History ThatOneBoss / MonsterHunter

* Risen Elder Dragons, the rough equivalent of ''World's'' Arch-Tempered monsters, are endgame, massively powered up variants with devastating new moves, more health, and a golden SuperMode that will tremendously jack up their already frightening power unless you can deal enough damage to knock them out of it. Naturally, Elders who were already on this list become even more lethal when Risen, while some others suddenly spike in difficulty. Furthermore, these things will be the primary targets in higher level Anomaly Investigation quests, with all the health and damage boosts that entail, and can appear as ''even stronger'' [[FromBadToWorse Hazard]] versions once you climb far enough, buffing their stats even further and upgrading their moves.

** Risen Teostra. Getting hit by nearly any of its fire or blast attacks can result in a swift cart from it's sheer damage output; between its much wider [=AoE=] moves, delayed explosions to throw you off, and its tremendously increased speed and aggression, you're ''going'' to get hit. Once it's Risen, not only can it start to use its fire and blast attacks simultaneously, all of them will more likely than not saturate everything around them with fiery death, and its supernova will also create a flaming shock wave to throw you off if you thought you could avoid it normally.
** Risen Crimson Glow Valstrax manages to top the already murderous aggression and damage output of the original. It boasts new and upgraded wing attacks with just as much range and utterly relentless frequency, while most of its attacks now leave behind practical minefields of lingering Dragon explosions, blowing up hunters who thought they had avoided the initial blow. Once it enters its Risen state, those explosive attacks from its initial state become even more indiscriminate, it gains a new LimitBreak where it combos a wide-reaching spin with a borderline OneHitKill power stab, and it will instantly use an upgraded "Around the World" that barrages the area with Dragon meteors to pin down Hunters before finishing them off with a crash landing while they're occupied.

* Magnamalo, the [[{{Mascot}} flagship monster]] of ''Rise'', flip-flops depending on when and how you fight it the first time: In the Hub [=LR3=] Quest, it is one of the toughest hunts since it's in an Urgent Quest in order to attain [=HR3=], but it's a fairer hunt at the Urgent [=LR5=] Village Quest. Regardless, it's not listed here for no reason, for it's [[LightningBruiser very agile]] (even more so than its fellow Fanged Wyvern Zinogre, for example it can [[WoundedGazelleGambit fake out a knockdown only to roll back up and attack immediately]]), [[HitboxDissonance hits like a freight train]], can suddenly pull off different combo moves involving its long tail (which comes real fast and has a ridiculous range to boot), and similar to fighting against Brachydios, its Hellfireblight (which is essentially Blastblight that ''cannot'' be negated by maxed Blast Resistance) can ramp up your damage taken upon being hit, but sometimes ''you don't even notice that you got Hellfireblight'' until its too late (since it can inflict this on you through some not-so-obvious attacks).[[note]]Fortunately, Wiredashing to get rid of Hellfireblight will leave behind a stationary flame that can damage and potentially knock down Magnamalo if it runs into it[[/note]] And then its "tail boost" can launch itself to tackle anyone standing almost ''anywhere'' at blinding speed, especially when it's fully enraged (as a FinishingMove) or by launching itself ''and'' its prey in a Turf War ''right upon you'' to potentially cause an instant faint. And as always, when you hunt Magnamalo in HR and MR Quests, ''[[TheGlovesComeOff all bets are off]]''; this fiery and barbaric tigrine Fanged Wyvern's unpredictability, Hellfire attacks, and insane damage output makes it one of the most dangerous apex monsters to hunt in the game. And then ''Sunbreak'' introduces Scorned Magnamalo, a [[HandicappedBadass scarred Elder Dragon-level monster]] who is ''way'' more aggressive and damaging than its regular counterpart, can use its longer arm blades and refined Hellfire for devastating and wide-reaching new attacks, and can enter a ''second'' enraged state at low health that [[FromBadToWorse makes its attacks even more ferocious]] and allows it to inflict Dragonblight. One of the few saving graces is that, unlike the Apex variants or any of the Elder Dragons, you can end this pain in the ass of a hunt early by capturing it.

* Chameleos is [[TookALevelInBadass an even bigger threat]] here than in the previous games: This [[PoisonousPerson poisonous trickster Elder Dragon]] has picked up some of Vaal Hazak's moves, and its poison attacks now inflict the far deadlier Noxious Poison/Venom. In addition, it is also capable of [[ChameleonCamouflage turning invisible]] ''even when not enraged or in the mist'', and breaking its horns and cutting off its tail does NOT stop it from doing so (though Chameleos will turn invisible less frequently if you break either of them, and the camouflage will be [[VisibleInvisibility less effective]] even when it does). That said, its tongue attack can't steal your items, but it ''can'' [[DiscardAndDraw steal your]] [[StatusBuffDispel Spiribird buffs for its own use instead]], and the only way to take them back is to deal enough damage to Chameleos, which is a major problem because it can turn invisible more often. Normally, Chameleos' armor has an ElementalRockPaperScissors mechanic with the other two second generation Elder Dragons: Chameleos beats Kushala Daora, who in turn beats Teostra and vice versa. However, since Chameleos becomes available after reaching [=HR20=] and Teostra is at [=HR40=], you're going to have a ''really'' hard time slaying the former without the Kaiser Armor. And if that wasn't bad enough, its more dangerous ''[[HandicappedBadass Risen]]'' variant from ''Sunbreak'' utilizes several deadly new moves, including its own version of Furious Rajang's pin attack, and is now capable to turning invisible and spamming poison attacks ''at the same time''. Thankfully though, by the time you've unlocked its Quest, the Kaiser X Armor is already available to be forged if you've slain MR Teostra beforehand.

