What if Hudson survived the battle in Operations? 

Bill Paxton. The only man to ever engage Aliens, Predators and Terminators in combat. He was, in fact, an ultimate bad***.

Hudson Survives, it's GAME OVER for the Aliens.

Bill Paxton has been a hero of mine since I was a kid. Twister is what inspired me to become a storm chaser. And his performance in Aliens is exquisite. I even named my puppy Hudson. We love you Bill. Thank you for everything. And we miss you.

Man it’s hard watching this knowing Bill Paxton is gone, he was such a wonderful person that gave us some iconic characters, I miss him.

I do wish Hudson and Vasquez survived Aliens, so they could have made a proper Alien 3 with them included.

Seeing as how Ripley managed to locate Burke in the hive in a deleted scene but not Hudson, I think it's safe to assume he was killed outright during the attack. Still, seeing him survive past the operations battle it would've been awesome to see how he'd react to Newt's abudction, potentially going back for her, the Alien Queen etc R.I.P wild Bill 🕊

Rip Bill 😢

Also always a good day when alien theory uploads

That was a lovely tribute to the awesomeness of Pvt. Hudson aka Bill Paxton - made me realise just how much I miss him! Gone but not forgotten- RIP 😢

Great what-if hypothesis! Paxton definitely knew the legacy he had created with _Aliens._ I saw him on a TV morning show promoting _Twister_ and at the end the host just off the cuff said, _"Loved you since Aliens.."_ to which Paxton immediately replied, _"Game over man!"_

My money is on him making it to the final face off with the queen. His rifle would be out of ammo by then but he'd have a pistol and when the Queen goes for Nute he'd step up and draw it away, likely dying as a result. This moment would also redeem him if he has a moment of weakness after nute is taken.

Hicks and Hudson were two of the best characters ever, not just of the 80s. Both were awesome actors, both playing awesome roles, and highlighting how truly terrifying it would be to actually be face to face with an alien, and also showing how remarkable it was for Ripley to survive, they just don’t make films or characters like that anymore, shame..

I see two viable screenplay scenarios here where Hudson survives and they're at the point where Ripley wants to go back into the processor after Newt. There's one version where Hudson has his final act of rebellion and confronts Ripley, and either ultimately backs down when outranked or is fully shamed, and remains with Bishop and the ensuing sequence plays out as normal (to the point of returning to the dropship). Or I could see a scenario where Hudson at this point is already fully redeemed and doesn't argue at all. He's been through it enough that he's already decided that he's probably not making it out, has let go of his fear, and descends back into the facility WITH Ripley. He meets his end there in an act of sacrifice that gets Ripley and Newt back to the ship. Maybe something with getting the elevator working. He stays behind and occupies the queen while they get in and ascend.

Could you do if Hicks was never burned by Acid? Great videos as always. RIP Bill Paxton/Pvt. Hudson… Your game will never be over.

Here’s a thought, I think if Hudson & Hicks use their welding torches together at the same time, would’ve gotten Newt out of the metal floor alot quicker! And all 4 would made it out alive!

Hudson had the best arc of any of the Marines. I joined the actual Marine infantry back in 2006 after watching this movie so much as a kid. They did a great job carrying themselves like the real thing. Semper Fi, Legend

RIP Hudson. RIP Bill Paxton. I wish you had a chance to reprise the role in Blomkamp's vision.

One of the best characters played by Bill Paxton, a truly great actor RIP

Great video. I think not a single Hudson fan here hasn't imagined a parallel universe where Private Hudson made it home. Not a day goes by that I don't miss Bill Paxton. He was the favorite actor of both my husband and myself, with Hudson being one of my favorite roles of his. The marines definitely made me a huge fan of Aliens and the whole franchise. I still remember the afternoon I heard of Bill's passing. I was driving home and it was announced on the radio. My daughter was in the back, in her carseat. I was so shocked that I had to pull the car over. Tears formed in my eyes. My daughter asked me why I was crying. I wasn't sure if I should tell her the reason because, even though she was only 4 years old at the time, Twister was her favorite movie(she loved Bill and his bright red pickup truck). Her favorite toy at the time was a red, die-cast Dodge Ram pickup truck. She affectionately called it her "Bill's Truck." Telling my husband later that evening wasn't easy either. We never knew the guy, but he still felt a friend to us. So many of the characters he played entertained us during some of our darkest times. One of our favorite things to do when my husband has time off work is to throw a Bill Paxton movie marathon. We never get tired of his work, but now it's just a little more bittersweet.

I love bills performance. The way he portays a man in total terror. He fuckin sells it. Then goes out like a true marine! R.I.P. Bill Paxton

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how the events of Alien 3 would transpire had Corporal Hicks survived the crash landing on Fiorina 161

Thought-provoking “what-if” scenarios. Nicely done! I’d like to see more of these.

