Predalien

The Predalien is the result of a Facehugger impregnating a Yautja, or, in rare cases, of genetic experimentation.

Fan opinions on it's appearance range from approval to total hatred. Some believe that the Predator's fleshy dreadlocks should not have been included, as Xenomorphs seem to retain more of their host's skeletal structure than their flesh. Some even argue that the mandibles should not have been included, effectively rendering the Predalien a stronger, bulked-up version of the human-incubated Drones. If however the dreadlocks are a biological flesh or tissue used in the predators survival of heat, it may have some advantages. This would explain the appearance of the tendrils; it would not however explain the short size of its skull compaired to other species. Its mandibles would remain as most of the human's skull features remain as present in the semi transparent alien head.

The AVP games have, however, shown a creature more in touch with it's Predator host than with other Xenomorphs: complete with large mandibles, a heavily-built physique, and dreadlocks - even going so far as to shorten the elongated head, and apparently remove the inner set of jaws. It is light brown, much like the skin color of the Predators.

The Predalien's status as a non-Canon caste is debatable. A Chestburster was seen at the end of the Alien vs. Predator movie, emerging from the Predator "Scar". It possessed mandibles, and was shown to have grown into a Predalien in the sequel. Of course, many fans seem to question whether the movie itself is Canon, due to poor reviews. Alien vs. Predator takes place many, many years before Alien, and the Predalien is most certainly dead from a nuclear explosion.

In Alien vs Predator: Requiem, the Predalien is a Queen that uses her mouth like a Facehugger to implant multiple chestbursters into a host at once. (At least four.)

It skinned the Predator in a deleted scene from the film, like a Predator skins a human.

In the game, the Predalien is not able to headbite. However, in Aliens vs. Predator 2: Primal Hunt, it is capable of using it's mandibles to instantly crush and consume the head of a foe. (It is likely that this addition was made due to the fact that the Predalien is the only class playable in the single-player campaign, and headbiting restores a large amount of health, far more than from simply clawing at a corpse.)

In Aliens vs. Predator: Extinction, the Predalien has a reddish exoskeleton, and the ability to secrete growth hormones during battle, making it molt and become more powerful. USCM flamethrowers cannot catch the predalien on fire making it useful against flame enemies altough it isnt armoured like the other strains but it isnt effected by that much in the game since it can molt giving it more max health.

Canonical information
Though it was always expected, the Predalien in Paul W.S Anderson's Alien vs Predator movie didn't make its appearance until the final scene of the movie. While on a ritual hunt, a Predator known as Scar was face-hugged after branding himself with the blood of his first Alien kill. During that brief moment of vulnerability, a Facehugger latched onto his face. Although he completed his trial and was eventually killed by the Alien Queen, the embryo inside him survived.

While his body laid to rest on an altar in the Predator ship and the Predators busied themselves for another hunt, the Predalien emerged (Alien vs Predator). Escaping into the depths of the ship the Predalien molts and grows. It gets a little ambiguous here due to the editing of the movie, but in the uncut version the PredAlien actually sneaks onto a Predator Scout ship that disengages from the Mothership as it passes Jupiter. After it has fully grown, the Predalien attacks the Predator crew and during the fight, the Scout ship is damaged and crashes onto Earth.

Along with several other Facehuggers, the Predalien escapes into the forest surrounding Gunnison, where they attempt to set up a hive in the sewer system. When a Warrior attempts to kill a homeless women, the PredAlien asserts herself and smacks the Warrior away preventing it from killing a potential host. After an investigative Predator intrudes in the sewers, a fight ensues and the Predalien and her fellow Aliens escape.

Appearance
As a hybrid of an Alien and a Predator, the Predalien has physical features reminiscent of a Predator. The most obvious of these features are the dreadlocks and mandibles. Although the practical purpose of the dreadlocks is unknown - from a design standpoint, the idea was to use the dreadlocks as a way to make it more obvious to the general audience that this was a crossbreed - they have a more Alien appearance to them. Rather than being fleshy tubes like on a Predator, they appear to be more segmented and ridged, somewhat like an Alien tail and Chet's cowl. Its mace like tail is thicker and more powerful than its human incubated conterparts which can easily slam more powerful opponents like a Yautja.

The mandibles however serve a practical purpose. They are used for similar reasons such as the eight finger-like digits on a Facehugger. The Predalien clamps down on it's victims head and uses the mandibles to hold the host's head secure. It has an enlarged tongue/internal mouth - also with mandibles - which is possibly an evolutionary advantage because it allows the Predalien to go deeper within a victim to implant the embryo.

From the front, the Predalien would seem to show more Predator attributes than Alien. It has a more muscular physique than any other Alien previously encountered. It would appear that the Predalien actually possesses pecks as well as muscular biceps. The skin tones also varies. The chest, shoulder and thigh areas all have a Predator style skin tone - yellows, mottled black spots and etc while the back seems more Alien like. The back of the Predalien is black and features the dorsal tubing that are found on the LV-426 variety of Aliens. The bottom of the leg has a more biomechanical appearance than the Predator bred Xenomorphs encountered in Antarctica and Gunnison.

Another interesting feature of the Predalien is it's transparent cowl. This is a feature that wouldn't be encountered again until the Nostromo incident. However, unlike the Alien encountered then, only a small portion of the Predalien's cowl is transparent as opposed to the whole head. Underneath the cowl you can see Predator skull - just like a human skull could be seen in the aforementioned Alien. The exact reasoning behind these skulls or transparency is unknown but some theorize it is to do with age.

Also of interest is it's Queen-like carapace. According to the directors Brothers Strause, the reasoning behind this was because Chet is a young Queen but they have contradicting themselves before by saying the new reproductive cycle is exclusive to Predaliens. It maybe extra protection due to the fact that the Predaliens, or the only one encountered so far, can actually breed and as such are in need of the extra protection of a more protective carapace.

Reproduction
The Predalien encountered in Gunnison showcased a method of reproduction as rare as the egg morphing method. The Predalien is capable of impregnating hosts without any eggs or facehuggers. The Predalien itself is essentially one giant facehugger. Using its mandibles, it clamps down onto a hosts face and uses an abnormally long tongue - at least for an Alien - to deposit embryos into the host.

However, the only witnessed results of this method of impregnation have been via pregnant women. Instead of being laid in the chest and bursting their way out, it results in a cluster of chest-bursters being grown in the stomach, or quite possibly the womb. Given the various theories that ADI came up with, it's quite possible that the Alien embryos replaced the human babies. The prenatal matter might be used to expedite the growth of the Aliens. Another curious thing about this variation on Alien procreation is the speed in which the embryos grow. Though the exact time frame is unknown, it's safe to say that it happened within a ten minute period.

Now the reasoning behind this variation on the existing life cycle is unknown. It's never actually discovered the reasoning behind the change in the reproductive method but there are a few theories. One is that the variation was caused by a Predator being the host. Some consider the Predator to have stronger DNA which resulted in more mutation in the Alien. It is believed that the change could have been influenced by the Predator's own reproductive method.

Another possible theory is that the Predalien is actually in an intermittent stage between Drone and Queen. Since the Predalien displays a similar crest to the Queen, it is quite possible that Chet is actually a Praetorian but due to being hosted by a Predator, its appearance is very different to those seen. If this is the case, the reproductive method as used by the Predalien would be temporary, lasting only until she had grown to maturity and was capable of producing and laying her own eggs.