Exploring Independence Day Characters: Who Are You?

The Independence Day franchise consists of two films: Independence Day (1996) and Independence Day: Resurgence (2016). The films follow a group of characters as they fight against an alien invasion of Earth. The large cast of characters includes Jeff Goldblum, Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Liam Hemsworth, and Vivica A. Fox. The franchise also includes comic books, novels, and video games that expand the world and feature additional characters.

With such a large cast, it is difficult to determine who the main character of the Independence Day franchise is. Some fans argue that Will Smith is the lead due to his star power and the amount of screen time he receives. However, others believe that Jeff Goldblum's character, David Levinson, is the protagonist as the story begins with him, and he plays a crucial role in discovering the invasion and warning the White House. Bill Pullman, who plays President Thomas J. Whitmore, is also a strong contender as his character gives an iconic speech and leads the counterattack on July 4th, which is also the date of the American holiday, Independence Day.

David Levinson

If you were David Levinson, you'd be a genius cable company employee and a former satellite technician from New York City. You'd be highly intelligent, with a knack for chess, and a strong academic record. You'd be an environmentalist, preferring bicycles to cars and lecturing your friends and family on recycling.

You'd be unambitious when it comes to your career, despite your intellect, and your attitude would cause a rift between you and your wife, Constance Spano. You'd suspect her of having an affair with an old friend, Thomas Whitmore, and this would lead to a physical altercation and, ultimately, the end of your marriage.

On July 2, 1996, you'd be summoned by your boss, Marty Gilbert, to help solve an unknown interference disrupting television and satellite transmissions across the northern hemisphere. You'd discover an embedded signal in the satellite feed, which you'd decode and realize was a countdown to an alien attack. You'd try to warn your ex-wife, but she'd dismiss you. You'd then head to Washington, D.C., and manage to escape the destruction of the city with your father, Julius Levinson, and Constance, who was working on President Whitmore's staff.

You'd join President Whitmore, his daughter, Chief of Staff General William Grey, and Secretary of Defense Albert Nimzicki on Air Force One, and you'd explain the countdown and warn of the impending attack. You'd propose a plan to upload a computer virus into the alien mothership to disable their shields, allowing human forces to strike back. You'd volunteer to infiltrate the mothership with Captain Steven Hiller and transmit the virus, and you'd also bring a nuclear warhead to cripple the ship. Your plan would be successful, and you'd escape just as the warhead detonated, destroying the mothership.

Following the war, you'd become a researcher on alien technology and later the Director of the Earth Space Defense (ESD). You'd oversee several major breakthroughs in the use of alien technology and become one of Earth's foremost experts on aliens.

Captain Steven Hiller

Captain Steven "Steve" Hiller is a fearless and foul-mouthed U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 pilot and Captain of the Black Knights squadron. He is a war hero who played a key role in saving the world during the War of 1996, in which he participated in the destruction of the alien mothership.

Steve lives in Los Angeles, California, with his girlfriend, Jasmine Dubrow, and her son, Dylan. Steve is a fighter pilot who dreams of becoming an astronaut. He is an outspoken, courageous, and street-smart individual who is excellent in hand-to-hand combat and proficient with guns. He is also known for his love of smoking cigars.

When the aliens arrive on Earth, Steve is initially asleep with Jasmine, unaware of the impending danger. Once he wakes up and sees a City Destroyer hovering over Los Angeles, he is called back from his leave, despite Jasmine's fears and protests. Determined to protect his loved ones, Steve asks Jasmine and Dylan to stay with him at El Toro, where he is stationed. However, the counterattack led by Steve and the Black Knights turns into a disaster as the alien attackers are equipped with energy shields that render their conventional weapons useless. Steve's entire squadron is wiped out, and he barely escapes with his life, losing his wingman, Jimmy Wilder, in the process.

Steve's bravery and quick thinking are further showcased as he subdues an alien pilot by punching it in the face and then dragging the unconscious alien across the Nevada desert. He is eventually rescued by a refugee convoy, who grant him access to Area 51 in exchange for the captive alien. Upon learning that El Toro has been destroyed, Steve fears the worst for Jasmine and Dylan, only to find them alive at El Toro, along with several other survivors.

Steve volunteers for a dangerous mission to infiltrate the alien mothership, knowing that his firsthand experience with the alien ships makes him uniquely qualified. He marries Jasmine before embarking on this mission, and alongside David Levinson, he successfully plants a computer virus to disable the aliens' shields and a nuclear missile on board the vessel. Steve and David barely escape as the nuclear warhead destroys the mothership, ending the alien threat.

Despite his heroic actions during the War of 1996, Steve's life takes a tragic turn in 2007. He volunteers to test pilot the ESD's first alien hybrid fighter, despite recognizing the potential hazards. Unfortunately, the aircraft malfunctions, leading to a violent explosion that claims his life. Steve's death sparks heavy publicity and criticism of the Lucas Jacobs administration for rushing the prototype hybrid fighter before it was ready.

