Sacrificial Sheep: The Novel vs. the Film

A replicant is a fictional bioengineered humanoid featured in the 1982 film Blade Runner and the 2017 sequel Blade Runner 2049. In the films, replicants are physically indistinguishable from adult human beings and often possesses superhuman strength and intelligence. A replicant can be detected by means of the fictional Voight-Kampff test in which emotional responses are provoked; a replicant's nonverbal responses differ from those of a human. Failing the test leads to execution, which is euphemistically referred to as "retiring". Several models of replicants are referred to in the two Blade Runner films. The first seen, the Nexus-6, has a four-year lifespan. The successor model, the Nexus-7, is a limited experimental model with the ability to procreate. Nexus-8 and Nexus-9 replicants have open-ended lifespans. The Nexus-9 line was incapable of disobeying human orders.