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** The Brachydios has an area explosion attack that it occasionally uses. Despite its explosive resistance, it actually is damaged slightly by this attack. It is possible for it to [[DeathByIrony kill itself with that attack if its health is low enough]].
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Rajang Kaizo trap.
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** If weak enough, it is theoretically possible to die from a monster collapsing on top of you after you catch it. Made impossible in most normal quests, since after the main quest conditions are fulfilled, the player is invulnerable to any monster attack. In quests with multiple monsters, or quests with monsters that appear but do not need killing, monsters like Congalala that have post-death attacks can potentially harm you. Exceptions to this rule include quests which don't end the instant you capture the monster, but a few seconds later. In these cases you can effectively die if the monster you just caught happens to fall on top of your hunter. Fortunately, this only applies to first-gen monsters (Rathalos, Diablos, etc.) in older games.
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** If weak enough, it is theoretically possible to die from a monster collapsing on top of you after you catch it. Made impossible in most normal quests, since after the main quest conditions are fulfilled, the player is invulnerable to any monster attack. In quests with multiple monsters, or quests with monsters that appear but do not need killing, monsters like Congalala that have post-death attacks can potentially harm you. Exceptions to this rule include quests which don't end the instant you capture the monster, but a few seconds later. In these cases you can effectively die if the monster you just caught happens to fall on top of your hunter. Fortunately, this only applies to first-gen monsters (Rathalos, Diablos, etc.) in older games. Except Rajang and Congalala in 4U. Their death-flails will still do damage if you're within range of their claws.
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Gameplay/Story Segregation note concerning the Hopeless F Ights in MH Generations
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** In ''Geneations'' the Fated Four are all 5th tier monsters that all have scripted encounters during your 3-star quests [[spoiler: though again, unlike the Lagiacrus, they don't have infinite HP]] and afterwards they have a chance of showing up again during repeat quests. It should also be noted that, with the exception of the Glavenus, all their quests are optional until you actually reach the 5-star quests [[spoiler: however even then each of the Fated Four have [[InvokedTrope twice as much HP as they would normally]] and give no quest rewards beyond what you can carve off them and what you can break [[DevelopersForesight presumably to deter ambitious players from killing them before they're supposed to]]. Though some players just end up taking that as a [[SelfImposedChallenge challenge]]]].
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** In ''Geneations'' the Fated Four are all 5th tier monsters that all have scripted encounters during your 3-star quests [[spoiler: though again, unlike the Lagiacrus, they don't have infinite HP]] and afterwards they have a chance of showing up again during repeat quests. It should also be noted that, with the exception of the Glavenus, all their quests are optional until you actually reach the 5-star quests [[spoiler: however even then each of the Fated Four have [[InvokedTrope twice as much HP as they would normally]] and give no quest rewards beyond what you can carve off them and what you can break [[DevelopersForesight presumably to deter ambitious players from killing them before they're supposed to]]. Though some players just end up taking that as a [[SelfImposedChallenge challenge]]]]. Especially egregious is that you can capture the Glavenus/Gammoth/whichever, and the town folks will all act as if you barely escaped, possibly even commenting that it's a shame you [[GameplayAndStorySegregation couldn't slay it, let alone capture it]].
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Per TRS, The Hunter has been renamed to Hunter Of Monsters. Misuse and zero context examples will be cut or moved to subtropes.
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* TheHunter: The point of the series.
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* MedievalStasis: Averted and played straight with different aspects. The overall tech level has noticeably improved as the series has progressed, but it remains a predominantly hunter/gatherer society which depends on the Hunters for both supplies and safety, which is much more evident in the first game. Considering how long Hunters have existed and the fact that there are still Elder Dragons and other monsters roaming free, it's not surprising that the tech level is slow to advance.
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* MedievalStasis: Averted and played straight with different aspects. The overall tech level has noticeably improved as the series has progressed, but it remains a predominantly hunter/gatherer society which depends on the Hunters for both supplies and safety, which is much more evident in the first game. The first game showed a strongly bronze-age/prehistoria tech level with bowguns, but overtime mechanical contraptions such as the Switch Axe, balloons and dirigibles, and large ships with cannons have been introduced. Considering how long Hunters have existed and the fact that there are still Elder Dragons and other monsters roaming free, it's not surprising that the tech level is slow to advance.
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* MiniBoss: The series has three groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi and Volvidon) Theropod Bird Wyverns (Velocidrome, Gendrome, Iodrome, Giadrome, Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), and certain Theropods (Vespoid Queen, male Seltas). These monsters have a lower HP than others, are considered to have a threat level of only two stars (all other large monsters have three or more), and have a soft-paced battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found; and since they're the lowest-ranked large monsters there's always a BackgroundMusicOverride upon the appearance of another monster. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
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* MiniBoss: The series has three groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi Lagombi, and Volvidon) Theropod Bird Wyverns (Velocidrome, Gendrome, Iodrome, Giadrome, Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), and certain Theropods Neopterons (Vespoid Queen, male Seltas). These monsters have a lower less HP than others, are considered to have a threat level of only two three stars (all other (the lowest possible for large monsters have three or more), monsters), and usually have a soft-paced battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found; and since they're the lowest-ranked large monsters there's always a BackgroundMusicOverride upon the appearance of another monster. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
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Ctoss-wicking changes
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* MiniBoss: In the third generation of games (''Tri'', ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Ultimate''), there are two groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi and Volvidon) and series veteran Theropod Bird Wyverns (Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), the latter having had monsters in previous games. These monsters have a lower HP than other monsters, and each group has a particular battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
* MiniGame:
* MiniGame:
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* MiniBoss: In the third generation of games (''Tri'', ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Ultimate''), there are two The series has three groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi and Volvidon) and series veteran Theropod Bird Wyverns (Great (Velocidrome, Gendrome, Iodrome, Giadrome, Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), the latter having had monsters in previous games. and certain Theropods (Vespoid Queen, male Seltas). These monsters have a lower HP than others, are considered to have a threat level of only two stars (all other monsters, large monsters have three or more), and each group has have a particular soft-paced battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found. found; and since they're the lowest-ranked large monsters there's always a BackgroundMusicOverride upon the appearance of another monster. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
* MiniGame:monster.
* MiniGame:
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* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: The many, many armor sets tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. That said, it's not as lop-sided as much pop-cultural fantasy games. Nerscylla armour makes both genders look like japanese mecha, including full face-covering helmets. Also [[EatingTheEyeCandy Nargacuga mens' fishnet corsets]].
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* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: The many, many armor sets tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. That said, it's not as lop-sided as much pop-cultural fantasy games. Nerscylla armour makes both genders look like japanese mecha, including full face-covering helmets. Also [[EatingTheEyeCandy Nargacuga mens' fishnet corsets]].corsets]] and [[BareYourMidriff Male Kirin bare midriffs]] [[FemaleGaze with bottomless chaps]].
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* LethalJokeCharacter: Striker style is almost universally mocked in ''Generations'', '''except''' in the hands of a lance user. A striker lance is literally the most effective setup in the game in terms of clear time.
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--> '''Ace Lancer:''' When Gunlancers attack, [[FreudWasRight their vigorous thrusts]] can result in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an explosive climax]]! [[HehHehYouSaidX ...Hmm? ...Did I say something amusing?]]
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--> '''Ace Lancer:''' When Gunlancers attack, [[FreudWasRight their vigorous thrusts]] thrusts can result in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an explosive climax]]! [[HehHehYouSaidX ...Hmm? ...Did I say something amusing?]]
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* IaijutsuPractitioner: Greatswords do more damage if an attack is used right as it's being unsheathed.
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* IaijutsuPractitioner: Greatswords do more damage if an attack is used right as it's being unsheathed. As a result, they benefit the most from Punishing and Critical Draw, which grant the ability to stun monsters or increase the chances of landing critical hits with draw attacks, respectively.
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* {{Meido}}: A certain line of female armors puts you in french maid clothes - fully done.
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* {{Meido}}: A certain line of female armors puts you in french maid clothes - fully done.
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Adding details about comparative shield strength to Luckily My Shield...
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* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Sword & Shield, Lance, Gunlance and Charge Blade classes all have shields, and the [[{{BFS}} Great Sword]] class allows you to use your sword as a shield. Shielding blocks most attacks provided you have the stamina needed to shield them successfully, including physical strikes, breath projectiles, and, strangely enough, ''stun flashes'' and ''[[MakeMeWannaShout roars]]''.
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* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Sword & Shield, Lance, Gunlance and Charge Blade classes all have shields, and the [[{{BFS}} Great Sword]] class allows you to use your sword as a shield. Shielding blocks most attacks provided you have the stamina needed to shield them successfully, including physical strikes, breath projectiles, and, strangely enough, ''stun flashes'' and ''[[MakeMeWannaShout roars]]''. That said, there's definitely a hierarchy of shieldiness -- lances typically have tower shields and correspondingly have the strongest blocking ability. Sword and shield generally has a shield on par with a buckler, and they get pushed around much more than other shield-users. Furthermore certain attacks are impossible to block without having enhanced shield-using ability (as granted by an armour skill).
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Correcting Heroic RROD — excess charge in the shield is simply lost, but leaving the sword to accumulate charge without loading the shield will cause the sword to fail at cutting ANYTHING
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* HeroicRROD: The Charge Blade's Sword and Shield Mode is made to gather Phial energy by attacking, which increases a charge that boosts the Shield's blocking ability. However, if you attack too much, the Shield becomes Overcharged, which gives it nigh-impenetrable defense, but makes your attacks always bounce, regardless of Sharpness.
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* HeroicRROD: The Charge Blade's Sword and Shield Mode is made to gather Phial energy by attacking, which increases a charge that boosts can be loaded into the Shield's blocking ability. However, if you attack too much, shield to either enhance your [[SwissArmyWeapon axe-mode attacks]] or boost the Shield becomes Overcharged, which gives it nigh-impenetrable defense, defensive power of your shield, but makes leave off charging the shield with the energy that your sword attacks accumulate and the phial in the blade will move from unlit (no charge) through yellow (3/5 of a full charge) to red (full charge) and then start pulsing angrily while red sparks and vapour starts leaking from the sword, causing your attacks to always bounce, bounce off monsters, regardless of Sharpness.
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Helmets and Palicoes in 4/4U being a zigzag of The Hat Makes the Man.
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* TheHatMakesTheMan: The various masks that can be equipped by Cha-Cha and Kayamba radically change their personalities... [[ZigZaggedTrope at least, during a hunt, as they retain their normal personalities while in town.]]
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* TheHatMakesTheMan: The various masks that can be equipped by Cha-Cha and Kayamba radically change their personalities... [[ZigZaggedTrope at least, during a hunt, as they retain their normal personalities while in town.]]]] This also applies somewhat to the Palicoes in 4/4U, as they can be changed from prioritizing larger or smaller monsters (even to the exclusion of other targets) through the selection of headwear they are given. Less noticeable in the Palicoes compared to Cha-Cha and Kayamba since a healing-oriented Palico remains a healing-support Palico regardless of whether it will target the giant monster, the small pack monsters or both types of monster targets.
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* InterfaceScrew: Throughout the series, events like a weapon losing sharpness or a Hunting Horn playing a song would have text announcing it appear in the middle of the screen, which can be obstructive in the middle of battle. ''XX'' averts this by putting the text in the bottom left corner instead.
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* LoopholeAbuse: The main difficulty from quests that [[NoGearLevel don't allow you to use armor]] is that your defense is much lower than usual, causing monsters' attacks to hit much harder, and you can't use any armor skills. However, ''Generations'' inadvertently introduced a loophole that makes them much easier. The Prowlers are also forced to go without armor, but not only are they still able to use skills, since their skills don't come from armor, there's a special skill called "World's Strongest" that greatly increases their attack and defense if they don't wear any armor. This makes these quests much easier than they were supposed to be.
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* LoopholeAbuse: The main difficulty from quests that [[NoGearLevel don't allow you to use armor]] is that your defense is much lower than usual, causing monsters' attacks to hit much harder, and you can't use any armor skills. However, ''Generations'' inadvertently introduced a loophole that makes them much easier. The Prowlers are also forced to go without armor, but not only are they have several traits that make having no armor less crippling to them. They are still able to use skills, since their skills don't come from armor, armor; a Prowler's defense is also increased by its level, meaning a Prowler with no armor has more defense than a hunter without armor; and there's a special skill called "World's Strongest" that greatly increases their attack and defense if they don't wear any armor. This All of these combined makes these quests much easier than they were supposed to be.
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* LoopholeAbuse: The main difficulty from quests that [[NoGearLevel don't allow you to use armor]] is that your defense is much lower than usual, causing monsters' attacks to hit much harder, and you can't use any armor skills. However, ''Generations'' inadvertently introduced a loophole that makes them much easier. The Prowlers are also forced to go without armor, but not only are they still able to use skills, since their skills don't come from armor, there's a special skill called "World's Strongest" that greatly increases their attack and defense if they don't wear any armor. This makes these quests much easier than they were supposed to be.
