7 Sequels That Changed Everything We Thought We Knew About The Villain
4. Yautja - Predator Franchise
The first Yautja introduced to the world was the primary antagonist in the film Predator, where it is referred to as ‘The demon who makes trophies of man’. That’s basically it. We know it’s got a crap ton of advanced technology and a face halfway between a plate of calamari and Satan.
The sequels took that pretty face and expanded on it in a titanic surge of backstory and development. They took the fairly basic concept of a monster and expanded it out to incorporate an entire alien race.
Through the sequels we learn about a complete society and culture of hunters, and complex social hierarchies around capturing, killing and even creating prey. The Yautja grow to feel more like a warrior tribe of advanced human-like beings than monsters, and all the richer and more layered for it. They don’t kill unarmed, pregnant or young humans, and show great respect to those who have killed one of their own.
Predator is the best film in the whole series, but the Yautja are among the most interesting and iconic members of the movie monster cannon because of their incredibly vivid and layered characterisation throughout the entire franchise.