Monster Hunter Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Monster Hunter Wiki
"We've taken to using the term Elder Dragon for any creature that defies ordinary classification, but I suppose you could call them a type of phenomenon: disasters, cataclysms, living, breathing forces of nature."
- Chief Ecologist, Monster Hunter: World

Elder Dragons (Japanese: 古龍種 Koryūshu) are a class of monsters introduced in the first generation. Unlike other monster types, which classify monsters by shared traits, Elder Dragons are creatures that defy typical classification and reside outside of the standard ecosystem, regardless of their resemblance to a dragon. These monsters are rare creatures with immense power that have lived since ancient times.

First Generation Elder Dragons[]

Second Generation Elder Dragons[]

Third Generation Elder Dragons[]

Fourth Generation Elder Dragons[]

Fifth Generation Elder Dragons[]

Frontier Generation Elder Dragons[]

Monster Hunter Online Elder Dragons[]

Monster Hunter Explore Elder Dragons[]

Stories series Elder Dragons[]

Monster Hunter Orage Elder Dragons[]

Notes[]

  • Elder Dragon have two exclusive variants dedicated to them, Arch-Tempered and Risen state.
  • Uniquely, many Elder Dragons can be repelled if they are not slain. In some games, they will retain the damage dealt to them, allowing one specific dragon to be fought over multiple quests.
  • Elder Dragons exhibit a wide variety of body types not found in other classes, the most common being a quadrupedal entity with a long tail and a pair of wings. For this reason, Kirin, Yama Tsukami, and Nakarkos were placed in the Elder Dragon category.
  • Elder Dragons cannot be captured in traps. They can, however, be put to sleep using a sleep weapon (in some cases), which enables a hunter to perform Sleep Bombing.
  • Despite being classified as an Elder Dragon in external sources,Gore Magala is classified as a "???" Type in all Fourth Generation games, Monster Hunter Frontier Z and Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, has Wyvern-specific loot (such as Wyvern Tears), and can be captured in traps.
  • In the past, some Elder Dragons were worshiped as gods; however, in the present, the Guild marked them as threats to the ecosystem.
  • When an Elder Dragon is present on a standard hunting ground, all small monsters (except Neopterons and/or Remobras) are absent. They also cause a certain enviromental characteristics to happen (i.e. Teostra has the locale have ash, Kushala Daora makes the locale windy, Chameleos makes it hazy, etc.)
    • Effluvium-contaminated Girros, Raphinos, Jagras, and Mernos are exceptions; remaining present on Vaal Hazak and Blackveil Vaal Hazak hunts.
    • For Monster Hunter World: Iceborne master rank expeditions and hunts, one other large monster or elder dragon is present with the main elder dragon there.
    • In Monster Hunter Rise, the elder dragons are treated as regular monsters, with no small monsters leaving or environmental characteristics happening. This only applied to the elder dragons that were able to be in normal locales, since Ibushi and Narwa are fought in Rampage and exclusive arenas.
  • Despite not being native to the Monster Hunter universe, Behemoth is classified as an Elder Dragon in Monster Hunter World. Behemoth originally appeared in the Square Enix RPG Final Fantasy II, and its design is based on the version seen in Final Fantasy XIV. It was brought to Monster Hunter World as a crossover event between Square Enix and Capcom, the creator of the Monster Hunter Series.
  • A common weakness among Elder dragons is Breaking their horn to weaken them this is due to it being a source of their power and in some games you can only break them with dragon element. Breaking it has a similar effect to elderseal on specific elder dragons in monster hunter world but it's permanent for the rest of the fight.
    • Breaking them causes Kirin's electricial powers weaken, Chameleos loses full invisiblity, Kushala Daora's wind isn't as strong, Teostra cannot do it's flame aura as well, Alatreon's Elemental cycle is messed up, Fatalis' fire attacks weaken among others.
  • While Elder Dragons all count as one classification some Elder Dragons are powerful enough to receive the classification of "Dangerous First-Class Monsters". This classification refers to the fact that these creatures are not only much rarer than normal Elder Dragons but, it also refers to their innate abilities that defy understanding (even by Monster Hunter logic), being described as capable of bringing the entire world to destruction even.
Advertisement