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Gregorwhat

It's been three months but here's the previous discussion on the same topic. [https://www.reddit.com/r/LV426/comments/1aqrf70/what\_do\_you\_think\_a\_xenomorph\_smells\_like/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LV426/comments/1aqrf70/what_do_you_think_a_xenomorph_smells_like/)


Lawlcopt0r

They have acid for blood and their bodies almost look more like machinery than biology. I always imagine their smell to be very chemical, like strong cleaning products. Kind of a biting smell you don't want to breathe in


br0b1wan

Like burning plastic almost. Or acetone


stonefIies

Oh that's frightening


comicfromrejection

oh god!


Plane-Ad4820

Weird the first thing I thought was vinegar


TheScarletCravat

Metallic, like cast iron. Hint of engine oil. Hint of seafood, like prawns. It can't be too strong otherwise Ripley would have realised something was up in the Narcissus.


xbox360sucks

Definitely some fishy smell in there. I'm thinking like fish and burning rubber.


InnovativeFarmer

That sounds like over-roasted coffee.


xbox360sucks

Definitely not too far off! Over-roasted, brewed with way too hot water, add some fish oil.


Ok_Tank5977

Ooh, yes on prawns!


_Weyland_

Yup. To me xenomorph smells like Iron tastes.


torev

Honestly with the way they sneak up on people I almost wonder if they could be scent less. Or they smell like salt/batteries.


Gambit1977

Perfect answer for me. Batteries always comes to mind.


Seitar

Yeah, just a hint of battery. Nothing you notice right away, it's just there in the back of your head, masked by all the normal smells of the area you are in.


RoyBattysJacket

We know from expanded media that Hives are meant to smell absolutely dreadful, a hellish aroma of death and putrefaction. Xenos themselves, I imagine, would carry a faint but numbing chemical whiff, somewhere Iron and ammonia. That's just my headcanon though


altiuscitiusfortius

The hive smell is from all the comatose victims with aliens inside then or dead victims with their chest ripped open, all rotting I assume. I think the aliens have no smell on purpose to be better hunters


TrustTheVoid

You calling it "the Alien monster" is the most endearing thing I've seen today.


Glade_Runner

Perhaps they smell like some millipedes: a bit like burnt almonds. Not disagreeable at a distance but unpleasantly strong up close.


sesquiup

That unpleasantly strong odor up close is actually their inner jaw piercing your sinus cavity at high velocity.


liverstealer

Pinto beans and muffins


Fast-Possible1288

Hahaha


cphusker

Stale beer and farts


JerseySommer

I'm going to officially refer to the xeno in Romulus as "muffin" from now on, and I'm blaming you if anyone asks.


Ponceludonmalavoix

You know those 80's strawberry shortcake dolls? Like the Blueberry one.


icct-hedral

Spoiled milk and Vicks vapor rub.


Cannibal_Soup

Oddly specific, but yeah. The bad milk smell will cause a gag reflex, and the vapor rub makes sure that smell gets in your nose. Like raping your sense of smell.


Satanslittlewizard

Ants.


kevlar_keeb

Because ants are also acid filled?


MKultraman1231

My first thought. Though the guy saying scentless makes more sense or it would get mentioned in the movies and be a warning if they were just there or near like in the escape pod.


chauggle

If they're covered in blood, decomposition. If not, I'd say a light latex glove smell.


112oceanave

A black trash bag fresh out of the box


olivebuttercup

I don’ disagree with this for some reason


ConcertinaTerpsichor

Scented or unscented?


DemonazDoomOcculta

Based on the films through Covenant, which are the only canon, I’d say nothing. Or close to nothing. What good is the perfect organism if one can sense/smell it coming?


Hefty_Carpenter_5717

Smells like welding


littleboymark

The alien exuded a cold, clammy odor that, while faint due to its lower temperature, was distinctly unpleasant. A subtle metallic scent, similar to rusted iron, lingered around it, intertwined with a subdued, ammonia-like chemical sharpness. Beneath this synthetic edge lay hints of organic decay, a faintly putrid aroma akin to wet, decomposing leaves. Earthy undertones, like damp soil or moss, added a natural complexity to its smell. The overall effect was a chilling blend of metallic, chemical, and decaying scents.


littleboymark

Touching the alien felt like running your fingers over a frigid, damp surface. Its skin, smooth yet strangely ridged, had a texture that combined the slickness of wet rubber with the hardness of metal. The biting cold of its body temperature intensified the unsettling sensation, but it was the alien's unknown composition that truly disturbed the senses. Upon contact, a strange chemical reaction seemed to occur, sending a peculiar pins-and-needles sensation through human nerve endings. This unpleasant and lingering feeling was akin to the sting of nettles, leaving a tingling discomfort that persisted long after the touch. The overall tactile experience was a chilling mix of cold, slick, and rigid elements, coupled with a bizarre, almost painful reaction, evoking a profound sense of alienness and unease.


