2001 A Space Odyssey

Main Characters and Their Development

• Dr. David Bowman – one of the two surviving crew members of the spaceship Discovery. During the events, he becomes the last surviving crew member after a confrontation with the artificial intelligence HAL 9000. He investigates the mysterious monolith found in orbit around Jupiter, leading to his transformation into a new evolutionary being - the Star Child.
• Frank Poole – an astronaut on the Discovery mission. He is killed by HAL 9000 while attempting to repair a malfunctioning external unit responsible for communication with Earth.
• HAL 9000 – the artificial intelligence managing the operations of the spaceship Discovery. It strives to fulfill its assigned tasks by any means, resulting in conflict with the crew and the death of several crew members. Ultimately, it is deactivated.
• Dr. Heywood Floyd – a scientist playing a key role in the investigation of the monoliths and discoveries concerning the origins of humanity. He appears in subsequent sequels as an important character.