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[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories2WingsOfRuin Ride on!]]]]

!Per wiki policy, Administrivia/SpoilersOff applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

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[[folder:1st Generation]]
* Taking down Lao Shan Lung for the first time. You take down a building-sized dragon with what is essentially a toothpick to it.
* Fighting [[FinalBoss Fatalis]]. After hunts against what are effectively fantastical animals, you're finally fighting a classic fantasy dragon.[[/folder]]

[[folder:2nd Generation]]
* One moment for a monster: in the Akantor ecology, the eponymous Akantor duels a Gravios. The Akantor not only resists a full blast of the Gravios' Heat Beam, it ''[[CurbStompBattle takes out the Gravios in one blow]]'' and then tosses the corpse like a rag doll. Then it roars triumphantly over the Gravios as the volcanoes in the background erupt. Seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eerTZRKklto here]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:3rd Generation]]
* Sometimes during a hunt, the ground suddenly splits open like a portal to Hell and the nomadic monster Deviljho comes barreling out. Your first instinct will definitely be an [[OhCrap urge to pee]], but the Deviljho always targets the [[BigEater biggest meal it can find]], which will most likely be the monster you were already hunting. Now you can sit back, relax, and watch whatever annoying boss you were getting so angry at [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown get the shit smacked out of it by a starving dinosaur]].
* In ''Tri'', the first time you unexpectedly encounter the Lagiacrus during the one-star "Guts: It's What's For Dinner" quest, he's too powerful for you and your only option is to finish [[TwentyBearAsses collecting Monster Guts]] and then [[HopelessBossFight hightail it back to base camp]]. After ascending to three-star quests, an Urgent Quest comes up and you're granted permission to take on the Lagiacrus, [[TookALevelInBadass this time with more experience and equipment better-suited to attack it]], and ''you'' make ''it'' run away instead. The third time you encounter it is in a five-star Urgent Quest, and this time, as a villager states, [[ItsPersonal it's after your blood]]. Only then do you ''finally'' get to kill the creature that probably gave you a source of NightmareFuel at the beginning of the game. [[NegatedMomentOfAwesome Unfortunately]], [[RedHerring killing it doesn't stop the earthquakes that have been tormenting Moga Village]].
* Later in ''Tri'', driving off the Ceadeus. Even if you had help in the form of ancient weaponry, you still took down a sea-dragon larger than your ''base camp''. You broke the mighty horns that caused earthquakes every time he rammed the ocean. You dodged torrents of water that would have ''ended your life'' not too long ago, and you made a dragon, who is ''deserving'' of the name "sea god", one that the Guild would need to send an ''army'' after, ''run away''. And in doing so, you save Moga Village. In-story, the final cutscene marks this as your crowning achievement. A masterwork of bravery and skill that will be [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soUM9eKxJtA Spoken Of Forever]]. Now imagine doing this without using the ancient weapons, using only the armor you have on your back and the weapon you had spent hours forging just for moments like these.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoPBK-X3Zr8 Brachydios vs. Agnaktor.]] While both creatures are a force to be reckoned with, [[CurbstompBattle one side is clearly dominant.]]
* Two words: Jhen. Mohran. A giant sand whale that, while seeming smaller than the Lao Shan, is no less impressive due to the majesty of how you fight him: attacking him from the deck of [[CoolShip a sandship]] as it tries to knock you and your ship into oblivion. Armed with ballistae, cannons and its very own Dragonator, you repeatedly fend it off, [[ColossusClimb use its tusks, fins and flippers to get on its back to smack it dead]], and finish off in a one-on-one showdown on the desert plains as it slowly tries to crush your ship, shaking the ground with every step.[[/folder]]

[[folder:4th Generation]]
* The ''first'' thing you do in the game is help repel a Dah'ren Mohran, a massive whale-like Elder Dragon similar to the Jhen Mohran, in the middle of a desert voyage. No weapons, no armor, just using the sandship's artillery to keep it at bay and prevent it from destroying Val Habar. At one point, the Caravaneer's hat falls off, and just as he decides to give up on it--mind you, the hat contains a valuable MacGuffin--''you get it back for him anyway.'' It's this very act that cements the Caravaneer's unwavering faith and trust in you.
* The cutscene before the fight with the FinalBoss of ''4'', the Shagaru Magala, with both the hunter and the Elder Dragon [[WorthyOpponent seeing the other as an equal,]] carefully strafing each other, before the creature swoops to the sky and unfurls its star-like wings.
* In ''4 Ultimate'', the Ace Palico solidifies himself as a badass when he goes into the Everwood to hunt the Gore Magala, and thus save two of the Ace Hunters, BY HIMSELF while everyone else- including you- was standing around wondering what to do. Sure, he ultimately failed by himself and you had to go save him too in an [[BigDamnHeroes animated cutscene]], but he still managed to stall it long enough for you to save everyone.
* Another Felyne that warrants mention is Whitescruff, the cowardly scaredy-cat on Cheeko Sands. The first time you meet him, he keeps whining about how easily frightened he is and how he's a good-for-nothing loser for it. After you take down the Akantor who defeated his original Master and [[TraumaButton caused him to become paranoid]] in the first place, not only does he ask you to hire him as one of your Palicoes, he's also revealed to be an ''aggressive Fighter-type felyne'' who not only prioritizes attacking larger monsters, but whose two main abilities involve [[CameBackStrong gaining more attack and defense power after a KO]] and what tantamounts to ''jumping right in a monster's face to [[EyeScream claw its eyes out]] while you beat the loving crap out of the thing!'' CowardlyLion, indeed.
* [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGames Fighting Seregios]]. This deadly wyvern first introduces itself [[CurbstompBattle wiping the floor with Rathian]], forcing it to flee its nest. After enduring a forced mission failure, the Master of Defense assigns you to hunt this menace. The cutscene before you fight it involves it tossing around Genprey like ragdolls before setting its sights [[OhCrap on]] ''[[OhCrap you.]]'' What follows is a clash against a monster with one of the most unique fighting styles in the series, as it behaves less of an average monster and more of a monster ''hunter''. Oh, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLlpSjiKzso it comes with]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic one of the best boss themes in the series]].
