Since its inception in 1987, the Predator franchise, with its variety of collaborations and spin-offs, has kept one core element very consistent…the Yautja are a hardcore bunch of lean, mean killing machines.
So, in honour of the release of Predator: Badlands this November, we thought it would be a good idea to look back at this franchise’s bloody history and highlight some of the best kills it has to offer.
Plus, the AvP films were excluded from this list primarily due to their high kill counts and questionable status within the canon of either franchise. They do get an honourable mention here, as there are some truly satisfying kills across both films, but for the sake of ease, this list will only focus on core films in the Predator series.
10. Dillon (Predator)
We start things off with the original film, of course. This simple but painful-looking death is one of the more drawn-out kills from this first entry to the series. Whereas a lot of the kills in this first film are either off-screen or very quick, Dillon’s is instead tense and deliberately dragged out to really exaggerate the intense pain of having one’s arm shot clean off, which Carl Weathers flawlessly sells throughout this scene.
9. Nettles (The Predator)
Say what you will about Shane Black’s questionable entry to the franchise, the one thing you can’t fault it for is the number of deaths it has to offer. Nettles’ demise may not be the smartest entry on this list, but it grabs the ninth spot purely for its originality. I mean, where else are you going to see a man get cut in half but a spaceship’s forcefield?
8. American WW2 Pilot (Predator: Killer of Killers)
The entirety of the WW2 sequence in Killer of Killers gave us a lot of kills we had never seen in the franchise before due to its airbourne setting. The giant Yautja ship that picks American fighters off one by one is a daunting sight to behold, but this one moment, where a pilot is speared through the cockpit and pulled out of his plane with the engine, is brutal and unforgiving to say the least.
7. Fur Trapper (Prey)
The Predator franchise has given us many horrific and unique deaths over the years, but this single encounter from 2022’s Prey, where a lone Yautja faces off against a group of fur trappers, offers up some genuinely entertaining kills and the film’s most badass scene. The deaths seen here are just as gory and violent as one would want, but one of the most memorable occurs when a fur trapper receives a bear trap to the face. It’s short, sweet, and to the point and somehow manages to stick out in a scene filled with great kills.
6. Blain (Predator)
Blain’s death in the original Predator is iconic for a few different reasons. First of all, compared to the other characters in the team, Blain is the one person whose cocky demeanour and arrogance make you root for the Yautja to kill him once and for all. Secondly, the way he is killed is just as satisfying as one would have hoped for, as he is shot in the back, resulting in the bloodiest death from the first film.
5. Guards In Car (The Predator)
As previously mentioned, 2018’s The Predator may not be the best film in the series, but the kills it delivered were plentiful to say the least. This rather fast multi-kill is an unforgiving and brutal one that sees four to five people being beheaded at once. It’s not the cleanest of deaths, but it is memorable for sure and earns a spot for creativity alone
4. King Willie (Preadtor 2)
The only kill from Predator 2 to make the final cut, King Willie’s death, is without a doubt the most iconic kill of this film. Though some of it is off-screen and there are definitely gorier deaths from the series that could have been added instead, this one sticks out more purely for the over-the-top nature in which the scene is shot and edited, greatly adding to the impact of the death overall.
3. Temple Guard (Predator: Killer of Killers)
Killer of Killers really gave us some simple but creative kills, and this one is no exception. This brawl, which is already chaotic as it is, is bookended with one of the cleanest kills from the entirety of this animated entry. One guard, who is pinned to the wall by a spear near the start of the fight, is mercilessly cut in half with the push of a button. From the payoff this kill delivers to the nonchalant manner in which the Yautja finishes the guard off, it truly is a brilliant moment to watch unfold.
2. Stans (Predators)
Throughout the franchise, we are shown many spines and skulls in the Yautja ships as trophies from their hunts, but it wasn’t until 2010’s Predators that we finally got to see this moment play out on screen. This graphic kill, where we see Stans’ spine being pulled out of his back, is instantly memorable as it shows us something the series has alluded to for decades.
1. Another Fur Trapper (Prey)
Similar to the guard kill in Killer of Killers, this straightforward death is one of the most fondly remembered moments from Prey. It’s quick, plays with your expectations and shows once and for all how ruthless these killers can be. Compared to some of the kills on this list, it isn’t the showiest or most elaborate, but sometimes the simplest kills in this franchise end up being the best. This one also wins extra points for how nonchalant the Yautja is during the whole encounter.
Predator: Badlands is in UK cinemas from November 7th, 2025.
