Why did they rename the Trisolarans to the San-Ti in 3 Body Problem?

3 Body Problem on Netflix renamed the ominous alien race heading to Earth. In Liu Cixin’s novel trilogy, they’re known as Trisolarans. In the show, they’re the San-Ti. Why is this and what led to the change? Here’s what we know.

Adapting the Chinese sci-fi author’s epic tale for the silver screen, ex-Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have captivated audiences once again with 3 Body Problem on Netflix.

Though with a complex, science-rich story, many changes from the source material were introduced not just to simplify the narrative, but to pivot the journey in new directions. One such change came to the alien threat barreling towards our planet.

In the show, these aliens are referred to as the San-Ti. Though that’s not their name in the books. Readers will know this mysterious race as Trisolarans from the Trisolaris system. So why did the showrunners make this particular change?

Why did they change the name of the aliens in 3 Body Problem on Netflix?

3 Body Problem’s showrunners changed the name of the aliens simply because their label in the books “sounded goofy,” Benioff told Vulture.

“Honestly, [San-Ti] sounded better to us,” he explained. “It was just a taste decision. Trisolaran sounded goofy. There was something nicely ominous about San-Ti, as long as it doesn’t sound too much like ‘Santy Clause.”

Weiss then chimed in, further explaining how “on the page,” the original name “looks fine.” But when adapting the story in live-action, having the cast say ‘Trisolaran’ “over and over again… it didn’t sound quite as good as we wanted it to.”

“The original Chinese is ‘San-Ti Ren,’ so that was in some ways even closer to the original,” fellow showrunner Alexander Woo added.

So beyond pure naming convention, it doesn’t appear anything else about the aliens is in danger of changing from the books. Purely just their name as the creators weren’t big fans of how it all sounded on set.