** [[OhCrap Then comes]] [[SuperMode Apex Seregios]], who forces the Ace Lancer's team and '''[[TheDreaded even its own already-menacing species into fleeing]]'''. When you do fight it, you see it [[TheWorfEffect slaughtering a fellow Seregios]] before it sets its sights on you. The fight begins with you helpless due to its hide [[NoSell deflecting all attacks]], until the Wyceum Assistant gives you a Drive Wystone to knock it out of the Apex status. Even the music is cheering you on, as the menacing Apex Monster battle theme is being overwritten by the epic Seregios theme.
* The entirety of the battle against the Rusted Kushala Daora. To begin, you fight alongside the Ace Hunters, with one of them providing cover fire, another healing the party with Lifepowders and the commander himself helping you load a cannon that is powerful enough to knock the dragon out of the sky with a direct hit. After a few cannon blasts, you impale it with a Dragonator and the fight continues until the Master of Defense announces that the [[{{BFG}} Demolisher cannon]] is ready to fire. The gunner manages to pin the dragon down, letting you deal the final blow.
** It gets better in the end credits: as [[LeeroyJenkins the Ace Cadet is running towards the Rusted Kushala Daora]] the latter reveals that it's still alive, knocks him back and is about to administer a killing blow with the Ace Commander shielding the cadet. This would look like a case of HistoryRepeats. Fortunately, TheLancer [[BigDamnHeroes blocks the dragon's wind attack]] allowing the commander and the cadet to run. Then the gunner distracts the Kushala while the cadet blinds it allowing the commander to deal the final blow, causing it to run.
* Knocking the Apex status out of a monster. Faced with a monster with a condition that makes it an automatic ThatOneBoss, you manage to outsmart it and strike back enough to restore it back to its basic glory, if only for a few minutes.
** Made even better if you beat the Apex out of Apex Zinogre and Apex Seregios (see above), where their [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic themes]] will immediately start playing over the intimidating Apex Monster theme, almost as if the songs themselves are cheering you on.[[/folder]]

[[folder:5th Generation]]
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: World/Iceborne ]]

* Astera and the Research Base are awesomely designed, and fit into the story quite nicely: Astera is made of various shipwrecks and other scavenged materials from the fleet expeditions, giving it a ramshackle, yet lively and bustling feel. The Research Base, meanwhile, takes full advantage of being a CoolAirship, making for a cramped yet cozy secondary outpost.
* After being on the receiving end of the WorfEffect, ''World'' gives the Rathalos a chance to redeem some of its status as the overall series original mascot: by effortlessly lifting an Anjanath from the reveal footage into the air and dropping it for massive damage when it tries to pick a fight, solidifying the Rathalos' place as an ''apex monster.''
** At least until the return of a certain [[TheDreaded angry pickle]] we all know and love.
** Just the angry pickle? ''Iceborne'' gives us footage of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO0SbCBuo9M a Rathalos getting suplexed by a Brachydios]]. Moral of the day: even if you can fly, never fuck with a Brute Wyvern. They're not as stupid as the name suggests.
* The sliding attack of the dual blades in ''World'' involves pulling an ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' and spin down a monsters back with said blades in a saw motion. Take note, this includes Elder Dragons.
* ''World'' introduces the ability for palicos to learn how to ride some small monsters. This becomes pretty awesome when it's something like a Jagras, and they're using it to fight a Great Jagras.
* The "Turf War" system introduced in ''World'' lets two large monster on the map fight each other if they ever meet. The awesome part is that this applies to elder dragons as well. For once, we can finally see what happens when mortal enemies Teostra and Kushala Daora meet.
** And then there's Nergigante, an elder dragon with no elemental powers whatsoever, but is still able to worf every other elder dragon it meets by simply manhandling them like ragdolls.
* How do they tease the update that will bring Deviljho to MHW? By showing it annihilating everything in its path by means of slamming the Great Jagras in its jaws around like a ragdoll trying to pound the Hunter flat ''with'' the poor thing before a long shot of it staring directly into the camera. It also serves to show that Deviljho is all muscle, as it holds the Great Jagras in its mouth like it's ''nothing''.
** During the MHW Spring Update stream, sneak peek live footage of a quest to hunt the Deviljho was shown. Not only does it chomp and slam around the Great Jagras as shown in the aforementioned teaser, it does the same to a Kulu-Ya-Ku as well, implying all large monsters on the smaller scale can fall victim to this attack. Near the end, Bazelgeuse itself crashes the hunt and the two invading monsters engage in an amazing turf war that ends with both of them taking equally heavy damage. The long-awaited showdown between two {{memetic badass}}es is described by many as nothing short of [[CoolVersusAwesome the fight of the century]].
** To elaborate, Deviljho is much larger than Bazelgeuse and initially dominates with its pure might, but Bazelgeuse's tenacity prevents it from being a complete pushover. Deviljho then pins the Bazelgeuse down, dealing massive damage. But the Explosive Scale Wyvern finally retaliates by detonating all the scales on its neck point blank, sending the Deviljho reeling from the immense blast.
*** Not even the apex monsters of the respective environments are safe. It ''suplexes'' a charging Diablos, grabs a flying Legiana by the neck and throws it to the floor, and even Odogaron, who is brave enough to take on an ''Elder Dragon'', is reduced to the same state as Great Jagras.
* The cut scene that plays at the beginning of the fight with Xeno'jiiva. After the Seeker gets hurt from Xeno'jiiva hatching, the Admiral tries to take on the alien elder dragon. Instead, your character tells him to evacuate the Seeker back to camp and that you'll handle it yourself.
** What makes this more awesome is how the Admiral's faith in you, and your implied awesomeness feels earned. Not only have you previously hunted at least four powerful elder dragons at this point (including one who [[TheWorfEffect worfs]] other elders), but you've also helped save an entire continent by helping fight and drive away another elder dragon -- one of the largest the series has ever seen. You feel awesome simply because of all you as a player have achieved at this point.
* The ''Street Fighter'' tie-in event quests have you hunt either a Barroth, Nergigante or Pink Rathian. The kicker is the BGM - as the monster howls at you, either Sakura's or Ryu's theme blasts.
