The Super Predators, a horrific race of creatures, were first revealed to us in the Predator movie series. If you are not familiar, The Predator media franchise is an American science fiction horror action anthology that is concentrated on the film series that depicts humankind’s contacts with the “Yautja,” an advanced species of alien military personnel who hunt simply for the purpose of killing, maiming, and enjoyment, as well as taking back trophies from their kills.
Although the Yautja race is already pretty terrifying, these Super Predators are in a league of their own; they are even more cruel and skilled in the art of killing than the other predators we encounter in the first couple of films. The 2010 film “Predators” introduced viewers to this race of assassins, and ever since then, they have captivated audiences’ imaginations. Here is every piece of information we have about this horrifying species. Keep an eye out!
Who Are Super Predators?
The Yautja subspecies known as Super Predators are also known as Berserker Yautja. They are strong and similar in size to Jungle Hunter Predators. The Super Predator Clan and the Jungle Hunter Clan are at war, according to the movies, but the cause is unknown. Noland is shown in the movies as having a protracted blood conflict with them; despite their similarities, he claims that the two species vary in ways akin to those of dogs and wolves.
Robert Rodriguez claims that they also exiled Yautja, and it is likely that they were sent to the Game Preserve Planet as payback. As a result, they could be hated by others in Yautja society. This could suggest that the Super Predators are Yautja Bad Bloods.
They are larger and frequently taller than other predators, measuring in at approximately 7 feet tall or even more at times, and they have more muscle mass than other predators. It is possible that drug use or some other sort of augmentation is the cause of the Super Predators’ larger height than the already macho standard Yautjas. It is likely that these Predators are just a subspecies of “normal” Predators as the specifics of what makes them “super” have not yet been identified.
Depending on whatever Super Predator we are looking at, they also have pigmentation of varied colours in addition to having scaly skin and a more reptilian appearance than its more well-known brethren. Another distinguishing feature is their dreadlocks, which are much more swept back than those on “normal” Yautja. Additionally, their faces are longer, giving them a smaller “snout” and a more reptilian appearance.
The only combat shown was between a Berserker and a Jungle Hunter, who was already outmatched and out of shape, therefore it is uncertain if they are in fact more strong than other Predators. A Super Predator’s trill is also more wilder and deeper than the thrill of commonly encountered Predators, making it much more beastlike in many aspects.
When Berserker battles the Crucified Predator, it is clear that the Super Predators are bigger than typical Yautja. However, funnily enough, the Super Predator actors Brian Steele and Carey Jones, who stand around 6’7″, are considerably shorter than the earlier Predator actors Ian Whyte, who is 7’1, and Kevin Peter Hall, who was 7’2. Also, a design comparison between the Super Predator and the Predator from the one-shot comic Predator: Captive should be made to understand the species in its entirety. Since the comic predates the movie and the artist’s portrayal is highly stylised and intended to represent a typical Predator, the likeness is probably accidental, but still, notable.
Currently, these Super Predators and the lesser Jungle Hunter Yautja seem to be engaged in a blood feud. They employ the same technology as the Jungle Hunters, despite the fact that some of it might be more sophisticated. They do differ culturally in a number of ways, the first of which is that they only have one wrist blade on their gauntlets, along with a plasma caster resembling a Gatling cannon.
Additionally, their armour is more tightly fitted and looks more like leather than metal. A Predator Falcon was also depicted being used by the Falconer Super Predator to track his target. The Super Predators are the only Yautja known to have used Predator Falcons up to this point, although it’s likely that they’re not the only ones.
The Super Predators, like the majority of Yautja, wear bio-helmets with distinctive appearances, but these bio-helmets feature a novel vision mode that enables the Super Predators to sense the pulse of prey. Only the Super Predators have been observed using this particular visual mode among Yautja. Additionally, they are seen employing Cloaks, a Remote Detonator, and Vocal Mimicry – all of which we will explore in detail when we talk about the individual Super Predators that have been featured in the movies.
They prefer to scare and terrify their prey in an effort to make them flee rather than using traps when they are hunting. Another distinguishing trait is that, unlike their kin, they have no reservations about murdering an enemy who is unarmed or who is hurt or disabled. Hell-Hounds have also been observed being used by Super Predators for “flushing out” their prey.