* Crimson Glow Valstrax cranks up the already high difficulty from its original counterpart to insane levels. This high-speed black-and-red avian Elder Dragon is a LightningBruiser whose extendable wings grant it deceptively long range on its melee attacks on top of BeamSpam, all of which will usually take out a fat chunk of health if they connect. Once it's enraged and charged up (which also renders it ''immune'' to all elemental damage instead of vulnerable), a disturbing portion of its attacks will also leave Dragon mines on the ground, leaving very little space for you to maneuver around the blasted thing and making the whole fight an exercise in frustration. Additionally, it upgrades the already strong [[DeathfromAbove "Around the World"]] move from the regular variant, which can now cause major damage capable of causing a OneHitKill unless you time your evasion skills ([[CuttingTheKnot or just hightail it back to the nearest camp with a Farcaster]]). When you see the message "Crimson Glow Valstrax: Ambush" on the right-hand side of the screen, you have about ''five seconds'' to do something before it smashes into you from the stratosphere, more than likely finishing off anyone in the vicinity instantly. And it can do this ''[[DynamicEntry from anywhere on the map]] [[ParanoiaFuel if it so chooses]]''. As a result, this boss fight puts you on constant edge while looking for an opening to attack. And then there's the ''[[FromBadToWorse Risen]]'' variant from ''Sunbreak'', who is far more aggressive and damaging, throws out even more indiscriminate lingering explosions, can use several new wing attacks with long reach, and has an upgraded "Around the World" that barrages the area with Dragon meteors to pin down Hunters before [[OneHitKill finishing them off in one shot]] with a crash landing. Adding salt to the wound, this thing and its Risen variant have [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome what is widely considered]] [[GameBreaker some of the best equipment in the base game and its expansion respectively]], so very few won't decide to face this difficult hunt.

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* Arriving from the ''Frontier'' series, Espinas is [[StoneWall a tough customer to hunt]]. This [[GentleGiant gigantic]] [[SomethingAboutARose and thorny]] Flying Wyvern is usually found sleeping in its own corner of the map, and unlike most monsters, [[LazyBum a single hit is usually not enough to wake it up]]. Once it does, however, it goes ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes absolutely ballistic]]'', and its fire breath attack [[DamageOverTime can inflict Fireblight, Poison, and Paralysis]] ''[[AllYourPowersCombined all at once!]]'' This leaves you wide open to the real kicker of the fight, which are its ''brutal'' physical attacks that can send you packing in a few hits at most. Even if you're either using an Antidobra or a combination of maxed Fire, Poison, and Paralysis Resistance to protect yourself from status ailments, Espinas still proves itself to be a ruthless Elder Dragon-level apex monster by continuously attacking you with its [[HitboxDissonance obscene wide-area damage]] and [[LightningBruiser deceptive speed]]. It gets even worse when it's enraged, where [[GlassCannon it trades its high defense for even more offense]], yet enraging Espinas is pretty much the ''only way'' to make it take reasonable damage. Its ''Flaming'' variant is no less dangerous either, since it's considerably more aggressive and trades the ability to inflict Paralysis for Defense Down, which makes you way more vulnerable to its frequently spammable physical attacks and can potentially lead to an abrupt OneHitKill. Flaming Espinas also brings a near-fatal nuke like Teostra, except it can do it ''twice in a row'' when it's low on health.

* Shagaru Magala was difficult but manageable in ''Sunbreak'', but [[CameBackStrong Risen Shagaru Magala]] takes things to a whole new level. It boasts tremendous speed and aggression far surpassing a normal Shagaru, and will attack relentlessly with massively damaging physical blows and explosions, some of which come out ''extremely'' quickly. It's also fairly evasive, constantly repositioning between attacks and forcing players to go on the offensive, especially if they contract the Frenzy Virus - letting it fully build up is pretty much a death sentence given how hard Shagaru already hits. Once it enrages [[HairTriggerTemper (which happens very easily)]], almost all of its physical attacks will leave explosive aftershocks similar to Risen Valstrax, and its breath attacks become so wide-reaching that they can often cover half of the area in Frenzy blasts in a single go. And [[FromBadToWorse once it enters the Risen state]], everything gets even more ridiculous: it'll string together lethal attacks one after another, its attacks hit harder and in a larger range, and it'll gain access to a LimitBreak with converging Frenzy pillars and mines exploding all over the place (the former of which have a disturbingly high stun chance), culminating in a nuclear explosion that'll send you right back to camp if you're caught in it. Furthermore, the MR 180 quest to defeat Risen Shagaru, unlike the other Risen Elders, takes place in the Forlorn Arena, which means that although you'll be going in with full Spiribird buffs, Shagaru will be attacking relentlessly without any breaks outside of using a Farcaster. Oh, and this is ''before'' you begin encountering it in Anomaly Investigation quests, with all the health and damage boosts that entail, as well as its even stronger Hazard version once you climb far enough.