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Add gammoth
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* HerbivoresAreFriendly: {{Zig Zagged|Trope}}. Some herbivores, like the Aptonoth, Gargwa, and Slagtoth, are friendly and will only attack you if you attack them first. Other herbivores are less so, like the Bullfango and Rhenoplos which will both [[RhinoRampage charge the player on sight]]. And then there's Monoblos and Diablos, which only eat cacti and yet manage to be two of the most terrifying monsters in the series.
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* HerbivoresAreFriendly: {{Zig Zagged|Trope}}. Some herbivores, like the Aptonoth, Gargwa, and Slagtoth, are friendly and will only attack you if you attack them first. Other herbivores are less so, like the Bullfango and Rhenoplos which will both [[RhinoRampage charge the player on sight]]. And then there's Monoblos and Diablos, which only eat cacti and yet manage to be two of the most terrifying monsters in the series. Generations added Gammoth, a gigantic herbivore that has no qualms about wrecking your day.
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---> '''Val Habar Merchant''': ''I hope he gives whoever bully it was that sent him on this wild Jaggi chase a good sock to the face!''
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---> '''Val Habar Merchant''': ''I hope he gives whoever goes back to the big bully it was in Moga that sent him on this wild Jaggi Baggi chase a good sock to the face!''and socks him one! Hmph.''
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** Before setting sail on the Arluq's maiden voyage, you're told to gear up because anything could happen while you're on board. [[spoiler:Sure enough, a Gore Magala attacks the Arluq in mid-voyage, forcing you to repel it in an emergency battle. You're never given this same warning any other time that the Caravan travels.]]
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** Before setting sail on the Arluq's maiden voyage, you're told to gear up because anything could happen while you're on board. [[spoiler:Sure enough, a Gore Magala attacks the Arluq in mid-voyage, forcing you to repel it in an emergency battle. You're never given this same warning any other time that the Caravan travels.travels, and this is the only time in the game that the Caravan is attacked in mid-transit.]]
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* HumanityIsAdvanced: Humans may lack the inherent abilities to fly, fire deadly breath attacks, take boatloads of damage before needing to heal, and the like...but they're capable of creating advanced weaponry (from personal weapons to a massive anti-dragon turret), armor, and other tools that more than make up for it. Which perhaps explains why small monsters will target humans first rather than the huge wyvern that's more obviously terrorizing the place.
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* HumanityIsAdvanced: Humans may lack the inherent abilities to fly, fire deadly breath attacks, take boatloads of damage before needing to heal, and the like...but they're capable of creating advanced weaponry (from personal weapons to a massive anti-dragon turret), armor, and other tools that more than make up for it. Which perhaps explains why small monsters will [[GangUpOnTheHuman target humans first first]] rather than the huge wyvern that's more obviously terrorizing the place.
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* HumanityIsAdvanced: Humans may lack the inherent abilities to fly, fire deadly breath attacks, take boatloads of damage before needing to heal, and the like...but they're capable of creating advanced weaponry, armor, and other tools that more than make up for it. Which perhaps explains why small monsters will target humans first rather than the huge wyvern that's more obviously terrorizing the place.
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* HumanityIsAdvanced: Humans may lack the inherent abilities to fly, fire deadly breath attacks, take boatloads of damage before needing to heal, and the like...but they're capable of creating advanced weaponry, weaponry (from personal weapons to a massive anti-dragon turret), armor, and other tools that more than make up for it. Which perhaps explains why small monsters will target humans first rather than the huge wyvern that's more obviously terrorizing the place.
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* HumanityIsAdvanced: Humans may lack the inherent abilities to fly, fire deadly breath attacks, take boatloads of damage before needing to heal, and the like...but they're capable of creating advanced weaponry, armor, and other tools that more than make up for it. Which perhaps explains why small monsters will target humans first rather than the huge wyvern that's more obviously terrorizing the place.
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** Tri brings in the Sharq Attaq lance... which is basically a stuffed sharq that you swing around and beat things to death with, and it comes with a no swimming sign that acts as your shield. [[LethalJokeItem It's actually pretty decent.]]
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** Tri brings in the Sharq Attaq lance... which is basically a stuffed sharq that you swing around and beat things to death with, and it comes with a no swimming 'No Swimming' sign that acts as your shield. [[LethalJokeItem It's actually pretty decent.]]
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** ''Generations'' features the Cactus Creamer, a Hammer that is literally just a ball cactus with a leg bone stuck in for use as a handle.
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** In ''Geneations'' the Fated Four are all 5th tier monsters that all have scripted encounters during your 3-star quests [[spoiler: though again, unlike the Lagiacrus, they don't have infinite HP]] and afterwards they have a chance of showing up again during repeat quests. It should also be noted that, with the exception of the Glavenus, all their quests are optional until you actually reach the 5-star quests [[spoiler: however even then each of the Fated Four have [[InvokedTrope twice as much HP as they would normally]] and give no quest rewards beyond what you can carve off them and what you can break [[DevelopersForesight presumably to deter ambitious players from killing them before they're supposed to]]. Though some players just end up taking that as a [[SelfImposedChallenge challenge]]]].
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** Glavenus's huge blade tail. It hits ''so'' fast and the hitbox is so wide there is almost no way to tell how far away you are supposed to be. Naturally this can lead to instances wherein it looks like you're pretty far away even though it hits you.
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Monster Hinter, For hintering the monsters
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[[MonsterHinter/TropesAToC Tropes A-C]] | [[MonsterHunter/TropesDToG Tropes D-G]] | '''Tropes H-M''' | [[MonsterHunter/TropesNToR Tropes N-R]] | [[MonsterHunter/TropesSToZ Tropes S-Z]]
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[[MonsterHinter/TropesAToC Tropes A-C]] | [[MonsterHunter/TropesDToG Tropes D-G]] | '''Tropes H-M''' | [[MonsterHunter/TropesNToR Tropes N-R]] | [[MonsterHunter/TropesSToZ Tropes S-Z]]
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: All the cat characters.
* HardModeFiller:
** In the {{Updated Rerelease}}s of the games, several of the higher ranked missions are about hunting PaletteSwap versions of previous monsters. These revamped opponents are far more aggressive, their attacks may be of a different element from the originals and, at the start, you're placed randomly in a part of the battlefield, far from the resting area, and the supplies to help you won't arrive until much later, when there's little time left to hunt the monsters.
** In addition to new monsters and subspecies of old monsters (described above), the old monsters themselves return in the higher ranked quests as well with buffed HP and attack power. Even the 'Dromes and Great Jaggi can cause trouble at first, and monsters like Khezu and Yian Garuga (1st and 2nd Gen), Gigginox and Lagiacrus (3rd gen) and Zamtrios and Tetsucabra (4th gen) become nightmares because of this.
* TheHatMakesTheMan: The various masks that can be equipped by Cha-Cha and Kayamba radically change their personalities... [[ZigZaggedTrope at least, during a hunt, as they retain their normal personalities while in town.]]
* HealingHerb: The Herb is a weak health-recovery item that can be used to make Potions.
* HealingPotion: The main health-recovery item. Mega Potions recover more than regular Potions, Max Potions restore all your health and increase your maximum health, and Ancient Potions max out your health ''and'' stamina.
* HealingShiv: The bowgun's healing shots.
* HealingSpring: The hot spring in Yukumo Village in ''Portable 3rd'', although it acts more as a "buffing" spring, as it raises your HP and Stamina prior to a quest, as opposed to the canteen PowerUpFood from the rest of the series. This comes full circle in ''4U'', where the relaxing power of the Yukumo hot springs is condensed into the Portable Steam Bomb, a lasting smoke bomb that cures any negative statues on contact and even resets the Frenzy Virus' contamination gauge. While Yukumo Village reappears in ''Generations'', the hot spring itself doesn't, although a foot bath spring replaces it.
* HeartContainer: Nutrients slightly increase the LifeMeter during a quest (and its effects are reverted after the quest is over or the player quits or loses). It's possible to upgrade the Nutrients into Mega Nutrients (which grant a greater meter increase) and then Max Potion (which instantly increases the meter to the fullest extent possible, while also healing you to that maximum). Ancient Potions work like Max Potions, but also maximize the stamina bar as a bonus.
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: While this has existed early in the series, ''4U'''s bigger emphasis on plot makes it {{egregious}} to the point of [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall banging its fists against the Fourth Wall]]. Special mention goes to the [[HotBlooded Hunting Trainer]] from ''Freedom 2/Unite'' and the [[PungeonMaster Ace Cadet]] from ''4U'', both of whom are in charge of their respective games' Basic Mechanics and Weapons Training sections, though the [[CloudCuckoolander Guildmarm]] isn't without her moments.
-->'''Guildmarm:''' "When you accept a quest, do you imagine colored tickets floating over your head? [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Because I do.]]"
* HelpingWouldBeKillstealing: Played with. The monetary reward for a quest is divided up amongst all participants. A quest that rewards 6000 zenny will give 1500 zenny per player in a four-person party[[note]]However, players with the Crazy Lucky Cat skill will get a 75% bonus.[[/note]], while doing the quest solo will reward you all 6000. On the surface, it seems like the best way to make money is to tackle quests by yourself. However, quests go by much faster with a party and don't diminish the item rewards (which can be sold for cash anyway), so repeating the same quest with a party is still a viable option if you're low on funds.
* HerbivoresAreFriendly: {{Zig Zagged|Trope}}. Some herbivores, like the Aptonoth, Gargwa, and Slagtoth, are friendly and will only attack you if you attack them first. Other herbivores are less so, like the Bullfango and Rhenoplos which will both [[RhinoRampage charge the player on sight]]. And then there's Monoblos and Diablos, which only eat cacti and yet manage to be two of the most terrifying monsters in the series.
* HeroicRROD: The Charge Blade's Sword and Shield Mode is made to gather Phial energy by attacking, which increases a charge that boosts the Shield's blocking ability. However, if you attack too much, the Shield becomes Overcharged, which gives it nigh-impenetrable defense, but makes your attacks always bounce, regardless of Sharpness.
* HeroicSacrifice:
** In ''Unite'', the Pokke Guild Hall Manager planned on either fleeing for her life or staying or letting all of her subordinates evacuate because of Ukanlos. Everyone decided to stay and help the village, though no one needed much help thanks to the player hunter.
** The Guild Sweetheart from ''Tri'' puts her own job on the line by lying to the Guild about the evacuation of Moga Village, allowing the player to take on Ceadeus alone.
** The Master of Defense in ''4 Ultimate'' does this for a then-young Ace Commander [[spoiler:by saving his life from a rogue Kushala Daora during a Rathian hunt, at the cost of a CareerEndingInjury.]]
* HitAndRunTactics: Most ''definitely'' - though gunners and archers are ''especially'' good at kiting monsters.
* HitboxDissonance:
** Many of the first and second generation monsters have a hitbox that is way larger than their bodies. Who could forget Khezu's tail hitting you even when it's several meters high, or Rathalos trampling you when you're in the gap between its feet? The worst offender is probably Plesioth and his infamous [[ThatOneAttack hipcheck]], which can (and will) hit you even if his body doesn't come in contact with yours. Thankfully, ''Tri'' mostly fixed this (emphasis on ''mostly''. Almost all monster hit boxes while underwater are ridiculous). Further remedied in ''Monster Hunter 4'' - much to the delight of bowgunners and archers.
** ''Monster Hunter 4'' does have one glaring example in the form of Savage Deviljho's pinning attack. Touching ''any'' part of Deviljho's body as it performs the move will result in a pin, including the lightest brush from the tip of its tail. This also happens to be one of its favorite moves. Hope you packed extra Dung Bombs.
** Again from ''Monster Hunter 4'' there is Brachydios whose hitbox on the head has been greatly increased when compared to past games. This causes problems for those who want to break its fore-limbs since the attacks are more than likely to hit the head instead.
** The Gunlance's Wyvern Fire is an odd example. Normally, Wyvern Fire is treated as four separate projectiles arranged in a straight line from the weapon's barrel, meaning that a Gunlancer must be reasonably close to a monster for all four shots to connect; the further out you are, the less damage it deals. However, what isn't widely known is that the ability's hitbox also encompasses the area immediately above the Hunter's head as well as the Gunlance's ''handle'', and any monster coming in contact with either of these two sections during the blast will register all 4 hits. This makes it perfectly possible to achieve weapons-grade {{Offhand Backhand}}s with a Gunlance, as demonstrated [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF_B6PmAP0M here]].
** The wonky hitboxes also work in your favour at times, too. If your weapon just grazes the weak spot, the game will register it as a hit even though it doesn't ''look'' like a hit from your perspective. Sometimes, you might break part of a monster's body even though it doesn't look like you did - such as cutting off a monster's tail when you merely poked it or breaking a Kecha-Wacha's ears from behind. Because all the monsters have the same animation for the tail being cut off, it sometimes looks funny when you see the tail fly off yet your weapon was nowhere nearby it.
