Although the The Predator movies might 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’s The Thing or the Xenomorphs seen throughout the Alien franchise, the villains of the Predator movies are at their scariest when they are barely even glimpsed.

This is a big part of the reason that the Alien Vs Predator movies struggled to impress viewers. Although ’s ending didn’t over-explain where 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 that the Predator movies 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 novel Aliens Vs Predator from 1994, the term “Yautja” is used to refer to the Predator species.

According to the fan site AVP Fandom, the novelization is based on the first Aliens Vs Predator comic 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.

The Predator movies 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, the Predator movies 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 for The Predator’s canceled crossover with Aliens can 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 the Predator movies have given an official name to the Predator’s species. Alien Vs Predator featured 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.

Similarly, although 2010’s Predators introduced 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 though ’s ending did reveal a 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 in Predator, Predator II, or either Alien Vs Predator movies, 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”

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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. While Alien’s TV series Alien: Earth might let the rival franchise expand on the Xenomorph’s origins on-screen, the Predator series has not yet had a long-form small-screen spinoff that could pull this off.

Many fans of the Predator franchise 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. The Predator movies could embrace the “Yautja” name and make it part of the franchise’s official canon in Predator: Badlands, particularly considering this 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

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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-watch The Predator or Alien Vs Predator and argue that more discussions of lore specifics are what the main franchise needs to succeed. However, f Predator: Badlands can utilize its futuristic setting to make this bit of canon confirmation feel germane.

The Predator movies could name the species the “Yautja” if the characters knew more about them, much like the characters of Aliens were privy to much more of the Xenomorph’s life cycle and biology than Alien’s bemused, overwhelmed heroine Ripley. Since the heroes of Aliens were 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.

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 lore and 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 next Predator movie 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.

Source: AVP Fandom