116 Fun Facts About Monster Hunter

The original Monster Hunter launched in 2004 on which console?

PlayStation 2 was the platform because Monster Hunter was one of a trio of Capcom games built to try out the console's online play.

Which director of Monster Hunter 4 later served as executive director on World?

Kaname Fujioka also directed the 2004 original; for Monster Hunter 4 he said he wanted more adventure and story than earlier entries had offered.

Which Monster Hunter producer since Freedom 2 is the son of Capcom's founder?

Ryozo Tsujimoto began as a planner on Capcom's arcade games and ran the online side of the first Monster Hunter before becoming the series' producer.

Alongside Auto Modellista, which survival-horror game joined the first Monster Hunter in Capcom's trio of online showcase titles?

Resident Evil Outbreak reached Japan three months before Monster Hunter; the series' later producer worked on all three games and called Monster Hunter their culmination.

Which weapon type was added to the original Monster Hunter for its Western release, having been absent in Japan?

Dual Swords were added for the Western release of the original game and only reached Japanese players through the expanded Monster Hunter G.

Which jet-black, panther-like flying wyvern made its debut in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite?

Nargacuga is covered in black fur and stalks its prey from the shadows of thick forest before striking with bursts of speed.

Monster Hunter 4 first let hunters do what to a large monster?

Climb onto its back: Monster Hunter 4 added ledges and mid-air attacks so a hunter could grab hold of a monster and strike it from above.

Which Monster Hunter entry, never released in the West, became Capcom's best-selling PSP game?

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd sold about 4.9 million copies without a Western release, yet Capcom's own sales tables list it under an English title, Monster Hunter Freedom 3.

Monster Hunter Tri was announced for which console before high costs moved it to the Wii?

PlayStation 3 was the plan until October 2007, when Capcom said its development costs were too high and signed an exclusive deal with Nintendo instead.

Monster Hunter Tri (2009) was the first mainline entry to feature what, a mechanic later games dropped?

Underwater combat came in with Tri and went out after 3 Ultimate: the director said it took so much time and effort that the team chose to spend it elsewhere.

Which sea-dwelling monster appears on the cover art of Monster Hunter Tri?

Lagiacrus is Tri's flagship, and the villagers blame it for the earthquakes shaking their island, though the tremors go on after it is slain.

In Monster Hunter Tri, the hunter is sent to protect which small fishing village?

Moga is shaken by unexplained earthquakes, and the Guild comes close to evacuating the whole island before the hunter tracks down their cause.

Which two weapon types debuted in Monster Hunter 4?

The Insect Glaive and Charge Blade arrived as Monster Hunter 4 put new stress on height and vertical movement: the glaive lets a hunter pole-vault into the air at will.

Which black-scaled Monster Hunter 4 monster sheds its skin to become a golden Elder Dragon?

Gore Magala sheds its skin to become Shagaru Magala, a golden Elder Dragon, and returned to spread the Frenzy virus in Monster Hunter Wilds.

In Monster Hunter 4's story, which metallic-skinned Elder Dragon threatens the capital city of Dundorma?

Kushala Daora, the steel-skinned wind dragon, lays siege to Dundorma in Monster Hunter 4; hunters repel it from the city walls with the Ace Hunters' help.

Which 3DS release was the first entry to ship 1,000,000 units across Europe and North America?

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate passed a million units in the West two months after its February 2015 launch; Capcom credited demos, events and free downloads for drawing players in.

Generations (2015) was released in Japan under what title?

Monster Hunter X was the Japanese title, with the X read as 'Cross': the developers named it for crossing old and new elements of the series, such as returning villages and monsters.

Which of these is one of the four flagship monsters of Monster Hunter Generations?

Glavenus, a brute wyvern that sharpens its blade-like tail in its jaws, is joined by Astalos, Gammoth and Mizutsune; four flagships, four hunting styles and four villages all echo the game's Japanese title.

Generations let players hunt as one of the cat companions in a new option called what?

Prowler mode let players hunt as a cat instead of a human hunter; Capcom pitched it as an easy way in for newcomers and a new way to play for veterans.

