History Main / PrecursorKillers

** [[spoiler: As of ''Tiamat's Wrath'', the precursor killers are having a go at humanity, though they're not (yet) succeeding. In ''Persepolis Rising'', one character suspects the precursor killers (the "Goths", after the ones that killed the UsefulNotes/RomanEmpire) still think the Ringbuilders have returned and are attacking using the weapons they used last time (which shuts off people's brains in entire solar systems at a time), but due to human and the Ringbuilders' brains being different it doesn't affect humans permanently. The fact that the time people spend more time unconscious with every respond implies they're adapting, however, and a character who has been treated with Protomolecule is rendered permanently brain-damaged by a single attack.]]

** [[spoiler: As of Tiamat's Wrath, the precursor killers are having a go at humanity, though they're not (yet) succeeding. One character suspects that their weapon spontaneously shuts off consciousness across entire solar systems, but humans have a hardier brain than the Ringbuilders did, so all it does to humans is cause them to lose time in a weird state of hyper-awareness.]]

* The Pa'anuri from ''WebComic/SchlockMercenary'' are implied to have wiped out at least [[RecursivePrecursors one earlier cycle of civilizations]] in the Milky Way, most likely either [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters the one that created them]] or the one that immediately followed. In the present cycle [[OmnicidalManiac they almost succeed again]], and in a (now) alternative timeline without the 'almost'.

Precursor Killers are the reason why the {{Precursors}} aren't around anymore. Typically they are a much more powerful (and evil) group that managed to wipe out the precursor's despite their [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien advanced]] [[ClarkesThirdLaw technology/magic]]. Either it is because the Killers' own technology/magic was more advanced than the precursors, or they were just so numerous that the precursors couldn't keep them at bay forever. If the Precursor Killers are still around, expect them to be a [[TheDreaded BIG DEAL]] and the threat of another attack to be a looming threat. After all, if a more technologically advanced people couldn't beat these guys what can WE do?

* The Orz in ''VideoGame/StarControl II: The Ur-Quan Masters'' seem like fairly harmless [=Cloudcuckoolander=]s but are actually part of an EldritchAbomination.
** ''Star Control'' also has the Sentient Milieu being brought down by the Dnyarri, then the Dnyarri being brought down by their Ur-Quan slaves (and then one branch of the Ur-Quan exterminated at least some of the surviving Milieu species). The reason for the actual, Capital-P Precursors in the universe disappearing remains unknown, despite what [[FanonDiscontinuity some people claim]] happened in ''Star Control III''.
*** For extra twist points, the Sentient Milieu's enslavement began when an Ur-Quan explorer stumbled upon the Dnyarri's homeworld.

* In ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'', the [[PlayerCharacter Tenno]] were mighty SuperSoldier [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Space Ninja Wizards]] created by the Orokin to fight the Sentients, a species of adaptive self-aware machines that were at war with the Orokin. However, the Orokin were [[AbusivePrecursors horrifically evil monsters]] who abused and tortured and slaughtered anyone beneath them at will. When the Sentients were defeated, the Orokin gathered the Tenno for a great ceremony honoring them... at which point the Tenno slaughtered the Orokin leadership in seconds in vengeance and justice for their crimes.

* ''Literature/TheExpanse'' features an alien civilization who, among other things, wielded seemingly physics-breaking technology, could rewrite lifeforms to fulfill their whims, and networked the Milky Way galaxy with wormhole gates - and who were taken out by an even more mysterious and advanced force or entity billions of years ago.

Precursor Killers are the reason why the {{Precursors}} aren't around anymore. Typically they are a much more powerful (and evil) group that managed to wipe out the precursor's despite their [SufficientlyAdvancedAlien advanced]] [[ClarkesThirdLaw technology/magic]]. Either it is because the Killers' own technology/magic was more advanced than the precursors, or they were just so numerous that the precursors couldn't keep them at bay forever. If the Precursor Killers are still around, expect them to be a [[TheDreaded BIG DEAL]] and the threat of another attack to be a looming threat. After all, if a more technologically advanced people couldn't beat these guys what can WE do?

Precursor Killers are the reason why the {{Precursors}} aren't around anymore. Either it is because the Killers' technology is so much more advanced than the precursors, or they were just so numerous that the precursors couldn't keep them at bay forever. Expect some sort of LostSuperweapon to be found that the Precursors weren't able to finish in time to stop their enemy. Often this the killers are a SealedEvilInACan that was somehow stopped with the last actions of their enemies. Compare AbusivePrecursors, TurnedAgainstTheirMasters and TheOldGods

* ''Literature/TheExpanse'' features an alien civilization who, among other things, wielded seemingly physics-breaking technology, could rewrite lifeforms to fulfill their whims, and networked the Milky Way galaxy with wormhole gates - and who were taken out by an even more mysterious and advanced force or entity billions of years ago.//

* ''Literature/TheExpanse'' features an alien civilization who, among other things, wielded seemingly physics-breaking technology, could rewrite lifeforms to fulfill their whims, and networked the Milky Way galaxy with wormhole gates - and who were taken out by an even more mysterious and advanced force or entity billions of years ago.

