The complete Predator timeline explained – including Predator: Badlands

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Okay, so the Predator universe is really back in action! After 2022’s Prey totally blew me away and the awesome Predator: Killer of Killers earlier this year, we’ve now got Predator: Badlands hitting theaters. It’s great to see them continuing the story after those two really delivered!

It might not be clear at first exactly when Predator: Badlands takes place within the overall Predator story, but we’re here to help sort it out. The series has thankfully avoided overly complicated timelines like some other big franchises (like X-Men), but considering the story covers 38 years and includes two crossover films, it’s still useful to have a refresher on past events.

There are tons of comics, books, and video games with the Predator, even crossovers with characters like Superman and Tarzan. However, to keep things straightforward, we’re focusing on what happens in the Predator movies themselves.

What to Read Next

841 / 1609 /1942 – Predator: Killer of Killers

Watch now: Disney+

To follow the Predator timeline precisely, you’d need to watch the first two parts of the animated anthology Predator: Killer of Killers, then all of the live-action movies (including Predator: Badlands, which we’ll discuss later), and finally finish with the last two parts of the anthology.

I’m really hooked by how the story jumps around in time! It follows three different people, each having their own encounter with a Predator. We start way back in Scandinavia in 841, then jump forward to Japan in 1609, and finally land in the US during World War II in 1942. It’s a cool way to show how the Predator has been hunting throughout history.

The story concludes with Viking warrior Ursa, samurai Kenji, and pilot John J. Torres brought together in the future, forced to fight each other to the death. However, they refuse to participate, and Kenji and Torres escape. Sadly, Ursa sacrifices herself to ensure their freedom.

The movie ends with Ursa being put into a state of suspended animation by the Predators. Interestingly, an extended scene shows she’s joined by other humans they’ve captured: Naru from Prey, Mike Harrigan from Predator 2, and Dutch Schaefer from the original Predator. It’s not yet known when this event happens in relation to the other films.

1719 – Prey

Watch now: Disney+

While not the very first story in the series when looking at the timeline, the movie Prey does happen earlier than the original film.

The film centers on Naru, a young woman striving to become a skilled hunter, who unknowingly begins to track the Predator – a supremely dangerous and experienced hunter itself. Like the original movie, the story unfolds as the Predator eliminates various opponents before finally facing a worthy adversary in Naru.

Naru cleverly defeats the Predator and returns to her tribe with its head, proving her strength and earning the respect of the elders. She also recovers a pistol that will later appear in the film Predator 2, a detail we’ll explore shortly.

Will Naru be back for a possible sequel to Prey? There hasn’t been an official announcement, but many fans are hoping she will be.

1987 – Predator

Watch now: Disney+

We first met the ultimate hunter in the jungles of Central America when Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his team of soldiers encountered the Predator.

Dutch’s entire team is killed, and after a fierce and violent fight, Dutch defeats the Predator. The Predator then triggers a self-destruct device, causing a massive explosion.

Dutch escapes in the helicopter with guerrilla fighter Anna (Elpidia Carrillo), and it’s implied they both survive. The director of the original Predator, Shane Black, attempted to bring Arnold Schwarzenegger back for his sequel, but respected his decision not to take on what would have been a brief appearance.

He hasn’t ruled out a return in the future though, so we may yet catch up with Dutch.

1997 – Predator 2

Watch now: Disney+

A decade after the first film, the action shifts from the Central American jungle to the streets of Los Angeles, where a new Predator enters a conflict between battling drug cartels.

This draws the attention of Lieutenant Michael Harrigan (Danny Glover), and the Predator begins to torment him by systematically eliminating everyone he cares about. Harrigan is then briefed by Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey) about the creature that’s been hunting them, and they devise a plan to capture it.

It’s clear the Predator is far more intelligent, and the conflict quickly narrows down to a final showdown between Harrigan and the creature inside its spaceship – conveniently located beneath Los Angeles.

Harrigan wins the fight, and the other Predators, respecting his skill, allow him to live. They even present him with an old pistol as a prize. This same pistol later ends up with the trapper in the movie Prey, which makes you wonder how it traveled from Harrigan to her.

2004 – Alien vs Predator

Watch now: Disney+

It’s often discussed whether the Alien vs. Predator films officially fit into the story of the Alien franchise. Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant appeared to disregard those movies, leading many to believe they aren’t considered part of the main timeline.

Until the events of the Predator universe change, we’re going to cover this topic, even if it’s not everyone’s preference. The story begins in 2004 with a team of specialists, led by Charles Bishop Weyland (played by Lance Henriksen), exploring a heat signature on Bouvetøya, a remote island near Antarctica.

Things take a turn for the worse when the group accidentally awakens an Alien Queen, leading to a fight against both the aliens and three Predators who are hunting the newborn creatures.