** Zig-zagged in your favour and against your favour with monsters firing death lasers - you're supposed to [[ViolationOfCommonSense run towards them and then hit the dodge button so you fall flat on the ground]]. Depending on your timing, it looks like it is going right through you, and sometimes if you're not fast enough you'll ''still'' get hit even if you appear flat on your face.
** In Dalamadur, think you can avoid the beam of death by hiding ''behind'' something or going to a lower platform? Haha ''nope'' - even if the beam looks like it's twenty kilometers above your head, it'll still hit you if the game doesn't register you as dodging.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** When the Uragaan swings its tail, it sends out lumps of unstable rock that explode when hit or the Uragaan uses its chin slam attack. The Uragaan is not immune to the damage from these explosions, so it is entirely possible for it to kill itself with its own explosives.
** The Qurupeco can [[SummonBiggerFish call other monsters to its aid]], and it is not immune to their attacks. The monsters will usually not attack the Qurupeco, but they will sometimes catch it in their attacks accidentally, and may end up killing it themselves.
** Deviljho's hunger not only makes it [[TheDreaded murderously violent]], it also tends to drain his stamina much faster than other monsters, and leaves him ''very'' vulnerable to [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned, drugged or tinged meats]] which will weaken him even further.
** Frenzied monsters in ''4U'' can infect hunters with the Frenzy Virus, weakening their constitution and health regeneration if the infection completes its incubation period. However, if a hunter manages to [[AttackAttackAttack stay on the offensive]] long enough, the Frenzy infection will be dispelled and grant a momentary increase in strength, allowing him or her to fight back more effectively.
* HopelessBossFight: A staple in the series, usually presented early in the game to give players [[EarlyBirdCameo a taste of things to come]].
** In ''Freedom 2'' and ''Unite'', there is a 1-star Village Quest named [[VaguenessIsComing "A Sinking Feeling"]] wherein the task is to collect 3 Popo Tongues from the eponymous creatures at the top of Snowy Mountain, during nighttime. Once you get to the upper mountain ledges, however, a Tigrex [[JumpScare shows up without warning]]. Good luck trying to even ''hurt'' it with the equipment available at that level, especially since the quest only lasts 20 minutes. [[spoiler: Unlike the Lagiacrus example below, however, it doesn't have infinite HP and can be killed.]]
** In ''Tri'' and ''3 Ultimate'', the Lagiacrus is introduced in the first tier's quests, and is a ''5th tier'' monster. You can't gain access to better equipment, and your weapons will be doing minimum damage or just bounce off. When he appears, the guild sweetheart immediately tells you to run away just in case the futility of fighting it wasn't obvious. [[TooDumbToLive You can fight it anyway if you want.]] [[spoiler:You can actually get some break rewards earlier than expected by damaging it, although it remains unbeatable.]]
** Played with in ''4U''. Once you get the Arluq ship from the Troverians and cross the ocean, the [[spoiler: Gore Magala]] shows up in the midst of a typhoon and attacks the ship. You end up having to fight it on the Arluq's deck, which is only as big as the Sandship's. Thankfully there are various weapons scattered about for your usage, and you can even [[ViolationOfCommonSense jump off the ship]] in order to get to the supply hold for more items. Plus, unlike the above examples, your only goal is to deal enough damage to repel the creature.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: ''Portable 3rd'' introduces the Gargwa, Bird Wyverns that look like oversized ostriches which not only serve as prey for some of the larger monsters out there, but are also used by the people of Yukumo as livestock and beasts of burden.
* HotBlooded: Several characters across the series, including the Training Instructor from ''Freedom 2/Unite'', the Shakalakas and Moga Fishermen from ''Tri'', and the Ace Cadet from ''4U'', are this. Also in ''4U'', the more aggressive Palico classes are a combination of this and LeeroyJenkins [[spoiler: including Whitescruff, the [[CowardlyLion cowardly Felyne]] from Cheeko Sands]].
* HubCity: One for the story mode quests and one for the multiplayer quests in the [=PS2=] titles. The ''Portable/Freedom'' games stuck with just one village for both, but included a Guild-run Gathering Hall for the multiplayer quests. ''Tri/3 Ultimate'' actually had two multiplayer hubs - Loc Lac City in ''Tri'' and Port Tanzia in ''3 Ultimate''. ''4'' has Val Habar, Harth, Cheeko Sands, and Cathar, while the multiplayer Gathering Hall is in Val Habar. ''4 Ultimate'' adds Dundorma for the extended single player campaign. ''Generations'' revisits the villages from the three ''Portable/Freedom'' games, while adding Bherna Village and the nearby outdoor Hunter's Hub for multiplayer.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Inverted in the case of the Seltas and Seltas Queen. Played straight with The Man and Little Miss Forge.
* HumanPopsicle: Similar to the ''Mud'' status effect, some monsters can leave hunters encased in ''Snow'', which slows down their movement and prevents them from attacking or using items. Later games may also add the Iceblight status on top of this, which can quickly drain Stamina. Monsters that can inflict this status include the Giadrome, Blangonga, Barioth and Kushala Daora, though the latter can only inflict it when fought in snowy areas.
* TheHunter: The point of the series.
* HurricaneOfPuns: Almost all of the lines of dialogue in ''Tri'' are puns or other bad jokes. Moga Village is where the puns reach hurricane levels; between Cha-Cha, the Felynes, the quest descriptions, and one villager who ''lives'' for awful puns.
* HyperactiveMetabolism: Played straight by both monsters and hunters alike. It's entirely possible for monsters to eat herbivores ranging from a third to half their size in a matter of seconds, and then become starved after another couple of minutes. Hunters can also wolf down as many arm-length steaks as they want in no time at all. Justified to some extent with the Deviljho, who need to eat constantly to maintain their high body heat. Unlike most examples of this trope, however, eating only restores stamina, not health.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: Greatswords do more damage if an attack is used right as it's being unsheathed.
* IKnowMaddenKombat: The Hermitaur Helm and Cap are respectively a football helmet and a hockey mask.
* IShallTauntYou: The Hammer's Super Taunt Hunter Art in ''Generations'' causes the user to taunt, drawing the attention of nearby large monsters.
* ImmuneToFlinching: The Great Sword's Divine Wyvern Wrath Slash in ''Generations'' consists of a single, extremely powerful overhead slash. While it has a [[OverlyLongFightingAnimation notably lengthy execution time]], this is balanced out by the fact that during charging, the Hunter [[NoSell completely negates]] any flinching or knockback taken from attacks, although they will still take the damage.
* ImpendingClashShot: The covers always feature a Hunter using a [[{{BFS}} Greatsword]] about to clash with whatever the flagship monster of that game is, background is usually inconsequential (''MH:Freedom'' for one uses a plain white frame and a small circular background).
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Too many to list.
* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon:
** The ''Gunlance'', a lance fitted with explosive shells that can be detonated on command.
** The ''Switch Axe'' is a mechanical axe that turns into a sword. Like the gunlance, it also shoots explosions.
** The ''Charge Blade'' takes this UpToEleven, as it unsheathes as a sword and shield, but the [[http://i.imgur.com/mGbLHgI.gif shield can be combined with the sword]] to create a massive double-edged axe head. Rather than exploding from the weapon itself, a hunter can utilize special attacks which consume collected charge and leave sticky, detonating charges on the monster similar to a bowgun's Crag shots.
** The ''Bow'' fires arrows that are [[http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111014125747/monsterhunter/images/3/32/MH3G-Hapurubokka_Bow.png as big as (normal) spears]]. Justified because of what you're hunting.
** The ''Insect Glaive'' is a weapon that allows you to control a small insect while bashing monsters with a double ended staff. You can shoot a bullet at monsters to have the insect home in and absorb essences from monsters to power you up.
** The ''Hunting Horn'' plays notes as it strikes, and with the right sequence of notes, you can cut the fighting and [[MagicMusic start performing]], giving you and your partners buffs that can be REALLY useful, such as not running out of stamina or being immune to monster roars.
* ImprovisedWeapon:
** While they may have been crafted rather than picked up from the environment, some weapons' designs have you doubting them. Example: A ''plunger'' shaped lance (no, you hold the proper plunger handle - you stab with the plunger head), two ''stick puppets'', and fuzzy maracas. Justified in that some have such terrible stats that they border on being a JokeItem.
** You know that giant cutlery set your hunter held while waiting for their meal in ''Unite''? It's a craftable Dual Sword set called the Glutton's Tools, complete with two upgrade paths. It can be unlocked for crafting by having your Felyne Chefs handing you a regular meal pass, which in turn unlocks the [[http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/Felyne_Ragdoll Felyne Ragdoll]] and [[http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/Melynx_Ragdoll Melynx Ragdoll,]] both of which are ''bowguns.''
** The Pink Maracas mentioned earlier upgrade into Jungle Maracas (that look more like pompoms), which, at the endgame upgrade into [=Evergreen=], considered [[LethalJokeWeapon one of the best dual swords]] of the game, and require materials obtained slightly earlier than its competition.
** Tri brings in the Sharq Attaq lance... which is basically a stuffed sharq that you swing around and beat things to death with, and it comes with a no swimming sign that acts as your shield. [[LethalJokeItem It's actually pretty decent.]]
** There's also the Pop Corn, which is a giant corn-on-the-cob. You wield it like a lance. It comes with a straw hat to be used as a shield. And most importantly, when you stab things with it, they explode.
** From ''Portable 3rd'': Hunter Dumplings. They're dual blades that are... dumplings. On sticks. Specifically, three (really big) dumplings per stick. The weapon tree branches from there into White or Purple Dumplings. The Purple ones can cause the Poison status effect.
** Also, the Scabbardfish Blade - a longsword that is, quite literally, a fish on a stick. It does additional Water damage.
** The Wyvern's Perch, a greatsword that looks like someone cut down a rather thick tree with mushrooms on it and mounted a hilt on one end.
** Also, the Numbingbird. It's a giant flower that has the hitting power of a hammer and can paralyze monsters to boot.
** The Type 63 Warmonica (Nibelsnarf Hunting Horn) is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - [[InstrumentOfMurder an oversized harmonica.]] It's one of the few weapons in the game to get a Water element without needing the Awaken skill, and gets access to Health Recovery (L) at the end of its upgrade path which heavily (though not completely) mitigates the need for Potions.
** In games where Speartuna are available, the Frozen Speartuna (which is also [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what it sounds like]]- see ShamuFu) and the Swordfish Bow (made of an entire fish skeleton). Worth noting is that they are actually ''fairly decent weapon''s, being available quite early in the game, and in the case of the Frozen Speartuna having a low attack rating but an abnormally high ice elemental power.
** For Light Bowgunners in ''4'', one of the most practical weapons is literally a giant syringe.
** Palicoes in ''4/4U'' can be given standard axes and swords, but they also get funky options such as a monster's paw attached to a stick, a surfboard, and a large syringe that goes well with the aforementioned bowgun...
* InfinityMinusOneSword: The basic Ore-made weapons fall into this category, possessing decent damage against all monster types and several gem sockets to help customize your Armor Skills with. They also have the distinction of being quite easy to make and upgrade, since almost all the items needed to smith said weapons can be found via mining. That said, they will end up replaced with stronger weapons later on, but GenreSavvy players will find themselves hanging on to them well into G-Rank.
* InfinityPlusOneElement: Slime element in ''3 Ultimate'' is this. Repeated hits with a slime weapon builds up until they explode on the target for massive damage, and nothing actually resists this effect at all. As such [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome it isn't uncommon to see players in multiplayer having a Slime type weapon as their primary or only weapon for every occasion]]. ''4'' nerfed Slime (renamed Blastblight) making it still different from the other elements, but no longer above them.
* InfinityPlusOneSword
** The game manages to avoid having overpowered weapons for the most part, although certain weapons (like the Elder Dragon weapons lineup, especially the Fatalis models) tend to fall into this category.
** Monster Hunter 4 introduces Relic Weapons, [[RandomlyGeneratedLoot randomly generated]] weapons which can be obtained through guild quests and expeditions. The highest tier of relic weapons can surpass even the best forged and honed weapons in the game... if you're lucky enough to unearth one.
* InnocentInnuendo: The Ace Lancer in ''4U'' has a doozy of one while during the Gunlance tutorial.
--> '''Ace Lancer:''' When Gunlancers attack, [[FreudWasRight their vigorous thrusts]] can result in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an explosive climax]]! [[HehHehYouSaidX ...Hmm? ...Did I say something amusing?]]
* InstantSedation:
** Tranquilizer Bombs, or Tranq Bombs. Damage a monster until it starts showing signs that it's almost dead (usually limping), catch it in a trap and chuck Tranq Bombs at it and you'll capture it by putting it to sleep. Bigger monsters will take more Tranq Bombs before they'll fall asleep, but you can also use Tranq Throwing Knives or make Tranq bullets for use with a bowgun.
