In Monster Hunter: World,  the player is tasked with tracking down and slaying huge, aggressive 'monsters.' There are a huge number of these creatures to fight over the course of the game, ranging from powerful flying dragons to fierce Tyrannosaurus Rex wannabes. Each monster requires its own strategy to beat, and the player will have to stay on their toes when fighting unfamiliar ones.

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Out of the dozens of creatures found in the game, here are some of the very toughest. It's a hard life being a monster hunter.

10 Anjanath

This behemoth resembling a T-Rex is considered one of the first monsters that gives players serious trouble in the game. It’s incredibly hostile and will not hesitate to attack anything it stumbles across, including other monsters.

Players will need some serious fire resistance when combating this fireball-lobbing beast, and a weapon with the water element will definitely be needed. To be fair, it probably doesn’t pose much threat to veterans, but it makes the list for how many newer players struggled with it.

9 Kushala Daora

Kushala Daora was the first monster to make players realize just how important it is not to rely exclusively upon melee weapons in battle. It was a hard-learned lesson. This monster spends the majority of its time in the air, and when it does land, it has durable armor that only the sharpest of weapons will penetrate.

Players also quickly learned that monsters don't all fight with melee attacks either. Kushala Daora has taken down its fair share of hunters through its devastating wind-based attacks from the air.

8 Xeno’jiiva

The last monster the player will encounter in Monster Hunter: World is, surprisingly, not the most difficult. Xeno’jiiva is found deep in the Elder Recess, and the player will need to have fought a number of difficult monsters before reaching it. Maybe it’s because the player has beaten every other monster in the game that Xeno’jiiva doesn’t feel very threatening, but it is a bit of a let down as the last boss of the game.

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Being the first Elder Dragon on this list it easily makes the top ten, but it just doesn’t have enough muster to climb higher in the rankings.

7 Odogaron

This monster may not be as intimidating as the Elder Dragons or other behemoths on this list, but players would be advised not to underestimate it. Odogaron is incredibly fast and seems to always be moving, making it very difficult to hit in combat.

Its ability to cause bleeding makes it even more dangerous, because the only way to cure bleeding is by holding still. With this speed demon darting in and out looking for blood, holding still is a quick way to die, but moving around will lead to bleeding out. It’s a tough fight, and one that requires players to act fast and dodge just as quickly or risk a swift death.

6 Pink Rathian

Monster Hunter World Pink Rathian

While other monsters are optional on the path towards beating the game, the Pink Rathian is not. It requires great skill to beat, too. The Pink Rathian can poison enemies and moves quickly, making it difficult to take a moment to cure the poison without taking big damage.

It’s also capable of dealing fireblight damage, which requires players to roll to remove the burn. Between the fireblight and the poison, the Pink Rathian can whittle down an opponent’s health with status effects, while also making recovery almost impossible with its fast and disruptive attacks.

5 Bazelgeuse

Perhaps the number one reason Bazelgeuse is in the top five is for its unique ability to wander pretty much anywhere in the game. While most monsters remain in specific areas, this monster considers the whole world its home and will pop up at the most inconvenient times (like when the player is fighting another difficult monster).

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Once it has found a player occupied with another fight, it will fly in and drop explosive scales that can deal huge damage. In battle, it will charge the player on the ground or continue bombing the area with its scales until there is nothing left.

4 Vaal Hazak

This Elder Dragon is a frightening enemy to behold, able to strike fear in the hearts of the strongest hunters. It’s said to live in the Rotten Vale, where the deadly vapors have corrupted its appearance and given it great power. Merely standing close to this fierce dragon will slowly sap a player’s health away.

This monster utilizes a number of status effects to fight enemies and its miasma can shorten the player’s health bar. It also has the frightening ability to pretend to be dead when severely injured, while lying still it’ll charge up a devastating blast of vapor that can obliterate players who fall for the bait.

3 Black Diablos

Given how difficult the standard Diablos is, the more powerful Black Diablos makes a tough fight much, much worse. This monster will burrow into the sand and leap at enemies with a shark-like intensity, making striking it extremely difficult. Its most dangerous ability is aggressively charging down the enemy and dealing massive damage. Given how large and fast this monster is, it’s very difficult to dodge.

If the player is struck, they become stunned and are vulnerable to further aggression from this juggernaut. It’s a fight that requires strong wills and even stronger armor to survive.

2 Nergigante

This Elder Dragon has developed the reputation of hunting and eating other Elder Dragons, which is never a good sign. Nergigante deals impressive damage and is capable of absorbing a lot of punishment from the player’s weapons.

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Once the player has somehow managed to whittle its health down, this Elder Dragon will retreat, but only to dive bomb the player with an attack that’ll take down anyone who fails to get out of the way or disrupt it. The spot for the fiercest monster in the game is a tough one to claim and while the Nergigante could be the most difficult for some, it pales in comparison to the next monster.

1 Teostra

Teostra is undoubtably the master of fire and will use it to full effect in battle. Even players with the most heat resistant armor will still find the columns of flame and the dragon’s searing body a tough fight.

Easily its most dangerous attack is the aerial explosion of fire it rains down on the player . The player’s only hope is to take out the horns that give the beast its powers, but this only makes the fight marginally easier. Even without these devastating abilities, Teostra is still considered by many to be the toughest monster in the game.

NEXT: Monster Hunter World: The Best Weapons, Ranked