Predator: Killer Of Killers Features A Secret Rematch Only Hardcore Fans Noticed
by Nick Staniforth · /FilmThis post contains spoilers for "Predator: Killer of Killers."
"Predator: Killer of Killers" might've just found a top spot among the best films in the "Predator" franchise. Telling a story that spans space and time, co-directors Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung have the Yautja taking on some of the deadliest warriors humanity has to offer. One in particular, though, has a history with the alien hunters that ended on a much darker note but as someone else entirely.
Sandwiched among Viking skirmishes and WWII air battles, the Predator race descends on feudal Japan as a struggle between a dedicated ninja named Kenji and his estranged brother, Lord Kyoshi unfolds. A member of the Yautja is watching it all from the shadows before getting involved, with only one of the dedicated warriors making it out alive. Coincidentally, both the Earth-based assassin and his target might sound familiar to some fans as they are both voiced by none other than Louis Ozawa, who went up against the "Predators" from 2010.
In the Nimrod Antal movie that stars Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne and Alice Braga, "Predators" plays now almost like a template for "Killer of Killers" with a small band of trained killers from Earth dropped on an unknown planet to fend for themselves against a group of off-world warriors. Ozawa plays Hanzo, a member of the Yakuza who uses a samurai sword in his last stand. What's especially interesting about that character and the ones Ozawa voices in "Killer of Killers," is that both of them apply similar tactics in bringing down their opponents, with only one being successful in their battle.
Ozawa's character in Killer of Killers strikes like his Predators counterpart
In the final moment of "Killer of Killers'" Japan-based chapter of brothers spilling blood, Ozawa's ninja and the samurai lord he's been training to battle finally unite to take down the thing that could kill them both. With the creature almost down, the two frenemies rush the Predator in one swift strike, with key visuals almost precisely resembling the same as Ozawa's live-action final battle with the Falconer Predator in "Predators."
In the 2010 film, Hanzo stands alone to duel with one of the Predators as the rest of the group goes on. Armed only with a sword, the Predator takes on his prey similarly, with the two rushing at one another in the middle of a windswept field. It's probably one of the coolest moments in the entire franchise, particularly when Hanzo manages to kill the beast while taking a fatal hit himself.
Thankfully, his character in "Killer of Killers" manages to walk away from his initial battle, but he still sadly loses a hand during his second encounter on what is presumably the Predators' homeworld, before flying off to an unknown fate. However, with the hint of what the future holds for the "Predator" franchise, could a key reveal also allude to other characters from Ozawa's first outing in the franchise making a comeback as well?
Could the survivors of Predators catch up with the Killer of Killers?
It was revealed at the end of the not-quite-anthology film "Predator: Killer of Killers," that even after staying behind so the ship could escape, the Viking, Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy), was put on ice and not killed like we would've expected. Adding even more of a shock, however, was that following the events of "Prey," Naru (Amber Midthunder) was boxed up along with so many others in cryosleep, confirming that the Predators have all of their former victorious prey kept on hold for when they need to be used again. If that's the case, might there be a chance that other characters from the franchise might potentially be in storage, including the remaining survivors from "Predators"?
While there's no confirmation just yet on what other animated action Trachtenberg has planned for heat-seeking hunter-killers, it would be an incredible meta reunion of sorts if somehow his current character breaks other captives free from the freezer, including Adrien Brody's Royce and Alice Braga's Isabelle, or maybe even Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch which could finally set up a sequel fans have always hoped to see. So far, the "Prey" director has made an effort to show love for many corners of the franchise, so seeing someone from the 2010 film dropping in to lend a hand as well would be amazing. For now, we can only wait and see if the "Killer of Killers" or any other "Predator" story gets the nod in "Predator: Badlands" arrives in theaters on November 7, 2025.