The Best Flagship Monsters In The Monster Hunter Series, Ranked

Summary

• Monster Hunter features impressive flagship monsters like Kushala Daora and Nergigante.
• NPCs like Valstrax and Rathalos play significant roles beyond just being unique monsters.
• Each flagship monster, like Zinogre and Tigrex, brings different challenges and gameplay experiences.

The main draw of Monster Hunter has always been the monsters. Sure, you’re tasked with hunting them down, but it’s (mostly) because they’re a threat. It’s still beautiful to see them moving about the world, how they interact with the monsters around them, and just how they live in general. It’s an active ecosystem.

That said, some monsters are a greater threat than others, and that’s where the Flagship monsters come in. Every game in the series has one key monster that takes the main place in the story, and while they’re rarely ever the big bad monster behind it all, they are the focal point, and leave the biggest impression. Here are some of the most memorable.

10

Kushala Daora

Monster Hunter 2

Elder Dragons have been a mainstay of the series from the very beginning, but Kushala Daora marked the first time an Elder Dragon was the Flagship monster of the series. The steel winged master of wind is the focus of the story, though it doesn’t take long for it to deviate away from them.

Kushala falls into the category of Elder Dragons that are, well, just dragons. The wind mastery and actually being metallic so weapons rebound is very cool, though they don’t leave quite as strong an impression as those that come later.

9

Lagiacrus

Monster Hunter Tri

Ah, Lagiacrus. For many people, Monster Hunter Tri was their introduction to the series, and when it finally started to pick up steam outside of Japan. Lagiacrus was the Flagship to highlight the game’s biggest new feature – underwater combat. Yes, Lagiacrus was eventually superseded by Ceadeus, but their reputation wasn’t.

Lagiacrus has been a constant demand to return, and underwater combat along with them. They’re not strictly outstanding by themselves, but as a showcase of the series diversity. They are as loved for their design as a monster as they are for the gameplays sytems they represent.

8

Magnamalo

Monster Hunter Rise

The main games have a tendency to stray towards featuring draconic monsters as the Flagship, whether they are Elder Dragons or not. Monster Hunter Rise was a welcome break form this, introducing the decidedly ground Magnamalo. Seething with purple rage and terrifyingly agile, Magnamalo was your major threat until High Rank quests appeared.

They pull heavily from the Japanese setting of Rise, using their arms as blades and their headpiece shaped like a ceremonial helmet. While they may not have the majesty of some other Flagships, they are a truly unique monster with a menacing presence.

7

Nergigante

Monster Hunter World

To fit with the much larger scale of world, Nergigante fits as one of the largest monsters in the series that doesn’t require a whole unique area just to battle them. They are truly massive, and there is no denying the terror they invoke from their jagged frame.

Nergigante’s spikes and horns aren’t just for show either. They are constantly growing and hardening, and gets more powerful once they’ve solidified. Feeding off the power of other Elder Dragons and upsetting the flow of energy in the New World, Nergigante is a threat to not just hunters, but the entire world.

6

Valstrax

Monster Hunter Generations: Ultimate

While Valstrax’s most awe-inspiring appearance came with the Crimson Glow variant in Monster Hunter Rise, they appeared first as the primary Flagship monster of Monster Hunter Generations: Ultimate. And there really is no better description for them than the fact they are are a biological fighter jet.

Valstrax is just terrifying. Red flames burning from their swings, they can slash their wings like blades, and fire off the propellant from their wings in a massive beam of heat. Never mind the fact that they can just take off in the blink of an eye and reappear wherever they wish, including right on top of you.

5

Gore Magala

Monster Hunter 4

Gore Magala is a cruel monster. Unlike most others that are just existing naturally in the world, Gore Magala is in immense pain. They carry a virus with them that is only cured by evolving into a Shagaru Magala. Until that point comes, they must simply survive in agony. So maybe hunting them down is a mercy.

Gore Magala is blind too, yet has no issue wreaking havoc. That Frenzy Virus of theirs is highly contagious too, and stops you from healing if infected. They are a menacing monster, and one of the most unsettling of the many Flagship monsters the series has made so far.

4

Malzeno

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak

Every monster in the series has a specific intent behind its design and gameplay, though Malzeno is one of the few that more explicitly takes from more human roots. A regal vampire with bat-like wings, Malzeno is a lord of blood, and another infected Flagship just like Gore Magala, though in a very different way.

This is Malzeno weakened by the Qurio, yet has developed a symbiotic relationship. It’s power is strengthened, and all it has to do is seek out blood. They can infect you with this as well, draining your HP but giving you the chance to restore even more if you’re aggressive. Malzeno is one of the most stylish of the Flagships.

Sunbreak later added Primordial Malzeno too, an older form of Malzeno before they were infected by the Qurio.

3

Tigrex

Monster Hunter Freedom 2

Tigrex answers a question that no one asked – what if a dinosaur had the speed of a tiger and the wings of a drake? It feel like the idea a child would have dreamed up, and from it was born one of the most aggressive monsters in the series.

Debuting in Freedom 2, Tigrex has become a face of the series. Not only are they immensely powerful, they will hunt you down. They will take you by surprise. If they can see you, then you are as good as dead. You need to keep your wits about you fighting Tigrex, because they’ll give you just as much of a challenge as any Elder Dragon.

2

Zinogre

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd

From the moment Zinogre entered the Monster Hunter series, they have quickly become the favourite monster of many a hunter. From the sturdy spikes adorning its body, to the fur that stretches across their body, Zinogre is a master of lightning.

The lightning that Zinorge uses isn’t an inherent ability, but one granted to them by Thunderbugs. By keeping them safe in its fur, they allow Zinogre access to their power. They are a menacing monster, and one that uses the environment to their advantage. It’s no surprise they’ve left such a strong impression.

1

Rathalos

Monster Hunter

It couldn’t be anything thing. Rathalos is the Flagship monster of the very first Monster Hunter game, but they are so much more than that. They are the mascot of the series, and the perfect encapsulation of what a monster in these series is. They are powerful, the benchmark across which powerful monster are ranked.

As the games have gone on, Rathalos has never dwindled in popularity. They are a mainstay in the series now, present in just about every game in the series. There’s just no beating a true classic.