Video game adaptations have an infamous tradition of essentially misunderstanding what made the source material so popular to begin with. Paul W.S. Anderson takes plenty of criticism for his directing—but his Mortal Kombat is quite beloved, and that first Resident Evil film mostly works. Mainly because it often borrows from Aliens. Still, given Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Hollywood is somewhat on the right track with Kaiju films.
The focus of the Monster Hunter franchise is its wild variety of inventive creatures, so all Anderson has to do is follow suit. Just convincingly bring these creative animals to life! Now, every installment had fantastic additions, but here are 10 mainstays that fans will definitely want on the big screen.
10 Kirin
And you thought that Unicorn from Cabin in the Woods was bad. Longtime fans will be familiar with this Unicorn creature, which has the ability to summon lightning. It’s likely one of the first Elder Dragons that any player will encounter, and it’s been around since the very first entry in the Monster Hunter franchise.
This would be a more easily produced monster with visual effects, as opposed to its elder brethren since it is essentially just a horse. Still, that animal has always been imbued with a reputation for equal shares of elegance and strength.
9 Rathalos and Rathian
Monsters that invoke the features of a dragon have been anything but rare throughout the Monster Hunter series. Endless variations of the traditional aesthetic have been elaborated on, enough to make Smaug himself seem dull. However, above all the dragon-like creatures made available over the years, few have served as more of a flagship monster.
As much as we love Tigrex, these two made the cover of Monster Hunter: World. This power couple easily instills fear in newer players, who haven’t yet acquired the decorations to handle a monster with multiple abilities. They can burn you, poison you, and will take on any T-Rex it feels like—Anjanath, or even Deviljho.
8 Pukei-Pukei
It makes sense to include more monsters from Monster Hunter: World since that entry is currently busy introducing a wider audience to the franchise with great success. However, it’s easy to include monsters that are actually mere elaborations on the classics. This hideous, poisonous thing is an evolution of the first generation’s Gypceros.
Much of the enjoyment to be had in Monster Hunter is discovering the habits and abilities of new threats; that is, exactly how crazy can they get? Such creativity will better distinguish itself in a movie, where dozens of monsters have become stars.
7 Kulu-Ya-Ku
You may disagree, given its silly appearance and lack of significance. However, bear in mind that this monster is actually a variant of Yian Kut-Ku, a similar Bird Wyvern that was introduced in the very first Monster Hunter. This is an easy way to equally deliver fan service for longtime players and newcomers alike.
With its endlessly amusing behavior, such as lugging a rock around in its mouth in moments of self-defense, this monster could easily serve as some slapstick comic relief. As opposed to a redundant series of towering beasts, it would be nice to have a change of pace in the film. It could even be used for a false sense of security in the film, allowing something that is legitimately dangerous to interrupt an otherwise lighthearted moment with a fierce ambush.
6 Endemic Life
This may seem like a strange entry, but one of the most immersive things about the Monster Hunter franchise is its dedication towards crafting a functioning environment. By the time Monster Hunter: World has released, many Earthly animals we’re familiar with have been given a counterpart. Fish, deer, insects, birds; even anxious cacti.
All of which can now be captured in a net, and stored as pets for your room. Most importantly, this comprehensive attention to non-threatening monsters reminds us that we only treat them that way. In reality, they’re just animals. This would help supply a positive perspective on what will probably amount to a series of vicious attacks on the big screen.
5 Uragaan
First seen in Monster Hunter 3, this is definitely a unique beast that deserves Hollywood money. It’s much like a Radobaan, only worse. It can certainly roll around after coiling into a ball, which was always an alarming tactic that provides great unpredictability. However, it also has the means to spew sleeping gas.
This could be visually altered to create a thicker cloud, which would offer a chaotic atmosphere that might avoid the silliness of seeing Milla Jovovich abruptly drop and snore. Also, Urugaan emits fire attacks when it’s threatened, and it has a nasty habit of throwing stones around with its tail. This shifty behavior would be very striking on film.
4 Diablos
Here’s a monster that truly lives up to its namesake. This is another first generation monster, a staple of the franchise. In Monster Hunter: World, the first time we encounter Diablos is in Wildspire Waste, where a gripping cinematic establishes its dominance over the area. An unsuspecting Barroth is pulled into a sandy sinkhole alongside us, into the dual-horned monster’s underground lair.
Diablos also has a black variant, which would be stunning on screen, and its ability to swim through dirt would be a visually engaging dynamic. Sort of like Jaws, but in the ground, and decidedly not Sand Sharks. Besides, it may or may not have been leaked on YouTube.
3 Zinogre
An electrifying threat from the third generation, Zinogres have layers. They aren’t simply massive beasts; they move quickly and wield the fascinating ability to summon nearby Thunderbugs to charge up. Showing the relationship between a Fanged Wyvern and seemingly innocent insects would be a great way to establish the balance of the world’s ecosystem, and make for a terrific surprise.
That glowing charge is intimidating enough on Godzilla, but here’s a monster that doesn’t lumber around. During its electric charge, Zinogre is vulnerable to attacks, and that could make for some great suspense if the story establishes that ticking clock before a confrontation.
2 Zorah Magdaros
A major plot point of Monster Hunter: World, you only reach High Rank after trying to redirect this thing’s migration path. You spend a great deal of the story racing after Zorah, which is basically a walking volcano.
The confrontation itself is somewhat anticlimactic, and the armor isn’t nearly as useful as you would expect; at least, not compared to the other available hunts by that point. Still, for a while, it’s the big deal in Monster Hunter: World; which is currently a Capcom juggernaut. So, although it’s playing favorites with the newest release again, that isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Many players have been introduced to the franchise through Monster Hunter: World.
1 Behemoth
This monster resembles a traditional image of the Devil itself and is surprisingly an import from Final Fantasy XIV. As if that crossover wouldn’t be enough to secure its cinematic promise, it’s abilities and behavior are definitely cataclysmic. In Monster Hunter: World, the Behemoth occupies the Elder’s Recess, where it simply brushes off the falling boulders. It doesn’t just use horns and physical strikes; it has four different ranged attacks, which are referred to as spells.
This really separates it from the local monsters. It can manipulate whirlwinds, summon thunder, and call down meteors. While Zorah is massive, it’s slow moving and simply trying to commute. The Behemoth will literally destroy the entire area with Ecliptic Meteor. This thing was positively made for the climax of a monster movie.