** Averted with the Sleep [[StandardStatusEffects status effect]]. Monsters have to be hit repeatedly with sedative-laden weapons to make them pass out, and affected players will be groggy, but able to stagger around for a few seconds before dropping.
* InstantWinCondition: In the 20-60 seconds after you finish a quest, but before you collect your reward and head home, you won't take damage from anything, even though any remaining creatures can attack you, interrupting if you're busy carving something.
* InstrumentOfMurder[=/=]MagicMusic: Hunting Horns. Their main gimmick is their wide array of buff songs to aid the party, though they're also almost as good as hammers at beating things senseless.
* InterfaceSpoiler:
** It is easy to tell if a Gypceros is PlayingPossum. The quest is not considered complete, you do not get Expedition Points in ''4/4U'' Expeditions, or in two-monster hunts, you will not be shown a "One monster left." message. However, some other telltale signs of a dead monster ''do'' appear; you're able to [[RandomlyDrops carve]], you can walk through its "corpse" (slain monsters do not have any collision detection), and the lock-on icon on the bottom screen dims.
** Before setting sail on the Arluq's maiden voyage, you're told to gear up because anything could happen while you're on board. [[spoiler:Sure enough, a Gore Magala attacks the Arluq in mid-voyage, forcing you to repel it in an emergency battle. You're never given this same warning any other time that the Caravan travels.]]
** In ''4''/''4U'' the fact that [[spoiler:Shagaru Magala is the adult Gore Magala]] is spoiled because, to upgrade Gore Magala weapons after a certain point, you need parts from [[spoiler:Shagaru Magala]]. You need to advance far enough in the multiplayer, since those upgrades are mostly not available in story mode until after the revelation.
** Also in ''4''/''4U'', the Outbreak warning spoils when quest monsters will Frenzy even if it's supposed to be a shock from a plot standpoint. Then again, sending the player against a Frenzy monster with no warning would be a bit of a dick move.
** And finally, the game image for 4U on the 3DS shows [[spoiler:Gore Magala following hunters, entering Frenzy Mode and turning in Shagaru Magala.]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Well, one-sided romance, anyway. Guildmarm in ''4/4U'' has a crush on a ''Brachydios'', and even writes up an Urgent Quest just so you can find it and tell it about her feelings (which you don't, you just hunt it). Make of that what you will.
* ItemCrafting: The only way to get better weapons, armor, and other items.
* ItemFarming:
** This is key to the Monster Hunter games, if you want to get items to forge better armor and weapons, otherwise you won't be able to make much progress. This is why many players have play times in the hundreds of hours.
** Also comes in a more literal flavor as a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin farm that produces items.]]
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:The Ace Commander feels this way about the Master of Defense's HeroicSacrifice-induced CareerEndingInjury]] in ''4 Ultimate'', something you learn after completing an 8-star Pink Rathian quest.
* {{Jerkass}}: Several examples.
** The "Pro Hunter" inside the Guild Hall in ''Freedom 2/Unite'' loves to insult your equipment choices and belittle you at every turn. After defeating the Ukanlos at the end of ''Unite'', your character even [[TurnTheOtherCheek invites her to join up as a team]], which she responds to by saying that ''you'' will therefore be her glorious ''sidekick'' if it were to happen.
** The Uppity Instructor from ''Tri'' is a combination of this and a MilesGloriosus, constantly bragging about how rich he is compared to everyone else. [[LaserGuidedKarma He ends up losing it all on a bad business venture, however]].
** The Arena Bambina from ''4 Ultimate'' is either extremely condescending toward you, or really sarcastic. She [[ArbitrarySkepticism even doubts]] if you really were the one who [[spoiler: managed to kill the Dalamadur]] after completing its Urgent Quest for the first time.
** The Ace Palico in ''4 Ultimate'' has shades of this at the start, even calling you his minion in a manner similar to Cha-Cha and Kayamba. [[spoiler: [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He actually believes it's the other way around, though]].]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The High Questatrix in ''4''. She often expresses little confidence in hunters who go to her for quests, teasingly [[TryNotToDie telling them not to die]], but once you get out of High Rank, and start gaining Hunter Ranks by the tens, she'll periodically comment on your achievements and express sincere concern for your life.
* JokeItem / LethalJokeItem: A lot of weapons and armor sets are like this, such as the Vacuum and the Bistro Armor. See ImprovisedWeapon above.
* JoustingLance: Lances and Gunlances.
* JumpScare:
** The ScareChord comes off as this, particularly if you were not expecting the incoming monster.
** It can happen that you walk towards an area boundary, only for a large monster to suddenly pop up as it enters through the boundary you're about to exit through.
* JungleJapes: The Jungle in ''Monster Hunter 1'' (old) and ''2'' (new), ''Portable 3rd's'' version of the Flooded Forest[[note]]wherein all underwater areas were removed[[/note]], and the Primal Forest in ''4''.
* {{Kaiju}}: Certain Elder Dragon species tend to be huge, to the point where they have ''[[ReadingsAreOffTheScale no in-game measurement given]]''.
* KaizoTrap:
** If weak enough, it is theoretically possible to die from a monster collapsing on top of you after you catch it. Made impossible in most normal quests, since after the main quest conditions are fulfilled, the player is invulnerable to any monster attack. In quests with multiple monsters, or quests with monsters that appear but do not need killing, monsters like Congalala that have post-death attacks can potentially harm you. Exceptions to this rule include quests which don't end the instant you capture the monster, but a few seconds later. In these cases you can effectively die if the monster you just caught happens to fall on top of your hunter. Fortunately, this only applies to first-gen monsters (Rathalos, Diablos, etc.) in older games.
** Some of the monsters' introductory cutscenes in ''4U'' are this. Hope you weren't too mesmerized with Gravios to notice it charging a thermal ray in your direction at the end of the cinematic!
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Several Longsword designs are based on the katana. Subverted, however, in that they are not necessarily stronger than other Longsword types.
* KindaBusyHere: Beginning with the 3rd Gen games, [=NPCs=] can occasionally interrupt you mid-fight to deliver an important message or warn you of impending danger, which can be ''un''helpful if said danger is only a scant few meters away from your face. Thankfully, not only are such sequences few and far in between (with most occurring at the ''start'' of a quest), the game also [[TalkingIsAFreeAction pauses the action]] during the messages, though this only makes the phenomenon even weirder. The playable demo of ''4U'' was rather notorious for this if a player chooses to turn the "Beginner-Friendly Messages" on.
* LanternJawOfJustice: Uragaan, while not particularly just, has a very formidable chin. Ukanlos as well, with its mighty shovel jaw.
* LastChanceHitPoint: The Felyne Moxie skill allows you to withstand one hit that would otherwise knock you out.
* LethalLavaLand: The Volcano, with each main game having its own incarnation. ''4'' brings us a Lethal Lava ''Town'', Harth, although the lava only shows up after you've defeated the Nerscylla.
* LevelGrinding: Not for character levels as such, but the items: you'd sweat through killing a certain monster sometimes over 20 times only in order to get armor that helps you kill the same monster.
** ''4/4U'''s Guild Quests have a level attached to them when you receive the Quest, depending on what monsters are involved and what kind of Expedition you received the Quest from. Naturally, Guild Quests of higher levels drop better loot than what you find at lower levels, as well as upgrading the monster in question so that you may some day be able to farm it for G-Rank drops. However, Guild Quests level up by completing them, which means that a Hunter may wind up hunting the same monster over and over again before it actually drops anything of value. Players who are not yet G-Rank have to be particularly careful with farming the same quest; at levels 31, 76, 86, and 126, the HR requirement will increase, so even if you "own" the quest, you won't be able to tackle it anymore until you match the target HR, with the only alternative being to use a new quest.
** ''Frontier'' allows players to unlock brand new moves for all weapons...but only if they manage to grind their Hunter Rank past ''500''. At this point, you are given a "Skill Rank" for each weapon type, which will only go up the more you use them in quests. At [=SR1=] you will receive a few new moves; reaching [=SR100=] will unlock the rest. In fact, grinding both your HR and SR to maximum is the only way to gain access to the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Battle Tonfas]].
** Felyne Comrades/Palicos play this trope straight, gaining levels the more you take them with you on quests. The "grinding" aspect is subverted since you won't notice it much--until you decide to switch Palicos and discover that your new ones get knocked out much more quickly. Cha-Cha and Kayamba from ''3U'' also have experience levels, but the impact of grinding isn't as strong as the Palicos' since you only have the two of them to level.
* LightningBruiser:
** The Barioth is one of the fastest wyverns... and hits like a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot giant flying saber-toothed tiger dragon.]] The same basically applies to the Nargacuga and Tigrex "families", all of which enjoy the collective fan-classification of Pseudo-Wyverns.
** One of the more famous examples is Rajang, who gets bonus points for actually being able to ''shoot'' lightning. ''From its mouth.''
** Zinogre is a more literal example, being a giant lupine monster capable of summoning lightning storms at will. It can even gather Thunderbugs to supercharge itself, which will imbue its attacks with lightning in addition to making it faster and stronger...and that's not even getting to its actual Rage Mode. Thankfully players can actually delay him from fully charging as long as they keep up the offense, [[ThisIsGonnaSuck but should they fail to do so]]...
** ''4 Ultimate's'' Najarala is a gigantic 40 meter [[MixAndMatchCritters rattlesnake-cobra hybrid]]. Think it would be painfully slow for its size? Think again; it's roughly as fast, if not faster than, Agnaktor and can easily outmaneuver unwitting hunters by slithering around the battlefield like a viper, setting them up for a nasty constriction attack or coiling up to prepare for a blindingly quick lunging bite.
* LimitBreak: The Hunter Arts in ''Generations'' can be used after attacking monsters enough to fill a gauge.
* LostWoods: The Great Forest in ''Monster Hunter 2'', Misty Peaks in ''3'', and the Everwood in ''4''.
* LowFantasy: Very little outright magic. Instead there's a huge amount of fantastic creatures that are used as raw materials. A number of Elder Dragons such as Fatalis and Dire Miralis, however, appear to be preternatural in nature and skirting on HighFantasy.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Sword & Shield, Lance, Gunlance and Charge Blade classes all have shields, and the [[{{BFS}} Great Sword]] class allows you to use your sword as a shield. Shielding blocks most attacks provided you have the stamina needed to shield them successfully, including physical strikes, breath projectiles, and, strangely enough, ''stun flashes'' and ''[[MakeMeWannaShout roars]]''.
* MacGyvering: The local smith always seems to be able to upgrade your equipment in seconds, using materials ranging from iron ore, to monster bones, to monster kidney stones, to ''bugs''.
* MadeOfIron: The hunters are all about this. Ten story falls? Minor landing stun. Run over by a monster that weighs somewhere around ten tons? Get right back up! Hunter deaths are practically unheard of; running out of health just boots you back to camp with a fresh health bar, or back to port to hunt another day if it was the party's [[VideoGameLives third]] [[GameOver time]]. Some [=NPCs=] aren't so lucky though; see CareerEndingInjury above.
** Some of the creatures, such as the Uragaan, have scales or skin that is made of or coated with minerals and ores that greatly increase their durability. There is even a literal invocation with the Steel Uragaan, an Uragaan sub-species, which is covered in steel. These creatures are, incidentally, typically the physically toughest monsters next to creatures such as Elder Dragons.
** Kushala Daora is literally the Elder Dragon of Steel. The outer steel skin doesn't grow well and rusts, which is why Kushala Daora regularly shed skin (the choice of meal for Khezu whelps). The rusted skin may not be immediately shed, especially if the dragon is away from the safety of the mountains. These rusted Daoras are irritable, and don't conduct electricity (thus resistant to thunder weapons/shots) but become vulnerable to water.
* MakeMeWannaShout: A lot of large monsters are able to shriek so loudly they stun your character, leaving them helpless for a moment. Roars can come in different potencies, some leaving you stunned for longer than others.
** Special mention goes to the Tigrex and it's subspecies, all or which have roars so powerful that ''it can damage you.'' Also of note is the Gigginox, which just loves to screech several times in succession.
* MascotMook: Felynes often show up in promotional material for the game, as well as in various "technical" screens like loading and installation prompts as stick figure-like drawings doing various cute things.
* MeaningfulName:
** Lao Shan Lung and Shen Gaoren, both Chinese. Lao Shan Lung means "Ancient/Old Mountain Dragon" and Shen Gaoren means "Godly/Divine Giant."
** Ceadeus. "Cea" sounds like "Sea", and "Deus" means God. Sea God. The Japanese name, ''Naval''deus, is even more direct.