* With the fourth major update, ''World'' sees the return of the long retired Lunastra, Teostra's mate. Since ''World'' allows for multiple Elder Dragons on one map, the two finally get to fight as a proper BattleCouple. With this, also comes a new signature observation: bonding, which is pretty heartwarming and awe-inspiring for the long separated Teostra and Lunastra...but ''incredibly'' lethal for any and all hunters in the immediate vicinity as their bonding is '''explosive'''. ie: a combined supernova, with all that implies.
** Lunastra's intro deserves a mention. You've received word that a Teostra you had been hunting has taken refuge inside the arena, looking to recover from its wounds. When you get there to finish it off, you see a Nergigante swoop in, obviously looking to devour the wounded Teostra. Suddenly, the Lunastra [[BigDamnHeroes comes flying in at full speed]], tackling the Nergigante to the ground. She and her mate then team up to absolutely ''trounce'' Nergigante, managing to drive it off without taking a serious blow between them! Not done yet, the Lunastra then fights ''you'' in order to buy enough time for the Teostra to escape!
* How does the game first introduce the player to [[GuestFighter Behemoth]]? By showing it casually holding a Dodogama in its mouth, similar to how Deviljho was introduced in the trailer. However, a Dodogama is much bigger that the Great Jagras that Deviljho is holding, and even then, the Behemoth absolutely dwarfs it.
** The mere fact that you get to fight Behemoth can be this, as it is the very first time a monster from another franchise appears in a main ''Monster Hunter'' game.[[note]][[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Eponas]] appear in ''Stories'', but that is a SpinOff from the main series.[[/note]]
*** And it's not the last, either. With the ''Witcher 3'' crossover, the Hunters now have the option to fight an Ancient Leshen.
* Pukei-Pukei gets one in the ''Witcher 3'' collaboration. If Geralt saves one from [[GuestFighter the Leshen]], the usually cowardly monster reappears to help him in the final phase in the fight.
** The collaboration in general, really. Capcom and CD Projekt Red really went the extra mile to make this more than just a quick crossover, making it a full-fledged Witcher-style quest complete with side quests, investigation, Witcher senses and tracking. It truly feels like it would have been right at home as a quest in ''The Witcher 3'', all while integrating fluidly with ''World'''s game mechanics, characters and setting.
** The Fifth Fleet Hunter also gets an OffscreenMomentOfAwesome during the collab. While playing as Geralt, the Handler mentions that the Hunter has been assigned to keep all the local monsters out of the forest so Geralt can work undisturbed. Not a team of Hunters, just them. This is enough to impress even Geralt, who remarks that, were they in his world, bards would be writing songs about the Hunter.
* Tigrex makes his triumphant return to Monster Hunter in the Iceborne expansion. Unfortunately, his chosen territory is the ''Rotten Vale'', home to the only Non-Jho monster in the New World with an attitude worse than his. What follows is one of the most savage Turf Wars in the entire game.
* The Glavenus trailer confirms the monster's appearance in the expansion, as well as the appearance of Subspecies' for some of the newer monsters. This was nice enough, then it ends with an Uragaan stumbling in front of the Hunter, covered in green slime that ''explodes''...
* A commercial introducing Yian Garuga shows it tail flipping ''Deviljho'' in the face.
* Zinogre’s debut teaser finally has it live up to its in-game moniker of “The Usurper” in an all new Turf War sequence against “The King of the Skies”, Rathalos.
* In conjunction with the two examples provided by Zinogre and Yian Garuga from their teaser clips, their actual full blown introductory scenes in the Guiding Lands are both moments of awesome for each respectively:
** Zinogre is briefly seen charging a Rathalos that had taken the hunter by surprise in their first outing in the Guiding Lands; during the skirmish the hunter tries to escape to a clearing only to come across a [[AlwaysABiggerFish Diablos]]. Things seem to be unable to get any worse when the ''same'' Rathalos flies out and looks ready for a two on one with the hunter in the middle... when suddenly, the hunter notices fulgurbugs starting to swarm. Then, as if like a lone samurai stepping out of the shadow complete with the sound of a shamisen strum, Zinogre majestically strides out - eyeing the hunter as it walks up to the two Flying Wyverns. It is then properly introduced with a defiant howl as it makes its stand against ''both'' Rathalos and Diablos (as well as the hunter it just incidentally rescued, twice).
*** One can even take the Fanged Wyvern's regard towards the Hunter as it strides forward as Zinogre wanting to fight the hunter ''specifically'', and scared the two monsters off to [[FairPlayVillain make sure there was an even playing field]] and that [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou it could have you all to itself.]]
** Yian Garuga is introduced calmly minding its own business... until a hungry Deviljho comes stomping near its nest. The fearsome Yian Garuga doesn't flinch nor stand down and immediately jumps into action. Its briefly silenced by a powerful throw from the Deviljho, but just as it looked as if it was out for the count; Yian Garuga bursts out of the wreckage it was thrown in and not only takes the fight back to Deviljho with prejudice - it manages to ''topple'' it with the tail flip shown in the teaser.
* ''Iceborne'' finally lets Deviljho live up to its hype as an Elder Dragon Level Threat with some turf wars between Savage Deviljho and ''four different elder dragons''. '''Every single one is a tie.'''
* Rajang makes it's triumphant return in ''Iceborne'', with some truly epic Turf Wars:
** Grabbing various Flying Wyverns out of the air by the tail and [[MetronomicManMashing slamming them into the ground twice]].
** Grabbing Kirin by the neck, ''breaking off its horn'', choke-slamming it to the ground, and ''eating'' the horn.
*** Notably, this is the '''only''' time in the game where an Elder Dragon is unambiguously bested by a non-Elder Dragon Monster. Even '''[[TheDreaded Deviljho]]''' can only force a tie.
** Against most classically Dragon-Shaped Elder Dragons, Rajang slams them to the ground through pure strength and fury. Against Teostra and Lunastra, it tanks a full blast of fire breath to the face first.
