A Terminator is a type of Hunter-Killer designed to terminate other life forms. Terminators are built by an artificially intelligent computer called Skynet, in order to wipe out the remains of humanity after the Judgment Day.

Contents 1 Development of the Terminators 2 Classification 2.1 Non-Humanoid Hunter Killer 2.2 Humanoid Hunter Killer 2.2.1 Infiltrators 3 Notes 4 Behind the Scenes 4.1 Inspirations 4.2 Nomenclature 4.2.1 Known appellations 4.2.2 Nomenclature table 5 References 6 External links

Development of the Terminators

How the original Terminators were built is unknown, at least in one timeline (Terminator 2: Judgment Day), Cyberdyne Systems was able to reverse-engineer and develop robots from the scavenged hand and CPU of the destroyed T-800 in 1984.^[1] Cyberdyne System had created the Series 70 Terminator to impress investors and people with military interests to finance them to improve robot technology.

Terminators of Cyberdyne Systems models are created by Skynet after the War against the Machines started. Terminator Salvation

In an altered timeline (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) created by the destruction of Cyberdyne^[2], Terminators were created by the Cyber Research Systems division of the United States Air Force to replace soldiers on the battlefield prior to the Judgment Day, starting with the Series 1.

Classification

See also: Series

Non-Humanoid Hunter Killer

• Series 1

A large battle unit armed with twin-linked miniguns.

• T-7T
• T-1000000

A large poly-mimetic Terminator created to guard the Skynet Core.

• Moto-Terminator

Humanoid Hunter Killer

Main article: Humanoid Hunter Killer

The Humanoid Hunter Killer is an android developed and intended to be similar to a human endoskeleton in look and function.

• Series 20
• Series 70

A tall and basic Terminator model designed as a basic foot soldier

• Series 400

A multi-purpose unit designed for close-quarters combat.

• Series 500

The first true Terminator featured an armored battle chassis that made it more durable than the T-400.

• T-Infinity

A multi-phasic machine armed with multiple onboard weaponry and a TDE device.

Infiltrators

Main article: Infiltrator

The Infiltrator is a type of the Humanoid Hunter Killer that is built to look exactly like humans and used to infiltrate, seek out and kill human beings. The Infiltrator progresses from rubber skin, human flesh over its endoskeleton, to mimetic polyalloy able to mimic any person or object.

• Series 600

The first Infiltrator model that possesses a rubber skin sheath.

• Series 700

The first generation of the T-800.

• Series 800
  A breakthrough Terminator that uses living tissue covering for superior infiltration.
  • Series 8xx
    Various variants of the Series 800 Terminator
• Series 900
  A hyper-alloy armored Terminator designed to eliminate other machines.
  • Series 950
    An advanced model of the Series 900 Terminator.
• Series 1000

A poly-mimetic Terminator capable of altering its form and appearance.

• Series X

A hyper-advanced endoskeleton that possesses mimetic polyalloy and on board weaponry.

• Unknown series, Class TOK715
• TS-300 (created by MIR)

A ceramic Terminator designed to replace specific individuals.

Notes

• Due to the changing timelines, caused by the time travel, the future is changing and the creation date of the Terminators is changing as well.

• There are two notable examples of a predestination paradox causality loop in The Terminator if one does not assume the existence of an "unaltered original" timeline.
  • If the original Terminator wasn't destroyed in the Cyberdyne building, Skynet, Judgment Day, the war and the three billion deaths may never have occurred.
  • If the Tech-Com army and the Skynet army had never sent soldiers back in time, John Connor and Skynet may never have existed.

Behind the Scenes

Inspirations

James Cameron asserts that he came up with the concept of the Terminator characters on his own. However, several works of science fiction predating his film have similar concepts, including "Soldier", "Demon with a Glass Hand", "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream", "Second Variety", "Jon's World", Cyborg, La Jetée, and Cyborg 2087.

Nomenclature

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day DVD commentary, "Model" refer to the outer appearance, while "Series" refers to the endoskeleton common to many types.

The end credits of all three films list Arnold Schwarzenegger's character as simply the "Terminator". Later films credit the newer Terminators by their series numbers, such as "T-1000", "T-X", or "T-800".

Those being chased by a Terminator, will often simply call it the "Terminator" (as Reese does throughout the first film). If more than one type of Terminator is involved more specific names may be used; ranging from an official designation to a variety of nicknames. The most common seems to be to add "T-" to the beginning of the series number.

