Credit: LucasfilmSci-fi buddy-ups are nothing new. Star Wars alone is full of them. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). The franchise is also no stranger to pairings where a character is carried by another. The Mandalorian/Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu. Cal Kestis and BD-1. The list goes on.
Many fans assume this dynamic started with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Yoda (Frank Oz) in Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back (1980), but it was actually Chewbacca and C-3PO that got the ball rolling. Though not quite as iconic as seeing Yoda ride Luke’s back during his training through the misty swamps of Dagobah, it’s still nostalgic to think of Chewie carrying the protocol droid on his back during the sequence on Cloud City.
Star Wars Inspired Many “Piggyback” Character Pairings
After C-3PO is shot to bits by stormtroopers, the loyal Wookiee bundles up his pieces and carries them on his back until he’s later reassembled. But Threepio isn’t completely out of action—he can still speak, which makes for some pretty comical moments.
Along with Yoda and Luke, this dynamic inspired many similar duos in the faraway galaxy, but also in other franchises, like when Rocket (Bradley Cooper) climbs onto Groot’s shoulders in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014).
Now, the Predator franchise has become the latest to force two unlikely characters together, taking a page directly out of the Chewie/C-3PO manual.
While Predator: Badlands (2025), the seventh film in the Predator series, will be told from the POV of one of the extra-terrestrial warriors (Dek), we also get a supporting character in the form of Thia (played by Elle Fanning), a Weyland-Yutani android as seen in the Alien movies. Watch the new trailer below:
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Badlands Could Have One of the Best Star Wars Pairings Yet
The Predator films are built mostly on suspense, horror, and action, however, while Badlands looks more action-packed than some of the previous films combined, there also appears to be a healthy dose of comedy. And it all comes from Thia, with Elle Fanning seemingly playing a sarcastic and witty android (although rumor has it that she’s playing two characters in the new film).
“I could help you!” she teases Dek. But when the Predator refuses her assistance, dropping her on top half on the ground (the bottom half of her body is lost for reasons yet to be explained), she turns to walk away on her arms while happily bidding the warrior farewell and good luck.
But the most stand-out moment comes when Dek straps Thia’s top-half onto his back. Fans have already flooded the comment sections on social media and YouTube to note the similarities between the Predator/droid team-up and the Wookie/droid and Luke/Yoda duos.
Who knows — maybe the Predator universe will form a more direct connection to Star Wars seeing as it’s already joining up with Alien and seemingly Independence Day, both of which fall under the Disney banner following the 20th Century Fox acquisition.
When Can I Watch Predator: Badlands?
“Predator: Badlands, which stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, is set in the future on a remote planet, where a young Predator (Schuster-Koloamatangi), outcast from his clan, finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary,” the synopsis from The Walt Disney Company reads.
Badlands is one of two new Predator movies; the other is an animated film titled Predator: Killer of Killers which is now streaming on Disney+. Both films are directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who helmed 2022’s Predator prequel, Prey.
Badlands releases in theaters on November 7.
Are you excited about Predator: Badlands? Share your thoughts on the new trailer below!