Over the years I have read that one of the biggest complaints fans have with the movie Alien 3 is killing the characters of Newt and Hicks in the very beginning of the movie, but after watching Aliens I must ask what exactly was so memorable about Newt and Hicks.

Hicks is a by-the-numbers military character, and Newt is an orphaned girl upon whom Ripley projects her maternal instincts, and judging by the outrage it’s like they were nuanced, profound well written characters that are essential to the story.