Instead of respect for the Hunt or for each individual kill, they seem to prefer Trophies and numerous kills. They allegedly pursue the deadliest prey that they can find in an effort to advance their technology and strategies, since they are continually working to become better killers. Given that they also captured and kept Xenomorphs for their own use, the Super Predators and Killer Yautjas share this trait. In fact, Ronald Noland said in the movie that the Super Predators would come back from a hunt with new characteristics. This is due to the Yautjas’ constant attempt to experiment on themselves in order to become stronger and more effective hunters.
The Super Predators do not insist on fair fights, which include taking off their armour and weaponry before indulging in hand-to-hand combat with their opponent, hence it is safe to presume that they do not uphold the Yautja Honor Code. Instead, they engage in as savage an onslaught as they can, killing their adversaries without mercy.
All Known Super Predators
There are very few known Super Predators in the franchise, and they are considered to be a special breed and not very common. However, that doesn’t stop them from wreaking absolute havoc on whomever they set their sights on. Now that we know who and what the Super Predators are as a race, let us take a look at all of the individual Super Predators that have been featured in the movies and that we know of.
Berserker Predator
One of the best-known Super Predators, Berserker is, for the lack of any other word, a ruthless force of nature. On the Game Preserve Planet, Berserker—also known as Mr. Black or Super Black—was a Yautja Super Predator and the head of the Super Predator Clan. For the Super Predators’ Hunts, Berserker and his clan remorselessly kidnapped humans and other dangerous prey in addition to their continuing conflict with the Jungle Hunter Clan.
Berserker killed what he wanted in whichever way he pleased, evidently believing that he was above the Yautja Honor Code. He specifically didn’t bother to take off his gear when he was fighting Royce and the Crucified Predator. He also gave off the impression of being incredibly arrogant and cocky, which ultimately proved to be his downfall.
The youngest Yautja to ever kill a Xenomorph and rise to the status of Young Blood, Berserker grew up to be a generational prodigy in his clan. He would eventually become renowned and had the most kills of his generation. After quickly advancing in the Yautja social structure, Berserker finally left his previous clan and founded his own as Clan Leader. He would serve as the Tracker and Falconer for the Young Bloods, when they engaged in sport hunting and conflicts with the Jungle Hunter Clan.
As far as his weapons and gadgets go, the Berserker whirled and fired bullets from a plasma caster similar to a Gatling. The Berserker, like his clan members, only had one extended Wristblade on his arm, which could be fired as a projectile from his gauntlet. Like the rest of his brethren, the Berserker also possessed a new, upgraded variant of the Cloak. The Berserker discovered Royce when he was overwhelmed by the fire that was surrounding him, thanks to a new sort of bio-helmet vision, in which he could sense the pulse of his target. Before he ever shows his face, you can see his two red eyes via the bio-eye helmet’s sockets, after he grips Stan’s spine and skull. His eyelids were closed up at that point.
Because of the unusually curved jaw bone on his helmet and his red and black dreadlocks, Berserker could be distinguished from other Predators. The Black Predator from Robert Rodriguez’s Predators script served as the inspiration for the character, and throughout development, Berserker was known as Mr. Black. Both are said to be bigger and more potent than the Predators from the prior movies, which were more conventional. Also, Berserker is the only Predator in Predators, who takes a trophy from a victim he slaughters during the film’s course of events.
He killed a few people who had been taken to the Game Preserve Planet in the Predators prequel comic. His most notorious human casualty during Predators was Walter Stans, whose spine he spectacularly tore out. However, it can be claimed that the Classic Yautja was in a weaker condition after being bound for a long period. His greatest achievement was killing the Crucified Predator in melee combat. Royce ultimately slayed Berserker by cutting off his hand and head.
Falconer Predator
Another Super Predator on the Game Preserve Planet is Falconer. Notably, he tracked prey from above using a gadget resembling a falcon. As part of his super predator clan, Falconer also kidnapped humans and other risky game to hunt on the planet, in addition to his continuous conflict with the Jungle Hunter Clan. It is, however, unknown whether The Falconer’s bio-helmet’s similarity to an actual falcon is a contributing factor in naming him.
Young Blood Super Predator Falconer possessed a strong aptitude for technological engineering. He passionately believed in his own, distinctive manner of stalking his target and did not believe in the conventional, traditional methods of the Hunt. He therefore personally developed a falcon-like apparatus to follow his victims from the air after drawing inspiration from previous hunts.
