Warning: this article contains spoilers for Alien: RomulusAlien: Romulushas been one of the most successful horror movies of the past year, taking aspects from both the original Alien movies and the more recent prequel films to create a project that serves as a more solid bridge between the old and the new. Alien: Romulus has been reviewed quite well, hitting with both critics and audiences, on top of becoming the second highest-grossing film in the Alien franchise. The film is a certified hit, and has been seen as a return to form for the franchise after the divisiveness of the two prequel films.
One of the main points of discussion about the Alien films is naturally how they handle the titular alien creatures. From the classic Xenomorphs like facehuggers and chestbursters, to new additions in Romulus like the Offspring, the franchise is most well known for its excellent creature designs, and how the many varied aliens are used in each film is one of the most integral parts of the franchise. Alien: Romulus brings the Alien series back to its roots, but that begs the question of how the movie uses the Xenomorph species when compared to the previous films.
The Romulus Lab Has 24 Facehugger Aliens In Cryosleep
Even More Appear Later In The Film
Image via 20th Century Studios
Alien Romulus’ first introduction to the Xenomorphs is in the form of facehuggers. A large number of them are in cryostasis aboard the Romulus, and when the team takes the fuel for the cryopods, the creatures are released. In this scene, there are 24 of them, and they all manage to thaw out before the group even knows what is going on. The group is taken very much by surprise, and they don’t manage to kill any at this point.
There are more facehugger eggs contained near where Rain eventually has her shootout with the Xenomorphs, around 12 more, for a total count of 46.
More Facehuggers show up later in the film, first in a group of about 10 kept in a tank in the lab where Andy, Rain, and Tyler find the black goo Xenomorph serum. These in particular don’t pose much threat to the group, as they are kept in their tank, unable to escape. There were about 12 more facehugger eggs contained near where Rain eventually has her shootout with the Xenomorphs, around 12 more, creating a total count of 46. A few facehuggers attack Rain while she fights the Xenomorphs, but those are likely the same ones from earlier.
Alien: Romulus' Space Station Has 31 Fully Grown Xenomorphs
Most Of Them Are Destroyed By The End
The first full Xenomorph appears soon after the facehuggers escape and one implants Navarro, leading to one of Alien: Romulus' many gory deaths. After the first one shows up, it is revealed that there are many, many more in the station, birthed from the previous inhabitants, totaling to around 31. The bulk of them appear in the Xenomorph lair at the bottom of the Romulus, lying in wait for the group to arrive so they can kill them. After they turn the gravity off, Rain and Andy kill most of them, while only a handful are able to get away.
Alien: Romulus saw the CGI return of a classic Alien actor as the android Rook, despite there being several other candidates that were better choices.
The ones that do run off eventually turn back up in the elevator shaft, and begin climbing until the elevator is dropped on them, killing the last of the fully grown Xenomorphs. This number also includes the dead Xenomorph from the original Alien at the start of the film, as well as the Offspring, the human-Xenomorph hybrid birthed by Kay after she took the Xenomorph serum. It's quite a lot to keep track of, and the Xenomorph that was originally stalking them through the station is eventually lost among the horde.
Alien: Romulus Has More Aliens Than Other Movies In The Franchise
Most Films Are Content With Just A Few Xenomorphs
When compared to the other movies in the Alien franchise, Alien: Romulus is definitely on the higher side when it comes to the number of actual aliens. The original Alien obviously just has one Xenomorph, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrections only have a few, and Prometheus and Alien: Covenant each only have a handful of Xenomorphs and proto-Xenomorphs together. The film most comparable to Alien: Romulus in this regard is Aliens, the second movie in the series, as many, many Xenomorphs were seen fighting throughout the film.
The number of fully grown Xenomorphs in
Aliens
is difficult to tell for certain, but by looking at the total population of Hadley's Hope, which is 158, and knowing that the Xenomorphs don't implant every single person they encounter, the number is likely around 80.
Romulus using the Xenomorphs in a similar way to one of the best films of the franchise in Aliens was definitely no accident, as reminding the audience of those original films was absolutely one of the intents of this film. However, Alien: Romulus is able to get the best of both worlds: there is one specific Xenomorph that stalks the main characters and takes them out one by one, similar to the original Alien, and it also manages to evoke the same feelings as Aliens with a huge battle against a massive horde of creatures.
Alien: Romulus is the seventh film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and will focus on a new young group of characters who come face to face with the terrifying Xenomorphs. Alien: Romulus is a stand-alone film and takes place in a time not yet explored in the Alien franchise.
Image via 20th Century Studios 
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