It's kinda ballsy that they actually went with the whole "killing Ripley" thing in 3. I feel like filmakers played with viewers expectations in that regard: there're even 3 fake-out death scenes: first, when Dragon goes face-to-face with Ripley in the infirmary, second, when she goes looking for it in the "basement" and third, when Dillon swings his axe. Each time it seems this is it for our beloved hero ... until it isn't. It's almost as if these scenes serve the purpose to reassure the audience that even though they killed Hicks and Newt they're not gonna kill Ripley, right ? There's a chestburster inside her but she's still gonna make it, right ? No matter what Ripley will be fine, right ? Right ? And then BAM - she falls in a fiery void
As I was typing this ^^^ I also realised it's quite poetic that Ripley falls in the same pit where Hicks' and Newt's bodies were cremated. She's finally reunited with them ...
