Alan "Dutch" Schaefer: Profile, Past & Alternate Fates

Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer was an elite U.S. Army Special Forces operator and the main character in the first Predator movie. He was portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and later appeared across licensed novels, comics, and games in expanded continuity. The character was commonly presented as the archetypal survivor of a Yautja hunt, with later stories building on the idea that he became a long-term enemy of the species. Across different continuities, his post-1987 life ranged from disappearance and off-grid investigation to formal involvement with secretive programs hunting Predators.

Major "Dutch" Schaefer

Alan Schaefer was most commonly known by the nickname "Dutch", although his first name was Alan. The nickname "Dutch" was not explained on-screen nor in the expanded universe, but it was commonly interpreted as a reference to his German-speaking background. It is an older English usage that linked "Dutch" with "Deutsch" rather than the Netherlands. Later media associated him with the designation "Onyx" or "Agent Onyx", particularly in stories that linked him to organized Predator-hunting efforts. Alan Schaefer held the army rank of major, which indicates a field-grade officer whose job is primarily planning operations and coordinating larger units. Leading a six-man commando squad is highly unusual for a major.

Fighting In Vietnam, Cambodia, And Berlin

Dutch was described as having served during the Vietnam War and operating in multiple hotspots afterward. The first Predator movie referenced Vietnam and Cambodia as formative periods that shaped his experience with guerrilla warfare and survival under pressure. Dillon also credited his team with a discreet Berlin operation involving a terrorist incident at an embassy, framed as an extremely fast and controlled intervention. At that time, Berlin was still split into the West and East sides, with the Soviets controlling half the city. These background details established that his unit handled missions that were politically sensitive and rarely publicized.

Dutch's Brother & Sister

The first Predator comic series, Predator: Concrete Jungle, stated that Dutch had an older brother, John Schaefer, who became a cop in New York. Initially, Dutch's brother was just called "Detective Schaefer" in the comic and the book based on it, but the Dark Horse series Predator: Hunters III finally named him "John". This family connection allowed the comic series to have a similar character as Dutch, who also fought Predators. The Predator: Stalking Shadows book also mentioned a sister, but did not give any additional details, like name or age.

The Val Verde Incident

In Predator (1987), Dutch led a team into a Central American jungle for what was presented as a rescue mission tied to regional instability. The operation escalated after the unit discovered evidence of a prior team's deaths and realized the assignment had been misrepresented. As the group moved toward extraction after taking out a guerrilla base, a Predator (nicknamed the Jungle Hunter) stalked and killed the commandos one by one using stealth and superior weaponry. Dutch survived by learning how the creature tracked prey and improvising camouflage and traps. Dutch forced a final confrontation that ended with the Predator's death and a self-destruct explosion that he narrowly escaped.

Radiation Poisoning & Debrief By Peter Keyes

Predator: Concrete Jungle described Dutch suffering serious aftereffects linked to the Predator's self-destruction, described as radiation sickness. The comic depicts worm-like protrusions under the skin and intense burning pain, which eventually subsided. The Predator 2 novelization mentions he was interviewed and debriefed by Peter Keyes, an OWLF figure associated with Predator investigations and recovered technology. The debrief was both an intelligence exercise and an attempt to extract details that could lead to future captures or kills. Soon after, Dutch escaped and vanished, as he did not trust institutions that treated him as a resource rather than a person.

Living Off The Grid

Later events depicted Dutch as operating under assumed identities and avoiding sustained contact with official structures. The lore tapes in the Predator: Hunting Grounds video game mentioned Dutch returning to regions connected to Predator activity to confirm patterns and gather information. He focused on building informal networks and safe routes for movement, similar to how a long-term fugitive would behave. This period also served to explain why his fate became uncertain in-universe, with sightings reported but rarely verified.

The Search By John Schaefer

John Schaefer, Dutch's brother, pursued leads on Dutch's whereabouts after the events that followed the Central American incident. John's investigation drew him toward Predator-related incidents and the hidden organizations that monitored them. John Schaefer visited the Jungle Hunter's self-destruct site, now a big crater with a pool of water at the bottom. Detective Schaefer encountered and killed many Predators during his search, including stopping a small Yautja invasion of New York, and fighting Predators in the Arctic (in Predator: Cold War). However, John and Dutch never reunited, and it seems that Dutch did not let his brother know about his whereabouts. According to Predator: The Preserve, John Schaefer was eventually put in a Yautja stasis farm, to be awoken decades later.

Appearance As Onyx

In the rare Predator: South China Sea book, Dutch was depicted using the label "Agent Onyx" in connection with OWLF-linked Predator-hunting operations. Although Onyx being Dutch Schaefer wasn't explicitly confirmed, it was heavily implied. In the book, a character named Gustat sought revenge against the Predators, who killed his wife and son. Gustat met the mysterious Onyx, who supplied intelligence about the Yautja, including their whereabouts and weaponry. This finally led Gustat to the South China Sea, where he encountered one of the most deadly Predators in Yautja lore.

