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The Sixth Generation ofMonster Hunteris getting underway withMonster Hunter Wilds, and it’s bringing plenty of new monsters to hunt. Even though being a satisfying Capcom action-RPG is the fundamental reason whyMonster Hunterhas been so popular, compelling monsters with matching equipment sets have done a lot of work drawing new fans in.Monster Hunter Wildsis introducing the latest roster of brand new and returning beasts for players to hunt, and the huge environments built around these animals should provide the series’ most immersive experience yet.
Some fan favorites will have to be left out ofMonster Hunter Wilds, but that’s only because there are now too many creatures to bring them all back every time. That’s whatMonster Hunter Generations Ultimatewas meant to do during the Fourth Generation, and it missed some. Dividing monsters into broad families, or classes, is the best way to keep track of them all, and even then some of the categories fall between the cracks. Certain classes will be inhigher demand forMH Wildsthan others, though whether that’s because they’ve produced strong examples or have been underserved is a different question.
S Tier — The Flagships
Flying Wyvern
AnyMonster Hunterfan can confidently say that two monster classifications stand head and shoulders above the rest, and those are the Flying Wyverns and the Elder Dragons. Both are home to the largest number offlagship monsters in all ofMonster Hunter, and Flying Wyverns in particular host the archetypicalMonster Huntermascot, Rathalos. Split between the “True” and “Quadrupedal” categories, Flying Wyverns have an enormous pool of species and variants for players to pick favorites from, and with eachMHgeneration adding at least one popular Flying Wyvern, this class is here to stay.
Elder Dragon
Standing alongside the classic Wyverns in everyMonster Huntertitle are the classic Dragons. Representing Eastern dragon serpents, Western quadrupedal dragons, and a lot of stranger variants in between, like the draconic unicorn Kirin, Elder Dragons cast a wide net overMonster Hunter’s species pool. A general rule is that any being too strange ortoo strong to fit inMonster Hunter’s normal categoriesis probably an Elder Dragon, though the series’ original last boss, the ideal Western dragon Fatalis, left a strong enough impression to ensure that this eclectic group of endgame foes never strays too far from its founding principles.
A Tier — The Big Names
Flying Wyverns and Elder Dragons will stand uncontested asMonster Hunter’s most popular and populated monster types, but there are a few more that fans are always happy to see.
The first two of these categories have some of the highest monster counts in the series, and they’re all home to many fan-favorite opponents. Zinogre was recently crownedMonster Hunter’s most popular monster, but the Fanged Wyvern has plenty of big-name competition. Congalala and Rajang of the Fanged Beasts once contributed to the class’s original “Primatius” name, and still serve as its main representatives as more general mammalian influences flesh out the class. Notably,MH Rise’s Palamute mountsare also considered Fanged Beasts. Meanwhile, the Fanged Wyvern Zinogre is accompanied byRise’s Magnamalo andSunbreak’s Lunagaron, alongside several other heavy-hitters.
However, nothing hits heavier than a Brute Wyvern. This class has carved out its own place in theMonster Hunterfranchise as a strength-based archetypeevery generation needs to either contribute to or draw from, and a cursory glance at its names quickly reveals why. Barroth, Deviljho, Brachydios, Glavenus, and Anjanath all fill the class with subspecies introduced across theMonster Hunterfranchise, and they’re just the better-known examples. It’s safe to say that the Brute Wyverns’ reputation is just as strong as their natural strength.
B Tier — The Essentials
Lynian
Monster classes are already an esoteric subject, but bringing Lynians into the conversation makes for an even bigger headache. Split between the iconic Cat-Like Lynians and the downright bizarre Humanoid Lynians, these short creatures often serve asMonster Hunterplayers’ AI companions, and can also wander hunting areas. This makes them extremely varied, but also tough to put on a list, especially when one considers edge cases likeGenerations Ultimate’s playable Prowler Mode Felynes, and King Shakalaka’s status as a “large” boss monster. Ultimately, Lynians are a positive and necessary presence, but are more mixed when viewed purely as “monsters.”
