Elder dragon ecology : Kushala Daora in Monster Hunter
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2021
- In the first elder dragon video, we take a look at the Shadow upon the Tempest, the Steel Dragon itself. How much of the elder's ability can be explained, and how much is sheer fiction?
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Only you could find a way to take the concept of “Steel-plated tornado breathing dragon” and actually make it sound semi-plausible. I really look forward to seeing how you tackle the more “out-there” elders like Alatreon or Valstrax at some point. Great Vid as always!
Thank you as ever!
If I ever get to black dragons they'll be a hell of a challenge.
@@unnaturalhistorychannel The only thing I think could compare to a black dragon in real life is if we somehow came across a healthy t-rex in the middle of nowhere.
@@DeltaOdyssey or just flat out meeting a dragon in real life. I mean, they are treated as mythical beasts in the MH universe. where seeing Rathalos in the wild is like seeing lions/tigers, seeing a Black Dragon is like seeing an ACTUAL dragon from the legend of our cultures
@@icedlemon2940 this exactly, I think there's probably some explanation as to why they can do what they can do but they're presented in such a way to seem mythical and supernatrual, especially the fatalis trio
@@Bethynaee Doesn't fatalis basically just breathe a really strong and hot fire?
And be generally very durable? As well as having the habit of assimilating things onto its skin... I mean these things are ominous but they aren't very unexplained in real world considering things like assassin bugs or decorator crabs
Oh I LOVE the theory of Dragon Element being a overcharged immune response. Something unique to each individual, and voracious enough to act even in another organisms body. I think it being expelled from the body could be a similar mechanism to dissolved fats and hormones leaving the body through regular breathing, but on a way higher scale.
I think you represented Kushala very well! And I agree that most elders can stand to be knocked down a peg. Anything short of a black dragon or the truly titanic sized dragons seem to fit more naturally into eco systems with a strong but not absolute grip on top
The notion of it being exhaled would fit nicely with savage jho and ebony odo, who seem to constantly be expelled it from the mouth. And thank you as ever!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel of course! I hope you keep doing these videos, they're always so fun to listen to and discuss afterwards!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel but one thing I wonder is why is yain kut ku immune to dragon a theory I've heard is that dragon hurts the mind and/or damages its body dragon energy also just seems un refined in many monsters but the idea with yain kut ku is because to was to stupid to get affected by it I'm not sure about it but it's funny
My personal theory for dragonblight is that it’s actually a physical, fantastical form of ionizing radiation. Mainly in the case of Deviljho, it explains why it keeps the animal so voracious, because it’s own body is constantly falling apart unless it introduces other tissues, as well as why Jho, Ebony odo, and other creatures like Stygian Zinogre are so much stronger than they should be, as their naturally forming radiation weakens pretty much anything around them. Granted, I don’t know how a creature would survive with such potent radiation constantly raging inside themselves, but it would explain the almost fearful reverence the MH world seems to have for it. I also think this is supported by how it effects elder dragons, as they’re naturally immune to other more natural elements but can’t resist something that breaks them down at a cellular level. It also explains why starter monsters, such as Jagras, Jaggi, and Yian Kutku tend to be resistant to it, as they spend more time closer to civilization where radiation levels might be higher, so they grow more used to it and able to resist it.
I personally prefer the common theory of it being the naturally occurring state of the "bioenergy" every npc constantly harps over in world. Explaining why the heaviest eaters are the ones with dragon element variants and why more powerful dragons are weak to it etc.
I eagerly await your attempt at explaining how Valstrax became a fighter jet.
That one will take a while...
@@unnaturalhistorychannel While we wait, I shall hit the subscribe button
Same
Easy, redbull
Valstrax power by vaccine
And here I was content with the explanation that "Dragons are beyond science, they just _do_ stuff, man."
That's at least partially true!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel
Yep.
Despite everything, Elder Dragons usually have abilities we can only theorize about. We still don't know how exactly Teostra converts minerals into food or how Kushala here commands the wind. Even more so with higher tier Elder Dragons, especially Black Dragons like Alatreon.
@@RyoIsamuGaming Its actually quite realistic for the setting that MH's scientists still have limits and theories in their world are proven and disproven as time goes on
im mixed with the elder's being taken down a peg, on the one hand i can see why given the growing amount of "regular elders" making kinda hard to believe that so many species of these animals can alter the environment at will (both in terms of the range they affect and the severity) making the mh world quite a hell whole to live in, but also with the general theme with world were elder's are just animals that play there own part in the ecosystem (hell after you beat fatalis in world the seeker mentions how he doesn't think fatalis will be the destroyer of humanity) , on the other hand elder's are also meant to be the more fantastical part of the series so by there very nature they need to be bonker's and weird and having some normal monsters be on par with them does not necessarily down grade them per say but more so speaks to how life can adapt and even over come them similar to that of the hunter's.
This is true, but I feel MH can still have bonkers, weird and powerful elders whilst still making them feel like natural parts of an ecosystem or powerful nomads.
@@unnaturalhistorychannel I still struggle to understand what purpose a walking volcanic Island Elder introduced in World would serve.
I think Elder Dragons should at least stay very mighty, as they're traditionally used as the scale to show how strong and dangerous some monsters are; like Abyssal Lagiacrus, Black Diablos, and the metal Raths who were all said to be Elder Dragon level in some regard
I really like how in Rise Magnamalo gets his ass handed to him by Teostra and Kushala. It shows how even lower Elders aren't to be taken lightly
I kind of want MH to introduce monsters you can't fight. Like they're so engraved in the ecosystem, even if only to the area, that killing them, driving them off or damaging them in some way could throw everything out of wack. Heck could even make a plot where an Elder Dragon is dying or hurting so the ecosystem is going crazy so the hunters have to step in to keep it in balance. Eliminate threats, thin populations and drive off creatures to keep everything in order long enough for either the Elder Dragon to recover or if it's dying another takes it's place. Would be an interesting idea and concept to see a powerful creature that you DON'T fight and is naturally peaceful.
@@fist-of-doom487 It could be a burrowing animal that integrates itself into volcanic environments, maybe during hibernation. Maybe it's even sort of like Vaal Hazak in the sense that it's passive presence forms biomes for sufficiently adapted ecology. The volcanic eruptions could be a sort of fire element blowhole. This is just conjecture based on the underground Zorah skeleton in Rise's volcano. It's worth keeping in mind that the average Zorah likely doesn't behave like the one in World normally, which was being influenced by the elder crossing.
2:28 this is why I love these videos, not only do they give explanations/theories for Monster behaviors in the MH series based on what we see in nature but I learn stuff about modern animals I hadn’t researched much before.
Thank you! Trying to spread as much real world knowledge as I can too!