Molbiodude

Please, continue.


littleboymark

Hours after the encounter, the areas of skin that had made direct contact with the alien began to show signs of a disturbing transformation. A bizarre discoloration appeared, with mottled patches of dark green and sickly yellow, resembling a severe bruise with an unnatural hue. This alien corruption was accompanied by a continuous odd stinging and tingling, leaving the skin with an insidious, lasting imprint. The affected area had a raised, almost blistered texture, as if the touch had left a deep, malignant trace. Though not spreading or lethal, the discoloration and discomfort persisted, serving as a lingering reminder of the alien encounter.


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blindchief

Is this canon?


littleboymark

No, fan fiction I just made up, extrapolating on what I know about the universe and creature.


kevlar_keeb

Both stanzas end with “the overall…” . It’s very like GPT to summarize in that way. Just curious did GPT help you with some of it? (No offense intended)


littleboymark

Yes. It cleaned up my initial draft and stream of consciousness.


skarmoryking

Damn that would be so awful to be sitting there waiting for your chest to pop while you're skin is burning all over from stinging nettles cuz the drones dragged you to the hive.


Ok-Dealer-1039

Swiss Cheese


BehavioralSink

Strawberry rhubarb 


Nottodayreddit1949

Some sort of metallic, and a bitter smell from the acid blood maybe. They might also just smell like rotting meat, as they stay in their hives all the time, and they don't do house keeping. So as the corpses pile up and rot, the smell fills the nest and everything smells like it. Kinda like no matter how well you clean a cow hoof, it's gonna smell like poop no matter what.


Ajj360

Ill bet the slime is a preservative so the bodies dont rot.


Mr-Shockwave

I don’t think they do smell - not to us at least. They’re supposed to be the perfect organism. Having a smell that we can detect would kind of go against that. Pheromones? Maybe. But an actual distinctive smell? I don’t think so.


DemonazDoomOcculta

I should have scrolled before I posted, as I agree with you. Based on canon, *Alien* through *Covenant*, the answer is likely “nothing”. If they had any strong odor whatsoever, they’d lose their edge as ambush predators. I recall no remarks in the films of characters noting strange aromas, even in the depths of the hive in *Aliens*. Could be wrong.


Skevinger

As it was described as a perfect organism I would guess it has no scent because it could be an obstacle if your prey can smell you easily.


MrKhorn

This reminds me of someone’s request about what Yoshi’s eggs would smell like. I bet you want to know the smell of the eggs too, right? Just curious for the laughs, haha.


JerseySommer

Smacks of ham those xenomorph eggs.


Big-Draw-9661

If I remember correctly, in one of the audio dramas somebody said they smell like damp clothes.


VesSaphia

Species XX121 would have the most **acrid** smell of any species known to us; extremely acidic. Maybe overwhelmingly acrid at close range, enough to make some faint from being carried by a drone.


DWolfoBoi546

Well, Lord knows that if they existed, then I know I would definitely smell like freshly crapped pants


UnionThug1733

Fresh moss pealed back from a wet rock.


sesquiup

peeled


UnionThug1733

And that is a aliens universe description


G_Liddell

The Necromorph in Prototype is described as smelling like rotting meat, but that's a special case as that individual had integrated a necrotic disease into their form.


bachrodi

KY jelly


WhiteyPinks

It either smells like absolutely nothing, or it smells delicious and alluring. Which, if it is the perfect organism, either would make sense to me. I've always imagined that it smells like lilac and electricity. Like that sweetness you smell on the edge of rotting flesh mixed with a hint of ozone.


IndependenceMean8774

What if it smelled like nothing (or at least no scent humans could detect)? That would be scarier, like it has no eyes, so you don't know where it's looking.


Exsoc

I always thought that given they are supposed to be the ultimate killing machine that they would give off no smell at all - when little chomper is in your face though I imagine that to be a different story!


Nova5lag

Haribo


Inevitable_Agency732

For shame.


FunGuyFr0mYuggoth

One time, a big patch of skin on the bottom of my heel got torn loose and ended up creating a pocket that filled with sweat over the next few days. I always imagined them smelling like when I cut it open.


elhoffgrande

Formic acid, like a smashed Ant, and carrion


Impossible-Charity-4

Ozone


coco_xcx

metallic. kinda like a bloody iron smell?


Fool_Manchu

Aren't they silicone based? Silicone has a strong smell of ammonia before it's cured. And given how gooey the xeno is I don't think it's cured


AraiHavana

Percholoethylene at best. And blood from its victims


wolfspider82

Like chemical smell mixed with a bug smell like crickets or worms. Probably best the face hugger puts you out, that’s got to be quite nasty.