Which of Generations' four hunting approaches rewards a well-timed dodge with a powerful counterattack?

Adept Style turns a well-timed dodge into a powerful counter; Capcom added the four styles after seeing how differently players had come to hunt, so each could play in a way that suits them.

Which entry became Capcom's best-selling game of all time?

Monster Hunter: World has shipped more than 20 million copies, more than any other Capcom title, and sold most of those outside Japan.

Which large monster is the first one World's hunter fights in the Ancient Forest?

Great Jagras, a fanged wyvern that swallows prey whole, is World's first large-monster quest in the Ancient Forest; Kulu-Ya-Ku and Pukei-Pukei follow soon after.

In World, what is the name of the Research Commission's central base?

Astera, the Research Commission's base, is built partly from the timbers of the ships that carried its fleets to the New World; Iceborne later added a second base, Seliana.

In World, the player's hunter arrives in the New World as part of which numbered expedition group?

The Fifth Fleet is the largest yet and made up mostly of hunters; four earlier fleets had spent decades studying why Elder Dragons migrate to the New World.

World's story opens with the arrival of which mountain-sized, volcanic, turtle-like Elder Dragon?

Zorah Magdaros, the mountain-sized Elder Dragon, opens World's story; the Commission herds the dying giant into the ocean so its energy seeds a new ecosystem.

Which spiked Elder Dragon in World preys on other Elder Dragons?

Nergigante, the spiked Elder Dragon, preys on other Elder Dragons; in Iceborne its Ruiner form kills Shara Ishvalda, revealing its place in the food chain.

In World, the great dragons migrate to the New World every ten years in an event called what?

The Elder Crossing, the roughly ten-yearly migration of Elder Dragons to the New World, is the whole reason the Research Commission exists.

In World, what do hunters fire to call other players into their quest?

An SOS flare calls other players into a quest; with one or two hunters each brings a Palico cat along, but the cats drop out once a third hunter joins.

Which returning monster was World's first free post-launch addition, in March 2018?

Deviljho, the ravenous brute wyvern, arrived in World's first free update in March 2018; it can seize smaller monsters in its jaws and swing them as clubs.

Through a 2018 crossover, which Final Fantasy XIV monster appeared in World?

Behemoth arrived in World in August 2018 through the Final Fantasy XIV crossover; Rathalos went the other way as a special fight in FFXIV.

World's 2019 Leshen crossover came from which role-playing game?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lent World its hero Geralt, playable in a quest to track a Leshen through the Ancient Forest; another crossover brought Assassin's Creed gear.

Who directed both Monster Hunter: World and Wilds?

Yuya Tokuda directed both; World was planned for a simultaneous worldwide release, partly because staggered launches had held the series back outside Japan.

Iceborne's story is set in which arctic region?

Iceborne unfolds in the Hoarfrost Reach, where hunters need hot drinks or hot springs to keep the cold from draining their stamina.

Which ice Elder Dragon is the central monster of Iceborne's story?

Velkhana freezes environments across the New World until the hunter drives it back to its home, then tracks it down and finishes it off.

Iceborne's third tier of difficulty was named what, in place of the older 'G' designation?

Iceborne called its top tier Master Rank, replacing the 'G' rank label that the team felt Western players found unfamiliar.

Iceborne added which grappling gadget for latching onto monsters?

The Clutch Claw, fired from the Slinger, lets hunters latch onto monsters; its Flinch Shot can slam a monster into a wall for big damage.

In Iceborne's final update, the hunter battles Fatalis in the ruins of which kingdom?

Fatalis is fought in the ruins of Castle Schrade, the kingdom the black dragon destroyed; the fight arrived in Iceborne's final free update in October 2020.

Monster Hunter Rise (2021) launched first on which console?

Nintendo Switch players got Rise first, in March 2021; it was developed alongside World, with the two teams trading ideas, before PC, PlayStation and Xbox versions followed.

Rise introduced which rideable, dog-like companion?