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different'' moveset with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a '''''[[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute fury that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown, if not walking back from the nearest base camp. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest FinalBoss Elder Dragons to have ever graced the franchise, but is also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it will take ''everything'' you've learned throughout ''Rise'' and ''Sunbreak'' to bring down this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Arriving from the ''Frontier'' series, Espinas is [[StoneWall a tough customer to hunt]]. This [[GentleGiant gigantic]] [[SomethingAboutARose and thorny]] Flying Wyvern is usually found sleeping in its own corner of the map, and unlike most monsters, [[LazyBum a single hit is usually not enough to wake it up]]. Once it does, however, it goes ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes absolutely ballistic]]'', and its fire breath attack [[DamageOverTime can inflict Fireblight, Poison, and Paralysis]] ''[[AllYourPowersCombined all at once!]]'' This leaves you wide open to the real kicker of the fight, which are its ''brutal'' physical attacks that can send you packing in a few hits at most. Even if you're either using an Antidobra or a combination of maxed Fire, Poison, and Paralysis Resistance to protect yourself from status ailments, Espinas still proves itself to be a ruthless Elder Dragon-level apex monster by continuously attacking you with its [[HitboxDissonance obscene wide-area damage]] and [[LightningBruiser deceptive speed]]. It gets even worse when it's enraged, where [[GlassCannon it trades its high defense for even more offense]], yet enraging Espinas is pretty much the ''only way'' to make it take reasonable damage. Its ''Flaming'' variant is no less dangerous either, since it's considerably more aggressive and trades the ability to inflict Paralysis for Defense Down, which makes you way more vulnerable to its frequently spammable physical attacks and can potentially lead to an abrupt OneHitKill. Flaming Espinas also brings a near-fatal nuke like Teostra, expect it can do it ''twice in a row'' when it's low on health.

* Continuing the trend of "TRexpy monsters in ''World'' being [[ThatOneBoss very difficult]]", we have our [[SarcasmMode lovely pal Tigrex]]. Even compared to the other apex monsters, [[LightningBruiser it's frighteningly fast and hits extremely hard to boot]], and all its attacks either hit multiple times or have huge hitboxes that can catch you off-guard even if you've managed to time a dodge properly. Fighting Tigrex in this game makes you feel like you have absolutely no breathing room, which can also make it difficult to find time for healing or sharpening/reloading weapons unless you have maxed Speed Eating and Speed Sharpening. Worse, because most of its attacks are effectively charges that it can change direction in, it can easily chase you from one area to the next, making escaping from it very hard and even more dangerous when taking into account how narrow the paths between areas are. And in case you thought it was a one-off monster exclusive to one area, this extremely ferocious tigrine Flying Wyvern is a pseudo-invader, meaning that it can show up ''[[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere anywhere]]'' besides the Coral Highlands. In short, Tigrex continues to be a threat even when you're ''not'' fighting it, and would've been nearly impossible to be hunted down if it weren't for [[AchillesHeel its stamina issues]]. And then there's the ''Brute'' variant, which is basically Tigrex on ''monster steroids'': Take a Tigrex, then PaintItBlack, make it far more aggressive, [[LightningBruiser more agile,]] and turn its [[MakeMeWannaShout deadly]] MightyRoar into a SpamAttack.

* Apex Arzuros takes a page out of Redhelm's book by being a horrific introduction to stronger variants of monsters, which, in its case, are the Rampage-exclusive Apex monsters. While normal Arzuros is a big fat, doofy bear you can easily slap around without breaking a sweat, the Apex variant lives up to the title of "Bloodlust Incarnate" by being a vicious ursine brute who can finish you off with as few as two attacks with the armor you have, attacks relentlessly with frighteningly short windups on its moves, has an annoyingly high tendency to stun, and has deceptively huge range on its claw swipes and ground pound. And like all Apex monsters, it can [[FlunkyBoss call in other monsters for backup,]] which can lead to you being able to do little more than run for dear life since the mob of monsters constantly gunning for you can make it nearly impossible to use the siege weapons or even attack the monstrous bear. While you do have [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity unlimited attempts]], every faint ''still'' hurts because it gives Apex Arzuros more time to tear down the final gate with its obscene strength. And what really makes it nasty is that it's the monster [[EarlyBirdBoss gating off High Rank quests,]] meaning that you're stuck having to beat it with comparatively weaker gear. Then comes the 2.0 update's Apex Arzuros Hunting Quest and ''Sunbreak'' allowing it to appear in Anomaly Investigations: while there's no gate to defend this time and the other monsters tend to leave you alone, its attacks are as horrifically powerful as ever, its attention will be focused on you for the entire fight, ''and'' you don't have the benefit of infinite attempts or the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Counter Signal]]. BearsAreBadNews, indeed.

* Apex Arzuros takes a page out of Redhelm's book by being a horrific introduction to stronger variants of monsters, which, in its case, are the Rampage-exclusive Apex monsters. While normal Arzuros is a big fat, doofy bear you can easily slap around without breaking a sweat, the Apex variant lives up to the title of "Bloodlust Incarnate" by being a vicious ursine brute who can finish you off with as few as two attacks with the armor you have, attacks relentlessly with an annoyingly high tendency to stun, and has deceptively huge range on its claw swipes and ground pound. And like all Apex monsters, it can [[FlunkyBoss call in other monsters for backup,]] which can lead to you being able to do little more than run for dear life since the mob of monsters constantly gunning for you can make it nearly impossible to use the siege weapons or even attack the monstrous bear. While you do have [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity unlimited attempts]], every faint ''still'' hurts because it gives Apex Arzuros more time to tear down the final gate with its obscene strength. And what really makes it nasty is that it's the monster [[EarlyBirdBoss gating off High Rank quests,]] meaning that you're stuck having to beat it with comparatively weaker gear. Then comes the 2.0 update's Apex Arzuros Hunting Quest and ''Sunbreak'' allowing it to appear in Anomaly Investigations: while there's no gate to defend this time and the other monsters tend to leave you alone, its attacks are as horrifically powerful as ever, its attention will be focused on you for the entire fight, ''and'' you don't have the benefit of infinite attempts or the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Counter Signal]]. BearsAreBadNews, indeed.
* Chameleos is [[TookALevelInBadass an even bigger threat]] here than in the previous games: This [[PoisonousPerson poisonous trickster Elder Dragon]] has picked up some of Vaal Hazak's moves, and its poison attacks can now inflict Noxious Poison. In addition, it is also capable of [[ChameleonCamouflage turning invisible]] ''even when not enraged or in the mist'', and breaking its horns and cutting off its tail does NOT stop it from doing so (though Chameleos would use that move less frequently if you break either of them, and the camouflage would be [[VisibleInvisibility less effective]]). That said, its tongue attack can't steal your items, but it ''can'' [[DiscardAndDraw steal your]] [[StatusBuffDispel Spiribird buffs for its own use instead]], and the only way to take them back is to deal enough damage to Chameleos, which is a major problem because it can turn invisible more often. Normally, Chameleos' armor has an ElementalRockPaperScissors mechanic with the other two second generation Elder Dragons: Chameleos beats Kushala Daora, who in turn beats Teostra and vice versa. However, since Chameleos becomes available after reaching [=HR20=] and Teostra is at [=HR40=], you're going to have a ''really'' hard time slaying the former without the Kaiser Armor. And if that wasn't bad enough, its more dangerous ''[[HandicappedBadass Risen]]'' variant from ''Sunbreak'' utilizes several deadly new moves, including its own version of Furious Rajang's pin attack, and is now capable to turning invisible and spamming poison attacks ''at the same time''. Thankfully though, by the time you've unlocked its Quest, the Kaiser X Armor is already available to be forged if you've slain MR Teostra beforehand.