I did not expect bee "the laws of aviation™" wings to be what you'd bring up to explain the wind
I love this actually
I absolutely love the concept of Elder Dragons being extinction surviving extremophile organisms, each one an enduring relic of long dead evolutionary lineages. In a biosphere as extreme as Monster Hunter's, it makes a little more sense that some of the creatures that make it through extinction events do so not by being smaller and more adaptable, but by being so powerful in their own right that they can meet such hostile conditions head on and eventually bend them to their will. Where Kushala and Teostra may have adapted to extreme heat and noxious gases, I imagine that creatures such as Chameleos, Shagaru Magala, and Val Hazak may have sprung from localized extinction events caused by toxic or virulent biohazards, some perhaps escaping the worst of conditions in subterranean environs (which could explain how Gore Magala adapted to use frenzy spores to sense its surroundings without vision). Velkhana is likely the product of a deadly glacial event, and one can imagine Valstrax escaping many a disaster thanks to its adaptations for high atmospheric flight.
This is all, of course, very much hyperbolic speculation, as you mentioned. And in my case, I don't have a biology degree to back any of it up, just an over-active imagination. It's a pretty metal concept though, don't you think?
Something that I noticed as you were talking about non elder dragos which utilize dragon element and that there is most likely a organ which produces it inside the wyverns bodies (excluding stygian). I looked at the renders and some of the gameplay of E.odogaron and the jhos and it sticked out to me that for both monsterswhere the most prominent place of dragon energy was at the end of the neck (Jhos bloated red spots and Ebonys glowing red cracks) which could mean that the organ could be located there which is coincidental that two very different species evolved an organ near the same area for the same purpose, but i am also not a biologist so this could all be wrong its just a thing that went through my head while watching this video . Great vid btw, everytime I watch one of your vids I learn something new. Keep up the good work !
Thank you!
And yeah, I believe it may well be in the neck too. Depending on when such energy weapons arose in the assorted wyvern families, it could be an adapted version of a flame or bile sac or something similar.
I am basing this on the energetic behaviors in combat exhibited by Savage Jho and Ebony: could the organ be something akin to an adrenal gland that would make a Sayan or Kryptonian envious?
The cause of the dragon element being an immune system response makes some sense with Ebony Odogaron and Savage Deviljho. Being red around the necks could be caused by swollen/enflamed lymph nodes, which basically means both Savage Deviljho and Ebony Odogaron are sick (makes more sense with Savage Deviljho and less for Ebony Odogaron, in my opinion).
Ebony I'm not sure about but in Jho's case I'm pretty sure it comes from something he ate. That said, while non-elders that use the element are clearly special, they are not special in the way you probably think. In Japanese it's "ryu element," elder dragons are "old ryu" and the word wyvern is "ryu." Localisation team for MH1 decided to make the distinction between "wyverns" and "REAL dragons" even though wyverns are real dragons, and this translation error has caused further translation problems (and "mistranslations" like dragon exploit in Rise) ever since.
@@unnaturalhistorychannel In the games there are those elemental and ailment(al) sac organs, so something for dragon wouldn't be that bonkers.
I had always wondered why kushala was weak to poison and why the status would stop its black wind and between your explanation of its chest vents and the explanation of legiana’s weakness to poison being its numerous openings for its frost glands being susceptible to infection, it makes sense that poisoning it would weaken its respiration. Speaking of kushala’s black wind, i wonder if that has to do with the dragon element immune system theory, maybe also related to adrenaline, since it usually only activate when its enraged.
Personally I've arrived to the idea that Dragon element is a strictly MH concept and functions upon the existence of bio-energy.
This theory/comment is a WIP
Dragon element very commonly depends upon a form of catalyst.
Ebony Odogaron doesn't just shoot the element out of it's mouth like a railgun, for it to use the Dragon projectile it actually plunges the Dragon energy into meat it has already eaten.
This Dragon element catalyst idea crops up continuously.
When Emerald Congalala eats a draconic mushroom the natural gas it produces takes the form of that catalyst which is exactly why the draconic animation directly mirrors that of the Congalala's usual breath attack.
We see this happen with the entire Deviljho species as well. Deviljho has a carvable item which is discribed as smelling particularly foul. (I'M SORRY I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE DROP :( )
I believe that the method of which the Deviljho breaths Dragon element is highly similar to the method a Congalala would which is why there Dragon breath attacks are so similar.
When Nakarkos fire beams of Dragon from it's tentacles the animation directly mirrors that of the mucus beam except for the crackling of the Dragon element and the splashing of the mucus.
The catalyst theory also explains why this is the only time we see such clean concentrated beams as a pose to more the gaseous and dispersing Dragon beams of the Deviljho and Emerald Congala.
The mucus is maybe just a more useful and more direct method for catalysing the Dragon element.
Nakarkos species has probably been using the Dragon element much longer than most other species, hints the clear mental stability it has when compared to the Ebony Odo or the Deviljho despite still clearly retaining those ravenous behaviours other monsters would have.
The species mind has had time to adjust to the clear pressures of both producing and utilising this element and has even formed a less-self destructive lifestyle whilst still fulfilling the resource requirements it's needs.
The only instance i am aware of that doesn't require a clear catalyst for the Dragon element is the Jiiva line.
Although the direct hit from a beam of bio-energy doesn't have the player gain Dragon blight...
I'm working on this comment from around that final paragraph, any feedback would be appreciated.
PS( Anyone remember the name of that bad smelling Deviljho drop? I'll edit it in or something later)
I think it was jho's scalp that was said to give off a horrendous stench when removed? I think all of him must smell quite bad though.
Kushala has some visible dragon element attacks in Rise I'm unsure have a catalyst, unless the contact with the ground counts? But it's a very interesting concept.
Akantor is fought at Ingle Isle, and I believe the gathering point can give you Dragonfell berries, as another example of eating things.
I'd day the Jiva line doesn't actually use dragon element, but a form of pure concentrated bio-energy.
I mainly think this due to how the color is blue instead of red and how both Safi and xeno seem to be evolved to take the energy directly from any source with their claws/fingers(?).
Or perhaps it's just super-dragon element.
@@venepskeuten9206 in the cracks Xeno’jiiva produces in the ground, you can see red dragon lightning along with blue glow of bioenergy. It’s something separate.
Depending on what you may hear or see in lore, but Savage Jho's catalyst could be itself, with the dragon energy catalyzing it's own body in its hunger state, using its own body to keep it running long enough to get a meal or deal with a pesky hunter. ( all theory I've kinda thrown together with what little I know 🤣)
I’d love to see more elder dragon videos in the future. They’re certainly much more fantastical than many other monsters, and would make great subjects for such rich speculation and analysis of ecology versus in-universe mythology.
More elders likely to come at somepoint!
I'm interested in how you'd interpret the first class dangerous monsters, the Black Dragons, since they're revered and feared as the gods of gods in MH.
I'd also be interested to see what I'd do with black dragons if I get round to them!
@@gamecavalier3230 Some creatures have extreme regenerative properties for damage to certain part of the body. I think the Nergigante just has this type of regeneration to an extreme degree. It might be due to “bioenergy” to fuel this regenerative property. Also might explain why it’s such a ravenous predator that often seek other Elders or sources of bioenergy to feed. Just a theory.
