Predator Movies In Order: How To Watch Chronologically (Including Badlands)

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With the new movie Predator: Badlands coming soon, we’ve put together a guide to watching all nine Predator films in the order they happen in the story. The Predator franchise is known for its surprising twists and intense battles between humans and the Yautja warriors, and this timeline shows how their story unfolds across history – from their peak to their decline.

The Predator series offers a lot of different movies and stories. While the first film came out in 1987, the universe and the alien hunters known as the Yautja have been explored in many sequels and prequels, like Predator: Killer of Killers and Prey, making it easy for new viewers to jump in. These additions have greatly expanded the overall story and background of the franchise.

How To Watch the Predator Movies in Chronological Order

Predator: Killer of Killers

Timeline: 841 B.C. / 1629 / 1942

Where to Watch: Predator: Killer of Killers – Hulu (on Disney+)

Beyond its animation, Predator: Killer of Killers stands out as one of the most original stories in the Predator series. It jumps between three different time periods, adding depth to the history of both the Yautja aliens and the humans who have managed to overcome them.

The story “Killer of Killers” features three humans who managed to defeat the alien hunter known as the Yautja: an 841 B.C. Viking, a samurai from 1629, and a mechanic/pilot from 1942.

The Yautja, also known as Predators, have been kidnapping humans (and possibly other races) who manage to beat them in battle. They then freeze these opponents and pit them against each other as a form of twisted entertainment.

Although co-director Joshua Wassung stated that Predators can’t travel through time, the ending of Predator: Killers of Killers dramatically altered the direction of the entire film series.

Prey

Timeline: 1719

Where to Watch: Prey – Hulu (on Disney+)

Set in 1719 on the Great Plains, the movie Prey tells the story of a fierce battle between a skilled Comanche woman named Naru (played by Amber Midthunder) and a dangerous alien hunter known as a Yautja. Naru cleverly defeats the Yautja by tricking it into being hit by its own weapon, using the hunter’s mask to guide the projectile back at it.

As a huge fan of the Predator films, I was thrilled to discover another Easter egg in Prey! It pretty much confirms what I suspected – Naru, the main character, wasn’t killed at the end. Instead, she’s been captured by the Yautja, the Predators themselves! This means her story is definitely continuing, and I can’t wait to see where they take her character next in the franchise.

Predator

Timeline: 1987

Where to Watch: Predator – Hulu (on Disney+)

While Predator launched the film series, it wasn’t the beginning of the Yautja’s conflict with humans. The 1987 movie stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, leading a team of soldiers to Val Verde on a rescue mission. They quickly discover a much greater threat: the dangerous Yautja. After the Yautja eliminate Dutch’s entire team, he manages to defeat the creature by using its sensitivity to heat against it.

The post-credits scene in Predator: Killer of Killers suggests Dutch might still be alive, possibly held captive in a cryosleep chamber.

Predator 2

Timeline: 1997

Where to Watch: Predator 2 – Hulu (on Disney+)

The 1997 film Predator 2 takes the franchise in a new direction by moving the action to an urban environment: Los Angeles. The Predator goes on a brutal killing spree, targeting gang members, civilians, and police officers simply for the thrill of the hunt. Police officer Mike Harrigan and Special Agent Peter Keyes lead the investigation, discovering that this alien hunter has been visiting Earth multiple times, even after being defeated by Dutch in Val Verde.

Harrigan won against the dangerous Predator by following it back to its spaceship and destroying it with a Smart Disc. Because he’s the only human known to have defeated a Yautja, some fans believe he might be held in stasis, like the other defeated Predators shown at the end of Killer of Killers.

AVP: Alien vs. Predator

Timeline: 2004

Where to Watch: AVP: Alien vs. Predator – Hulu (on Disney+)

Okay, let’s talk about AVP: Alien vs. Predator. This one drops us into the Predator universe in 2004, and honestly, it’s a fun ride seeing these two iconic creatures go head-to-head with humans thrown into the mix. Now, some hardcore fans debate whether it really fits into the official storyline because of a few things involving the Weyland-Yutani corporation, but I think the core concept – that three-way battle – is worth checking out, inconsistencies and all.

Despite initially being hostile and killing people, the Predators ended up helping humanity in the movie by fighting against the Xenomorphs. The film also features a historic first: a human, Lex, working alongside a Predator.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Timeline: 2004

Where to Watch: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem – Hulu (on Disney+)

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem picks up right after the first Aliens vs. Predator movie, also taking place in 2004. The film introduces a new creature – the Predalien, a hybrid of a Xenomorph and a Predator. The story centers on a battle between an experienced Predator and this Predalien, with humans caught in the middle.

Predators

Timeline: Unclear (possibly 2010 or early 2000s)

Where to Watch: Predators – Hulu (on Disney+)

Predators was promoted as a fresh start for the series, telling a self-contained story. It centers on a group of highly skilled killers who find themselves on an alien planet, only to become the hunted by the Predators.

This film delves into the intense conflicts between different Predator groups and features more powerful Predators, such as the Berserker. Notably, it’s the first live-action movie where humans team up to fight the Predators on an alien planet, rather than on Earth.

The Predator

Timeline: 2018

Where to Watch: The Predator – Hulu (on Disney+)

The movie Predator centers around a team of soldiers and a scientist who stumble upon a government conspiracy: the capture of a dangerous alien hunter. Naturally, the alien, a Yautja warrior, escapes and begins a deadly rampage, but the heroes ultimately manage to trick and overcome it.

Surprisingly, this Predator didn’t come to hunt humans – it delivered a powerful armor, the ‘Predator Killer,’ hoping it would give humanity a fighting chance against a larger group of invading Yautja.

The movie Predator concludes with Quinn (Boyd Holbrook) getting ready to use the Predator Killer suit. Although the ending doesn’t show what happens next for Quinn or the other survivors, the upcoming film, Predator: Badlands, might explain what became of the Predators who came to Earth.

Predator: Badlands

Timeline: Unknown (possibly far future)

Where to Watch: Arriving in theaters on November 7, 2025

Predator: Badlands is the newest film in the Predator series. It tells the story of an unlikely partnership: a synthetic human created by Weyland-Yutani and a Predator warrior who is determined to show his clan he can overcome a seemingly unbeatable creature on the planet Genna.

Although the movie’s exact time period isn’t clear, its strong ties to the Weyland-Yutani corporation and the appearance of Colonial Marines indicate it takes place far in the future, possibly alongside the other films featuring the Xenomorph, like Alien and Alien: Romulus.

Director Dan Trachtenberg has confirmed that the creature from the Alien franchise, known as the Xenomorph, won’t be in Predator: Badlands. Despite this, some fans are still hoping for a surprise appearance, thinking it could pave the way for a future Alien vs. Predator film. They believe this ‘perfect organism’ could make a cameo to set up that possibility.

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2025-10-25 22:08