In fact, due to his interest in modern innovation, Falconer produced the Falcon, a special hunting tool that was different from the conventional Yautja ways of hunting game. He fought Hanzo one-on-one without using any weapons outside his wrist blade, being the only Super Predator out of the three to display some semblance of honour. This demonstrated his contempt for traditional customs, though. But it was also possible that he was just playing with Hanzo, that he had underestimated him, and that would prove to be a fatal error.
In the movie, this Super Predator is seen when he and his clanmates start by going to the Game Preserve Planet to hunt. The Berserker, Falconer, and Tracker Predators initially check the mental and emotional stability of their prey. When the trio tried to draw the humans into a trap by killing one of them and using him as bait, they were unsuccessful. Given that tracking prey was his area of expertise, it was implied that Falconer deployed his mechanical falcon to find the fugitive humans, who had fallen into the river while trying to escape them during the events of the film.
Falconer was also an expert close-quarters combatant, using his wrist blade and gauntlet to deflect Hanzo’s blows. He was also extraordinarily powerful and agile, able to hurl Hanzo a long distance. As he pushed Hanzo to attack him, Falconer appeared to relish the terror and played with the human. In Berserker’s posse of predators, this Super Predator appeared to be the tiniest.
Hanzo, a Yakuza assassin and one of the last surviving outcasts from the Game Preserve, engaged in combat with Falconer. Both fighters were fatally injured, and therefore this would be their final battle. It’s important to note that Falconer appeared considerably more like a bird in the comic book adaptation of the Predator movie.
It’s interesting to note that he was the only Super Predator Clan member without a Plasmacaster. Notably, the Falconer was depicted in the concept art with left-hand claws, reminiscent of Freddy Krueger. Although it is never shown in the film, the Falconer Predator can call a large number of Falcons as an airstrike in the mobile games Predators and AVP: Evolution.
Tracker Predator
Sadly, none of the three Super Predators from Predators ever appeared together on film and the Tracker Predator was the hunter brother with the shortest life span. Tracker seemed to be a reclusive loner who valued his Hell-Hounds’ companionship over that of other Yautja. He believed that Predator Dogs were not utilised to their greatest capacity during hunts, so he would personally train them in the art of flushing and tracking.
In the film, the Tracker organised the season’s game on the Game Preserve Planet, just like his tribe mates. He was a strong and adept fighter. He tracked down the humans and commanded his Hell-Hounds to assault them to see how they would respond. The human known as Cuchillo was killed by Tracker’s hounds or one of the Super Predators while the party was battling them, and he was afterwards booby-trapped, but this plan failed. When the humans discovered a mainstream Yautja chained up in their hunting camp, he and his clan members assaulted them; Mombasa was slain in the ensuing mayhem. The Tracker and his clan-brother, the Berserker, opened fire on the fleeing humans, but none of their victims were hurt or killed.
Later, after mercenary Royce revealed their whereabouts, the Tracker pursued Royce and his companions to Noland’s lair. Noland, the escapee, was murdered when the Super Predator stormed the hiding place and used his Plasma Caster to blow the scavenger to pieces.
The Humans were imprisoned in a room as the Tracker played with his victim. Edwin became isolated as the group tried to flee. He then got disoriented during his escape attempt in the pitch blackness and as he lit a flare and fired it, he hit the disguised Tracker. As the Tracker made his way slowly toward Edwin, Nikolai arrived and shot the Tracker in order to save the doctor.
Angered, he overtook them as they fled, blasted Nikolai with his Plasma Cannon from behind, and then he de-cloaked before carefully approaching the injured soldier as he attempted to crawl away. While Edwin escaped, the Super Predator pierced Nikolai in the chest and held him up with his wrist blade. The Tracker’s pursuit, however, came to a stop when Nikolai drew out two of his claymore mines and detonated them, destroying both the Tracker and himself in the process.
Tracker Predator uses domesticated alien creatures in the shape of Hell-hounds, which distinguishes him from his clan brethren and the mainstream Predators shown in earlier movies. The Hell-hounds are exceedingly ferocious and aggressive medium-sized quadrupedal creatures that resemble a hybrid between a tiger and a wild boar and are capable of causing severe harm. Their purpose is similar to that of a spaniel because they are employed to “flush out” prey. These animals are incredibly hard to kill, as demonstrated by one that was shown standing after being blasted three times at point-blank range with bullets from an M134 Minigun.