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[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/WildStar https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_entity.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[OpeningNarration Long ago]], the Eldan [[ForScience performed their experiments]] in harmony. Then everything changed when the [[EldritchAbomination Entity]] [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender attacked]].]]

* In ''Film/GodzillaAndMothraTheBattleForEarth'', Battra wiped out the Cosmos civilization that existed on Earth in ancient times for creating a weather manipulation machine and [[GaiasVengeance enraging the Earth.]]

'''Precursor Killers''' are the reason why the {{Precursors}} aren't around anymore. Either it is because the Killers' technology is so much more advanced than the precursors, or they were just so numerous that the precursors couldn't keep them at bay forever. Expect some sort of LostSuperweapon to be found that the Precursors weren't able to finish in time to stop their enemy. Often this the killers are a SealedEvilInACan that was somehow stopped with the last actions of their enemies. Compare AbusivePrecursors, TurnedAgainstTheirMasters and TheOldGods

* In ''Franchise/MasterOfOrion'', the Orions and Antarans are the two main Precursors who fought a huge war well before the first game. The Orions won by trapping the Antarans in a bubble dimension, but the resulting disruption to FTL travel resulted in them becoming their own PrecursorKillers. The second game reveals that the Antarans survived and return to conquer the galaxy, but by the start of the third game they've nearly been wiped out by one of their own experiments - a sentient, parasitic biological weapon that would presumably have become a Precursor killer had the series continued. As it is, the most likely Precursor killer is the player, although this is not strictly necessary to win the game.

* The Dark Precursors of ''Franchise/JakAndDaxter''.

* The Inhibitors of ''Literature/RevelationSpace'' were responsible for a ''lot'' of dead aliens.

* The Space Pirates seem to be to blame for wiping out most of the remaining Chozo in ''{{Metroid}}''. What the Space Pirates didn't get, phazon did.

** Gorea wiped out the Alimbics of ''Metroid Prime: Hunters.''

* In the ''Priscilla Hutchins'' series of Creator/JackMcDevitt's novels, every major nonhuman society has disappeared but for a smattering of artifacts left around the galaxy. It turns out that regular waves of comet-like "Omega Clouds" from the galactic core spread out to find and impact with any collections of large, regular, non-naturally-occurring shapes they stumble across -- in other words, cities -- thereby ending any civilization they encounter.

* The player character gets to meet the wizard who nearly destroyed (accidentally) the Netherese Empire in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights: Shadows of Undrentide''. The guy who destroyed the rival Illefarn Empire is the main adversary in ''Neverwinter Nights II''.

* In the {{Whoniverse}}, though we have only scant details, the Time Lords have destroyed an EldritchAbomination known as the Fendhal ("Image of the Fendahl") the Great Vampires ("State of Decay"), the Old Ones and the Racnoss ("The Runaway Bride"). Post-2005 ''Series/DoctorWho'' regards the Time Lords themselves as something like Precursors who died out in the Last Great War against the Daleks, although really the Doctor destroyed them all [[spoiler:or so he thought for a long time]]. Thanks to JokerImmunity, the Daleks survived.

'''Precursor Killers''' are the reason why the {{Precursors}} aren't around anymore. Either it is because the Killers' technology is so much more advanced than the precursors, or they were just so numerous that the precursors couldn't keep them at bay forever. Expect some sort of LostSuperweapon to be found that the Precursors weren't able to finish in time to stop their enemy. Often this the killers are a SealedEvilInACan that was somehow stopped with the last actions of their enemies. Compare AbusivePrecursors and TurnedAgainstTheirMasters.

* In the {{Whoniverse}}, though we have only scant details, the Time Lords have destroyed an EldritchAbomination known as the Fendhal ("Image of the Fendahl") the Great Vampires ("State of Decay"), the Old Ones and the Racnoss ("The Runaway Bride"). Post-2005 ''DoctorWho'' regards the Time Lords themselves as something like Precursors who died out in the Last Great War against the Daleks, although really the Doctor destroyed them all [[spoiler:or so he thought for a long time]]. Thanks to JokerImmunity, the Daleks survived.