Although thePredatorfranchise never gave its titular monster an official species name on-screen, the term “Yautja” has become a popular moniker for the monster thanks to a tie-in novelization.ThePredatormoviesmight feature one of the most impressively ferocious monsters in sci-fi cinema history, but they don’t do much to explain their origins, powers, or biology. Much like the eponymous threat from 1982’sThe Thingor the Xenomorphs seen throughout theAlienfranchise, the villains of thePredatormovies are at their scariest when they are barely even glimpsed.
This is a big part of the reason that theAlien Vs Predatormovies struggled to impress viewers. AlthoughAliens Vs Predator: Requiemused almost unwatchably darklighting to hide the Predator and Xenomorphs alike, the sequel still featured way too much screen time for its monsters. In contrast, the franchise’s successor 2022 reboot worked primarily becauseevenPrey’s ending didn’t over-explainwhere the Predator came from or what it was. Instead, like the original 1987 sci-fi thriller, the prequel simply focused on thrilling, fast-paced action.
“Yautja” Comes From The Alien Vs. Predator Comic Books’ Novelization
The Predator Movies Don’t Mention The Name of the Species
Since the series is at its strongest when it isn’t getting bogged down in lore, it is perhaps unsurprising to note thatthePredatormovies never officially named the species that the titular Predators belong to.That said, this doesn’t mean there is no name for the monsters available in the franchise’s many tie-in comics, games, and novelizations. In co-authors Steve and Stephani Perry’s novelAliens Vs Predatorfrom 1994, the term “Yautja” is used to refer to the Predator species.
According to the fan siteAVP Fandom, the novelization is based on the firstAliens Vs Predatorcomic book series. The comic series and its subsequent novelization see human colonists of an alien planet get stuck in a battle between Predator hunters and their Xenomorph prey. Steve Perry’s novel includes a language for the Predator species and the book also delves into their biology, although later novels and comics would offer differing, contradictory interpretations of the franchise’s monsters.
ThePredatormovies tend to steer clear of explaining their central monster altogether whenever possible.
Since then, the Predator has been referred to as “Yautja” through plenty of fanworks, comics, tie-in novels, and games, but not in the movies themselves. That said, the movie series hasn’t offered an alternative name for the monster. Instead, thePredatormovies tend to steer clear of explaining their central monster altogether whenever possible.
The Predator Species Has Never Been Referred To As “Yautja” In The Movies
The Predator Movies Largely Avoid Over-Explaining The Titular Threats
As anyone who has seen the plans forThe Predator’s canceled crossover withAlienscan attest, the canon of the movie series is just as tenuous and inconsistent as that of its tie-in comics and novels. However, it is notable that none of thePredatormovies have given an official name to the Predator’s species.Alien Vs Predatorfeatured a lot of discussion about the Predator and speculation about its origins, but the characters of the crossover movie never refer to “Yautja” in their interminably long conversations.
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Similarly, although 2010’sPredatorsintroduced an alien planet where the Predators did their hunting, it didn’t shed any light on what they were called or how their species operated. Even thoughThe Predator’s ending did reveala Predator killer suit that could level the playing field between humans and the “Yautja,” the reboot didn’t feature any mention of the term “Yautja” itself. Since “Yautja” is also never said inPredator,Predator II, or eitherAlien Vs Predatormovies, it might not even be considered canon.
The Predator Franchise Has Widely Embraced “Yautja” As The Name Of The Species
Comics and Games Frequently Refer To Predators As “Yautja”
Despite this, the franchise’s sizable fandom has embraced the term as the official name of the species. The “Yautja” are referred to as such in games, novelizations, and comics, all of which have more room to expand on their backstory and delve deeper into their civilization, their world, and their individual personalities. WhileAlien’s upcoming TV seriesAlien: Earthmight let the rival franchise expand on the Xenomorph’s origins on-screen, thePredatorseries has not yet had a long-form small-screen spinoff that could pull this off.
Many fans of thePredatorfranchise consider the term “Yautja” to be the official name of the Predator species in the absence of an alternative, as evidenced by multiple popular fan works using the name.ThePredatormovies could embrace the “Yautja” name and make it part of the franchise’s official canon inPredator: Badlands, particularly considering this upcoming movie will be set in the future. Humans may know more about the Predator by this point in the franchise timeline, meaning they might finally have a name for the alien species.
Should The Predator Movies Ever Include The Name Of The Species?
Confirming The Real Name of The Predator Would Mean Exploring Their World
For viewers who are more concerned with bloody action than heavy lore, the name of the Predator species might seem like an unnecessary detail. Certainly, it would be hard to re-watchThe PredatororAlien Vs Predatorand argue that more discussions of lore specifics are what the main franchise needs to succeed. However,the story of Predator: Badlandscan utilize its futuristic setting to make this bit of canon confirmation feel germane.
ThePredatormovies could name the species the “Yautja” if the characters knew more about them, much like the characters ofAlienswere privy to much more of the Xenomorph’s life cycle and biology thanAlien’s bemused, overwhelmed heroine Ripley. Since the heroes ofAlienswere space Marines who had decades of studying the aliens while Ripley was in cryo-sleep, their exposition dump about the Xenomorphs didn’t come across as unearned or unnecessary. Instead, it clarified just how big a threat the Xenomorphs were and subtly foreshadowed Ripley’s methods for defeating them.
Predator’s Best Movie Since The Arnold Schwarzenegger Film Accidentally Created A Big Problem For The Franchise
Although 2022’s Predator prequel Prey was a huge improvement on earlier Predator sequels, the very elements that made it work make it hard to follow.
In much the same way,Predator has been referred to as “Yautja” for so long that the term has become part of the franchise’s loreand should be made canon. Making it official will mean revealing a lot more about the Predators and their home world, which the earlier movies have never done, but this is an opportunity rather than an issue. The characters of the nextPredatormovie could reveal that they know more about “Yautja” than the heroes of earlier installments by casually dropping in their species name while explaining their life cycle, weaknesses, biology, and other specifics.