Appearance In Predator 2

Dutch did not appear on-screen in Predator 2 (1990), but the movie's novelization referenced him in connection with OWLF and Peter Keyes. Interestingly, the Predator: Stalking Shadows book placed Dutch on the OWLF chopper that lands near Harrigan at the end of Predator 2. Dutch wanted to help kill the Predator, but it was just too late. He did not get out of the chopper, which soon took off again. As Harrigan said while holding Raphael Adolini's pistol, "You'll get another chance", and Dutch got exactly that.

Fight With A Female Predator

Predator: Hunting Grounds described Dutch encountering and fighting a female Predator labeled "Cleopatra", decorated with Egyptian-style armor and weaponry. In this fight, Dutch lost another small fireteam, being the sole-survivor again. In addition, Dutch was wounded by the Yautja's netgun, leaving a permanent grid-scar on his face. After trapping Dutch, the Cleopatra Predator let him live, possibly due to Dutch's legendary status among the Predators. However, this did not stop Dutch from hunting more Predators.

Dealings With Stargazer And OWLF

Lore from Predator: Hunting Grounds, Predator: Stalking Shadows, and Predator: Hunters and Hunted tied Dutch to secret agencies studying Predators and recovered technology. Although Dutch did not agree with the methods of OWLF, he did occasionally help them hunt Predators. When OWLF met its downfall after the death of Peter Keyes, the Project Stargazer program took over, as seen in The Predator (2018). After the massacre caused by both the Fugitive and Assassin Predator, Project Stargazer was disbanded, and OWLF again took over. By this time, Dutch was already in his 70s, and his wounds and age started to cause problems with his Yautja-killing plans. He enhanced himself using Yautja DNA with the help of Sean Keyes (the son of Peter Keyes) giving him faster reflexes and a longer life.

Becoming A Cyborg

In the Alien vs. Predator arcade game continuity, Dutch appeared centuries after his death as a rebuilt synthetic or cybernetic soldier. This ties surprisingly well with his body-enhancement storyline from the end of the Hunting Grounds lore. AvP Arcade reimagined him as a military figure again, now a major as part of the Colonial Marine Corps. The cyborg form provided him with enhanced strength and integrated weapon systems, including a machinegun arm. This time, Dutch teamed up with Predators, helping to eradicate both the Xenomorph threat and the presence of Weyland-Yutani in the fictional city of San Drad.

Placed In Stasis

The extended ending of the animated Predator: Killer of Killers anthology movie described Dutch being captured and held in suspended animation in a Predator stasis farm (possibly on Yautja Prime). This ending was placed in an unknown time after the events of Predator 2, as Lieutenant Harrigan was placed in stasis next to him. This device allowed writers to keep him present in modern or future settings without relying on conventional aging, placing him alongside other notable Predator survivors or killers. Dutch still looked young, so the stasis-freeze is somewhat in conflict with an older Dutch seen in Predator: Hunting Grounds. However, it is possible that he was kept in storage for a brief period and escaped.

Descendant Of Dutch Schaefer

The Predator vs. Judge Dredd crossover comic introduced a distant descendant of Dutch, Psi-Judge Schaefer (no first name mentioned). Judge Schaefer used his psychic powers to help Judge Dredd track down and kill a lone Yautja hunting in Mega City One. In one instance, she drank Yautja blood to help boost her link to the Yautja, a substance known to enhance human abilities. Although the Predator crossover comics are considered non-canon, the story is part of the main continuity of Judge Dredd. There is nothing else known about Dutch Schaefer's children.

Alternate Sequels

Multiple unmade ideas tried to bring Dutch back into film sequels, including early concepts for Predator 2 and later projects where a cameo or larger role was considered. These plans did not materialize due to scheduling conflicts and arguments with Arnold Schwarzenegger. As mentioned before, Arnold lent his likeness and voice to Dutch in Predator: Hunting Grounds, marking it "official canon". The most famous would-be sequel was Robert Rodriguez' initial script for Predator 3 (that later became Predators (2010)), depicting Dutch fighting in a gladiatorial arena on Yautja Prime. Some of these concepts were later used in Predator: Killer Of Killers, which included a one-second cameo of Dutch.

Conclusion

Across films, books, comics, and games, Alan "Dutch" Schaefer evolved from a single Predator survivor into a long-term thorn in the Yautja's side. Different continuities showed him vanishing off the grid, working with secret agencies, enhancing his body, entering stasis, or even returning centuries later as a cybernetic soldier. No matter the version, Dutch was one of the most effective Yautja killers. Hopefully, Dutch will return once more, perhaps as an animated version in a possible sequel to Predator: Killer of Killers.

Tag Categories: Predator Lore