The Predator franchise has one of the most interesting histories of any long-running film series and learning which one has the best Rotten Tomatoes rating is pretty surprising. The 1987 original is regarded as a classic, though its 80% rating on the website isn’t something you’d see at the top of most franchises.
Many believe that’s the best installment of the series as Predator 2 was a step down (30%), 2010’s Predators was criminally underrated (65%), and 2018’s The Predator was a swing and a miss (34%). There’s also the spin-off duology Alien vs. Predator, though those weren’t all that well-received.
Audiences have to look to the franchise’s most recent entries to find its highest-rated entries and it’s proof that the Predator series has been rejuvenated. Even with the knowledge that it’s a newer film, you still might get the highest-rated Predator movie wrong.
Predator: Killer Of Killers Has A 95% Rotten Tomatoes Rating
The movie that brought the Predator franchise back to prominence was 2022’s Prey, a prequel that scored a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating. However, the follow-up movie to that, Predator: Killer of Killers, sits at a slightly better 95% rating, which is the best in the entire series.
Predator: Killer of Killers was released without a ton of fanfare in 2025 and got overlooked by far too many people because it’s an animated film. The movie focuses on three separate battles between warriors from different regions and times against various Predators.
Dan Trachtenberg, who directed Prey, returned to helm this animated installment. Critics were very positive about Predator: Killer of Killers, praising everything from the action sequences to the animation to the writing to the musical score.
Going The Animated Route Was A Great Idea For Predator: Killer Of Killers
The decision to make Predator: Killer of Killers an animated movie may have caused too many people to ignore it, but it was a brilliant choice given the story. Going the animated route meant the film had the freedom to create environments and character designs as they saw fit.
Trachtenberg noted that he wanted to make sure each Yautja looked distinct, as no alien race would all look identical. They managed to pull that off in the animated format without having to worry too much about budget problems that come with CGI or practical effects.
Predator: Killer of Killers being animated also meant that each story got its own look and feel. They captured Viking-era Scandinavia, 1600s Japan, and the World War II era, as well as time on an alien planet, with it all coming across seamlessly. Animation also allowed this installment to stand out.
Predator: Killer Of Killers Continues The Franchise’s Upward Swing
As noted, Prey was the film that injected new life into the Predator franchise. With Predator: Killer of Killers being so well-received, it solidified the fact that Prey wasn’t an anomaly and cemented Dan Trachtenberg as the person to lead the way going forward.
For the first time in franchise history, two movies in a row were critically acclaimed. Predator: Killer of Killers also connects to past entries with Naru from Prey appearing at the end in suspended animation. An extended cut was later released that also showed Mike Harrigan and Dutch Schaefer from the first two Predator films also in suspended animation.
The franchise is about to continue with Predator: Badlands slated for a November release. The trailers have looked strong so far and Trachtenberg is in the director’s chair, so there are high hopes for the series continuing to deliver the goods.