** Tre[[StealthPun nya]], the adventurous Felyne.
* TheMedic:
** If you have the Wide Area/Range skill, certain flutes, or Lifepowders, you can heal your whole team if they are in the same area; that also includes status ailments, even Blights! The Demon and Armor flutes also allow hunters to have additional stackable stat buffs.
** Certain Hunting Horns are geared towards this as well; others are built for a more general WhiteMage role. [[CombatMedic Of course, they're also pretty effective for actual combat too...]]
* MedievalStasis: Averted and played straight with different aspects. The overall tech level has noticeably improved as the series has progressed, but it remains a predominantly hunter/gatherer society which depends on the Hunters for both supplies and safety, which is much more evident in the first game. Considering how long Hunters have existed and the fact that there are still Elder Dragons and other monsters roaming free, it's not surprising that the tech level is slow to advance.
* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: The many, many armor sets tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. That said, it's not as lop-sided as much pop-cultural fantasy games. Nerscylla armour makes both genders look like japanese mecha, including full face-covering helmets. Also [[EatingTheEyeCandy Nargacuga mens' fishnet corsets]].
* MercyInvincibility: If an attack causes players to roll across the ground, they're immune to damage during the roll and before getting up. ''4 Ultimate'' even allows players to choose when to get up in order to take advantage of this invincibility, although hunters will get up automatically after a set amount of time.
* {{Meido}}: A certain line of female armors puts you in french maid clothes - fully done.
* MidSeasonUpgrade:
** Invoked as a game mechanic; instead of leveling up your character like many other [=RPGs=], progression depends entirely on crafting and upgrading weapons and armor into increasingly stronger versions of the previous ones. In the case of weapons, it's commonplace to see things like that [[WithThisHerring puny machete]] you start out with eventually transform into a [[InfinityMinusOneSword flaming royal sword]] that can ''decimate an Ukanlos'' with ease through persistent upgrading.
** The Barrel Bombs in previous games were quite useful in their own right, except when it's [[LogicalWeakness raining]]. Come ''Tri'', however, explosives technology had advanced enough for Barrel Bombs to be usable ''underwater''.
* MindRape: The Dragon element directly attacks the mind and consciousness of monsters. The more intelligent and sentient the monster is, the more damage the element does to it. [[FridgeLogic In spite of this]], some highly intelligent monsters like Doragyurosu are resistant to it.
* MineralMacGuffin: The Artifact, a mysterious golden shard under the Caravaneer's possession that drives ''4/4U'''s plot. The Caravaneer is trying to figure out its origin and the mystery surrounding it, and wants to find willing volunteers to join him in his quest, including the PlayerCharacter. [[spoiler:As it turns out, it's not actually a mineral, but one of Shagaru Magala's scales.]]
* MiniBoss: In the third generation of games (''Tri'', ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Ultimate''), there are two groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi and Volvidon) and series veteran Theropod Bird Wyverns (Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), the latter having had monsters in previous games. These monsters have a lower HP than other monsters, and each group has a particular battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
* MiniGame:
** The multiplayer lobbies often have a barrel on which hunters can arm-wrestle while waiting for their comrades or for more hunters to join, which takes the form of a ButtonMashing match. Notably, it's present in the Gathering Hall in ''4'' and ''4 Ultimate'' but absent in the Elder Hall in ''4U'', the idea being that you're expected to be on your most polite behavior in the presence of His Immenseness and arm wrestling isn't exactly the most classy of things to do around a royal leader.
** ''4'' also adds two more minigames, both at Sunsnug Isle near Cheeko Sands. The first is fishing, a rather simple game involving shooting your casting net at schools of fish (or the Plesioth) to catch them. There's also the Meownster Hunters, a much more in-depth game involving sending your palicoes out to hunt monsters, which is accomplished by selecting attacks your foe is weak against, like high-stakes TacticalRockPaperScissors. The Meownster Hunter minigame also gives you scrap which can be used to create palico equipment.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Many of the monsters, especially from ''Tri'' onward.
** The Royal Ludroth is basically a water-based iguana with a lion mane made out of sea sponge. And its cry sounds like an eagle's.
** The Gobul is a mix between a pufferfish, a flatfish, and an anglerfish.
** The Barioth is a mostly reptilian wyvern but with the fur, head, and fangs of a sabertooth cat.
** The Nargacuga is similar to the Barioth, but replacing the sabertooth cat features with bat and black panther features.
** From ''Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate'' the Arzuros, Lagombi, and Volvidon are basically bears mixed with a badger, an arctic hare, and an armadillo respectively.
** Jhen Mohran: part alligator, part warthog, part mountain. With the swimming style of a sand whale.
*** The Dah'ren Mohran from 4 is the same as the Jhen, but without the warthog tusks. Instead it has just one horn out front, like a narwhal.
** The Kecha Wacha from 4. Take a chimpanzee, give it a tapir face, a flying squirrel's gliding flaps, and a sloth's claws.
** Zamtrios is like a frog with a shark's head, and its ice powers can be used to create a narwhal-like horn.
** Najarala is a snake wyvern similar to a hooded cobra mixed with a rattlesnake, but instead of using its rattle as a warning it uses it as ''a sonic detonator for its own exploding scales''.
* MonsterArena: Some monsters in ''Monster Hunter 3'' and its expansions are fought in a special Arena battlefield. There's also an underwater version to fight aquatic monsters.
* MoodWhiplash: In ''4/4U'', after finding out that [[spoiler:the Ace Palico went after the Ace Cadet and the Ace Lancer, who are being threatened by the Gore Magala]], the ususal background music will be replaced by a quite foreboding tune when you get control of your character back. The controls are returned only so you have the opportunity to prepare for the mission that will let you resolve the situation as well as you can, so getting a bite to eat from the Street Cook before leaving will probably seem like a good idea. Cue the joyful music that usually plays when the Street Cook is preparing your meal.
* MookMaker: Gigginox, who lays eggs throughout the fight which spew out giggis unless you destroy them.
* MoreDakka: The aptly named Rapid Heaven Hunter Art for the Light Bowgun in ''Generations'' is nothing but this. When activated, the user takes a stationary stance akin to the Heavy Bowgun's Siege Mode, and loads "Rapid" bullets into the Bowgun. While you have Rapid Bullets loaded, you can unload a nonstop frenzy of bullets into anything that stands in your way.
* MorphWeapon: The Switch Axe and Charge Axe (Charge Blade in English localizations) are transforming weapons -- Switch axe varies between an Axe that builds charge to allow it to transform into a Sword with extremely quick handling characteristics, and the Charge Blade which builds charge as a swift-striking sword and shield so that it can unleash massive [[ShockAndAwe concussion-boosted]] blows after transforming into a great axe.
* MusicalAssassin: Some horns get the Sonic Wave song, which is a BrownNote version of the Sonic Bomb item.
* MyBloodRunsHot: Played fairly realistically with the Deviljho, who has a very high body heat and needs to eat frequently to maintain it.
* MythologyGag:
** The "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QdUmKt2hsk ending credits]]" of ''Portable 3rd'' (played after you defeat Zinogre for the first time) features Nyanjiro, the courier Felyne (who can deliver items to your box though a barrel he rolls around once a mission) leaving Yukumo to roam the world of ''Monster Hunter'' and deliver invitations to Yukumo's victory party onto every past home village up to that point [[note]]Kokoto (''[=MH1=]'' offline and ''MH Freedom''), Minegarde (''MH 1'' online), Jumbo (''MH Dos'' offline), Dondurma (''MH Dos'' online), Pokke (''MH Freedom 2''), Moga (''MH Tri'' offline) and Loc Lac (''MH Tri'' online)[[/note]] before returning to Yukumo in time for the festivities.
** In ''4 Ultimate'', the merchant lady in Val Habar [[note]]who happens to be the sister of the Fishmongress from ''Tri''[[/note]] informs you that a group of fishermen from Moga Village came begging her for Sushifish because they couldn't catch any, and that they're afraid the person who sent them out will get mad if they don't bring some back. Said person is heavily implied to be the PlayerCharacter from ''Tri'' and ''3 Ultimate'', and the merchant lady has [[ThisLoserIsYou no kind words for the Hunter of Moga Village]].
---> '''Val Habar Merchant''': ''I hope he gives whoever bully it was that sent him on this wild Jaggi chase a good sock to the face!''
** The Argosy Captain and his felyne partner Neko (Means "Cat") from ''3U'' both claim to be adept at a swordfighting technique known as "Dirty Fencing", but never elaborate on the details. In ''4U'' however, meeting them on Cheeko Sands and completing their quest will allow you to craft an armor set that provides the skill itself...and it's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.[[note]]The skill not only makes you stronger each time you faint, but allows your attacks to wear monster Stamina down faster while decreasing your own Stamina consumption. In other words, [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty dirty fighting]].[[/note]]
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules:
** Monster has a laser or fireball type attack? Better hope the monster can't shoot ''through'' the obstacle you hid behind so you can sharpen your weapon, reload, or heal. What happens if you try to shoot through the obstacle yourself? Your projectile smacks right into it.
** When using Flash Bombs to blind monsters, players need to make sure that the detonation occurs in their direct line of sight for the grenade to be of any effect. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the Gypceros and Gobul, who can blind hunters looking ''away'' from the flash, up to a certain distance.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: All the cat characters.
* HardModeFiller:
** In the {{Updated Rerelease}}s of the games, several of the higher ranked missions are about hunting PaletteSwap versions of previous monsters. These revamped opponents are far more aggressive, their attacks may be of a different element from the originals and, at the start, you're placed randomly in a part of the battlefield, far from the resting area, and the supplies to help you won't arrive until much later, when there's little time left to hunt the monsters.
** In addition to new monsters and subspecies of old monsters (described above), the old monsters themselves return in the higher ranked quests as well with buffed HP and attack power. Even the 'Dromes and Great Jaggi can cause trouble at first, and monsters like Khezu and Yian Garuga (1st and 2nd Gen), Gigginox and Lagiacrus (3rd gen) and Zamtrios and Tetsucabra (4th gen) become nightmares because of this.
* TheHatMakesTheMan: The various masks that can be equipped by Cha-Cha and Kayamba radically change their personalities... [[ZigZaggedTrope at least, during a hunt, as they retain their normal personalities while in town.]]
* HealingHerb: The Herb is a weak health-recovery item that can be used to make Potions.
* HealingPotion: The main health-recovery item. Mega Potions recover more than regular Potions, Max Potions restore all your health and increase your maximum health, and Ancient Potions max out your health ''and'' stamina.
* HealingShiv: The bowgun's healing shots.
* HealingSpring: The hot spring in Yukumo Village in ''Portable 3rd'', although it acts more as a "buffing" spring, as it raises your HP and Stamina prior to a quest, as opposed to the canteen PowerUpFood from the rest of the series. This comes full circle in ''4U'', where the relaxing power of the Yukumo hot springs is condensed into the Portable Steam Bomb, a lasting smoke bomb that cures any negative statues on contact and even resets the Frenzy Virus' contamination gauge. While Yukumo Village reappears in ''Generations'', the hot spring itself doesn't, although a foot bath spring replaces it.
* HeartContainer: Nutrients slightly increase the LifeMeter during a quest (and its effects are reverted after the quest is over or the player quits or loses). It's possible to upgrade the Nutrients into Mega Nutrients (which grant a greater meter increase) and then Max Potion (which instantly increases the meter to the fullest extent possible, while also healing you to that maximum). Ancient Potions work like Max Potions, but also maximize the stamina bar as a bonus.
* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: While this has existed early in the series, ''4U'''s bigger emphasis on plot makes it {{egregious}} to the point of [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall banging its fists against the Fourth Wall]]. Special mention goes to the [[HotBlooded Hunting Trainer]] from ''Freedom 2/Unite'' and the [[PungeonMaster Ace Cadet]] from ''4U'', both of whom are in charge of their respective games' Basic Mechanics and Weapons Training sections, though the [[CloudCuckoolander Guildmarm]] isn't without her moments.
-->'''Guildmarm:''' "When you accept a quest, do you imagine colored tickets floating over your head? [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness Because I do.]]"
* HelpingWouldBeKillstealing: Played with. The monetary reward for a quest is divided up amongst all participants. A quest that rewards 6000 zenny will give 1500 zenny per player in a four-person party[[note]]However, players with the Crazy Lucky Cat skill will get a 75% bonus.[[/note]], while doing the quest solo will reward you all 6000. On the surface, it seems like the best way to make money is to tackle quests by yourself. However, quests go by much faster with a party and don't diminish the item rewards (which can be sold for cash anyway), so repeating the same quest with a party is still a viable option if you're low on funds.
* HerbivoresAreFriendly: {{Zig Zagged|Trope}}. Some herbivores, like the Aptonoth, Gargwa, and Slagtoth, are friendly and will only attack you if you attack them first. Other herbivores are less so, like the Bullfango and Rhenoplos which will both [[RhinoRampage charge the player on sight]]. And then there's Monoblos and Diablos, which only eat cacti and yet manage to be two of the most terrifying monsters in the series.
