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10 Great Movie Characters Who Were Introduced In Sequels

Received wisdom has it that movie sequels are generally inferior to their predecessors, as most of the time they are simply regurgitating the cast of characters and story beats of the first one. Sometimes, however, sequels can offer something exciting, like memorable new characters that keep up the energy and interest even if everything else in the movie is a little bit familiar.

8) Bishop

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We’re not going to get into the eternal debate of whether James Cameron’s all-out actioner Aliens is better than Ridley Scott’s horror movie in space Alien, but I think we can all agree that Aliens is one hell of a sequel. As well as bringing Sigourney Weaver back as the ass-kicking Ripley, it also introduces a great new character in Bishop.

The androids are often the most memorable characters in the Alien franchise e.g. Ian Holm as Ash in Alien and Michael Fassbender’s David in Prometheus. Bishop is the best of these, though, due to his interesting relationship with Ripley. At first, she hates him by nature of his being an android, but he wins her over by the end of the film for just being so human.

7) Jessie

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The original Toy Story is downright near perfect, but one area it could have improved in was by having a strong female character. No matter, though, as Toy Story 2 fixed this issue completely with the introduction of feisty yet damaged cowgirl doll Jessie.

Voiced by Joan Cusack, Jessie is probably a more endearing and loveable character than the often selfish and thoughtless Woody. She also encapsulates the running theme of kids treating their toys terribly, as Jessie was left heartbroken when her owner grew up and abandoned her. Her flashback scene, set to Sarah McLachlan’s “When She Loved Me,” is the emotional heart of the film and one of Pixar’s most heart-tugging moments.

These are family movies, though, and Jessie is good for a laugh, as well. For instance, her romance with Spanish Buzz in Toy Story 3.