Predator

The Predator, known for the film franchise of the same name, is a playable guest character in Mortal Kombat X. It is the third character available through DLC as part of the Kombat Pack.

About the Predator
Predators (or as they're technically known, Yautja or Hish-Qu-Ten) hail from the Predator film franchise along with the shared Alien vs. Predator universe with the Alien. The name "Predator" is never used in the film series by the characters until the fourth movie, where the characters actually refer to the hunters as "Predators".

There have been many Predators depicted throughout the series, all of which are merciless, cunning and highly dangerous venators that kill not only for the thrill of the hunt, but also because of the honor bestowed upon them when obtaining "trophies" after killing their game, particularly the skull. The first and second movie, Predator and Predator 2, consist of a single hunter as the movies' main antagonist. It isn't until the third movie in the series, Predators, that more than two hunters pose a threat to the main characters which in this movie there are three hunters that serve as the main antagonists. The second movie does feature more than two hunters, but they only appear in the ending, essentially serving as cameos. Three Predators appear in the first crossover film Alien vs. Predator. A single Elite hunter serves as a sort of an anti-hero like character in the second Alien vs. Predator film as he is trying to remove evidence of Yautja and Xenomorphs, which eventually becomes unsuccessful.

Yautja are also known to cooperate with humans at times usually when a human has assisted them or shown to be a worthy warrior. This is depicted in the first Alien vs. Predator as the Predator Scar helps the last human Alexa prevent the Xenomorphs from reaching the Earth's surface from an underground pyramid. In the film Predators, the character Royce frees an imprisoned Classic Predator who spares him and assisted him on trying to return to Earth.

Despite these almost primitive and abnormal standards, Predators do uphold a moral 'honor' code when hunting. Examples of this include, never killing the unarmed or innocent, pregnant woman, a person struck with cancer and never murdering a fellow hunter, showing that they do uphold a vague sense of dignity. However, a person with these traits that does become hostile towards a Yautja can cause the hunter to retaliate with death as depicted in Alien vs. Predator. Regardless, some Yautja have been known to go rogue and severely violate the honor code for their own personal gain. These "bad bloods" are considered disgraceful to the Yautja name. If the renegade passively accepts punishment then its most severe penalty would be eternal banishment. However, if it is less than willing to surrender then it will be swiftly tracked down and executed painfully by fellow hunters for its treachery. They also show mercy to those they feel are worthy warriors as seen in the second film and the first Alien vs. Predator film, both seen at the ending where an Elite Predator also gives the human a gift.

Within the canon Predator universe, two clans exist. The clan consisting of Yautja that resemble the hunter from the original film are dubbed as "Classic Predators" by the fanbase and production, while the second tribe is known as the Black Super Predators whose appearance is very different from the Classic hunters. This includes their armor, weapons, skin textures, facial features and overall characteristics involving savagery and merciless killing. The Black Super Predators are also larger and stronger than their original counterparts and are known to have different codes and also hunter their other tribes. They are first introduced in the film Predators and are often compared to the "Classic Predators" with the relationship of "Dogs and Wolves", the Classic being the dogs and the Super being the wolves. Another species exists with the release of the fourth film The Predator, which features genetically altered Yautja who have combined their DNA with other species. These genetic hybrids are different in appearance, most notably their massive height, strength and black-red skin patterns.

The Predators are known for their vast arsenal of weapons which evolves every movie with either new additions or modifications. The second movie introduce many new weapons, which after that is when this trend began. This is expanded even more in the third film Predators with the Super Predators using drones, quadruped animals and rapid fire plasma casters, electrified and camouflaged traps, and single bladed wrist gauntlets. The Alien vs Predator sequel expanded on current weapons included duel plasma casters and a hand-held plasma caster. The movie also introduced the traps used in Mortal Kombat X, although the ones used had a different effect.

Predators are also known for their constant association and encounters with the Xenomorph species, whom only the most daring of Yautja attempt hunt. This originated when the Alien skull appeared as a cameo in Predator 2 but the film has no connection to the Alien vs. Predator franchise. The have appeared in games together but before that a comic book series, to which the crossover films where adapted from. The Predator has also had comic book crossovers with Superman, Batman, and Judge Dredd as well as other video games crossing over with the Xenomorph before their encounter in Mortal Kombat X.