** Against Nergigante, it jumps over a claw swipe onto its head, gets thrown to the ground, then goes Super Saiyan and straight up ''{{Shoryuken}}s'' Nergigante! The latter, or course, does not take this lying down and promptly retaliates with a huge slap that not only knocks Rajang out of his Super Saiyan form, but also sends it flying into the nearest wall.
** Rajang vs. (Savage) Deviljho. The larger Deviljho snatches Rajang in it's jaws and scrapes him across the ground, like Jho is wont to do, then lifts him up. Rajang, in response to this, goes Super Saiyan, forces Deviljho's jaws open, stands on its neck, and ''punches'' Deviljho face-first to the floor. Legendary Pictures, take note.
* The entire cutscene before the final boss of ''Iceborne''. As everything around them starts to collapse, the Hunter calmly walks ''into'' the devastation, and this is after having already fought a prior battle that left them somewhat winded. The Handler assures the Tracker that the Hunter knows what they're doing as the camera shifts to a close up on their UnflinchingWalk. When the ground beneath them finally gives way, the Hunter begins jumping from rock to rock mid fall and even dodges the monster's attempt to crush them after they land. When the dust finally settles the Hunter is standing face to face with Shara Ishvalda, ready to fight.
** After all the tough battles and difficult hunts they've been through, hearing the Handler call their character a '''MASTER''' Hunter undoubtedly struck a chord with many players.
** Props has to be given to Ruiner Nergigante, who arrived at the final boss's area even before the Sapphire Star. And while it does fight you, you still kill it as per usual... except Nergigante faked its defeat, then played dead ''while you carved it'' and got buried under a ton of rocks afterward. Then after the boss fight, the NotQuiteDead Shara Ishvalda gets back up, prompting the shocked Research Commission to prepare to face it again... until Ruiner Nergigante bursts out from underground, fly-tackles Shara, pins it down and repeatedly bites its throat, killing it for good and roaring his victory to the world. Then after intensely staring down the Research Commission, Nergigante decides it's better to leave since it's already won, and it wouldn't be smart to take on a dozen Hunters period. In other words, Nergigante formed (and followed-through on) a ''[[ItCanThink rudimentary plan]]'' to draw Shara Ishvalda out of hiding when it was unable to do so, using the Sapphire Star themselves.
* Rajang's introductory cutscene has quite a few:
** The [[PlayerCharacter Hunter]] and the Handler encounter another Kirin in the Guiding Lands, which seems to be on guard. Moments later, they're bowled over by the reason why: Rajang, which immediately grapples the Kirin, and after a brief struggle, '''snaps off its horn'''.
** The Admiral saves the Handler from the Rajang's BreathWeapon by ''jumping in front of it with a giant boulder.''
** While the Rajang is distracted, the Hunter grapples onto the Rajang's arm long enough for the Admiral and Handler to escape. When the player is given control again, the Hunter is ''still'' grappled to the monster, allowing them to get a free hit in.
* The siege against Safi'jiiva, the adult form of the more alien-looking Xeno'jiiva. Up to 16 hunters taking on an Elder Dragon that's only known by a moniker referencing its color, the Red Dragon, and pursuing it until it runs out of energy to drain in the bottom level of the Secluded Valley; all while the dragon unleashes the full power of its energy harvest through frighteningly accurate laser beams and a FantasticNuke that's so impactful, even its epic theme drowns itself into a HeartbeatSoundtrack.
* The four-part fight against the original Black Dragon, Fatalis, who shows ''exactly'' why, even four generations later it's ''still'' the very top of the food chain in ''Monster Hunter''. After being implied to be the cause of Alatreon's sudden migration to the New World, the big dragon makes its grand entrance at Castle Schrade, casually wrecking stone archs and bridges on its way there, then stops before [[PlayerCharacter the Sapphire Star]] and the Excitable A-Lister to get a good look at them, stand up on its hindlegs and roar triumphantly, initiating a long and grueling battle in the castle ruins.
** The Excitable A-Lister gets his moment to shine when he not only helps you fight Fatalis, but after you and he run for cover as Fatalis's flame engulfs the battleground. Seeing that neither of you are probably going to make it to the safe area, the A-Lister selflessly pushes you behind cover, letting himself get caught in the fire. After Fatalis pauses, the A-Lister is revealed to be alive and in one piece, albeit winded up by the attack.
** Shortly after the above, the Handler gives a short-but-sweet BadassBoast to the Sapphire Star on their behalf, showing that in her eyes, you're just as much as (if not ''moreso'' of) a LivingLegend as '''''Fatalis'''''.
--->"This thing is a reality, partner... but that just means, ''I know you can kill it!''"
** Once you go back to business with Fatalis in round two, you are given access to a mobile ballista and some binders that can potentially shave off a good amount of the dragon's health and temporarily pin it down, the latter of which is essential for wailing away at its head and hopefully break its horns, which allow it to power up its flame.
** Fatalis's destructive power is excellently showcased in this fight as it incinerates an obscenely large portion of the castle ruins with its "Demise of Schrade" attack, which it sustains for roughly a dozen seconds and is akin to a ''tidal wave of fiery breath''. The first time, it nearly burns your Hunter and the Excitable A-Lister on top of obliterating barricades and some stone fortifications, and the shock-wave of the blast buffets the Commission's camp - hundreds of feet away, in the opposite direction of where Fatalis was aiming - with heavy strength. The second time, you manage to block Fatalis's breath by raising the castle's mighty iron gate in the nick of the time, but the heat is so great that the gate starts melting and breaks down once Fatalis is done attacking. Finally, for the third to fifth iterations of the attack, because there's literally no other cover that is safe (other than using a Farcaster), you have to ''[[ViolationOfCommonSense move towards the dragon and potentially brave the flames]]''.
** Eventually, the Dragonator that was inoperatate since Fatalis' initial invasion of Castle Schrade becomes ready for use, and upon grievously injuring the Elder Dragon with it, the soundtrack pauses and switches to a familiar theme; the series' tried and true "Proof of a Hero" in all of its orchestral glory, heralding your final push to down Fatalis once and for all as it keeps unleashing nova flames despite being on its last legs. Once Fatalis indeed goes down, the Commander is genuinely at a loss for words, since you've effectively [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punched out the series' Cthulhu]].
