Why Predators Hunt People: The Yautja Code Explained

The beginning of Predator: Killer of Killers opens with an excerpt from the Yautja Codex, and outlines the core principle at the heart of the code of honor that governs the culture of the infamous and lethal Predators. Throughout the Predator movie franchise, the Predators who have hunted humans have revealed certain rules that they stick to when on one of their sacred “hunts”. While there hasn’t been much in the way of a formally-written code in the movies that comprise the main canon and timeline, certain trends indicate what’s most important to them on a hunt.

Predator: Killer of Killers formally introduced the Yautja Codex, which, based on context, is the formal set of rules or religious text that governs the Yautja culture. The animated anthology actually draws its title from the brief excerpt, which only contains three sentences but still outlines the spirit of the sacred hunts that the Predators undertake. Killer of Killers introduces new Predator variants spread over the course of hundreds of years of human history, but despite their many differences, all three Predators who visit Earth are driven by the same general rules of conduct.

The Yautja Codex Explained

Every Predator Is Bound By A Strict Code Of Honor

The Yautja Codex excerpt that is shown at the beginning of Predator: Killer of Killers appears to be one of the most important passages from the formal code. It reads:

Go forth among the stars and seek only the strongest prey.

They shall be your trophy.

Become the killer of killers.

Herein lies the central premise of the sacred hunt that the Yautja undertake. Their goal is to travel across space and find other species to track, hunt, and kill. The more dangerous the opponent, the greater the glory and honor, which is why taking trophies is such an important aspect of the hunt. They serve as proof of each Predator’s victories, and proof of the caliber of hunter that each specific Predator is. Their code of honor goes far deeper than just finding and killing the strongest creatures in the universe, however.

The sacred nature of the hunt means that there are strict rules that must be followed for any hunt to truly be an honorable endeavor. The movie franchise has shown some examples of some of the core concepts, perhaps the most obvious of which is that Predators only hunt those worthy of killing; this excludes the defenseless, the weak, and the too old/too young. In the original Predator, the Jungle Hunter spares Anna because she carries no weapon, and in Killer of Killers, Ursa’s son Anders is spared as a young and inexperienced opponent who wasn’t a worthy threat.

Other rules include leveling the playing field when in a one-on-one duel with their prey. We see this when the Jungle Hunter disarms and uncloaks himself to fight Dutch Schaefer hand-to-hand in Predator, and again when Hanzo duels the Falconer Predator in Predators. The Yautja code of honor is intended to keep each hunt relatively even between Predator and prey, which elevates the level of honor derived from the hunt; there is no glory to be had in killing an inferior creature, or using clearly advanced technology/projectiles to kill from afar.

The Predators Preach Honor & Glory Through Murder To Become The Killer Of Killers

The Gory Nature Of The Franchise Serves A Purpose

Honor-bound or not, the Predators’ culture and certainly the Codex encourage murder as a path to glory. The Predator franchise is famously gory, and Predator: Killer of Killers might be the goriest entry yet. However, there is logic to that: the Predators’ code of honor pushes them towards the use of melee weapons, as there is more honor derived from killing an opponent up close (where they can kill you as well) than from far away. The Predators seen in the franchise play fast and loose with these rules as the situation dictates, but the core principles are always present.

Their culture is predicated on murder and mayhem, which is why Predators have no compunction about wiping out large groups of opponents at once. The City Hunter slaughtering the Jamaican Voodoo Posse or Keyes’ team in Predator 2 is the perfect example, as all the men involved are perfectly capable killers. The Predator, therefore, is not honor-bound to reveal himself without his cloaking device, nor is he beholden to the rules indicating he must even the odds (those only apply to one-on-one duels, seemingly).

What Happens To Predators That Break The Yautja Code?

In Most Cases, Their Options Are Exile Or Death

The movie franchise has seen at least one major example of a Predator breaking the Yautja code: the Fugitive Predator from The Predator. That particular member of the species (which looks like it hails from the same general clan as the Jungle Hunter) betrayed the Yautja culture’s mission of self-improvement and evolution by giving humans the Predator Killer suit to even the odds against the massive new Predators. As a result, he was chased down and murdered for his betrayal, which is one of the main punishments for breaking the code.

Ironically, the Fugitive Predator was sticking directly to the code as it was intended, while the sect of the Yautja population focused on hybridization and improvement was closer to violating the Codex. In the expanded canon of the Predator franchise, which includes comic books, graphic novels, and even video games, Predators who betray the code of honor are labeled as “Bad Bloods”, and are typically cast out as exiles if they are not killed outright or commit suicide due to their extreme dishonor. It seems to be dependent upon the severity of the violation.

The young Predator Dek who is the protagonist of the upcoming Predator: Badlands appears to be one such exiled individual. Dek has chosen the “Death Planet” Kalisk for his sacred (and seemingly first) hunt, which pits him against all manner of lethal flora and fauna. For Dek there appears to be a way back to his clan’s good graces and restoring his honor, which is atypical in the expanded canon of the Predator franchise. Predator: Killer of Killers gave us our first real look at the formal Yautja Codex’s text, and it remains to be seen if future movies expand upon it.