Appearance
The Predator is visually based off the original hunter from the first movie. Possessing reptilian skin and long dreadlocks, the Predator equals even Jason Voorhees in height while standing in a slight crouch, and wears a high tech mask over his head to protect his face. The Predator wears a mesh wire body net under his armor, which is consisted of shoulder guards, wrist guards, and a plate covering his left pectoral, as well as armor on his hips and legs, a loin cloth visible around his waist. The Predator also wears a collection of smaller animal skull trophies around his chest.

Biography

 * Mortal Kombat X: The Predator is not here to rule us. He does not wish to destroy the realms. He and others of his alien race merely fight--and kill--for sport and honor. There is much kombat in Earthrealm. Shao Kahn and then Shinnok thought themselves konquerers. They were defeated. The Predator will not be. The humans, Outworlders and Netherrealm demons will fall to his superior weapons, tactics, and strength. Their skins will make fine trophies.

Powers and abilities
A highly evolved alien, the Predator possesses vast superhuman strength and durability well beyond that of a fully grown and well trained adult human male. In conjunction with these deadly attributes, the Predator has access to advanced weapons and technology such as his wrist blades, which it can use to skewer opponents in a single blow, plasma caster that can fire deadly bolts of energy that can tear through almost anything and sever limbs with a single shot, deadly combi-stick for close range combat, and can hide himself using a cloaking device to make himself virtually invisible save for a slight ripple in the air resembling heat waves. The Predator's mask also allows it to track his targets by their body heat and set up targeting sights for his plasma caster.

Signature Moves

 * Stealth: The Predator activates a cloak ability in his wrist gauntlet, temporarily becoming invisible (although his body will still distort the light, much like Reptile's invisibility). While in Stealth mode, the Predator takes only half chip damage from the opponent. Unlike Reptile, the cloak will not be canceled when the Predator gets hit, but will sparkle. Sustaining too much damage will cause the cloak to end prematurely. (MKX)
 * The enhanced version is called Cloaking, which makes the Predator completely immune to chip damage as long as it's cloaked.
 * Smart-Disc: The Predator launches a razored disc upward, where it will spin for a second before tracking the opponent and flying straight at them. However, the disc will be canceled if the Predator gets hit, even when the attack is blocked. It can also be performed from the air, called Air Smart-Disc, respectively. (MKX)
 * The enhanced version is called Dual Smart-Disc, in which the Predator launches two discs.
 * Scimitar Stab: The Predator lunges at the opponent to stab their abdomen and lift them with his retractable Wrist Blades, and then throws them away. The move also gave the option to throw the opponent in the opposite direction. (MKX)
 * The enhanced version is called Scimitar Slam, which has armor but no extra damage.
 * Once the Predator makes contact with the opponent, the Predator can enhance the attack again, which he slams the opponent on the ground, bouncing them for continued combos.
 * The player can enhance either version of Scimitar Stab to perform the juggle effect as long as the move connects.
 * Yautja Strike: The Predator leaps towards the opponent and takes them down by slamming his arms over their head. The move can also be done in the air, called Air Yautja Strike, respectively. This attack can be performed up close or from afar. The far version of the attack reaches full-screen distance. (MKX - Warrior Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Yautja Pounce has increased damage and bounces the opponent, leaving them in the air and allowing for a juggle.
 * Dread Slam: The Predator hits the opponent with the back of his hand, knocking them back. (MKX - Warrior Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Dread Launch, which has armor and increased damage. When blocked, the attack creates massive knockback.
 * Self-Detonate: The Predator inputs a command to his wrist gauntlet and laughs maniacally and begins to emit a blue pulse around it. After a moment, the Predator will emit an explosion, damaging itself and juggling the opponent. This effect will be cancelled if the Predator sustains damage. When blocked, the attack produces massive knockback. The damage inflicted to the Predator is unblockable.
 * The enhanced version is called Self-Destruct, which activates much faster and reduces the damage dealt to the Predator by half but doubles the damage inflicted to the opponent.
 * Snag: The Predator throws a triangular trap on the ground that takes a second to become active. If the opponent steps onto it, they will be caught and hung upside-down, open for the Predator to attack. The trap can be thrown at close, medium and far distances and even from mid-air. Inputting the attack's command again detonates the trap, which if the opponent is near, will juggle them for continued combos. (MKX - Hunter Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Trap and causes the Snag to be deployed instantly. The set off can also be enhanced to become an Armored Explosion, which destroys the trap in a wide ranged explosion that launches the opponent in the air (but doesn't actually armor the Predator).
 * Medi-Kit: The Predator crouches and injects a healing substance in his leg, recovering a small portion of his health in exchange for a depletion in stamina. Requires a full bar of stamina to use. (MKX - Hunter Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Quick Healing, which gives him twice as much health as Medi-Kit.
 * Plasma Shot: The Predator uses his shoulder canon to shoot a plasma projectile straight at the opponent. If the attack is delayed, the Predator will perform a Plasma Caster, in which it will be able to target the projectile up, down or forward with a red laser indicator before firing. This attack can also be run-cancelled. (MKX - Hish-Qu-Ten Vatiation)
 * The enhanced version is called Plasma Barrage and shoots three straight plasma projectiles in a quick succession, knocking the opponent down. This can hit ducking opponents but is not an overhead attack.
 * Up Plasma Shot: The Predator shoots an upwards plasma projectile against foes in the air. (MKX - Hish-Qu-Ten Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Up Plasma Barrage and shoots three upwards plasma projectiles in a quick succession.
 * Ground Plasma Shot: The Predator shoots a downwards plasma projectile to hit the opponent's feet. It only hits from a medium distance. This version recovers much faster and can juggle the opponent more easily than the other versions. This attack can be performed closer or further away, called Close/Far Plasma Shot, respectfully. (MKX - Hish-Qu-Ten Variation)
 * The enhanced version is called Ground Plasma Barrage and shoots three downwards plasma projectiles in a quick succession and different distances, which juggles the opponent for brief combo extentions.
 * X-Ray Move - What The Hell: The Predator stabs his opponent with his Wrist Blades, then throws them behind it. As they get up, the Predator fires a Plasma Caster shot to the face, breaking most of the skull's facial bones. The Predator then leaps and throws a Smart Disc into their opponent's neck, making them fall onto the ground as the Disc is severing their spine. While still in the air, the Predator deploys his Scimitar again and stabs the opponent's gut, completely rupturing their stomach. (MKX)