** After firing the dragonator and "Proof Of a Hero" starts to play, Fatalis' immediate reaction is to do its ultimate attack. The subtle implication is that Fatalis is now scared of the Sapphire Star and is desperate to take them out.
** An understated one, but it has long been established that the very presence of Elder Dragons [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere causes almost all wildlife to vacate the area]]. Yet the Commission's wingdrakes [[UndyingLoyalty not only refuse to leave]] - aside from briefly panicking when Fatalis first makes its presence known - but will faithfully fly hunters down to the battleground, despite putting themselves within striking distance of [[TheDreaded the Elder Dragon that terrifies other Elder Dragons]] right up to the likes of Lao Shao Lung.
** The awesome moments don't end with Fatalis' death either. After felling the Black Dragon for the first time, a cutscene plays where, for the first time ever in a mainline Monster Hunter game characters are given ''actual names''. Yes, two characters from 4 Ultimate are finally given proper canon names namely Aiden (Ace Cadet) and Julius (Ace Commander).

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Rise/Sunbreak ]]

* Rampage quests in ''Rise''. In past games, the Hunters did pretty much all the heavy-duty work when it came to hunting monsters, including those in "defend"-type quests. But in Rampage hunts, ''the entire village'' actively helps defend against invading ''hordes'' of monsters, with villagers mounting cannons and ballistae and major [=NPCs=] being able to be summoned to do massive damage. Even Yomogi and Iori, who are ''children'', can volunteer to help out, with the former mounting a Machine Cannon and the latter ''wielding a Charge Blade'' and sending out his Buddies to assist him. You and all of Kamura Village team up to defend against many threats, including Apex variants of monsters and an ''Elder Dragon'' who's half-responsible for the Rampage.
** With Follower Quests in ''Sunbreak'', you can take the villagers of Kamura or the residents of Elgado into (almost) any quest to help you. Instead of just protecting their homes, they can now join you to take the fight to the monsters.
* Wyvern Riding. Deal enough silkbind damage or use a Puppet Spider to trigger a mount, and you can either slam them into terrain to knock them out, or ''use them as your weapon'' to take on a different monster in a no-holds-barred brawl. It's even better if the monster you mounted was [[ThatOneBoss a piece of work]] or [[ThatOneAttack had some nasty moves]], as you'll be laughing once your unfortunate target is finally on the receiving end. Even things like Elder Dragons and other apex predators aren't safe from this, allowing you to wield their awesome power for yourself.
* Similar to the ecology cutscenes from ''World'', monsters are now introduced with a mythical poem/fable that showcases them thriving in their environment while playing up their strengths and reputations, with even monsters at the bottom of the food chain getting intros that showcase just how terrifying meeting these foes would be to any non-Hunter, much less anything on the ''top'' of the food chain, which is why it falls to Hunters to keep them in check.
** Bazegeuse ambushes a Tigrex in the middle of a hunt, the latter of which actually ''cowers'' when it hears the former's signature roar for the first time. Bazelgeuse then proceeds to bomb the area before slamming directly into Tigrex, even briefly overpowering it before facing it down.
** Crimson Glow Valstrax is introduced with the flaming debris raining from its flight falling down upon the Shrine Ruins like a meteor shower, devastating all the wildlife in the area before Valstrax itself comes down to seemingly finish the job.
** Seregios ambushes a Rathian mid-hunt and manages to solidly outmaneuver it with its incredible speed, striking it out of the sky and pinning it down with a barrage of its bladed scales.
** Gore Magala's intro has a Goss Harag ambush an unsuspecting Boggi, only for Gore Magala to ambush it in turn. Although Goss gets a few hits in, once Gore Magala enters its Frenzy mode, it performs a PunchCatch on the Fanged Beast, pins it down, and showers it in Frenzy before seemingly leaving for the infection to set in.
** A Barioth and a Seregios in a territorial fight wander into the territory of a Shagaru Magala, and acknowledge the danger enough to [[EnemyMine instantly team up against the Elder Dragon]]. This ends poorly for both of them, with Shagaru overpowering Seregios and [[GrievousHarmWithABody slamming it into Barioth]], before finishing them both off with its iconic Frenzy pillar attack.
** Scorned Magnamalo finishing off a Zinogre by entering its Raging Hellfire mode and killing it in a SingleStrokeBattle using its arm blades.
** Both Metal Raths show just how dangerous they are, with Silver Rathalos easily outmaneuvering and outgunning a Bazelgeuse, and Gold Rathian beating a ''Kushala Daora'' by poisoning it before going in for a fire blast.
** Flaming Espinas withstanding the flames of a Teostra and [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame repelling it with a supernova of its own]].
** Even just roused from its sleep by a Tigrex, Violet Mizutsune is able to deluge the entire area in its oil in seconds, igniting the battlefield and trapping Tigrex for a swift kill.
* The Turf War system returns, and although there aren't as many as ''World'', there are still quite a few standouts:
** Magnamalo is capable of bringing down Flying Wyverns by leaping on top of them and using its RecoilBoost to ''stay'' on top of them as they fly, before slamming them back to the ground with an exploding divebomb. It will even try this against Teostra or Kushala Daora, although it will be unceremoniously thrown off afterwards...unless it's the Scorned Variant, in which case ''it wins''.
** Rajang vs. Bazelgeuse. At first, it seems to be a repeat of Rajang's turf wars with most Flying Wyverns, with Rajang grabbing Bazelgeuse by the tail and slamming it into the ground...before Bazelgeuse's shed bombs it dropped during the thrashing detonate, staggering Rajang long enough for Bazel to break free and ''instantly dive-bomb it''.
** Unlike most other monsters that end up in a sumo lock with Tetranadon, Goss Harag uses its weight to pin it down, then repeatedly punch it in the face until the former uses its water spit to force it off.
** Mizutsune gets to show off its renowned agility by running (sliding?) circles around Zinogre and Astalos, although the latter are able to leverage their strength to fight even with the Leviathan once they pin it down.
