The Most Brutal Deaths In Prey
It's hunt or be hunted. Such is the way of any engagement with the fearsome Predator. The prequel film, "Prey," brings the alien hunter into direct conflict with some of the deadliest fighters in North American history, the Comanche warriors. If you're thinking that the odds are stacked against our Native protagonists, who lack the firepower of modern heroes in the franchise, you'd be mistaken. Naru (Amber Midthunder) is not only a tough-as-nails and determined combatant, but she's also far smarter than any of her comrades or the Predator give her credit for. While she may not match the physicality of her male cohorts, she makes up for it with her quick wits, keen perception, and masterful tracking skills that she's clearly honed out of sheer will and determination.
Survival is the name of the game, and in director Dan Trachtenberg's "Prey," many fail in that arena, as they draw their last breaths seeing the terrifying Predator before everything fades to black. In typical "Predator" fashion, "Prey" contains plenty of brutal and gory kills across the board. When it comes to the hunt, the Predator shows no mercy. A tradition established by the original 1987 film is once again honored in "Prey." That is, that nearly everybody will be picked off by the Predator until there is only one lone warrior left standing. It is then that a true test of mettle is enacted. In honor of the dead, however, let's take a look at some of the film's most brutal deaths.
The wolf
While the famous alien hunter is known by the name "Predator," that's merely a reference to what it does for sport. It hunts. Though, Shane Black's "The Predator" clarifies that it's an inaccurate distinction given that a predator hunts for food and not sport. Even still, the alien hunter doles out death by its very nature. The species, however, only seemingly hunts other predators, animals that can fight back. Otherwise, there's no sport in the affair. Being new to planet Earth in this film, the Predator begins hunting wildlife. It first kills a rattlesnake. It even eventually kills a massive grizzly bear. But at one point, however, it targets a wolf.
Like its human prey, the Predator stalks a wolf, using thermal vision. However, the wolf is only out to get lunch, as the canine is clearly eyeing a tasty-looking rabbit. After the wolf gives chase to the rabbit, it nabs the furry snack just as the Predator interferes and knocks the wolf on its side. It's a bit of a rude interruption considering the poor animal just wanted to eat. Still, the two predators then spar, with the alien hunter getting the better of the canine, gutting it in one swift stroke. The alien then beheads the animal by ripping out its spine and head. Later in the film, it is seen polishing the wolf's skull. This is a clear callback to the Predators' tendency to claim trophies.
The bear
One of the most harrowing moments in the film comes when Naru encounters a grizzly bear. The animal, in all of its ferocity, immediately sets its sights on the Native American woman and aims to kill. Though the Naru manages to fire off a shot, the bear doesn't seem to miss a step. Quickly, Naru turns tail and runs, as she should. Spotting a beaver dam in the middle of the river, she dives underneath the water's surface and pulls herself up inside the fortified beaver home. Meanwhile, the Predator hones in on the massive bear intent on pulling another trophy like the wolf before it.
The bear and the Predator clash, with the carnivore knocking the Predator down a peg. The bear begins to leave but then charges at the Predator only to receive a killing blow and crashes into the dam. Terrifyingly enough, the predator is strong enough to pull its kill from out of the damn and hoist the massive mammal over its head. Naru stares in terror as the cloaked predator basks in the blood drizzling from a large slash in the bear's gut. The imagery of the blood pouring over the cloaked exterior of the hunter, revealing more details of the creature to the intrepid Comanche warrior, is a next-level moment bound to become staple iconography of the franchise as a whole.
Wasape
Perhaps one of Naru's biggest detractors, Wasape (Stormee Kipp), tends to lead the pack with all the bravado he can muster. He has zero faith that Naru can be an effective hunter and even shows his own misogynistic colors when he suggests she be a homemaker. It was always clear from the get-go that Wasape's ego was going to get him into trouble and likely lead to his own demise. Of course, that's exactly what happens.
