WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Terminator: Dark Fate, in theaters now.
Terminator: Dark Fate does what every previous film in the franchise has done by introduces an entirely new kind of Terminator: a fierce figure from the future called the Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna). But its not the only one. The film also creates a compelling heroic adversary for it in Grace (Mackenzie Davis), a modified human with cybernetic parts.
However, she's actually not the first of her kind. A hybrid human/Terminator previously appeared in Terminator: Salvation, and the two also share surprisingly similar character arcs.
HARDER, BETTER, FASTER
Grace is introduced early in the film as one of the most impressive fighters in the franchise. She's easily capable of dealing with cops, and proves more than possible of defending Dani from the Rev-9 after it arrives in the past to assassinate her. Grace was a soldier in the future who was saved and trained by an older Dani to become one of her most dedicated allies. However, she's not strong enough to fully stop the Terminator on her own, requiring the help of other figures like Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and "Carl" the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
The reason she's got the ability to keep up with him in battles is that her body has been physically modified. In the future, scientists were able to develop a way to alter her body with mechanical additions. The most notable is a power core in her chest that fuels her artificial abilities as well as her body, giving her brief flashes where she can become faster and stronger than even the Terminators. The negative side-effect of this that she only has a limited range of time to utilize her powers without overloading her body. She also requires a mixture of medicines to maintain a body that can utilize her new abilities, or she risks dying. If the core is removed, she will promptly shut down for good.
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MARCUS WRIGHT
Grace is not the first attempt to find a place in-between human and Terminator. That title goes to Marcus Wright, who was one of the main characters in 2009's Terminator: Salvation. Marcus was a human/Terminator hybrid created by Skynet, although he was unaware of his origins -- having been designed as the perfect spy to slip into the human resistance. Skynet's plan worked too well, as Marcus saw himself more like a human than a machine. He ended up helping the grown John Conner in his battles with Skynet, and even repeatedly saved John's life. In the end, Marcus sacrifices his heart to be used as a transplant to save a mortally wounded Conner.
Both characters actually stand out as a perfect contrast to one another. Essentially designed in the same manner but for two very different missions, Grace and Marcus are both attempts to combine man and machine in order to win the war once and for all. Both also ended up fighting alongside the human forces, although Marcus was designed by the Skynet and betrayed his basic programming to side with the resistance. They even end up having similar deaths, sacrificing their hearts to save the day at the cost of their own lives.
It's interesting to watch how Dark Fate tries to distinguish Grace from the series' earlier approach to the same idea, and maybe one that it will return to again at some point with yet another whole new twist.
Directed by Tim Miller and produced by James Cameron, Terminator: Dark Fate stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis, Gabriel Luna, Natalia Reyes and Diego Boneta, in theatres now.