* Crimson Glow Valstrax cranks up the already heightened difficulty from its original counterpart to insane levels. This high-speed black-and-red avian Elder Dragon is a LightningBruiser that can unleash several BeamSpam moves in addition to far-reaching attacks with its extendable wings, which more than often will take a fat chunk of your health. Once it's enraged and charged up (which also renders it ''immune'' to all elemental damage instead of vulnerable), a disturbing portion of its attacks will leave Dragon mines on the ground, leaving very little space for you to maneuver around the blasted thing and making the whole fight an exercise in frustration. Additionally, it upgrades the already strong [[DeathfromAbove "Around the World"]] move from the regular variant, which can now cause major damage capable of causing a OneHitKill unless you time your evasion skills ([[CuttingTheKnot or just hightail it back to the nearest camp with a Farcaster]]). When you see the message "Crimson Glow Valstrax: Ambush" on the right-hand side of the screen, you have about ''five seconds'' to do something before it smashes into you from the stratosphere, more than likely finishing off anyone in the vicinity instantly. And it can do this ''[[DynamicEntry from anywhere on the map]] [[ParanoiaFuel if it so chooses]]''. As a result, this boss fight puts you on constant edge while looking for an opening to attack. And then there's the ''[[FromBadToWorse Risen]]'' variant from ''Sunbreak'', who is far more aggressive and damaging, throws out even more indiscriminate lingering explosions, can use several new wing attacks with long reach, and has an upgraded "Around the World" that barrages the area with Dragon meteors to pin down Hunters before [[OneHitKill finishing them off in one shot]] with a crash landing. Adding salt to the wound, this thing and its Risen variant have [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome what is widely considered]] [[GameBreaker some of the best equipment in the base game and its expansion respectively]], so very few won't decide to face this difficult hunt.

* Violet Mizutsune can be a nasty surprise for those who were just expecting a souped-up Mizutsune, as while it still has all of the agility of the normal variant, it's far more relentless and ramps up the damage potential immensely. Almost all of its attacks can hit in a deceptively wide area while dealing massive damage, while its explosive fire attacks and lingering pools of flame serve as dangerous area denial. Most damningly of all, instead of the relatively benign bubbles of the original, Violet uses barrages of [[HomingProjectile homing fireballs]] with scarily good tracking and delayed flight, which are spammed to near BulletHell levels and can easily punish what would normally seem like an opening; they're also capable of homing in on players from odd angles, or when ''not even on the screen''. Instead of Bubbleblight, all of its fire attacks will inflict not only Fireblight to deal extra damage, but also Resistance Down to make its fire attacks hit even harder even if you stacked fire resistance. Combined with its mobility, Violet Mizutsune can often zone out and run circles around hunters while stirring up a veritable hellfire storm, and weapons without a way to deal with the homing bubbles may have trouble even getting a hit in edgewise amidst the relentless attacks and constant repositioning. And all of this is ''before'' it enters its flaming SuperMode, upon which its damage and aggression get cranked up even further, and it gains access to a FantasticNuke that not only deals massive damage in a huge area, but ''sucks in hunters as well.'' Fortunately, it does share the normal variant's [[FragileSpeedster susceptibility to being knocked down]], it becomes even more vulnerable to damage in its rage state and can be knocked out of it by hitting its flaming parts, and its LimitBreak [[HoistByHisOwnPetard can be turned against it by knocking it down during the preparation]].

* Magnamalo, the [[{{Mascot}} flagship monster]] of ''Rise'', flip-flops depending on when and how you fight it the first time: In the Hub [=LR3=] Quest, it is one of the toughest hunts since it's in an Urgent Quest in order to attain [=HR3=], but it's a fairer hunt at the Urgent [=LR5=] Village Quest. Regardless, it's not listed here for no reason, for it's [[LightningBruiser very agile]] (even more so than its fellow Fanged Wyvern Zinogre, for example it can [[WoundedGazelleGambit fake out a knockdown only to roll back up and attack immediately]]), [[HitboxDissonance hits like a freight train]], can suddenly pull off different combo moves involving its long tail (which comes real fast and has a ridiculous range to boot), and similar to fighting against Brachydios, its Hellfireblight (which is essentially Blastblight that ''cannot'' be negated by maxed Blast Resistance) can ramp up your damage taken upon being hit, but sometimes ''you don't even notice that you got Hellfireblight'' until its too late (since it can inflict this on you through some not-so-obvious attacks).[[note]]Fortunately, Wiredashing to get rid of Hellfireblight will leave behind a stationary flame that can damage and potentially knock down Magnamalo if it runs into it[[/note]] And then its "tail boost" can launch itself to tackle anyone standing almost ''anywhere'' at blinding speed, especially when it's fully enraged (as a FinishingMove) or by launching itself ''and'' its prey in a Turf War ''right upon you'' to potentially cause an instant faint. And as always, when you hunt Magnamalo in HR and MR Quests, ''[[TheGlovesComeOff all bets are off]]''; this fiery and barbaric tigrine Fanged Wyvern's unpredictability, Hellfire attacks, and insane damage output makes it one of the most dangerous apex monsters to hunt in the game. And then ''Sunbreak'' introduces Scorned Magnamalo, a [[HandicappedBadass scarred Elder Dragon-level monster]] who is ''way'' more aggressive and damaging than its regular counterpart, can use its longer arm blades and refined Hellfire for devastating and wide-reaching new attacks, and can enter a ''second'' enraged state that [[FromBadToWorse makes its attacks even more ferocious]] and allows it to inflict Dragonblight. One of the few saving graces is that, unlike the Apex variants or any of the Elder Dragons, you can end this pain in the ass of a hunt early by capturing it.

