Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) isn’t a knockout, but it is a welcome risk. It continues the rejuvenation of the franchise that Prey began and suggests that Predator: Badlands could be the most expansive, adventurous installment yet. For fans of the series or genre animation in general, it’s worth the watch. It’s smart, visually distinctive, and interested in more than just the hunt.
‘Predator: Killer of Killers’ Movie Review
Predator: Killer of Killers is an animated experiment that mostly pays off—serving as a bold, if somewhat uneven, entry in the ever-expanding Predator franchise. Sandwiched between Dan Trachtenberg’s two live-action films (2022’s Prey and the upcoming Predator: Badlands) this anthology film proves the franchise still has the range to surprise, particularly when it’s allowed to step outside its traditional format and try something weirder. While it doesn’t hit the highs of Prey, it’s a stylish, ambitious, and ultimately rewarding addition that stakes its claim with a gorgeous 2D animation style and a compelling final act.
Directed by a team of animators under Trachtenberg’s creative oversight, Predator: Killer of Killers tells three separate stories across different time periods: Viking-era Scandinavia, feudal Japan, and World War II. Each timeline pits a new cast of human warriors against a deadly Predator in their own brutal survival story. We meet Norse fighter Anders (voiced by Damien Haas), Japanese siblings Kenji and Kiyoshi (both voiced by Louis Ozawa Changchien, who also appeared in Predators), and U.S. Navy pilot Torres (Rick Gonzalez), all of whom are tied to generational legacies of violence, discipline, and sacrifice. These themes run strong through the first hour, but there’s some narrative redundancy—each segment hits similar beats of honor, loss, and lineage.
That said, the payoff is real. The final third of Killer of Killers turns the anthology on its head when the remaining survivors—Ursa (Anders mother, voiced by Lindsay LaVanchy), Kenji, and Torres—are revealed to have been cryogenically suspended and transported to an alien arena where they must fight each other, and potentially more Predators, in a last-warrior-standing climax. It’s here that the film not only unifies its segmented stories but also makes a brilliant lore-deepening move by tying in Prey. Spoiler: Amber Midthunder’s character Naru makes a surprise appearance, also suspended in animation, hinting at a larger interdimensional Predator narrative that could potentially unfold in Predator: Badlands later this year.
The film’s visual style is another highlight—its 2D animation brings elegance and a sense of grandeur to every era it portrays. There’s a painterly quality to the environments that contrasts beautifully with the brutal, kinetic action. And while the violence stays true to the franchise’s legacy—limbs fly, blood sprays—the tone never veers too far into exploitative territory. It’s a fine balance, and the film mostly walks that line with confidence.
If there’s a downside to Predator: Killer of Killers, it’s in the structure. Once the novelty of time-hopping Predator fights wears off, the anthology format starts to feel repetitive. The first hour doesn’t quite justify its slower pacing, and without the surprise convergence in the final act, the film would feel like three variations on the same story. But Trachtenberg and team knew what they were doing, and the concluding section elevates the whole experience into something memorable.
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Predator: Killer of Killers isn’t a knockout, but it is a welcome risk. It continues the rejuvenation of the franchise that Prey began and suggests that Predator: Badlands could be the most expansive, adventurous installment yet. For fans of the series or genre animation in general, it’s worth the watch. It’s smart, visually distinctive, and interested in more than just the hunt.
Score: 7/10
Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
- Cast: Damien Haas, Lindsay LaVanchy, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Rick Gonzalez
- Director: Dan Trachtenberg
- Genre: Action, Animation, Science Fiction
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: June 6, 2025
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