@@gamecavalier3230 Yeah, I noticed the Safi’jiiva is able to suck the energy right out of the land to the most extreme degree I’ve ever seen. I wonder if it’s possible that due to Elder Dragons possessing incredible amounts of bioenergy, it puts the Elders’ natural abilities into overdrive. It’s the only thing I can think of to explain what can fuel these abilities beyond normal limits due to laws of conversion. Let’s face it, they can manipulate forces beyond the normal scope of a creature and need something to achieve said manipulation. Hence energy. Potent energy.
@@gamecavalier3230 Want to know the real answer? Magic.
@@acgearsandarms1343 IIRC the real JP lore is that Nergigante has only recently acquired a taste for other elders because of the Crossing, but like the other Elders it was drawn there by jiiva and ishvalda, because its role in the ecosystem is to seek and destroy extreme threats (eg threats from beyond the planetary ecosystem). You may be right in that it ordinarily doesn't have such powerful regeneration and gained that ability from eating its brethren or something, though. It's also the only Elder in the Crossing that is not near the end of its life cycle, suggesting most younger elders (lol) have some kind of resistance to the beckoning call but Nergigante doesn't even try to resist it but actively seeks out whatever is causing it.
I know there's a subset of the fanbase that really want to contextualise Elders as "just powerful animals" like the rest of the monsters, with logical explanations for the way they're perceived as godlike beings, but it is really blatantly clear that there is one thing they all have in common (all of them possess some form of literal magic, ie powers that break the "ordinary" laws of physics even within the setting and instead obey their own separate set of laws) and two things that each apply to MOST Elders (they are far more intelligent than most lesser dragons, sometimes matching or exceeding human intelligence, and they exist as representations or mediators of natural forces and disasters and have large-scale positive impacts on ecosystems, which unfortunately makes most of them incidentally destructive to urbanised human habitats).
They may even be commentary on how we view natural disasters (and how shallow most people's consideration of nature is). They represent things like wildfires, hurricanes and even plagues, yet the elders representing each of those things are lowkey supposed to be _good for the environment_ (and by extension good for humans, who rely on the environment; that's a core theme of Monster Hunter which is easy to overlook when you're looking through the "man is the real monster" lens, but the Guild's emblem represents the cycle of man taking from nature, managing nature and giving back to nature), but are hunted (often just repelled) because they threaten human settlements. Fires burn houses, hurricanes topple houses, and because we are long-lived, highly social animals that live in enormous tribes and possess deep and unique intellect we tend to view every human life as sacred, so even if it only wipes out, say, just over 1% of those infected , we treat a highly virulent disease as a calamity. But Wildfires allow new growth in forests and keep the shade from killing the undergrowth (better to wipe out everything above the surface and to let it regrow than to let the undergrowth die completely which in turn leads to the permanent death of the entire forest), hurricanes provide large amounts of rainfall and spread seeds which are at the base of the terrestrial food chain, and even plagues serve an important ecological purpose, serving as one form of self-mitigating population (they cannot spread in a population that is too sparse, so they help prevent overpredation (including plant predation) if a particular species becomes too successful- This is also why the advent of penicillin use coincides with the first time in _millennia_ that the global human population significantly grew, which has now led to a population crisis). Hence they're very scary, but monsters like Teostra, Kushala and Shagaru are actually good, maybe even INTEGRAL, for the fictional environment of Monster Hunter, because they control and cause these "disasters" that are necessary for the life cycles of many organisms.
With that said, Nergigante's disaster is _extinction,_ yet it is clearly framed as another "good elder dragon" in the story and not an "evil elder dragon" like Fatalis, suggesting its role is to wipe out invasive species or organisms (like those "evil elder dragons") that have a strictly net negative impact on the environment. It also displays a sense of intellect and interspecies camaraderie, as even the Ruiner you fought with and defeated shortly before saves the hunter from Shara Ishvalda's final surprise attack and lands the killing blow, acknowledges the hunter is there, and flies off leaving the "prey" with the hunter, showing it understands some concept of respect or deference (which is unlikely to be a manifestation of pack dynamics, ie because you defeated it it views you as its leader, as Nergigante appear to be solitary animals).
I’d love to see how you’ll do so on the Brachydios and Raging Brachydios, how their symbiotic relationship with the blast slime works and if there is perhaps some form of real world counterpart. Are babies born with it? Do they have to learn and adapt to it? The importance of the dreaded ‘Immortal Reactor’
Brachydios is one of the frequent requests, I'll get to him some day likely but he'll be quite a tricky one!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel I look forward to it!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel on that note you may find some useful speculation on oceaniz’s thought on the brachy
A bit late, but whatever
Is seen in Monster Hunter Stories that baby Brachidios are NOT born with it and that they gain it as they grow, or if they have it is not in big enought samples to be seen at plain sight
@@lishark843 I don’t remember where it was stated, but baby brachydios follow their parents or any nearby adult Brachydios to get some of their slime as it drips off.
I always thought of the black vapor produced during dragon attacks as more of a conductive material rather than a byproduct. My personal theory is that non-offensive dragon energy serves as a sort of secondary metabolic resource, allowing them the energy needed to power their more ludicrous capabilities without draining their main metabolic reserves. That could explain why dragon damage can shut down elder powers, it tricks the body into thinking its overproducing this volatile compound, so it temporarily slows those metabolic processes in order to protect itself.
Well this was amazing … Elder Dragon are some of the monster i’m not very fan of to analize … besides their design that are great, I always struggle to find explanations to their powers … but you were able to find some explanation, or hypothesis, even for the dragon element …
You have my complete respect
Thank you so much! They're still quite tricky but I hope to do more in future too.
The biology of elders seems to be the easier aspect to speculate as they are undoubtedly tied by their number of limbs and generally reptilian features (mammalian features are easily adapted into by reptiles based on our world's evolution).
Animals are known to adopt several traits that work very well in an environment or lifestyle, even if it already belongs to another group of animals, though in case of elders who are long lived, very powerful but few in number, Its more likely THEY are the pioneers of the world's adaptations, with things like the weaponized use of elements, physical advantages and flight capabilities.
Like how birds and mammals obtained flight but before them insects and reptiles already conquered it at least once before being out competed as dominant animal or suddenly going extinct.
I ADORE this channel, it's everything I wanted from a MH ecology channel and more.
If I could make a suggestion, I'd love a video about the herbivores of MH like Aptonoth or Larinoth - they might not be as exciting as something like elders but I don't think they get much attention outside of being punching bags and I'm incredibly intestested to see how they survive in such a hostile world.
Keep it up, this channel is amazing!
Thank you! The herbivores are actually one of the most requested topics, something I'll have to do at somepoint it seems!