* Arriving from the ''Frontier'' series, Espinas is [[StoneWall a tough customer to hunt]]. This [[GentleGiant gigantic]] [[SomethingAboutARose and thorny]] Flying Wyvern is usually found sleeping in its own corner of the map, and unlike most monsters, [[LazyBum a single hit is usually not enough to wake it up]]. Once it does, however, it goes ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes absolutely ballistic]]'', and its fire breath attack [[DamageOverTime can inflict Fireblight, Poison, and Paralysis]] ''[[AllYourPowersCombined all at once!]]'' This leaves you wide open to its brutal physical attacks. Even if you're either using an Antidobra or having a combination of maxed Fire, Poison, and Paralysis Resistance to protect yourself from status ailments, Espinas proves itself to be a ruthless Elder Dragon-level apex monster by continuously attacking you with its [[HitboxDissonance obscene wide-area damage]] and [[LightningBruiser deceptive speed]]. It gets even worse when it's enraged, where [[GlassCannon it trades its high defense for even more offense]], yet enraging Espinas is pretty much the ''only way'' to make it take reasonable damage. Its ''Flaming'' variant is no less dangerous either, since it's considerably more aggressive and trades the ability to inflict Paralysis for Defense Down, which makes you way more vulnerable to its frequently spammable physical attacks and can potentially lead to an abrupt OneHitKill. Flaming Espinas also brings a near-fatal nuke like Teostra, expect it can do it ''twice in a row'' when it's low on health.
* Violet Mizutsune can be a nasty surprise for those who were just expecting a souped-up Mizutsune. The flaming fox Leviathan has all of the agility of a normal Mizutsune, but is far more relentless and ramps up the damage potential immensely. Almost all of its attacks can hit in a deceptively wide area while dealing massive damage, while its explosive fire attacks and lingering pools of flame serve as dangerous area denial. Most damningly of all, instead of the relatively benign bubbles of the original, Violet uses barrages of [[HomingProjectile homing fireballs]] with scarily good tracking and delayed flight, which are spammed to near BulletHell levels and can easily punish what would normally seem like an opening; they're also capable of homing in on players from odd angles, or when ''not even on the screen''. Instead of Bubbleblight, all of its fire attacks will inflict not only Fireblight to deal extra damage, but also Resistance Down to make its fire attacks hit even harder even if you stacked fire resistance. Combined with its mobility, Violet Mizutsune can often zone out and run circles around hunters while stirring up a veritable hellfire storm, and weapons without a way to deal with the homing bubbles may have trouble even getting a hit in edgewise amidst the relentless attacks and constant repositioning. And all of this is ''before'' it enters its flaming SuperMode, upon which its damage and aggression get cranked up even further, and it gains access to a FantasticNuke that not only deals massive damage in a huge area, but ''sucks in hunters as well.'' Fortunately, it does share the normal variant's [[FragileSpeedster susceptibility to being knocked down]], it becomes even more vulnerable to damage in its rage state and can be knocked out of it by hitting its flaming parts, and its LimitBreak [[HoistByHisOwnPetard can be turned against it by knocking it down during the preparation]].

* Violet Mizutsune can be a nasty surprise for those who were just expecting a souped-up Mizutsune. The flaming fox Leviathan has all of the agility of a normal Mizutsune, but is far more relentless and ramps up the damage potential immensely. Almost all of its attacks can hit in a deceptively wide area while dealing massive damage, it can use explosive attacks and lingering pools of flame as area denial. Most damningly of all, instead of the relatively benign bubbles of the original, Violet uses barrages of [[HomingProjectile homing fireballs]] with scarily good tracking and delayed flight, which are spammed to near BulletHell levels and can easily punish what would normally seem like an opening; they're also capable of homing in on players from odd angles, or when ''not even on the screen''. Instead of Bubbleblight, all of its fire attacks will inflict not only Fireblight to deal extra damage, but also Resistance Down to make its fire attacks hit even harder. Combined with its mobility, Violet Mizutsune can often zone out and run circles around hunters while raining hell upon them, and weapons without a way to deal with the homing bubbles may have trouble even getting a hit in edgewise amidst the relentless attacks and constant repositioning. And all of this is ''before'' it enters its flaming SuperMode, upon which its damage and aggression get cranked up even further, and it gains access to a FantasticNuke that sucks in players and vaporizes them in a fiery explosion that'll almost certainly cart them. Fortunately, it does share the normal variant's [[FragileSpeedster susceptibility to being knocked down]], it becomes more vulnerable in its rage state and can be knocked out of it by hitting its flaming parts, and its LimitBreak [[HoistByHisOwnPetard can be turned against it by knocking it down during the preparation]].

