Ahead of Predator: Badlands, here is a breakdown of the best possible way to watch the Predator movies based on the in-universe timeline. The Predator franchise is filled with unexpected moments and tense confrontations between humans and the titular Yautja warriors. The expansive Predator timeline includes nine movies, chronicling the Yautja warriors' dominance and downfall throughout history.
The Predator franchise has a wide array of entries to choose from, with some movies, like Predator: Killer of Killers and Prey, being accessible to new fans. While the story began on screen in 1987's Predator, much of the lore surrounding the Yautja and their hunting prowess has expanded due to the addition of many more entries through the years.
How To Watch the Predator Movies in Chronological Order
Predator: Killer of Killers
Timeline: 841 B.C. / 1629 / 1942
Where to Watch: Predator: Killer of Killers - Hulu (on Disney+)
Aside from being animated, Predator: Killer of Killers might be the most unique entry in the Predator franchise. It is set in three different periods, expanding the lore surrounding the Yautja and the humans who were able to defeat them.
Killer of Killers introduced three individuals who have successfully killed a Yautja: a Viking from 841 B.C., a Japanese Samurai from 1629, and a mechanic/pilot from 1942.
It was revealed that the Yautja are abducting the humans (and potentially other species) who defeated them throughout time, storing them in cryosleep chambers before releasing them to fight each other for entertainment.
While Predator: Killer of Killers co-director Joshua Wassung confirmed to The Direct that the Yautja can't time-travel, this revelation in the Predator: Killers of Killers' ending completely changed the franchise's future.
Prey
Timeline: 1719
Where to Watch: Prey - Hulu (on Disney+)
In 1719 in the Great Plains, Prey follows the epic clash of a feral and vengeful Yautja and a lone yet resourceful Comanche woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder) who managed to outsmart and defeat the predator. Naru beat the Yautja by using its mask to guide its projectile back to the monster.
However, another Predator: Killer of Killers Easter egg confirmed that Naru is among those captured by the Yautja in the mid-credits scene, indicating that her story is far from over in the franchise.
Predator
Timeline: 1987
Where to Watch: Predator - Hulu (on Disney+)
Although Predator was the first film in the franchise, it was not the start of the Yautja's attack on humanity. This classic film set in 1987 follows Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch and his team of military enforcers as they are dispatched to Val Verde for a rescue operation. However, what Dutch and his team found was the dangerous Yautja instead. After the Yautja killed everyone on Dutch's team, the platoon leader outsmarted the predator by exploiting its weakness: heat.
The mid-credits scene of Predator: Killer of Killers may have teased that Dutch is still alive and is being held captive in stasis in one of the cryosleep chambers.
Predator 2
Timeline: 1997
Where to Watch: Predator 2 - Hulu (on Disney+)
Set in 1997, Predator 2 adds a different vibe to the franchise since it placed the Yautja in a city setting: Los Angeles, California. The Yautja had an insane number of kills in Predator 2, with him murdering gang members, civilians, and police officers for sport. LAPD officer Mike Harrigan and Special Agent Peter Keyes are at the forefront of the story as they uncover more of the Predator's secrets, confirming that the alien species has been visiting Earth repeatedly since Dutch's victory in Val Verde.
Harrigan defeated the reckless Predator by tracking it back to its ship, using a Smart Disc to finally kill it. Given that Harrigan is the lone human who defeated the Yautja, it's also possible he is being kept in stasis in one of the cryopods in Killer of Killers' ending.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator
Timeline: 2004
Where to Watch: AVP: Alien vs. Predator - Hulu (on Disney+)
AVP: Alien vs. Predator takes place in 2004 in the Predator timeline. However, some may point out that this movie (and its sequel) are not part of canon due to inconsistencies involving Weyland-Yutani. Despite that, the conflict between Yautja, Xenomorphs, and humans is interesting to explore in this crossover movie.
Although they killed some humans in the film, the Predators were seen as eventual allies for humanity because their main goal was to keep the Xenomorphs at bay. It also marks the first-ever team-up between a human (Lex) and a predator.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Timeline: 2004
Where to Watch: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem - Hulu (on Disney+)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem took place immediately after the events of the first crossover movie between the two killing machines, meaning that it is also set in 2004. Requiem introduced the franchise's first-ever Predalien, a Xenomorph and Predator hybrid. The conflict revolves around a veteran Predator and a Predalien, with humans as collateral damage.
Predators
Timeline: Unclear (possibly 2010 or early 2000s)
Where to Watch: Predators - Hulu (on Disney+)
Predators was marketed as a "bold new chapter" for the franchise and is a standalone story. It follows a group of prolific killers transported into a mysterious planet where they become the unexpected targets of the Yautja.
The movie explored the blood feud within Predators' factions while introducing stronger variants like the Berserker. It is also the first live-action movie where humans band together to fight the Yautja on a different planet instead of Earth.
The Predator
Timeline: 2018
Where to Watch: The Predator - Hulu (on Disney+)
The Predator follows a group of soldiers and a scientist who unexpectedly discover a conspiracy involving the U.S. Government's secret capture of a Predator. As expected, the Yautja warrior breaks out and kills as many humans as possible before the protagonists outsmart and defeat it.
In a shocking twist, this same Predator only arrived on Earth to drop off an armor called the Predator Killer to serve as humanity's last stand against an invading platoon of dangerous Yautjas.
The Predator ends with Quinn (Boyd Holbrook) suiting up to operate the Predator Killer suit. While the ending didn't resolve what's next for Quinn and the remaining survivors, it's possible that the next entry (Predator: Badlands) could reference what happened to the invading Predators.
Predator: Badlands
Timeline: Unknown (possibly far future)
Where to Watch: Arriving in theaters on November 7, 2025
Predator: Badlands is the latest entry in the Predator franchise, exploring the first-ever team-up between a Weyland-Yutani synth and a desperate Yautja trying to prove to his clan that he can defeat the unkillable beast on the planet of Genna.
While it is unknown when the movie is set, its blatant connection to the already-established Weyland-Yutani and the presence of Colonial Marines suggest that it is in the far future, potentially in the same time as the Xenomorph-led movies like Alien and Alien: Romulus.
Director Dan Trachtenberg already debunked the idea that a Xenomorph will appear in Predator: Badlands. However, some fans seem to think that the "perfect organism" could still make a surprise cameo in the movie to properly set up another Alien vs. Predator movie in the future.
