-800,yet it had its own particularities.
6Terminator 7 Must Be As Scary As The First Movie
One of the biggest problems with theTerminatormovies is that they stopped being scary. EvenTerminator 2: Judgment Day, arguably the best entry in the franchise, was not as scary as the original film.Terminator Zerocleverly broughtTerminatorback to its roots and told a genuinely scary storyin which you were always worried about whether the characters were going to be okay. The first action scene involving theTerminatorinTerminator Zeroat the mall felt like something from the original movie, highlighting how terrifying those killing machines can be even when they’re just walking.
1984
100%
89%
1991
91%
95%
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
2003
70%
46%
2009
33%
53%
2008-2009
85%
86%
2015
26%
52%
2019
82%
2024
79%
With the idea that every sequel must be bigger and have more impressive set pieces than its predecessor, theTerminatorfranchise lost track of what made the original film so special. EveryTerminatorfilm sinceT2has been an action movie first and foremost, leaving little room for the horror elements.The Terminatorwas very much a slasher in which the killer happened to be a robotfrom the future and had a somber atmosphere thatTerminator Zerowas able to replicate. The first step to accomplish that is to make theTerminators feel scary again.
5Terminator 7’s Time Travel Shenanigans Don’t Have To Be Too Complicated
Terminator Zero Is More Than Just A Time Travel Story
Time travel is a dangerous thing, both in-universe and when it comes to creating a story.TheTerminatorfranchiseis full of plot holes caused by time travel, although some of those were meant to be paradoxical anyway and are an essential part of the story.Kyle Reese being John Connor’s father and Skynet’s creation being a closed loop are both fascinating aspects of theTerminatoruniverse, but some of the other films focused too much on the time travel aspect of the franchise and forgot about everything else.
The fact thatTerminator Zerodid not use characters like Sarah Connor and the T-800 does not mean that it was not a nostalgic show.
This was particularly true forTerminator Genisys, which spent way too much time talking about alternate realities and trying to justify existence as a new timeline within some kind of multiverse.Terminator’s time travel is fun, but it should not be the most important thingabout the story. This is also something thatTerminator Zerogot right. While the series makes the most of the time travel concept and even has a couple of mind-blowing twists caused by time travelers messing with the timeline, it is not just a“time travel show.”
4Terminator 7 Can Be Nostalgic Without Relying On Returning Characters
The fact thatTerminator Zerodid not use characters like Sarah Connor and the T-800 does not mean that it was not a nostalgic show. At a time when unnecessary cameos and the multiverse have given “nostalgia” a bad name,Terminator Zerosuccessfully called back to the movies while never relying on those connections to tell the story.Some lines and scenes from the Netflix anime are different references to theTerminatormovies, especially the ones directed by James Cameron.
The Terminator Sequels’ Biggest Change From The First Movie Explains How To Save The Franchise After Multiple Flops
The Terminator franchise has strayed far away from the lessons of the original, and there’s one bad habit the next sequel must shed to succeed.
From a rewording of the“Come with me if you want to live”line to a paradox involving the main character’s lineage caused by time travel,Terminator Zerofeels like a love letter to the franchise.However, it does not sacrifice the story and the characters over nostalgia. This is a very important lesson thatTerminator 7must learn from, especially because it will be the firstTerminatormovie in years.
3Terminator 7 Must Have Something To Say About The Current World
Terminator Zero Raised Some Interesting Questions
Although it may seem predictable that a recentTerminatorstory would address things like AI,Terminator Zerodid it so in a creative way.The AI Kokoro wasTerminator Zero’s answer to Skynetand illustrated how much our perception of what artificial intelligence can be has changed since the first film came out. The first twoTerminatorfilms are among the best sci-fi movies of all time, and as proven by the greatest works of science-fiction, those stories are usually about the present and not the future.
Netflix’s Terminator anime is full of great visuals and has lots of action, but it also has a great story.
AnyTerminatormovie or TV show must have something to sayand cannot be just a generic action movie. This was arguably the problem with sequels such asSalvationandGenisys, both of which got caught up in the exciting possibilities of that franchise and forgot to tell a good story. Netflix’sTerminatoranime is full of great visuals and has lots of action, but it also has a great story.
2Terminator 7’s New Characters Must Be Compelling
Terminator Zero’s New Characters All Worked
Sarah Connor, the Terminator, and John Connor are three of the most iconic movie characters of all time. There is a reason whyTerminatorhas struggled to move on from those three, which is whyTerminator 7must have great new characters that can carry the franchise forward. Assuming the nextTerminatorfilm does indeed have new heroes and antagonists, those must be compelling on their own and not just new versions of Sarah, John, and the T-800.
Terminator Zero’s castwas not very large, with the show focusing mostly on Malcolm Lee and his family. Not only did this approach mirror the franchise’s focus on Sarah and John as a family, but it also allowed viewers to spend enough time with these new players and care about them. Despite having no connections toTerminator’s original heroes,Terminator Zero’s characters were compelling and interesting to follow.
1Terminator 7 Should Not Be Afraid To Innovate
Terminator Zero Swinged For The Fences
Perhaps the biggest advantageTerminator Zerohad over the movies was that the anime format allowed it to take bigger risks than any of the theatrical projects did.The serialized format also contributed toTerminator Zerobeing more innovative than the movies, as it had enough to introduce and explore new ideas. Still,Terminator 7should not be afraid to innovate, even more so after how poorly received the most recent movies have been.
Terminator Zero’s Ending Explained: Did They Stop Judgment Day?
Terminator Zero adds a new twist to Judgment Day, with Skynet now having to stop a different A.I. that could destroy it – but who wins in the end?
From a new artificial intelligence that caused certain humans to ally themselves with Skynet to a robot who thought they were human,Terminator Zerohad a lot of fun with new ideas.Terminatortakes place in a very interesting sandbox in which a lot can be done. This is why it has been so frustrating to see the films doing the same story beats over and over instead of trying something new.Terminator Zerofeels familiar toTerminatorfans but also presents ideas that have never been done, which is whatTerminator 7should accomplish.
