Rise of the machines
This is the most prominent theme in the movie with fear at the rise of A.I being at the forefront of the plot. Sarah is driven by the need to stop the so-called ‘Judgement day’ from happening and goes to desperate lengths to escape the mental asylum she is being held at to do so. The use of the ‘Terminators’ to go back in time to change the course of history is another way that robots permeate the fabric of history.
Fate
In the movie, John is initially filled with hatred and resentment towards his mother for abandoning him for what he considers a fruitless cause. He does not believe her when she states that the world will be taken over by robots and instead lashes out at her for not being a good mother. However, later on in the movie, ironically, he learns that he is destined to be the future leader of the fight against the machines.
Humanity
In the quest to save humanity, Sarah ends up losing her humanity in the process. She is so determined to save her son, John, that she endeavors to kill the scientist who develops Skynet. However, in the end, she is unable to pull the trigger on him, showing that unlike machines, Sarah has a heart and knows right from wrong.
