The Amengi - The Race Who Enslaved The Predators (Predator Lore)
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- If you’re familiar with Alien vs. Predator Galaxy, it should come as no surprise that I’d be interested in exploring more of those could-have-beens. But unlike some of our other videos, this isn’t an alternate script. It’s a look at an alternate design that has eventually been retconned into something completely different. And the road that this particular retcon has took really fascinates me.
Once upon a time Stan Winston wasn’t involved in the creature design for Predator. He stepped in at the 11th hour and he and his team helped created one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time. But before that, Steve Johnson and Boss Film Studio were the ones at the helm of the creature design, with Jean Claude Van Damme inside the suit.
I wont go into a breakdown of the behind-the-scenes regarding that particular design, but the Van Damme Predator has been something of a curiosity ever since. Some fans mistake Predators’ River Ghost as an homage to this design - it's not, that was deliberately inspired by the Guyver armour - but the red special effects version of the original suit did get a shout-out during the trick-or-treat scenes in The Predator.
But did you know that that design is now known as an Amengi? No? And what the hell are the Amengi? Unless you’re a collector of NECA’s action figures, or a reader of the worse of the expanded universe, chances are this is something new to you.
Alien vs. Predator Galaxy once again turned to Declan Loftus to visualize a fight between the Amengi and the Predator for this video, which we're also using as the cover image!
www.avpgalaxy....
This is actually pretty good. Adds a plausible element to why the Predators can be so advanced and triple primitives at the same time.
Not sure why people assume technological growth and philosophical growth go hand in hand.
@@unknownsword9042 Not sure why people think that warrior spirit, honor code and thrill of the hunt are primitive. I think our culture and civilization made a wrong turn
@@unknownsword9042 because technological advancement likely requires creativity and cooperation. It is hard to foster those traits if a society sees hunting not only as a pastime, but as the most important pursuit on which all else is focused.
@@andreatrajkovic5833 cause people generally like to live long, happy lives - not exactly something the predators are known for. After all, despite being able to theoretically live thousands of years, most predators die a painful death before they are even a century old.
If you do want that for yourself, there are plenty of places in this world were you can have an exciting, "honorable" and short life.
In fact, you can watch plenty of interviews, for example about westerners travelling to Syria to fight for the IS to be "honorable warriors". Tell me how happy they are with their decision.
@@mylex817 that Is based on pur limited knowledge and limited view of the world.
Reality Is, societies could develop advanced technologies without harming their environment or adhering to the cultural ways without changing
Just cause we went down one path, does not mean it's the only path
I know the novel may not have been great but I love the Amengi. It's almost exactly the backstory I always imagined, that the Predators got their tech by staving off an alien invasion. The fact those aliens are based off the OG costume is f'n fantastic. I want to see more of these guys, and even a prequel showing the story of the Alpha Predator taking them down. So B.A.
Alpha is my favorite Predator by a longshot. He is literally the Spartacus of the Yautja
What novel are you talking about?
@@Kradus Forever Midnight
Now that would be a great concept for a movie! 👍
I actually like this lore because it explains why the predators technology basically remain stagnant for hundreds of years. They use the exact same ships weapons and tech hundreds of years ago as they do now. It makes sense because they weren’t the creators of it
also their aging affects why their technology advance slowly like yautja’s 50-60 y/o equal to humans 18 y/o.
but they made an upgrade from the amengi tech like plasmacaster, mask, cloak etc means they already learn about the tech but probably they cant go any further since the tech is made from amengi and maybe only amengi race who knows whats the composition to make new tech
I have to say, I absolutely love the idea of the original, discarded Predator design being repurposed into another race within the Predator universe.
So I dug around in my old comic collection and found in "Predator: Big Game" issue 2/4, a Yautja is hunting on a Navajo reservation in the SW. In a fight with the local sheriff the Predator's wrist computer is shown to be damaged by the cop's gunfire. After it kills the Sheriff it's shown sitting by a campfire using a (what looks like) a monocle and soldering pen to make internal repairs to the mechanics on its wrist gauntlet, before it turns to attack the Navajo spying on him...
Don't know how much anyone else cares about the Yautjas' intellect, beyond hunting--but if you do--I hope this example gives you a little more confidence in it, too :)
I've read it. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Anyone who's mastered space travel is not to be underestimated
Anyone can drive a car; how many people could build one from parts, or for that matter, create the parts to begin with. Knowing how to use a tool does not denote a great level of intelligence.
