Bishop Synthetic Unit

The android of Aliens, whose actions and self-sacrifice let Ripley survive.

Bishop, designated HS17B48XG5-D5, is an android portrayed by Lance Henriksen in Aliens (1986). Serving as the science officer and executive officer of the Sulaco, he acts primarily as a medic and technician responsible for planetary maneuvering. Unlike his predecessor Ash, Bishop's programming demands complete loyalty to humans, though Ripley remains initially distrustful due to past trauma. During the mission on LV-426, he ensures the dropship retrieves survivors Ripley, Newt, and Hicks after the Colonial Marines are wiped out. His actions prove vital when he saves Newt after being impaled and bisected by the Alien queen during the escape. Bishop eventually enters cryosleep alongside the human survivors.

Quick Facts

First appearance:: Aliens (1986)
Portrayed by:: Lance Henriksen
Designation:: HS17B48XG5-D5
Role on sulaco:: Science Officer; Executive Officer

Lore & Background

Bishop's origins were detailed in the 2017 short story "Broken" by Rachel Caine, found in Aliens: Bug Hunt. He was named after a chess piece because other identical synthetics bore similar names. Immediately upon activation, he was quizzed by Dr. Sasaki to check for dangerous programming faults. Sasaki noted his potential for emotional capabilities exceeding his design, similar to the decommissioned "David" line.

Bishop realized he was simply "different." Later, attached to a Colonial Marine unit on Haarsa Colony under Lieutenant Larsen, Bishop faced a moral crisis. When orders were given to destroy air converters and flood the colony with deadly Pervox gas, Bishop ignored them. He retrieved gas masks for hostages, destroyed another synthetic named Rook in combat, and saved the survivors.

In his final act before reactivation, he remotely deactivated the gas masks of two mercenaries who threatened the remaining hostages, exposing them to the gas, before piloting a dropship into orbit.

Reader's Guide

In Aliens, he serves as both a medic and technician, handling planetary maneuvering and ensuring safe transport for survivors via the dropship. His programming strictly adheres to placing human life above all else, contrasting sharply with earlier models like Ash. He can perform complex tasks remotely, such as piloting a dropship into orbit. A notable skill is his proficiency in the "knife game," a trick performed at inhumanly fast speeds by speeding up footage during production. This skill was later referenced in Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens: Infestation (2011). On Haarsa Colony he beats the android Rook in hand-to-hand combat and destroys its central processor with his own knife.

Did You Know?

In James Cameron's original treatment for Aliens, Bishop never set foot on LV-426 and refused to rescue survivors to prevent xenomorph contamination.
William Gibson's unproduced script for Alien 3 featured Bishop and Hicks as the main characters in a xenomorph outbreak on a space station.
In Alien 3, Bishop asked to be disconnected because he knew he could never again be a top-of-the-line android after his damage.