The universe is a mysterious place, and everyone is an alien somewhere. The prospect of life on other planets beyond our own has captured the imaginations of scientists and artists alike for generations. Movies and TV are perfect mediums to imagine just what life in the far reaches of space could look like.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy series follows a ragtag bunch of heroes (some aliens themselves) as they travel across the galaxy and encounter all sorts of out-of-this-world entities. If crossovers could happen, perhaps these loveable "a-holes" would meet other iconic aliens from across all corners of the universe of filmed media.

10 Groot, Drax, and Mantis ('Guardians of the Galaxy')

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Image via Marvel Studios

Groot (Vin Diesel) is a plant-like alien of the flora colossus species, and one of the main heroes of Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot is a superpowered tree monster, and can regrow his body from a sapling if his body is badly damaged. Though all he can say is "I am Groot," Groot is smart, and deeply protective of his friends, especially Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper.)

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Groot isn't the only alien member of the Guardians. Mantis (Pom Klementieff) is an empathetic mutant alien with the power to feel and control emotions; Drax (Dave Bautista) is a blunt Kylosian mercenary who takes most things literally and is exceptionally tough and loyal. These alien members of the Guardians are hilarious, brave, and fan favorites in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

9 'E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial'

Drew Barrymore and Henry Thomas Dressing Up ET in ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
Image Via Universal Pictures

Steven Spielberg's 1982 classic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial introduced the world to its sweet, lovable title character. E.T. is a friendly brown alien with a glowing heart and fingertip who is stranded on Earth, taken in by human kids Elliot (Henry Thomas) and Gertie (Drew Barrymore.) The kids must keep their new friend out of the government's clutches so he can phone home and get back to the planet where he belongs.

Featuring famous scenes like the bicycle flight, E.T. endures as one of Spielberg's most beloved films. E.T. himself is one of the most iconic movie characters ever, with his own ride at Universal Studios and appearing on all kinds of merchandise, including a busted video game so rushed to release it nearly ended the video game industry in the 1980s. The little guy is also very popular in Japan, where he has a very quirky line of theme park merchandise.

8 Stitch ('Lilo and Stitch')

Lilo and Stitch dancing the Hula
Image via Disney

A mischievous blue scamp, Stitch (Experiment 626) is the chaotic little alien at the heart of Disney's Lilo and Stitch. The creation of alien scientist Jumba, Stitch breaks loose from his creator and steals a spaceship, crashing on Hawaii and posing as the pet dog of lonely little Lilo. On his adventures with his new best friend, Stitch learns the true meaning of family.

With his ugly-cute demeanor and propensity for getting up to no good, Stitch quickly ended up of Disney's most popular characters. With Lilo and Stitch sequels and a monster-catching TV series, Stitch received a bigger alien ohana of his own. Angel (a pink, female Stitch) and Reuben (a yellow, sandwich-loving Stitch) also became popular characters from the franchise, though not quite as universally well-known as their chaotic blue brother.

7 Xenomorphs ('Alien')alien-covenant-xenomorph

The terrifying Xenomorphs are the titular aliens in the Alien franchise. This classic horror sci-fi series takes place centuries in the future, where humans travel in space colonies and survive via cryostasis. The franchise primarily follows Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in her battles against the machinations of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation and the parasitic aliens they profit from.

These iconic aliens burst out of chests and into the minds of everyone who has ever watched this series. With their instantly recognizable design by H.R. Giger, the Xenomorphs and their Queen have held imaginations captive for decades. Not content simply ravaging spaceships, they've also found their way into a famous crossover with the Predator franchise.

6 The Doctor ('Doctor Who')

Doctors from Doctor Who

"Doctor Who?" Precisely – the titular Doctor of the BBC's flagship series is a time-traveling alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. Though humanoid on the outside, the Doctor has two hearts, and like all members of their species, can regenerate into a new body when mortally injured.

