Summary :
- Dek’s journey from outcast to warrior redefines what it means to be a Predator.
- The mysterious arrival of Dek’s mother hints at a possible sequel.
- Here’s everything you need to know about Predator: Badlands’ ending and who’s on that mysterious ship.
Riding on the success of Prey and Killer of Killers , the latest entry in the Predator franchise, Predator: Badlands , doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. By the time the credits roll, Badlands not only redefines the Predator mythos but also lays the foundation for a much larger Alien vs. Predator universe. So, how does Predator: Badlands end, and what does it mean for the franchise’s future? Let’s break it down.
- What Happens in the Ending of Predator: Badlands?
- What Happens After Dek Defeats Njhorr in Predator: Badlands?
- Who Is on the Ship at the End of Predator: Badlands?
- Does Predator: Badlands Set Up a Sequel?
- How Does Predator: Badlands Connect to the Alien Franchise?
- Predator: Badlands’ Ending – Is There a Post-Credits Scene
- Final Thought on Predator: Badlands’ Ending
What Happens in the Ending of Predator: Badlands?
Dek and Thia as seen in Predator: Badlands | Credits: 20th Century Studios
As the final act brings Dek back into the fray, he abandons his original mission to hunt the legendary Kalisk. After learning Bud, the small creature he bonded with earlier, is actually a baby Kalisk, Dek chooses compassion over conquest.
He gives up on his trophy hunting and prioritizes saving his mates, Bud and Thia. A decision that marks a turning point in his character. By doing so, he rejects the Yautja’s ancient hunt-and-conquer mantra, the belief that everything is fair game.
Armed with nothing but gnarly, improvised tools that he built using Genna’s deadly wildlife, Dek mounts a one-man assault on Weyland-Yutani’s base. Those cleverly cobbled together bits of kit he’s put together, exploding larvae, toxic petals, razorlike grasses, turn out to be the only thing capable of standing against the corporation’s synthetic army.
Thia’s torso, previously severed from her legs, reunites mid-battle in a frantic dash past stunned guards. Once free, she and Dek release the imprisoned Kalisk so the creature can reclaim her child.
What Happens After Dek Defeats Njhorr in Predator: Badlands?
Dek as seen in Predator: Badlands | Credits: 20th Century Studios
Tessa doesn’t go down without a fight. She pilots a massive construction exosuit reminiscent of Ripley’s iconic showdown in Aliens. The beast eventually devours her, but Tessa triggers a cryo charge she had picked up earlier, killing the Kalisk mid-digestion. The creature shatters into ice fragments, ending the hunt for good.
With Thia safe and Bud alive, Dek recovers Tessa’s remains and takes her head to Yautja Prime as his trophy. But instead of recognition, his father Njhorr rejects him, igniting a final clash between them that changes Dek’s identity forever. In the end, Dek kills Njhorr, proving himself to be the stronger warrior.
Who Is on the Ship at the End of Predator: Badlands?
Predator Badlands final fight | Credits: 20th Century Studios
After defeating Njhorr, Dek refuses to take leadership on Yautja Prime or continue their violent ways. He claims Thia and Bud as his new family. As the three watch a ship approach over the horizon, Thia asks if the visitors are friends. Dek replies, ‘My mother,’ as the screen fades to black.
Whether she’s an antagonist, mentor, or something more remains a mystery, but her appearance suggests a challenger deadlier than Njhorr.
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Does Predator: Badlands Set Up a Sequel?
Thia in Predator: Badlands | Credits: 20th Century Studios
Yes, it does, even if indirectly. Dek’s personal journey comes to an end, but his mother’s arrival at the very end leaves plenty of room for a sequel. Her reaction to Njhorr’s death and Dek’s exile could see him getting dragged into a much bigger conflict all of a sudden.
You can bet Weyland-Yutani won’t overlook the fact that one of their operations has ended in total failure—especially one involving the Kalisk’s powerful regenerative abilities. Their return feels inevitable.
Though there’s no official sequel on the cards, the director Dan Trachtenberg has hinted that he has a third live-action film idea in development. And since Badlands is one of his three conceptual pillars (along with Prey and Killer of Killers), it all starts to feel like when, not if.
How Does Predator: Badlands Connect to the Alien Franchise?
Thia, Weyland-Yutani Synthetic in Predator: Badlands (Played by Elle Fanning) | Credits: 20th Century Studios
Badlands doesn’t go around dropping Xenomorphs into the jungle. No Facehuggers, no eggs, no queen lurking around the corner. But the connections to Alien are there, in the form of Weyland-Yutani.
They are, after all, the shared corporate bad guys of both universes, and they just love getting their hands on alien biology to try and weaponize it. And guess what? They’ve done this before in Alien: Earth and loads of other disaster research labs.
This time round, they’re after the Kalisk, a creature that can regrow its limbs. The plan is to bottle that regenerative power and turn it into some kind of cutting-edge biotech. It’s basically just another chapter in the long-running quest for “building a better world,” which usually just means making even bigger and more terrifying monsters.
Fans have speculated that Dek could be inspired by ‘Broken Tusk,’ the iconic Yautja from the Aliens vs. Predator: Prey comics. However, the movie just teases that fact and doesn’t actually confirm it. Maybe a Xenomorph was lurking in his past… or maybe not.
Predator: Badlands’ Ending – Is There a Post-Credits Scene
Predator: Badlands | Credits: 20th Century Studios
There are no mid-credits or post-credits scenes in Predator: Badlands. The final tease is the very last shot, Dek’s mother turning up on the scene. And the hint that the Kalisk species is alive and well, and that Weyland-Yutani’s still chasing that dream, even though they may never get close to it again.
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Final Thought on Predator: Badlands’ Ending
So if you were expecting a horror-packed trophy hunt, you might’ve been pleasantly surprised. Badlands throws out the old rules, treats Yautja as actual characters, and gives the story an emotional core rarely seen in the Predator franchise.
Dek’s transformation from trophy seeker to protector basically changes the DNA of the franchise, and puts him right at the heart of a story that now spans from Genna to Yautja Prime and back into the dark corners of Weyland-Yutani’s sinister plans.
Badlands doesn’t become Alien vs. Predator 3, even with power loaders and corporate synths hinting at shared history. But it’s still a big step in the direction of the two franchises quietly starting to collide. If the next chapter does arrive, then Dek’s mother and the shadowy corporation lurking in the background are likely to decide what kind of hunter Dek will become next.
