Predator Weapons: Overview Of Yautja Hunting Arsenal
The Predators are known for their awesome and terrifying arsenal, being able to dispatch enemies in different and almost always lethal ways. While most of this weaponry is aimed towards humans, there are some tools better suited for fighting Xenomorphs. The Predator weapons are made from an unknown lightweight metallic alloy and fueled by their plasma power packs. The following is a list of Yautja weapons, presented in a similar way to a Predator weapons wiki.
Self-Destruct Device
The Yautja self-destruct device is a last resort weapon and shows up last in the list. All Predators use it on their hunts and it is a way to commit honorable suicide by destroying all the Predators advanced tech with it. It is not an offensive weapon, although some Predators have been known the remove it and escape the blast. The blast itself is said to be the size of 300 city blocks, although that can be an exaggeration. Dutch Schaefer survives the blast in the end of first Predator movie. The self-destruct device shows up in all the Predator movies and most games.
Whip
The whip is a short range weapon made with the main purpose of killing Xenomorphs. It is actually made from a Xenomorph tail and is one of the few Predator weapons that is resistant to acid. The whip wraps around the victim and slices it into pieces. Wolf uses it to great effect in Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem but it doesn't show up in much other Predator media. A female Predator uses a torture whip in the Predator: Rage War book, that has small blades with insect eggs under the blades. The eggs will hatch in the wounds, causing excruciating pain.
Shuriken
The shuriken is a fancy weapon that first appeared in the Alien vs. Predator movie and was invented by director Paul W. S. Anderson. Some Predator types wear it retracted on their legs, and can easily snap it to its full size. The shuriken can be used both as a melee or throwing weapon and is sharp enough to cut the head of an Alien in half. Scar Predator used it against the Alien Queen, but it was not enough to bring the big Xenomorph down. In a welcome connection to the Alien vs. Predator movies, the weapon also showed up in The Predator, being wielded by the Fugitive Predator.
Netgun
The Yautja netgun is one the most terrifying Predator weapons - pictures of it's results are often too gruesome to display. It fires a metallic net that surrounds the target and starts to contract. The victim will be cut by the sharp edges of the net, often leading to a painful death. It is not acid resistant and Aliens are known to escape the net after bleeding acid from their wounds. Some Colonial Marines have been known to escape the net by using a knife. The netgun shows up in Predator 2, the first Alien vs. Predator movie and the Aliens vs. Predator 2 PC game.
Pistol
The Predator plasma pistol fires an electric charge that incapacitates and kills enemies. It is especially useful against Aliens, who often freeze and don't bleed acid when fired on. The pistol does not have its own ammunition and uses the same power source and the shoulder cannon. It shows up in the first 2 Aliens vs. Predator PC games but is missed in the recent ones. There is a similar weapon that fires plasma in the Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem movie, but it is missing the useful electric charge part.
Smart Disc
The smart disc is an advanced throwing weapon that uses an internal power source to spin and return to the user later. It is very sharp and can cut through most obstacles. The Predators usually carry the disc on their legs. The disc was notoriously used by Mike Harrigan to kill the City Hunter and claim the respect of the remaining lost tribe Predators. It shows up in Predator 2 and most of the Aliens vs. Predator games. As in the movies, the Predators need to keep track of it and not lose it in battle.
Spear
The spear (also called the combistick) is a retractable throwing weapon that can also be used for melee combat. Being sharp and heavy, it goes through most enemies and is able to easily impale them. However, it requires expert skill by the user to make an accurate and powerful throw, making it a weapon of choice for the strongest Predators. The spear should also be recovered after the throw to avoid it being used against the Predator, like happened in Predator 2. It is especially useful against combat androids in the Aliens vs. Predator 2010 PC game.
Wristblades
The wristblades are one of the Predators most well-known weapons. Meant only for melee combat, they come in various shapes and sizes. The youngblood Predators are known to use extra large ones to combat Xenomorphs. However, the wristblades are not acid resistant. The wristblades retract from the arms and are extra sharp for maximum gore. These blades also help the Predator to extract spines, as they cut through flesh and bones easily.