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different'' moveset with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a '''''[[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute fury that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest FinalBoss Elder Dragons to have ever graced the franchise, but is also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it will take ''everything'' you've learned throughout ''Rise'' and ''Sunbreak'' to bring down this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Arriving from the ''Frontier'' series, Espinas is [[StoneWall a tough customer to hunt]]. This [[GentleGiant gigantic]] [[SomethingAboutARose and thorny]] Flying Wyvern is usually found sleeping in its own corner of the map, and unlike most monsters, [[LazyBum a single hit is usually not enough to wake it up]]. Once it does, however, it goes ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes absolutely ballistic]]'', and its fire breath attack [[DamageOverTime can inflict Fireblight, Poison, and Paralysis]] ''[[AllYourPowersCombined all at once!]]'' This leaves you wide open to its brutal physical attacks. Even if you're either using an Antidobra or having a combination of maxed Fire, Poison, and Paralysis Resistance to protect yourself from status ailments, Espinas proves itself to be a ruthless Elder Dragon-level apex monster by continuously attacking you with its [[HitboxDissonance obscene wide-area damage]] and [[LightningBruiser deceptive speed]]. It gets even worse when it's enraged, where [[GlassCannon it trades its high defense for even more offense]]; worse still, enraging Espinas is pretty much the only way to make it take reasonable damage. Its ''Flaming'' variant is no less dangerous either, since it's considerably more aggressive and trades the ability to inflict Paralysis for Defense Down, which makes you way more vulnerable to its frequently spammable physical attacks and can potentially lead to an abrupt OneHitKill. Flaming Espinas also brings a near-fatal nuke like Teostra, expect it can do it ''twice in a row'' when it's low on health.

* Bazelgeuse is either this or GoddamnedBoss: This [[DropInNemesis explosive scaled, falcon-winged leonine Party Crasher]] is basically the Flying Wyvern version of the already annoying Uragaan with the strength of an Elder Dragon, [[DamageSpongeBoss Deviljho's durability]], ''and'' [[CombatPragmatist Seregios' combat intellect]]. While [[MightyGlacier its highly damaging physical attacks are very telegraphed and easy to dodge]], what makes Bazelgeuse so dangerous and challenging to hunt is its scales, which can explode upon being struck by an attack (when normal) or on their own (when it TurnsRed). You'll have to be very careful not getting caught in its exploding scales, especially if you're equipped with melee weapons. And if that wasn't bad enough, there's a [=HR9=] Hunting Quest where you'll have to hunt two ''Tempered'' Bazelgueses and finishing it is ''absolutely necessary'' to rank up from [=HR29=]. Fortunately though, the difficulty in completing that Quest would be a cakewalk if you're smart enough to [[EasyLevelTrick trick them into attacking each other]]. Its ''Rise'' incarnation on the other hand, is [[TookALevelInBadass far more difficult to be hunted down]], since it's a lot faster while flying, its carpet bombing attack has a much wider range, its explosive scales can stick through walls, and when you hunt its Master Rank version in ''Sunbreak'', it's now capable to performing a double tail slam and a LimitBreak similar to its Seething variant.

* Velkhana, the [[{{Mascot}} flagship monster]] of ''Iceborne'', may look stunningly beautiful at first glance but at the same time, it's an ''incredibly irritating'' Elder Dragon with a sharp tail that's difficult to consistently predict (even if you cut it off, [[DismembermentIsCheap since it would quickly build a replacement anyway]]), lots of [=AOE=] attacks, and worst of all, [[ThatOneAttack a commonly]] [[SpamAttack spammable]] BreathWeapon that not only covers a lot of area, [[ArmorPiercingAttack but can ONLY be blocked with Guard Up]]. All of this wouldn't be all that bad if not for the fact that [[LightningBruiser it's quite agile as well]]. An even worse variation is the one fought in [[ThatOneLevel the beta version]]: Instead of 20-35 minutes like the other quests or extended time, you only had ''15 minutes'' to actually slay it. The greatest enemy was not Velkhana but the timer itself, as most Hunters failed the quest due to running out of time instead of fainting. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0CE2deo_vE This short animation accurately describes the whole thing.]] That being said, its [[CripplingOverspecialization overreliance on its tail stab and ice attacks]] would leave its head wide open for free hits or toppling with a Flinch Shot. Its ''Sunbreak'' incarnation is [[TookALevelInBadass far more dangerous]], mainly due to its ice attacks slowing down your Wirebug Gauge cooldowns instead of doubling your stamina consumption, utilizing several moves previously used by its Arch-Tempered version, and gaining a ''second'' FinishingMove. Hope you're not letting your guard down against that Velkhana because [[RemovedAchillesHeel the Clutch Claw is not available for that game]] and you're in for one ''helluva'' hunt.