Aliens (1986) is the best film about extraterrestrial life forms.

Hudson had a strong survival instinct, but when backed in a corner, he was always willing to fight no matter the odds. The kinda guy that you just don't push. RIP Bill

Would have loved to see Hudson as a Ghostbuster, he looks a bit like Dan Aykroyd :"Bill Paxton!" I had a freudian slip

The ultimate badass- very much human impulsive flawed humorous and never forgotten.

Id like to see how things would have played out if Drake survived, him and Vasquez made a great duo

I think with Hudson's abilities with a pulse rifle he wouldve messed the queen up

I think you hit the nail on the head. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out the "what if?" for a character, but you detailed the only ways it really could have happened and I think even though those possibilities would have been fun, his final stand in operations is (in my opinion) the best choice Cameron could have made.

Hudson’s behavior is neither unique nor cowardly. I’ve served and worked with many people exactly like him. When push comes to shove, they never turn tail and run. They always stand up and do whatever is needed and then some. They may vocalize what they are thinking or what they want to do, but always do what is morally right for the group.

"Game over, man! Game OVER!!!" Loved him:-)

Hudsons character comes off as a worried soldier but he could kick ass at a moments notice. He is a true soldier in terms of turning it on, bringing the heat. The character from the start was this concerned soldier coming to the end of his tour, slight PTSD symptoms..etc . However when the aliens attacked in both scenes he went into combat mode, helping his team back when overwhelmed ( although clearly worried)and specifically near the end, he was taking out as many aliens as he could, bad ass moment, I expect he may of even killed the alien pulling him down, firing at close /point blank range to the aliens head and torso, he literally fought till the end. He was superbly written and acted. If he did survive till the end of the movie I am convinced he would of gone down with Ripley to save newt but would of bitched and moaned about it the entire time.

I kinda imagined him going with Ripley into the hive to save Newt. The young girl had survived for so long on her own waiting for help and she was so close to being safe that it didn’t sit well with him to abandon her. She deserved to be on board and off that nightmare planet more than anyone else. He would aid Ripley in finding her, rescue her, hanging back to hold off the queen and the remaining members of her brood while Ripley and Rebecca made it out. He’d fight until only he and the seemingly indestructible queen remained. With his only exit blocked by debris and flames, Hudson would face the towering beast and stall long enough for the reactor to go off.

In his final stand, he was the ultimate badass. Hudson!!!

Brilliant actor, who created many memorable roles due to his range of acting abilities, much like another favourite actor of mine Kurt Russell. Drama, action, comedy both actors can effortlessly play any role. My 3 favourite roles of Bill Paxton were obviously Hudson, Chet in Weird Science and Jerry in Predator 2

In a perfect world, Hudson would have get his own solo movie

Hudson really represents us the fans watching the film when he is blasting xenos I feel as I am this ultimate badass I feel his anger fear anxiety and the joy of every Xenomorph being blown away, RIP the late and great Bill Paxton miss you man

Hudson's bar would definitely be so fun to watch.

Bill had that delightful quality where he's steal a scene without really meaning to. His characters had a tendency to be larger than life on screen, even his part in "The Terminator". Tire tracks and blue spiky hair. Gotta love that about him!

I think Hudson’s last stand is one of the best redemption arc I’ve ever seen. Along with Lieutenant Gorman.

Bill was always great, and his characters memorable. Whether he played a good guy or bad guy, leading role or cameo, he always brought something extra to a movie. RIP

Gosh I love this RU-vid channel. You could narrate nearly anything and I’d listen. And RIP Bill Paxton, you are missed sir. But you live on in so many great iconic films

I saw this movie opening week with a very lively audience and when Hudson was pulled down by a Xeno his death got the loudest response from the audience. Just heard loud "NO's!" from just about everyone, including yours truly!

Great Video essay about the alternative fate of the character of Hudson. I think his last stand in operations is the penultimate character highlight for him. Miss you Bill ❤

Hudson's ultimate badass speech is one of my favorite of all time 😅

My favourite character in the Alien series. RIP Hudson.

Man, I would totally run that bar for Hudson. I’ve done it before but never for such a hilarious dude! RIP Bill Paxton

Thanks for the little memorial to Bill Paxton at the end. We really do miss him.

Hudson’s a good man, thrown into an extraordinary situation. Not perfect, but comes good and goes down fighting. Definitely an argument that without him the protagonist doesn’t make it. RIP Bill Paxton

Love your videos man, never stop.

Imagine the additional catch phrases this may have resulted in

An excellent take as usual, thank you.

With getting back to the now fully stocked drop ship I could see Hudson going for one of the many stowed 'Sonic Electronic Ball Busters' and giving the Queen a vaporising! RIP Bill, we miss you.

