For a species considered to be among the most elite hunters in the history of cinema, the Yautja, the iconic dreadlocked aliens made famous by the Predator franchise, don’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to returning in one piece. From Schwarzenegger to Midthunder, there’s always someone who ensures that dying is on the docket for the heavily-armed aliens.
We previously covered a theory that sought to explain their mortality rate, suggesting that Earth is a sort of extra-credit mission where the Yautja’s more mediocre soldiers are sent to prove that they deserve a place among hunters’ ranks. But one user isn’t buying it.
Taking to r/movies to make their case, one Redditor suggested that the Yautja members we’ve seen on the big screen aren’t the failures, but the trainees.
The user pointed out that each Yautja throughout the franchise has managed to rack up a decent body count before meeting their end, often at the hands of bad luck. Beyond this, they also remarked that most of the Yautja we’ve seen have sported relatively low ranks in the hierarchy of their species, so it’s rather chilling to imagine what an elite Yautja could do if some of the more lowly members can turn any of Earth’s battlegrounds into their own personal slaughterhouses.
Ultimately, the user believes that Earth is likely a practical exam instead of a punishment, which seems to carry a bit more weight when considering all the nuances throughout the franchise.
We finally got to see what appears to be the inaugural test last month during the events of Prey, and for those of you still wondering if that film’s Yautja studied for it enough, it’s available to stream on Hulu in the United States, and Disney Plus throughout the rest of the world.