** (Blood Orange) Bishaten vs. Almudron initially has the Fanged Beast grapple onto Almudron's head and pummel it with its fruits, only for Almudron to try and drag Bishaten underground to suffocate it. Just when Bishaten frees itself, Almudron bursts to the surface to ambush it, grabbing it in its jaws and slamming it to the ground.
** Lunagaron shows its might and agility by completely outmaneuvering and toppling Garangolm in their turf war, and managing to fight even with the similarly strong and agile Zinogre after a brief standoff. [[FearlessFool It will even pick a fight with Malzeno]] by acrobatically flipping over it and using the momentum to slam Malzeno's head into the ground...before Malzeno grabs Lunagaron with its tail, ''hoists it into the air'', and violently hurls it into the dirt.
** Espinas proves itself as an Elder-tier threat by using its bulk to withstand an assault from Kushala Daora, before charging the Elder Dragon and ''tossing it clear over its head''.
** Malzeno vs. Scorned Magnamalo has the two dueling each other like swordsmen, clashing and parrying with their arm/wing blades and at one point performing a BladeLock using their tails - especially impressive for Malzeno, as he has no grounding support in mid-air. The battle ends with Malzeno blasting Scorned Magnamalo with its Dragon beam, only for the Fanged Wyvern to charge right into it and create a massive explosion that sends both monsters reeling.
** Velkhana proves to be a match for (Scorned) Magnamalo by outmaneuvering it with its agility while getting in quick tail stabs, although Magnamalo still makes it work by almost tossing it away the second it gets a hold of its tail. However, just as Velkhana has seemingly immobilized its opponent with an ice prison, the Fanged Wyvern detonates all the Hellfire in its body to create an explosion that frees itself and forces Velkhana back.
** Malzeno vs. Velkhana puts both Elder Dragons' elegance on display as they pit their agility against each other, with Malzeno pressuing Velkhana with its tail while Velkhana keeps Malzeno at bay with its ice breath. This culminates in an aerial dogfight as the two Elders clash, Malzeno's Qurio swarming to destroy all of Velkhana's summoned ice crystals, before they engage in a BeamOWar that forces both of them back.
** Primordial Malzeno has a different turf war with Velkhana, where the Legend Resurrected proves itself as StrongAndSkilled as it puts its pure physical prowess to work against the Iceborne Wyvern, using its signature sword-and-shield wings to simultaneously pressure Velkhana and block its attacks. Velkhana tries for an ice beam, but Malzeno blocks it with its wing and ''powers through it,'' before hitting Velkhana with a ferocious one-two combo that ''launches Velkhana airborne'' before slamming it to the ground in a heap. It's especially notable as most Turf Wars in Rise/Sunbreak tend to be more back-and-forth affairs that end in stalemates, particularly between stronger monsters and Elder Dragons, yet here Primordial Malzeno practically [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomps]] a notably tough Elder without taking any serious harm in return.
* The FinalBoss of ''Rise'''s main story, Narwa the Allmother, pulls out all the stops to be as challenging a foe as physically possible. The first time you face her, [[DiscOneFinalBoss Magnamalo]] shows up to fight Narwa itself. Though [[TheWorfEffect it doesn't stand a chance head-on]], it gets struck and put into a Wyvern Riding state. This allows you to ''directly pit the game's flagship monster against the FinalBoss'', and although Magnamalo leaves when its job is done, it technically ''wins'' with the hunters' help as it can deal massive damage to Narwa and topple her.
** When replaying the quest after defeating Narwa the Allmother for the first time, Magnamalo can also be replaced with Kushala Daora, another flagship monster (of ''Dos''), or Teostra, the initial mascot of ''Frontier'' whose female counterpart was herself the FinalBoss of ''Dos'''s offline story. Veterans may appreciate this chance to wield the powers of the old Elder Dragons against the new for themselves. Plus, when ''Sunbreak'' introduces a Master Rank version of the fight, Malzeno steps in to lend a hand, letting hunters wield the power of the expansion's flagship monster.
* The Fierce Flame of Kamura's journey from a newly-minted greenhorn to a seasoned hunter is as incredible as the other [=PCs=], and the game doesn't understate it. You are more or less one of the few active hunters in the Kamura region and you set milestones such as helping the village defend against the Rampage (a calamity which nearly wiped the village off the map last time it happened), defeat TheDreaded Magnamalo (with help from one of your predecessors who figured out a way to keep it from healing), identify and repel one of the Elder Dragons causing the Rampage, then face down with the other Elder Dragon responsible not once but ''twice'', emerging victorious every time. It's also worth noting that Narwa is said to have previously defeated multiple more experienced hunters sent after her by the Guild, ''before she hit her SuperMode''. So not only did you defeat her twice, but you did what no other hunter could and laid a beatdown for the ages on her in her strongest form, ending the Rampage that plagued your home for generations.
** By ''Sunbreak'', such is your notoriety that you and your relatively small village are ''directly'' commissioned by a ''fully-fledged kingdom'' in order to handle what amounts to an ecological disaster, and not only do you solve it by handily defeating [[TheDreaded the Three Lords]] and [[SatanicArchetype the mythical Archdemon of the Abyss]], you then go on to take the fight to the Qurio by directly tackling even stronger unknown threats, like the afflicted monsters and [[CameBackStrong Risen Elder Dragons]].
** Such is Kamura's faith in you by the end of ''Sunbreak'' that when faced with a possible second Rampage from a newly discovered Ibushi and Narwa, or the discovery of a vengeful and extremely powerful variant of their scourge Magnamalo, they just send you to take care of it with full confidence - after all, you took them out before, and while they're stronger, so are you. Even the appearance of an [[PersonOfMassDestruction Amatsu]] isn't enough to give them pause.
* "Capcom Collab 3". You get to hunt monsters...''as motherfucking'' '''[[Franchise/StreetFighter Akuma]]''', complete with unique animations and voice clips. You can throw Gohadoukens and fight monsters using only your fists and the power of the [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Satsui No Hado]].
