The Alien Franchise's Scariest Xenomorphs, Ranked
In 1979, Sir Ridley Scott directed Alien. Viewed as one of the greatest movies ever made, Alien blended horror and sci-fi elements together to create a truly nightmarish vision.
The film was also the debut of one of cinema's most iconic creations: the Xenomorph. Based on a design by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, the ‘birth’ of the Xenomorph is burned into cinema history. Since Alien, every subsequent entry into the franchise has added its own evolution to the lore. From the Queen in Aliens to Alien 3’s dog (or Ox depending on the version) variant, each new storyteller has had a play around.
The variety of Xenomorph in this universe is vast, getting substantially longer when one branches out into videogame and spin-off novels and comics. Whilst there is no denying that the Xenomorph and its lifecycle – which includes both the Facehugger and Chestburster, as well as the Queen – are the perfect specimen, some of the pretenders are pretty frightening too.
But, which non-traditional Xenomorph creation is the scariest? We’ve cast our minds back through the franchise’s long history and ranked them. Use the included guide for information on where to find (or avoid) these ghastly beings.
9. Species 19 - Alien Earth (2025)
Alien: Earth is the freshest entry into the Alien pantheon and with audiences having spent the last 40+ years with the Xenomorph, it offered a multitude of new alien species. Rather than just tamper with the DNA of the infamous acid-blooded killer, the show’s creators dreamt up several new weird things to unsettle and unnerve viewers. The first is what appears to be an alien species of ticks known in the universe as Species 19.
In addition to sucking blood, these tick-like creatures lay eggs in water, leading to accidental consumption by an unknowing host. Much like the acid-blooded Facehugger, attempts to dislodge the ticks are fought off with the release of a deadly toxin that causes asphyxiation and bleeding from the eyes. Yuck.
8. D. Plumbicare - Alien Earth (2025)
Another Alien: Earth entry is the Venus flytrap-like plant, D. Plumbicare. Although seen early on the show’s run, exactly what this plant was capable of was held back. The reality is that it operates like a giant man-hunting Venus flytrap, snatching up anyone unlucky enough to venture too close. As with many entries on this list, D. Plumbicare only goes after those organic in origin and so hybrids and synthetics can happily mix with the plant.
7. Newborn - Alien Resurrection (1997)
The Newborn was introduced in Alien Resurrection. The result of years of genetic splicing between Ripley clones and Xenomorph DNA, the Newborn was a beautiful, beautiful butterfly born from an Alien Queen. Complete with a humanoid skull and pale flesh, the Newborn was the first time that the franchise had strayed from the iconic Xenomorph appearance, to a mixed reception.
The scariest aspect to the Newborn is that it views Ripley and not the Queen as its mother. Often talked about as the butt of jokes, let’s not forget that the Newborn took off the head of the Queen with a simple bat of its hand. The poor little guy just wanted his mummy and was rewarded by getting sucked into outer space via a tiny crack in a spaceship. Had he lived, the Newborn could have been a very scary foe.
6. Protomorph - Prometheus (2012)
Known by several alias’ including Deacon and Proto-Xenomorph, the Protomorph fittingly arrived in Alien prequel, Prometheus. Just like the Xenomorph this creature has several stages in its lifecycle, each progressively more grim and grotesque than the last. The worst is potentially the eye worm Xygote which infects the host, who in turn births a giant squid variant of the Facehugger before that embryo eventually bursts forth.
In the case of Prometheus, the Protomorph is ‘born’ from another alien species, the Engineer, that creature's larger frame likely accounting for some of its vaster strength. Overall though, the Protomorph looks very similar to its cousin the Xenomorph, and upon arrival tricked many into thinking it was one. Its more pointed skull, bluer hue, and lack of a stinger prove this not to be true.
5. Neomorph - Alien: Covenant (2017)
The Neomorph appeared in Alien: Covenant. The species was the result of android David’s tampering with the ecosystem on the planet he finds himself stranded on. After going through several stages, the Neomorph exploded out of its host – not through the chest, but the back. The Neomorph looks less like the traditional Xenomorph and more like Nemesis from the Resident Evil games, but still manages to send a shiver down the spine.
4. The Fly - Alien: Earth (2025)
The third creature to arrive from Alien: Earth is that of the enigmatic Fly. Much like the plant species, the Fly is kept hidden during most of Season one of the show but its arrival is unforgettable. Whereas other alien lifeforms in the franchise might happily maim a synthetic (sorry Bishop), they mostly leave them alone.
The Fly however sees all prey as equal and, as witnessed in the aptly-titled episode ‘The Fly’, its first victim is one of the Hybrid children. Poor Tootles has an acid-like substance spat at him before the Fly goes on to feast on his synthetic flesh.
3. Predalien - Alien Versus Predator (2004)
Originally introduced (to the movies) as a cheap post-credits sting in Alien Versus Predator, the full wrath of the Predalien was unleashed in sequel Alien Versus Predator: Requiem. The Xenomorph is known to take on properties of whatever creature it spawned from, but no other iteration is as obvious as that born from a Yautja.
The Yautja, better known as the Predator, are the stars of the Predator franchise and are exceptional killing machines, so what can be scarier than a beast composed of both? Complete with the Yautja’s famed dreadlocks and mandibles, the Predalien is a far more terrifying prospect than the movies have managed to express thus far, but one hopes a proper rendering of their powers could be seen again.
2. The Offspring - Alien Romulus (2024)
Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus is narratively set between both Alien and Aliens. Fitting more directly into the canon, no one quite expected where Alien: Romulus ends. After having done battle with hoards of Facehuggers and Xenomorph, Cailee Spaeny’s Rain came face to face with The Offspring. The result of the pregnant Kay being injected with a mutagenic compound, this new monster provided shocks aplenty, and not just because of what that could mean for the franchise going forward.
The Offspring is truly an abomination and is simply pure nightmare fuel. A creation that not only H.R. Giger would be proud of, but also author-turned-director Clive Barker. Given its human origins, it is the most humanoid of beasties that has been seen thus far and its distortion of human limbs and the elongated neck are thoroughly unpleasant to see.
1. Trypanohyncha Ocellus - Alien: Earth (2025)
Prior to the release of Alien: Earth, the assumption was that the Xenomorph would be the biggest and most terrifying threat to mankind. The reality, though, is that the creepy little tentacled eye beast, canonically named Trypanohyncha Ocellus, makes the Xenomorph look like a fluffy pussycat. Not only is this one-eyed monstrosity a formidable physical foe, doing battle with, and almost overcoming several of the super strong hybrids, it is highly intelligent.
The tentacled eye-form is just part of its modus operandi as just like the Facehugger, it is always looking for a host. Once it finds one, it casually pops out an eye, and sets up home in the now empty socket, assuming control over the creature. Interestingly, that creature does not need to be alive in order to become a vessel, a fact that serves to only make it ever more terrifying. Above everything, though, it is the mysteries that Trypanohyncha Ocellus hides that gets the pulse-racing. What exactly is it? What does it want? What can it do? And, is this its final form, or could it birth something even worse come Season 2?