@@bigwitt187 that's what he's saying, they know how to repair tools so they know how it works.
@@amitypredator9385 The thing is though, did they master it or did the Amengi? I mean, after thousands of years their gear seems to remain the same...
@@arcotroll8530 maybe, but perhaps they've reached a dead end as far as developing technology goes, and they're still far more advanced than humans
I always saw the predator species as more of an insectoid. The mandibles, the gooey green blood, and in the first predator movie when Sgt. "Mack" saves Dillon from a painful scorpion sting, the predator looks and sounds very vengeful watching the scorpion turn cold in its hand. "Anytime". Not to mention the blaster is sort of reminiscent of a scorpion tail in the way it is activated.
They’re Synapsids early mammals. Like gorgonopsids.
The predators are more like mammals and reptiles
They respect the race that made them what they are perhaps that is why.
I always thought the predator species the Yautja were based on crabs and lobsters and not insects.
@@lemongrab6173 I always thought the predator species the Yautja were based on crabs and lobsters and not insects.
I love these way of writers using cut content of the universe they write, and make it apart of the lore, as older variants/versions of a species, weapon, etc.
I always had a feeling that Predators were actually genetically modified like Space Marines. This was a cool video
That would be true only for the first few generations. After that I expect they were being born naturally but the genetic enhancements had passed down the generations. There are after all, female Yautja, larger, stronger and also smarter than the males.
That's awesome our Yautjas earned their skills and weren't always at the top of the Hunter species 😉
Would love to see a trilogy based on this lore.
Much like the Alien, the original Predator design looked great on paper, or as a maquette, but suffered as a costume. With today's CGI, the time is right to see this creature appear in a new movie.
I'd rather see the version the book described; multiple legs, technology imbedded in them, wings replaced with green things. Sounds more interesting to see something totally alien.
Well we are getting “PREY” august 5th and the trailer looked amazing so!!
@@zzirfamo24 it looked horrible!!! A 100lb girl is gonna be the predator who was born for killing w/ a axe!!! Ridiculous woke garbage
@@zzirfamo24 trailer was bad. Movie looks whack
@@jorreacts8902 naw that’s all your opinion kid
This is great lore. It gives so much reason as to why the Yautja’s prioritize their power in mind and body. In order to avoid another invasion and enslavement they make sure as a species that they are physically, intellectually, and technologically prepared. By hunting the best they become the best and are capable of fighting off potential threats to their people and planet.
Their tribalistic culture married with adopted advanced technology is perfect for making them a formidable force for any enemy who wishes to attack or oppress them. It also speaks to their honor. Having been forced into fighting rings and understanding what it’s like to be oppressed they don’t seek out to enslave any other race. They simply want to hone their abilities and in doing so incentivize the species they hunt to become stronger as well by experience.
Great video Hicks! This is absolutely fascinating. I'm a huge fan of the Van Damme monster (not as a Predator but as it's own creature). I really love that Neca worked it into the Armor of their Alpha Predator, but since I never got the figure I wasn't privy to the back story that they had created for the Amengi. I think this is great stuff and is now in my official head cannon for Predator lore. I wasn't even aware of the Amengi race at all in the novel Forever Midnight as it was so bad (I hate to say disparaging thing about books because writing is hard but...) I didn't get very far into the book because I had to put it down after just a few chapters. This is all great stuff. I love lore videos, especially Predator lore as there is so little of it in comparison to Alien lore. Keep up the good work guys.
good thing they didnt abandon the original predator concept
i would love to see them in the possible future movies
Been a fan since I was a kid, maybe not a hardcore fan but I always try to keep up if there’s anything new as far as AVP and this was quite as exciting as me finding the life and death comic series. And this does make sense as though it can be believable that the yautja race evolved on their own to be what they are as well as developed their technology but in this context it does make more sense not only how they got their technology but also their defining trait as a species as hunters and really does explain being barely armored despite the huge technological leap and explains their odd physiology being a mix of insects, reptiles, while still looking somewhat humanoid. Really cool.
So, the Predator went all Pickle Rick on the Amengi?! I love it!
We need a movie with the whole predator race and planet . And how life is on their planet .
They already made that bro
It was pretty good too
@@drekelley2352 oh yea. What year. I never seen it. Was it good.