Bird Wyvern
Extreme variety is the name of the game when it comes to Bird Wyverns, who are competing with Fanged Beasts to be the third-largest monster class. Split between the raptor packs of the Theropod Bird Wyverns and the assorted avian-reptiles of the Flying Bird Wyverns, this group holds a particular niche in theMonster Hunterfranchise, like the Lynians and Brute Wyverns.Early in each majorMonster Hunter, there is always at least one raptor pack with a larger leader and a smaller bird-like Wyvern, and often there are multiple. More than any other class, the Bird Wyverns aren’t many people’s favorite, but they have to be there.
Leviathan
Unlike the Lynians and Bird Wyverns, Leviathans are the opposite of essential, but they’ve stuck around for a reason. Introduced inMonster Hunter Tri, these amphibious beasts have accrued a lot of fame for their varied designs, and forMH3’s water combat adding a new dimensionto their fights, even if it didn’t feel great. While the class has been retrofitted for pure land battles, it’s still gaining new members with each generation, and Capcom has acknowledged fan desire to seeMH3’s flagship Lagiacrus finally get the recognition it deserves.
C Tier — The Stragglers
Unfortunately, things are about to speed up. The consequence of popular monster types getting a lot of attention is that others are left behind, leaving spin-offs likeMonster Hunter FrontierandOnlineto keep them relevant.
As a counterpoint to the Leviathans and aquatic Elder Dragons, the rest ofMonster Hunter’s aquatic life is not faring so well. Piscine Wyverns have largely been modified Cephadrome and Plesioth designs for their entire lives, and are still in need of a shake-up despite their senior status. Carapaceon crustaceans need something similar, even if their physically-distinct species and abundant subspecies have served them well. Finally, the Amphibians are a new class fromMonster Hunter 4, and have onlygained three major species beforeMonster Hunter Wilds. Even with Chatacabra as a confirmed Amphibian inMH Wilds, these frog-like fellows need some help.
Getting new large monsters is still a step up from being consigned to set dressing, and that’s where several of the remaining monster classes fall.
Herbivores have it the best and the worst, as they are both totally composed of small monsters, and also essential because of that. Even if their individual species constantly get cycled out, they have to be there as much as the Flying Wyverns. The same can be said for the smaller Neopterons, but these insects have bosses too. There’s hardly any of them, and they all live in the Fourth Generation, but at leastAhtal-Ka wasGenerations Ultimate’s true final boss, and one ofMonster Hunter’s craziest fights. Last are the arachnid Temnocerans, which had a paltry two major species beforeWilds, but are at least adding Lala Barina to their ranks now.
D Tier — The Afterthoughts
It takes some effort to do worse thanMonster Hunter’s spiders, but it’s almost impressive how little substance the remaining monster classes have.
Fish and Wingdrakes consist of minor wildlife, and are nowhere near as prominent as the Herbivores. The Fish are barely even a monster class, with only two registered “monsters” in the series using the title and the one called “Fish” actually being many animals grouped together. Meanwhile, Wingdrakes are more fleshed out, butMonster Hunter Worldjust made them for fast travel. At least they made it to the Fifth Generation, which is more than the single Najarala family ofMH4’s Snake Wyverns can say.
At first glance, the Unknown category seems to at least host a couple of flagship monsters, but that’s just a misdirect.MH4’s Gore Magala is the younger form of the Elder Dragon Shagaru Magala, which retroactively makes it the same thing; Gore is only classified as Unknown for story reasons, and time will tell ifMonster Hunter Wildsmaintains the tradition. Estrellian fromMonster Hunter Onlineappears similar, but the game was shut down before this was clarified. The rest of the Unknown monsters are all from crossovers, special events, and spin-offs. Leshen and Ancient Leshen secured their own Relict class as aWitcherreference, but it is currently the only one-off crossover classification in theMonster Hunterseries.
