Strongest Monsters That Aren’t Elder Dragons

Summary

• Elder Dragons dominate Monster Hunter, but some non-Elder monsters like Espinas and Tigrex are equally powerful.
• Ranking monster power levels is tricky due to Monster Hunter’s diverse creatures, but Plesioth’s hip check and Espinas’s passive-aggressive fight stand out.
• Monsters like Deviljho, Magnamalo, and Ahtal-Ka are formidable foes who pose a significant challenge to even experienced hunters in the series.

Elder Dragons are the most powerful monsters in the world of Monster Hunter. Any discussion about the strongest monster is inevitably dominated by Elders. The classification of Elder is marked by the ability to cause major damage to an ecosystem. However, there are a select few monsters with this level of influence that aren’t actually Elder Dragons.

It can be difficult to rank monsters by power level. Because the beasts of Monster Hunter are so diverse, it often feels like comparing apples to oranges. The specific placements on this list can easily be swapped around. Still, these monsters are about as powerful as they can get without dipping into Elder classification.

Updated December 29, 2024, by Blaise Santi: 2025 is just around the corner, which is especially great news for Monster Hunter fans. The next entry in the series, Monster Hunter Wilds, is releasing in full on February 28, 2025, after letting players in on an open beta in October this year. There are tons of new monsters to encounter in this ambitious new title, as well as plenty of strong monsters from the series’ past. Speaking of the series’ past, let’s take a closer look at a couple more of the strongest monsters in the franchise who don’t happen to be Elder Dragons, but for some of these terrifying creatures, you’d wish you were fighting one.

15

Plesioth

The Water Wyvern

The Plesioth may not technically be stronger than any of the other monsters on this list, but it is one thing: Annoying. Since the very first generation of Monster Hunter, Plesioth has been a nuisance to hunters both new and old, though thankfully for newer fans it hasn’t appeared in a mainline game since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

Among the Plesioth’s many powerful moves are the infamous hip check, which can catch even the quickest hunters off-guard. It can also steal a huge portion of a player’s health with its devastating and far-reaching water jets, meaning that not even Gunners are safe from this aquatic menace’s wrath.

14

Espinas

The Lord Of The Forest

Espinas didn’t make its mainline series debut until recently in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, but it certainly became a memorable threat. This monster may seem like an easy fight due to how passive it is, largely ignoring a hunter’s attacks, but when it gets mad, it will put up a brutal fight by shooting poison-inducing fireballs and ramming hunters down with its horns.

To put it plainly, the Espinas’ strength is largely circumstantial, and it can lead a lot of hunters to underestimate its difficulty. Do not be one of the naive ones; the Espinas can turn a breezy hunt into an intense battle for survival, and all hunters should be prepared.

13

Diablos

Tyrant Of The Desert

The Diablos is one of the original monsters in the Monster Hunter franchise, and even generations later it remains a fierce foe. Although it possesses no status ailments to inflict on hunters, its massive size, brute strength, and preference for arid environments make it a challenging hunt, especially as players accrue higher Hunter Ranks.

While this Flying Wyvern doesn’t actually do that much flying in combat, its charging attacks can be surprisingly speedy. They also tend to burrow underground, only to re-emerge and surprise unsuspecting hunters. That is dangerous enough as it is, if only the Diablos weren’t also massive and powerful. Make sure to stock up on potions before heading into any fight with a Diablos.

12

Yian Garuga

The Black Wolf Bird

The Yian Garuga looks like an Elder Dragon in appearance, but it’s actually classified as a Bird Wyvern in-game. It was introduced in Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite for the PlayStation Portable, and it’s been brought back for almost every Monster Hunter title since except for Monster Hunter: Rise (though it’s still possible).

The Yian Garuga is an insanely hard fight for all but the most experienced and twitch-responsive players. It’s got an absolutely immense health pool, and if its constant attacks that barely give the Hunter a chance to respond aren’t enough to intimidate a new player, its poisonous tail and stunning roars will be.

11

Tigrex

The Roaring Wyvern

Some hunters may consider the Tigrex an easy fight given how long it’s been a part of the series, but even those hunters will start to sweat once this monster gets angry. The Tigrex is notable for its fierce attacks, especially in rage mode, becoming faster and more relentless the longer a hunt goes on.

A different take on Tigrex that debuted in Monster Hunter 4, known as the Molten Tigrex, is much larger and possesses Blastblight abilities, making it a much more explosive fight. While it hasn’t been seen since in a mainline Monster Hunter game, you can also find it in Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel, Wings of Ruin, as well as the limited-release app Monster Hunter Riders.

10

Rathian & Rathalos

Queen Of The Land And King Of The Skies

These two were among the first batch of monsters introduced, and they’re still among the strongest. The Rathian’s acrobatic tail swipes hit fast and cover a wide radius, while the Rathalos breathes fireballs that leave burning trails behind them. Both of them gain extra attacks when they’re hurt, and they have even stronger variants in the Gold Rathian and Silver Rathalos.

Of course, since the two are a couple, attacking one will frequently cause the other to come rushing over. One of the hardest quests in Iceborne pits the hunter against both at the same time, but with a skilled enough team, it’ll be quite the satisfying mission to complete.

9

Zinogre

The Lord Of Lightning

The Zinogre is fearsome in either its regular form, which first debuted in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, as well as its variants, either the draconic Stygian Zinogre or the Thunderlord Zinogre. In any of its forms, the Zinogre holds so much electricity in its body that it can use it to power up like a Super Saiyan, but in the case of the Thunderlord Zinogre, it spends the entire hunt charged up.