When the Comanche hunting party hears strange sounds in the woods, they begin to investigate. Clearly, a creature is making guttural clicking noises emanating through the trees, but they're unsure what sort of animal it could possibly be. Coming hot off a hunt for a mountain lion, egos have likely been emboldened among the crew, and Wasape decides to step into dangerous territory to scope out the potential threat. Little does he know that he has three precarious red dots targeting him. It's in that moment that he is swiftly killed with three darts, one of which runs completely through his skull. If anything, he at least gave his life to unveil the assassin lurking in the shadows. As the Predator moves on to take out his friends, the beast hunches over Wasape's corpse and plucks the three bolts out of his body for use once again in its killing spree. Absolutely brutal.
Comanche warriors
Like most of us have come to expect, there's a moment when the Comanche hunters face a mass slaughter at the hands of the predator. The predator most certainly wets his wrist blades with bucket loads of blood. The moment comes after the hunters embark on a trip to track down Naru. She had left camp to hunt and investigate this strange new visitor on her own. While on the prowl for the lion earlier, Naru insists to Taabe (Dakota Beavers) that they aren't alone in the forest. Her senses are keen as she notes the oddly skinned snake from earlier. After finding an injured fellow hunter who was attacked by the mountain lion, Naru rightfully wonders why the mountain lion didn't finish him off. She postulates to her brother that something scared it away. Furthermore, the native hunters suggest the tracks left behind are from a bear, though Naru correctly points out that the tracks indicate an animal walking on its hind legs.
Taabe sends a hunting party to locate Naru and ensure she is safe. Though, perhaps, he still never gave her enough credit. The Predator is watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. After killing Wasape, the rest of the hunters jump in to attack. Fighting this hulking beast one-on-one is a bad call, however. No matter how skilled these warriors are, their abilities are no match for the physical prowess of the predator. He begins systematically butchering them one by one. In a horrifying sequence, the alien hunter lobs off an arm from one of the warriors, slashes his chest, and then removes his head with its blades. It's a bloody sequence that sets a precedent for the massacre of the fur trappers still to come.
Itsee
Oh, Itsee (Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat). He never saw it coming. Itsee is a member of Taabe's band of Comanche hunters who initially endeavors to slay a mountain lion. After Taabe claims the lion kill for himself, the crew begins a new trek to hunt for the tribe. During the trek, Naru is constantly warning her brother and the rest that something just doesn't sit right with her. She knows a deadly force stalks the jungle, but she doesn't know what or where it is.
In a terrifying moment, the Predator rears its ugly head and slaughters nearly the entire hunting party. However, Itsee is nowhere to be seen during the actual struggle against the beast. Perhaps he made the smart move and fled. After Naru flees from the alien hunter she finds herself in a field of tall grass. Itsee grabs her and pulls her to his little hiding space and motions to her to be silent in a moment that recalls the exact same scenario between Dillon (Carl Weathers) and Mac (Bill Duke) in the original 1987 film. Just like Mac, Itsee motions over to the Predator still cloaked, demonstrating that he sees the beast. Steadying his bow, a trio of targeting lasers appears on his forehead. Naru, knowing exactly what that means, is quick on the draw and causes the Predator to miss his shot. Naru only buys poor Itsee precious seconds, however, as the Predator gives chase. Still invisible, following them through the long grass, the Predator closes in. The creature runs Itsee down in the field and guts him in a grisly display of blood splashing out of the tall grass.
Fur trappers
After the Predator has eviscerated most of the Comanche hunting party, the fur trappers remain — alongside Naru and Taabe, of course. The fur trappers attempt to use Naru and Taabe as bait for the alien hunter by tying them to a tree. The joke is on them, however, because Naru knows from experience that the Predator won't target her and her brother while they're incapacitated. Instead, it's going to hunt all the fur trappers lying in wait, being far more intelligent than these fur trappers give it credit for.
Of course, what ensues is a massive slaughter fest of the entire outfit of fur trappers. There are too many kills during this sequence to simply segregate them all for this list. So we simply considered this one giant death sequence. The Predator is actively using all of its tools and moves, dismembering the hunters left and right. At one point, it chokeholds a man to a tree and then activates its gauntlet shield that opens up and decapitates the man. It even wields the weapons brought by the fur traders, including an ax, and lobs off another man's arm before finishing the job. One unfortunate soul points his gun directly at the Predator point blank. The Predator stands still as if to beckon the man to "just do it, already." When he finally pulls the trigger, the bullet ricochets off the Predator's helmet and is "returned to sender" so-to-speak. The Predator ends the trappers by leaving behind a wrist gauntlet containing three explosive drones that eliminate the rest of their party. To put it simply, the scene is a massacre.
