Predator: Killer of Killers, the new animated anthology film, isn’t trying to be Prey. It isn’t even trying to be a modern, subtle reinvention of the Predator mythos. No, the animated feature shows up swinging with four timelines, three brutal stories, and one terrifying beast of a Yautja that might just be the scariest Predator we’ve ever seen. Who, or what, is this “Killer of Killers”? Is this a new evolution of the Yautja species?
Across Predator lore, we’ve seen some scary Yautja before: the City Hunter from Predator 2, the Wolf Predator from Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, the genetically enhanced Upgrade Predator from The Predator, and the sleek, agile warrior from Prey. But Predator: Killer of Killers raises the bar.
First, there’s this hulking, Hulk-sized, Brute Yautja that doesn’t stalk from the shadows. He storms the battlefield like a war god. This isn’t a Predator playing with its food. This thing is pure destruction. Armed with a hand cannon that dismembers warriors with ease and brute strength that turns shieldmaidens into projectiles, this Yautja (which some believe is the Berserker Predator from 2010’s Predators) might not be the smartest, but he’s definitely the most brutal. But he does have a weakness: The Viking Predator struggles in freezing waters, a clever nod to how Yautja physiology thrives in heat.
But he isn’t the most impressive Yautja in the film. That honor goes to the Warlord Predator (who some are calling The Grendel King), who we encounter in the arena on the Yautja planet.
So, who, or what, is the Warlord Predator?
Well, he’s not your average cloaked, clicking hunter. Forget the stealth missions and shoulder cannons, this guy’s all brute power and bones. He wears a full skull mask (likely from a former leader), has ribs mounted on his back like a twisted cape, and fights with a giant axe probably made from the spine of a creature we don’t even want to imagine. And no, he doesn’t bother with tech armor like the others, just bones. Everywhere. Shoulders, arms, and ches. Why bones? Probably to show you just how many things he’s crushed.
The Warlord Predator is clearly a warrior’s warrior. He doesn’t even flinch when Torres tries to ram a ship straight at him. He doesn’t even blink. However, when Ursa and Kenji team up, they do manage to hurt him—shield to the skull, sword to the chest. He bleeds. He stumbles. He sees his own green blood and goes full rage mode.
But despite all the bones and bravado, we never get confirmation of his actual rank. Is he the king of the Yautja? Just the general? Or maybe a warlord of one tribe among many? The fact that other Predators only jump in after the ship activates suggests that, up until that point, this was his personal fight. No interference. That level of respect doesn’t come easy in a society built on hunting and combat.
So while some fans might be ready to crown him Predator King of the Bad Bloods (sadistic hunters who violate aspects of the Yautja Honor Code), the film leaves it ambiguous. What’s clear, though, is this: he’s not the type you want to run into in a dark jungle or intergalactic arena.
And honestly, after Predator: Killer of Killers, we want more. Where did he get that skull mask? Did he defeat a former king? Did he build that cape from the bones of Xenomorphs or something even worse?
Let’s hope someone at 20th Century Studios is listening. We need the Warlord origins, please.
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Predator: Killer of Killers is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