Usually i dont like sundays but thank god you made my day! I just love your videos!

Always hits hard when he finally woke up from his anxiety freak out ready to rock and roll when the situation became dire kicking ass redeeming himself but was careless filled with adrenaline (I think hicks tells everybody to fall back) then ambushed below and xeno grabbed his face ooph. If that didn't happen he would've been backing up Vasquez in the vents she wouldn't have ran out of ammo and no need for gorman grenade sacrifice causing newts fall, everybody would've gotten out safely haha but that wouldn't make the story, Bill Paxton made Hudson a real human character even other roles too, the one only man killed by the alien, predator and terminator haha a man in all 3 classics (well I like predator 2 imo) he was kinda like a goofy John McClane "LET'S DANCE!!" RIP BILL!! Legendary actor!!

Hudson’s evolution from cocky marine to a cowardly one and then finally to an *ultimate badass* is, one of many reasons, why I love Aliens so much. RIP Bill Paxton! 👍🏾

I love this "what if" scenario... especially with the scenes with him photoshopped in to bring the idea more to life. Thanks for this entertaining upload. :)

As always: excellent transmission!

One of the best characters and best scenes from one of the best movies in the Aliens franchise. Hudson is definitely my favorite of this film largely due to Paxton's performance.

Great video as always.

This is why Alien Theory is one of my favourite RU-vid Channels. Amazing!

Super, vielen Dank für die tollen Hintergrund Informationen über Hudson! Mach weiter so, ich liebe deinen Kanal!

I can see Hudson getting that bar, Ripley, and Hicks raising Newt as their daughter, and Hudson being the fun uncle.

Hudson surviving operations would have certainly changed things for the series.

Hudson’s death reminds me of Boba Fett’s “death” in ROTJ. Fans lamented his demise. Thought of so many ways for him to escape the Sarlacc. But, when he was brought back it was ultimately unfulfilling. Perhaps if we’d seen some kind of retcon where Hudson made it out, somehow survived, would this have satisfied fans, or disappointed them? Personally, if he wasn’t on the last Drop Ship out of Dodge, I don’t think he’d have survived the 30 megaton blast that followed.

Your tribute at the end is very touching and very true 🖤

I truly enjoyed the “what if” scenarios but the ending we got was perfect for Hudson. It contrast Hudson’s bravery and selflessness in his last stand with Burkes’ cowardice… Both met their demise, but Hudson went out on his own terms in charge of his destiny.

I love vids like this!

He is the pinup for not keeping his cool under pressure! And an amazing character! Thank you for the Great video, great channel!🚒🚒🚒Best movie ever.

As amazing as it would have been to see Hudson live through the battle in Operations, and make it to the end....ultimately he redeemed himself and is one of the most iconic last stands in cinema. IF he did live, it would have been amazing to see him die fighting the queen. With his knives and sharp sticks in hand! Special Effects wise, it would've be incredible to see the fight between Hudson and the Queen. However, technology was limited then. Story wise, it would of been epic to see his rage unleashed on the queen with pulse rifle in hand (for the few seconds that would be). The idea of him cowering in the dropship, grabbing a rifle and flamethrower duplicating Ripley's engineering skills to protect Newt and buy them time would have been incredible! Seeing an alternative last stand in Operation being him detonating a grenade as he is pulled under would have been good too. Hicks can't save him, give him the means of going out on his own terms. Alas, I guess we just have to live with Hudson going out like an Ultimate Bad Ass!

Awesome 👌 as always

Lovely tribute to Bill Paxton. I think if Hudson had made it through the vents & Newt still fell, that they may have saved her before the alien was taken. There would have been an extra pair of hands to cut the floor open. Although if they still didn't save Newt in time, I agree he would have been reluctant to go back, but he probably would have after a strong order from Ripley. I don't think he would have just stayed on the dropship with Hicks & Bishop. Another thing to consider is that if it was Ripley, Newt & Hudson that first encountered the Queen, he could have caused extra damage & injury to her, with her being too slow to catch them at the elevator, so when Bishop picks them up there is no hidden stowaway.

Ripley needs to descend into the depths by herself, it’s an integral part of her character arc. Hudson doesn’t really provide anything narratively to that sequence. I’d keep him at the drop ship, imploring them to leave, that way when Ripley returns and the ship is gone, there’s a reason for her to think they’ve abandoned her, “Damn you, Hudson”. As the ship pulls up he can have his hero moment hanging from the ladder and shooting up the alien queen. Maybe a stray grenade blast knocks the ship into the debris, making the moment the queen gets aboard more plausible. Back in orbit, have him get impaled instead of Bishop to take him out of the fight.