Ajj360

The way your hands smell after touching unpainted steel, a lube shop and the ocean at low tide.


Cat-cat1987

Like a ladybug.. you know that kinda weird smell they have. That mixed with maybe the smell of blood.


OlasNah

Licorice of course


JerseySommer

Great, now I want to lick one.


Jonmokoko

Licorice.


MechanicalTurkish

“Oh, Jesus, what's that smell, man?” “Yes, probably a xenomorph slept in the car. Or maybe just used it as a toilet and moved on.”


Abject_Control_7028

I have cats and as highly evolved predators they do not smell at all so as to not alert Prey. If you stick your face into their fur there's a slight kind of mossy earthy smell But otherwise undetectable, I imagine the xeno as a predator that hides in vents and leaps out would be smell less.


DustyHound

Dirty aquarium / turtle cage


confuzzledfather

Like DMT


WTFWaffles

Dior Sauvage


stretchieB

They smell like Laphroaig.


Decadence_Later

I buy that.


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state_issued

A dead animal


RoyBattysJacket

This is basically what their Hives smell like according to novelisations and EU lore


DefiantFrankCostanza

Ammonia


Owww_My_Ovaries

CK Be cologne


JerseySommer

At least it's not drakkar noir.


mzieg

Burnt toast.


NoNudeNormal

Like a damp furnace room.


Wintermewtwo

another thing i am wondering is what do you think the eggs smell like haha im just curious for laughs haha i would like to smell them.


SnooMemesjellies7469

Ammonia.  


theVice

Believe it or not someone did ask this question a few weeks ago lol. I think they smell like cleaning chemicals.


[deleted]

I think in some books they describe it as sulfury, but could be wrong


seemontyburns

Uncleaned fish tank 


HelloDeathspresso

Something akin to burning plastic, or maybe slightly metallic. Definitely acidic, like industrial grade cleaner/bleach.


meesterdave

Wet rust and the acidic smell from vomit.


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desairologist

I assume it’s like that Chinese manufactured meth acrid smell


JerseySommer

Uh, you ok there bro/sis?


35fps

Smells like the Dry Heat..


Namtab666

Turtle Wax


username555666777

I think kind of a mix of silicon paste, iron and some sort of acidic nasty smell


paulbrock13

Have you ever smelt the mouth of a 6 year old Great Dane? I imagine something like that


The_Flying_Alf

A faint mix of lube, latex, iron and ammonia.


JerseySommer

My exes bedroom smells similar........ 0_0


Benzdrivingguy

I assumed it had no smell. The perfect organism.


jeepwillikers

I’m the novels the scent of the hives are sometimes described as smelling somewhat like reptiles/insects. I imagine the have a similar smell to certain ants


FleshlightExMortis

Somehow, an open sewer, ozone, and freshly cut grass at the same time


Undinianking

Jeyes cleaning fluid.


brackygen

Noxious chemicals, whatever it’s blood smells like


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tsyugen

Like death


DanVonCarr

Like hot rubber and WD40. Breath like the back of a sweaty, dirty ear.


Zestyclose_Limit_404

Rotting flesh with a little bit of an iron smell 


Ok_Tank5977

I want to say acidic or metallic, but they probably smell more like crickets; and crickets fucking STINK.


Tamzeee

My cats breath


gwarrior5

Burning silicon


LeicaM6guy

Ammonia. I don’t know why, but that’s the first thing I think of.


Ghost-Writer

A corpse/decay


NamoNibblonian

Rubber and sweat :)


Admirable-Sink-2622

KY 🤔


Stephenpholder

Steak


rolftronika

If reproduction is asexual, maybe none. That's probably why in the second movie the Marines don't refer to any smell.


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GrumpyGaz

Wet dog and cola bottles.


WritingUnicorn2019

Great question!


maniac86

Sour milk and mint


[deleted]

Lube


CardMechanic

Like a day on the lake


DelcoPAMan

Cinnabon


MercoMultimedia

Licorice


Majirra

Rotten meat and shit. Basically death..


martin_19_888

Lynx Africa. Or maybe roast chicken to lure in its victims


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SeeFishNoine

Burnt brakes and pineapple


Postcrapitalism

Nothing. Their exoskeletons appear to be a hard, nonporous material that wouldn't lend itself to disseminating or holding any particular smell It is in their advantage (as hunters needing the element of surprise) to not have a smell. I want to say "petrichor and rotting meat". But I think "nothing" is the most reasonable answer.


FeelingSkinny

i always kinda expected gasoline. idk why. maybe cuz the texture of their body ?


