Warning: Spoilers for Prey ahead!
The trusty dog companion, Sarii, was a highlight in Prey, but the animal's behind-the-scenes history makes her role even more noteworthy. Sarii, which translates to "dog" in Comanche, was a key character in the Predator prequel, serving as the pet to Prey protagonist Naru (Amber Midthunder). Prey followed Naru, a young woman who attempted to prove to her Comanche tribe that she was a capable warrior and hunter. During her journey with Sarii by her side, Naru tracked down a mysterious threat that turned out to be a Predator.
Naru's hunt to find the Predator took her on a journey in Prey, but the fearless warrior wasn't alone. Sarii joined Naru on her quest within the Comanche territory in search of the creature that skinned a rattlesnake and left unidentifiable tracks in the forest. Before that, Sarii accompanied her owner on hunts and missions involving Taabe (Dakota Beavers), so the dog was already quite comfortable traversing different terrains. Still, Sarii didn't show fear after the pair encountered grizzly before coming face-to-face with the Predator.
In fact, Sarii turned out to be the ultimate scene-stealing hero in Prey, putting her up there with some of the great dog companions in movie history. Aside from leading the bear away to give Naru time to prepare an attack, Sarii became an invaluable resource in the climactic battle against the Predator. Upon being rescued from the French fur trappers, Sarii assisted Naru in the final showdown with the extraterrestrial at the bog pit, retrieving Naru's axe to give the Comanche warrior the upper hand. The adorable dog and the fact that it survived through Prey 's ending was notable in its own right, but Sarii is made even better based on the details behind her role, including the fact that she was based on the cattle dog from Mad Max 2.
Prey's BTS Details Make Naru's Dog Even Better
Prey director Dan Trachtenberg created Sarii after he was inspired by Max Rockatansky's canine companion in 1981's The Road Warrior. The dog in Prey, an American dingo (aka Carolina Dog breed) named Coco, was actually adopted for the purpose of starring in the Predator movie. However, according to Trachtenberg (via Dexerto), Sarii was originally meant to have a smaller role, saying, "We were trying to get Coco out of scenes, but the opposite ended up being true, and we ended up including her more – even in some of the action set-pieces because I just thought it’d be so fun." Considering Sarii's involvement in Prey evolved to mirror Mad Max 2's heroic dog enhances Coco's performance, especially when taking into account her acting experience.
Despite looking like a pro in front of the camera, Coco didn't have acting experience before her memorable work in Prey. Trachtenberg described Coco as "super rambunctious" and "very energetic" on set, which made for an unpredictable scene mate at times. Midthunder reiterated the director's thoughts in the same interview, playfully calling Coco "a little bit of a hot mess" before praising her co-star for being a joy on set. In the end, both Trachtenberg and Midthunder confirmed Coco's performance worked out just fine, even if it meant extra training to offset the high-energy playfulness. If it weren't for Sarii or Coco, for that matter, Prey would have become a very different movie, and not for the better.