Predator vs Rambo: why the Predator wins more often than not

Predator versus Rambo: who wins? If there is one human who has a legit shot at taking down a Predator, no matter what, I'd say it would probably be John Rambo. But when I weigh everything up, I'm giving this one to the Predator more often than not.

The case for Rambo starts with Predator (1987), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how the creature was defeated in that first movie.

How Dutch beat the Predator, and why it sounds like Rambo

Go back and look at how the Predator was taken down in the first movie. Dutch didn't overpower it, and he didn't beat it in a fist fight. He won by using the jungle, covering himself in mud to hide his body heat, and setting up traps until he finally managed to catch the Predator off guard.

That is what Rambo does. He has spent his entire life mastering guerrilla warfare. He can disappear into the jungle, build deadly traps out of almost nothing, and take down entire groups of soldiers without anybody knowing where he is. And unlike Dutch, Rambo usually does all of this completely alone.

Why Rambo could beat younger Predators

So if Rambo figures out what he's dealing with, I think he could give a Predator a pretty serious fight. In fact, I'm going to say that Rambo would beat a lot of younger Predators.

What an elite Predator brings to the fight

Here's the problem. When the Predator is at its best, it is so much more than a big alien hiding out in some trees. "A skilled elite predator is the hunter." It's an invisible stalker with thermal vision, superhuman strength, advanced tracking, and a plasma cannon mounted on its shoulder that can kill Rambo with one hit.

We've seen Predators take down entire groups of heavily armed soldiers, all of them elite mercenaries and the best there is.

Rambo would need the same luck Dutch had

The way Rambo wins is the same way Dutch won: he gets a little lucky, and the Predator gives him time in the fight. Remember, Dutch lucked into the fact that mud could hide him from thermal vision. And the Predator eventually decided to fight him without its advanced weapons.

"Rambo isn't guaranteed any of those same opportunities."

My verdict: the Predator wins

I would say Rambo has the skills, the IQ and the survival instincts to potentially pull off the upset here. But more often than not, I'm going to give this one to the Predator. The Predator wins.