# Blade Runner: Why did Roy Batty \[spoiler\]? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827 "2006-03-02T22:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/1 "2006-03-02T22:26:28Z")
In _Blade Runner,_ after Roy Batty confronts his maker, Tyrell, and is satisfied Tyrell can’t do anything to increase his lifespan, he kills him. Well, I can understand the resentment there. But why does he also kill J.F. Sebastian, who has only done all he can to help Batty and his friends? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/2 "2006-03-02T22:37:06Z")
J. F. was a contributing designer “there’s some of me in you.” Plus he was kinda freaky making all those “living” toys. He was complicit. Besides, he was an unnecessary witness. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/3 "2006-03-02T22:42:06Z")
Sebastian had accelerated aging. That’s what was meant by “There’s some of me in you”…the replicants all were given Sebastian’s accelerated aging gene. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/4 "2006-03-02T22:44:46Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Sebastian had accelerated aging. That’s what was meant by “There’s some of me in you”…the replicants all were given Sebastian’s accelerated aging gene. I meant to add that. It’s not clear, but it does seem likely his “accelerated decrepitude” was included in their genes. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/5 "2006-03-02T22:45:42Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > J. F. was a contributing designer “there’s some of me in you.” Plus he was kinda freaky making all those “living” toys. He was complicit. Besides, he was an unnecessary witness. Witness to what? The replicants were going to be killed on sight whatever they did. To answer the OP, I would guess that it was because he was frustrated and angry with his creater. Tyrel had the power to create Batty and Co as whatever he wanted and decide to create them as slaves forced to kill and murder for their freedom, ultimately to live short lives being hunted and watching their loved ones die prematurely at the hands of Blade Runners and or of planned obsolescence. It’s actually kind of a metaphore for our lives and our relationship with our creator. Do you make the most of the life you have, imperfect as it is, or do you stay all pissed off because it’s not ideal? Kind of like if you hated God for being born and got a chance to crush his skull with your bare hands. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/6 "2006-03-02T22:50:58Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Witness to what? The replicants were going to be killed on sight whatever they did. But why leave him around for a Bladerunner to interview? Of course, it wasn’t real smart camping out in the apartment of the guy you just killed. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/7 "2006-03-02T22:52:47Z")
Plus, just from a dramatic perspective, it convinces us Batty is a ruthless killer before he comes after Harrison Ford’s character. It heightens the terror of the final scene and makes Batty’s final act of mercy that much more surprising. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/8 "2006-03-02T22:59:19Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > To answer the OP, I would guess that it was because he was frustrated and angry with his creater. But that only explains why he killed **Tyrell.** ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/9 "2006-03-02T23:10:58Z")
Plus Batty was more than willing to kill Chew just for making eyes. Batty was pissed at anyone who had a hand in creating him. “I have seen things you people wouldn’t believe”. J. F. had to go. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/10 "2006-03-02T23:19:38Z")
In a deleted scene, Roy takes out Darryl and Darryl too. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/11 "2006-03-02T23:20:45Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Of course, it wasn’t real smart camping out in the apartment of the guy you just killed. Roy wasn’t camping out in Sebastian’s apartment, he came back to get Pris, who had been there the entire time he was gone. As for why he killed Sebastian (and Chu and even Tyrell, for that matter), the answer is pretty much the premise of why there is a Bladerunner squad in the first place: replicants are dangerous. Roy is possessed of all the mental faculties of an adult, he’s much stronger and faster than a human, but emotionally, he’s like a child. And children can do amazingly cruel, illogical and self-destructive things without supervision. That’s why Tyrell had been experimenting with implanting false memories from a well-adjusted person into Rachel–to see if it would make her more emotionally stable. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/12 "2006-03-02T23:31:01Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > In a deleted scene, Roy takes out Darryl and Darryl too. Heh ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/13 "2006-03-02T23:32:16Z")
He was also stopping them from making more… ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/14 "2006-03-02T23:42:50Z")
> [@Scupper](#): > > Roy wasn’t camping out in Sebastian’s apartment, he came back to get Pris, who had been there the entire time he was gone. True. Of course, once he left Tyrell, he knew there was no hope, and he was approaching his end date. Why not go back to Pris, even knowing there’s a Bladerunner after you? > [@](#): > > As for why he killed Sebastian (and Chu and even Tyrell, for that matter), the answer is pretty much the premise of why there is a Bladerunner squad in the first place: replicants are dangerous. The Bladerunners exist to terminate escaped property. Doesn’t matter if they’re dangerous or not. It just so happened that _these_ skinjobs were particularly dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/15 "2006-03-02T23:43:19Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Sebastian had accelerated aging. That’s what was meant by “There’s some of me in you”…the replicants all were given Sebastian’s accelerated aging gene. You know, this is one of my top ten movies, and I’ve seen it multiple times, but I missed that until you pointed it out. It makes sense. No one’s ever accused me of being too insightful. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/16 "2006-03-03T00:57:21Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > You know, this is one of my top ten movies, and I’ve seen it multiple times, but I missed that until you pointed it out. It makes sense. > > No one’s ever accused me of being too insightful. It’s one of my favorite movies too, and I remember the line but I never made the connection to J.F.'s accelerated aging. I always assumed he was speaking metaphorically when he said there was some of him in the replicants, meaning he helped design/make them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/17 "2006-03-03T15:12:53Z")
I’d also never made the connection between J.F.'s Methusalah syndrome and the replicants, simply because we don’t see the replicants rapidly aging. Although Roy is the only one who actually dies of “old age” (as opposed to gunfire), he doesn’t show any major outward signs of it (as JF did); merely some spasms, pain, partial paralysis and eventually just dropping his head and dying. There’s also the conversastion with Tyrell about the light that burns twice as bright, which sufferers of Methusalah don’t. I admit it’s _possible_ and intruiging, but not critical to the plot. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/18 "2006-03-03T15:32:21Z")
> [@Laughing Lagomorph](#): > > I always assumed he was speaking metaphorically when he said there was some of him in the replicants, meaning he helped design/make them. Yeah, that’s what I thought until this thread. And I’m sure that’s what it means on the surface. But yeah, it’s a nice double entendre, whether JF meant it or not. As for killing JF, it makes movie-sense to off him as well. Roy is a killer, JF a victim. So too bad for Mr. Sebastian. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/19 "2006-03-03T17:19:17Z")
I guess I’m just a simple soul. I figure Roy was just one mean dude, who happened to have an epiphany right before he died. The epiphany being that all life is both precious and precarious, not just his. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827/20 "2006-03-03T17:34:15Z")
There exists every possibility that Roy Baty was not a nice person, and perhaps a bit unstable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blade-runner-why-did-roy-batty-spoiler/346827.md?page=2)