Speargun
The speargun is a harpoon-like weapon used in Predator 2 and most of the Aliens vs. Predator games. You actually only get to see the tip of the weapon in Predator 2. It packs a strong punch, dismembering limbs and sticking victims to walls. It does not use the Predators power source but has its own ammunition that is depletable. In the games, the speargun is one of the most fun to use weapons and most usable against humans. It has a zoom function and can be used for sniping.
Shoulder Cannon
The shoulder cannon is the best and deadliest weapon of the Predator. Being able to track multiple targets at once, it is connected to the laser sight inside the Predator's helmet. It fires a plasma bolt and its power level can be varied. The shoulder cannon (also known as the Plasmacaster) is connected to the general power supply of the Predator and can be recharged. It shows up in all the Predator movies and some Predators are even known to use shoulder cannons on each shoulder (like Wolf).
Ceremonial Dagger
The Ceremonial Dagger, a distinctive melee weapon of the Yautja race, holds significant value in their culture, particularly in the ritualistic Blooding Rite of Young Bloods. Primarily designed for extracting trophies from defeated Xenomorphs, the dagger is adept at slicing through their tough carapace. Thanks to the composition of an unknown lightweight metal, it grants the dagger resistance against the corrosive Xenomorph blood. First showcased in the first Alien vs. Predator movie, the weapon is seen when the Yautja named Celtic tries to kill the Grid Alien, only to fall victim to it. Later on, Scar Predator uses the dagger to slice different body parts of a Xenomorph Warrior, creating a shield and dagger for Alexa Woods.
Yautja Bow
The Yautja bow is one of the latest weapons in the Predator's arsenal. It was introduced in the Predator: Hunting Grounds video game where it was primarily wielded by female Predators. It acts just like a human bow, without any energy-based attachments. However, as the Yautja are much stronger than humans, their arrows become much more deadly and can take down an opponent with just one shot. Similar to the bow that Dutch used against the Jungle Hunter in Val Verde, it is a low tech weapon that is very silent and hard to detect in different vision modes.
Bolt Gun
Part of the new Predator weapons introduced in Prey, the bolt gun can be considered to be a variant of the spear gun, but acts more like a precursor to the shoulder cannon. The bolt gun was held by one hand like a pistol and could be loaded by multiple spear-shaped metal bolts, different from the u-shaped ones used by the City Hunter later. It was the weapon of choice for the Feral Predator and its aim was aided by the laser sight of the unique-looking bone helmet, chasing down its target. However, this laser sight would ultimately be the downfall of the Feral Predator, as he accidentally shot himself in the head with a bolt, setting off a trap that Naru had set for him.
Proximity Mines
The proximity mines are one of the few passive Predator weapons, being able to be deployed as a trap while the Predator is already far away. The mines come in different types and the most common ones just explode close to the target. Dark Predator from Aliens vs. Predator 2010 had a way to remotely detonate the mines with his wrist gauntlet. Feral Predator from Prey deployed three mines together and they reacted to the French trappers coming close to them. The mines raised about a meter from the ground and closed in on any nearby targets, even if some of them ran away. Finally, Wolf Predator from Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem deployed laser mines to cut down Xenomorphs hidden in the sewers of Gunnison.
Predator Sword
The Predator sword is a powerful but rarely seen Predator weapon that is often used by the Elder Predators. It is an alternative to the wristblades and offers a longer reach and a stronger swing, as both hands can hold the blade. In addition to being used offensively, it has a ceremonial purpose and can be given as a trophy. The Greyback Predator famously held an elder sword in a backhand grip when meeting Harrigan in the Lost Tribe ship. The prequel comic Predator: 1718 later revealed another sword for Greyback (then called Golden Angel), that had a retractable blade. Different Predator swords show up in the Predator: Hunting Grounds game, including a Katana used by the Samurai Predator.
Predator Battle Axe
The Predator Axe is known for its capacity to inflict devastating damage in close-quarters confrontations. Unlike their more agile counterparts who favor the combisticks or wristblades, the Yautja Axe is the weapon of choice for the more robust and powerful members of the Yautja species, such as the Super Predators or the Viking Predators. Remarkably, this weapon has also proven to be remarkably effective in the hands of humans when used against the Yautja. Yautja Axes exhibit a wide range of variations, including differing shapes and sizes, as well as the availability of both sharp-edged and blunt-edged variants.