* The circumstances of how Kagero arrived in Kamura are one big OffscreenMomentOfAwesome for him. As it turns out, he was the mysterious hunter who brought Yomogi to Kamura when she was young, having been entrusted with her safety by the queen when [[PersonOfMassDestruction Amatsu]] decimated the kingdom. Having fled with his kingdom's princess literally in hand, Kagero fought tooth and nail through an onslaught of monsters, one-handed as he was guarding the infant Yomogi. By the time he arrived in Kamura, he was on the brink of death from wounds and exhaustion, but Yomogi was pretty much ''completely unharmed''.
** He gets another moment when Amatsu reappears. While he is initially filled with rage and runs off to fight the Elder Dragon against Fugen's orders, Yomogi's presence and teary thanks for his service brings him back to this senses, whereupon he proceeds to take a water beam aimed at her. All it did to Kagero was knock off his mask and snap his sword in half; '''that's it'''. He's not visibly damaged, nor did he even ''move'' that much from the force of this monster's attack. Even years later and after a long period of hunting inactivity, he's still got it, to say the least!
* The mere fact that ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunterFrontier Espinas]]'' has made it to the main series in ''Sunbreak''. [[AndThereWasMuchRejoicing The phrase "the floodgates are open" echoed around the world]] upon its reveal.
* Our introduction to Gaismagorm. First everyone observes the Qurio converging upon the tower, before the ground begins to shake like an earthquake is happening, and then - in a feat similar to Shara Isvalda - the ''entire thing'' collapses into a massive crater, from which this beast emerges as if escaping from hell. Then Admiral Galleus fearlessly arrives on the hinted-at new ship, which then reveals it can fire ''projectile Dragonators'' - Gaismagorm bats one aside, but while the second pierces its skin, the beast pulls it out with little more than annoyance. Then Galleus fires the third, much larger Dragonator which ''impales and explodes'' against Gaismagorm, but though harmed, [[MadeOfIron it's still more inconvenienced than anything as it's sent back into the crater!]]
** In the fight proper, Bahari and Galleus will support the hunters with aerial Dragonators from above, which Gaismagorm proves capable of repeatedly surviving. Dragonators have historically been an ace-in-the-hole against even the toughest of monsters, but this Elder Dragon is so durable that it takes ''multiple'' Dragonators just to slow it down.
* During the final battle with Gaismagorm, during the monster's third attempt to climb out of the pit, the knights are unable to send down any more ballistae for the player to shoot it down. To stop the monster from escaping, Fiorayne instead launches herself up into the air with her wirebugs and dives down onto the monster, acting as a sort of [[MemeticMutation human dragonator]], detonating its gathered Qurio energy for ''several thousand damage'' and knocking the [[RedBaron Archdemon of the Abyss]] back down as Sunbreak's rendition of Proof of a Hero starts to play.
--> '''Dame Fiorayne''': "The clouds will part, the stars will shine. Everlasting shadow begone!"
* During the Urgent Quest against Amatsu, Utsushi will temporarily leave partway through the quest...only to come back, having drawn an ''Apex/Thunderlord Zinogre'' into the fray. The Zinogre will then brawl with Amatsu in midair, cementing [[TheRival its rivalry with the Elder Dragon that initially forced the Zinogre out of their habitat]]. Zinogre ultimately loses the fight, but it's left in a mountable state; for the first time in the game, ''[[BeyondTheImpossible you can Wyvern Ride an Apex monster]]'' to bring the hurt directly to Amatsu. And every time you re-fight Amatsu with Utsushi as a Follower, he will bring back Apex Zinogre, so it's not a one-time thing!
** It's worth noting that even after getting slammed into the ground after its midair brawl with Amatsu, the Apex Zinogre is still strong enough to break free from the ironsilk used to bind it, like Apexes usually do. It's only after Amatsu [[KickThemWhileTheyreDown attacks it again while it's still down]] that it's finally weakened enough to ride.
** Looking closely shows that Utsushi is also riding the Zinogre alongside you. The Apex monsters are so damn powerful that it takes ''two'' experienced Wyvern Riders just to temporarily wrangle them, which not even the ''Elder Dragons'' require, including the Risen versions.
** Better yet is that for the duration of that segment, [[BackgroundMusicOverride Zinogre's theme will override that of Amatsu]].
** In subsequent refights without Utsushi, ''Crimson Glow Valstrax'' will show up instead of Apex Zinogre.[[note]]This is likely a homage to a popular fandom myth that Valstrax and Amatsu are rivals over dominance of the sky, based on an old ride from Universal Studios Japan where a Valstrax attacking an airship gets distracted by an Amatsu that it proceeds to engage in combat.[[/note]] There's no cutscene or warning beforehand, just a roar as a familiar red comet appears in the sky before smashing into Amatsu from the stratosphere seconds after, giving you a chance to ride the Star of Despair into battle against the Looming Calamity.
** Regarding the fight itself, Amatsu [[TookALevelInBadass has brought its A-game]], creating shotgun-like vortex tunnel blasts, hurling buzzsaws of thunder-infused wind, and far more compared to the original incarnation. You can truly believe that this Elder Dragon is the Looming Calamity, [[PersonOfMassDestruction capable of destroying entire towns with ease.]]
* Primordial Malzeno, the [[RedBaron Legend Resurrected]]. Rather than a vampiric scourge like the original, the Primordial Malzeno is revered as a mythical, almost divine hero-knight who protects the kingdom, having defeated Gaismagorm and started purging all the Qurio it can find. Fiorayne and the Hunter initially [[PoorCommunicationKills mistake it as the threat and battle it]], during which it treats them to possibly the most brutal battle in the entire expansion as it struggles against both the hunters and the Qurio at the same time. He makes you '''work''' for that victory, being as [[LightningBruiser fast and skilled]] as the other Malzenos (if not moreso), while also being ''stronger'' in his prime; even full Qurious Crafted-endgame sets won't give you much breathing room.
** Then, once they realize otherwise, Fiorayne and the hunter actually ''help save it'' by fighting the Qurio alongside it, marking one of the few times in the mainline games that hunters actually ''teamed up to help an Elder Dragon.'' After the battle, it seemingly reaches an understanding and gazes upon the humans with what can only be described as [[ItCanThink respect and gratitude]], before flying triumphantly into the sunset. Seldom does a monster truly feel like a hero, but Primordial Malzeno makes it happen.