@@theyreoutthere.huntinggear it was o.k...I thought it was good. Some people don't. It was called predators
@@drekelley2352 thanks ill be checking it out today.
The Guyver Vs Predator would be crazy.
No it wouldn't guyver would destroy the predator so fast. It's not even a fair fight.
@@oddthomas5544
Guyver vs Aliens.
Sheer numbers with acid blood, and they would have to be mostly invisible to Guyver sensors.
Better match.
in predator Hunting Grounds, the game, the Alpha Predator dawns an Amengi Helmet/outfit! who knew!
so this explains how a borderline uncivilized species like the Yautja would develop advanced space travel
That does make sense - that the Yautja were Uplifted animals, and did not evolve naturally. It's really about the only way I could imagine them coming into being. I'd always figured that they were created as mercenaries by a small, technologically ingenious, and not particularly warlike race, but them being gladiators also makes sense. The other possibility would be that somewhere far out there, there's a whole empire of smaller, skinnier Yautja - smarter, without the claws, and with auxiliary hands on the sides of their heads instead of the mandibles. And the ones we see, the Hunters, are a specialized military sub-species who hunt to occupy themselves, keep their skills sharp, and scout for danger to that empire.
Makes sense when in predator 2 the government organization that had recovered certain bits of their tech was found to have some of the Yautja's cells/skin on it and found to have "steroidal compounds" within said cells. At least taken in bits here and there
actually makes a lot of sense
since the whole idea of predator "scientists" is pretty absurd
Monkeh, can't accept anything if it doesn't fit into their tiny brains
@@Merknilash How so? You don't think warrior cultures would look highly on those that give them the ability to fight? Weaponsmiths weren't exactly looked down on in Earth history.
@@unknownsword9042 It's not the "weaponcrafting" - it's all the insane amount of nerdy science leading up to "plasma shooting from a cannon" technology
If they make movie with this story its a huge hit. Nice video
Wow i cant believe i didn't know this.
Thanks for the info
Awesome to hear that one of these designs was based on The Guyver. That was my favorite anime as a kid that I should not have been watching 😂
Same here lol. 8pm on the sci fi channel lol
The whole thing is on RUclips free if you want a nostalgia trip
I really like this side of the Yautja history. I think it fits better than there were just predators always. This needs to be addressed and i hope the pray movie will shed some light on the predator history.
I actually enjoyed your channel and this video being my first viewing so I've subscribed and hope to come across more enjoyable vids of yours
Cannot wait for PREY
I like this explanation of the development of the predators instead of them being created by the engineers. Now what would be interestingly dope if the engineers did seed life on yatjua prime giving birth to hish. While the amengi were responsible for their warrior like evolution. Would solidify the enginers and give presidence to the amengi as well. Would love to hear others opinion on my comment.
I really like the idea of the Predators earning their freedom with the help of their revered "Alpha Predator". 😃
Great channel! Really liking the content
Alien VS Predator VS Terminator VS Humans is what I want to see, done WELL on screen.
It would be awesome to see this in in a movie or even better a series/season format, with Dan Trachtenberg, Ridley Scott or Neil Blomkamp behind the project. I understand it would be hard to make without any humans in it providing any dialogue, but if it can be made somehow, it would provide a strong base for the Yautja mentality and tech. I love all the Predator movies (except the one from 2018). It's a really underestimated franchise imo.
nice! :) a deeper lore than i suspected.
Would love to see this on screen! I love the idea.
No thanks. "The" Predator did enough damage to the lore.
@@skepticalbadger Prey is coming out next year so TOO BAD!
Cool Ilike and Subscribed.
Interesting video, subscribed! 👍
I like the retconned version and would love to see them make a return in the form of a video game or movie
Rise of the Predator would be a awesome movie or even short
This seems like a variant of Larry Niven’s Kzin turning the tables on the more technically advanced Jotok.
Just imagine what happens when another lot of amengi come and see what happened to the previous wave of amengis. That will be an honourable war between amengi and predators
I prefer the idea that Yautja tech was developed by them. What made the Predator so unique as an alien race was the fact that they were so advanced yet still retained a strong cultural identity. Some call it primitive, but that’s why the Yautja species lasted for so long and why humanity may not.
I think Kaail should have fashioned his armor from a special Amengi that he personally killed. Like the emperor of their race, or general of their armies, or the fiercest warrior that they had on the battlefield, or maybe Kaail's personal slave owner.