Electroshock Bolas
The electroshock bolas are one of the less lethal weapons in the Yautja arsenal but still have a devastating effect on the target. The bolas are weighted balls that are thrown at a target and entangle around the body. An electric current then shocks the victim, either incapacitating or killing them. The mad Yautja from the Predator: Big Game used the bolas against a sheriff's deputy, frying his insides and making him smoke from the eyes and mouth. Theoretically, the bolas would be an effective weapon against the Xenomorphs, who are shown to have a weakness against electric shocks.
Heavy Plasma Cannon
The Predators don't only mess around with their precise hunting weapons, they have bigger guns as well. When needed, the Predator military is used along with its heavy weapons and armor. The Heavy Plasma Cannon is one such weapon, used to great effect in the Aliens vs. Predator: Duel comic book. When both a Colonial Marine invasion and a Xenomorph infestation (resulting in a Predalien) got out of hand on the planet Ryushi, a Predator used the heavy cannon to level the score. The plasma missile took out a Colonial Marine light cruiser that was about to land, decimating it in a huge explosion and stranding the surviving marines on the planet.
Yautja Burner
The Yautja Burner is another military-type Predator weapon that only shows up in the Predator expanded universe. Similar to a human battle rifle, it fires rapid plasma bursts and is held by two hands. It does not take power from the Yautja shoulder cannon, allowing both weapons to fire at the same time. The Yautja burners were used mostly against Xenomorphs, coming into use on missions when Predators captured Alien Queens. The Predators would form a circle with their backs to each other and rapidly fire both their burners and shoulder cannons on the incoming Alien waves. Machiko Noguchi, a human Predator, was a famous burner user who took part in such hunts.
Scout Predator Sniper Rifle
While short and medium-ranged weapons like Yautja plasmacasters are regarded as fine by the Predator Honor Code, weapons with very long range can be considered dishonorable on Yautja Prime. Scout Predator from the Lost Tribe was one of the few Predators to use a weapon that can be considered to be a sniper rifle by Earth's standards. However, his long-range plasma rifles were made an exception to the honor code, as he built and customized them himself. The weapon on the Scout Predator NECA figure cover resembles the Lost Tribe ship but is much longer. As his name suggests, Scout was often outside looking scoping for dangers with his rifle and keeping an eye on the progress of younger Predators, like the City Hunter. The long-ranged plasma rifle was never used on primary targets but was used to kill secondary targets that could cause trouble for the Lost Tribe.
Predators Using Human Guns
The Predators sometimes resort to using human guns, usually when they have lost their own gear or it has been stolen. The Yautja have been proven to be quite efficient in handling these weapons, often scoring multiple kills. For example, the Fugitive Predator grabbed a SIG SG 552 from a Stargazer operative when escaping from their lab and proceeded to kill at least three soldiers with it. The human guns are also sometimes picked up and worn as trophies, as happened with the 1715 Raphael Adolini pistol that Greyback Predator acquired. Using human guns is not against the Predator honor code, but it is not their preferred way to fight.
Predator Weapons In Real Life
While these Predator weapons do not exist in real life, they have inspired many artists and enthusiasts to create replica versions. These replicas often include the iconic wrist blades, shoulder cannon, and net gun, all created with great detail for cosplayers of life-size statues. However, only a few enthusiasts have created working Predator weapons. One such group is the people behind the Man At Arms Youtube series, who went to Baltimore Knife and Sword and had experienced smiths forge the Predator blades. Not only were these wristblades razor-sharp, but they also extended out of the wrist gauntlet, just like in the movies. The blades looked even better attached to a Predator Cosplayer, played by Michael Knightmage Wilson.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Predator arsenal is a truly formidable set of weapons designed to take down any enemy with efficiency and brutality. From the retractable Wristblades to the explosive Self-Destruct Device, the Yautja have an extensive array of weaponry for any situation. While some of their weapons are specifically designed for fighting Xenomorphs, others are more versatile and can be used against a wide range of targets. The Predator franchise continues to captivate audiences with its intricate world-building and the intricacies of its iconic hunters and their guns.
