Aliens have been one of the most enduring elements of science fiction. Sometimes they’re terrifying, sometimes they’re wise, and sometimes, they’re just as confused and neurotic as us with humans. Across decades of TV history, aliens have helped define the genre with memorable characters who transcend their extraterrestrial origins.
From sitcom standouts to philosophical explorers of humanity, we’re ranking the 10 best aliens from sci-fi TV shows. These are both fan favorites and iconic characters that shaped the way we view the great unknown. So, beam yourself up, phone home, and get ready to revisit the greatest aliens TV has ever given us.
10) Mork from Ork (Mork & Mindy)
Long before most of us were even a twinkle in our parents’ eyes, an iconic character was landing on Earth. Before Mork & Mindy debuted in 1978, few could have predicted that Mork — a zany alien from planet Ork, who wore bright clothes and rainbow suspenders — would become a pop culture phenomenon.
Set in Colorado, Mork arrives on Earth in an egg-shaped spacecraft that looks like it was designed by Dr Evil. He’s been assigned to observe human behavior by Orson, his mostly unseen and long-suffering superior. He meets Mindy who offers to hide him. They initially start as friends but eventually get married.
Played with chaotic brilliance by the late great Robin Williams, Mork was first introduced on Happy Days in a rather random episode, as the showrunners wanted to capitalize on the Sci-fi success of Star Trek. Mork stated he was from the future before spinning off into his own show, proving even 1950s Americana wasn’t immune to a little interstellar absurdity.
Mork & Mindy has been seen as one of the most unlikely phenomenon in television history, and much of that miracle came down to Williams’ rapid-fire improvisation and surreal comedic timing.Whether sipping water through his finger or ending every report with “Nanu Nanu,” Mork was an outsider who made Earth—and TV—just a little weirder, and a lot more fun.
9) ALF (ALF)
What happens when a wisecracking alien crashes into a suburban garage and refuses to leave? You get ALF, short for Alien Life Form (original, right?). Also known as Gordon Shumway, the furry Orbit Guard from Melmac spends four seasons hiding out with the Tanner family while cracking jokes and dodging the government.
ALF was a pop culture juggernaut in the late ’80s, inspiring toys, cartoons, and even TV movies. But it’s the sitcom that cemented his legacy. He became so popular, in fact that Marvel even created a comic book series that ran for four years under the Star Comic banner. Voiced by series creator Paul Fusco, ALF brought a mix of sarcasm, curiosity, and genuine heart to his Earthly escapades, and if you’re looking for an alien that eats neighborhood cats, ALF is your guy!
ALF might have been outlandish, but fans connected with his fish-out-of-water struggles, making him one of TV’s most lovable aliens.
8) Roger (American Dad!)
There’s never been an alien quite like Roger. Voiced by American Dad! co-creator Seth MacFarlane, Roger is part social chameleon, part sociopath, and 100 percent chaos. With hundreds of personas — each more unhinged than the last — Roger thrives on identity swaps, disguises, and utterly derailing every episode he touches, he even has the power to poop bejeweled gold that causes humans to go wild with greed and kill one another for the artefact. Though, actually, it simply powers his spaceship.
Yet behind the wigs, costumes, and schemes lies an alien with genuine emotional depth. In fact, some of Roger’s best episodes balance comedy with vulnerability. He’s not just the show’s wild card — he’s its heart, buried under several layers of spandex, neuroses, campy cattiness, and deception.
7) Harry Vanderspeigle (Resident Alien)
Alan Tudyk’s performance in Resident Alien is a masterclass in alien awkwardness and slow-burn empathy. Disguised as a small-town doctor named Harry Vanderspeigle — who was the first victim of Tudyk’s alien — he came to destroy Earth, but found himself… kind of liking it here. Harry’s powers include shapeshifting, super-strength, and telepathy, but his greatest strength is comedic timing. Tudyk makes every offbeat line delivery land, often in ways that make Harry more endearing than he has any right to be.
Over three seasons, Resident Alien has used the alien Harry’s point of view to dissect humanity’s contradictions It shows how we can be both beautiful and terrible, loving and destructive. And yet, Harry remains a hilariously weird observer of it all. Resident Alien is both a fish-out-of-water comedy and an unexpectedly moving character study, thanks entirely to its alien-in-chief.
6) The Solar Opposites (Solar Opposites)
It’s hard to choose just one alien from Solar Opposites, the animated Hulu series created by Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan. So we’ve decided to cop-out and make the whole alien family of Korvo, Terry, Jesse, and Yumyulack a package deal. It’s their dynamic as a group is what makes the show shine.
