Kate Connor (Terminator) (2024)

Kate Brewster-Connor
Bryce Dallas Howard as Kate Connor in Terminator Salvation
First Episode Appearance	Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Character played by	Claire Danes (T3) Bryce Dallas Howard (TS)
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Physician Veterinarian Resistance Officer
Spouse	John Connor Scott Mason (fiancee, deceased)
Children	unborn child
Relatives	Robert Brewster (father, deceased) Kyle Reese (father-in-law) Sarah Connor (mother-in-law, deceased)

Katherine "Kate" Connor (née Brewster) is a fictional character from the Terminator films. She is the wife of John Connor and his future second-in-command. She is portrayed by Claire Danes in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and Bryce Dallas Howard in Terminator Salvation.

Fictional biography[]

Early life[]

Kate grew up before the war, living in ignorance until she met John Connor. The only daughter of USAF Lieutenant General Robert Brewster, the military director of CRS Autonomous Weapons Division, Kate's mother divorced her husband and left them when she was still at veterinary school. After finishing school, Kate went on to become a veterinarian, working at the Emery Animal Hospital, and became engaged to Scott Mason.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines[]

In 2004, her normal life was to change. Upon reacting to an animal emergency at the Emery Animal Hospital, Kate met John Connor whom she had previously been to school with, and with whom she had experienced her very first kiss. With John Connor and a reprogrammed 850 Series Terminator, Kate managed to escape a T-X which had been sent back in time to eliminate her, learning that her fiancé was killed. Practically kidnapped by the 850 Series Terminator, Kate learned the truth of things to come, of Skynet, Judgment Day, the future war with the machines, and of her destiny with John Connor. Setting off with the others to CRS to try to stop her father from activating Skynet, Kate was unsuccessful, and her father was killed by the T-X.

Getting to the Crystal Peak Control and Command Center, a hardened fallout shelter facility in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for VIPs, Kate and John were able to survive Judgment Day as the nuclear missiles fell. Using the communications equipment within the facility, Kate helped John to get in touch with survivors and start to co-ordinate a Resistance force.

Terminator Salvation[]

In Terminator Salvation, set in 2018, Kate is John Connor's wife, and is played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Using the knowledge of surgery and medicine she gained from her veterinary studies, she evolved into a physician within John's unit as well as a veterinarian. Howard took over the role exited by Claire Danes, who declined to reprise the role. When asked why, she was quoted saying,

Charlotte Gainsbourg was originally intended to take on the role of Kate after Danes left, but due to scheduling conflicts, she was unable^[2]. However, this allows the production to continue their part in replacing lead actors for each movie - although Christian Bale has signed on for more movies in the Terminator franchise^[3]. It is yet unknown if Howard has signed on for more than one.

Despite being foretold on the last film as John's future second-in-command and proficient with weaponry, Kate is unable to assist her husband in the battlefield due to her pregnancy with John's child and the duty with her patients. However, Kate's connection with her father's military contacts brought John a network of allies as the remaining military forces around the world are rallied as The Resistance and she would assist him on their base's command center. Kate later lead a rescue squad for John, Kyle Reese, and other prisoners with their friends Barnes and Blair Williams on Skynet's San Francisco Central.

Production background[]

In the early dialog of T3, Kate reveals that she has a past history with John in the events prior to Terminator 2, a teenage makeout session that might have led to a relationship, had the events of T2 not occurred. In later dialog, the Terminator states that in the future, she is John Connor's wife.

References[]