Mascot monsters are in a weird spot in Monster Hunter. In the hierarchy of monsters, you’ve got Rathalos, who is and will always be the unofficial brand mascot. Then there are the staples, like Anjanath, Diablos, and Rajang, followed by the elder dragons. That makes the mascot monsters for each game the fourth most important, despite their big scaly mugs being front and center on all of the billboards and Taco Bell cups. Mascot monsters are new to their respective games, and they play a central role in the story, but does that make them important? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
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Case in point: Monster Hunter Wilds’ mascot character Arkveld is a bit of a flop. I really don’t hate the guy. He’s a little over-designed in a late-gen Pokemon way (he’s giving Kommo-o) but his fights aren’t bad and his fluffy gear is actually pretty neat. Arkveld isn’t a monster I’m going to have fond memories of years from now. Arkveld is like the 15th coolest monster in his own game. What’s worse, you only have to go back one generation to find a real mascot monster. You wanna talk top-tier mascots? Nergigante is the guy, bro just thinks he’s him.
Nerg Is A Real One
I love Nergigante, he might be my favorite monster of all time. Peak design, incredible fights, heavy-metal lore; Nerg really has it all. What many affectionately refer to as the angry hedgehog, Nergigante is the kind of instantly iconic monster that defies comparison. It’s a terrifying monster that earns his place in the pantheon of elder dragons by literally eating all the other elder dragons. He exudes final boss energy and is truly terrifying to hunt – as he should be.
It feels like Capcom put everything into making Nergigante the star of Monster Hunter World. From his unique lumbering and erratic movement to the breakable spikes on his hide, to his incredible theme song and, of course, his iconic dive bomb, Nergigante checks every box for what a mascot monster should be. So how come Arkveld doesn’t?
Arkveld Is Nergigante-lite
Part of the problem with Arkveld is that he’s sort of a rehash of Nerg. Nergigante stalks the Elder Recess, hunting and killing the most dangerous elder dragons and consuming their pure bioenergy to satiate his rage and increase his power. This is a monster that preys on the monsters you’re most afraid of, and what’s a better way to build up a boss monster than that?
I’m not sure, and I guess Capcom couldn’t figure it out either, because Arkveld does essentially the same thing. Arkveld is a nomadic monster that hunts the apex monsters in each region and consumes their energy (wylk) to power himself up. It’s the same MO, but way less cool. One monster preys on school bullies, the other one eats gods.
Could Nergigante Come Back?
Considering Wilds doesn’t have any elder dragons and Nergigante only eats elder dragons, it might not seem like there’s room for him in Wilds. I think there is; it’s just going to take some build-up.
One way to go would be to start with a Guardian Nergigante – one that the ancient civilization created to ward off other elder dragons. With that construct gone, elder dragons could start to return to the Forbidden Lands, introduced slowly over multiple updates. The returning elder dragons would eventually attract Nergigante, further disrupting the ecosystem and instantly raising Wilds’ OpenCritic score by 5 points.
The fact that Arkveld isn’t even powerful enough for Nergigante to hunt is proof enough that Wilds’ mascot is a serious downgrade. Nerg shouldn’t necessarily dominate every future Monster Hunter game, but after having a monster who definitely deserves to be on the front of the box in World, it’s disappointing to have one now who definitely doesn’t deserve to headline its successor.
- Released
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February 28, 2025
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Violence, Blood, Crude Humor