Xenopedia
Register
Advertisement
Xenopedia
"We now know these creatures are nomadic. Bound by strict Clan loyalties... unbreakable taboos."
MOTHER (from Predator: Concrete Jungle)
Ancientheirs

Clan preparing for a hunt.

A Clan[1][2][3] is a group of Yautja who live together in the downtime between hunts. Males typically live on large spacecraft, that can be as long as a kilometer[4], while females take residence on planets, favoring arid ones; however females do leave to hunt and males presumably return to mate or retire into non-hunting professions. These crafts tend to take the shape of massive oceanic creatures or predatory birds.[5] Predators in the same clan occasionally refer to themselves as "brothers" or "brother warriors".[6]

Even the Hish, a notable deviation from the typical Yautja, have clans.

Overview[]

Similar to Humans, Predators live and function in communal groups, with some portions (usually males) operating offworld and some portions (usually females and pups) operating on Yautja Prime[7]. These groups contain individuals who share certain characteristics, such as appearance, technological standards, and customs. Though the specifics may be different, most predators operate in accord with an honor code that is strict, inflexible, and demands harsh redemption if broken, if redemption is offered at all. However, not all Predators appear to exist within a clan. Once Yautja reach Blooded status, they've proven they can hunt without assistance and supervision, as they've effectively become "adults" to their kin.

T28

The Tartarus Clan.

Like individual Predators, Clans can be hailed and distinguished. However, it is possible for an entire clan to be disgraced and banished.[8] This could be one avenue for a Bad Blood clan to form, when the hunters therein do not end their own lives, as is expected by the Honor Code.

Foundation[]

The exact process of clan foundation is unknown; however, it is known that Clan Leaders may select new clan leaders from the ranks of Leaders or Elites. A Clan Leader can also have their places usurped via a challenge from a lower-ranked hunter. In Prey, when the Un-Blooded young males are left to fend for themselves, Tichinde violently takes charge, calling himself the new Clan Leader and his classmates obey, as Yautja only follow the strongest. He intended to design his own mark, then officialize it by etching it into his head and the heads of his "students" via Xenomorph blood, claiming them as his own.[9] It isn't clear if this is the typical Yautja way of founding a clan or if this method is an invention of Tichinde's.

PCWYautjaclan

A Yautja clan from Predator: Cold War.

Clans can also be formed out of Bad Bloods, and it is likely these otherwise solitary and outcast hunters come together to increase their survival chance against the mainstream, honorable hunters. The Super Predator Clan and Killers are two clans comprised of Bad Bloods and both of them are in perpetual conflict with other more traditional clans. The conflict between the Super Predators and Jungle Hunter Clan is referred to by Ronald Noland as a "blood feud".[10]

Membership and Rank[]

It is unknown if Yautja are born into their clans, if they join, or are selected by them once they demonstrate a certain level of finesse. Both these scenarios may be true; Dachande and Nei'hman-de had known each other since childhood, despite having different mothers and would be together constantly until the latter's death during his Blooding ritual. The novelization of Aliens vs. Predator describes Scar, Celtic, and Chopper -- also siblings -- as being "teenagers", going through a ritual to be seen as adults in the eyes of their fellow Clanmates. A comparison is made to human tribes, in which being a born Clan member may be a likely possibility. Even the Elite Clan has Young Bloods.

Clan

A clan, including an Elder, Elite, and several Blooded Warriors.

Clans are led by Clan Leaders; usually the oldest, strongest Yautja, often an Elder. The Clan Leader himself is subservient to the Matriarch[11]. Below them are the Elites of the clan[12], one of whom takes power should he die for any reason, though he may be challenged by his peers before he is accepted.[13] Leaders are also contenders for becoming Clan Leaders if considered worthy by an Elder. Temple Guards are presumed to be of comparable rank to the Elites and Leaders. They are a unique non-hunting caste tasked instead with the protection of the Clan Leader and inter-clan diplomacy.[14]

Ancients also exist within a clan, though serve a more spiritual and mentoring role to younger hunters, including Clan Leaders themselves. They are technically subordinate to the Clan Leader, but their wisdom and esteem garners them much deference from all in the clan, including the Leader himself. This causes Elders and Ancients to often be mistaken for one another by humans.

Some clans are thought to have a monarchy and the practice of sires or males of esteem passing down their hunting tools is evident in several places. Prince is said to be from such a Clan, hence his name. Vassili Rykov notes that the markings on Prince's mask were different than his clan-mates; they are more ornamental.[15] Machiko Noguchi also runs into a hunter in Hunter's Planet that is far too young to be getting the respect some much older predators get. She suspects he is either highborn or particularly skilled. Tli'uukop was a teacher of Blooded hunters who came from esteemed bloodlines, indicating that some Yautja are born with privileges that some more common born pups are not, such as specialized mentorship.

