Dek facing down the Kalisk in a foggy setting in Predator: BadlandsCourtesy Of Weta FX
By
Kevin Erdmann
Published Feb 17, 2026, 6:30 PM EST
Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.
With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.
Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.
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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is easily one of the most creative and unique entries in the entire Predator franchise. Not only do we get a Yautja warrior as the film's protagonist, but we also see him encounter a variety of alien creatures never seen before.
Determined to prove himself a worthy warrior to his clan and merciless father, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) ventures to the planet Genna to kill the Kalisk, an incredibly deadly creature on a world filled with incredibly deadly creatures (and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation). With that in mind, we've ranked all the unique and deadly creatures in Predator: Badlands, from least to most favorite.
8 Explosive Grubs
Explosive Grubs are easily the smallest threats in Badlands, but they still pack quite a major punch. Exploding on impact after being thrown, these grubs are used by Dek to great effect when he plans his attack on the Weyland-Yutani outpost. While useful, they're not the most visually interesting creatures Genna has to offer.
7 Rock Biters
Shown at the beginning of Predator: Badlands at a great distance away, Rock Biters appear to be quite massive, worm-like creatures that hang on the top of large rocks. Although they helped make a great introduction for Genna ahead of the movie's title card, we don't actually see Dek interact with any Rock Biters by the ending of Predator: Badlands.
6 Vultures
Alien creatures known as Vultures circle the skies in Predator: Badlands, preying on any creatures foolish enough to get paralyzed by the fields of spike pods they often fly above. Featuring reptilian heads and leather wings, there are some strong similarities between Vultures and prehistoric pterodactyls.
5 Tree Vines
Genna's Tree Vines very much blurred the line between plant and alien. A large grouping of sentient predatory tendrils, these living root-like creatures (or perhaps just a single creature with multiple arms/branches?) were the first to be faced by Dek on Genna, an encounter he barely survived after the vines systematically stole pieces of his arsenal one by one.
However, the Tree Vines ultimately met their match against Weyland-Yutani with a full squad armed with flamethrowers.
4 Bone Bison
Quite large and armored, Bone Bison are revealed by Thia (Elle Fanning) to be the primary prey of the Kalisk. Capable of roaming Genna's fields of razor-grass unharmed, the Bone Bison feature a very unique design, and its armor was ultimately used by Dek to create armor of his own by the movie's end.
A charging Bone Bison also made for one of Predator: Badlands' best scenes with Dek spitting one of the creatures right down the middle with his sword.
3 Luna Bug
Named by Thia, "Luna Bugs" don't sound nearly as scary as they actually are in Predator: Badlands. Attacking Dek and Thia during the Yautja's attempt to hunt down a Bone Bison, the duo are attacked from above by a Luna Bug, which is basically a massive multi-fanged central mouth and body surrounded by three tentacle-like arms and a tail.
Without a doubt, the Luna Bugs are some of Genna's most unique-looking predators, while definitely being one of its most horrifying.
2 Kalisk
As the primary focus of the movie's plot, it shouldn't come as too big a surprise that the Kalisk has a higher ranking. The definitive apex predator of Genna and worlds beyond according to the Yautja, Badlands' highly intelligent Kalisk was largely believed to be virtually unkillable due to its rapid regeneration capabilities.
The Kalisk's body is covered with long black quills, while also having a heavily armored hide. Other notable features include expandable jaws, multiple rows of teeth, a long prehensile tail, and a longer tentacle-like tongue. We also have to mention Bud, the small creature who befriended Dek and Thia and was ultimately revealed to be the Kalisk's pup.
Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters
Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.In terms of screen time, threat level, and narrative purpose, The Kalisk (and Bud) check all the boxes, easily being one of the movie's most important and exciting creatures. However, there's one more creature in Predator: Badlands that we really liked just a little bit more.
1 Imbre Anguis/Spitter Eel
The Imbre Anguis aka the Spitter Eel, stands at the top of the list purely because it's so dang cool. Incredibly intelligent and loyal to Dek after he feeds and befriends the creature, the Spitter Eel essentially serves as an organic living replacement for the Yautja's classic shoulder-mounted plasmacaster.
Shooting highly acidic spit from its mouth, Imbre Anguis was the perfect weapon against the Weyland-Yutani synths, melting targets left and right. Likewise, this particular Spitter Eel was so loyal that it even sacrificed itself for Dek in the movie's culminating battle. While it may not have been the biggest creature to call Genna home in Predator: Badlands, the Spitter Eel was definitely the most impressive in our book.
Predator: Badlands is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
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Predator: Badlands
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Action Science Fiction Adventure Thriller Release Date November 5, 2025 Runtime 107 minutes Director Dan Trachtenberg Writers Dan Trachtenberg, Patrick Aison, John Thomas, Jim Thomas Producers Brent O'Connor, John Davis, Marc Toberoff, Dan Trachtenberg, Ben RosenblattCast
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Elle Fanning
Thia / Tessa
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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Dek / Father
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