Dan Trachtenberg's Prey movie introduced audiences and Yautja fans to a new breed of Predator, aesthetically unlike any Predator variant we've seen before. While many in the fan community are pleased with Prey's portrayal of the intergalactic hunter, many were puzzled by / critisized the look of the film's antagonist for no reason other than it's unorthodox appearance. A judgement which seems to be misplaced and misunderstood.
Creature designer for Prey, Michael Vincent just took to Twitter to explain exactly why the Feral Predator subspecies looks so different to its other Yautja cousins! Here's what he had to say below:
Genetic isolation with different environmental pressures yields a variant of yautja… adapted to a drier climate… thinner, waxier dreads, thicker oral tissue, & scalier skin for moisture retention, favors crushing bite for different diet…
Breathes primarily through spiracles in the casque (not those 2 big cavities, those are heat sensitive “pits”!), an adaptation for a less jungly, less oxygenated atmosphere…
Thicker brow houses heat sensitive organs, which the mask is designed to interface with… thinner casque loses less water…
Bone has a special cultural significance to the Feral subspecies… not only their armor but as a diet staple… a careful look at the mouth reveals molars outfitted for osteophagy…
The existence of different Predator species is nothing new. The acknowledgement has been around since Robert Rodriguez's Predators movie back in 2010 - where we learned of a dominant / more primal species of Predator known as Super Predators who hunted the more sophisticated yet smaller species - the Yautja we were used to seeing in Predator, Predator 2 and the Alien vs. Predator movies. With each new Predator movie, we learn a little bit more about the alien race as a whole and dive a little deeper into its species and societal practices. Prey did not recreate or reinvent the iconic Predator, it simply introduced us to another branch of the Predator genome.
Not only that, but fans have noted that the design of the Feral Predator actually coincide with Stan Winston's original designs for the Predator back in the 1980s:
The Feral Predator is a worthy and welcomed new addition to the Yautja family and we can't wait to see what new aspects of the Predator lineage and culture will be explored in the next movie!
Did you like the Feral Predator design? Let us know in the comments!
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Dan Trachtenberg's Predator: Badlands released in theaters on November 7th, 2025! Visit the Predator Lore database - for information on the film's different Yautja and characters, the planet Genna, how it connects to Alien, where in the Predator movie timeline the film takes place and more!
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