* As the FinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'''s Kamura Story, Amatsu is on [[TookALevelInBadass a completely different level]] than in ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Generations'', and could be as difficult as Alatreon or the Risen Elder Dragons if you're not careful. For starters, the boss fight against this storm-elemental Elder Dragon in white has ''three'' phases instead of just two, is a [[HitboxDissonance heavy hitter]] with a lot of [=AoE=] attacks (many of which inflict Waterblight), and gains [[ShockAndAwe a wide array of powerful Thunder attacks]] in its second phase. To make things even worse, Amatsu has not just one or two, but ''four'' very painful {{Limit Break}}s, such as its own version of Kushala Daora's giant hurricane and tornado rings, [[ThatOneAttack Alatreon's Escaton Judgement]] (which is thankfully not as fatal), and Eo Garudia's wind tunnel attack. And needless to say, all of them have can deal near-fatal damage unless you use Wirebugs to evade them. The only saving grace here is similar to the boss fight against Narwa the Allmother, cannons and binders are still available (although the latter will be deflected if Amatsu isn't in the middle of an attack), and you'll recieve aid from either Apex Zinogre (if Utsushi is present as your follower) or Crimson Glow Valstrax (if not) for [[BigDamnHeroes a free one-time Wyvern Riding]]. That said, Amatsu is ''still'' not to be underestimated despite the much needed tools and assistance you have, even if it's not as insanely powerful as Fatalis.
* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a '''''[[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest FinalBoss Elder Dragons to have ever graced in the entire franchise (and its difficulty is on par with the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), but is also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it would take ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to bring down this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a '''''[[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest FinalBoss Elder Dragons to have ever graced in the entire franchise (and its difficulty is on par with the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), but is also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it would take ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to slay this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a '''''[[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest Elder Dragons (and on the same level as the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), but also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it would take ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to slay this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep ''directly above the target'' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only one of the strongest Elder Dragons (and on the same level as the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), is also worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and it would take ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to slay this [[EmpoweredBadassNormal mythical guardian knight]].

* Primordial Malzeno, the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep ''directly above the target'' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], but is also one of the strongest Elder Dragons (and on the same level as the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), and it would take ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to slay this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* Primordial Malzeno the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a regular Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] [[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep ''directly above the target'' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is not only worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], but is also one of the strongest Elder Dragons (and on the same level as the ''Dangerous First-Class Monsters'' to boot), and you'll need ''everything'' you've learned throughout the ENTIRE game and its expansion to slay this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, will start to [[ConfusionFu mix up its combo strings to throw you off]], and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] '''[[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during its longest combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] '''[[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during the combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering how overwhelming its raw power and speed during its offensive are, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like a "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as a "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams moves much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] '''[[LimitBreak preceded by a]] FlashStep directly above the target''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]It can also lock on to one particular hunter during the combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chain of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering its raw power and speed during its offensive are so overwhelming, half of these will be spent just trying to recover from the beatdown. As a result, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] '''[[LimitBreak preceeded by a]] FlashStep''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]it can also aim firmly on one particular hunter during the combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chains of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering its raw power and speed during its offensive are so overwhelming, it is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts ''a vastly different moveset'' with many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded like "sword and shield", have just as much reach as Valstrax and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks (such as "shield bash" followed by a "lance thrust" from its tail). Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams much faster together with wider-reaching and new Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a [[LimitBreak Qurio bombardment and Supernova]] '''[[LimitBreak preceeded by a FlashStep]]''' if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping''[[note]]it can also aim firmly on one particular hunter during the combo chain[[/note]], instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. It does have some obvious openings after each large chains of attacks due to [[FightingFromTheInside resisting the Qurio infection]], but considering its raw power and speed during its offensive are so overwhelming, it is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded as blades similar to Valstrax, have just as much reach and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks. Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which its FlashStep is upgraded to the point of TeleportSpam, it spams much faster and wider-reaching Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a LimitBreak supernova if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping'', instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this mythical [[EmpoweredBadassNormal guardian knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded as blades similar to Valstrax, have just as much reach and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks. Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which it'll start to use TeleportSpam surpassing even that of a normal Malzeno (to the point of teleporting multiple times in the middle of attack chains), spams much faster and wider-reaching Qurio attacks to keep you on edge, and can unleash a LimitBreak supernova if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it'll go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggression to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleportation ''without stopping'', instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this epic [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Guardian Knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded as blades similar to Valstrax, have just as much reach and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks. Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which it'll start to use TeleportSpam surpassing even that of a normal Malzeno (to the point of regularly teleporting in the middle of attack chains), spams more Qurio attacks with wide radii to keep you on edge, and can unleash a LimitBreak supernova if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggession to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleports ''without stopping'', instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this epic [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Guardian Knight]].

* As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of '''Sunbreak''', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be in its prime before its bond with the Qurio. It has agility and strength surpassing a normal Malzeno, who was already a significant LightningBruiser, and boasts many powerful physical attacks that hit much harder and can combo three to four times in a row, leaving little room to recover and dealing massive damage to even players with high defense. In particular, its wings, which are now wielded as blades similar to Valstrax, have just as much reach and can be used in various ways, catching players off guard as it can combine these with its tail and claw attacks. Once the Qurio start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of power through a similar Bloodening mode and then the further Bloodrage mode, upon which it'll start to use TeleportSpam surpassing even that of a normal Malzeno (to the point of regularly teleporting in the middle of attack chains), spams more Qurio attacks with wide radii to keep you on edge, and can unleash a LimitBreak supernova if not knocked out of the state fast enough. Finally, [[TurnsRed once it's low]], it go even further beyond with its [[SuperMode Bloodlust state]], which is a ''permanent'' state of absolute rage that causes Malzeno's aggession to skyrocket, and lets it endlessly chain powerful attacks and teleports ''without stopping'', instantly overwhelming players unless they've brought their absolute best. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragons to ever be introduced and worthy of the title of [[RedBaron "Legend Resurrected"]], and will require everything you know to defeat this epic [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Guardian Knight]].

** As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of '''Sunbreak''', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be before its bond with the Qurio. It has much physical attacks that will hit much harder and more brutal. Plus attacking three to four times in a roll, almost leaving no room to recover. Similar to Scorned Magnamalo, it has deal massive damage even to players with highest armor defense. Once the Quiro start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of powers through a similar Bloodening mode and then the Bloodrage Mode. It spams more beam attacks with larges distance to keep you on edge. Finally, it go even further beyond with [SuperMode The Bloodlust]], allowing to teleport spam several times to catch players off guard before delivering brutal strikes. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragon to ever be introduced and requires everything you know to defeat this epic [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Guardian Knight]]. It is almost on Fatalis levels strong.

