Predator movies in order

Made forwards, set backwards. The recent films reach back to 1719 and 841 AD, turning an action series into a very long hunting record.

Updated 4 August 2026 · 7 titles tracked

For twenty years Predator was a present-day series. Then Prey (2022) set a film in 1719, and Killer of Killers (2025) reached back to 841 AD — and suddenly the franchise had a twelve-century history.

That makes chronological order genuinely interesting here rather than a novelty. Watched by in-universe date, the films become a record of the same species returning to Earth across human history, each time meeting a different kind of hunter.

The Predator films in chronological order

By in-universe date, from the 9th century to the far future. Killer of Killers is an anthology spanning three eras and is placed at its earliest.

Open the interactive Predator list

Chronological or release order?

Either works, and they suit different viewers.

Release order starts with the 1987 original, which is the best film and the one that defines everything after it. Nothing spoils anything.

Chronological order starts with Killer of Killers and Prey, which is a more interesting shape — you meet the Predator as a historical force before you meet Arnold Schwarzenegger. The cost is that you delay the best film.

The two that matter

Predator (1987) is a near-perfect action-horror film, and the only one of the original run that is essential.

Prey (2022) is the best entry since, and it works completely cold — no prior film required. If someone will watch exactly one Predator film that is not the original, it is this.

What you can skip

Predator 2 has its defenders and a great Los Angeles setting, but is inessential. Predators (2010) is competent and forgettable. The Predator (2018) is the weakest by consensus, despite a Shane Black script, and suffered a difficult production.

Where do the Alien crossovers go?

Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Requiem (2007) belong to both franchises, and are listed here under Alien since that is the continuity they sit in. The main Predator films do not acknowledge them, so they are safe to skip in either direction.

Common questions

What order should I watch the Predator movies in?

Release order starting with Predator (1987) is the safest. Chronological order — Killer of Killers, Prey, Predator, Predator 2, Predators, The Predator, Badlands — is more interesting once you know the series.

Do I need to watch the other Predator films before Prey?

No. Prey is set in 1719 and works entirely on its own. It is one of the best entry points in the franchise.

How many Predator movies are there?

Seven in the main series, plus the two Alien vs. Predator crossovers, which belong to the Alien continuity.