Dragon Element being an immune response actually makes a lot of sense. Dragonbone specifically, of the Elder Dragon Bone and Dragonbone Relic/Artefact variety, make up a large part of the dragon element weapons, even ones that aren't from a specific Elder. Moreover, dragonblight works by both disabling elemental attacks and removing affinity, essentially crippling the attacking power of whatever threat it's facing. That's probably how Elderseal works, blighting the Elder Dragon's in turn to shut down their special abilities.
I think the affinity part was only in Tri.
@@EnraiChannel In the mainline series, yes. In Stories 2, the different elemental blights are changed to status ailments. Dragonblight becomes Critical Down, which reduces your critical hit rate.
This is an amazing first Elder Dragon video. I actually love the idea of Dragon Element starting at a part of the immune system. Also, if your idea of Elder Dragons being as old in Monster Hunter as Sharks are to our world, that makes me question if Elder Dragons are in the same group of animals as other wyverns if they really are reptiles of something even older. Are Elder Dragons even tetrapods?
Also, I really hope that was a Barroth sound I heard, I love that thing.
Barroth was indeed one of the sounds you heard! ;)
And yeah, my own theory is elders are effectively a Class of their own. Tetrapods likely but incredibly derived ones.
A friend of mine (Vet Sci) introduced me to this channel and I'm so glad for it. As someone who loves the more zoological aspects of monster hunter, it's interesting to hear a real zoologist discuss and theorize. You really need more views and subs
Thank you! Already on a lot more than I ever thought I’d get!
Loved the video, great breakdown of Kushala and dragon element. I'd have liked if had mentioned the idea that Kushala uses electromagnetism, through its horns, to control the wind aura but I also realise that is very fantasy and has no real world analogues that I know of anyway so I realise it probably would have fallen to "Yeah this isn't really possible".
I personally think that dragon energy is connected to bioenergy in some way, perhaps as you said with it being a type of substance unique to the monster hunter universe. I believe it could be produced by bacteria that live in the ground which becomes bioenergy, acting as a sort of fertiliser in this less concentrated state. Dragnfell berries are able to use dragon energy they absorb through their roots and build it in high concentrations, giving them a natural defence mechanism against herbivory from wyverns and other creatures, but dracophage bugs can eat them due to neopterans being immune to dragon normally, thus allowng them to incorporate it into their own defence systems without any negative consequences (yes I wrote this out on discord too).
Elder dragons simply produce it in their bone marrow as you said in high concentrations which allow it to act as an immune response. I also think elder dragon blood is the connecting factor for all elder dragons personally, but things like Kirin are so different to most elders that it may just be convergent.
Love the video overall though! Really excited for the next one. Speaking of Kirin, I am looking forward to when/if you ever get around to him and Oroshi (mostly cause I want to hear you try and explain how it summons bolt of lightning or columns of ice)
Thank you!
That's a nice idea on the dragon bacteria angle, especially of it being sequestered in the soil like nitrogen. Also goes well with a lot of the endgame dragons who seem to suck it from the ground .
Wasnt expecting an video on an Elder Dragon this soon. But you did a really good job at explaining what can work in a realistic way and what is added magical flavour. And Kushala was the perfect monster to show that with. I always loved his simplistic design,his ray like wings,and his little crown and ears and the metal plating is a great combo. And his wind manipulation while still has a few "magical" parts to it makes him overall one of the more easly explainable Elders along with Teo,Lunna and a few others. I found his base World fight okay but in Iceborne his....Something.But I think his fight in Rise is better,and I love the violin bit in his theme there.
And I wont lie I really like the "Elder Dragons are the survivours of an Sibirian Traps event" hypothesis,its intresting from a story prespective.
As for Dragon Element I like to see it as what "magic" is in the MH world. Its an energy that is witnin the Everstream and thus within every living thing in the world of MH in small amounts. Its what lets creatures break size limits,allows organs that can stote,or creat elements to be be able to evolve to the extents they do and other stuff. How ever it can form in higher consitrations in plants like the dragonfell berry can be deadly and any herbivour that eats them the dragon energy enters the body and has the effects you talked about in the video,which end up killing the animal. And if something else consumes it the same thing happens tho its more potent. Kinda like how mercury becomes more harmfule the higher it goes in the food chain.
However some animals like the dracophage bug are able to use and store the enrgy with the cost of having a highten metabolism. This in turn effects Stygian Zinogre who provides nutrition for them with the animals it kills. Ebony and Jho have organs that can produce dragon element but as you explained it can be damaging for Savage Jho for example due to how high his metabolism is.
Elders themselves seem to both to be able to be both imune to dragon element but also week to it. It might be a similar situation with our stomach acid,where the acid inside the body isnt hurting us but acid of similar quality making contact with out skin will damage it. And then we come to the Jiiva's, who are a very intresting and special case.
Dragon energy apears as a black cloud with red glow in its wild untamed stage. We see this in the dragon attacks of monsters or when we pop a dragonfell berry. Yet they have evolved to be able to absorb dragon energy and purify it. With Xeno turning it into beams of blue flame and Safi into concentrated white blue beams.
So yeah thats my theory on dragon element. Kinda went with a mix of realism and fantasy for it since thats what the wolrd of MH seems to be doing.
But yeah great video and looking forward to seen your take on other Elders. Some are okay,Black Dragons are crazzy and all 3 Serpents are a bit...unique lets say.
Thank you as ever!
I always reasoned the everstream to be either a certain type of magma or molten mineral, but either way it feels quite open to interpretation. The dragon-mecury comparison is also a very nice one, and also very relevant to the elder-shark comparison too.
Ever since discovering your channel I cannot get enough, I always anticipate every new video that comes out and share them with my friends.
Your interpretation of the dragon element is such an interesting take and really shows your dedication to quality.
I only hope that more people find your channel and give you the viewership you deserve.
Thank you so much!
I love your ecology videos!! They're so Interesting to listen to, you make every critter you've covered seem real.
Thank you! And more to come too!
These types of videos/discussions are what I've been wanting to see ever since I got into the franchise. Can't wait to see more content from you
Thank you! More coming!
Dude, I've been binge watching your videos and I love it. It's amazing to see how the moster hunter frenchise tries to create a somewhat realistic ecosystem with monsters that have abilities and looks that fit.
I personally would love to see a video about Val Hazak, considering it's a very unique elder dragon.
This was very interesting as food for thought, really makes you look at Elders in the newer games in a whole different light. Kushala was probably my first favorite Elder Dragon by design alone, I only got the chance to hunt one in 4U, and I loved it. Once I got to Rusted though, that passion was even larger, I always found them amazing and after hunting them I'm always eager to do so. I have yet to meet them in the new world, hopefully I'll have the chance in a near future
I've always been a big fan of animals and how they live and adapt to their environments. I'm also a big fan of monsters and am a dedicated fan of the MH series. As such, these videos have been the highlight of my days, and just watching how you attempt to scientifically explain how the monsters of MH work is very fascinating. Your other vidoes are fantastic as well (the skull island one in particular was very interesting). Already subbed to your channel and I'm eager to see more of what you have in store.