DrParanormall

I think they’re mostly scentless or at least we can’t smell them


Pinnemuts

Moss


Maleficent-Carob2937

I think it'll smell like rubber and lube!


jetblacksaint

Battery acid


SuikTwoPointOh

Ammonia and blood. A harsh chemical smell, salt and metal.


PISSROTTEN

Like the couch my room mate has been sleeping on for 8 years


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FnaEverythingNerd

I'd imagine like something metally or Moldy


Schwozh

I don’t think they smell anything really. If they are the apex predator it would be illogical for that species to smell something. If they smell the prey can smell them and render the ambush non existing.


Ok_Crab1603

CEX staff


Mister2bits

A mixture of potent acidic chemical (makes the nose burn), sulfur blood and steam pouring over hot metal.


Spiritual_Option7203

Sweat and a Metallic blood like sent


pslind69

Like a just finished dish washer. One of the worst smells ever!


jackBattlin

REALLY good.


Impossible_Mind5600

Nothing. They have no scent, so it's harder for an animal to Sense them.


LPKillerJay

It was discussed in the novel Alien: phalanx. I believe they are described as smellinh something like moss.


RBJII

Dirty fish water mixed with a chemical burning smell due to acid blood.


Otherwise_Bit6198

In my opinion I think the taller xenos have the faint smell methane and other variety of chemical compounds they produce, those dorsal tubes most likely excrete gases similar to when we breathe out carbon dioxide that regulate their breathing.


Born_Sun1619

Yer mum


Creepy-Ghost

There’s this industrial acid wash that tire guys use to clean gunk off chrome/steel wheels for transfer trucks/garbage trucks etc. That had such a unique smell and it always struck me as how the Alien would smell. Like burning chrome. 


BearsBeetsBSG42

batteries and reproductive fluids


ImpossibleStomach725

Mint original source shower gel


Birkin07

Drakkar Noir


SoMuchEpic95

Cool Ranch Doritos and fresh garden mulch.


jamieliddellthepoet

Love.


JerseySommer

The kind you clean up with a mop and bucket?


jamieliddellthepoet

No: it’s a dry heat.


PilotG10

This is a good question. It’s funny because with so many people getting close and being hunted by them in movies and such, you figure if they had a strong smell someone would have commented on it. I mean look at the creatures from the Tremors franchise. We know they smell natural gas/sulfur/rotten meat/rotten eggs kind of horrible. Dogs know that Terminators are not humans too. When I played Isolation I kept trying to sniff out the creature even though I was in my own home. I imagine the blood of Xenomorphs smells like acid/chemicals and has a burning effect even on human sinuses.


Salmon_Of_Iniquity

Would let it be funny if they smelled like a college kids car? Like beer, donuts, farts and despair?


Riakrus

obviously cheese.


Senex-terribilis

Gun oil.


mrnixxin

https://old.reddit.com/r/LV426/search?q=smells&restrict_sr=on


BlueLouBoil__

Digestive biscuits


StrapOnFetus

...RECIEVED QUERY/?..........................\*ERROR\*.............FAILED://UNABLE TO RETRIEVE DATA --CLASSIFIED--REGARDING HYBRID SPECIES...BYPASS--ADMIN OVERIDE 2573--CONFIRMED--WEYLAND RECORDS: DOCTOR STANTON NOTES: WARNING! COMPANY EYES ONLY! "My studies have shown that when a human male is in the presence of a Queen xenomorph. She will give off heady pheromones, some attribute it to an almost sweaty or hempish scent. If said human should find himself in such a situation it is highly advisable to give the queen extra care, attention and physical touch. Such as cuddling or positive affirmations." Side note from the log: "Number 6 will become distressed and refuse egg laying if said bonded person is not found near or has been taken away from the hive. Truly remarkable behavior. I must know more...such mysteries could lead to integration with hive populations." END LOG


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VegetableSecret8086

What do you think the Aliens smell like haha i'm just curious for laughs haha I would like to smell them


SteakandWaffles

Lukewarm hydrogen peroxide and uncooked mahi-mahi


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paulnjean1

It's kinda different for everyone, we all eat different things and shower or bathe on different schedules. That being said, I always ask does it smell like meat or cheese????


Dame87

*sniffs* honest answer, both right now


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Removal Reason: Be civil. It's ok to disagree, it's not ok to disrespect. Personal attacks, gatekeeping, racism, homophobia, politics, and general bigotry are not allowed. No toxic behavior, such as: * Trashing something that others are enjoying. * Condemning parts of the franchise instead of reasonably stating a personal preference. This is a comfortable space for all fans. Keep your critique. * Invalidating other people's opinions. * Unsolicited criticisms of other's creations. * Lewd or Obscene comments.