Predator: Badlands is a 2025 American science fiction action film directed by Dan Trachtenberg and is the sixth live-action entry in the Predator franchise. The film shifts the franchise's focus by telling the story of Dek, a young Yautja who defies his species' traditional warrior code. Predator: Badlands, unlike the other films in the series, is about the conflict between characters and cultural aspects of the aliens' society rather than just a hunt for humans by the Predator. The movie brings in Weyland-Yutani synthetics, which not only link the film to the bigger Alien universe but also allow it to be a standalone story.The film features Elle Fanning playing the dual roles of Thia and Tessa, two synthetics from opposing sides, and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi playing Dek, the Yautja protagonist. Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers further ahead about the film. Viewer's discretion advised.Tessa does not survive the ending of Predator: Badlands, as Dek kills her and later presents her decapitated head on Yautja Prime as his trophy.What happens in the movie Predator: Badlands? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAt the beginning of Predator: Badlands, Dek is shown as a hermit due to the fact that, among the Yautja, he is smaller than the others, and he has not found the traditional way of meeting the combat expectations. After he sees a creature on Genna named Bud, he tries to kill it even though it is clear that it is a Kalisk, just so that he can have a trophy from the successful hunt, which is part of the Yautja tradition. Afterward, however, he realizes that the Bud he met is actually the juvenile offspring of the Kalisk he had intended to kill. In doing so, Dek is directly opposing the Codex of the Yautja, which states that they are friend to none, and specifically protects the one that he chooses to kill; instead of hunting it, he decides to save it.Meanwhile, Weyland-Yutani Corporation synthetics Tessa and Thia are stationed on Genna. Tessa, as well as a group of other synthetics, tries to capture the Kalisk for the purpose of using its regenerative biology as a model for corporate products. Thia is against Tessa’s plan, and at last, she teams with Dek. To carry out a rescue operation to save Thia and to stop the Kalisk from being exploited, Dek uses the planet’s creatures to arm himself, exploding worms, razor-like grasses, and poisonous flowers. Dek, Thia, and Bud go to the Weyland-Yutani’s base to get the Kalisk they have been arrested and set it free.Read More: “Back to bit parts then?”- Netizens react as Meghan Markle is set to make acting comeback in new movie starring Lily Collins and Jack QuaidWhat happens to the Kalisk? Predator: Badlands (Image Via 20th Century Studios)It is the Kalisk that plays an essential role in Predator: Badlands because of its regenerative capabilities. The reason why the Kalisk is to be the subject under research and is being guarded by Weyland-Yutani is its rapid healing and regrowth of the damaged tissue. At gunpoint in the final confrontation, Dek and Thia force the Kalisk to attack Tessa to stop Weyland-Yutani from kidnapping them. However, Tessa doesn't take it lying down, and she pilots a mechanical exo-suit similar to a Power Loader to fight back. The Kalisk eventually defeats Tessa and gobbles her up.Nevertheless, earlier in the movie, Tessa had taken Dek's freeze grenades. She hits them inside the Kalisk and sets them off, freezing the creature and then shattering it. The Kalisk is done for. Even though the Kalisk is killed, Bud, who turns out to be the Kalisk's offspring, is still alive. In the very last moments before the credits roll, it shows Bud is already starting to get bigger, implying that the continuation of the species is through the surviving ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌juvenile.What‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ happened to Tessa and did she survive?Predator: Badlands (Image Via 20th Century Studios)Tessa was not alive at the end of Predator: Badlands. After the Kalisk is blown up from the inside by the freeze grenade, Tessa comes out heavily damaged but still functional. She tries to kill Thia and accuses her of being too empathetic and on Dek's side. When Tessa was about to shoot her, Dek came from behind and stabbed her with his plasma sword. The camera angle changes before seeing the full fight, but the movie implies that Dek severs Tessa's head.Later, Dek goes back to Yautja Prime and shows Tessa’s head to his dad as proof of his victory in the fight. This act of giving the head is what confirms that Tessa did not survive her last fight with Dek. Her head is shown as a trophy, and no scene indicates a possible comeback or survival after ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌that.Read More: Nuremberg (2025) ending explained: Can Douglas Kelley hold on to his morality?The movie was released in theatres on November 7, 2025.