PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS. The iconic franchise returns in style

This year will go down in the history of science fiction cinema as the one in which we received not one, but two new Predator films. Just five months before the theatrical release of Predator: Badlands, the animated Predator: Killer of Killers appeared on Disney+. This production definitely heightened anticipation for the autumn premiere.

Killer of Killers is an adult animation focusing on the fates of three Earth-based protagonists and their clashes with the alien hunter, presented in segments with imaginative titles—Shield, Sword, Bullet—each referencing the weapon used by the character to face the Yautja.

In the first, we meet a seasoned Viking warrior woman who, along with her young son, seeks to avenge the murder of her father. The second shows a confrontation between two feuding brothers in feudal Japan. The third transports us to the aerial front of World War II, where a young Latino man tries to live up to the expectations of his beloved father.

Viking conquests, the samurai era, and the war front

As you can see, Killer of Killers takes the form of an anthology, where each story pits a clearly defined protagonist against the titular alien, eager for the thrill of the hunt. However, all three storylines ultimately converge in the film’s final act, which breaks away from the anthology structure.

Focusing on the three self-contained stories, one can note a thematic consistency—family ties motivate each hero. At the same time, the film is set during historical periods and in places beloved by global pop culture: the Viking conquests, the era of samurai and ninja, and the European war front.

Each story offers its own unique tone and narrative style. Shield plays like a fantasy tale, Sword is almost devoid of dialogue, and Bullet has a distinctly swashbuckling-adventure feel. Each segment features a different version of the Predator, both in design and behavior. The towering Yautja in the first tale is especially impressive, while the final segment adds a fresh twist by showing a Predator hunting from its spaceship.

The film organically expands the Predator universe and proves that the simple, universal concept of human vs. Predator—as already demonstrated in Prey—remains compelling even outside of modern or futuristic settings.

Borrowing from the best of animation

One interesting move was shifting the franchise into animation. It surely helped reduce the production costs for this particular story, but the visual format itself is a joy to watch—blending 3D animation with traditional hand-drawn elements reminiscent of Spider-Verse films or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. In a movie packed with inventive action sequences, the animation style works perfectly.

Predator: Killer of Killers reminded me of the excellent concept behind The Animatrix or the (somewhat forgotten) Batman: Gotham Knight—animated anthologies that served as thematic bridges and teasers for upcoming installments in iconic franchises. Especially since this animated Predator, by being set in such distinctive times and places, acts as a spiritual sequel to Prey, while evolving in the final act (which I won’t spoil here) into a story that seems closely linked to the direction taken by Badlands—the next cinematic installment, coming to theaters in early November.

By the way: don’t turn off the film immediately after the main story ends. Just seconds after the title card, there’s an extra, tantalizing scene that instantly brought to mind the finale of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

And finally, here’s a small spoiler (warning!): the voice cast includes Michael Biehn, who plays one of the American air fleet pilots. His character is killed by the Predator, which officially grants the cult actor membership in an exclusive club—those killed on screen by a Terminator, an Alien, and a Predator. Until now, only the late Bill Paxton had managed that feat.