Other Moves

 * Throw: The Predator lifts the opponent, stabs their abdomen with his Wrist Blades and cuts them up to the chest with it. He then vertically rips the blade off of their body and throws them away. (MKX)


 * Ugly Mother: The Predator kicks the opponent, strikes their head, grabs them and plunges his Wrist Blades into their chin before throwing them away. (MKX)
 * I See You: The Predator backhands then claws the opponent. This attack has follow-up attacks; (MKX)
 * CONTAAAAACT: The Predator rams the opponent with a shoulder charge, knocking them in the air for extended combos.
 * Meat Grinder: The Predator trips the opponent with its spear.

Fatalities

 * Ghostin' Us: The Predator deploys his Wrist Blades and stabs his opponent, then lifts them into the air and slams a Smart Disc into their head, killing them. He then drops the dead opponent onto the ground, making the severed scalp fall off, then the disc rolls away soon after as well, revealing the cut-in-half brain. (MKX)
 * Certain Death: The Predator deploys his Plasma Caster, locks onto his opponent, and shoots a hole into their abdomen, then blasts off one of their arms. As they writhe in agony, the Predator moves his targeting sights to their opponent's head, then blasts off the upper part of their head in a spray of gore. (MKX)

Brutalities

 * Brutality #1 - Anytime: The Predator performs his X-Ray attack, but when he throws his Smart Disc, it beheads the opponent. (MKX)
 * Brutality #2 - Time To Bleed: The Predator performs his Throw and then swipes the Wrist Blades at the opponent's waist, bisecting his prey and making blood flood out of the torso's bottom. Once the blood stops, it flings the body away from it. (MKX)
 * Brutality #3 - Final Kountdown: The Predator activates his Self-Detonate tool, only when it detonates, it takes out both kombatants at once in a giant explosion of gore, with the opponent's head falling down onto the ground, followed by their arms. (MKX - Warrior Variation)
 * The final hit must come from the explosion itself. Any other damage that finishes the opponent while Self-Detonate is active will cancel the attack entirely, thus cancelling the brutality.
 * Brutality #4 - Skinned Alive: The Predator drops a Snag that lifts the prey off-screen, then the Predator vanishes. He deploys his claws, and skins the prey alive with a final scream of agony, making it rain blood. Soon, the lifeless and skinless corpse dangles into view. (MKX - Hunter Variation)
 * When performing this brutality on the Alien, it will not be skinned, but be decapitated instead.
 * Brutality #5 - If It Bleeds: The Predator fires a Plasma Shot from his Plasma Caster that blasts a hole into their opponent's head. An alternative version also has it where the face shot is followed soon after by the Plasma Caster blasting their arms off. (MKX - Hish-Qu-Ten Variation)
 * Brutality #6 - El Diablo: As The Predator rams his Wrist Blades into the opponent's head during the Ugly Mother... combo, it rips their head clean off. It then retracts his blades and flings the body away from it. (MKX - Secret)
 * Brutality #7: The Predator performs his Skinned Alive Brutality, only this time, the Predator leaves nothing but bone. (MKX - Hunter Variation - Secret)
 * This will never occur with the Alien, as brutality will have the same result as the original version.