The Tracker Predator wears a device that resembles a whistle in order to communicate with the Hell-hounds. Although it is never captured on camera, it is heard. The result is an extremely loud, high-pitched sound that the Hell-hounds are trained to react and respond to. He is quite close to his trained beasts. In fact, the tusks on Tracker’s mask are actually from Predator hounds, according to Predators’ production.
Further, like his clan mates, he also has a single, long wrist blade that performs similarly to the twin-bladed wrist blades of the conventional Predators. One of the biggest blades ever seen in a Predator movie, the wrist blade worn by the Tracker Predator is thought to be able to be discharged as a weapon because of the extraordinarily strong material used to make it. It was usually used as a very last option.
The Tracker Predator is also equipped with one of the more recent and svelte Super Predator Plasmacasters like the Berserker Predator. Even though the more modern Plasma Casters also shoot blue plasma bolts, their mechanism and sound effects are very different from those of conventional Predators. The new Plasma Caster has a minigun-like appearance and is significantly smaller and sleeker. Before a bolt is launched, the firing mechanism also spins and twirls, signalling that the blast is charging and gaining power. The more time the Predator takes to charge the blast, the more harm the bolt does.
Berserker (LV-412)
The LV-412 Berserker Predator is quite the menacing one. One of the only video games to date that features Super Predators is AvP: Evolution for mobile devices. A Berserker who served as the game’s primary Predator and likely the clan’s leader on LV-412, the place where the game is set in, is the one we are talking about here. IN LV-412, below a long-gone Yautja temple, there was a Xenomorph Hive that the Super Predator Clan used to produce an army of Xenomorphs. The super predator clan in this game shared characteristics with the Killer Predators in that they were able to capture an Alien Queen and exert influence over Xenomorphs. The story of this version of Berserker ends in tragic demise.
In the final Super Predator, a Xenomorph Drone had to fight to escape its Hive on LV-412. The Berserker appeared to act as a sort of leader for the Super Predator Clan. The clan eventually managed to capture a Xenomorph Queen, giving them command over the majority of the Xenomorphs in her Hive. Some Xenomorphs, like the Drone, managed to elude the Super Predators’ influence, though.
The clan took a Jungle Hunter and pushed him into the Temple Arena on LV-412, as a test of the Super Predators’ dominance over the Xenomorphs, after taking control of them. The test was personally overseen by the Berserker, who dispatched several Xenomorphs to try to kill the Jungle Hunter. The Berserker entered the arena and soon overcame the Jungle Hunter after the latter had eliminated all of the Xenomorphs. Before being wounded in the head and beheaded by the Berserker, the Jungle Hunter issued a warning signal to the leader of his clan while lying on the dirt.
The Drone managed to enter the Temple Arena and kill a number of Super Predators before facing the Berserker with its “newly gained skills.” The Berserker then got into hand-to-hand combat with the Xenomorph after his Plasmacaster failed to destroy it. The Berserker was hurt by the Xenomorph, though, so he leaped out of the arena and summoned Xenomorphs under the direction of the Super Predator. The Berserker then hopped back into the Arena, but after taking damage once more, he leaped back out and launched more Xenomorphs. The Berserker sustained damage after rapidly exiting the arena to take off his bio-helmet and returning after once again jumping into it.
In the end, a Facehugger was used to subdue the Berserker after the Drone eventually made him vulnerable enough to jump on him. When the Berserker finally woke up, the Berserker-Alien Chestburster exploded through his chest, killing him.
Nightstorm Predator
Nightstorm Predator did not appear in the Predators film. As a part of their series 10 Predator line, NECA launched the Nightstorm Predator figure. He was inspired by Kenner toys that were available in the 1990s, along with a number of other NECA figures. A backstory and lore for the Nightstorm Predator was also added by NECA. Interestingly, Kenner first produced a figurine of Nightstorm with a weapon resembling a harpoon in 1993. Later, NECA changed his appearance for Series 10 of their Predator toy line.
Nightstorm was a Super Predator Elder also referred to as the Nightstorm Predator or the Scarab Predator. He was the originator of the centuries-long conflict between Yautja and Super Predators and is said to be the first-ever Super Predator. He is shown to be a formidable Elder with striking features, blue eyes and skin, and armour coated with gold. He carried extended wrist blades, a Combistick that resembled a staff, a golden Plasmacaster, and a Bio-mask with an Anubis motif. Notably, his Bio-mask resembled Lord’s, in that, holes were cut out on either side to reveal his mandibles.