Palamutes are Rise's rideable Canyne companions; hunters ride them across the map without losing stamina, and they fight alongside the Palico.

Which insect-based tool lets Rise hunters swing through the air and ride monsters?

The Wirebug lets Rise hunters zip through the air with Wiredash and Silkbind attacks, and mount and steer monsters in Wyvern Riding.

Rise is set in which Japanese-styled village?

Kamura Village's feudal-Japanese look suited Rise's freer movement, which its director likened to a ninja's; the twins Hinoa and Minoto hand out its quests.

Which tiger-like fanged wyvern is the flagship monster of Rise?

Magnamalo follows the monster hordes that threaten the village in order to feed on them; it got its own amiibo at launch alongside a cat and a dog companion.

Rise's tower-defense mode, in which players hold the village gates with siege weapons, is called what?

The Rampage struck the village fifty years before the story; it is traced to two Elder Dragons, Ibushi and Narwa, whose storms send hordes of monsters fleeing toward the village.

Rise was the first Monster Hunter game built on which game engine?

RE Engine was designed around the linear levels of Resident Evil 7 before Rise used it for sprawling hunting maps; World had run on the older MT Framework.

Which vampiric Elder Dragon is the central monster of the Sunbreak expansion?

Malzeno, the vampiric Elder Dragon among the Three Lords, is Sunbreak's flagship and the host of the life-draining Qurio swarm.

Sunbreak sends the hunter to which outpost of a distant kingdom?

Sunbreak brings the hunter to Elgado Outpost, where the knight Fiorayne enlists help against the Three Lords threatening the Kingdom.

A July 2021 Rise event featured Amaterasu from which Capcom game?

Okami lent Rise its heroine Amaterasu in the game's second Capcom crossover event; Akuma from Street Fighter followed a month later as another costume.

Which entry sold 8 million copies in its first three days?

Monster Hunter Wilds sold more than 8 million copies in three days in early 2025 and passed 10 million within a month; Capcom credited worldwide marketing and open beta tests.

Wilds takes place in which uncharted region?

Wilds is set in the Forbidden Lands, presumed uninhabited until a boy named Nata turns up claiming to live there.

In Wilds, hunters ride which bird-like mount that can also carry a second weapon?

The Seikret, Wilds' bird-like mount, carries a second weapon and can auto-run toward your objective while you sharpen or heal on its back.

Which monster do the Keepers of Wilds call the 'White Wraith'?

Arkveld, the 'White Wraith', is a pale wyvern long thought extinct; its chain-like wing appendages drain the life energy of other monsters.

In Wilds, who is the hunter's guild handler?

Alma, the guild handler, joins the hunter and Palico in the Avis Unit to escort the boy Nata home and investigate the monster that attacked his people; Gemma is the unit's smith.

Wilds' launch-day peak of about 1.3 million concurrent players was recorded on which platform?

Steam counted about 1.3 million concurrent Wilds players on launch day, a Capcom record; World's PC version had trailed consoles by more than six months, but Wilds launched on PC and consoles the same day.

In the Stories spin-offs, players take the role of a what, rather than a hunter?

Stories casts players as a Rider who steals eggs, hatches 'Monsties' and fights turn-based battles alongside them.

Which company co-developed Monster Hunter Stories with Capcom?

Marvelous co-developed Monster Hunter Stories with Capcom; the 3DS original reached Japan in 2016, and Nintendo published it in the West the following year.

In Monster Hunter Stories, what is the name of the strange wild cat who insists on joining the protagonist?

Navirou names himself and demands to tag along; the story later reveals he was once one of the Numbers, cats used as test subjects in a scientist's laboratory.

In Stories' rock-paper-scissors combat, which attack type beats Speed?

Technical beats Speed, Speed beats Power and Power beats Technical; choose the winning type together with your monster and a Double Attack cancels the enemy's move outright.

In Monster Hunter Stories 2, the player's Rathalos is named what?

Razewing Ratha hatches with small black wings that are said to bring ruin to the world; in the end he helps slay Oltura, the Elder Dragon behind the real danger.

Who directed the 2020 live-action Monster Hunter film?

