Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
A Xenomorph from Alien: Covenant with googly eyes on its head.

How Do Xenomorphs See in the Alien Movies?

Xenomorphs are one of cinema’s deadliest species, terrifying and effective both solo and in numbers. But there’s something they lack that many other movie monsters have: eyes. So, if you’re wondering how Xenomorphs see in the Alien movies, here’s what you need to know.

Recommended Videos

How Do Xenomorphs See in the Alien Movies?

The answer is that Aliens, or Xenomorphs, “see” using a combination of abilities, which include detecting pheromones, sensing vibrations, and the electrical impulses of the human body. That’s the unofficial answer, at least. The truth is that there’s no 100% canon explanation for how they see. They do have some kind of sensory organ behind their domes, but they’re not eyes.

Between the many Alien movies and other material (comics, RPGs, and the like), we can assume that Xenomorphs don’t exclusively rely on some kind of echolocation. Unlike A Quiet Place‘s creatures, who operate exclusively on detecting sound, Xenomorphs can and will attack prey that they “see.” The movies see them descending on humans who are all but immobile, suggesting something else is going on.

Here are some of the suggested means by which Xenomorphs sense their prey:

  • Enhanced hearing
  • Enhanced smell
  • Echolocation
  • Sensing changes in air pressure
  • Detecting and using pheromones
  • Sensing the electrical impulses in the human body

The Alien vs. Predator games, as well as other non-movie material, do suggest that pheromones are involved. As the Alien, you can see an outline around your prey. And, in Alien 3, the creature backed off from attacking Ripley because it knew she was carrying a chestburster. That deduction wouldn’t have been possible with just conventional sight.

Related: When Does Alien: Romulus Take Place on the Alien Timeline?

The official Aliens novelization has Ash theorizing that the Xenomorph uses multiple abilities in place of sight, while Ripley is the one who theorizes it detects the electrical fields in humans and other animals. Meanwhile, the Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual suggests that it senses equally well in all directions.

Variations in air pressure are another explanation that’s been brought up for the creatures’ “sight.” True, Aliens: Resurrection does have a Xenomorph back off when Brad Dourif’s character goes for the punishment button, but that doesn’t mean it sees the button – perhaps it’s just that it senses and recognizes the movement.

An image of an Alien, designed by HR Giger. It has a long head, protrusions on its back and black circles for eyes.  This image is part of an article about how do Xenomorphs see in the Alien movies.

Swiss artist H.R. Giger was responsible for the Alien’s design, and one of his earlier pictures did give the creature eyes, but that was changed in favor of the eyeless design.

Ultimately, there’s no single canon explanation within the movies as to how the Aliens see. And outside the movies, canon is so fuzzy that any explanation given is sometimes the writer’s take rather than the official one. But it’s probably better to leave it a mystery. Explaining the Alien too much takes away from its mystery, as anyone who’s watched Alien: Covenant will tell you.

And that’s what you need to know about how Xenomorphs see in the Alien movies


The Escapist is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Chris McMullen
Chris McMullen
Chris McMullen is a freelance contributor at The Escapist and has been with the site since 2020. He returned to writing about games following several career changes, with his most recent stint lasting five-plus years. He hopes that, through his writing work, he settles the karmic debt he incurred by persuading his parents to buy a Mega CD. Outside of The Escapist, Chris covers news and more for GameSpew. He's also been published at such sites as VG247, Space, and more. His tastes run to horror, the post-apocalyptic, and beyond, though he'll tackle most things that aren't exclusively sports-based. At Escapist, he's covered such games as Infinite Craft, Lies of P, Starfield, and numerous other major titles.