Every Time The Predators Tried To Conquer Earth, Ranked
The Yautja were usually not interested in conquering Earth. In most Predator movies, games, and comics, they arrived in small numbers, hunted dangerous prey, collected trophies, and left before humanity fully understood what had happened. However, a few stories went much bigger than a normal Predator hunt. These stories showed ancient domination, fleets over major cities, organized attacks on human communities, and even a full-scale invasion of Earth by a Predator King. This ranking covers the rare times when the Predators tried to control, occupy, or conquer Earth instead of simply hunting on it.
What Counts As A Predator Invasion?
A normal Predator hunt did not count as an invasion. The Jungle Hunter in Predator, the City Hunter in Predator 2, and the Feral Predator in Prey all hunted humans on Earth, but they acted as individual hunters rather than conquering armies. For this list, a Predator invasion needed to involve a larger Yautja force, an attack on a human population center, an attempt to control Earth, or a plan that threatened humanity beyond one hunting ground. That distinction mattered because the Predators were usually trophy hunters, not empire builders. When they did use fleets, armies, or occupation tactics, the story immediately became something different from a traditional Predator movie. The Yautja sometimes fought in wars, but were more likely to be engaged in a civil war among themselves.
4. The Predators Controlled Ancient Earth In Alien vs. Predator
The ancient Earth sequence from Alien vs. Predator was not an invasion in the modern military sense, but it was one of the closest examples of long-term Yautja control over humanity. Thousands of years ago, the Predators had a prominent presence on Earth. They taught humans to build pyramids and were worshiped as gods in return. In actuality, humans were used as servants and as victims for breeding Xenomorphs. The Yautja were not mainly interested in hunting humans at this point. Instead, they turned human civilizations into support systems for their Xenomorph blooding rituals.
These hunts took place inside and around the pyramids that humans had built for them. When a Xenomorph infestation got out of control, the Predators detonated a self-destruct device on top of one of the pyramids and wiped out the surrounding civilization. That made this ancient presence less like a single hunt and more like an occupation that ended in mass destruction. It ranked lowest because the Yautja did not try to conquer the entire planet, but it still showed Earth under direct Predator influence for generations.
3. The Yautja Invaded New York City In Predator: Concrete Jungle
The first major Predator comic from Dark Horse almost ended with an all-out war between humanity and the Yautja. In Predator: Concrete Jungle, a fleet of Predator ships appeared over New York City with an overambitious plan of invasion. At least a dozen ships entered the city, and although they were cloaked at first, they soon started bombing runs over New York. The attack quickly escalated beyond a hunt, with Yautja ships unloading Predators into the streets while humans fought back with police, criminals, and military hardware.
John Schaefer, the brother of Dutch Schaefer, helped organize the resistance against the invasion. Several Predator ships were shot down, Apache helicopters joined the fight, and the cold New York weather made the battle increasingly difficult for the Yautja. In the end, the Predators withdrew rather than continue the invasion. This ranked above the ancient AvP presence because it was a direct assault on a modern human city, but it remained a local attack rather than a planet-wide conquest.
2. The Predator And Archie vs. Predator II Both Hinted At A Bigger Yautja Attack
The Predator suggested that Earth was becoming a bigger Yautja target. The film introduced a Predator faction that wanted to harvest human DNA and take advantage of climate change, with the Fugitive Predator trying to bring humanity the Predator Killer suit before a larger conflict arrived. The movie did not show a full invasion, but it clearly pointed toward a scenario where more advanced or hybridized Predators planned to claim Earth for themselves. That made it one of the most important modern hints that the Yautja threat could expand beyond individual hunts.
Archie vs. Predator II pushed that idea into a stranger non-canon crossover direction. The series showed the Assassin Predators (also known as Upgrade Predators) watching from Mars and planning their next attack, before Riverdale became the target of a new Predator assault. New Predators and Predadogs attacked Riverdale High during the Halloween Dance with at least five ships, searched for Archie-Predator, and left the town trapped in a violent Predator war. This invasion was not global, and it belonged to a deliberately absurd crossover continuity, but it still counted because the Predators acted as an organized attacking force rather than isolated hunters.
1. The Predator King Invaded Earth In Predator Kills The Marvel Universe
Predator Kills The Marvel Universe was the clearest and largest Predator invasion of Earth. In Marvel's non-canon crossover continuity, the Predator King gathered a massive Yautja fleet and launched the Great Hunt against Earth's superheroes. This was not a lone hunter stalking humans in a jungle or city. It was a coordinated planetary invasion led by a royal Predator, supported by commanders like Graveyard, and guided by Kraven the Hunter's knowledge of Earth's heroes.
The Predators targeted the Avengers, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Iron Man, and other major defenders before Earth could organize a full counterattack. Graveyard's hunting party devastated the Xavier Institute, Kraven helped direct attacks against the Avengers, and the Predator King oversaw the invasion from his mothership. The Yautja used royal Vibranium weapons, advanced cloaking, ships, and hunting parties built specifically to kill superpowered prey. Although the heroes eventually fought back and destroyed the mothership, this invasion ranked first because it was the only example where the Predators launched a true planet-level assault on Earth.
Why Predator Invasions Are So Rare
Predator invasions were rare because they pushed the franchise away from its strongest formula. The core appeal of Predator stories came from a small number of Yautja stalking worthy prey under strict hunting rules. A full invasion changed the tone from survival horror and ritual hunting into military science fiction. That could work in comics, games, and crossover events, but it was harder to balance with the mystery and tension that made the original Predator so effective. However, a Xenomorph invasion of Earth is a much more recurring theme in Alien vs. Predator lore.
Conclusion
The Predators invaded or tried to control Earth more often than many fans might expect, but true Yautja invasions remained rare. Alien vs. Predator showed ancient humans living under Predator influence, Predator: Concrete Jungle brought a fleet of Yautja ships to New York, The Predator and Archie vs. Predator II hinted at wider attacks, and Predator Kills The Marvel Universe finally delivered a full-scale invasion of Earth. These stories worked because they broke from the usual Predator formula. Instead of one hunter arriving for trophies, they showed what happened when the Yautja treated Earth itself as the hunting ground.
Sources
- Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- The Predator (2018)
- Predator: Concrete Jungle (1989)
- Archie vs. Predator II (2019)
- Predator Kills The Marvel Universe (2026)
Tag Categories: Predator Lore | Yautja Society | Predators From The Comics | Alien And Predator Crossovers