Paul W. S. Anderson directed the 2020 Monster Hunter film, having already turned Resident Evil into a six-film series starring Milla Jovovich.

Milla Jovovich's character in the 2020 Monster Hunter film is a US Army Ranger captain named what?

Artemis and her squad are pulled through a storm into the monsters' world; the director wanted an outsider lead so audiences would discover it the way he first met the games.

Which actor plays the Admiral, leader of the hunters' crew, in the 2020 Monster Hunter film?

Ron Perlman plays the Admiral, a character taken from World, whose makers advised the film on its monsters; Tony Jaa is the Hunter and rapper T.I. a sniper named Link.

Which cat cook from World also appears in the 2020 Monster Hunter film?

The Meowscular Chef was the Admiral's Palico partner until he broke his weapon and took up cooking; the film brings him back at the Admiral's side.

The 2020 Monster Hunter film was pulled from theaters in which country a day after opening there?

China pulled the film a day after its December 2020 opening when a 'Chi-knees' pun in the dialogue was taken as a racist joke; the line was cut from every other release.

The 2021 Netflix animated film Legends of the Guild has its hero Aiden face which Elder Dragon?

Lunastra threatens Aiden's remote mountain village; rather than evacuate, the self-taught young hunter rallies the villagers to stand and fight the Elder Dragon.

Which company co-created the augmented-reality mobile game Monster Hunter Now with Capcom in 2023?

Niantic, maker of Pokémon Go, co-developed Monster Hunter Now; console hunts can last up to 50 minutes, but here fights with large monsters are capped at 75 seconds.

Which manga artist wrote and drew Monster Hunter Orage?

Hiro Mashima wrote and drew Monster Hunter Orage for a monthly magazine in 2008 and 2009 while still producing weekly chapters of his hit Fairy Tail.

Rathalos and Tigrex made cameo hunting appearances in which Metal Gear game?

Peace Walker sends Snake to a mythical island to battle Rathalos and Tigrex, ferried there by Trenya, the treasure-hunting cat from the Monster Hunter games.

Rathalos appeared as a boss in which 2018 crossover fighting game?

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate made Rathalos both a boss to beat and an Assist Trophy that fights for whoever summons it; Monster Hunter Mii costumes followed in March 2021, just ahead of Rise.

Which Monster Hunter 4 town merges with Wakanda in a Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite stage?

Val Habar, the Monster Hunter 4 caravan hub, merges with Wakanda in Infinite's 'Valkanda' stage, ruled by Black Panther; the game also added a hunter as a downloadable fighter.

Monster Hunter has featured in seasonal 'Cool Japan' attractions at which Japanese theme park?

Universal Studios Japan's 'Universal Cool Japan' seasons have featured Monster Hunter beside Evangelion and Attack on Titan, and the tie-in ran both ways: World received USJ-themed event quests.

For Monster Hunter's 10th anniversary in 2014, Capcom offered a $30,000 24-karat gold statue of what?

A Felyne in Rathalos armour, cast in 24-karat gold, marked the anniversary; for about 3 million yen, buyers got a statue only 9 cm tall weighing 120 grams.

How many weapon types are there in Generations, World and Rise?

14 weapon types have been the standard since Monster Hunter 4; Capcom weighed adding another for Generations but judged it too much development work and built Hunting Styles instead.

What is the in-game currency of the Monster Hunter series called?

Zenny is Capcom's house currency: the same name is used for money in the Mega Man series and several of the company's other games.

In most entries, after how many faints does a quest fail?

Three faints, or carts, fail a quest in most entries; your character has no levels, so gear and knowing when to dodge are all that stand between you and the third cart.

The Monster Hunter series passed which sales mark in May 2024?

100 million units was the mark Capcom announced in May 2024; nearly half came from World, Rise and their expansions, after a decade in which the series struggled to catch on outside Japan.

What kind of animal is Poogie, the pet that hunters can dress in costumes in several Monster Hunter games?

A pig is the model for Poogie, the village pet; players have long believed that petting it brings luck on a hunt, though nothing in the games bears that out.

