The following contains spoilers for Predator: Killer of Killers, now streaming on HuluPredator: Killer of Killer's main characters is brought to a Predator world and pit against one another in a massive coliseum.

During the climactic "Killer of Killers" fight between Ursa, Kenji, and Torres, each of them is presented a weapon reflecting their culture and skills. Unfortunately for Torres, that means an outdated flintlock pistol that he quickly realizes is more complicated than the guns he's used to in the 20th century. However, the pistol's real importance isn't in the story of Predator: Killer of Killers but rather in how it connects the different eras of the Predator timeline together and solidifies the idea that all the disconnected films are bonded.

Who Is Raphael Adolini In The Predator Series

Raphael Appears As A Minor But Important Character In Prey

The name on the side of the flintlock pistol in Predator: Killer of Killers is Raphael Adolini, meaning it is Predator 2. Raphael was a member of the French fur-trappers who encountered Naru during the events of Prey. Raphael is the only one of the fur traders who can communicate with Naru thanks to his multi-lingual skills, and inquires about her knowledge of the mysterious alien killer. Raphael ends up being the only survivor of the failed assault on the Predator, although he is severely injured in the fight.

In Prey, Raphael Adolini is played by Bennett Taylor (Motherland: Fort Salem)

It's Raphael who teaches Naru how to use a gun, giving her the lesson in exchange for her help in attending to his wounds. Although she initially can stem the bleeding and slow down his heartbeat enough that the Predator can't find him, the alien stepping on the wounds causes Raphael to scream in pain — which gets him killed. However, it is Raphael's death that reveals to Naru that the Predator can't detect people if their body heat has dropped to a certain level.

Taking the flintlock pistol and adding it to her arsenal, Naru was eventually able to use this knowledge during her duel with the Predator, eventually bringing the pistol back to her tribe. The fact that the pistol was later recovered by the Yautja hinted that the aliens eventually confronted Naru again, as teased in the credits for Prey. The final moments of Killer of Killers confirm this when it reveals Naru is in stasis on their world, explaining how they were able to so easily present Raphael's pistol to Torres for his duel.

The Flintlock Pistol Appears In Prey & Predator 2

The Pistol First Appeared To Audiences Centuries After The Predators Found It

Raphael Adolini's flintlock pistol got a full explanation in Prey, but it had actually been introduced to audiences long before that. In 1997, during the events of Predator 2, a band of Predators led by the fearsome Greyback, arrives in Los Angeles. After tracking down the City Hunter to his Yautja ship, LAPD Lieutenant Mike Harrigan was able to outwit and kill the Predator with his own weapons. As a result of this triumph, he was spared by the other Predators and even given Adolini's pistol as a trophy to celebrate his victory.

The fact that the pistol has ended up back with the Yautja by the events of Predator: Killer of Killers suggests that, much like the other people who dispatched a Predator during their fights, Mike Harrigan might have been captured by the alien race and placed into suspended animation similar to Naru. Having now appeared in three of the six released Predator films, Raphael's flintlock is an undeniably iconic part of the franchise, whether it plays an important part in the narrative (as in Prey) or serves more as a connective tissue to other entries in the series.

Why The Pistol Is Important In The Predator Franchise

The Flintlock Pistol Is The Key To Understanding The Yautja Code & What Makes The Series So Adaptable

The flintlock pistol speaks to the universal and adaptable core of the Predator franchise and how the series defines the Yautja compared to other sci-fi mainstays. In Predator 2, the existence of the pistol proved to audiences that the Yautja had been coming to Earth for much longer than anyone might have expected. The alien race had clearly dealt with humans before, with the pistol fitting into the "trophy hunter" vibes that define the Yautja in Predator 2's ending. That single trophy set the stage for a more expansive Predator universe.

That historical connection opened the door to different eras for the Predators to hunt in, setting up the historical period settings for Prey and Killer of Killers. The Yautja recognizing the pistol as a warrior's weapon in this world also cements the idea that the Yautja only recognize worthy game by their ability to fight back. Seeing a flintlock pistol being given as a prize to share with a victorious human speaks volumes about the Yautja as a species that values honor and recognizes impressive feats regardless of species.

The flintlock pistol, introduced in the second entry of the Predator franchise, has become a quietly perfect signifier for the internal rules that define this setting. It speaks to the wide-ranging reach of the series in-universe and reveals an important detail that separates the Predators from other sci-fi villains. There's a sense of tribute and honor in their decision to give Mike the pistol, one that already had a sinister air to it that's now been confirmed by the suggestion that the Yautja must have returned to Earth to reclaim the pistol (and potentially bring Mike with them).

The flintlock pistol, more than anything else in the Predator franchise, feels like the key to a larger universe that the series is now fully embracing. It highlights what the alien race sees as valuable in humanity, revealing they can have a sense of respect for their prey. This ironically gives the aliens a touch of humanity, which in turn makes their gruesome actions all the more horrifying. The flintlock pistol showing up in Predator: Killer of Killers is a great piece of connective tissue between the films.