Breaking Down The Best And Worst Predator Fan Theories

In 1987, John McTiernan introduced audiences to his muscular, musclebound movie, "Predator," turning a group of elite soldiers into prey for the titular extraterrestrial hunter. A creature, memorable for its mandibles, dreadlock-like head tentacles, infrared vision, and personal cloaking device. The film became a smash hit, spawning four direct sequels, two crossover films, and expanded universe materials, establishing the franchise as a staple of science fiction cinema. 

While the original film is an undeniable classic, "Predator 2," "Predators," and "The Predators" garnered mixed responses, as did the "Alien vs. Predator" crossovers (including the "Alien Vs Predator" anime we'll probably never see). However, the most recent entry, "Prey," is the best-reviewed film of the franchise, reigniting excitement for the venerable series. And now, fans eagerly await the new "Predator" movie coming from "Prey" director Dan Trachtenberg.

To date, the films have rigorously avoided explaining the motives of the Yautja, also known as the Predators, and we certainly never receive the story from their point of view. This leaves exactly what these aliens are doing and why wide open to interpretation, both by the human characters and the audience. Consequently, speculation and explanation abound, and fans have proposed many theories to fill in the gaps, ranging from the brilliant to the absurd. Let's look at the best and worst "Predator" theories that fandom has to offer.

This counterintuitive fan theory about the original film from Reddit user tooralghst suggests that the Predator is there to prey on the real baddies: the Americans engaged in unlawful activities abroad. The theory finds support in "Predator 2," where the initial targets are violent drug lords. Plus, in "Predators," the humans were all people of questionable character and morals. This theory posits that the actual "Predator" in the original film is Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) himself and that the Yautja uses its suicide bomb in an attempt to kill him and safeguard innocents. Arguments for it suggest the Predators are a neutral outside force acting as "peace enforcers."

The problem is it doesn't square with the original film or its immediate sequel. Why would the Yautja police small conflicts on Earth? Why in the fashion of a hunter instead of simply blowing all the mercs up? And what kind of cop disembowels, skins, and collects the skulls and spines of those it metes out justice to? And if they're peacekeepers, why does the "Predator 2" Yautja begin targeting the police who are peacekeepers themselves?

Again in the original, Anna Gonsalves (lpidia Carrillo) makes plain this isn't about ugly Americans invading her country. She tells of this happening to the men in her village during the hottest years by "el que hace trofeos de los hombres," or "the demon who makes trophies of man." Were all the local men killed of morally dubious character?

Explaining the entire Predator timelime is a fascinating subject, especially when it comes to connecting films set in modern times to the one set in the early 18th century. For instance, many fans have speculated on the significance of the pouch that hangs from Billy Sole's (Sonny Landham) neck in "Predator," and some have rightly interpreted it as a medicine bag, which agrees with page 80 of the shooting script. Naru wears a similar pouch around her neck in "Prey." Reddit user EvanUltraVulture suggested a direct connection between Naru (Amber Midthunder) in "Prey" and Billy in "Predator."

Other takes on this fan theory, preserved on the WayBack Machine, suggest that they are the same bag, and Billy is a descendant of Naru and inherited it, "along with a story of how it was integral to defeating a monster that came from the stars."

This is preposterous for several reasons. First, we have the extremely small likelihood that a small bag would survive almost four centuries of use without falling apart. Second, it would be an incredible coincidence if the First Nations character in the franchise kickoff would be of the same tribe, let alone directly related to, the hero of "Prey." Finally, and the real clincher, it would be rather unlikely that these two distant relatives, separated by 18 generations, would both happen to run afoul of alien hunters.

JimmyAJames on Reddit suggests that Yautja and human perspectives are so alien to one another that the former's invitation to play this deadly game was completely misunderstood by the latter. The theory suggests that the helicopter found in the trees and the skinned bodies found nearby was the Predator's way of throwing down a gauntlet for would-be challengers in an "I dare you to step over this line" kind of way.  When Dutch's party discovers this and doesn't turn back, they unwittingly join in and become fair game.

A less plausible part of this speculation is the helicopter and bodies were a gift, an invitation. The team's attack on the guerrilla camp broke the rules of the game, provoking the fatal consequences.

It's a veritable certainty that any extraterrestrial's thought processes and customs would be "alien" and unfathomable to humans, who have evolved under a different sun. And unintentionally misreading social cues is familiar to anyone who's done much foreign travel. That all tracks. Whether this theory fits the facts of the story — let alone its sequels — is where it falls down. Why would the Predator slaughter the helicopter team but offer to play a game with those who followed? Because it assumed a second team would be of higher caliber (pun intended)? And as to rules, why would it care about Dutch's team wiping out the guerrillas unless the Predator wanted to use them as prey?

One particularly out there fan theory by a former Reddit user goes the full Weyland-Yutani route, a la "Alien." It posits that, in "Predator," the CIA knew that an alien spacecraft and its extraterrestrial operator were in the Central American jungle and ordered Dillon (Carl Weathers, who passed away in February 2024) to assemble an elite team to go on a fake rescue mission as a cover, knowing they'd encounter the alien.

But this makes no logical sense. Sending in the group, including Dillon, blind to their real mission, with no intel and no clear goal regarding what to do, is a recipe for the disaster that ultimately happened. How could this possibly lead to success? Could the CIA expect them to kill the alien and drag its body to the chopper? Or get it to surrender? Had the Predator been less formidable, there's a fairly good chance these elite soldiers with their overpowered weapons would have blown it to bits and left those bits in the jungle, unlikely to be found again. But what would that accomplish?

If any team merited a "need to know," it was this one.

A former Redditor speculated on a Yautja crossover connection with antihero Riddick (Vin Diesel) of "The Chronicles of Riddick" franchise ("Pitch Black" (2000), "The Chronicles of Riddick" (2004), "Riddick" (2013), and the animated "The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury" (2004).) The theory suggests that a Predator took a young Riddick and trained him to be either a human Predator or the ultimate prey animal. Riddick's cunning, intelligence, exceptional combat abilities, survival instincts, and his trademark eyeshine — which allows him to see in the dark — would make him a dangerous quarry, even for a Yautja.

But as a theory, it's little more than a fun hypothetical what-if. While depicted as human in "Pitch Black," in subsequent films, Riddick is a Furyan, a humanoid species depicted as a warrior race. Such a background obviates the need for the Yautja training proposed in the theory.

Finally, the Riddick films have no connection to the Predator franchise, either through the "Alien vs. Predator" films or the Val Verde Cinematic Universe. That makes this particular theory about as likely as Klingons training Mandalorians, or vice versa.