Directed by Ridley Scott, the originalBlade Runner(1982) is based onDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, a 1968 novel from acclaimed science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick. Starring Harrison Ford at the height of his fame,Blade Runnercenters on burnt-out cop Rick Deckard, and his pursuit of a group of fugitive replicants — that is, synthetic humans.
Regarded as one of the best sci-fi films ever made,Blade Runneris a classic, shaping not only cinematic history, but aesthetic conventions and genres like neo-noir andcyberpunk. Still, even after four decades, the film’s ambiguous ending leaves new and repeat viewers alike with questions. Here’s what to know about the meaning ofBlade Runner’s ending.
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What Is Blade Runner About?
Set in a dystopian future (2019 Los Angeles), the world ofBlade Runneris populated by synthetic humans known as replicants. Bioengineered by the deep-pocketed Tyrell Corporation, these androids were made to work on space colonies, doing work humans that couldn’t, or didn’t want to. Led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), a fugitive group of replicants escapes the off-world colonies, and returns to Earth. That’s where Rick Deckard comes in, reluctantly agreeing to hunt down Roy and the other Nexus-6 replicants.
What Is The Main Plot Of Blade Runner?
When viewers first meet the former police officer, Deckard is being detained by Officer Gaff, who’s busy folding origami, and his former supervisor. The reason Deckard is tasked with tracking down the fugitive replicants is because of his police work. As a so-called “blade runner,”his job was to track down replicants and “retire” them. His former colleagues tell him about the fugitives, and ask him to watch a disturbing video. In it, a blade runner administers a Voight-Kampff test to a replicant. Designed to distinguish replicants from humans, the test measures emotional responses to a series of questions. During the exam, the replicant, Leon, shoots the blade runner dead.
Before his mission to retire the four Nexus-6 replicants (Zhora, Roy Batty, Leon, and Pris) Deckard meets with CEO Eldon Tyrell and his assistant, Rachael. While Deckard wants to administer the Voight-Kampff test on a Nexus-6 at Tyrell’s labs, the CEO asks Deckard to administer the test on Rachael. Privately, Deckard informs Tyrell that Rachael is a replicant who believes herself human. Unfazed, Tyrell explains that Rachael is one of his experiments.Given false memories, Rachael has no idea about her true origins.
In truedetective noir fashion, Rachael visits Deckard’s apartment and tries to prove her humanity, but he tells her that her memories are taken from the mind of Eldon Tyrell’s niece. Soon after, Deckard tracks down and retires Zhora. But his hit list is still full; his former boss orders him to retire Rachael. Ambushed in a crowd by Leon, Deckard gets beat badly; Rachael saves him, turning a gun on Leon and retiring him. Promising not to hunt her down, Deckard leaves Rachael at his apartment to pursue the two remaining replicants.
What Happens At The End Of Blade Runner?
Pris gains the trust ofgenetic designerJ.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson). Roy meets up with Pris and Sebastian at the latter’s apartment and tells Pris that Leon and Zhora are dead. Sebastian reveals that Roy and Pris won’t live much longer either: this batch of replicants have a premature aging disorder. With Sebastian’s (unwilling) help, Roy barges into Eldon Tyrell’s penthouse, ordering his maker to extend his lifespan. Tyrell says it’s impossible, but praises Roy for all he’s accomplished. Furious, Roy kills Tyrell.
Back at the late Sebastian’s apartment,Deckard runs into Pris. Although the blade runner manages to retire a third fugitive replicant, he’s pursued by Roy, whose body is starting to falter. When Deckard almost slips and falls off a roof, Roy uses his remaining strength to save Deckard. “[My memories] will be lost in time, like tears in rain,” Roy says before dying. Ultimately, the rest of the movie plays out differently depending on the cut of the film.
Blade Runner Final Cut Ending vs. The Original Ending
The theatrical version ended up giving audiences a rather typicalHollywood-style ending. Deckard runs away with Rachael after Roy’s death. There’s even some off-camera narration in which the blade runner explains that Rachael outlives her predetermined lifespan. Does that all sound too cheery and ill-fitting for such an aching, bleak movie? Try the Director’s Cut ofBlade Runner.
In the early 90s, theBlade Runnerdirector’s cut provided a different version of the film’s ending. This cut axed Deckard’s narration, as well as the scene of the pair explicitly leaving Los Angeles behind. More ambiguous? Sure. But, unlike the theatrical “happy ending,” it fits better with the two hours that precede it. In the director’s cut,Deckard returns to his apartment and leads Rachael to the elevator. In the hallway, he spots an origami unicorn — something Gaff, his colleague, seemingly left behind.
Is Deckard A Replicant?
This question is at the heart of the source material,Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which posits what it really means to be human. But the “Deckard is a replicant” theory has also plagued the moviesince its release in 1982. Screenwriter Hampton Fancher wrote Deckard as a human, but enjoyed playing with the possibility of the blade runner being the very thing he’s tasked with hunting. Director Ridley Scott, on the other hand, shot the film with the belief that Deckardis indeed a replicant.
ThroughoutBlade Runner, the clues Deckard uncovers point toward this possibility. (That’s what Fancher intended, even if he’s staunchly in the “Deckard is a human” camp.) One of the biggest hints? The origami unicorn that appears in Deckard’s building in the film’s final moments.
In a different cut, Deckard has an extended dream sequence that features a unicorn — itself a “synthetic,” fantastical creature. Deckard remembers the unicorn less like a dream, and more like a memory, if that were possible. The dream andthe origami unicorn— a replica of something that doesn’t actually exist — reiterate the sentiment that Deckard isn’t as human as he might think. After all, who better to identify and retire replicants than someone designed for such a purpose?
Despite focusing much of its runtime on synthetic beings,Blade Runnerisa deeply probing film about the nature of humanity. In a way, it doesn’t necessarily matter if Deckard is a replicant or not. Regardless, he finds his agency stripped from him by his employers, who force him to retire replicants, turning him into an oppressor — even though he’s framed as the film’s “hero.” The violence inherent in Deckard’s job — and his (lack of) response to it — brings his own humanity into question.
The True Meaning of Blade Runner’s Ending
While Deckard seems to take his death-dealing job in relative stride, Roy’s violent acts haunt the fugitive replicant. Muchlike the monster inFrankenstein,he seeks answers from his maker, Tyrell. But Tyrell can only seeRoy’s synthetic side, thinking him an impressive specimen. As Roy is questioning his morality and mortality, Tyrell is blinded by his own ambitions. It’s fitting that Roy kills Tyrell by gouging his eyes out, literally blinding him.
From Tyrell to Deckard, those inthe world ofBlade Runnerwho have the license to create or end lives value humanity the least. Tyrell injects memories into Rachael, not only creating an illusion of agency and humanity for her, but violating his niece — the “donor” of those memories. On the other hand, synthetic beings like Rachael and Roy, who lack biological human-ness, tap into the most authentic aspects of humanity. They commit illogical, selfless acts to save others, and worry about the end of “life.” For them, living isn’t a guarantee. Roy values each moment; Rachael values each memory she creates.
In his last act, Roy chooses to save Deckard. Roy could do nothing — just let the man who retired his comrades fall. Roy could even save Deckard from the fall, only to kill him. But he chooses mercy, sparing Deckard. While not fully redemptive, the act complicates Roy. He’s never had the ability to choose his own path. But in his final moments, he can make a choice. The replicant does what’s compassionate and right. A truly synthetic being probably wouldn’t see the value in saving the man who’s been trying to kill them, but Roy is different. At least, he’s not whatBlade Runnerviewers (and Tyrell and Deckard) expect. And that feels uniquely human.