Clans do take in members from other species, typically after being impressed by their skill. Machiko was one such human. Lex Woods also killed a Queen Alien with Scar, who marked her as a Blooded warrior shortly beforehand. However, unlike Machiko, she was not invited to accompany the hunters on their ship meaning Clan Leaders likely do this at their discretion.

Loyalties in a clan are said to be strict.[16]

Non-Humans[]

Yautja will respect other sapient creatures and will go so far as to blood them if they prove to be respectable in combat against Xenomorphs, as their honor and laws demand it. However, while clans will accept other species, they are not exactly welcome places for aliens and Yautja are said to be xenophobic. While not outright hostile, a non-Yautja member can expect to be ignored and isolated a lot of the time, even if they are of Blooded rank or perform amazing feats worthy of praise. Younger warriors, prone to disrespect anyway, will openly challenge and disrespect the non-Yautja. For an alien, the Hunter's way is said to be senseless and be forever out of reach.

Females[]

"A female will hunt for trophies, but the reasoning is different. Dominance, the ability to prove they can defend their worlds, or perhaps to attract a stronger mate are all reasons they would choose to venture out."
―Prodos description of the Female Predator

Females are present in a clan and are even said to rule over them, likely making up a majority of its homeworld population, but as far as Packs and hunting go, seem rare. There is only one known female Clan Leader, called Hashori. Wendigo, Vagouti, Big Mama, and Sister Midnight are all female Yautja who are Blooded or better hunters. The former two are clan affiliated and the rest, as blooded hunters who have presumably gone through the Rite of Passage, are presumably clan affiliated as well.

File:FemYautja.png

Female Predator, by Prodos.

Most females do not hunt, instead protecting their homeworld as Matriarchs. Yautja society is matriarchal-- while males lead clans off-planet, females rule them at home as well as rearing young Yautja.[17] While males are more proficient hunters than females, females dwarf them in size and strength. When a female goes on the hunt, she prefers melee combat to make full use of her sheer brawn. While males of all levels of experience often hunt in groups, Yautja females commonly hunt alone.

The apparent rarity of female hunters is never directly explained, however male Yautja only ever mention them in relation to mating and child-rearing, to the point where a slang term for a female is "Lou-te kalei"-- child maker.[18] That being said, Machiko mostly hears them spoken of in a respectful manner.[19] Child-bearing and rearing could be their primary role in society; to make strong pups who would hopefully grow into strong warriors. However, females do not appear to be disallowed to hunt and it doesn't even appear to be frowned upon. Unlike males, female Yautja are never shown proving their worth as potential mates, which is one motivation of the Hunt. They simply choose a male to sire their young when the season comes about; because of this, there would be little incentive to partake in a Hunt aside from personal glory. It is common for a male to have several females in a harem[20] and esteemed males can have nearly 100 offspring. It is possible that Yautja raise their children communally, as Dachande and his brother grew up together in constant company despite having different mothers.

One possible explanation for the lack of female hunters is the simple lack of drive for the hunt. Young males are often violent, impulsive, and near suicidally overconfident; they're rash enough to challenge and even try to kill their teachers.[21] This appears to be an intrinsic characteristic of male Yautja, as it is present in young male pups. Even older male Yautja find their charges a handful and must frequently use ridicule, violence, or threats of violence and dishonor to keep them in line.[22][23] Female pups are never characterized, however Dachande notices the lack of rashness and impulsivity in Machiko. Along with her intelligence, and mammary glands, he concludes that she must be female as he believes that the females of a species are generally smarter than the males. This may suggest Yautja females have a similar disposition and while this doesn't disqualify them as potential hunters, it does mean they lack the inclination to hunt both socially and biologically. This could also explain why the few female Yautja encountered are high-ranking; males must grow out of their bloodlust to become thoughtful, methodical hunters. Females are born with this state of mind and do not have to achieve it, giving them a head-start.

It is not unheard of for a pair of mates to go on a hunt together[24], as seen with Vagouti and Nakande.

According to Prey, a derogatory name whispered by males about females means "child maker". This may suggest most females do little to no hunting but do the child-rearing instead. This also reflects the common Yautja opinion that any Predator who cannot or does not hunt, with very few exceptions, is not a true Predator and worthy of ridicule. An unarmed female is strong enough to match an armed, excellent male warrior in battle, however, so even an unwise hunter never says this to a female's face.

Clan Ranks[]

Clanhunt

Clans gathering for a massive, multi-clan hunt.

