Top 10 Hidden Monster Hunter Video Game References
#10: Diablos’ Horn
Anyone who’s played the games knows that taking on Diablos is no easy task, with its relentless attacks leaving many hunters triple-carted. So it’s absolutely no wonder that Diablos makes quick work of Artemis and her team early in the film. When the Diablos finally corners them into a cave, it’s attacks cause one of its horns to come off. This is a direct reference to the games where if you’re able to knock off one of its horns, it actually becomes weaker. Maybe this is one of the key reasons Artemis and the Hunter were able to finish off Diablos later in the film?
#9: The Research Commission
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Throughout the film we see a group of Hunters that Artemis encounters and eventually teams up with to take down the Rathalos. And if they seem familiar to you, that's because they’re based on characters from the research commission in Monster Hunter: World. Besides the very obvious casting of Ron Perlman as the Admiral and Hirona Yamazaki as the Handler, we also see hunters that bear a striking resemblance to Aiden and the Serious Handler. Another small reference to the games is Tony Jaa’s character The Hunter, who is based on the Field Team Leader.
#8: Cephalos
In a moment of calm, Artemis and the Hunter find themselves looking on at a herd of Apseros by the river, something that certainly wouldn’t look out of place in any of the games. When Artemis approaches the river however, she is suddenly attacked by a monster that emerges from the sand in a real blink and you’ll miss it moment. This creature is actually the Cephalos, which made its debut all the way back in the original Monster Hunter for the PlayStation 2. These predatory creatures are known to attack others many times its size so it’s no wonder it tried to take a bite out of Artemis!
#7: Sky Tower
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Throughout the film we are shown an ominous tower in the distance multiple times. It’s later revealed that this structure is known as the Sky Tower, and it is the cause of the portals that brought Artemis and her squad to the new world. There’s a good chance that the Sky Tower is based on the Sky Corridor, an area featured in Monster Hunter Frontier G6 that is similar in looks. Both structures are said to have been built by an ancient civilization, with the Sky Corridor in particular used to store lost treasure.
#6: Crafting
Following a long and very intense fight between the two, Artemis is captured by the Hunter and taken back to his camp. In the following scene we see the Hunter carve some moss from the walls of the cave, eating it and then later mixing it together to create a mixture to heal his wounds. This is a direct reference to crafting in the video game series, as players will often need to craft different materials in order to get items such as healing potions.
#5: Rathian
The Rathalos certainly makes an impact towards the end of the film, devastating both the hunters and the military in an awesome kaiju-like action sequence. But before our Hunters take on the iconic Wyvern, they must make their way to the Sky Tower and it’s here where we catch this small easter egg. At the entrance to the tower we are shown a shot of two Wyvern head statues, there’s a very good chance that this is a reference to both the Rathalos and the Rathian, it’s female counterpart that is often paired with it in missions in the video games.
#4: Dragonship
In the opening scene of the film, we see the hunters traveling through a deadly storm on a ship that can sail on sand. This is perhaps a reference to the Dragonship from Monster Hunter 3, which was used to battle the extremely large monster Jhen Mohran. However in this scene they aren’t attacked by the Elder Dragon, instead the Diablos does a number on the ship, causing the Hunter to go overboard. Something tells us they probably should have used the Dragonator!
#3: BBQ Spit
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Following the defeat of the Diablos, our heroes find themselves in a forest while on their way to the Sky Tower. In this scene we see the Hunter serve Artemis some very appetizing looking meat that he cooked on a BBQ spit. This is a direct reference to the iconic BBQ spits from the game series, which players use to cook steaks in order to recover their stamina, and after everything these two went through to take down the Diablos we’re not surprised that this is what they needed!
#2: Meowscular Chef
It wouldn’t be Monster Hunter without any of the iconic Palicos involved and this is certainly no exception! After meeting the group of Hunters, Artemis comes across a peculiar Palico. But this is no ordinary Palico as this bukly feline is based on the Meowscular Chef from Monster Hunter: World. In the game this Palico serves up meals to give the players unique buffs, and here it’s no different as we’re treated to a scene of him cooking up an incredible meal. We even see him in the mid credits scene, preparing to take on the Gore Magala.
#1: Dah'ren Mohran
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After being transported to the new world, Artemis and her team find themselves in a barren desert with the only other signs of life being the charred remains of the missing bravo team. With no choice but to leave them behind and move out, the team comes across an incredibly large set of bones. These remains actually belong to the Dah'ren Mohran, an Elder Dragon that was introduced in Monster Hunter 4. There’s a very good chance that these remains are one in the same, as players encountered this boss monster within the great desert.