** ''Sunbreak'''s ecology book reveals the vanilla game's Malzeno, presumably in a state identical to Primordial, ''defeated'' Gaismagorm outright. Gaismagorm was not ''sealed'' underground, it ''actively hid'' to nurse its wounds. This marks the first time a game's flagship monster is or was ''superior'' to its final boss, not counting Ruiner Nergigante as an ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld Iceborne]]'' flagship.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Frontier]]
* The true battle with Shantien. The storm dragon attacks hunters high in the sky while they're flying on an airship, and hunters have to use every tool available atop the ship to bring it down, while Shantien gets increasingly furious and unleashes more of its power, shrouding the sky in a torrential thunderstorm. Once Shantien is wounded enough, it'll outright destroy the ship and crash it into a volcanic battleground, where it'll burst into flames and enact a furious LastStand with all of its remaining power, to the point where it'll [[HoistByHisOwnPetard fight so furiously that it outright results in its own demise at the finale,]] all while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2BWO1PZ5f4 one of the most climactic progressions of music in the series]] serves as the backdrop throughout all four phases.
* Killing Laviente. You and your party slay a dragon so large it could encircle the '''ENTIRE ISLAND''' it lives on- ''and still be large enough to hold its head up 100 feet in the air as well.'' Just look at him- he makes Lao-Shan-Lung look absolutely tiny!
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Cf_7540zI Here is a video giving a good idea of just how big this thing is]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Generations]]
* The opening cinematic demonstrates three separate fights among monsters old and new to great effect.
** Tigrex fighting Gammoth. Tigrex is normally an apex predator in the frozen landscape. But jumping onto Gammoth's face, the giant doesn't even shrug before grabbing the Tigrex with its trunk and chucking it aside.
** The Zinogre fighting Mizutsune. It almost looks like a scene from a martial arts film, with the aggressive fanged beast attacking the graceful leviathan on a moonlit cliffside.
** Rathalos vs. Astalos. The king of the skies has another challenger for the title as the fight breaks out just nearby a hunter's balloon.
*** What makes this last one even better is that unlike Mizutsune and Gammoth, who are attacked first and have to defend themselves, Astalos is the one who starts his fight. And he was never forced into defense either. Rathalos was just getting ''destroyed'' by Astalos, just to show off how powerful the latter is.
** The cinematic concludes by revealing the last of The Fated Four, Glavenus. Not only is it strong enough to shrug off hits from the hunter's weapons, it counters their attacks with a weapon of its own, its massive sword-like tail, which can be set on fire! And just when things are looking grim for the hunters, the team's Palico makes a triumphant return with the [[StatusBuff Demon Horn]], giving them the strength to even the odds and fight back.
* The opening of Generations Ultimate shows that the four hunters from the opening of Generations haven't slacked off and actually gained new armor from the Fated Four respectively; and unlike their first attempt at fighting a Glavenus, their hunt against a Barioth goes by ''much'' better.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Stories]]
* The entire premise of the game counts as this. The very monsters you once hunted down? Now they act as your [[HorseOfADifferentColor noble steeds as you ride into battle against other monsters.]]
** The first teaser shows the main player character stealing an egg. He gets attacked by a Tigrex. So, what does he do? He summons a Rathalos to aid in the fight against it.
** More awesomeness arrives in the latest trailer, which shows the various different monsters you can befriend in the game. Imagine not only the aforementioned Rathalos or Tigrex, but other monsters like the Zinogre, Lagiacrus, Nargacuga, and even an Elder Dragon (in this case, the [[ShockAndAwe Kirin]], [[StuffBlowingUp Teostra]] and [[BlowYouAway Kushala]] [[AnIcePerson Daora]]).
* The Kinship Skills. They're essentially the culmination of the bond between Rider and Monstie, being activated by winning head-to-head clashes against enemy monsters. Most resemble enhanced and/or cinematic versions of attacks the monsters already have. Some notable examples:
** Arzuros has Hunter's Claw, where the Arzuros ''and the Rider'' both grab fish in their teeth for no reason other than RuleOfCool, then finishing off with a devastating claw swipe.
** Rathian's Scorching Slice, which is a fireball followed by a spinning disc of [[TechnicolorFire green fire]] that strikes the enemy like a giant sawblade.
** Predator's Needle for Nerscylla, in which it swings on a string of silk before soaring high into the air and coming down to stab the enemy with its stinger.
** Rathalos' Sky-High Dive, involving Rathalos bursting into flames and stooping down to strike the enemy with its talon, which causes a massive pillar of fire to erupt upon impact.
** Nargacuga's Dark Thrash, where it attacks the opponent from all sides at lightning speed before finishing it with a single, brutal slash.
** ''4 Ultimate's'' crowning boy Seregios gets in on the action, firing scales that ''[[BeamSpam turn into lasers and rain down]]'' on the hapless foe, followed by it ramming the opponent claws first at full speed.
** Teostra[[note]][[NoExportForYou Only available in the Japan-exclusive 1.2 patch]][[/note]] charges forward and releases a huge cloud of Blast powder before taking to the skies and [[WaveMotionGun firing a huge beam of flame down onto the field]], igniting the entire cloud into a positively ''titanic'' explosion.
** Velkhana creates a pillar of ice sending her foe high into the air, only for her to yell and call down an '''enormous''' spiked ice-crystal and slam it upon them, framed exactly like [[Franchise/{{Naruto}} Madara Uchiha summoning a meteorite from the sky]].
* Even human-only "Kinship" attacks can get in on the awesome. Reverto's Hunter Art in ''Wings of Ruin''? Dragon Tremor Slash, a fancy name for Reverto using a fully-charged True Charge Slash... ''in mid-air''. After getting a running start, he slams the ground so hard with the first hit as to catapult himself skyward, then delivers the pain by ''bisecting the unfortunate victim with a SwordBeam!''
** Kyle's Hunter Art has him jump from a cliff before nocking five arrows, after which his palico Tsukino throws him bombs which he attaches to his arrows and fires at the monster below, causing the ground to ERUPT in a pillar of fiery death!
[[/folder]]
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-> ''Quest complete! \\
Field Pouch items sent to Item Box.''
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