You can skip 3 of the 9 titles in the Predator franchise and still follow the main story: Predator: Killer of Killers, Alien vs. Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. The essentials (6 titles) take about 11 hours instead of 15 hours.
- Skippable
- 3
- Essentials
- 6
- Time saved
- 5 hours
Safe to skip
- Predator: Killer of Killers2025 · Film · 1h 25m · optionalAn animated anthology of Predator hunts through history; optional.
- Alien vs. Predator2004 · Film · 1h 41m · optionalThe Alien vs. Predator crossover; optional.
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem2007 · Film · 1h 34m · optionalThe crossover sequel; optional.
Why each one is optional
What each skippable title is, what it adds if you do watch it, and who is in it.
No. 01 · 2004 · Film · 1h 41m · optional
Alien vs. Predator
When scientists discover something near Antarctica that appears to be a buried Pyramid, they send a research team out to investigate. Little do they know that they are about to step into a hunting ground where Aliens are grown as sport for the Predator race.
Why it matters: The Alien vs. Predator crossover; optional.
- Starring
- Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, and Ian Whyte
- Director
- Paul W. S. Anderson
- Box office
- $177 million on a $70 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.7 · Rotten Tomatoes 21%
No. 02 · 2007 · Film · 1h 34m · optional
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
After a horrifying PredAlien crash-lands near a small Colorado town, killing everyone it encounters and producing countless Alien offspring, a lone Predator arrives to "clean up" the infestation.
Why it matters: The crossover sequel; optional.
- Starring
- David Paetkau, Sam Trammell, and Steven Pasquale
- Director
- Colin Strause and Greg Strause
- Box office
- $130 million on a $40 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 4.6 · Rotten Tomatoes 12%
No. 03 · 2025 · Film · 1h 25m · optional
Predator: Killer of Killers
While three of the fiercest warriors in human history—a Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan, and a WWII pilot—are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent: the ultimate killer of killers.
Why it matters: An animated anthology of Predator hunts through history; optional.
- Starring
- Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa, and Rick Gonzalez
- Director
- Dan Trachtenberg
- Scores
- IMDb 7.4 · Rotten Tomatoes 94%
The essentials, in release order
- Predator1987 · Film · 1h 47mThe 1987 original in the jungle.
- Predator 21990 · Film · 1h 48mThe hunt moves to Los Angeles.
- Predators2010 · Film · 1h 47mHunted on an alien game reserve.
- The Predator2018 · Film · 1h 47mA 2018 entry; optional.
- Prey2022 · Film · 1h 40mA Predator hunts a Comanche warrior in 1719; works on its own.
- Predator: Badlands2025 · Film · 1h 47mA young Predator as the hero.
Common questions
Do I need to watch every Predator title?
No. You can skip 3 of the 9 titles in the Predator franchise and still follow the main story: Predator: Killer of Killers, Alien vs. Predator, and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. The essentials (6 titles) take about 11 hours instead of 15 hours.
How long are the Predator essentials?
About 11 hours for 6 titles, in release order starting with Predator.
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