* HeroicRROD: The Charge Blade's Sword and Shield Mode is made to gather Phial energy by attacking, which increases a charge that boosts the Shield's blocking ability. However, if you attack too much, the Shield becomes Overcharged, which gives it nigh-impenetrable defense, but makes your attacks always bounce, regardless of Sharpness.
* HeroicSacrifice:
** In ''Unite'', the Pokke Guild Hall Manager planned on either fleeing for her life or staying or letting all of her subordinates evacuate because of Ukanlos. Everyone decided to stay and help the village, though no one needed much help thanks to the player hunter.
** The Guild Sweetheart from ''Tri'' puts her own job on the line by lying to the Guild about the evacuation of Moga Village, allowing the player to take on Ceadeus alone.
** The Master of Defense in ''4 Ultimate'' does this for a then-young Ace Commander [[spoiler:by saving his life from a rogue Kushala Daora during a Rathian hunt, at the cost of a CareerEndingInjury.]]
* HitAndRunTactics: Most ''definitely'' - though gunners and archers are ''especially'' good at kiting monsters.
* HitboxDissonance:
** Many of the first and second generation monsters have a hitbox that is way larger than their bodies. Who could forget Khezu's tail hitting you even when it's several meters high, or Rathalos trampling you when you're in the gap between its feet? The worst offender is probably Plesioth and his infamous [[ThatOneAttack hipcheck]], which can (and will) hit you even if his body doesn't come in contact with yours. Thankfully, ''Tri'' mostly fixed this (emphasis on ''mostly''. Almost all monster hit boxes while underwater are ridiculous). Further remedied in ''Monster Hunter 4'' - much to the delight of bowgunners and archers.
** ''Monster Hunter 4'' does have one glaring example in the form of Savage Deviljho's pinning attack. Touching ''any'' part of Deviljho's body as it performs the move will result in a pin, including the lightest brush from the tip of its tail. This also happens to be one of its favorite moves. Hope you packed extra Dung Bombs.
** Again from ''Monster Hunter 4'' there is Brachydios whose hitbox on the head has been greatly increased when compared to past games. This causes problems for those who want to break its fore-limbs since the attacks are more than likely to hit the head instead.
** The Gunlance's Wyvern Fire is an odd example. Normally, Wyvern Fire is treated as four separate projectiles arranged in a straight line from the weapon's barrel, meaning that a Gunlancer must be reasonably close to a monster for all four shots to connect; the further out you are, the less damage it deals. However, what isn't widely known is that the ability's hitbox also encompasses the area immediately above the Hunter's head as well as the Gunlance's ''handle'', and any monster coming in contact with either of these two sections during the blast will register all 4 hits. This makes it perfectly possible to achieve weapons-grade {{Offhand Backhand}}s with a Gunlance, as demonstrated [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF_B6PmAP0M here]].
** The wonky hitboxes also work in your favour at times, too. If your weapon just grazes the weak spot, the game will register it as a hit even though it doesn't ''look'' like a hit from your perspective. Sometimes, you might break part of a monster's body even though it doesn't look like you did - such as cutting off a monster's tail when you merely poked it or breaking a Kecha-Wacha's ears from behind. Because all the monsters have the same animation for the tail being cut off, it sometimes looks funny when you see the tail fly off yet your weapon was nowhere nearby it.
** Zig-zagged in your favour and against your favour with monsters firing death lasers - you're supposed to [[ViolationOfCommonSense run towards them and then hit the dodge button so you fall flat on the ground]]. Depending on your timing, it looks like it is going right through you, and sometimes if you're not fast enough you'll ''still'' get hit even if you appear flat on your face.
** In Dalamadur, think you can avoid the beam of death by hiding ''behind'' something or going to a lower platform? Haha ''nope'' - even if the beam looks like it's twenty kilometers above your head, it'll still hit you if the game doesn't register you as dodging.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard:
** When the Uragaan swings its tail, it sends out lumps of unstable rock that explode when hit or the Uragaan uses its chin slam attack. The Uragaan is not immune to the damage from these explosions, so it is entirely possible for it to kill itself with its own explosives.
** The Qurupeco can [[SummonBiggerFish call other monsters to its aid]], and it is not immune to their attacks. The monsters will usually not attack the Qurupeco, but they will sometimes catch it in their attacks accidentally, and may end up killing it themselves.
** Deviljho's hunger not only makes it [[TheDreaded murderously violent]], it also tends to drain his stamina much faster than other monsters, and leaves him ''very'' vulnerable to [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned, drugged or tinged meats]] which will weaken him even further.
** Frenzied monsters in ''4U'' can infect hunters with the Frenzy Virus, weakening their constitution and health regeneration if the infection completes its incubation period. However, if a hunter manages to [[AttackAttackAttack stay on the offensive]] long enough, the Frenzy infection will be dispelled and grant a momentary increase in strength, allowing him or her to fight back more effectively.
* HopelessBossFight: A staple in the series, usually presented early in the game to give players [[EarlyBirdCameo a taste of things to come]].
** In ''Freedom 2'' and ''Unite'', there is a 1-star Village Quest named [[VaguenessIsComing "A Sinking Feeling"]] wherein the task is to collect 3 Popo Tongues from the eponymous creatures at the top of Snowy Mountain, during nighttime. Once you get to the upper mountain ledges, however, a Tigrex [[JumpScare shows up without warning]]. Good luck trying to even ''hurt'' it with the equipment available at that level, especially since the quest only lasts 20 minutes. [[spoiler: Unlike the Lagiacrus example below, however, it doesn't have infinite HP and can be killed.]]
** In ''Tri'' and ''3 Ultimate'', the Lagiacrus is introduced in the first tier's quests, and is a ''5th tier'' monster. You can't gain access to better equipment, and your weapons will be doing minimum damage or just bounce off. When he appears, the guild sweetheart immediately tells you to run away just in case the futility of fighting it wasn't obvious. [[TooDumbToLive You can fight it anyway if you want.]] [[spoiler:You can actually get some break rewards earlier than expected by damaging it, although it remains unbeatable.]]
** Played with in ''4U''. Once you get the Arluq ship from the Troverians and cross the ocean, the [[spoiler: Gore Magala]] shows up in the midst of a typhoon and attacks the ship. You end up having to fight it on the Arluq's deck, which is only as big as the Sandship's. Thankfully there are various weapons scattered about for your usage, and you can even [[ViolationOfCommonSense jump off the ship]] in order to get to the supply hold for more items. Plus, unlike the above examples, your only goal is to deal enough damage to repel the creature.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: ''Portable 3rd'' introduces the Gargwa, Bird Wyverns that look like oversized ostriches which not only serve as prey for some of the larger monsters out there, but are also used by the people of Yukumo as livestock and beasts of burden.
* HotBlooded: Several characters across the series, including the Training Instructor from ''Freedom 2/Unite'', the Shakalakas and Moga Fishermen from ''Tri'', and the Ace Cadet from ''4U'', are this. Also in ''4U'', the more aggressive Palico classes are a combination of this and LeeroyJenkins [[spoiler: including Whitescruff, the [[CowardlyLion cowardly Felyne]] from Cheeko Sands]].
* HubCity: One for the story mode quests and one for the multiplayer quests in the [=PS2=] titles. The ''Portable/Freedom'' games stuck with just one village for both, but included a Guild-run Gathering Hall for the multiplayer quests. ''Tri/3 Ultimate'' actually had two multiplayer hubs - Loc Lac City in ''Tri'' and Port Tanzia in ''3 Ultimate''. ''4'' has Val Habar, Harth, Cheeko Sands, and Cathar, while the multiplayer Gathering Hall is in Val Habar. ''4 Ultimate'' adds Dundorma for the extended single player campaign. ''Generations'' revisits the villages from the three ''Portable/Freedom'' games, while adding Bherna Village and the nearby outdoor Hunter's Hub for multiplayer.
* HugeGuyTinyGirl: Inverted in the case of the Seltas and Seltas Queen. Played straight with The Man and Little Miss Forge.
* HumanPopsicle: Similar to the ''Mud'' status effect, some monsters can leave hunters encased in ''Snow'', which slows down their movement and prevents them from attacking or using items. Later games may also add the Iceblight status on top of this, which can quickly drain Stamina. Monsters that can inflict this status include the Giadrome, Blangonga, Barioth and Kushala Daora, though the latter can only inflict it when fought in snowy areas.
* TheHunter: The point of the series.
* HurricaneOfPuns: Almost all of the lines of dialogue in ''Tri'' are puns or other bad jokes. Moga Village is where the puns reach hurricane levels; between Cha-Cha, the Felynes, the quest descriptions, and one villager who ''lives'' for awful puns.
* HyperactiveMetabolism: Played straight by both monsters and hunters alike. It's entirely possible for monsters to eat herbivores ranging from a third to half their size in a matter of seconds, and then become starved after another couple of minutes. Hunters can also wolf down as many arm-length steaks as they want in no time at all. Justified to some extent with the Deviljho, who need to eat constantly to maintain their high body heat. Unlike most examples of this trope, however, eating only restores stamina, not health.
* IaijutsuPractitioner: Greatswords do more damage if an attack is used right as it's being unsheathed.
* IKnowMaddenKombat: The Hermitaur Helm and Cap are respectively a football helmet and a hockey mask.
* IShallTauntYou: The Hammer's Super Taunt Hunter Art in ''Generations'' causes the user to taunt, drawing the attention of nearby large monsters.
* ImmuneToFlinching: The Great Sword's Divine Wyvern Wrath Slash in ''Generations'' consists of a single, extremely powerful overhead slash. While it has a [[OverlyLongFightingAnimation notably lengthy execution time]], this is balanced out by the fact that during charging, the Hunter [[NoSell completely negates]] any flinching or knockback taken from attacks, although they will still take the damage.
* ImpendingClashShot: The covers always feature a Hunter using a [[{{BFS}} Greatsword]] about to clash with whatever the flagship monster of that game is, background is usually inconsequential (''MH:Freedom'' for one uses a plain white frame and a small circular background).
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Too many to list.
* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon:
** The ''Gunlance'', a lance fitted with explosive shells that can be detonated on command.
** The ''Switch Axe'' is a mechanical axe that turns into a sword. Like the gunlance, it also shoots explosions.
** The ''Charge Blade'' takes this UpToEleven, as it unsheathes as a sword and shield, but the [[http://i.imgur.com/mGbLHgI.gif shield can be combined with the sword]] to create a massive double-edged axe head. Rather than exploding from the weapon itself, a hunter can utilize special attacks which consume collected charge and leave sticky, detonating charges on the monster similar to a bowgun's Crag shots.
** The ''Bow'' fires arrows that are [[http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111014125747/monsterhunter/images/3/32/MH3G-Hapurubokka_Bow.png as big as (normal) spears]]. Justified because of what you're hunting.
** The ''Insect Glaive'' is a weapon that allows you to control a small insect while bashing monsters with a double ended staff. You can shoot a bullet at monsters to have the insect home in and absorb essences from monsters to power you up.
** The ''Hunting Horn'' plays notes as it strikes, and with the right sequence of notes, you can cut the fighting and [[MagicMusic start performing]], giving you and your partners buffs that can be REALLY useful, such as not running out of stamina or being immune to monster roars.
* ImprovisedWeapon:
** While they may have been crafted rather than picked up from the environment, some weapons' designs have you doubting them. Example: A ''plunger'' shaped lance (no, you hold the proper plunger handle - you stab with the plunger head), two ''stick puppets'', and fuzzy maracas. Justified in that some have such terrible stats that they border on being a JokeItem.
** You know that giant cutlery set your hunter held while waiting for their meal in ''Unite''? It's a craftable Dual Sword set called the Glutton's Tools, complete with two upgrade paths. It can be unlocked for crafting by having your Felyne Chefs handing you a regular meal pass, which in turn unlocks the [[http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/Felyne_Ragdoll Felyne Ragdoll]] and [[http://monsterhunter.wikia.com/wiki/Melynx_Ragdoll Melynx Ragdoll,]] both of which are ''bowguns.''
** The Pink Maracas mentioned earlier upgrade into Jungle Maracas (that look more like pompoms), which, at the endgame upgrade into [=Evergreen=], considered [[LethalJokeWeapon one of the best dual swords]] of the game, and require materials obtained slightly earlier than its competition.
** Tri brings in the Sharq Attaq lance... which is basically a stuffed sharq that you swing around and beat things to death with, and it comes with a no swimming sign that acts as your shield. [[LethalJokeItem It's actually pretty decent.]]
** There's also the Pop Corn, which is a giant corn-on-the-cob. You wield it like a lance. It comes with a straw hat to be used as a shield. And most importantly, when you stab things with it, they explode.
** From ''Portable 3rd'': Hunter Dumplings. They're dual blades that are... dumplings. On sticks. Specifically, three (really big) dumplings per stick. The weapon tree branches from there into White or Purple Dumplings. The Purple ones can cause the Poison status effect.
