Back when cable TV was still king and streaming wasn’t a household verb, I loved tuning into Deadliest Warrior. There was just something wildly entertaining about watching history’s most feared fighters — ninjas, samurais, Vikings, Spetsnaz, you name it — go head-to-head in simulated death matches. It was like MythBusters met Mortal Kombat, with a side of a testosterone-fueled history lesson thrown in for good measure.
Sure, the science was questionable at times, but the matchups were pure gold, and I couldn’t get enough of the dramatized showdowns and slow-motion weapon tests that made me feel like I was learning and watching a gladiator brawl.
It seems like I wasn’t the only one who loved Deadliest Warrior. That same who-would-win energy lives on in Prey (2022), a back-to-basics Predator film that drops a high-tech alien hunter into 18th-century Comanche territory. Much like the show’s simulated clashes, Prey thrives on raw survival, pitting Naru — a young woman eager to prove herself — against a brutal Predator using only her skill, instincts and primitive weapons. It’s the kind of showdown Deadliest Warrior would’ve dreamed up, only this time, it’s got real stakes, real grit and one hell of a final girl.
Predator: Killer of Killers looks to carry on the franchise’s legacy of savage showdowns — this time in animated form. Directed by Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg, the film takes an anthology approach, dropping Predators into different historical eras for three brutal chapters.
In Act One, a Viking raider/grieving mother seeks vengeance after her tribe is slaughtered by a Predator. Act Two shifts to feudal Japan, where a samurai faces off against both an alien hunter and his estranged brother. Then in Act Three, a young WWII fighter pilot must take to the skies as his squadron is decimated by yet another Predator. But the real twist comes after the battles — when the survivors awaken on an alien world and must fight one another in a deadly final test or be hunted down themselves.
Predator: Killer of Killers creates a time-traveling death match. Photo courtesy:20th Century Studios. © 2025
What I really like about Predator: Killer of Killers is how it keeps the spirit of both Deadliest Warrior and Prey alive, blending them into one wild, bloody package. Like Deadliest Warrior, it throws fighters from different eras into impossible combat scenarios, asking the ultimate “What If” question — except now, the common enemy is a relentless alien hunter. And much like Prey, it focuses on human ingenuity, grit and the will to survive against overwhelming odds.
Each chapter highlights not just brute force, but the unique tactics and cultural strengths of its warriors, whether it’s a Viking raider fueled by vengeance, a conflicted samurai or a WWII pilot forced to outmaneuver an interstellar threat. It’s the ultimate evolution of that age-old fantasy: What happens when history’s greatest fighters are pushed beyond their limits by something not of this world?
As much as I enjoyed the concept and storytelling in Predator: Killer of Killers, its biggest misstep is the animation style. While the anthology format and time-jumping battles perfectly capture the energy and survivalist tones, the animation feels oddly lifeless and inconsistent. Instead of enhancing the brutal action or heightening the tension, the visuals often undercut key moments with stiff character movement and a muted color palette that lacks the grit and intensity the story demands. It’s a shame, because with more dynamic and expressive animation, these battles could have hit with the same visceral impact as their live-action counterparts.
Instead, we’re left with a killer concept that doesn’t always look as sharp as it should.
Still, concepts like Predator: Killer of Killers could be exactly what the franchise needs to stay alive — and more importantly, relevant. After a string of lackluster sequels and reboots that struggled to recapture the intensity and originality of the 1987 classic, the series has often felt like it was chasing its own tail. But by leaning into bold ideas — like historical settings, diverse warrior perspectives and anthology storytelling — the franchise finally feels fresh again.
These new approaches move away from bloated plots and forced callbacks, instead focusing on what made Predator iconic in the first place: brutal survival, clever hunters and a terrifyingly efficient alien opponent. That’s why my hopes are riding high for Predator: Badlands, another upcoming project from Dan Trachtenberg. If Prey reignited interest in the franchise and Killer of Killers proved there’s room for experimentation, then Badlands could be the one to fully cement this new era of Predator.
With Trachtenberg once again at the helm, expectations are justifiably high. He’s already shown he understands the core appeal of the series — stripping the story down to man vs. monster but elevating it through strong character work and striking settings. If Badlands continues to push boundaries while respecting the primal tension that defines the franchise, it might not just revitalize Predator, it could redefine it for a whole new generation of fans.
I give Predator: Killer of Killers four out of five stars. While the animation style holds it back from reaching its full potential, the concept is a brutal, brilliant return to form that taps into everything fans like me have been craving. It carries the spirit of Deadliest Warrior with its time-hopping warrior matchups and channels the stripped-down intensity of Prey by focusing on survival, strategy and human resilience.
Each chapter of Killer of Killers adds something unique, whether it’s Viking vengeance, samurai honor or aerial dogfights in World War II, all culminating in a final twist that feels both fresh and earned. More importantly, it proves that the Predator franchise still has teeth when it dares to evolve. With Dan Trachtenberg leading the charge again for Predator: Badlands, and a willingness to take creative risks instead of relying on nostalgia, this franchise might just be entering its most exciting era yet.