With the release of Monster Hunter World, Capcom saw their long-running and successful Japanese creature hunting game gain a mainstream audience in the states. New players loved how the franchise was Westernized and made more approachable by incoming hunters.
The game sold extremely well which means tons of people were introduced to many of the weird and wacky animals living in the wilds you explore. Here's a list of the 10 weirdest creatures in Monster Hunter World ranked from a bit weird to the biggest freaks in the game.
10 Paolumu
If the Paolumu was simply a giant bat then it wouldn't belong on this list of weird creatures, but would likely top on based on most terrifying monsters in the franchise. What makes the Paolumu weird is that its body is full of these air sacs, that when full, help it glide and make it look like a dandelion.
In many ways, it looks like one of those french poodles who received a really poor hair trimming. On top of having a puffy collar, they balance that with a tail that's said to be extremely hard.
9 Tzitzi-Ya-Ku
Tzitzi-Ya-Ku plays on the deep nostalgic fear every kid of the 90s developed after seeing Jurassic Park. It has these large flaps on either side of its head that can blind its enemies. This is possible due to it having a special organ near its head that pulses.
If the light isn't enough to help it win it also comes equipped with powerful legs. The light emission makes it an absolute danger to nocturnal animals such as the Shamos who thrive in the darkness, which we'll talk about later.
8 Wulg
Wulgs are small monsters introduced to roam the lands in the Iceborne expansion. They're a cross between a badger and a wolf, and for those familiar with Pokémon, look eerily familiar to the Galar form of Linoone.
They can be found in Hoarfrost Reach and are a part of the Boaboa optional questline. Wulg won't ever actively hunt humans, but they will attack anyone or anything that comes near them. Just like badgers in real life, it's best not to test your luck with these guys in the wild.
7 Grimalkyne
Grimalkyne are the little cat-inspired creatures who come from several different tribes and also are born with various colors of fur and features. Hunters who take on one as a partner will refer to them as Palico which is more of a title than a name.
You may be wondering why they'roe making a list of weird creatures but isn't it obvious? They're cats that walk on two legs, are expert cooks, form tribes, and can heal hunters. They're what Egyptians believed cats could become given enough time and space to evolve.
6 Ancient Leshen
The Ancient Leshen is essentially the creepy stories your parents tell you to make you avoid going into the forest alone but come to life in a very creepy manner. They're said to have arrived via a portal and are not believed to be naturally occurring.
They're said to protect the Ancient Forest and are considered by some indigenous people as deities. Ancient Leshen seems to be very much inspired by Pagan legends and is said to curse hunters who dare enter the Ancient Forest.
5 Mosswine
Truthfully a creature that's pretty much a pig isn't really weird, but the fact that it seems to live a symbiotic life with the moss on its back is pretty strange.
Little is known about how this occurs and it's unclear whether the skin of the Mosswine is naturally conducive to moss growth or if they're born in an environment where the attachment is inevitable. Thankfully it seems that the green pig is as weird as it is delicious and makes a case for an alternate Dr. Seuss book called Green Ham & Eggs.
4 Boaboa
The Boaboa seem to be the Grimalkyne who are native to Hoarfrost Reach, an area in the game's latest expansion titled Iceborne. Not much is known about this specific tribe, but like their counterparts, they can aide and assist the player once a friendship has been formed.
Their quests are also an optional part of the late game adventures in the expansion. They had to grow and adapt to the cold climates, so their designs and armor reflect that throughout. More information on the Boaboa should come to light in the coming years.
3 Kulu-Ya-Ku
Kulu-Ya-Ku is what would happen if scientists brought the dodo bird back to life and injected the specimen with Emu or Ostrich DNA. It takes all of the goofy and idiotic behaviors and multiplies them to an even larger scale.
Good designers have a way of communicating personality simply through design and the Kulu-Ya-Ku is a brilliant example of this. At first glance, players know that they're dealing with an animal who doesn't get by with its intelligence. They quickly understand they're dealing with a large reckless child in giant-bird form.
2 Shamos
Shamos are mostly nocturnal pack animals and thus are weak to strong light and blinding flashes. Since they're mostly nocturnal they sport large prominent eyes that resemble that of a Pixar or Dreamworks character.
They're not the type of creature that would outright scare you, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be cautious. Given the right circumstances, Shamos would surround you and slowly tighten their circle around you as you stare into their large uncomfortable eyes.
1 Pukei-Pukei
In many ways, Pukei-Pukei feels more like a Pokémon than any other creature in the world of Monster Hunter. It's a weird frog-inspired dragon that sports a disgustingly long and bulbous tongue. Its large lifeless eyes also make it look like a homicidal killing machine.
The recently released Iceborne expansion introduced a coral variation that trades the green and blue design for a color palette of yellows and reds. Despite the change in colors its still just as weird and offputting as it's always been.