Among the Zinogre’s strongest attacks include some impressive acrobatics, as well as the ability to summon Thunderbugs to swarm the nearby vicinity. As far as electrified monsters go, the Zinogre is no joke, but at the very least it makes for a quite fun fight in any game it appears in!

8

Brachydios

The Crushing Wyvern

The regular Brachydios is already a lot to handle with its quick movements and exploding fists. Its variant, the Raging Brachydios, has a special organ located in its head that makes its explosive slime even more active. Raging Brachydios is also incredibly cunning, too. When it takes enough damage, it retreats to its cave, where it sets off explosives that trap the two of them inside.

Not only are these monsters incredibly fearsome with the explosive slime it leaves in its wake, but they’re also incredibly territorial and aggressive. That being said, players can make this fight easier on themselves by damaging the Brachydios’ slime-covered horn or arms, making it tougher for the monster to create its explosive attacks anymore.

7

Bazelgeuse

The Invading Tyrant

Monster Hunter World may be more overall grounded than previous games, but it gave players one of the most powerful monsters in Monster Hunter. The Bomber Wyvern has special scales filled with explosive fluid. When it glides over its prey, it drops the scales to blow up the poor creature below.

Compared to others on this list, the Bazelgeuse is quite the nomadic monster. It frequently roams from map to map in search of parties to crash, and by parties, we mean hunts that are already very difficult. Its bombs do an extreme amount of damage to the local ecosystems, giving it the classification of Elder Dragon-Level.

6

Deviljho

The World Eater

This pickly monster is one of the series’ most infamous creatures. This invasive predator has evolved incredible strength and size — at the cost of an insanely fast metabolism. Deviljho is driven by constant, aching hunger, and attempts to feed on anything that moves. That includes humans, Elder Dragons, and even other Deviljho.

Deviljho is also Bazelgeuse’s rival. Which one is stronger? It’s hard to say. Their turf war in World seems to end in a tie. Bazelgeuse has the advantage of flight, and it seems a bit more clever as well. But a hungry Deviljho can easily crush the Bomber Wyvern in its fearsome jaws.

5

Magnamalo

The Devourer Of The Rampage

Not all flagship monsters are Elder Dragons or Elder-Dragon Level. Magnamalo, though certainly intimidating, didn’t seem too powerful before Rise‘s release. That soon changed. The Wyvern of Malice has turf wars with Rathalos, Bazelgeuse, and even Kushala Daora, an actual Elder Dragon. The kicker is that it appears to win against all of them.

Magmanalo’s finest moment comes during the final boss. To keep things light on spoilers, the hunter gets to Wyvern Ride one at a particularly crucial moment. It’s hard to ignore the monster’s bravery, and it’s definitely one of the most powerful monsters in Monster Hunter consequently.

4

Shen Gaoren

The Fortress Crab

Shen Gaoren is the fearsome elder sibling of the Cenataurs and Hermitaurs. It’s one of the largest monsters in the series — so large it uses the Elder Dragon Lao-Shan Lung’s skull as its shell. Much like Lao, Shen Gaoren is exclusive to defense quests, and it does some insane damage to the castle walls.

The Carapaceon’s pincers can cut through solid rock, and it spits acid potent enough to melt through armor. However, Shen Gaoren is a very passive monster. It doesn’t consider humans as prey, and most of the time doesn’t even notice them. Shen Gaoren only becomes a threat when it notices a village or city in its territory. It will also mercilessly attack anything that it feels is a danger.

3

Akantor & Ukanlos

The Supremacy And Avalanche Wyverns

Like the Raths earlier, these two are a package deal. Known as the Black and White Gods respectively, these huge wyverns are closely related. Akantor burrows through lava lakes and can split the earth with a roar. Ukanlos swims through ice and snow, crushing all in its path.

Akantor and Ukanlos were once classified as Elder Dragons. They are powerful enough to shape their surrounding ecosystems to their whims, often for the worst. Evolutionarily, they are actually Flying Wyverns. Their wings remain as vestigial structures invisible to the naked eye.

2

Ahtal-Ka

The Pavilion Mantis

Tool use is a mark of great intelligence among animals. Ahtal-Ka takes it to a whole new level. The final boss of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate starts the fight by throwing junk at the hunter. She spins super-strong silk that allows her to drag huge hunks of rubble around. Her masterpiece is the Ahtal-Neset, an enormous contraption that looks like a wyvern. She can sit inside and puppet the Neset with a complicated system of silk pulleys — essentially making her a mech pilot.

Ahtal-Ka is known to attack fortresses and swipe their equipment. She uses the spoils to make her Ahtal-Neset even larger and stronger. The Ahtal-Neset we see in-game isn’t even finished. If it was complete, it would be over twice its current size.

1

Rajang

Destruction Incarnate

This Fanged Beast doesn’t seem like much at first glance. It just looks like an ape with horns and a longer tail — in fact, it’s only two to three times the size of a normal real-world gorilla. Don’t underestimate it — pound for pound, Rajang is generally considered to be the most powerful monster in the franchise – and that includes Elder Dragons.

Rajang is the only non-Elder monster to prey on Elder Dragons. It seeks out Kirin and eats its horn to power up its lightning abilities. Its variant, the Furious Rajang, can floor a Savage Deviljho with a single punch. No wonder one of its major inspirations was Goku, this thing is practically a superhero.