Ending

 * Mortal Kombat X: This world called Earth produced many worthy opponents - which made for excellent sport. Some possessed a power previously unknown to the Predator's race: sorcery. The Predator sought to harness this new power for use in his konquests. He analyzed a trophy from a recent battle and eventually discovered its secrets. With the power of sorcery, the Predator was unstoppable and decimated whole worlds single-handedly. He had become the Apex Predator.

Trivia

 * The Predator is the third horror movie guest character featured in the Mortal Kombat series, the first being Freddy Krueger, the second being Jason Voorhees, the fourth being Leatherface, and the fifth being the Alien.
 * The Predator is the first science-fiction horror guest character, the second being the Alien, while the latter are from the traditional slasher horror genre.
 * The Predator is one of two extraterrestrial characters in the game, the second being the Alien.
 * The Predator is the only other guest character who has a rival that is a fellow guest character, in this case, the Alien. The other is Alien, whose rival, again, is the Predator.
 * The Predator is the second tallest character in the game behind Goro, standing 7'2".
 * Shinnok is the only character to address the Predator by name.
 * The Predator is the first guest character to kill Shinnok in his arcade ending, followed by Leatherface and the Alien.
 * Jason Voorhees is the only guest character to not kill Shinnok in his arcade ending.
 * The Predator is one of four characters with an alternate version of a brutality. The other three are Reptile, Erron Black, and Tremor.
 * Like the other guest characters, the Predator has numerous references to infamous quotes from his franchise in the names of his attacks, combos, and specials:
 * Kombos Knock-Knock, Come On, Meat Grinder, Kill Me, Bleed Bastard, You're One, I'm Here, Ugly Mother..., and Get To The Chopper, Brutalities Skinned Alive, If it Bleeds, and X-Ray What The Hell are all named after quotes said by the character Dutch Schaefer, who was portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
 * Kombos Payback Time, Slack-jawed, World of Hurt, and Brutality Time To Bleed are named after quotes said by the character Blain Cooper, who was portrayed by Jesse Ventura.
 * Kombo We. Hit. Nothing is named after the line said by Poncho Ramirez, portrayed by Richard Chaves, after the squad's failed attack on the Predator when they fired all their weapons at once at it, but failed to even hit it.
 * Kombos I See You and CONTAAAAACT, Brutality Anytime, and Fatality Ghostin' Us are named after quotes said by the character Mac Elliot, who was portrayed by Bill Duke.
 * The laugh the Predator makes when using his Self-Detonate special move is a reference to the mocking laugh it used before killing himself at the end of the original movie, the laugh mimicked from Billy Sole, portrayed by Sonny Landham.
 * The Predator is one of the few characters to have a brutality that derives from his X-Ray, and not only from special moves, combos or throws. The other characters are Jason, Sonya, Jacqui, Erron Black, Tremor, Leatherface, and Triborg.
 * It's also one of the only characters who can interrupt his X-Ray to perform a different move, since the decapitation replaces the last hit of his X-Ray. The other characters are Jacqui and Jason.
 * During a round win, the Predator's laugh will be mimicked from that of the current kombatant he's fighting against, only laughing his signature mimicked laugh from Billy when against Alien (since the last update), Jason, Triborg, Leatherface, or in a Mirror Match or after performing a Brutality (except for the "Final Kountdown").
 * When against Scorpion, sometimes the Predator will mimic his phrase, "To hell with you", in Scorpion's voice.
 * After winning a match via a Brutality, the eyes of the Predator's mask will flash yellow before it turns invisible, a reverse of the scene from the original movie, where after killing Blaine, Mac finds his body and sees the Predator's eyes flash while it is invisible.
 * The Predator is the only character that doesn't have a name on the bullet from Erron Black's revolver during his X-Ray and is referred to as "Ugly Mofo", referencing the franchise yet again.
 * During Predator's interaction with Bo' Rai Cho. Bo' Rai Cho will call Predator One ugly motherfucker.
 * When the Predator wins a match without doing a Fatality or Brutality, he will walk up to the grounded opponent and rip out their spine and skull before returning to his ship and placing the recently-acquired trophy into his collection. This makes the Predator one of three characters in Mortal Kombat X who will always kill the opponent after a match without performing a finisher, the others being Corrupted Shinnok and the Alien.
 * The Predator is one of the few characters whose fighting style is altered by the addition or removal of a weapon.
 * The Predator is one of four characters with a unique chestburster during the Alien's victory screen. The others are Tremor, Mileena, and the Alien in a mirror match.
 * The Predator's appearance represent that of the Predator from the original movie, while its Hunter armor could either represent the Predator from the second movie, or Berserker from the third film Predators.
 * The Predator had a different appearance before its official release including a different mask, armor color and its mandibles were visible through its mask.
 * The trap used in the Hunter variation is not seen in the movies until Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. The trap also worked differently than how it's used in game:
 * The trap shoots lasers from the middle of the triangle, which anything that walks through it will be shredded to pieces.
 * The Predator's Smart-Disc wasn't introduced until the second movie and has had different designs since.
 * In Alien vs. Predator, its sequel Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, and The Predator, the Smart-Disc expands into a multi-bladed disc. The main Predator in the first AVP movie used it against a facehugger and the Alien Queen, while Wolf in the second movie used it to dispatch drones.
 * Additionally, the Predator's spear also was introduced in the second movie and has changed designs since, changing into a longer, thinner staff-like spear in Alien vs. Predator.
 * The Predator is one of three characters with a cloak ability in the game. The others two are Reptile and Triborg as Smoke.
 * However, the Predator can not become completely invisible like Reptile or Cyber Smoke.
 * The Predator is one of two characters with a non-traditional run-cancel ability. The first was Ferra & Torr.
 * The Predator's Skinned Alive brutality and its alternate version will never resulting in a skinned or skeleton Alien.
 * The Predator is one of the few characters with multiple projectile attacks.
 * The Predator is one of the few characters with multiple charge abilities.