Known appellations

• T-###^[3][4]
• T-### Terminator^[5]
• T-### xxx Terminator^[6]
• Terminator T-###^[7]
• Series T-###^[8]
• Series ###^[9][10][11]
• Series ### Terminator^[12]
• ### Series^[13][14]
• T-### Model ^[15]
• Model T-### ^[16]

Nomenclature table

Official Designation	Common Name †	Other Names ‡
Cyberdyne future (The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and T2 3-D: Battle Across Time)
Cyberdyne Systems Series 70[17]	T-70[18]
Cyberdyne Systems Series 600[17]	T-600[17]	600 Series[13]
Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Model 101[17]	T-800[17][18][4]	Cyberdyne Systems, Model 101[13][19] CSM-101 [20] Series 800[21] 800 Series[14]
Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Model 101 Version 2.4###[9]
Cyberdyne Systems Series 1000 [17]	T-1000 [22]	1000 Series[14]
Cyberdyne Systems ???	T-Meg[23]	T-1000000[18]
Cyber Research future (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)
Cyber Research Systems ??? #	T-1 [24]	T-1 Ground Assault Vehicle[25] T1 Battlefield Robot, fully autonomous Ground Offensive System[26] T1 Proto Type[27]
Cyber Research Systems Model 101 Series 850[25] (The T3 DVD Extras swap the order of Series & Model for all references, not just the new ones.)	T-850' [25]	Series 850[25] T-101[19] Model 101[25]
Cyber Research Systems Model T-X[28] (Series (if any) unspecified.)	T-X [24]	Terminatrix [29] CRS Model T-X[28] Model T-X [25]
Third future (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
(company unknown) Series 600 [17]	T-600[17]	T-600 models [15]
(company unknown) Series 888 [17] (Model numbers have not yet been mentioned.)	T-888[30][31]	T triple eight[32]
Notes: † The most common descriptive name used in-universe to refer to the type in general. ‡ Short names, and nicknames used rarely. etc. # The T3 DVD extras imply that the "T1" is actually a Hunter Killer Tank prototype, not the first "Terminator" for infiltration usage (I.E. humanoid).

References

1. ↑ This was an essential plot point in the sequel, even though it was a deleted scene.
2. ↑ The event in Terminator 2: Judgment Day
3. ↑ Since Terminator 2: Judgment Day: T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day; T-Meg in Terminator 2: Judgment Day DVD; T-X in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines; T-888 in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; T-Infinity in Terminator: Revolution.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The name "T-800" is used by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the DVD commentary for the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
5. ↑ Merchandise such as "T-850 Terminator" or "T-X Terminatrix".
6. ↑ "T-Infinity Temporal Terminator" in Terminator: Revolution.
7. ↑ T-800's line "Terminator T-1000" in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
8. ↑ "Terminator, Series T-600" in the game The Terminator: Future Shock
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} The HUD of the T-800 identifies it more specifically as a "Cyberdyne Systems Series 800 Model 101 Version 2.4" in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
10. ↑ The name "Series 800" is flashed briefly in schematics used as DVD extras for Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
11. ↑ The DVD extras of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines identify the T-850 as an "Series 850 Model 101", and the older Terminator as an "Series 800 Model 101".
12. ↑ The script of Terminator 2: Judgment Day uses "the endoskeleton of a Series 800 Terminator".
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2} Kyle Reese's line "the 600 Series" from the film The Terminator.
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2} James Cameron's line "The 800 Series ... the 1000 Series" in commentary of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Cameron's line "T-600 models" in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episode "Heavy Metal".
16. ↑ "Model T-X" in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines DVD and Terminator 3: The Redemption
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 17.8} Extrapolation based on usage for other Terminator types as shown in the Nomenclature table.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2} Terminator 2: 3-D Special Site
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Used by itself in dialog from the film The Terminator.
20. ↑ Reflected on the Terminator's sunglasses in the poster for The Terminator, and flashed briefly in schematics used as DVD extras for Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
21. ↑ Flashed briefly in schematics used as DVD extras for Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
22. ↑ Used throughout the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
23. ↑ Used by James Cameron in the Making of T2 3-D: Battle Across Time featured in Terminator 2: Judgment Day DVD.
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1} Used throughout the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
25. ↑ ^{25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5} Shown on screen in the special features from the Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines DVD
26. ↑ Dialog from the "Sgt. Candy" scene featured in the Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines DVD
27. ↑ Shown on screen in its HUD.
28. ↑ ^{28.0 28.1} A scan from another Terminator display this in the game Terminator 3: The Redemption.
29. ↑ Used by John Connor once in dialog from the film Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
30. ↑ Official episode summaries for the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
31. ↑ Displayed in the HUD when identifying another Terminator in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episode "Heavy Metal".
32. ↑ Used by Derek Reese in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episode "Queen's Gambit".

External links

• "T2 and Technology", an essay by chief technical consultant Larry Yeager

Terminator Series Standard 1 - 7 - 20 - 70 - 400 - 500 - 600 - 700 (799) - 800 (8xx) - 900 (950) - 1000 (1001 - 1002 - XA - Meg) - X - Infinity Other TS-300 - Class TOK715 - Dire Wolf - Moto-Terminator (Snowminator)