In the 1986 film “Aliens,” the little girl saved by Ripley is Newt. Her full name is Rebecca “Newt” Jorden, and she is the sole surviving child of the colony on LV-426.
Ripley encounters Newt while searching the abandoned Hadley’s Hope colony with the Colonial Marines. The girl has survived by hiding in the ventilation system and other narrow spaces after the colonists are overwhelmed by the alien creatures. Her knowledge of the colony helps the team understand the danger around them.
Newt becomes emotionally important to Ripley because Ripley has lost decades while in hypersleep and has learned that her own daughter grew old without her. Their relationship gives the film a protective, almost parental dimension that goes beyond the military rescue mission.
A frequent mix-up is treating “Newt” as the character’s formal name. It is her nickname; “Rebecca” is her given name, and “Jorden” is her family name. Carrie Henn played Newt in her only major film role, earning lasting recognition for the performance.