** Also, the Scabbardfish Blade - a longsword that is, quite literally, a fish on a stick. It does additional Water damage.
** The Wyvern's Perch, a greatsword that looks like someone cut down a rather thick tree with mushrooms on it and mounted a hilt on one end.
** Also, the Numbingbird. It's a giant flower that has the hitting power of a hammer and can paralyze monsters to boot.
** The Type 63 Warmonica (Nibelsnarf Hunting Horn) is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin - [[InstrumentOfMurder an oversized harmonica.]] It's one of the few weapons in the game to get a Water element without needing the Awaken skill, and gets access to Health Recovery (L) at the end of its upgrade path which heavily (though not completely) mitigates the need for Potions.
** In games where Speartuna are available, the Frozen Speartuna (which is also [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly what it sounds like]]- see ShamuFu) and the Swordfish Bow (made of an entire fish skeleton). Worth noting is that they are actually ''fairly decent weapon''s, being available quite early in the game, and in the case of the Frozen Speartuna having a low attack rating but an abnormally high ice elemental power.
** For Light Bowgunners in ''4'', one of the most practical weapons is literally a giant syringe.
** Palicoes in ''4/4U'' can be given standard axes and swords, but they also get funky options such as a monster's paw attached to a stick, a surfboard, and a large syringe that goes well with the aforementioned bowgun...
* InfinityMinusOneSword: The basic Ore-made weapons fall into this category, possessing decent damage against all monster types and several gem sockets to help customize your Armor Skills with. They also have the distinction of being quite easy to make and upgrade, since almost all the items needed to smith said weapons can be found via mining. That said, they will end up replaced with stronger weapons later on, but GenreSavvy players will find themselves hanging on to them well into G-Rank.
* InfinityPlusOneElement: Slime element in ''3 Ultimate'' is this. Repeated hits with a slime weapon builds up until they explode on the target for massive damage, and nothing actually resists this effect at all. As such [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome it isn't uncommon to see players in multiplayer having a Slime type weapon as their primary or only weapon for every occasion]]. ''4'' nerfed Slime (renamed Blastblight) making it still different from the other elements, but no longer above them.
* InfinityPlusOneSword
** The game manages to avoid having overpowered weapons for the most part, although certain weapons (like the Elder Dragon weapons lineup, especially the Fatalis models) tend to fall into this category.
** Monster Hunter 4 introduces Relic Weapons, [[RandomlyGeneratedLoot randomly generated]] weapons which can be obtained through guild quests and expeditions. The highest tier of relic weapons can surpass even the best forged and honed weapons in the game... if you're lucky enough to unearth one.
* InnocentInnuendo: The Ace Lancer in ''4U'' has a doozy of one while during the Gunlance tutorial.
--> '''Ace Lancer:''' When Gunlancers attack, [[FreudWasRight their vigorous thrusts]] can result in [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything an explosive climax]]! [[HehHehYouSaidX ...Hmm? ...Did I say something amusing?]]
* InstantSedation:
** Tranquilizer Bombs, or Tranq Bombs. Damage a monster until it starts showing signs that it's almost dead (usually limping), catch it in a trap and chuck Tranq Bombs at it and you'll capture it by putting it to sleep. Bigger monsters will take more Tranq Bombs before they'll fall asleep, but you can also use Tranq Throwing Knives or make Tranq bullets for use with a bowgun.
** Averted with the Sleep [[StandardStatusEffects status effect]]. Monsters have to be hit repeatedly with sedative-laden weapons to make them pass out, and affected players will be groggy, but able to stagger around for a few seconds before dropping.
* InstantWinCondition: In the 20-60 seconds after you finish a quest, but before you collect your reward and head home, you won't take damage from anything, even though any remaining creatures can attack you, interrupting if you're busy carving something.
* InstrumentOfMurder[=/=]MagicMusic: Hunting Horns. Their main gimmick is their wide array of buff songs to aid the party, though they're also almost as good as hammers at beating things senseless.
* InterfaceSpoiler:
** It is easy to tell if a Gypceros is PlayingPossum. The quest is not considered complete, you do not get Expedition Points in ''4/4U'' Expeditions, or in two-monster hunts, you will not be shown a "One monster left." message. However, some other telltale signs of a dead monster ''do'' appear; you're able to [[RandomlyDrops carve]], you can walk through its "corpse" (slain monsters do not have any collision detection), and the lock-on icon on the bottom screen dims.
** Before setting sail on the Arluq's maiden voyage, you're told to gear up because anything could happen while you're on board. [[spoiler:Sure enough, a Gore Magala attacks the Arluq in mid-voyage, forcing you to repel it in an emergency battle. You're never given this same warning any other time that the Caravan travels.]]
** In ''4''/''4U'' the fact that [[spoiler:Shagaru Magala is the adult Gore Magala]] is spoiled because, to upgrade Gore Magala weapons after a certain point, you need parts from [[spoiler:Shagaru Magala]]. You need to advance far enough in the multiplayer, since those upgrades are mostly not available in story mode until after the revelation.
** Also in ''4''/''4U'', the Outbreak warning spoils when quest monsters will Frenzy even if it's supposed to be a shock from a plot standpoint. Then again, sending the player against a Frenzy monster with no warning would be a bit of a dick move.
** And finally, the game image for 4U on the 3DS shows [[spoiler:Gore Magala following hunters, entering Frenzy Mode and turning in Shagaru Magala.]]
* InterspeciesRomance: Well, one-sided romance, anyway. Guildmarm in ''4/4U'' has a crush on a ''Brachydios'', and even writes up an Urgent Quest just so you can find it and tell it about her feelings (which you don't, you just hunt it). Make of that what you will.
* ItemCrafting: The only way to get better weapons, armor, and other items.
* ItemFarming:
** This is key to the Monster Hunter games, if you want to get items to forge better armor and weapons, otherwise you won't be able to make much progress. This is why many players have play times in the hundreds of hours.
** Also comes in a more literal flavor as a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin farm that produces items.]]
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:The Ace Commander feels this way about the Master of Defense's HeroicSacrifice-induced CareerEndingInjury]] in ''4 Ultimate'', something you learn after completing an 8-star Pink Rathian quest.
* {{Jerkass}}: Several examples.
** The "Pro Hunter" inside the Guild Hall in ''Freedom 2/Unite'' loves to insult your equipment choices and belittle you at every turn. After defeating the Ukanlos at the end of ''Unite'', your character even [[TurnTheOtherCheek invites her to join up as a team]], which she responds to by saying that ''you'' will therefore be her glorious ''sidekick'' if it were to happen.
** The Uppity Instructor from ''Tri'' is a combination of this and a MilesGloriosus, constantly bragging about how rich he is compared to everyone else. [[LaserGuidedKarma He ends up losing it all on a bad business venture, however]].
** The Arena Bambina from ''4 Ultimate'' is either extremely condescending toward you, or really sarcastic. She [[ArbitrarySkepticism even doubts]] if you really were the one who [[spoiler: managed to kill the Dalamadur]] after completing its Urgent Quest for the first time.
** The Ace Palico in ''4 Ultimate'' has shades of this at the start, even calling you his minion in a manner similar to Cha-Cha and Kayamba. [[spoiler: [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He actually believes it's the other way around, though]].]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The High Questatrix in ''4''. She often expresses little confidence in hunters who go to her for quests, teasingly [[TryNotToDie telling them not to die]], but once you get out of High Rank, and start gaining Hunter Ranks by the tens, she'll periodically comment on your achievements and express sincere concern for your life.
* JokeItem / LethalJokeItem: A lot of weapons and armor sets are like this, such as the Vacuum and the Bistro Armor. See ImprovisedWeapon above.
* JoustingLance: Lances and Gunlances.
* JumpScare:
** The ScareChord comes off as this, particularly if you were not expecting the incoming monster.
** It can happen that you walk towards an area boundary, only for a large monster to suddenly pop up as it enters through the boundary you're about to exit through.
* JungleJapes: The Jungle in ''Monster Hunter 1'' (old) and ''2'' (new), ''Portable 3rd's'' version of the Flooded Forest[[note]]wherein all underwater areas were removed[[/note]], and the Primal Forest in ''4''.
* {{Kaiju}}: Certain Elder Dragon species tend to be huge, to the point where they have ''[[ReadingsAreOffTheScale no in-game measurement given]]''.
* KaizoTrap:
** If weak enough, it is theoretically possible to die from a monster collapsing on top of you after you catch it. Made impossible in most normal quests, since after the main quest conditions are fulfilled, the player is invulnerable to any monster attack. In quests with multiple monsters, or quests with monsters that appear but do not need killing, monsters like Congalala that have post-death attacks can potentially harm you. Exceptions to this rule include quests which don't end the instant you capture the monster, but a few seconds later. In these cases you can effectively die if the monster you just caught happens to fall on top of your hunter. Fortunately, this only applies to first-gen monsters (Rathalos, Diablos, etc.) in older games.
** Some of the monsters' introductory cutscenes in ''4U'' are this. Hope you weren't too mesmerized with Gravios to notice it charging a thermal ray in your direction at the end of the cinematic!
* KatanasAreJustBetter: Several Longsword designs are based on the katana. Subverted, however, in that they are not necessarily stronger than other Longsword types.
* KindaBusyHere: Beginning with the 3rd Gen games, [=NPCs=] can occasionally interrupt you mid-fight to deliver an important message or warn you of impending danger, which can be ''un''helpful if said danger is only a scant few meters away from your face. Thankfully, not only are such sequences few and far in between (with most occurring at the ''start'' of a quest), the game also [[TalkingIsAFreeAction pauses the action]] during the messages, though this only makes the phenomenon even weirder. The playable demo of ''4U'' was rather notorious for this if a player chooses to turn the "Beginner-Friendly Messages" on.
* LanternJawOfJustice: Uragaan, while not particularly just, has a very formidable chin. Ukanlos as well, with its mighty shovel jaw.
* LastChanceHitPoint: The Felyne Moxie skill allows you to withstand one hit that would otherwise knock you out.
* LethalLavaLand: The Volcano, with each main game having its own incarnation. ''4'' brings us a Lethal Lava ''Town'', Harth, although the lava only shows up after you've defeated the Nerscylla.
* LevelGrinding: Not for character levels as such, but the items: you'd sweat through killing a certain monster sometimes over 20 times only in order to get armor that helps you kill the same monster.
** ''4/4U'''s Guild Quests have a level attached to them when you receive the Quest, depending on what monsters are involved and what kind of Expedition you received the Quest from. Naturally, Guild Quests of higher levels drop better loot than what you find at lower levels, as well as upgrading the monster in question so that you may some day be able to farm it for G-Rank drops. However, Guild Quests level up by completing them, which means that a Hunter may wind up hunting the same monster over and over again before it actually drops anything of value. Players who are not yet G-Rank have to be particularly careful with farming the same quest; at levels 31, 76, 86, and 126, the HR requirement will increase, so even if you "own" the quest, you won't be able to tackle it anymore until you match the target HR, with the only alternative being to use a new quest.
** ''Frontier'' allows players to unlock brand new moves for all weapons...but only if they manage to grind their Hunter Rank past ''500''. At this point, you are given a "Skill Rank" for each weapon type, which will only go up the more you use them in quests. At [=SR1=] you will receive a few new moves; reaching [=SR100=] will unlock the rest. In fact, grinding both your HR and SR to maximum is the only way to gain access to the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Battle Tonfas]].
** Felyne Comrades/Palicos play this trope straight, gaining levels the more you take them with you on quests. The "grinding" aspect is subverted since you won't notice it much--until you decide to switch Palicos and discover that your new ones get knocked out much more quickly. Cha-Cha and Kayamba from ''3U'' also have experience levels, but the impact of grinding isn't as strong as the Palicos' since you only have the two of them to level.
* LightningBruiser:
** The Barioth is one of the fastest wyverns... and hits like a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot giant flying saber-toothed tiger dragon.]] The same basically applies to the Nargacuga and Tigrex "families", all of which enjoy the collective fan-classification of Pseudo-Wyverns.
** One of the more famous examples is Rajang, who gets bonus points for actually being able to ''shoot'' lightning. ''From its mouth.''
** Zinogre is a more literal example, being a giant lupine monster capable of summoning lightning storms at will. It can even gather Thunderbugs to supercharge itself, which will imbue its attacks with lightning in addition to making it faster and stronger...and that's not even getting to its actual Rage Mode. Thankfully players can actually delay him from fully charging as long as they keep up the offense, [[ThisIsGonnaSuck but should they fail to do so]]...
** ''4 Ultimate's'' Najarala is a gigantic 40 meter [[MixAndMatchCritters rattlesnake-cobra hybrid]]. Think it would be painfully slow for its size? Think again; it's roughly as fast, if not faster than, Agnaktor and can easily outmaneuver unwitting hunters by slithering around the battlefield like a viper, setting them up for a nasty constriction attack or coiling up to prepare for a blindingly quick lunging bite.
