Dek Predator's Mother: Everything We Know

While Dek's father Njohrr is the main antagonist of Predator: Badlands, we don't see Dek's mother in character. In the ending of the movie, Dek Predator’s mother appears on board a large ship on Yautja Prime. In this article, we examine what Dek’s mother might look like and consider whether she has appeared elsewhere in Predator lore. Beware of spoilers for Predator: Badlands below.

Dek Predator Mother's Ship

In the ending of Predator: Badlands, Dek has repaired his brother Kwei's ship on the "Death Planet" Genna and returned to Yautja Prime together with Thia and Bud (the son of Kalisk). After confronting Njohrr near his home, the father and son have a brief fight where Dek prevails. Moments after killing Njohrr with the help of Bud, a large ship appears on the horizon, visibly shaking Dek. He then reveals to Thia that the ship belongs to his mother, and the mother has arrived to sort out the situation with the dead father and the returned son. In the old Yautja dictionary "Mother" is called "Lil-ka", while Dek seems to call her something similar to "Nei-Wa". It is not known if the mother would show aggression towards Dek for killing Njohrr, or what their relationship is.

The Grendel King's Ship Looks The Same

Dek mother’s ship is very similar to the Grendel King's (also known as Warlord Predator) from the animated Predator: Killer Of Killers anthology movie. Revealed in the last segment on Yautja Prime, the warlord oversaw an arena fight between three human survivors. A human man named John Torres and a Japanese Samurai end up stealing the Yautja ship and escaping Yautja Prime, while Ursa, the female Viking, is put back into stasis. Dek Mother's ship has the same spikes on the side and underneath that the other ships seen in Killer Of Killers are missing. Furthermore, it seems to have the same "bone" armor on top, although the six spikes on top seem to be missing. Both ships give the hint of a powerful Predator that has special privilege in decorating their ship this way.

Could The Warlord Be Dek's Mother?

It is not entirely clear when the final segment of Killer Of Killers takes place, but it seems to be at least after Predator 2, as Harrigan is shown in stasis at the end (in the special extended ending). Badlands takes place in the far future, and theoretically, it could be the same ship seen in both movies. The Warlord Predator survives the events of Killer Of Killers, and as Predators are known to live for centuries (or even millennia), Dek's mother could be the large Warlord Predator. Alternatively, the same ship could have changed hands, or it's just the same type of ship that different commanding Yautja use. Finally, the humans stole Warlords ship in Killer Of Killers and it is not clear if he (or she) even reclaimed it.

Big Mama And Other Female Yautja In Predator Lore

Having a big and powerful female Predator without distinct feminine features is not new to the Yautja lore. The best known female Yautja is called Big Mama, appearing in Aliens vs. Predator: Deadliest Of The Species. Through the story, she actively seeks her stolen children with the help of a human female, Ash Parnall. Also, as mentioned in the Aliens vs. Predator: Prey novel, females are generally portrayed as larger than males, more muscular, and socially respected due to their capabilities in both leadership and hunting. If Dek’s mother follows this pattern, she would likely be physically formidable and hold a respected position within her clan. However, the Predator: Hunting Grounds game depicted female Yautja as having smaller and leaner bodies, with feminine features like breasts.

Fan Art of Dek's Mother

Until we see Dek's mother in a sequel to Predator: Badlands (or any other expanded material), all we have is fan representations and concept art. Arist Parasytal has created an alternative take of Dek's mother, deciding that she does not look like the Warlord Predator. Dek's mother looks feminine, with large breasts and thick legs. However, like the Warlord, she is very tall, standing at ten and a half feet. Her clothing includes a long, black, and gold-patterned drape that falls over her legs, and a wide, decorated belt at her waist. Large dried bones are attached to her forearm wrappings, and additional bones are woven into the braids of her hair.

Conclusion

Dek’s mother remains one of the more mysterious figures in the Badlands storyline, appearing as a cliffhanger to the movie. Her brief appearance suggests a character of high rank, possibly connected to major Yautja leaders such as the Grendel King or ruling warlords. However, the director might have applied that she is the Warlord from Killer Of Killers herself, which might also indicate that the large Viking Killer Predator is also a female. This also aligns with known portrayals of female Yautja, who are often portrayed as big and powerful hunters.

Tag Categories: Predator: Badlands Lore, Individual Predators, Predators From The Movies, Predator: Badlands Characters