He is the ancient ancestor of the half-breed Scavage. Beyond his existence on Earth 4000 years ago and his participation in one of the first Earthly Xenomorph hunts in Ancient Egypt with his Yautja cousins, very little is known about him. He infamously disagreed with the Yautja Honor Code, because he believed that it gave prey too much latitude. This caused commotion and he split off from his inferior cousins in order to form his own faction with the goal of unifying all Super Predators under his own rule. After fighting the Yautja, he solidified his reputation as a renowned Elder who only pursued the most deserving foes. Nightstorm is viewed as a “devil” in Jungle Hunter culture.
Scavage Predator
Coming to the Scavage Predator, Kenner first produced Scavage as a figure in 1993, and NECA later reimagined him for the Series 13 Predator toy line.
The Scavage Predator was a Super Predator half-breed that modelled his armour and weaponry after the Nightstorm Predator, who is one of his distant ancestors. Half-breed Scavage was nurtured in a little Yautja village. His dual ancestry caused friction among his Yautja brethren, because, despite being a valiant hunter who upheld the principles of his other halves, he still had a profound respect for his Super Predator progenitor and fashioned his gear in his image. As a result, Scavage abandoned his clan affiliations and became a roving loner. But he would hunt with other Yautja whom he truly admired, like Cracked Tusk. Notably, Scavage joined Cracked Tusk and the Young Blood Renegade on a Xenomorph hunt on an unidentified planet.
Savage is, however, the first Super Predator to be known to battle with honour and object to his brethren’s lack of honour and disregard for the Yautja code of honor, despite the devil Nightstorm being his ancestor. His mixed origin and upbringing in the Yautja culture are most likely to account for this.
Scavage resembled his ancestor physically in many ways, except for the fact that his skin was dark green rather than blue. He was seen as a recluse who spoke infrequently. Most of Scavage’s gear, including his Body Armor, Combistick, distinctive Bio-mask, and long Wristblades, was created in Nightstorm’s likeness as a show of respect for his progenitor. Even yet, Scavage’s weapons were made of coloured steel rather than golden metal, and his wrist blades were straight rather than curved. Additionally, Scavage had a companion “hound,” most likely a Hell-Hound. He is the only Super Predator who died an honourable death.
Captive Predator
Even though Super Predators were added to the Predator lore later, the Captive Predator can be regarded as a Super Predator retroactively. This Yautja made an appearance in the Predator: Captive comic from 1998 and has a face similar to the Super Predators, a longer head, and darker skin. His left hand was larger than usual, and his right hand had been amputated.
In the comic, the Predator was seized by billionaire Tyler Stern at some point in the past. It was moved to a biosphere intended for housing the monster for research purposes with its right arm amputated to prevent it from triggering its Self-Destruct Device. Stern would observe the species’ habits while being ignorant that the Predator was mimicking its captor and playing tricks on him. After a while, it learned enough about its surroundings to be able to leave anytime it pleased. It made the decision not to because it wanted to get its hands on the gauntlet that Stern had stolen from him.
A security crew was eventually persuaded to enter the biosphere to check on the Captive Predator after he purposefully reduced his pulse, respiration and heartbeat to dangerously low levels. The Captive suddenly came to life and used improvised weapons to massacre the defenceless crew, causing mayhem inside the facility.
Stern ultimately made the decision to take on the beast by himself, donning the Predator’s gauntlet and going inside of its enclosure. The Predator quickly took stern out after being attacked by him, who also destroyed his bio-suit and forced Stern to flee. Stern would finally shoot the Captive with a highly poisonous dart, but not before it tore part of his arm off. In a last act of vengeance, the Predator turned on its Self-Destruct Device and destroyed the entire facility as both of them started to perish. Not much else is known about this one and that brings us to the end of this list.
To end this video on an interesting note, while these Super Predators are definitely extremely strong and are ruthless assassins, it is clear via the films that a highly experienced and trained human mercenary can also match up to them as many of them have suffered deaths at the hands of humans. Do you enjoy watching these hunting beasts zero in on their prey and take them down? Well then, check out the latest instalment in the Predator franchise, prey which is currently available for streaming on Hulu. What do you think about these alien predators? Do you prefer the, over the regular ones? Tell us in the comments section below!