Monster Hunter's anthem Proof of a Hero was played to a worldwide audience during which 2021 event?

Tokyo's Olympic opening ceremony used it as the athletes marched in, one of 19 video game tracks chosen for the Parade of Nations.

Monster Hunter characters never gain experience levels, so what decides how strong a hunter is?

The gear they craft is everything: a hunter has no stats of their own, so every ability comes from the weapon and armor worn into the field.

Which martial-arts star plays the warrior known only as the Hunter in the 2020 Monster Hunter film?

Tony Jaa plays the Hunter, a warrior cut off from his crew when a horned monster that moves beneath the sands attacks their ship.

Which Sony open-world heroine became playable in Monster Hunter: World through a crossover event?

Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn was exclusive to players on Sony's console; later events added Ryu, Dante and Mega Man outfits.

An accessibility option in Monster Hunter Wilds turns which small creatures into shapeless blobs?

Spiders become amorphous blobs for players with arachnophobia, though the setting does not apply to large monsters such as Nerscylla.

Which Monster Hunter: World insects learn a monster's scent and guide the hunter along its tracks?

Scoutflies pick up the scent from footprints and gashes, and reveal more about the quarry as the hunter gathers further tracks.

Which studio known for punishing action RPGs made the cute spin-off Monster Hunter Diary?

FromSoftware, later the maker of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, built the cartoonish village-management game for the PSP in 2010.

Monster Hunter Generations' expanded edition dressed the hunter's cat as which anime's talking cat?

Sailor Moon lent her cat Luna as a costume for the hunter's feline partner, which fought with the heroine's Cutie Moon Rod.

Monster Hunter: World's Gathering Hub lets hunters challenge one another to which friendly contest?

Arm-wrestling is on offer in the hub, a tavern that doubles as an online meeting place for up to 16 hunters at a time.

In Monster Hunter: World, what shrinks each time a hunter faints and is taken back to camp?

The quest's reward is cut after a knockout, and too many of them fail the quest outright, so reckless play is costly twice over.

Which massively multiplayer spin-off was the first Monster Hunter game to appear on Windows?

Monster Hunter Frontier ran as an online role-playing game for PC players, never reached the West, and shut its servers in December 2019.

Which affliction, first seen in Monster Hunter 4, passes between monsters and resurfaces in Wilds?

The Frenzy Virus drives each infected monster into a berserk rage, then kills its host within a few days.

Which settlement do hunters found as their base in Monster Hunter's frozen Iceborne expansion?

Seliana is the hub where hunters visit weaponsmiths and chefs between expeditions into the polar wilderness.

Which infant Elder Dragon hatches in the Elder's Recess as Monster Hunter: World's story ends?

Xeno'jiiva had been incubating underground, feeding on the bio-energy of dead Elder Dragons, and hatches the moment the hunters find it.

Which Wind Serpent roams the land in Monster Hunter Rise seeking his mate, Thunder Serpent Narwa?

Ibushi emerges once every fifty years to find Narwa, whipping up destructive storms as he wanders.

Which new Monster Hunter Wilds mechanic highlights a monster's wounds and weak points?

Focus Mode aims attacks and guards where the camera points, and a Focus Strike on an open wound destroys it for massive damage.

Which tool in Monster Hunter: World arms the hunter with stones and nuts gathered from each locale?

The Slinger can distract a monster or open a shortcut, and it returned in Wilds able to grab items from afar.

The first Monster Hunter's four-player hunts drew comparisons with which earlier role-playing game?

Phantasy Star Online had the same loop on Sega's Dreamcast: squads of four teaming up over the internet to take down bigger foes.

In Monster Hunter 4, the hunter travels from town to town as a member of what kind of roaming group?

A caravan led by the Caravaneer carries the hunter across the sea aboard the Arluq, a ship later rebuilt as an airship.

Which boy, found in the wasteland, is escorted home by the hunter's unit in Monster Hunter Wilds?

Nata comes from the Keepers, a people living in a region the Guild had presumed uninhabited, and ends the story as an apprentice hunter.

