The Oni Predator, also known as the Samurai Killer Predator, was a Yautja introduced in the animated anthology film Predator: Killer of Killers (2025). He appeared in "The Sword", the segment set in feudal Japan in 1609, where he hunted the twin brothers Kenji and Kiyoshi during a violent succession conflict. The Oni Predator was tall, lean, heavily armed, and distinguished by the absence of his upper mandibles. In the Expanded Universe, Predators had fought Samurai many times before, and even dressed up as Samurai.
The Oni Predator
The Oni Predator arrived on Earth during Japan's Feudal Era and infiltrated the castle of House Kawakami. He watched Kenji, a trained ninja and the estranged twin brother of Kiyoshi, as Kenji returned home to confront his brother. Rather than attacking immediately, the Predator observed Kenji's infiltration, his fights with the guards, and his duel with Kiyoshi. After Kenji seemingly defeated Kiyoshi and sent him into the castle moat, the Oni Predator revealed himself and began his hunt.
A Brief History Of Predators vs. Samurai
The encounter between Predators and samurai warriors had been a recurring theme in the franchise's expanded lore. In Predator: Blood Feud, a clan of Predators fought a massive battle against a thousand samurai warriors, resulting in significant casualties on both sides. Another notable instance was the duel between Hanzo, a Yakuza enforcer, and the Falconer Predator in Predators (2010), where Hanzo sacrificed himself to kill the Yautja. Their story continued in Aliens vs. Predators: Ultimate Prey, with Hanzo's brother seeking vengeance and encountering Predators and Xenomorphs on the Game Preserve Planet.
The Oni Predator's Face And Missing Upper Mandibles
One of the Oni Predator's most unusual features was the absence of his upper mandibles. Instead, he had only lower mandibles, which were longer, thicker, and curved upward. This made his face different from the typical Yautja appearance, although his overall body shape, dreadlocks, armor, and hunting equipment still clearly identified him as a Predator. Concept art connected the jaw design to snake-like anatomy, helping give the Oni Predator a distinct silhouette among the different Predator types.
A Conflict With Kenji And Kiyoshi
The Oni Predator's primary adversaries were Kenji and Kiyoshi, twin brothers divided by succession. Kenji returned as a ninja after years away from home, while Kiyoshi ruled after their father's death. The Predator did not interrupt their duel, suggesting that he followed a version of the Yautja Honor Code and waited for the brothers to finish their own conflict. Afterward, he attacked Kenji, killed many of Kiyoshi's guards, and chased his chosen prey through the castle corridors and rooftops. Kiyoshi survived his fall into the moat, and the brothers eventually joined forces against the Predator. During the final battle, Kenji knocked off the Predator's bio-mask, learned how some of his weapons worked, and used the Predator's own mines against him. The Oni Predator was eventually killed by the combined efforts of Kenji and Kiyoshi, although Kiyoshi later died from his wounds.
The Type And Rank Of The Oni Predator
The Oni Predator's exact clan affiliation and rank were not confirmed. However, his patience, advanced weaponry, and ability to fight multiple skilled warriors suggested that he was an experienced hunter. He behaved more like a disciplined hunter than a reckless killer, since he observed Kenji's abilities, allowed the brothers' duel to conclude, and then challenged his prey directly. His lean build, agility, and reliance on stealth made him similar to the "Light Predator" from Aliens vs. Predator 2.
Oni Predator's Weapons
The Oni Predator carried a wide selection of Yautja weapons. He used wristblades, a combistick, a wrist gauntlet, and a chain whip. His chain whip extended from a specialized wrist gauntlet and ended in a clawed grappling hook, allowing him to grab, pin, pull, or slice enemies from a distance. His combistick also had retractable blades that could expand with enough force to cut through prey impaled on the weapon. The Oni Predator's mines could home in on a target, making them closer to the mine technology used by the Feral Predator in Prey (2022).
Oni Predator's Gear And Armor
Although the Oni Predator moved quickly and had a lean frame, most of his body was protected by metallic armor. He wore a metallic bio-mask, while his lower mandibles remained visible beneath it. He also used a Yautja cloaking device while stalking and dueling Kenji and Kiyoshi. The cloak gave him a major advantage, but both brothers eventually detected his position through observation, instinct, and battlefield awareness.
Oni Predator In Predator: Hunting Grounds
After Predator: Killer Of Killers, the Oni Predator returned as downloadable content in Predator: Hunting Grounds. IllFonic released him in the standalone Oni Predator DLC pack on August 19, 2025. Predator: Hunting Grounds had already used Japanese warrior themes with the Samurai Predator, a red-armored hunter styled after samurai gear. That class came first; Oni was the later Killer Of Killers crossover that put this specific feudal Japan Yautja into the game.
Behind The Scenes
Concept designer Farzad Varahramyan drew early Feudal Japan Predator options with Alec Gillis at Studio Gillis, one of the three time-piece briefs director Dan Trachtenberg and Gillis sorted after iterating many animated Yautja looks. Farzad's annotated bust labeled wider-set eyes for "intelligence, disciplined" hunting and two forehead marks as the "2 suns of his planet," while still giving the hunter a full mandible set and a single heavy pauldron. The finished Oni dropped the upper tusks for longer upward-curving lower jaws, a leaner armored body, and the chain-whip / mine kit used against Kenji and Kiyoshi in "The Sword."
Screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare first wrote a dialogue-heavy Japan chapter, and the team cut a version with all the talk intact before Trachtenberg and co-director Josh Wassung stripped the dialogue out and made the succession duel almost purely visual. Layout for the brother fight used stunt consultants and samurai historians, with motion reference captured and refined by animators at The Third Floor. Production designers Joel Chang and Amee Carter treated the castle and period staging like researched live-action history work inside the film's Unreal Engine "moving concept art" pipeline.
Conclusion
The Oni Predator was the main Yautja antagonist of "The Sword" segment in Predator: Killer of Killers. He hunted in Japan in 1609, where he targeted Kenji and Kiyoshi during their succession conflict. He was a tall, agile Predator with missing upper mandibles, a bio-mask, cloaking technology, wristblades, a combistick, mines, and a deadly chain whip. Although he killed many guards and seriously wounded Kiyoshi, he was eventually killed when the brothers put aside their feud and fought him together. His failed hunt later influenced the larger story, as the recording of his death reached Yautja Prime and led to Kenji being chosen for capture by the Grendel King.
Appearances
- Predator: Killer Of Killers (2025)
- Predator: Hunting Grounds (2020)
Tag Categories: Historical Predator Hunts | Individual Predators | Killer Of Killers Predators | Predators From The Movies | Predator Killer Of Killers Lore | Predator Lore