Clans themselves seem to have high or lower status in relation to the other clans. The Elite Clan, for instance, were an exalted group of legendary hunters who outrank and outperform most other clans. They themselves were only subordinate to the Council of Ancients, who ruled Predator society. The Dark Blade Clan was well known for its highly advanced weapons, but likely lost some standing after one of its members, called Scarface, allowed Yautja technology to fall into human hands.

Clan-Clan Interaction[]

Occasionally, two different clans will interact with each other and these interactions can be cooperative or conflicting in nature, perhaps both at once. In War, several Clans converged on one planet to partake in a massive Xenomorph hunting expedition, but the best hunting sites were fought over. Beforehand, many Leaders and Packs were tasked with capturing Queen Aliens for this event. However, the existence of the Temple Guard and Military Caste imply that not all clans get along. In addition to guarding their Clan Leader, Temple Guards are supposed to prevent war between clans. If diplomacy fails, Soldier-caste Yautjas may be called upon if two clans declare war on one another. It isn't unknown for the Council to pit two Clans unknowingly against each other[25] to determine the stronger faction. Clan wars are often due to conflicts of ideology or simple territorial disputes[26].

However, this conflict isn't always staged. For instance, the Super Predator Clan and Jungle Hunter Clan were involved in a blood feud. Boar and Scout were involved in a massacre of their clan when they were very young, until adopted into The Lost Tribe by Greyback.

Family Groups[]

"That a hunter's life was hard, he knew. That Yautja sometimes died, he knew as well. Nei'hman-de, gone. It did not seem real that it could be."
―A Young Dachande, shaken by the news of Nei'hman-de's death
Predbrothers

Predator Brothers on a Blooding Ritual

Within clans, there may be groups of related individuals. Most prominently, these are brothers or young males and their fathers. Female-female relations are not described, but Yautja females appear to be fond of their mates. They raise the young, but parent-offspring relations between mothers and their children are not described either. The general attitude of honor and glory is more intense among family members. For example, a poor performance for a prospective male hunter may reflect poorly on his father and the offspring in question may be punished for it. There is also at least one example of a Monarchy in a clan, with Prince being a highborn of his respective people.

Father-son relationships are typically not affectionate; this is especially true for Hish clans, who commonly "recycle" one or two of the six offspring they always birth. Shesh-Kuk, for instance, did not understand the human desire and concern for the well-being of one offspring. He later supposed if he only had one offspring at a time as humans do, though, he would care more for its survival. A sire, more than anyone else, expects his children to be fine hunters and will not shed a tear for any who fail. This can be seen in how Dachande's father sharply corrects his surviving son for showing concern for the death of his brother, Nei'hman-de.

Fatherandsonpredator

Hook and Splitter, father and son.

Offspring can be callous to their parents as well, an example being when Splitter found his father, Hook, caught in an elevator and decided to mangle and cauterize the old hunter to free him. However, being described in the meta as "problem children", their relationship might be abnormal. Set-Thwei was similarly stern to his two sons, Edge and Jackal, warning them that if they failed the Blooding Hunt, they were not welcome back on the mothership. However, Fire, another young hunter, is infected by a Xenomorph facehugger. Set-Thwei leaps to destroy the ship carrying the embryo but hesitates in remembering that his two sons are on board. He does ultimately engage the ship, aware his two children could die as a result, figuring they could handle the crash (and that he'd intervene if they couldn't).

This callousness may be reserved for young adults, as Yautja have been recorded being protective of their younger offspring. For instance, the Nightmare Kid, younger and smaller than even an Un-Blooded, was described as a child and was kidnapped by a human named Sake Chiba to fight in an illegal fighting ring. His father, an unnamed and proper hunter, went on a murderous rampage to retrieve his son and was both outraged he'd been captured but relieved he was alive and safe. Sires will sometimes train their offspring as well, as demonstrated with Nk'mecci and his father.

Sibling-sibling relationships can be closer, and siblings often hunt together for their Blooding Ritual. Celtic, Chopper, and Scar were three such brothers who hunted together in Antarctica to become Blooded. When Chopper was slain by Grid, Celtic was enraged at his younger brother's death and tried to kill the alien to avenge him. Chopper himself looked up to and often tried to impress his elder brother, Celtic.[27] Neither brother seemed to have an especially close relationship to Scar, who didn't seem to react much to their deaths and was described as more of a loner[28].