Well, we have to be honest, the Yautja couldn't have developed any tech with that kind of vision.
Why? Humans have gone from tossing shit at each other to travelling the moon
@@shelldie8523 But we could SEE shit.
For a Yautja a cable is a cabled is a cable is a cable ... or you can't develop circutry if all you see is a slab.
Thank you for participating in "Although you're sci fi fan, you are just bright enough to be a caveman!"
@@bladerunner3314
Well they only use bio-masks in hunts, most of the time they don't have them on and they are able to operate their tech, drive ships or produce things without them on, so clearly their vision isn't as bad as you are saying.
@@warchiefvenomn7612 Do you people even watch the movies?
The mask gives them additional spectrums, none of which is able to differentiate between colors or too good at details.
Without the mask, they see even less.
Do a self test, put on some infrared goggles and try to assemble ANYTHING technical. Solder ANYTHING and I will promise, the best thing you will achieve is NOT to burn your house down.
You people are about as educated as a wet bag of door knobs.
I really love the idea of this species enslaving the predators only to actually help them become the Masters and real rulers of their planet and then the preadtors turning them into their own slaves to help them further advance into a technological Superior civilization over other civilizations across the universe this is a very good interesting backstory and it's very possible what that these aliens were all created by the very same race that created the predators and engineers as well before the engineers would create the rest of life in the galaxy like their creators before them.
It would be crazy!
Some of these names sound like they are connected to something very REAL in Indigenous folklore.
Amengi sounds like a name given to them by Africans, like the Chitauri.
It is now head canon that the Amengi enslaved the Predators only to become enslaved by the Predators and are now subservient to the more dominating Predators.
Head canon,canon,non canon, it don’t matter
It’s interesting that the river ghost was based on the Guyver. Especially because the Amengi look like a type of Zoanoid
GUVYER!
BIOBOOST!
Guyvaaaaaaa
Never seen a race who enslaved the enslaver of xenomorph
Wow... I remember when AvPG was just a website... Now you have a youtube channel too lol
Reminds me of all the alien conspiracies I hear about
I really enjoy your voice
So Im supposed to substitute 30 years of multible content history for a one off figure placard..Dont insult me. Great Vid too bro.
I’d like to see them in a movie now
Bc of covid we never got to see that alternate original rough draft script comic
Van Damme looks so miserable in that costume. 🤣
"Van Damme's Predator" 😂
That is why i am Xenomorph team they are also a race enslaved by Predators and they fight them to survive just like in AVP 2010
The predator has many good story lines.
A movie of the time period when the predators overthrew them and became the dominant species would be cool.
It would be basically that family guy episode where stewie and Brian give guns to the Indians and they eventually rise up against European colonists and take over the Continent but have modern technology now
I have that neca figure thing is badass.
If they did a TV Show of this it would be good I think!!!
She killed that
This could be an useful idea for a new entry in the AVP's universe, what if the invaders the predators massacred/enslaved weren't alone, but only ONE of the race's clans? Imagine if some of their "Brothers" arrives and find that the lost colony had been destroyed by their former slaves. The matter could became very, VERY interesting, such as an alliance btw predators & humans to fight a common dangerous AND technologically advanced foe.
I always wondered who built their ships, weapons and invisibility shields. ...just don't see "nerd" predators running experiments, "tweeking this or that, taking coffee breaks, etc...
From what I've heard of the novel, it doesn't sound very good, but the basic premise of the Yautja origin presented in it (the ancestral Hish being enslaved, only to be liberated by the Alpha Predator and becoming the greatest hunters in the galaxy) *is* interesting.
Honestly, I'd like to see the concept adapted into a proper story... without all of the outlandish extra biological/cultural baggage presented in the book.
Maybe not as a movie, as the Predators are more interesting when they're kept mysterious, but as a comic or a new novel. Or even as a video game! Imagine playing *AS* the Alpha Predator during his liberation of the Hish.
In the expanded universe id like to see how the engineers fit in to the hole predator story amegi must of come in contact with the engineers at some point can someone please write a book of law thats cannon in this universe and I dont want the alien and predator universe to be separated either im definitely not a fan of the movie well mybe the first one but it was a waste when there are so many dark horse stories they could of done on the big screen and they would of made a killing
Gtfo with your avp bs
for the engineers, what if they were fighting the Amengi and developed the Xenomorph as a means to counter them. The engineers lost control of the Xenomorphs and subsequently became extinct as a result. The Amengi became lazy after that as their only real rival was gone.