** As the real final monster and TrueFinalBoss of '''Sunbreak''', Primordial Malzeno shows how truly dangerous a Malzeno can be before its bond with the Qurio. It has much physical attacks that will hit much harder and more brutal. Plus attacking three to four times in a roll, almost leaving no room to recover. Similar to Scorned Magnamalo, it has deal massive damage even to players with highest armor defense. Once the Quiro start infecting Primordial Malzeno, it reaches insane levels of powers through a similar Bloodening mode. It spams more beam attacks with larges distance to keep you on edge. Finally, it go even further beyond with [SuperMode The Bloodlust]], allowing to teleport spam several times to catch players off guard before delivering brutal strikes. Because of this, Primordial Malzeno is one of the most difficult FinalBoss Elder Dragon to ever be introduced and requires everything you know to defeat this epic [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Guardian Knight]].

* As the final monster and TrueFinalBoss of ''Sunbreak'', Amatsu is on [[TookALevelInBadass a completely different level]] than in ''Portable 3rd'' and ''Generations'', and could be as difficult as Alatreon or the Risen Elder Dragons if you're not careful. For starters, the boss fight against this storm-elemental Elder Dragon in white has ''three'' phases instead of just two, is a [[HitboxDissonance heavy hitter]] with a lot of [=AoE=] attacks (many of which inflict Waterblight), and gains [[ShockAndAwe a wide array of powerful Thunder attacks]] in its second phase. To make things even worse, Amatsu has not just one or two, but ''four'' very painful {{Limit Break}}s, such as its own version of Kushala Daora's giant hurricane and tornado rings, [[ThatOneAttack Alatreon's Escaton Judgement]] (which is thankfully not as fatal), and Eo Garudia's wind tunnel attack. And needless to say, all of them have can deal near-fatal damage unless you use Wirebugs to evade them. The only saving grace here is similar to the boss fight against Narwa the Allmother, cannons and binders are still available (although the latter will be deflected if Amatsu isn't in the middle of an attack), and you'll recieve aid from either Apex Zinogre (if Utsushi is present as your follower) or Crimson Glow Valstrax (if not) for [[BigDamnHeroes a free one-time Wyvern Riding]]. That said, Amatsu is ''still'' not to be underestimated despite the much needed tools and assistance you have, even if it's not as insanely powerful as Fatalis.

* Crimson Glow Valstrax cranks up the already heightened difficulty from its original counterpart to insane levels. This high-speed black-and-red avian Elder Dragon is a LightningBruiser that can unleash several BeamSpam moves in addition to far-reaching attacks with its extendable wings, which more than often will take a fat chunk of your health. Once it's charged up (which also renders it ''immune'' to all elemental damage instead of vulnerable), a disturbing portion of its attacks will leave Dragon mines on the ground, leaving very little space for you to maneuver around the blasted thing and making the whole fight an exercise in frustration. Additionally, it upgrades the already strong [[DeathfromAbove "Around the World"]] move from the regular variant, which can now cause major damage capable of causing a OneHitKill unless you time your evasion skills ([[CuttingTheKnot or just hightail it back to the nearest camp with a Farcaster]]). When you see the message "Crimson Glow Valstrax: Ambush" on the right-hand side of the screen, you have about ''five seconds'' to do something before it smashes into you from the stratosphere, more than likely finishing off anyone in the vicinity instantly. And it can do this ''[[DynamicEntry from anywhere on the map]] [[ParanoiaFuel if it so chooses]]''. As a result, this boss fight puts you on constant edge while looking for an opening to attack. And then there's the ''[[FromBadToWorse Risen]]'' variant from ''Sunbreak'', who is far more aggressive and damaging, throws out even more indiscriminate lingering explosions, can use several new wing attacks with long reach, and has an upgraded "Around the World" that barrages the area with Dragon meteors to pin down Hunters before [[OneHitKill finishing them off in one shot]] with a crash landing. Adding salt to the wound, this thing and its Risen variant have [[ComplacentGamingSyndrome what is widely considered]] [[GameBreaker some of the best equipment in the base game and its expansion respectively]], so very few won't decide to face this difficult hunt.

* Apex Arzuros takes a page out of Redhelm's book by being a horrific introduction to stronger variants of monsters, which, in its case, are the Rampage-exclusive Apex monsters. While normal Arzuros is a big fat, doofy bear you can easily slap around without breaking a sweat, the Apex variant lives up to its title of "Bloodlust Incarnate" by being a vicious ursine brute who can finish you off with as few as two attacks with the armor you have, attacks relentlessly with an annoyingly high tendency to stun, and has deceptively huge range on its claw swipes and ground pound. And like all Apex monsters, it can [[FlunkyBoss call in other monsters for backup,]] which can lead to you being able to do little more than run for dear life since the mob of monsters constantly gunning for you can make it nearly impossible to use the siege weapons or even attack the monstrous bear. While you do have [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity unlimited attempts]], every faint ''still'' hurts because it gives Apex Arzuros more time to tear down the final gate with its obscene strength. And what really makes it nasty is that it's the monster [[EarlyBirdBoss gating off High Rank quests,]] meaning that you're stuck having to beat it with comparatively weaker gear. Then comes the 2.0 update's Apex Arzuros Hunting Quest and ''Sunbreak'' allowing it to appear in Anomaly Investigations: while there's no gate to defend this time and the other monsters tend to leave you alone, its attacks are as horrifically powerful as ever, its attention will be focused on you for the entire fight, ''and'' you don't have the benefit of infinite attempts or the [[EleventhHourSuperpower Counter Signal]]. BearsAreBadNews, indeed.