In Monster Hunter World, there are no beasts more ferocious or more feared than the Elder Dragons. Very little is known about these creatures or where they came from. All that’s known is they are hazardous not just to the player but the very ecosystem they reside in.

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These gargantuan behemoths pose some of the biggest threats in the game and one even acts as the final boss for the player to overcome. The player who manages to slay these Elder Dragons is truly a master hunter of monsters.

Updated July 25, 2022 by Ryan Bamsey: The Elder Dragons represent some of the toughest yet most rewarding fights available in the Monster Hunter series. These missions pit you against legendary and mythical creatures that seems almost purpose-evolved to ruin your day with unique mechanics, hard-hitting attacks, and brutal status effects. We've gone and added some of our favorites to this list from the Iceborne expansion.

12 Kulve Taroth

Monster Hunter World Kulve Taroth

Kulve Taroth (and the other special event monsters) was a hard entry on this list because it's technically the strongest elder dragon, given that the player cannot kill this Elder Dragon. But it’s been placed here because this Elder Dragon is part of a siege event that requires the participation of multiple players, meaning it’s not possible to solo this monster via the game mechanics. If you have a decent group, though, it’s a piece of cake.

This glittering gold dragon is essentially a source of loot as players work together to knock pieces off for rewards until the dragon is driven back or the time runs out. The Elder Dragon is never killed because the game doesn’t permit it, not because players couldn’t.

11 Namielle

Monster Hunter World Namielle Cutscene

Taking its visual inspiration from creatures of the deep, such as jellyfish, it should come as no surprise that you'll want to pack some resistance against water when facing off against this monster. It can use water and thunder attacks with impunity, and makes for a horrifically-large wall of HP to take down.

That said, it's a very beautiful monster and hunting it will let you make some very beautiful armor. Notably, the masculine armor has blue trims while the feminine has blood orange, highlighting the vivid pops of color present in this Elder Dragon's design.

10 Zorah Magdaros

Monster Hunter World Zorah Magdaros

Like Kulve Taroth, Zorah Magdaros is a Monster Hunter World Elder Dragon that is farmed for materials as part of a quest and not a typical monster that can be killed. The reason this Elder Dragon ranks higher is because players can tackle the monster alone, and there are several game mechanics required to beat it.

Players must knock out weak points called Magmacores to weaken the Elder Dragon enough to drive it back with cannon blasts and the triggering of the Dragonslayer. If successful, Zorah Magdaros flees into the ocean to fight another day, and the player walks away with valuable loot.

9 Behemoth

Monster Hunter World Behemoth

The last special event monster is the Behemoth and it is arguably the strongest monster in the entire game. You are intended to fight it with a team of players, but it ranks here because you cannot solo this Monster Hunter World Elder Dragon.

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The Behemoth was added as a special crossover event with Final Fantasy 14 and is referred to in-game as a “powerful beast from another world.” If the player is part of a team with a halfway decent lancer tank and heavy hitters, this Elder Dragon won’t be a problem. Facing it alone would be suicide, however.

8 Lunastra

Monster Hunter World Lunastra

Now we get into the solo-able Monster Hunter World dragons. Lunastra is the only female Elder Dragon in the entire game and is the mate of the much more powerful Teostra. While Lunastra is arguably the easiest Elder Dragon, it’s by no means an easy fight.

She possesses a special ability to turn the very air around her into a blistering aura that can damage the player if they come too close, but this aura is also highly flammable, which can be easily exploited by the player. If alone, she’s a fairly easy fight. If she’s with her mate Teostra… well, you’ll see why that’s a problem in a later entry.

7 Kirin

Monster Hunter World Kirin

Kirin is infamous with fans as being a particularly tricky monster to face. Kirin will dart around the area, dealing damage with AOE lightning attacks and dropping barriers of electrical energy that harm the player.

What makes it so annoying to take down this monster is that it relies upon these type of ranged attacks in a hit-and-run strategy that makes getting a hit against it such a nightmare. If the player manages to stagger or disrupt Kirin’s movements, the fight becomes much easier.

6 Kushala Daora

Monster Hunter World Kushala Daora

Depending on your build, Kushala Daora is either one of the easier Elder Dragons to take down or the strongest elder dragon you'll face. Unlike the other monsters, Kushala Daora isn’t opposed to remaining in the air and it has a wind aura that knocks back enemies, which makes killing it as a melee fighter next to impossible.

But with players who’ve focused on ranged builds, Kushala Daora isn’t too bad to take down. Melee fighters can implement strategies with flash pods to keep it grounded, but it still remains a tedious fight.

5 Xeno’Jiiva

Monster Hunter World Xeno'Jiiva

The last boss of the game so far is surprisingly not the strongest elder dragon in the game. That being said, it is in the number four spot and can catch unsuspecting players off-guard. It’s incredibly resistant to status effects, meaning this is a brutal slog with weapons.

On the ground, Xeno-Jiiva deals with damaging projectiles and beams in a variety of fashions. The most brutal attack is a devastating straight-forward beam that can shred a player, but it also makes the creature vulnerable to head attacks from the side. Killing Xeno-Jiiva is a matter of shooting it down when it flies and waiting for moments to get those attacks in while dodging a variety of projectiles.

4 Vaal Hazak

Monster Hunter World Vaal Hazak

This Elder Dragon appears to be something that crawled out of the nightmares of its lesser brethren. It resides in the Rotten Vale and has developed a type of symbiotic connection with the deadly vapor that is found there.

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The result is a twisted creature mutated by Miasma that makes it a terrifying monster to face. To make things even worse, it has a nasty habit of playing dead in order to generate a powerful Miasma-based attack to wreck unsuspecting players.

3 Alatreon

Monster Hunter World Alatreon Cutscene

Alatreon is known as the symbol of destruction, and it is a moniker well-earned. Alatreon is an Elder Dragon with the ability to wield multiple elements and has devastating attacks, so you'll need to be very prepared. Learning its moveset is a must, and gearing up is key to clean victories.

Blight Resistance will help you out a ton in this fight - it has access to all the blights, after all. Being slowed down or set on fire is going to make you panic, and panic is a fine way to earn a cart against this terrifying beast.

2 Nergigante

Monster Hunter World Nergigante

You know you’re in for a fight when you go up against an Elder Dragon that preys on other Elder Dragons for food. This monster commonly engages in turf wars with other dragons, which is often how players will encounter it.

One of the most terrifying moments in the game is to square off against a powerful Elder Dragon, only to have Nergigante come barreling into the area ready to rip both you and the other Elder Dragon apart. It’s incredibly aggressive and agile, which makes it the second-most powerful Elder Dragon in the game.

1 Teostra

Monster Hunter World Teostra

Many fans consider Teostra to be the unofficial king of the Elder Dragons, like a Simba who has yet to challenge Scar (Xeno-Jiiva) for dominance. This lion-faced monster can cover its body in flames and sprinkle the area with explosive black scale dust.

Players without fire resistance will quickly meet their demise, and those who can take the heat will find themselves facing a swift and aggressive monster who’s all teeth and claws. For many, taking down Teostra is the true demonstration of skill as a Monster Hunter. The players who can take down Teostra while it fights alongside its mate Lunastra are legends in this world. This is by far the top of the Monster Hunter dragon tier list.

NEXT: Monster Hunter: Best Monster Designs