Predator: Killer Of Killers Is A Spiritual Sequel To The Franchise's Most Underrated Movie

This article contains spoilers for "Predator: Killer of Killers."

"Predator" franchise luminary Dan Trachtenberg has graced Hulu with his first film in the series since the brilliant "Prey" (2019). Trachtenberg's previous Yautja outing redefined the wayward franchise and provided endless opportunities for its suddenly bright future, and his newest project, Hulu's animated "Predator: Killer of Killers," embraces those opportunities to the maximum. 

"Predator: Killer of Killers," from Trachtenberg, co-director Joshua Wassung, and co-writer Micho Robert Rutare ("Z Nation"), is an anthology film that explores the stories of three Yautja hunters who stalk particularly skilled humans in three time periods: the 9th century Viking Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy), two 17th century ninja and samurai brothers (both voiced by Louis Ozawa), and the aspiring World War II pilot Torres (Rick Gonzales). The three timelines eventually converge into a finale that ties the entire story together, as well as makes a key revelation about the fate of "Prey" protagonist Naru (Amber Midthunder). 

Apart from all this, the movie also appears to be a stealth sequel to Nimród Antal's underappreciated "Predators" (2010). Though they approach it in different ways, both movies share the premise of three Predators going after humanity's most dangerous warriors, who in turn end up on an alien planet where the Yautja reign supreme. I and several others here at /Film have an affinity for "Predators," to a point that it ranks considerably higher on our list of "Predator" movies ranked from worst to best than you might expect. Because of this, "Predator: Killer of Killers" paying such noticeable homage to the movie is a welcome surprise.

"Predator: Killer of Killers" is about a trio of unique, differently-themed Predators who in their varying designs are heavily reminiscent of the "Super Predator" Yautjas in "Predators." In each "Killer of Killers" Yautja's segment, the hunter in question targets a specific warrior from a particular time and walk of life. This is essentially a remix of the plot of "Predators," which quite literally drops a group of contemporary Earth killers on an alien planet that the Yautja use as their hunting grounds. As "Predators" progresses, it reveals that the hunt is a regular, cyclical event with an ever-revolving cast of human targets and alien hunters. "Killer of Killers" also suggests that the finale's arena battles are a recurring thing, seeing as the Yautja cold storage features numerous warriors apart from the central human trio — including, it turns out, "Prey" protagonist Naru.   

Even the character designs of the "Killer of Killers" Predators roughly correspond to the Super Predator trio's archetypes in "Predators": There's a Berserker (the trigger-happy giant Yautja in "The Shield" segment), a Tracker (the stalker Yautja in "The Sword"), and a Falconer (the aviator Yautja of "The Bullet"). 

Yautja personalities can differ dramatically, which has been seen in ancillary media and the "Alien vs. Predator" movies. However, up until "Predator: Killer of Killers," the non-crossover movies rarely depict this to a noticeable extent ... except in "Predators," where each of the four Yautja (the three hunters and the captive "classic" Predator) has a unique look and behaves in a distinct way. Likewise, "Predators" and "Killer of Killers" are the two movies that bother to flesh out aspects of Yautja culture that go beyond the hunt: Both movies establish the existence of a visually distinct clan that differs from the classic design and has a tendency to use special containment areas for hunting activities. The animated film, in particular, also depicts snippets of a Yautja clan's rituals.

It's actually pretty easy to see why Trachtenberg might have wanted to keep "Predators" as a reference point while making "Killer of Killers." After all, his next project, "Predator: Badlands," is taking the franchise in a wild new direction by featuring a Predator main character – an outcast underdog called Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). The character's distinctive look and status as an outcast of his clan all but confirm that the movie will delve deeper into the alien species' lore than "Prey" did, so it's no surprise that Trachtenberg has devoted much of "Killer of Killers" to the existence of a wider Yautja culture that goes beyond individual hunts. 

"Predator: Killer of Killers" is now streaming on Hulu.