In the Novelzation Bishop extends his dialog about why he didn't stay landed on the platform. "I'm sorry if I scared you. That platform was becoming too unstable." is what he says in the film. In the novel he further details that had to take off and hover near the ground "in absense of human direction I have to make decisions." It's something like that. If Hudson were there though given that Hicks is disabled Hudson would be a "human" in charge. "forbidden to harm or, by omission of action, allow to be harmed a human being" is what Bishop quotes as his directive which is a paraphrase of I think one or more of Asimov's Three-Laws of Robotics. Law one at least. The quesion then becomes would he order Bishop to leave early and would Bishop be commanded to obey or would his directives against omission of action forbid him to obey with a scintila of chance that he would be in violation. Would Hudson commanding them to leave early be a violation of Bishop's rule as quoted above? "omission of action" though in the context of the scenario is two-fold. One, leaving Ripley and Newt behind would cause them to be killed. Two, conversely also staying too long and being incinerated along with the station and taking his two human companions on the dropship with him would be an omssion of action too. It would also be a violation of any self preservation programming. In the Novel, Bishop's going to the uplink tower dialog is extended: "Since nuclear incineration is the only alternative..." he has to be the one to go even though he also says "I'd rather be in Boston" which I don't think is in the film but he says "I might be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." But that part at least implies that synthetics have self preservation programming.

A new video about the chad marine Hudson? Game on man, Game on.

Love this!

I enjoyed the speculation. Especially coming from you! Thank you! And thank you Paxton! You are loved and missed.

Paxton in the Edge of Tomorrow, outstanding as well.

Thank you sir!

This was very interesting really liked it

Thank you. Enjoyed.

Bill Paxton also played Jeff Tracy in the Thunderbirds Movie, and Say what you will it is honestly Great, My Dad also watched the Original Series when he Was a Kid

Mister Alien Theory, what about a what if scenario involving absolutely all of the Xenomorphs from Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien: Resurrection not having access to Acidic blood?

I think his end is perfect it's a big redemption arc 💪🏼 rest in peace Bill we miss you 🙏🏻

great video

I'm of the opinion that Hudson going out like he did was the best option. His arc was complete. If he had a moment to catch his breath and then was put back in mortal danger, the impact of being heroic, or initially cowardly again and then heroic, would be far diminished. Hudson was fated to go out like a badass but his distracting the Queen would diminish Ripley's fight I think. Best to go like he did.

I like how when The Colonial Marines are in the Hive Hudson reads the movement counter and says contact. The other Colonial Marines are focused on their team tasks. But Hudson was the only sides Ripley who really could fathom what they were up against. "Movement".

Fantastic what-if piece! Hudson would be cowardly for a moment...but I think he would pull through.

"Never even seen the queen Alien" - there's somethign quite terrifying at the idea that the entire events of the film could have passed with the Alien Queen in her hive with no one on the planet aware of her existence, but her out there somewhere in the complex

I always thought that Hudson was a character that just expressed his fear, his emotions. He verbally express his despair and terror but for me, despite this be was a brave man. In the film we see how distressed he he his but he never struck me as cowardly. He always stepped up when he was needed despite his fear and as I said that makes him a brave man.

I love growing up in the 80s with movies like this. However, I did start to see the same formula. I was always hopeful that 4 or 5 out of 10 or so of the characters would survive until the end with the main hero. Would've def been cool to see Hudson make it and redeem his perceived cowardice at the end. But all in all he had a great out.

Great what if video

I could have sworn there was an Alien story set in an alternate timeline where Hudson manages to kill the Xenomorph that grabbed him in operations and ends up finding a Weyland-Yutani escape pod/ship and escapes the planet before the nuclear explosion? To be fair we see Hudson get dragged underneath operations and assume the worst now I’ve not seen or read every expanded lore especially to do with James Cameron’s Aliens but we didn’t see Hudson in the nest with Newt I’m just saying…😁 Great Video @AlienTheory!🤘😎🤘

Thanks for your soothing voice. You're always calming to listen to and today my baby daughter agreed.

Aliens was the movie that made me absolutely fall in love with Bill Paxtons acting. We miss you buddy!

Awesome thanks!!!!

Great shout out to Bill Paxton. His portrayal of Hudson was one of the reasons Aliens is such an amazing film.

Excellent analysis and a fun exercise into Hudson's character. It got me thinking on other such alternate possibilities. Like what if Ash wasn't an android but just a human company man?

For anyone who wants a good story where Hudson (and Vasquez!) survives the battle for Operations, read the 3-part fanfiction series Primal Instincts. It's some good sh*t, with a lot of neat backstory for the Marines (which may or may not be canon), shows how two of our favorite Colonial Marines survive the Operations battle, and what becomes of them after the events of Aliens. I highly recommend it, it's some good stuff.

Man... that made me tear up :( "Forever mourning the death of Bill Paxton"