Thank you so much, and glad you're enjoying!
>Expect a tenuously strung together explanation for kushala's wind control
>Get an entire breakdown of the ecology of elder dragons, hypothesis behind the elder crossing and potential origins and functions of the dragon element at large
Impressive.
I've been loving all of your videos attempting to explain the creatures of this franchise! As much as I tend to have qualms with Kushala's fight (I've never cared much for how the wind aura works, and I wish flying monsters in general used that flight to close distances more than create them as Kushala loves to do), I adore the creature's design and lore. Oh, and one bit I'd like to add about why Kushala might evolve those air vents and "aura": I'd imagine they make a nice bit of support when it flies, especially given that having literal iron in its skin has to be pretty heavy.
Splendid work as always! I especially like the quick talk about dragon element, a part of me still sees it as this nasty bacteria which is a offset of the elder dragon life style but on the other hand there could be two variations of it- for elders and non elders
Like savage deviljho producing so much could be a quantity vs quality, he could be making a lot more while someone like our steely boi kushala has less but is far more condensed and such-
Thank you! I'm undecided on what I really think about dragon element, so really I welcome any headcanons!
I don’t comment a lot, but I religiously watch every upload. They’re all fantastic. I love the more logical views and references to actual studies on animals. Amazing content, keep up the amazing work. I’d love to see you do something on chamelous sometime!
Actually the volcanism idea is interesting. It could definitely explain why elder dragons are so few and far between but also extremely derived. Maybe they are the last remaining lineage of the first terrestrial radiation of vertebrate life on the Monster Hunter planet, which consisted of hexapods, and this was either followed by or coincided with the evolution of tetrapod forms. I imagine most hexapods went extinct during this era of extreme volcanism after diversifying and dominating most or all terrestrial niches, and those that did survive survived by undergoing extreme adaptations. The niches available would allow basal tetrapods (I imagine them being amphibian, or piscine wyvern like) to take over after the extinction in place of all other hexapod forms and diversify into the forms we see in Monster Hunter today. Kinda like the radiation of archosaurs after most synapsids went extinct at the end of the Permian, but even more drastic. And I wouldnt surprised if the elder dragons then persisted in conditions reminiscent of this volcanic planet, and such habitats became fewer and far between as the planet became more stable. I think a side effect of this may be Elder Dragons favouring K selection, due to how sparse and territorial the species became. So, few offspring raised over years, maybe decades, explaining their rarity. But they still persist due to their extreme adaptations and versatile anatomy, but are still limited in population by where and how they breed, as well as competition with tetrapods and even other elders.
Now we have the Qurio virus and the only monsters so far that aren't affected by it or evolved to have a symbiosis with the Qurio and the virus are Malzeno, Gaismagorm and now Risen Chameleos.
Other elders will probably follow soon.
So the dragon element may really be just a more offensively evolved part of their immune system (atleast for elders that use the Dragon Element as a type of weapon like Kushala or Alatreon).
Elder Dragons are not just really hardy and difficult to take down, but they are often known to cheat death and survive almost impossible situations.
The ruiner Nergigante played dead while also surviving being buried by Shara Ishvalda. The Dragon Element also may have something to do with Nergigantes regeneration abilities.
Black Dragons are often said to be immortal. Folklore, armor descriptions and theories suggest that Fatalis can regenerate from just a single scale.
Nergigante is also theorised to be able to reproduce by certain spikes that are left behind. (Tbh this is really a wild theory).
Loving this series, maybe try tackle namielle, I feel like that could be an elder explainable ecologically.
Wow I just finished your Kong Skull Island video and now this, Great!!
I’m sure it’ll be interesting...
Also I was wondering are you planning on doing a video dedicated to the reptilian land beast herbivores? Like Aptonoth, Apceros, Slagtoth and Rhenoplos, it’s sure interesting how they manage to survive in a world where everything eats them
Thank you!
The herbivores have indeed been requested before, and may someday get a video. A lot of interest in them it seems!
I like the idea that Kushala has more in common with bugs than a dragon.
creates vortexes like a Bee in order to fly with its tremendous weight.
the gas exchange thing you stated
Has an exoskeleton
When it gets too big, (or begins to rust) it molts it's skin.
And it wouldn't surprise me if Kushala didn't have some ability to increase or lower it's internal body temperature (maybe using dragon element?) in order to use it's wings to generate conflicting temperature air currents that when mixed with the local air currents/pressures, generates the conditions which create tornados.
Fun fact: There are actual animals with proper metallic body parts. I’m fairly certain bloodworms have copper teeth.
Great video, I look forward to a video of Teostra and Lunastra. This vid gave me a lot more respect for Kushy.
I'm only new to the MH series do fear that Elder Dragons may end up suffering from what I call 'the Lengendary Problem'. This is where, like in Pokemon, the requirment of a new Legendary for each subsequent release saturates there numbers to the point that they are no longer rare or special.
I imagine Elder Dragon is a wastebasket taxon; something used to lump together various unrelated species that are difficult to phylogenetically classify with a few traits in common (in this case six limbs and unusual elemental abilities).
Perhaps it is because I am new to the franchise but personally I like the idea of the Elder Dragons not being invincible and can be matched by wyverns, after all no animal is perfect. I especially like the implication of this tying with your theory that some Elder Dragons are relict species from another time; that like in your Deviljho video that they don't really fit into the modern world and they are only avoiding extinction due to their extraordinary adaptations. I can imagine this could backfire on them in the future though, because if evolution has taught us is that specialization leaves a species vulnerable to extinction and once these adaptations start to give diminishing returns they can very easily turn into hinderances. Using Kushala Daora as an example, there are only so many finite mineral deposits in the world that it will have access to, so eventually the exoskeleton-like dermis could likely fail and leave it vulnerable. Fewer and fewer offspring will be able to survive to maturity all the while their weakening armor with each generation being more unlikely to form properly to the point that it could start to hurt them.
As for Dragon Energy... I got nothing. There isn't a biological process I can possibly think of that is a better explanation to what you give, at least at the moment. I would just chalk it up to "magic" and try to move on, especially since based on what I know from other franchises pure "dragon" energy usually refers to arcane energy.
I mean I'd be willing to sit back and listen to you explain as best you can *any* of the elder dragons. I am patient enough to wait for them as I do realise there is an almost unholy amount of research and speculation that has to go into this kind of investigation.
i am so glad this channel exists
I’m excited for a chameleos episode as he is one of my favorite elder dragons. Now that he’s in rise, you can see he primarily eats insects and just seeing an elder dragon eat is just a nice little touch in making him feel more real. His invisibility would be hard to explain though but there was a car that could go somewhat invisible with LED and cameras I think. I know that’s not how an animal would do it but my best guess would be that he has pigment cells like an octopus and his organs and scales lack pigment making him see through. However he can expand his pigment cells making his scales have a natural purple color and his relaxed cell state is to have these pigment cells being expanded. But there is the whole electric current theory that was given in the lore so I don’t know.