Nearly everyone—both Predators and humans—perishes, leaving only two alive who join forces to fight the Alien Queen. They manage to defeat her, but the last remaining Predator is fatally impaled by her tail in the process.

So, a Predator ship was hanging around Earth, and it finally came down to collect one of its own… or so it thought. Big mistake! Turns out, there was a Predalien – a seriously messed-up hybrid – growing inside the body, and things are about to get really messy. Talk about an unexpected surprise!

2004 (again) – Alien vs Predator: Requiem

Watch now: Disney+

As a huge fan, I was immediately thrown back into the action with the sequel! It basically starts right where the first movie left off, and we don’t even have to wait long before that creepy Predalien shows up and starts causing trouble!

The creature escapes on a scout ship, separating from the main ship, and destroys most of the Predators onboard before crashing in Gunnison, Colorado. Before being killed by the Predalien, the last surviving Predator sends out a distress call, attracting an experienced Predator who travels to Earth to fight the hybrid.

A Predator clashes with a Predalien and several smaller Xenomorphs, with humans caught in the crossfire and suffering casualties. Those who remain escape, leaving the Predalien and Predator to fight a final showdown, after which a nuclear explosion destroys the entire area.

In a moment that no longer holds significance because of later changes to the story, the Predator’s weapon is delivered to Ms. Yutani (Françoise Yip), which was intended to connect the story to the Alien films.

2010 – Predators

Watch now: Disney+

The film Predators follows a diverse group of dangerous individuals – soldiers, killers, and criminals – who are brought to a planet used as a hunting ground by two clans of Predators.

It’s unclear exactly when the story takes place, but many fans believe it’s set in the year the movie came out. However, the director of The Predator, Shane Black, has said his film happens before the events of Predators, so it’s up to interpretation.

Okay, so the tech isn’t super futuristic, which makes me think this game is probably set sometime in the 21st century – it doesn’t feel like we’ve jumped way into the future, but it’s definitely not way back in the past either. It’s not like a steampunk setting or anything, so I’d guess it’s relatively close to now, maybe not exactly 2010, but not too far off.

As expected, the Predators – there are three of them – kill many of the humans. The survivors then try to team up with another Predator to get back to Earth, but the strongest Predator stops them. Their escape plan is destroyed, though they manage to defeat the last Predator in a final showdown.

Okay, so at the end of the movie, Adrien Brody’s character, Royce, and Alice Braga’s Isabelle are still stranded on that planet, trying to figure out how to get back. Honestly, I don’t think they’re gonna have much luck anytime soon, it feels like they’re stuck there for a long time.

2018 – The Predator

Watch now: Disney+

Released in 2018, The Predator follows army sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) as he joins forces with a group of ex-soldiers and an alien enthusiast to prevent a new Predator from wreaking havoc on Earth.

It turns out there are two Predators involved, and unfortunately, the humans captured the one who was attempting to assist them. This Predator is now being hunted by a larger, more advanced Predator because of a strange item it brought to Earth.

Okay, so things got intense. This new, even deadlier Predator basically wiped everyone out! In the end, it was just McKenna, the awesome biologist Casey Brackett, and McKenna’s son Rory who made it through – pretty much the only ones left from the whole group. It was a brutal fight!

After defeating the enhanced Predator, they open the shipment the friendly Predator brought to Earth. Inside, they discover a special suit designed to even the odds against the larger, more powerful Predators – essentially, a ‘Predator Killer’ suit.

It appears McKenna is intended to be the first person to try the technology, but realistically, he’s likely still waiting, and may never get the chance.

“Well into the future” – Predator: Badlands

Watch now: In cinemas

Unlike Dan Trachtenberg’s other Predator film coming in 2025 (Predator: Killer of Killers), Predator: Badlands tells a separate story. It focuses on Dek, a Predator who has been exiled from his clan and is trying to earn his place back by surviving on the dangerous planet Genna.

This film is similar to Alien vs Predator, featuring Dek partnering with a synthetic human named Thia, both battling various synthetic creations of the Weyland-Yutani corporation—including Thia’s counterpart, Tessa. Dek ultimately returns to his home planet, Yautja Prime, having proven his strength by defeating his father, but his challenges continue when his mother unexpectedly arrives.

The movie doesn’t state exactly when it takes place, but director Trachtenberg explained to IGN that he deliberately set it far in the future. He did this to avoid confusing it with the concurrently produced Alien: Earth and to make the film accessible to viewers unfamiliar with the franchise. He clarified that any events from previous stories would have already occurred before the start of his movie.

Is this film set after the events of Predator: Killer of Killers? It’s unclear at the moment, but since Trachtenberg directed both films, we might find out if he makes another one.

The new Predator movie, Predator: Badlands, is now playing in theaters. And if you’re in the mood for more Predator adventures, all the other films – including the Alien vs. Predator movies – are currently available on Disney+.

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2025-11-07 17:23