Which Monster Hunter weapon builds a Spirit Gauge that turns red to strengthen its attacks?

The Long Sword rewards timing too: a sharp-eyed wielder can counter incoming attacks, though the weapon cannot guard at all.

Monster Hunter's Hammer can inflict which effect by landing repeated blows on a monster's head?

Stun is the Hammer's speciality: the blunt weapon charges up its swings for extra power yet still leaves its wielder good mobility.

How does Monster Hunter's Hunting Horn, a blunt weapon, support the rest of a hunting party?

Its melodies buff allies as well as the player, and in Wilds the horn can also place Echo Bubbles that grant special effects in an area.

Which slow, hard-hitting Monster Hunter weapon can also be used to guard in a pinch?

The Great Sword makes up for its slow swings with the Charged Slash, a blow whose full power Capcom's own guide calls overwhelming.

Which state do Monster Hunter's Dual Blades enter, at the cost of stamina, to boost their attacks?

Demon Mode burns stamina for a storm of slices, and the twin weapons looked striking enough for Milla Jovovich to pick them for her film role.

Which Monster Hunter weapon fires explosive shells and unleashes a blast known as Wyvern's Fire?

The Gunlance is a sturdy lance with a cannon built in, able to guard against even the most powerful attacks between bombardments.

Which creature do Monster Hunter's glaive wielders send out to harvest extracts from monsters?

A Kinsect absorbs essence from the prey to buff its wielder, who can also vault into the air and attack from every angle.

What do Monster Hunter's Bow users apply to their arrows to inflict status effects on monsters?

Coatings add debuffs to a quick, mobile weapon that can also charge its shots for extra damage.

Which weapon debuted in Monster Hunter Tri with two forms, one far-reaching and one faster?

The Switch Axe morphs between Axe Mode, with its far reach, and Sword Mode, for faster attacks, and was the one all-new weapon in Tri's final cut.

The first Monster Hunter sorted hunters by weapon into Blademasters and which second class?

Gunners fought at range and wore their own armor, built for elemental protection where blade users favoured physical protection.

Wyvernheart and Wyvernsnipe are special ammo types loaded into which Monster Hunter weapon?

The Heavy Bowgun is as heavy on firepower as it is in the hand, and in Wilds it can block incoming attacks automatically.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite added which colour as the top level of weapon sharpness, above white?

Purple sharpness arrived alongside Rarity 9 and 10 gear in the expanded PSP game, giving veterans a new tier of equipment to forge.

What does Capcom's guide say Monster Hunter's Sword & Shield users can do with the weapon drawn?

Use some items, says the guide to Wilds, which adds that the shield can both guard and attack.

Which struggle begins in Monster Hunter Wilds when a hunter blocks certain attacks and shoves back?

A Power Clash pits hunter against monster, and winning the shove knocks the beast off balance to open it up for attack.

Besides carving slain monsters, how did the first Monster Hunter's players gather weapon materials?

Mining for ores supplied the metal, while horns, scales and bones taken from the hunt did the rest.

In Monster Hunter Wilds, what does a Bow user plant on a monster to make arrows home in on it?

A Tracer pulls later arrows towards its target, then explodes once it has taken enough damage or enough time has passed.

Monster Hunter Wilds' Light Bowgun spends energy that refills on landed hits to use which ability?

Rapid Fire lets the weapon shoot in quick succession, and its energy also regenerates over time without a single hit landing.

Which special moves did Monster Hunter Rise give every weapon type, each with its own cooldown time?

Silkbind Attacks draw on a gauge that needs time to recover, so each weapon's signature move has to be picked and timed with care.

Which extremely powerful siege weapon in Monster Hunter Rise needs time to recharge after each use?

The Dragonator ranks among the most powerful Hunting Installations at the Stronghold, and nailing its timing can decide the battle.

Which Monster Hunter Rise feature gives every weapon alternative attacks to equip from the item box?

Switch Skills are taught by Utsushi, the village lookout, once a hunter meets certain requirements, and can be changed in the village or at camp.