Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

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So far, six actors have portrayed the iconic John Connor in the Terminator franchise, but only one of them can get the honor of being called the best!

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Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

The Terminator franchise is one of the most respected and acclaimed in film history. Created by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd, the story centers on the war between Skynet’s self-aware military network and a group of resistance forces that comprise the last remnants of humanity.

In most iterations of the story, John Connor commands the resistance and plays a pivotal part in the movie’s events. Six actors have played the character so far, turning him into one of cinema’s undisputable modern icons, joining the likes of Luke Skywalker, John McClane, and Beatrix Kiddo. And while all these performers gave it their all in the role, only one can claim to be the best John Connor of all.

6 Jason Clarke

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

Terminator: Genisys had a lot of things going for it: the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger to his most iconic role, a young and talented actress off of the hottest show on television, and a fresh new take on the then thirty-one-year-old franchise. Alas, the result was disappointing, to say the least, and a crucial part of the film’s failure had to do with its take on John Connor.

Jason Clarke is a capable actor, as proven by his work on Zero Dark Thirty and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. However, the movie’s portrayal of Connor was problematic, reducing a cerebral and inspiring hero into a simplistic and contrived villain for the sake of shocking audiences. Clarke’s performance also came out more cartoonish than desired, adding to the film’s messiness. It was also puzzling how the film spoiled Connor’s duplicity in the promotional material, including the trailers and posters, eliminating whatever excitement remained in the performance.

5 Michael Edwards

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

Michael Edwards’ appearance as John Connor is little more than a glorified cameo. The actor plays the part during 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day. His Connor is a battle-hardened general struggling to keep humanity afloat in a war-torn and nearly destroyed world. Edwards’ appearance is brief but pivotal in setting up Judgement Day. Through him, audiences get to see the future that awaits humankind after the cataclysmic event.

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After T2, Edwards’ career failed to take off. He had minor roles in hit 90s shows like Frasier, currently streaming on Peacock, and Beverly Hills 90210, but no significant role ever came. In 2021, Edwards returned to the part of Connor in the fan-made film Skynet. The short film, available for free on YouTube, is rather impressive and features a strong performance by Edwards.

4 Christian Bale

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

As one of the most respected and beloved actors currently working, Christian Bale is no stranger to franchises and blockbusters. He was a perfect Batman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy after all, and will bring his particular brand of intense method acting to the MCU by antagonizing Thor in Taika Waititi’s upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. An Oscar winner with three other nominations under his belt, Bale is one of the most respected actors in the business, so when he took on the role of Connor for 2009’s Terminator: Salvation, critics and fans had high hopes.

After a troubled production, the film came out to negative reviews from fans and critics. Bale’s Connor is somewhat stoic, almost robotic, lacking any of the charm or heart he’s supposed to have as humanity’s great leader. Still, he does an admirable job selling the movie’s contrived plot and excels in the action scenes. With a better director and script, Bale might have been one of the best action heroes in modern cinema. However, his infamous on-set rant further tarnished his take on the role, ending his participation in the franchise on a sour note.

3 Nick Stahl

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines exists in a bizarre limbo. It isn’t as bad as the sequels that followed but fails to achieve the greatness of its two predecessors. The movie is a decent entry in the franchise that can’t help but seem disappointing compared to the excellent Judgement Day, and that description also fits Nick Stahl’s portrayal of John Connor. Stahl, then known for exceptional supporting work in movies like The Thin Red Line and In the Bedroom, took on the role of Connor, taking him into adulthood.

He succeeds for the most part, even if he can’t quite sell the film’s love story due to his lack of chemistry with the terribly miscast Claire Danes. Even so, Stahl, much like the film itself, doesn’t get enough credit for his contributions to the franchise. The actor had the daunting task of selling Connor’s aimlessness while showing hints of the savior he would eventually become. Rise of the Machines recycles most of its predecessor’s themes, but Stahl’s Connor does feel like a fresh take on the character, making him one of the film’s best parts.

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2 Thomas Dekker

Ranking All The John Connors In The Terminator Franchise

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles began as a decent entry in the franchise. However, its second season made it one of the best chapters in Terminator history. The show juggled clever and surprisingly emotional ideas with the action fans expected of the franchise, even if its sequences couldn’t compare with the mind-blowing setpieces of its big-screen predecessors. The Sarah Connor Chronicles was Lena Headey and Summer Glau’s show through and through, but Thomas Dekker made for an inspired John Connor.

Dekker takes Edward Furlong’s character from T2 and continues the story, creating a far from perfect continuation that still feels natural. Much of Dekker’s strengths come from exploring John’s doubts and frustrations, benefiting from the episodic nature of the series to create a nuanced portrayal of a young man coping with an inescapable destiny. The Sarah Connor Chronicles never got the chance to explore its full potential, and its story remained inconclusive. Still, Dekker left his mark on a role that so many others tried but failed to make their own, creating the best iteration of John Connor in the 21st century.

1 Edward Furlong

They say nothing beats the original, and in this case, it’s true. Edward Furlong’s portrayal of John Connor became iconic, the standard by which all the future iterations are measured, and that remains undefeated to this day. Furlong, of course, benefits from being part of one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, but his performance is strong enough to stand out along the likes of Linda Hamilton and Schwarzenegger.

One of the many reasons why Terminator 2 still holds up to this day is the emotional story at its core, and Furlong carries it to the end. His Connor is still a child, and the actor does a perfect job blending the character’s youth with the film’s world-ending stakes. His emotional bond with the Terminator is also unforgettable, creating a deeply human approach that the franchise would never be able to replicate again. Furlong’s career kept growing throughout the 1990s before dwindling at the start of the millennium. However, his place in cinema history is all but guaranteed thanks to John Connor.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/ranking-every-john-connor-in-terminator-series/

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