Dachande and his half-brother Nei'hman-de were very close, often celebrating together over C'ntlip, Even though they only shared a sire and had different mothers. After Nei'hman-de's death during the blooding ritual, Dachande is coerced into feeling nothing for his brother's demise by his father and eventually grows cold to his passing, feeling his brother is a "loser". Even so, Dachande still occasionally thought about his deceased sibling. However, siblings do not always get along. Edge and Jackal bore enmity towards one another, though it was particularly strong for Jackal. While Edge simply saw Jackal as a hothead, but cared for him nonetheless, Jackal viewed Edge as being arrogant and despised him. Rivalries among like-aged Yautja are common, even among siblings, but this is notably the only instance of a malicious sibling rivalry.

Leisurepredator

A Yautja off the hunt, receiving a distress call.

Off The Hunt[]

Machikohunters

Machiko prepares food for the clan after being cheated out of her place in the hunt.

Though they center their lives around it, Yautja do have times when they do not hunt. However, this leisure time is still largely offworld for male Yautja and still relates to hunting. When they are not hunting, they are training for the next hunt or preparing trophies from previous successful hunts for proper presentation[29]. Senior Yautja are often coordinating the next hunt among themselves, either obtaining exclusive hunting rights to a planet or negotiating with other clan authorities about who hunts where. Some leisure activities are not hunt related, however. There are known to be philosophers among the Yautja race[30], for instance. Yautja as young as young-bloods and un-bloodeds have periods where they are allowed to interact and drink socially, C'ntlip being an alcoholic and aphrodisiac beverage among Yautja. Yautja, usually retirees or other non-hunting roles, are seen preparing food for the clan and operating primarily as ship workers.

Yautjapit

Blooded and better Yautja may take breaks from the hunt to enjoy the company of a female once they've earned the right to be considered for breeding. For Un-blooded and Youngbloods, they will often share one big communal living space during their down time, called "The Pit". In the Pit, young aspiring hunters can be seen cooking, stretching, talking, and even napping innocuously on bedrolls. Only high ranked Yautja have personalized quarters and hunting gear. Females are rarely seen hunting and are said to rule clans on their homeworlds. They also raise the young of the species for the first few decades of life.

When off the hunt, Yautja notably where little clothing, with only a few pieces of fabric to keep them decent.

Hish Clans[]

The Hish-qu-Ten are a particular deviation from the mainstream hunters. Their society is similar however, with one Hish, known as Exquisitely Blooded Great Hierarch ruling over the entire species, which then separates into clans. Unlike most predator clans, who follow the Yautja Honor Code, Hish communities are known differ irreconcilably. One recorded instance of two clans attempting to merge resulted in disaster.[31]

At least one Hish Clan, one Sesh-Kuk had membership in, is recorded to take still very young Suckling (called "Floor Creepers") on hunts to instill a deep joy and respect for the hunt.

Known Clans[]

Bad Blood Clans[]

References[]

  1. Predator: Concrete Jungle (video game)
  2. The Rage War trilogy
  3. Aliens versus Predator: Extinction
  4. Marc Cerasini. Alien vs. Predator, p. 82 (2004), HarperEntertainment.
  5. Aliens vs. Predator Film Novelization
  6. S. D. Perry. Aliens vs. Predator: War, p. 223 (1999), Bantam Spectra.
  7. Alien vs Predator: The Hunt Begins
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftzTOGbJLDw&index=5&list=PLfcy2N1YzghcDR7UuPQvHyY47jwlcbO1e
  9. Steve Perry, Stephani Perry. Aliens vs. Predator: Prey, p. 105 (1994), Bantam Spectra.
  10. Michael Finch, Alex Litvak (writers), Nimród Antal (director). Predators (2010), 20th Century Fox [DVD].
  11. https://shop.prodosgames.com/home/356-predator-elders.html
  12. https://shop.prodosgames.com/home/396-elite-predators.html
  13. Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet
  14. https://www.lulu-berlu.com/upload/image/neca---alien-vs-predator---temple-guard-predator-p-image-333734-grande.jpg
  15. Alien vs. Predator: 2
  16. Predator: Concrete Jungle
  17. https://prodosgames.com/sites/prodosgames.com/files/files/avp_unleashed_1_1.pdf
  18. Steve Perry, Stephani Perry. Aliens vs. Predator: Prey, p. 34 (1994), Bantam Spectra.
  19. S. D. Perry. Aliens vs. Predator: War, p. 22 (1999), Bantam Spectra.
  20. Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet
  21. Aliens vs. Predator: Prey
  22. Predator: If It Bleeds
  23. Aliens vs. Predator: Hunter's Planet
  24. Predator: If It Bleeds
  25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n49k229kxMQ
  26. Poachers
  27. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/716c93OxHzL._SL1001_.jpg
  28. NECA, Scar figurine description
  29. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
  30. Alien vs. Predator: War
  31. Predator: Forever Midnight
Advertisement