RELATED: Every Doctor Ranked, According to Reddit

The quirk of regeneration has allowed the role to be recast every few years, giving every incarnation of the Doctor many unique and beloved personalities. Over the course of the series' run, over a dozen beloved actors have taken on the role of the heroic Time Lord, including Tom Baker, David Tennant (twice!), Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker. Ncuti Gatwa's set to take over as the Fifteenth Doctor in November 2023 as part of the series' landmark 60th anniversary, and fans cannot wait to see what he brings to the role.

5 Yoda and Grogu ('Star Wars')

Yoda and Darth Sidious fight in the senate in 'Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith'
Image via Lucasfilm

Star Wars takes place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," so it's no surprise there are aliens that have captured the world's hearts. The wise green Jedi master Yoda (Frank Oz) has been popular ever since his debut in The Empire Strikes Back. In the original trilogy, he teaches Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) the ways of the Force in the swamps of Dagobah; in the prequels he's a fierce fighter despite his size.

Yoda's not the only iconic alien of his species in the Star Wars universe. The Mandalorian introduced Grogu, a baby who is taken under the wing of titular Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal.) "Baby Yoda" instantly became an icon, and his popularity may have even eclipsed that of his predecessor!

4 Spock ('Star Trek')

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Image via Paramount

Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek as a way to explore facets of humanity through a science fiction lens. The series features all sorts of alien races on the starship crews and planets they visit, but Spock (Leonard Nimoy in the original series, Zachary Quinto in the Kelvin timeline films) is one of the series' most absolutely iconic characters. Human in appearance save for the famously pointy ears, Spock hails from Vulcan and serves as science officer aboard the USS Enterprise.

Spock's half-human half-Vulcan origins are frequent plot points throughout the series. His logical mind and aloof demeanor combined with his loyalty to his Enterprise crew make him one of the best-loved characters in the franchise. His trademark Vulcan salute is also recognized as a worldwide symbol of peace.

3 Na'vi ('Avatar')

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) covered in seeds in Avatar as Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) watches
Image via 20th Century Studios

James Cameron's Avatar movies transport audiences to the planet Pandora. Instantly recognizable with their long braided hair and tails, the Na'vi are the tall, blue, cat-like aliens who call the planet home. In the films, humans have developed technology to mentally link with lab-developed Na'vi avatars to explore Pandora safely without succumbing to the planet's atmosphere.

The Na'vi are a peaceful species, in tune with the spirit of Ey'wa that pulses through their planet. The series follows their fight against Earth colonizers after their unobtanium, but they also find human allies in a select few avatars, like series protagonist Jake Sully (Sam Worthington.) The series so far occupies two of the spots at the very top of the box office, and with three more on the way, the iconic status of these aliens will only grow.

2 Daleks ('Doctor Who')

Three Daleks stand over the camera in a dimly lit corridor

On Doctor Who, the Doctor faces many deadly adversaries across time and space. In the second-ever serial of the show, audiences were introduced to the Doctor's most enduring alien nemeses – the Daleks! These alien mutants seek to exterminate all non-Dalek lifeforms in the universe, and encase themselves in pepperpot-shaped armor to get around.

The Daleks' signature battle cry of "EXTERMINATE!" (provided by Nicholas Briggs in the modern series) and their impactful design have made this alien menace fan favorites. They've had a few redesigns over the decades, including designated rank colors and the rare ability to fly. A few episodes of the modern series even feature heroic Daleks, further cementing their icon status.

1 Audrey II ('Little Shop of Horrors')

Audrey and Audrey II in 'Little Shop of Horrors'

Aliens and musical theatre aren't a common combo, but Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Little Shop of Horrors mix the two to create an iconic musical with an even more iconic alien plant at its center. Starting as a sprout and growing to enormous size, Audrey II looks like an alien venus flytrap. What sets her apart from other carnivorous plants is her cravings for human flesh and ability to burst into speech and song.

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Little Shop is a riff on Faust, with Audrey II as an alien Mephistopheles. The intergalactic plant plots world domination by promising meek florist Seymour the girl of his dreams... if he constantly satiates her bloodlust. Alien invasion has never been so tuneful or bloodthirsty.

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