Cuttlefish would be a good parallel for his abilities...more on that whenever he gets an episode! ;)
@@unnaturalhistorychannel I heard somewhere that it actually doesn’t go invisible-rather, it has more natural camouflage (like cuttlefish or chameleons) and its mist is actually toxic in a way that affects our Hunter’s perception.
I believe that in its cutscene in 4u it seems to make the weather change, from dark to bright to dark again.
Also, I love how you include chameleos in the opening pics, when it doesn't really rule over its habitats. It's one of the least confrontational elders besides kirin and Lao shan lung.
the dragon element can also be found in the berry's that the dracphaligic bugs that the stygin zinoger has so its also just an element that appears in plants generally found in volcanic areas
I’m commenting this early into the video, but I’ve always figured that the reason Kushala follows storms is to assist in molting. It’s scales are akin to metal, and even oxidize in a similar way when close to molting. So one might assume that Kushala follows these storms to assist in molting, and the reason we see them more often in recent games is we’ve had better ability to pick up on their movements as MH technology has moved forward, so we find them before they can enter the more rusted stage of their molt. No idea if it makes any real sense, but it’s what i’ve almost always thought about Kushala
Awesome! I really loved a lot of the ideas proposed here and found them to be pretty plausible.
The only thing I would disagree with is that I believe Dragon Element is less energy and more of a chemical that elder dragons pump into their blood. But other than that, I would actually agree with everything else you said about dragon and elders.
It’s also my personal belief that “elder dragon” as a class is paraphyletic, with animals like Kirin or Dalamadur. I do however believe there is a difference between elders and elder dragon level monsters. How exactly ones like Kirin or Dala produce dragon, I don’t know
Thank you! And yeah, dragon element I should stress I'm not entirely sure on, this was merely suggestion and speculation.
Elders are also very definitely paraphyletic, no way in hell is a horse related to a floating cephalopod.
@@unnaturalhistorychannel Are we entirely sure Yama Tsukami isn't just a very derived form of reptile like other elder dragons?
It has teeth! That thing is no octopus.
Kushala gets too much hate. I too love his world theme!
Could you possibly do a video on Gore Magala and Shagaru Magala and mayby some what mention Chaotic Gore aswell?
Not really too much hate, his fight sucks ass in every game, I haven't played rise tho
@@z1u512 oh youll be pleasently suprised then. In rise hes wind aura has been changed where it doesent stagger you anymore and he doesent fly much anymore.
Kushala Got much better in rise though.
I actually kind of like the fight in world, and it's enjoyable in large areas. I guess I just like waiting for half a decade for him to land
Hi I just recently found your channel and I’m enjoying your videos. I even watched your videos on creatures from the movies. I wonder if you could be able to make a video based on something related to the Monsterverse. Also I look forward to seeing my first wall get a video soon.
Thank you! I do plan to do something on the Monsterverse at somepoint, we shall see how it turns out.
WAIT THE "PLANES ARE JUST GIANT BEES JOKE" IN BEE MOVIE MADE SENSE
I'm thinking Radobaan and Uragaan based on the roar which I believe is Radobaan. This video was done well in explaining and drawing parallels from both worlds. Although at first I think kushala's weakness to poison would be a problem in the potential volcanic past, being how its breathing would push toxins through it's body and damage his ability to use wind and harm it as shown in game. But other then that one bit that I questioned I enjoyed it and can't wait for the next.
Thank you! More to come!
Youve reached 10.2k subcriber conguratgulations!
1K ;), but thanks regardless!
Kush horns being feeler fits it also explains so much while in freedom its winds die down if those feelers are broken it not impossible to come to the conclusion it generates air from its diaphram but not seeing to well it lessens its currents not knowing it could injure the open pockets
Kushala is definitely one of my personal favorite elder dragons. Especially when I first encountered it in MHFU. I found using poisons to interrupt its natural processes of creating wing currents around itself to be such a clever design choice. It was especially noticable in the fourth gen when it would make a black colored wind around itself when enraged.
I do have to wonder though, with so many monsters in this series hunting for ores and minerals. Do the volcanoes of the monster hunter world have a near renewable supply of these minerals to sustain so many species?
Interesting point, the supply may great to enough to last for millenia but it's hard to say what effects monster digestion and such has on it re: chemical composition and such. If it's a cycle or if it's finite. Interesting to think about!
This was a really fun video, I never made the association that elders were merely associated with the weather rather than creating it, and that kind of toning down is something I greatly appreciate and helps me like them more as a whole. Kush is one I've never enjoyed fighting and always found it a bit bland but the explanations given for its wind abilities actually help me like it more as well. A lot of people already gave good thoughts on Dragon element, but I'd be curious what your interpretation of elder dragon taxonomy would be. Where do you feel they split off in the great family tree and what do you think are their closest non-elder dragon relatives that we see in-game? And of course, some like Nakarkos and Kirin are definitely just other creatures but have strength at the same level as elders, which just makes the whole classification system redundant. How is something like Akantor and Ukanlos not considered as being at the same level as Chameleos or Kirin?
I also would like for elder dragons to be toned back, to this day Tri U is my favorite when it comes to the monster roster, and I find the overabundance of elders in the end game makes that point of the game feel a bit boring when so many of the monsters you fight have similar builds. On that note, I would love to see your interpretation of something like Namielle.
Thank you as ever!
Re: elder taxonomy, I think it's quite a mess. I don't feel elder dragon is a taxonomically meaningful term and some are related but a great many are just lumped there for their power. I feel most of the possibly related ones like Teo, Nerg and Kush are probably their own very distant branch of tetrapods.
@@unnaturalhistorychannel I should have specified that I specifically referred to the 6-limbed elders, I do fully agree that a numbe of them, including obvious ones like Kirin and Nakarkos, and less obvious ones like Dalamadur and Jhen Mohran, are not related to them. But even among the 6-limbed ones I'm curious exactly where they branch off. The BEST common link I can find among known taxa is the Lavasioth/Jyuratodus line, since they have a pair of back fins that are about where the wings in these true dragons are located, and being evolved forms of these piscene wyverns, or at least sister to them, would be interesting given a number of elders with fish-like adaptations.
On that note, do you feel piscenes are true wyverns or another group of fish that developed terrestrial adaptations, or is it also a mixed assemblage of true reptiles and these fish-descendants?
I'm excited for when you do Zinogre. My fave monster after Rathalos.
Dude, you are having WAY TOO MUCH FUN!
Very good video. It's important to emphasis the chimeric nature of Monster Hunter's Elder Dragons and you certainly nailed that part. They've got mammal bits, squamate bits, insect bits, and even teleost bits.
