# Who is the more iconic SciFi character? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [August 25, 2022, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356 "2022-08-25T21:44:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/81 "2022-08-30T01:09:52Z")
There’s obviously some type of artificial gravity in the _Star Wars_ universe, and the Death Star (being a “small moon”) wouldn’t have strong enough natural gravity to enable normal movement. But there would be some force pulling mass toward the center. The way it’s shown in the movie, things would slide sideways across the floor. Why spend all the energy to counteract a gravitational force you don’t want, and then replace it in a different direction? It would be much more efficient to build the station as a series of concentric shells, taking advantage of the natural gravity and augmenting it as much as needed. There is one advantage to how the Death Star is shown in the movie. It feels much more artificial. Concentric levels might just look like the Empire had taken an actual moon and built it up enough to cover the whole surface. As shown, it’s a bit more clear that it was built from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/82 "2022-08-30T02:14:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I don’t know the term for “tossing someone down a Death Star shaft.” Being shafted? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/83 "2022-08-30T02:18:24Z")
> Who’s the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about? > **(Shaft)** > Right on ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/84 "2022-08-30T02:55:57Z")
“Distinctive excellence” is why I went my clearly minority opinion of The Doctor. The concept of Spock, especially at the start, was not his being Vulcan but his conflicted identities and how he dealt with his humanity. Done before Trek but Trek did that very well with Spock and revisited that well many times in various twists and variations. It was many things but not especially distinctive. Vader was a classic Black Hat made into a helmet. Or Dark Wizard even. Not very distinctive. The Doctor’s excellence though is very distinctive, a character concept that I don’t think was done before or since. They win. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/85 "2022-08-30T05:41:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Being shafted? 🤨 Boofed\* \*Kavanaughism ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/86 "2022-08-30T16:01:23Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > The Doctor’s excellence though is very distinctive, a character concept that I don’t think was done before or since. They win. Sure, but the question isn’t which is the most distinctive, it’s which is the most iconic. If you put a picture of the Doctor on your shirt, with no context, how many people - including non-fans - will recognize him? More than would recognize Darth Vader, or Spock? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/87 "2022-08-30T16:20:16Z")
And which Doctor? Tom Baker? William Hartnell? Jodie Whittaker? If you have to specify, they aren’t iconic. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/88 "2022-08-30T16:48:41Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > For people 40+ years old, I’d agree pretty much everyone would recognize Spock. But among my kids’ friend groups (high school age), maybe half would recognize him. And all of them know Darth Vader. This relates to what I was going to say . . . I think there’s definitely a generational divide around Spock (and Trek in general), as the last 20 years have seen Trek be a footnote while Star Wars has been the dominant Sci-fi cultural touchstone. For the yoots, of course Vader is more iconic. That said, things like a mind meld, nerve pinch, and “live long and prosper” have places in the cultural soup even if the people using Spock’s devices don’t really know where they came from. And, Spock was surprisingly an inspirational character (on an inspirational show) for a whole generation or two of scientists and thinkers. Vader gives us his breathing noise, and the not-quite-accurate “Luke, I am your Father” quote. I grok Spock. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/89 "2022-08-30T17:00:09Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Vader gives us his breathing noise, and the not-quite-accurate “Luke, I am your Father” quote. > > I grok Spock. I find your lack of faith… disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/90 "2022-08-30T17:19:14Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Vader gives us his breathing noise, and the not-quite-accurate “Luke, I am your Father” quote. I think you’re confusing “I am your Father,” which was 100% accurate, with Obi-Wan’s “Vader killed your dad,” which was a big fat lie. I’d also add the helmet, force choking, and the red lightsaber to the list of iconic elements for Vader. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/91 "2022-08-30T17:21:41Z")
Vader says “No, I am your father,” not “Luke, I am your father.” Both of which are true, but only one is an accurate quote. Also iconographic are his cape and reversible breastplate. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/92 "2022-08-30T17:22:34Z")
Oh, right, duh. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/93 "2022-08-30T17:24:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think you’re confusing “I am your Father,” which was 100% accurate, with Obi-Wan’s “Vader killed your dad,” which was a big fat lie. “Remember: It’s not a lie if _you_ believe it!” _—George Costanza_ ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/94 "2022-08-30T17:40:56Z")
In honor of this thread, I put on my t-shirt with a picture of Spock with the caption “You Better Trek Yourself Before you Wreck Yourself” for my afternoon walk. I voted for Darth Vader but Spock was a very close second. As an old school Trekkie, I feel as though Vader is immediately more recognizable to younger people today than Spock is. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/95 "2022-08-30T18:16:20Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Who is the more iconic SciFi character? > > - James T Kirk > - Spock > - Han Solo > - Darth Vader > - The Doctor (Doctor Who) > - Ripley (Alien) Without reading anything in the thread, to really answer the question, I’d like to reduce each character to an _icon_. That is, something pictorial or logographic. Stretching it, maybe a catch phrase. Basically, you show someone the “icon” and how likely they are to recognize the character it’s referring to. - James T Kirk: maybe the Star Trek logo, but nothing I can think of that calls out Kirk in particular. No great iconic phrases; best I can think of is “where no man has gone before”, but again that’s more Star Trek than Kirk. - Spock: the Vulcan hand sign, along with “live long and prosper”. - Han Solo: the Millennium Falcon. Lots of great lines; I’d say the most iconic is “Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs”. - Darth Vader: the helmet, the labored breathing, the Imperial March. “I _am_ your father”. - The Doctor (Doctor Who): the blue police box, and the Dr Who theme. - Ripley (Alien): I can’t think of anything, probably because I’ve never been a fan of the series. So, thinking through all that, here’s my rating of iconicity: Darth Vader: 10/10 Spock: 9/10 Han Solo: 6/10 Dr Who: 5/10 Kirk: 3/10 Ripley: 0/10 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/96 "2022-08-30T18:25:44Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > - Ripley (Alien): I can’t think of anything, probably because I’ve never been a fan of the series. Ripley’s a great character, but iconic? I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/97 "2022-08-30T18:27:50Z")
I think she’s iconic for being the first female bad-ass space hero. (yeah, and fighting in her underwear…) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/98 "2022-08-30T18:32:01Z")
The power loader is fairly iconic for Ripley. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/99 "2022-08-30T18:33:15Z")
Hence the reference to the definition. I do not think iconic means most visually identifiable by any definition. It does however mean distinctive excellence. Not even most well known. The Doctor is the best most excellent representative of that class of sci fi character. Possibly the only one really. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356/100 "2022-08-30T18:34:24Z")
She also had the line, "Get Away From Her, You Bitch!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-more-iconic-scifi-character/970356.md?page=6)