Raphael Adolini
It's a name that avid "Predator" fans will recognize and were likely waiting for in this film. "Raphael Adolini" is the name inscribed on the flintlock pistol the Predators gave to Detective Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) at the end of "Predator 2." It was a cool nod to the idea that the crew of alien hunters had been visiting Earth for a few centuries, already having enacting hunts throughout human history. Now, that very flintlock pistol becomes a key tie-in to the prequel film "Prey." Raphael Adolini (Bennett Taylor) is one of the fur trappers who initially finds and imprisons Naru after she is snagged by their bear trap. While imprisoned at their camp, Raphael is the only one who speaks her language and can translate for the other fur trappers. The only thing they want to know is any details she can share on the beast that is hunting them. Clearly the fur trappers had encountered the Predator also.
Later in the film, all of the fur trappers are slaughtered by the Predator. However, while Naru is in their camp, one lone trapper makes it back alive — Raphael Adolini. Though, his leg is severed below the knee. He asks for her help in exchange for his flintlock pistol. She obliges. Though when the Predator arrives, he finds the incapacitated Adolini is still alive and finishes what he started brutally killing the man while on the ground. Raphael Adolini may have been a random fur trapper, but his flintlock pistol is a cool relic that connects the great Predator universe.
Taabe
Perhaps one of the most emotionally upsetting deaths at the hands of the Predator is none other than Taabe, Naru's brother. While he displays a measure of doubt about his sister's hunting skill, it's more likely that he is being protective of her. After all, hunting a mountain lion is no joke. He does relent and allow her to join the hunt, however. All the while, Naru is sharing her anxieties over another hunter in the woods given the strangely skinned snake and the odd attack patterns she is tracking from animals in the wilderness. Taabe dismisses Naru's instincts, however, a move he won't soon forget.
Of the entire Comanche hunting party, Taabe, manages to outlast them all standing strong right beside his sister. Later, in the film, Naru is attacked by the Predator in the fur trappers' camp. Taabe jumps into the fray and tells Naru to "bring it home," a loving message for her to finish the job knowing he won't survive combat with the beast. The Predator does get the better of him and impales Taabe through the back with its wrist claws. When the Predator targets Naru, Taabe, who is seemingly dead, gets a second wind and injures the alien hunter's leg. The Predator then uses his spear to finish Taabe off completely. In the end, he sacrificed his life for his sister. This likely fueled her motivation to end the Predator once and for all.
The Predator
No matter how ferocious the Predator may be, statistically, the odds are stacked against it when it comes to surviving the entire film. No Predator has ever made it out of a hunt against human warriors alive. As we've covered, however, no human is a match for the Predator in a head-to-head clash of physical strength. After all, how many humans do you know who can lift a full-grown adult grizzly bear over their heads? A fight with the predator comes down to a game of wits. Every human victor always bested the predator by outsmarting it at its own game. It's a hunter after all. The name of the game is to stalk, trap, and kill.
Naru is a master at this. Early in the film, she inadvertently discovers a bog in that she finds herself trapped in. She pulls herself to safety using her ax and rope. In an earlier clash, Naru used the flintlock pistol to knock the Predator's mask off, robbing it of its targeting system. She positions the mask to aim at the bog. Her intent is to lead the Predator into the bog where the creature will be forced to shoot at her from a distance. However, it's weaponry is guided by the mask's targeting system when active. Once the Predator does fall for her trap and makes the fatal mistake of pulling the trigger, the bolt he fires bends away from Naru and ricochets off multiple trees before plunging right through his skull. In effect, she tricks the beast into killing itself. This time, the human victor takes a trophy from the predator — something that hasn't happened in previous films. She decapitates the Predator and tosses its head before her elders like a boss.