Monster Hunter is a large franchise of video games and other media that has become quite the phenomenon. For a while I want to dedicate each of my threads to briefly shouting out a monster from the franchise’s storied history (nearly 400 total large monsters across its iterations). One of the things that makes the games so great is just how much thought and effort goes into the ecology of each creature. As this is my first open thread, I’m going to start with Rathalos, the flagship monster of the first game that has become the series mascot. Rathalos has appeared in every monster hunter game to date and makes routine appearances in other games such as Final Fantasy XIV and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Rathalos fall under the classification of “Flying Wyvern” and are known as the “King of the Skies” due to their expert flying ability. They have a flame sac which allows them to produce fiery projectiles from their mouths. Additionally, they possess poisonous talons and a spiked club tail. All of which they use to hunt prey or fend off hunters. They have been found in many different types of habitats and adapt well to almost any location apart from freezing colds. They are the male counterparts to the female Rathian and share many similarities. Notably, while Rathian tend to be more muted in color, Rathalos are often quite vivid in their coloration and patterns, probably as a way to attract potential mates. While typically known for their reddish color, there are variants of Rathalos with different hues that are often considered even more dangerous. The most common of which are Azure Rathalos and Silver Rathalos. Highly aggressive and territorial, any hunter worth their salt knows not to underestimate these formidable creatures.