President Thomas Whitmore

As the 42nd President of the United States, Whitmore is shouldering the world's burden. It's not only the President's job to save mankind from alien invaders, but he also has to keep up morale. He is a protective character, wanting to ensure there is a world left for his daughter to grow up in.

Whitmore is initially hesitant to resort to violence, but after the aliens begin destroying city after city, he is forced to take action. He is the voice of reason against the more aggressive retaliation favoured by his Secretary of Defence, Albert Nimzicki. However, after the aliens' force fields prevent an effective counterattack, and he sees a telepathic vision of their plot to consume Earth's resources, Whitmore decides it's time to "Nuke 'em".

When a plan is devised to use a computer virus to disable the alien ships' shields, Whitmore becomes a decisive and committed leader. He rallies the troops with his famous "We will not go quietly into the night" speech, declaring that the Fourth of July will be a day of worldwide unity. Whitmore then boards an F-15 to help defeat the aliens in the final dogfight, demonstrating his bravery and willingness to fight for humanity.

Jasmine Dubrow-Hiller

In the first film, Jasmine is an exotic dancer in Los Angeles, California, and the wife of Capt./Colonel Steven Hiller. She is also the mother of Dylan and dog owner of Boomer. When the aliens arrive, she is forced to flee the city with her son and dog. They barely escape being burned to death in the explosion, taking shelter in a utility tunnel. After the attack, they emerge to find the city in ruins and join a group of survivors, including the First Lady, Marilyn Whitmore.

Jasmine is against her husband being called back into active service but is somewhat reassured when he invites her and Dylan to stay with him at the El Toro base. However, she and the other survivors arrive at El Toro only to find it destroyed by the aliens. They are eventually rescued by Steven, who takes them to Area 51. During the lead-up to the counterattack on July 4th, Jasmine and Steven consummate their marriage, and he volunteers to participate in the infiltration of the alien mothership. After the aliens are defeated, the couple is joyfully reunited.

In the sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, Jasmine has become a medical doctor. Sadly, her husband Steven is killed in a test flight accident in 2007, which devastates her. Years later, on July 4, 2016, Earth is once again invaded by aliens. Jasmine desperately tries to evacuate her hospital, and she ultimately dies trying to rescue a newborn child and its mother when the hospital is destroyed. Her sacrifice is witnessed by her dismayed son, Dylan, who later avenges her death by helping to kill the alien queen.

Jake Morrison

Jake was seven years old when the aliens first attacked. He lived in LA with his parents, who sent him to summer camp outside the city, where he witnessed the destruction of the city and the death of his family. He also saw the defeat of Steven Hiller’s Black Knight squadron at the hands of the aliens, which inspired him to become a pilot himself.

After the war, Jake lived in an orphanage and befriended fellow orphan Charles Miller after saving him from local bullies. By 2004, Jake worked part-time as a mechanic while trying to enroll in the STEP academy entrance exam. Within a year, he was enrolled in a STEP academy in Nevada, where he met and befriended Dylan Hiller, the stepson of Captain Steven Hiller, and fell in love with Patricia Whitmore, the daughter of former President Thomas Whitmore.

By 2013, Jake had applied to the ESD Academy and became a potential candidate for Legacy Squadron. However, his cocky and anti-authority demeanor brought him into trouble with his superiors, including Commander Jiang Lao, and even his wingmate, Dylan. During a decisive exercise, Jake's impulsive decision-making led to Dylan's fighter crashing into the canyon walls, resulting in his reassignment to the ESD Moon Base as a moon tug pilot. Despite his hot temper, Jake's skill and bravery as a pilot are evident in multiple incidents, including an accident during the installation of an energy cannon on the Moon Base, where his improvisational skills saved the day.

During the 20th anniversary of the War of 1996, an unknown alien ship appeared over the Moon and was shot down. Against orders, Jake commandeered a tug to pick up Director Levinson and a group of others, including Catherine Marceaux and Dikembe Umbutu, and traveled to the wreckage of the alien ship. As they explored, a massive alien mothership appeared, and the group barely escaped with their lives as the mothership destroyed the ESD Moon Base and Earth's planetary defenses. Jake and the surviving pilots managed to escape by hijacking alien fighters, and they returned to Area 51 to participate in the defense of the base from an alien assault led by the Harvester Queen.

Jake's bravery and quick thinking played a crucial role in the battle against the Harvester Queen. He found a way to escape the Queen's telekinetic control by overheating their fighters' engines, leaving the Queen vulnerable to their attack. Jake and the other pilots fatally gunned down the Queen, ending the invasion and saving the world.

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