Errors
With the release of Mortal Kombat XL, numerous bugs, errors and glitches have arose that involve the Predator.
 * The way the Predator pins its opponent with its Smart-Disc during its X-Ray makes no logical sense.
 * The Predator's hair always clips into each other.
 * Its lower mandibles clip through its hair when previewing its taunt.
 * The Predator's wrist blade incorrectly swaps between its left and right arm when changing stances.
 * When an X-Ray is performed on the Predator that damages its neck, its mandibles will phase through its mask if it is wearing its mask.
 * Additionally, when the Predator performs its X-Ray on itself, the bones in its mandibles phase through the mandibles itself when the Smart-Disc breaks its neck.
 * Even when holding down and it producing more damage than the opponent's remaining health, the Predator's X-Ray brutality has a chance to not activate despite completing the requirements.
 * When Jason performs his Kill For Mother fatality on Predator, the Predator will be incorrectly shorter than him. This happens with all the characters that are taller than Jason.
 * When Goro performs his Peek-A-Boo fatality on the Predator, its hair will clip through the back of its corpse.
 * Despite having its mask, Mileena will comment on the Predator's face being ugly, despite not actually seeing its face. Erron Black makes a similar sarcastic remark as well. Logically, both these interactions make sense while it is in its Warrior variation, but while in its other variations, it does not make sense.
 * When disappearing while masked during its Skinned Alive brutality, its face becomes visible for a brief moment before disappearing.
 * The Predator's hair will clip through its Plasma Caster during a fight.
 * When the Predator crouches, the cloth around its waist will clip through its thighs and hang through. Additionally, it clips through the top part of its groin plate.

These errors include are listed below:
 * When the Predator performs its Certain Death fatality on itself, it will not decapitate itself with the blast, it's head will remain there with only its hair missing as it falls dead. This error has yet to be corrected.
 * If performed on it with its mask on, the mask will stay on with only the hair missing like before.
 * When an additional cosmetic is added to a fighter from their variation or just a regular cosmetic is present on a fighter, usually during the fatality sequence, the accessory falls off (Ex. Johnny's Fisticuffs, Cassie's glasses, Raiden's hat), this not being the case with the Predator.
 * If a fatality is performed on the Predator while in the Hish-Qu-Ten variation, its Plasma Caster will remain there for the duration of the finisher.
 * This does not occur during Fatality Practice.
 * If the Predator performs its If It Bleeds brutality from full-screen distance, the timer and fighter health bars will remain on screen.
 * After the Predator jumps down from decapitating the opponent during its X-Ray brutality, its wrist blades will move around and randomly pop out. This is likely because it still registers it using the entire X-Ray attack.