How To Watch Every Predator & Alien Movie & Show In Timeline Order

The stories of the Predator and Alien universes are surprisingly connected, even if the details don’t always line up perfectly. This connection actually started in comic books, with the first encounter between the two creatures appearing in issue #36 of Dark Horse Presents. This was meant to lead to a longer story, and Dark Horse soon began regularly publishing AVP comics featuring both species. The movies hinted at this connection in Predator 2, where a Predator’s collection of trophies included a skull that fans would instantly recognize.

The Alien and Predator movies have a confusing timeline, even if you don’t include the comics, novels, and games. However, the movie Predator: Badlands now connects the two franchises by introducing the powerful Weyland-Yutani Corporation from the Alien series. Because of this connection, it’s worth revisiting these films in chronological order, despite any inconsistencies.

841 – Predator: Killer of Killers episode 1

The first episode of Predator: Killer of Killers takes place in 841 AD. It opens with Ursa, a Viking warrior, leading an attack on another clan. Their fight is suddenly stopped by the arrival of a Yautja – a Predator – who wants to establish his skills by defeating the most powerful warriors of that era.

1609 – Predator: Killer of Killers episode 2

The second episode of Predator: Killer of Killers takes place in 1609 Japan, where a long-standing rivalry between two samurai is suddenly disrupted by the arrival of a Predator.

1719 – Prey

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche woman whose life is disrupted by the arrival of a Predator. The movie’s ending hints at more Predator activity happening around the same time, as detailed in the fourth episode of Killer of Killers.

1942 – Predator: Killer of Killers episode 3

In 1942, during World War II, a spaceship belonging to the Yautja arrives and impacts an aerial conflict. American pilot John J. Torres unexpectedly finds himself fighting a new, dangerous battle, and he must use all his skill and cleverness to live through it. The story concludes by showing what happens after the war has ended.

1987 – Predator

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Alan “Dutch” Schaefer, the leader of a highly skilled military team, in John McTiernan’s Predator. The film follows their encounter with a dangerous alien creature while on a mission in the Central American rainforest. Predator was the first movie in what would become a popular franchise, and it was released around the time period it depicts.

1997 – Predator 2

Stephen Hopkins’ Predator 2 is set in 1997 Los Angeles, a futuristic setting when the film was made in 1990. The movie depicts a bleak and violent city, suffering from extreme heat and gang warfare. A Predator arrives and begins hunting people, and police lieutenant Mike Harrigan, played by Danny Glover, tries to stop it.

1997 – Predator: Killer of Killers episode 4

Pinpointing the exact time of the final Predator: Killer of Killers episode is tricky, as it takes place on an alien planet. Previous characters are held in frozen sleep, saved as prizes to fight in a deadly arena. However, we know the episode happens after 1997, because the end credits hint that the heroes from the original Predator and Predator 2 have also been captured.

2004 – Alien vs. Predator

Paul S. Anderson directed Alien vs. Predator, which is set in 2004, the same year it came out. The film suggests that the alien hunters, known as Yautja, have been coming to Earth for thousands of years and even helped early humans develop. Every hundred years, they participate in a dangerous ritual: they bring humans to Earth as hosts for the deadly Xenomorphs, creating the perfect prey for a challenging hunt. Many fans don’t feel Alien vs. Predator fits well with the rest of the Alien series, and director Ridley Scott has distanced himself from it.

2004 – Alien vs. Predator: Requiem

Picking up right after the last film, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem begins with a Yautja spaceship crashing in Colorado, unleashing deadly Xenomorph facehuggers. The movie, directed by the Brothers Strause, depicts the terrifying consequences of the alien war spilling over into our world.

2010 – Predators

Nimród Antal’s Predators features Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who finds himself leading a group of people trying to survive on a strange alien planet. The film flips the typical Predator story: instead of hunting, Royce and his team are the ones being hunted by alien creatures (Yautja) as part of a deadly game reserve.

2018 – The Predator

Shane Black’s The Predator brings the franchise back to life with a surprising new plot: a Yautja spaceship has crashed on Earth. The film also takes a twist on the established lore, revealing the Yautja are mixing DNA from other species into their own, hoping to become even better hunters. This changes how we understand their signature move of removing opponents’ spines – it’s not just a trophy, but a way to collect spinal fluid for their experiments.

2093 – Prometheus

Ridley Scott’s 2012 film, Prometheus, is the most thought-provoking installment in the Alien and Predator series. The film follows the crew of the spaceship Prometheus as they use a star chart found in ancient Earth artifacts to search for answers. They discover an alien race called the Engineers, who are revealed to be the original creators of humanity. While Prometheus establishes the origins of the Xenomorphs, the events in Alien: Earth later present a different story.

2104 – Alien: Covenant

Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant continues the story begun in Prometheus and reveals Michael Fassbender’s character as the origin of the Xenomorphs. This happens after a lost spaceship is found by colonists in the year 2104. However, the later film Alien: Earth, under the direction of Noah Hawley, intentionally disregards this backstory and takes the franchise in a new direction, inspired by the initial Alien films.

2120: Alien: Earth season 1

Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth takes place in 2120 and reveals what’s happening on Earth during that time, something fans have long wanted to see. The show explains how the powerful Weyland-Yutani corporation first became interested in alien life, and it also presents a new explanation for where the Xenomorphs originally came from – showing they already existed on other planets. Because it’s been popular with viewers, Alien: Earth will return for a second season to continue the story.

2122 – Alien

Ridley Scott’s film Alien takes place in 2122 and features Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, a member of the spaceship Nostromo’s crew. During their mission, they stumble upon an abandoned ship on the planet LV-426, leading to a terrifying encounter with a Xenomorph.

2142 – Alien: Romulus

Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus follows directly after the original Alien film. The story begins after Weyland-Yutani recovers a large cocoon from the destroyed spaceship, the Nostromo. Unlike Alien: Earth, Romulus intentionally links back to Prometheus by featuring the black goo, which plays a key role in how the Xenomorphs are created.

2179 – Aliens

James Cameron’s Aliens is unusual because many people consider it even better than the original Alien film. Sigourney Weaver returns as Ripley, who awakens after being frozen in sleep for 57 years. The Weyland-Yutani corporation pretends to be skeptical of her experience and sends a team back to the planet LV-426, which is now a settled colony – but things quickly go wrong.

2179 – Alien 3

David Fincher’s Alien 3 picks up right after the events of Aliens. Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, crash-lands on a prison planet called Fiorina “Fury” 161, and unfortunately, a facehugger also survives the crash. It doesn’t take long for new Xenomorphs to appear, leading to a grim conclusion for Ripley’s journey.

2381 – Alien: Resurrection

More than two centuries after the events of Alien 3, the United Systems Military creates a clone of Ripley and a Xenomorph Queen. In Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film, this cloned Ripley fights to save Earth from a new breed of Xenomorphs.

The Far Future – Predator: Badlands

Director Dan Trachtenberg, known for Predator: Badlands, has revealed the film takes place further in the future than any previous Predator movie. The film follows Dek, a Yautja played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, as he seeks to prove his skills as a warrior. His journey leads him to a Weyland-Yutani expedition, marking the first official connection between the Predator and Alien universes.

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2025-11-13 02:42