The Empire Strikes Back currently dominates The Terminator 69–31
Who do you think should win?
The Verdict
This matchup has 13 votes. The picture may shift as more people weigh in.
13 votes later, The Terminator is still chasing. The Empire Strikes Back holds at 69% to 31%.
James Cameron and Irvin Kershner brought very different things to the screen. This matchup tests which directorial voice resonates more when the two films are placed side by side.
The gap speaks for itself: The Empire Strikes Back at 69%, The Terminator at 31%. 38.4 points of daylight.
The Numbers
| The Terminator | The Empire Strikes Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 31% | 69% |
| Overall Win Rate | 46% | 61% |
| Championships | 8 | 31 |
| Budget | $6M | $18M |
| Box Office | $78M | $538M |
Where This Matchup Sits
In the 1980s on BingeBracket: The Terminator is in the bottom quarter and The Empire Strikes Back at #6, out of 25 films.
Elsewhere on the platform, Blade Runner 2049 reveals where they differ: The Terminator wins that matchup easily, while The Empire Strikes Back struggles with it.
The championship record tells the same story: The Empire Strikes Back has 31 tournament wins to The Terminator's 8. The pedigree gap matches the head-to-head gap.
The Empire Strikes Back earned $538M at the box office while The Terminator made $78M. The bracket agrees — The Empire Strikes Back wins the head-to-head, and the commercial gap holds.
Choosing The Empire Strikes Back takes 1.0s on average. Choosing The Terminator takes 1.8s. That gap suggests they're doing different things for their voters.
Where to Watch
Availability may vary by region.
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