He will go on to see things we wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. He'll watch C beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. And he will go on to give Blade Runner's Rick Deckard the biggest challenge of his life.
Friday, January 8, 2016 marks Roy Batty's incept date, or actual birthday as any fan of Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic will tell you.
As a 14 year old, I couldn't believe my eyes after witnessing my first cinema screening in 1982; the thought of 2016 being so far in the future, flying cars and off world colonies seemed perfectly feasible.
When I emerged blinking into the light of a Wolverhampton high street that September, I couldn't understand why my mates weren't as thrilled with the movie as I was. They weren't the only ones disappointed. Warner Bros hoped Scott's dystopian vision of 2019 would be another smash for star Harrison Ford, but its lukewarm reception among the masses left them far from happy.
But Blade Runner was a movie ahead of its time in more ways than one. It found a new audience on VHS where fans could pore over every frame of Scott's meticulously designed Los Angeles, a world of eternal smog and rain, where the Nexus 6 brand of Replicants are so advanced, they prove almost impossible to detect, hence the need for Blade Runner detection units.
Image: Warner Bros/The Blade Runner Partnership
Batty, the smartest of the six, would go on to do incredible things, but his life would be cut short due to his four year lifespan in November 2019. However, Rutger Hauer's mesmerising performance as the android with a soul has proved timeless.
With Sicario director Denis Villeneuve now hard at work on a sequel with Ford and Ryan Gosling, it'll be intriguing to see how that long gestating project unfolds.
If you've never seen Blade Runner, I envy you and obviously recommend it. It's one of those films that leaves a lasting impression, and may live with you for the rest of your life.
Naturally I'll be digging out my multi disc set and having my own special night marking the day when the future becomes history.
Happy birthday Roy.