As for future Elder Dragon focused videos, stick to the more conservative Elder Dragons, such as Chameleos, Ceadeus, and Nergi-kun. It would be unfortunate to write yourself into a corner in attempting to describe the more fantastical monsters like Kirin and especially Alatreon, only to end up handwaving 90% of their behaviors as "magic."
Thank you! And yeah, agreed. The black dragons do get some requests, but really what are you supposed to do with Alatreon and Fatalis...
Kirin seems semi possible… barely, but still. Their horn may release particles that attract lighting and they may have an outer coating of scales with traces of metallic minerals in them to conduct electricity and harden their skin whilst not taking damage. It’s far fetched but at least it’s stone thing
I would love to see the video on Zorah Magdaros to see how a giant tortoise with a volcano on it's back works so I can add one to the TTRPG I'm working on.
Super interesting take, awesome work :D
Thank you!
congrats on almost getting to 1.k subs
I hope you can get bigger over time
edit: yay big boi barroth is up next
Cheers! Save the congrats for if I get over 1K! ;)
@@unnaturalhistorychannel
congrats
This gives me hope for a Fatalis video in the future
One of the key definitions for elder dragons at one point in time was their ability to produce a barrier of some kind. All of them were able to produce the barrier for a while atleast but not necessarily in a constant way. That said many of the barriers are not easily seen. For example kirin has a barrier that can shock the character if they get too close and then fatalis and many other elders are basically super damage sponges. The last example of a barrier is lunastra and teostra both of them produce a heat barrier that can slowly drain the life of the character mostly because of overheating. The cool drinks are a good example of how that can be reduced by the player.
Daora was the first elder dragon I ever fought back in the day. I love how natural and believable the designers make the monsters.
Canonically, elder dragon is a classification given to monsters that are difficult to classify and have dramatic capacity to impact their surroundings. They're effectively Apex monsters with less recorded data. Traps are said to not work on them because capture and containment requires some level of understanding that the guild does not yet have of them. Almost any theory to their origin and full classification is viable because they are definitionally not yet properly classified.
i have started to watch all of you ecology wideos and a special JP wideo and to much of a suprise i like this whole theories of a guy who loves monster hunter or even Creatures on special monsters you cover with using real live animals, other theories and official behind the sceenes of the monster hunter (i was ment to make a comment on the JP wideo, but then i thought again about it and decided to scrap it, it was all about my thoughts of JW as a whole and the whole feathered things going on, which with that video you made clearly opened my mind on how this movie was and it was kinda confusal ). great video anyway and i am interested to see the hinted video.
Thank you, glad you're on board for more!
@@unnaturalhistorychannel no problem
Holy crap, i'm so glad i found this channel. Never have i subscribed so fast. I'm excited to see how you'll analyze the black dragons considering those were designed to be as illogical and unrealistic as possible.
I like to imagine Dragon Energy as some sort of mutation that can happen to very powerful monsters. Like some type of phenomenon or something. Similar to an adrenaline boost and only very powerful monsters like Elder Dragons can access it easier and even be able to use it at will, or non elders who are also still incredibly powerful, being able to have some form of it. Like the Deviljho. In Monster Hunter Rise, the Magnamalo is basically the strongest non elder monster. To the point where it can even be used to take on Allmother Narwa and has turf wars where it dominates monsters like even Kushala.
In Sunbreak, there’s a deviant of the Magnamalo called The Scorned Magnamalo. It’s of course much stronger than the regular one and can use it’s hellfire ability better. (it’s actually trapped bodily gas) and it can even use Dragon Energy in it’s second phase.
So, what i think is that Dragon Energy is some kind of Biological Phenomenon/mutation that only very powerful monsters can achieve, through things like after surviving a fight to the death. The Elder Dragons having some sort of cellular makeup that’s able to activate Dragon Energy at will and the Non Elders like Deviljho and Magnamalo having a similar form of cellular makeup to activate it to some degree.
Ayo Congrats on 1K!!!
Thank you! Truly in the big leagues now!
I loved the video. keep up the good work
Thank you, more to come!
The only problem I have with its design is the presence of six limbs in a game series that typically adheres to a biosphere of predominantly quadrupedal organisms, but I also understand saying that is by extension taking such issue with many other monsters of the series.
I always thought that Kushala is able to manipulate air currents using magnetism and metal dust, due to the black wind it used to have in older games and it's aparent similarity to Rukodiora. The chasing of storms could be in order for the metal skin to slowly rust and break into usable dust.
And about the molting, a friend of mine pointed out that the Kushala seems to pick high up cold areas to molt in order to cause the metal to contract around it due to the temperature, as well as maybe causing the soft hide underneat to cool and harden faster.
I was just thinking about the Jiiva monsters because of this video. They are, with the Iceborne Ecology Book, one of the most well understood Elder Dragon species with almost their entire life history being relatively known as well as how they function. However, despite this, I feel like they would be one of the hardest Elder Dragons to find a real world analog to.
Been rewatching the whole playlist and got to here, and while I somehow doubt it since EDs as a classification are mostly meant to be the setting's undefinable mystery, I would love if MH6 or future World-esque titles had an Elder Dragon whose ecology was as highly developed as other monster's, even if it has to take a hit in "power level" to do so. I also like to imagine it being a "missing link" that would allow the researchers of the MH world to further understand some of its less explainable Elders powers, but this might be even less feasible.
On the whole I also want more rightfully powerful herbivores, with turf wars or similar mechanics that show off that power correctly. Something big and strong enough to be effectively unbeaten in physical clashes. My silliest desire is that it also has an explosively powerful roar not unlike Tigrex and that their turf war involves the herbi roaring in Tigrex's face for the final blow.
I'd also like to see the elders taken down a peg, including the black dragons. And I have grown to like Kushala, and I'd love to see a reimagining of Rusted as a grounded, heavy, armoured Kushala with scarcer but much heavier wind blasts, and get proper busted-up gear with pits and missing plates from it, play into the armour's flavour text of the stalwart, everlasting knight, and the abilities of the armour in 4U, Peak Performance, Evade Extender, and Constitution: If the armour is busted, less weight, so you can move easier, and feel more integrated into the combat, but any damage you receive would carry a much greater distraction.
Agreed, one thing I didn't add is I have the same thoughts and would also like Rusted re-imagined as a more ground based fight too. Using its wings as shields and weapons, and even shedding chunks of armour to fling at you.
Love the idea of the elders being literal relics of another ancient age.
I would like to see a video on Fatalis as some of its behavior seems to indicate or at least emulate a degree of sapience.
dragon element I feel is in some sense pure energy without being modulated into other forms such as water lightning or otherwise while it also acts as a nullifier do to it overwhelming other states as what is stronger than the purest state of matter. This may also be why the cost for creating it is so high as it dissipates into the surroundings as everything around it can modulate it( it could also explain why monsters like safijiva, xenojiva, and valstrax need some form of high energy source or gimmick to use it more constantly)
That thing with dragon element being a immune system booster makes some sense since it can be found in insects and fruits in lore
I imagine Kushala uses its spiracles to help it breathe, when it breathes in, air is pushed out of the spiracles, and when exhaling, air is drawn in, Kushala could use this as a secondary respitory system to give it more energy to fly so much
One thing I think regarding Kushala's wind producing abilities is that it could be what allows it to fly in storms in the first place. In that it allows it to effectively push against strong winds with it's own wind and prevent it from being swept away by the hurricanes it flies in. I don't know how the physics of this would actually work and if it could actually do this. But it could effectively allow a Kushala to fly in conditions no other animal can.