The aliens’ constant confusion about human behavior, and their catastrophic responses to it, drive much of the comedy. From shrinking people and trapping them in “The Wall” to trying to fruitlessly fix their spaceship every other episode, this crew redefines what alien sitcoms can be.
Though from the same creators of Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites carves out a different tone, focusing less on nihilism and more on cultural absurdity. The show’s wild humor is balanced by its surprisingly thoughtful arcs, making the Solar Opposites more than just another set of aliens on Earth, they’re a chaotic mirror to our own bizarre world.
5) Worf (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
When Star Trek fans talk about legacy characters, Worf always makes the shortlist. Played by Michael Dorn, Worf is the franchise’s most prominent Klingon, a warrior raised by humans who must constantly reconcile two worlds. Worf’s character development is one of the most impressive arcs from The Next Generation and moving into Deep Space Nine. From honor-bound soldier to a father grappling with vulnerability, Worf proves that alien characters can be deeply human.
His stoic demeanor, sense of duty, and occasional deadpan humor made Worf a fan-favorite early in his screen time. And even the loss of Tasha Yar in Season 1 of Next Gen helped spotlight Worf’s growth as a tactical and emotional force. Star Trek is filled with iconic aliens, but few match Worf’s strength, loyalty, and surprising depth.
4) Zoidberg (Futurama)
Dr. Zoidberg is an alien that’s similar to a lobster… crab… thing. He’s also technically a doctor. And he is definitely one of TV’s most beloved alien oddballs. Voiced by Billy West, Zoidberg is Futurama’s perpetually misunderstood, dirt-poor, and hopelessly lonely member of the Planet Express crew. Yet somehow, that blend of pitiful and hilarious made him a standout among a cast full of scene-stealers.
With a mix of Marx Brothers, Vaudeville veteran comedian George Jesse, and Canadian character actor Lou Jacobi, Zoidberg is a beloved member of the Planet Express crew, with as much heartfelt moments as humorous ones. He might not know human anatomy, but he knows how to make us laugh… And cry… But mostly laugh.
3) Dick Solomon (3rd Rock from the Sun)
If you ever wanted to see an alien completely unravel under the weight of human emotion, John Lithgow’s performance as Dick Solomon is your answer. In 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dick is the High Commander of an alien expedition, but here on Earth, he’s a flustered physics professor who can’t make sense of relationships, etiquette, or why breakfast isn’t served all day.
Many of the show’s most ridiculous moments (of which there are many) involved Solomon and beautifully highlighted Lithgow’s range, earning him three Emmy Awards for the role, and making Third Rock from the Sun one of the most iconic alien sitcoms out there. 3rd Rock took the classic “aliens learning to be human” premise and gave it a chaotic brilliance, thanks largely to Dick’s spiraling meltdowns and awkward sincerity. He may be from another planet, but he captured the cosmic struggle of simply trying to be human.
2) Spock (Star Trek)
No alien in TV history embodies the struggle between logic and emotion better than Mr. Spock. Leonard Nimoy’s half-Vulcan, half-human character defined what it means to be an outsider searching for identity—and changed Star Trek forever. Spock was often at his best when he was a little more Vulcan, yet his very human moments made his rare displays of emotion hit harder. Whether raising an eyebrow or uttering a quiet “Fascinating,” Spock’s presence grounded the Enterprise crew with measured wisdom.
Nimoy’s performance inspired generations of fans and creators alike. And more than 50 years later, new iterations of Spock — from Zachary Quinto to Ethan Peck — continue to explore that duality. Furthermore, he has even transcended the Star Trek IP and beamed its way into numerous pop culture references, including becoming a key character for Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory. Spock isn’t just an alien, he’s a symbol of what it means to belong in two worlds, and the inner strength it takes to walk that line.
1) The Doctor (Doctor Who)
There’s no alien more versatile or more enduring than Doctor Who’s titular Time Lord. With the ability to regenerate into a new body, The Doctor has been portrayed by 15 actors, each of whom have brought their own take on the enigmatic adventurer from Gallifrey. But no matter the face, The Doctor is always the same at their core: curious, compassionate, clever, and ever hopeful. They fight monsters, solve galactic crises, and, most importantly, never give up on the goodness of humanity.
The Doctor is both fascinated by and in love with the human race because they are such an unpredictable species. And through his many companions, we see the universe as something worth saving, one strange planet at a time. From William Hartnell to Ncuti Gatwa, The Doctor isn’t just a great alien character, they’re one of television’s greatest and most enduring characters, period.
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