Warning: Spoilers ahead for Terminator Zero.
Terminator Zerooffers a simple yet effective explanation for how theTerminatorfranchise’s time travel works. Set in 1997 hours before Judgment Day,Terminator Zero’s timelineties into the first two movies but takes the story in a very different direction. While mostTerminatormovies and TV showstake place in their own continuity, one recurring aspect of the franchise is the confusing time travel rules. Time travel is arguably paradoxical by definition, butTerminatorhasn’t always made an effort to avoid plot holeswhen it comes to its alternate futures and pasts.
Terminator Zeroalso takes place in 2022 at the height of the human-machine war. Similar to the original movies, both Skynet and the Resistance are about to send agents to the past. This time, however, Skynet and humanity have somewhat of a common enemy – Kokoro. The artificial intelligence created by Malcolm Lee will become more powerful than Skynet at some point, which is why both the Terminator and Eiko want to destroy it. Toward theend ofTerminator Zero, we learn how Eiko was prepared for her time travel mission, and what she was told about how it all works.
Terminator Zero Cast & Character Guide
Terminator Zero, Netflix’s sci-fi action anime series set within the Terminator universe, introduces a new cast of characters to the franchise.
Terminator Zero Perfectly Explains Terminator’s Time Travel Rules
The Prophet Confirmed Every Change To The Past Creates A Branched Timeline
Before Eiko was sent from 2022 to 1997, she had a conversation with the Prophet, an important figure within the Resistance. The Prophet was to prepare Eiko for her time travel mission and started by asking the soldier if she had ever been to the past. Once Eiko answered“Not that I know of,”the Prophet pointed out how this was a paradox by itself. The Prophet then explained that, whenever someone goes back in time, a new timeline is created. In other words,the future Eiko knew it would no longer exist for her once she traveled through time.
A version of Eiko had a son in 2024, Malcolm, who grew up during the war and eventually went back in time.
The Prophet told Eiko that, while people tend to perceive time as a line, it’s actually a much more unstable entity with countless ramifications. Every time someone goes back in time – be they a resistance soldier tasked with saving Sarah Connor or aSkynet Terminator sent to kill John– the timeline they knew is written out of existence, and a new one is born. Eiko grew up in a world decimated by the war between Kokoro and Skynet, andher mission was to prevent Malcolm Lee from ever activating his A.I.
Why Terminator’s Time Travel Has Always Been So Confusing
Terminator Didn’t Always Think Its Time Travel Plot Through
The problem withTerminator’s time travel is that it was not always consistent, from the technicalities of how the machine works to the timeline implications of soldiers andTerminators being sent to the past.The entire plot ofThe Terminatoris based on a paradox– Kyle Reese is sent by John Connor to protect Sarah, falls in love with her, and becomes John’s father. WhileThe Terminator’s paradox was part of the movie’s story, the franchise’s time travel rules continued to get more confusing with each entry.
1984
1991
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
2003
2009
2008–09
2015
2019
Terminator Zero
2024–Present
The Terminatorplays with the idea that time is a closed loop and that Skynet’s mission to kill Sarah is exactly what leads her and Kyle to have a son who grows up to become the leader of the Resistance. However,inTerminator 2: Judgment Day, the heroes ultimately change historyby avoiding – or postponing, according toTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines– Judgment Day.T2also doesn’t properly explain from which version future the T-1000 and the new T-800 come, an issue that every otherTerminatormovie would also have.
Terminator Zero’s Time Travel Rules Work (And Make The Movies Better)
Terminator Zero’s Time Travel Makes Just Enough Sense For It To Work
The best, most consistent way of looking at theTerminatorfranchise is by accepting that time travel creates alternate timelines. While this was never a well-defined general rule in the franchise, it is arguably the only way of making everything work. Now, not only hasTerminator Zeromade the alternate timeline explanation canon, but it also spent a few minutes explaining it.Inconsistent time travel rules didn’t get in the way ofT2being a fantastic movie, but it’s good thatTerminator Zeromade an effort in that regard.
There have been very few proper sequels in theTerminatorfranchise, as most entries afterT2have tried to course-correct (…)
Terminator Zero’s alternate timelines explanation also works from a behind-the-scenes standpoint. There have been very few proper sequels in theTerminatorfranchise, as most entries afterT2have tried to course-correct and ended up cherry-picking which movies they were going to consider canon.Rise of the Machineswas a direct sequel toTerminator 2, but it was ignored byThe Sarah Connor Chronicles.Terminator: Salvationmoved Judgment Day to a later date compared toT2;Terminator Genisysintroduced an all-new timeline, andTerminator:Dark Fateignored everything that had come out afterT2.