I'm pretty sure Kushala, at least in the 2nd through 4th generations, does have the ability to greatly influence the weather, if only in its immediate vicinity. A storm of some kind would be blowing in whatever sector of the map it was on, and as soon as it departed for another sector, the weather would IMMEDIATELY return to what it was before.
Also, it turns out that Chameleos is at least partially an insectivore! In Rise, you can sometimes see it stop at particular spots on a given map, turn around and slam its fan-like tail against the ground several times in a deliberate manner. This causes some insects (smaller than the Bnahabras) to start flying around, likely in a panic. Then - like the chameleon it is modeled after - Chameleos lashes out with its tongue to grab the bugs mid-flight and chow down on them before resuming its patrol...and it will leave a shiny to boot!
Regarding dragon element: I imagine it is intended, much like the dragons themselves, to be somewhat mysterious and inexplicable. However, the best explanation I've heard for it is that it's a poison (or more accurately, a venom) that targets the mind. This explains how creatures can use it whilst still not being immune to it (see: examples of real-world venomous animals dying from their own venom). Additionally, it would explain dragon's anti-elemental properties - rather than actually negating all the elements, it instead prevents the creature from using their doubtlessly complex elemental abilities by reducing brain function. This would also explain which monsters it effects most: elders, the Raths, and other similarly intelligent animals.
This still doesn't directly explain its effect on hunters though, or the red/purple lightning it's associated with.
I hope you do a video on nakarkos at some point. As someone who began the series with gen u, it's one of my favorite elders.
Also, nakarkos has a shell, uses mimicry, and blasts enemies with mucus. These are all traits employed by prey animals, implying that Nakarkos is hunted by larger monsters, which is a bit scary to think about.
They are. Adult Ceadeus are the primary predators of Nakarkos. Conversely, Nakarkos are the primary predators of young Ceadeus.
While I do think the extraordinary immune compound is a plausible theory for dragon element, I have my own idea about how it works, but there will be pre world and post world explanation as worlds introduction of bio energy retconned some stuff and the theory could be readjusted to better fit mystical bio energy. I'll either post the whole theory on the Gore Magala video or the next monster hunter video, I need a bit of time to iron out the details. May even make my own video on the inner mechanics of my theory.
Let me know if you do make such a video - keen to see it!
Well, as much as it is awesome what lots of monsters in MH univers could be explained or at least partially explained with our world's biology and overall laws of existense i still love what some monsters in MH like elder dragons and other most powerful creatures are that bizzare and paradoxal in their abilities.
Pretty often in other media there is either just very realistic fictional creatures without anything special to them or on the other hand just completely bizzare things without even a tiny bit of realism in it, but here in MH even some of the craziest creatures have at least something what could be explained and vice versa - some of most realistic creatures in MH often have quirks what are contradicting realism. MH mixing real and unreal in a very clever ways.
And that's probably one of many reasons why i love MH franchise so much.
Side comment (and one that is a minor nitpick tbh), I kind of wish there was a classification just called Dragon for the ones that monsters of other classes can clearly fight, and reserved the classification of Elder Dragon for the completely absurd ones that are clearly either ancient monsters and/or are force of nature.
Example:
• Dragon - Chameleos, Teostra, Nergigante, Vaal Hazak, etc.
• Elder Dragon - Shara Ishvalda, Dalamadur, Fatalis, Alatreon, etc.
It makes me wonder what Amatsu vs. Kushala would look like, it would be like a storm versus a tornado i imagine.
17:08 so far the only monster capable of causing dragon element "madness" seem to be ibushi, all the apexes (alphas) seem to be normal monsters that where caught in ibushi's storms and struck by dragon element that left them in that berserk state, the purple tint and the glowing red marks could be their bodies literally rotting away due to the dragon element, this stress and pain is what makes them so dangerous and explains why they seem to be in constant "terror" according to the description.
As a 4u vet, I am glad that the frenzy virus doesn't affects the Elder Dragons. An Apex Teostra or Kushala is something I really don't want to face.
Hey I love your content. Could you possibly do a video on Glavenus or Zinogre?
Thank you! Both get requested so I'm sure I'll get to them someday!
Just finding it so sorry for a late comment but this is so awesome. Any real life correlation would be hard let alone this much. I did see a theory of dragon element kinda being raw life energy which causes everything to get heartier, hunters includes with what they eat. This version feels like it might have some similarities and seems plausible if far-fetched (like monster hunter be).
I love kushala's design. 8ts so metal! Literally.
I love these videos. :D
Thank you!
more elder dregons . loved this video
I wouldn't mind seeing Elder Dragons knocked down a peg, putting them on par with, if not just a bit above on average, other wyverns. However to do this I think a new classification would have to be made for these Elder Dragons, or for the ones that are so clearly different entities all together. Elder Dragons such as Kushala and Teostra are clearly on a pecking order far below creatures such as Xeno/Safi'jiiva or Zorah Magnaros, not to mention the destructive powers of the Black Dragons actually being one of the few times we can actually see these famed 'divine abilities' of Elders actually manifest.
It might also be a good idea to create a new category to split these two different tiers of Elder Dragons apart as there's already creatures, most famously Kirin and Yama Tsukami, who are labeled Elder Dragons simply due to there not being a more fitting term for classification of them. Creating a term for such creatures, even something basic like "Unknown" , "Undefined", or "Anomalous" Wyverns/Dragons, could go a good way into making a clear distinction between the evolved dragon-blooded elders and the true abominations of nature that share their current classification.
After this I'd love to see your take on the Black Dragons. They seem to be so extreme that they even defy monster hunter rules.
It's interesting that some elder dragons have defensive abilities instead of offensive ones (kushala's armor, nergi spikes, chameleos camouflage, etc.)
On the idea of Dragon Element being a form of bacteria, it could be bacteria that produces an exotoxin instead of causing infection. That would offer an explanation for the rapid effects, especially if it were some kind of nerve agent analogue, as well as its ability to be blocked easily, its capacity to harm other organisms without harming the Kushala Daora, and its vapor-like appearance.
The nerve agent thing might also explain why neopterans are immune, as bug nerves are structured very differently from vertebrate nerves. Then again, I know Jack about how actual toxins affect bugs, so I might be completely wrong.
What if the reason why wyverns are able to fight elders, making elders seem less of legenda, is because wyverns are catching up in the evolutionary arms race that elders had a head start on?