* LimitBreak: The Hunter Arts in ''Generations'' can be used after attacking monsters enough to fill a gauge.
* LostWoods: The Great Forest in ''Monster Hunter 2'', Misty Peaks in ''3'', and the Everwood in ''4''.
* LowFantasy: Very little outright magic. Instead there's a huge amount of fantastic creatures that are used as raw materials. A number of Elder Dragons such as Fatalis and Dire Miralis, however, appear to be preternatural in nature and skirting on HighFantasy.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Sword & Shield, Lance, Gunlance and Charge Blade classes all have shields, and the [[{{BFS}} Great Sword]] class allows you to use your sword as a shield. Shielding blocks most attacks provided you have the stamina needed to shield them successfully, including physical strikes, breath projectiles, and, strangely enough, ''stun flashes'' and ''[[MakeMeWannaShout roars]]''.
* MacGyvering: The local smith always seems to be able to upgrade your equipment in seconds, using materials ranging from iron ore, to monster bones, to monster kidney stones, to ''bugs''.
* MadeOfIron: The hunters are all about this. Ten story falls? Minor landing stun. Run over by a monster that weighs somewhere around ten tons? Get right back up! Hunter deaths are practically unheard of; running out of health just boots you back to camp with a fresh health bar, or back to port to hunt another day if it was the party's [[VideoGameLives third]] [[GameOver time]]. Some [=NPCs=] aren't so lucky though; see CareerEndingInjury above.
** Some of the creatures, such as the Uragaan, have scales or skin that is made of or coated with minerals and ores that greatly increase their durability. There is even a literal invocation with the Steel Uragaan, an Uragaan sub-species, which is covered in steel. These creatures are, incidentally, typically the physically toughest monsters next to creatures such as Elder Dragons.
** Kushala Daora is literally the Elder Dragon of Steel. The outer steel skin doesn't grow well and rusts, which is why Kushala Daora regularly shed skin (the choice of meal for Khezu whelps). The rusted skin may not be immediately shed, especially if the dragon is away from the safety of the mountains. These rusted Daoras are irritable, and don't conduct electricity (thus resistant to thunder weapons/shots) but become vulnerable to water.
* MakeMeWannaShout: A lot of large monsters are able to shriek so loudly they stun your character, leaving them helpless for a moment. Roars can come in different potencies, some leaving you stunned for longer than others.
** Special mention goes to the Tigrex and it's subspecies, all or which have roars so powerful that ''it can damage you.'' Also of note is the Gigginox, which just loves to screech several times in succession.
* MascotMook: Felynes often show up in promotional material for the game, as well as in various "technical" screens like loading and installation prompts as stick figure-like drawings doing various cute things.
* MeaningfulName:
** Lao Shan Lung and Shen Gaoren, both Chinese. Lao Shan Lung means "Ancient/Old Mountain Dragon" and Shen Gaoren means "Godly/Divine Giant."
** Ceadeus. "Cea" sounds like "Sea", and "Deus" means God. Sea God. The Japanese name, ''Naval''deus, is even more direct.
** Tre[[StealthPun nya]], the adventurous Felyne.
* TheMedic:
** If you have the Wide Area/Range skill, certain flutes, or Lifepowders, you can heal your whole team if they are in the same area; that also includes status ailments, even Blights! The Demon and Armor flutes also allow hunters to have additional stackable stat buffs.
** Certain Hunting Horns are geared towards this as well; others are built for a more general WhiteMage role. [[CombatMedic Of course, they're also pretty effective for actual combat too...]]
* MedievalStasis: Averted and played straight with different aspects. The overall tech level has noticeably improved as the series has progressed, but it remains a predominantly hunter/gatherer society which depends on the Hunters for both supplies and safety, which is much more evident in the first game. Considering how long Hunters have existed and the fact that there are still Elder Dragons and other monsters roaming free, it's not surprising that the tech level is slow to advance.
* MenAreStrongWomenArePretty: The many, many armor sets tend to abide by this trope. The male version will often look tough and hide the wearer's face, the female version will generally focus on looking graceful, keep the wearer's face visible, and in some cases, boast a little {{Fanservice}}. That said, it's not as lop-sided as much pop-cultural fantasy games. Nerscylla armour makes both genders look like japanese mecha, including full face-covering helmets. Also [[EatingTheEyeCandy Nargacuga mens' fishnet corsets]].
* MercyInvincibility: If an attack causes players to roll across the ground, they're immune to damage during the roll and before getting up. ''4 Ultimate'' even allows players to choose when to get up in order to take advantage of this invincibility, although hunters will get up automatically after a set amount of time.
* {{Meido}}: A certain line of female armors puts you in french maid clothes - fully done.
* MidSeasonUpgrade:
** Invoked as a game mechanic; instead of leveling up your character like many other [=RPGs=], progression depends entirely on crafting and upgrading weapons and armor into increasingly stronger versions of the previous ones. In the case of weapons, it's commonplace to see things like that [[WithThisHerring puny machete]] you start out with eventually transform into a [[InfinityMinusOneSword flaming royal sword]] that can ''decimate an Ukanlos'' with ease through persistent upgrading.
** The Barrel Bombs in previous games were quite useful in their own right, except when it's [[LogicalWeakness raining]]. Come ''Tri'', however, explosives technology had advanced enough for Barrel Bombs to be usable ''underwater''.
* MindRape: The Dragon element directly attacks the mind and consciousness of monsters. The more intelligent and sentient the monster is, the more damage the element does to it. [[FridgeLogic In spite of this]], some highly intelligent monsters like Doragyurosu are resistant to it.
* MineralMacGuffin: The Artifact, a mysterious golden shard under the Caravaneer's possession that drives ''4/4U'''s plot. The Caravaneer is trying to figure out its origin and the mystery surrounding it, and wants to find willing volunteers to join him in his quest, including the PlayerCharacter. [[spoiler:As it turns out, it's not actually a mineral, but one of Shagaru Magala's scales.]]
* MiniBoss: In the third generation of games (''Tri'', ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Ultimate''), there are two groups of large monsters that serve this role: Fanged Beasts (Arzuros, Lagombi and Volvidon) and series veteran Theropod Bird Wyverns (Great Jaggi, Great Wroggi and Great Baggi), the latter having had monsters in previous games. These monsters have a lower HP than other monsters, and each group has a particular battle theme that differs from those of the main areas where they're found. In the multi-monster quests with two or three monsters, one of these miniboss beasts will appear first and, upon hunt or capture, will be followed by a larger monster.
* MiniGame:
** The multiplayer lobbies often have a barrel on which hunters can arm-wrestle while waiting for their comrades or for more hunters to join, which takes the form of a ButtonMashing match. Notably, it's present in the Gathering Hall in ''4'' and ''4 Ultimate'' but absent in the Elder Hall in ''4U'', the idea being that you're expected to be on your most polite behavior in the presence of His Immenseness and arm wrestling isn't exactly the most classy of things to do around a royal leader.
** ''4'' also adds two more minigames, both at Sunsnug Isle near Cheeko Sands. The first is fishing, a rather simple game involving shooting your casting net at schools of fish (or the Plesioth) to catch them. There's also the Meownster Hunters, a much more in-depth game involving sending your palicoes out to hunt monsters, which is accomplished by selecting attacks your foe is weak against, like high-stakes TacticalRockPaperScissors. The Meownster Hunter minigame also gives you scrap which can be used to create palico equipment.
* MixAndMatchCritters: Many of the monsters, especially from ''Tri'' onward.
** The Royal Ludroth is basically a water-based iguana with a lion mane made out of sea sponge. And its cry sounds like an eagle's.
** The Gobul is a mix between a pufferfish, a flatfish, and an anglerfish.
** The Barioth is a mostly reptilian wyvern but with the fur, head, and fangs of a sabertooth cat.
** The Nargacuga is similar to the Barioth, but replacing the sabertooth cat features with bat and black panther features.
** From ''Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate'' the Arzuros, Lagombi, and Volvidon are basically bears mixed with a badger, an arctic hare, and an armadillo respectively.
** Jhen Mohran: part alligator, part warthog, part mountain. With the swimming style of a sand whale.
*** The Dah'ren Mohran from 4 is the same as the Jhen, but without the warthog tusks. Instead it has just one horn out front, like a narwhal.
** The Kecha Wacha from 4. Take a chimpanzee, give it a tapir face, a flying squirrel's gliding flaps, and a sloth's claws.
** Zamtrios is like a frog with a shark's head, and its ice powers can be used to create a narwhal-like horn.
** Najarala is a snake wyvern similar to a hooded cobra mixed with a rattlesnake, but instead of using its rattle as a warning it uses it as ''a sonic detonator for its own exploding scales''.
* MonsterArena: Some monsters in ''Monster Hunter 3'' and its expansions are fought in a special Arena battlefield. There's also an underwater version to fight aquatic monsters.
* MoodWhiplash: In ''4/4U'', after finding out that [[spoiler:the Ace Palico went after the Ace Cadet and the Ace Lancer, who are being threatened by the Gore Magala]], the ususal background music will be replaced by a quite foreboding tune when you get control of your character back. The controls are returned only so you have the opportunity to prepare for the mission that will let you resolve the situation as well as you can, so getting a bite to eat from the Street Cook before leaving will probably seem like a good idea. Cue the joyful music that usually plays when the Street Cook is preparing your meal.
* MookMaker: Gigginox, who lays eggs throughout the fight which spew out giggis unless you destroy them.
* MoreDakka: The aptly named Rapid Heaven Hunter Art for the Light Bowgun in ''Generations'' is nothing but this. When activated, the user takes a stationary stance akin to the Heavy Bowgun's Siege Mode, and loads "Rapid" bullets into the Bowgun. While you have Rapid Bullets loaded, you can unload a nonstop frenzy of bullets into anything that stands in your way.
* MorphWeapon: The Switch Axe and Charge Axe (Charge Blade in English localizations) are transforming weapons -- Switch axe varies between an Axe that builds charge to allow it to transform into a Sword with extremely quick handling characteristics, and the Charge Blade which builds charge as a swift-striking sword and shield so that it can unleash massive [[ShockAndAwe concussion-boosted]] blows after transforming into a great axe.
* MusicalAssassin: Some horns get the Sonic Wave song, which is a BrownNote version of the Sonic Bomb item.
* MyBloodRunsHot: Played fairly realistically with the Deviljho, who has a very high body heat and needs to eat frequently to maintain it.
* MythologyGag:
** The "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QdUmKt2hsk ending credits]]" of ''Portable 3rd'' (played after you defeat Zinogre for the first time) features Nyanjiro, the courier Felyne (who can deliver items to your box though a barrel he rolls around once a mission) leaving Yukumo to roam the world of ''Monster Hunter'' and deliver invitations to Yukumo's victory party onto every past home village up to that point [[note]]Kokoto (''[=MH1=]'' offline and ''MH Freedom''), Minegarde (''MH 1'' online), Jumbo (''MH Dos'' offline), Dondurma (''MH Dos'' online), Pokke (''MH Freedom 2''), Moga (''MH Tri'' offline) and Loc Lac (''MH Tri'' online)[[/note]] before returning to Yukumo in time for the festivities.
** In ''4 Ultimate'', the merchant lady in Val Habar [[note]]who happens to be the sister of the Fishmongress from ''Tri''[[/note]] informs you that a group of fishermen from Moga Village came begging her for Sushifish because they couldn't catch any, and that they're afraid the person who sent them out will get mad if they don't bring some back. Said person is heavily implied to be the PlayerCharacter from ''Tri'' and ''3 Ultimate'', and the merchant lady has [[ThisLoserIsYou no kind words for the Hunter of Moga Village]].
---> '''Val Habar Merchant''': ''I hope he gives whoever bully it was that sent him on this wild Jaggi chase a good sock to the face!''
** The Argosy Captain and his felyne partner Neko (Means "Cat") from ''3U'' both claim to be adept at a swordfighting technique known as "Dirty Fencing", but never elaborate on the details. In ''4U'' however, meeting them on Cheeko Sands and completing their quest will allow you to craft an armor set that provides the skill itself...and it's ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.[[note]]The skill not only makes you stronger each time you faint, but allows your attacks to wear monster Stamina down faster while decreasing your own Stamina consumption. In other words, [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty dirty fighting]].[[/note]]
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules:
** Monster has a laser or fireball type attack? Better hope the monster can't shoot ''through'' the obstacle you hid behind so you can sharpen your weapon, reload, or heal. What happens if you try to shoot through the obstacle yourself? Your projectile smacks right into it.
** When using Flash Bombs to blind monsters, players need to make sure that the detonation occurs in their direct line of sight for the grenade to be of any effect. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the Gypceros and Gobul, who can blind hunters looking ''away'' from the flash, up to a certain distance.