@@TheShadowwarrior80 hell yeah now that micky owns the show maybe the will play it safe and build the universe up and the Canon with butchering it both franchise could be massive and the universe it dosnt always have to be about the xenomorphs and predators all the time either prometheus is a good example of that a standalone colonial marines movie its endless but back to the engineers and predators and amengi they could easily develop a story about it
After read
It's take my old thinking
Predator hunting as sport is understatement
They hunt is sacred act as to honor their ancestor for hunt down their Invaders
It's also the reason why they took rule of not harm creature who pose no threat
they learned from their past
Very interesting stuff
This would actually flesh out the Predator culture, and could be used to give reason why they seek out strong creatures across the galaxy, hunting aside. By doing so, they can also find any species that might be a threat to them, like the Amengi were..... Of course, in the process, it appears they've become a threat to other species in their own right--the last AVP.
I predicted that the predators didn’t create their technology not too long before finding out about the amengi
Fan theory, the amengi remind me of the bugs in district 9. Maybe there can be a crossover.
They should make a movie where all predators are enslaved and one predator saves and overcomes them all to protect his race and kingdom and destroys all the enemies.
this explains their interests in humans
*AMENGUS*
I want to see a live action prequel predator movie based on this
thank - you . ( 2022 / July / 04 )
Real covenant vibes
Can we have a movie with predators and engineers on it at same time!?
That's the original design of what a predator was supposed to look hehe
I love guyver
Imagine a Predator game in a Monster Hunter like setting.
Had the Original design been the design they kept because they had already made it and were shooting with it and some studios won't let a full redesign happen that late in the game due to cost. The Predator film would not have worked and it wouldn't become the massive hit and franchise that is still going today. Every time I see the clips of Van Damme in it I can't get over how slow and clunky it looks. No grace or elegance in its movements only out of place, awkward, and very unnatural movements that might be ok if it was CGI with today's technology but what existed in the 80s it wasn't possible.
However the Predator we got has silky smooth movements and can slice and dice with enough power to rip apart a human and dodge automatic gun fire even from old painless! Thank God and Stan Winston for correcting what could have been a disaster and for giving us 1 of the greatest alien designs if a film ever. Now if we can get the Predator films back on track. Yes Prey was better than most of us thought it would be but considering the dumpster fire that was The Predator that makes me want to hurt Shane Black. I thought the inclusion of the pistol from Predator 2 was a very bad mistake and was just as bad as the get to the chopper or the inclusion of something from all earth Predator fights in The Predator "F U Shane Black" only worse. It alters the Predator 2 ending and the cool Pirate fight were the Predator earned it.
We need a wolf predator origin story movie 💥💫💯
Even a Dachande (aka Broken Tusk) from the PREDATOR: PREY Novel .. Not the soon to be released Disney Movie.
Much prefer the Predator species being called the Hish. Sounds much better than the Yautja, which is comparable to the sound you make when you stand on a piece of Lego.
That was cool.
Maybe the Amengi are the race of aliens that come to earth in District 9?
That Amengi looks familiar i think i saw that on GUYVER DARK HERO movie.
Actually on Prey, the skull helmet used by the Predator looks like a skull from an Amengi, is it not?
South China Sea and Turnabout are sitting happily on my bookshelf. Forever Midnight I incinerated, so no one need suffer as I did.
😂
You could have gotten 60 bucks for that on eBay! 🔥🔥🔥
I guess never get comfortable to a degree if you don't want to start slacking...
I don't get it, how do you go from keeping predators as slaves, high stake hunting, gladiator battles to "content with their situation, as long as they have tetris and honey".
They could easily make a good a$$ movie about this backstory
Nothing was worse than the damage Dark Horse did to Aliens and Predator.
The Comics? Or the 2 AVP Movies?
The old design is too close to the xenos, glad they changed it to what we have today
so the predators never developed their own tech, very interesting
Wait ....what....this is new to me
Have any of you played the Xbox alien versus predator games. Where u play as an alien a marine and thena predator.
What y’all think about a movie where the predators overthrow the emangi …
Is the amengi just the silly green suit the put van Damme in early in production?
Yeah, basically they reused the design as an existing creature from the lore.