Since most of the installments in the Predator franchise are standalone movies, the series doesn’t have a lot of recurring characters – in fact, the most significant returning character isn’t even a human being. From Predator to Prey, the Predator films typically revolve around an alien hunter coming to Earth, choosing their target, and engaging them in a tense cat-and-mouse battle in the jungle (or the urban jungle of Los Angeles, as seen in Predator 2). Even if the hero survives, they don’t usually return for the sequel.
Some of the most popular characters in the Predator franchise have only ever appeared in one movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s badass mercenary Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer only ever appeared in the timeless original Predator film. Alice Braga’s sharpshooting sniper Isabelle can only be seen in Predators, Boyd Holbrook’s Army Ranger Captain Quinn McKenna can only be seen in The Predator, and Amber Midthunder’s fearless Comanche warrior Naru has only appeared in Prey (so far). The only major recurring character in the Predator franchise isn’t even human.
Predator 2’s Greyback Elder Is The Franchise’s Best Returning Character
The only major recurring character in the Predator franchise is Greyback, a Yautja Elder who first appeared in Predator 2. Also known as the “Golden Angel,” Greyback is first seen aboard the Yautja Mother Ship hidden beneath Los Angeles in 1997. Danny Glover’s Predator 2 protagonist, disillusioned L.A.P.D. cop Lieutenant Mike Harrigan, encountered the Greyback Elder on the ship. In Predator 2, Greyback was the leader of the Los Angeles hunting party. He later reappeared as a major antagonist in the crossover sequel Alien vs. Predator.
Greyback isn’t the only character to appear in more than one Predator movie. Elpidia Carrillo’s insurgent character from the first movie, Anna Gonsalves, can be seen briefly on a video recording in Predator 2. But that’s not a substantial reappearance. She doesn’t work alongside Harrigan to bring down the L.A. hunting party; she just has a cameo to provide some exposition. Greyback is the only Predator character with a real, substantial role in more than one entry in the franchise.
Predator’s Non-Human Recurring Character Is Perfect
The fact that the Predator series’ only recurring character is one of the alien hunters and not one of the human protagonists is perfect for the sinister M.O. of the franchise. If the humans’ roles in each story are brief while the Predators’ roles are stretched across different movies, then it highlights the enduring presence of the Yautja in relation to the fleeting lives of humans. It really puts the human race’s inevitable mortality and narrow worldview into perspective.
