Dragon Element 🧵 - Part 1 In the world of Monster Hunter, the dragon element (龍属性) is the rarest of the five elements. While this element seems to be understood in-universe, we barely know anything about it.
This element, which some consider to be evil or dark, can be found naturally in the world of Monster Hunter, but it is often associated with elder dragons.
Elder dragons have a unique blood known as "Elder Dragon Blood" (古龍の血), and this blood has traces of dragon element in it. There is also "Pure Dragon Blood" (古龍の浄血) and "Viscous Dragon Blood" (古龍の浄濃血), which are rarer, more potent versions of Elder Dragon Blood.
As of 5th Gen, the one exception to this is Fatalis. Its blood is noted to be different from other elder dragons, which raises several questions. Note 1/3: Before 5th Gen, Fatalis and its brethren dropped Elder Dragon Blood.
Note 2/3: In terms of this new lore for Fatalis, my best guess is that maybe he's so ancient that his blood is just different from other elder dragons. It's also worth noting that Old Fatalis is said to be the ancestor/progenitor of all dragons (全ての龍の祖).
Note 3/3: Gore Magala and Chaotic Gore Magala don't drop Elder Dragon Blood either. Biologically speaking, they aren't elder dragons yet. Their body shape may be identical to other elder dragons, but they haven't fully developed internally. https://x.com/BannedDino/statu...
Besides elder dragons, only certain insects and wyverns can harness and use the element, but how exactly remains a mystery for some.
Deviljho, for example, has the dragon element, but it doesn't have dragon-producing organs as far as we know. We don't even know what kind of substance it is breathing out of its mouth for its dragon breath. https://x.com/BannedDino/statu...
The generally accepted idea about wyverns is that some are closer to elder dragons, or are more elder dragon-like, than others. The flying wyverns, as well as some other classifications, likely came from elder dragons. https://x.com/lutyrannus/statu...
Note: These were screenshots taken by @/SchradeAcademy regarding Akantor and Ukanlos.
Back in the 2nd Gen of Monster Hunter, the elder dragons used the dragon element to increase the strength of their physical attacks against hunters. The lower a hunter's dragon resistance was, the more damage they would take from an elder dragon's strike.
Note: Kirin was the one exception to this. None of its physical attacks dealt Dragon Damage. The term that some use for this mechanic is "Dragon Damage." This mechanic isn't exclusive to the 2nd Gen. In fact, it isn't even exclusive to elder dragons. https://x.com/Ramika30898/stat...
I previously only knew about Rathalos, Tigrex, and Akantor dealing Dragon Damage in 2nd Gen, but Ukanlos could also deal Dragon Damage, via physical attacks, like them.
In MHGen/MHGU, the following non-elders could deal Dragon Damage via certain attacks: 1. Yian Garuga 2. Deadeye Yian Garuga 3. Gold Rathian 4. Daimyo Hermitaur 5. Stonefist Hermitaur 6. Gore Magala 7. Chaotic Gore Magala Note: The Hermitaurs were a recent surprise for me.
The last time I saw "Dragon Damage" in Monster Hunter was in MHRise through the elder dragon trio. Besides Kushala Daora, I've seen dragon sparks appear on my hunter when hit by Chameleos or Teostra. Not sure if any other monsters have a similar effect in that game or World.
Note: This was a chart I made of monsters that have the dragon element in some regard (Usage of the Dragon Element, Dragon Damage, Dragon Element Weapons, etc). I might've missed a few monsters. I included every elder dragon due to the virtue of being an elder dragon.
Noticeably, most monsters that use the dragon element are weak to it. Most elder dragons and some wyverns, particularly flying wyverns, have a low dragon resistance.
Back in 2nd Gen, the dragon element was the only way to break certain parts (horn, wings, etc) of an elder dragon. If a hunter didn't use a dragon element weapon at least once, they wouldn't be able to break those parts. https://x.com/BannedDino/statu...
In the 3rd Gen, elements were given elemental blights. In Monster Hunter Tri, Dragonblight (龍属性やられ) would decrease the affinity of a weapon. In Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate and onward, Dragonblight gets rid of the ailment/element of a weapon.
Monster Hunter Frontier had Extreme Dragonblight (龍属性やられ【特大】), which turned a hunter's health bar black and prevented them from healing with any items (Potions, etc.). This blight was exclusive to certain Zenith Species. Frontier also had Dracophageblight.
Dracophageblight (蝕龍やられ) is a blight exclusive to Frontier and caused by Stygian Zinogre's Dracophage Bugs. If hit by one of its Dragcophage Swarms, the bugs will start eroding a hunter's items and weapon (lose items and lower weapon sharpness). https://x.com/ryenlee12/status...
The bugs will also get rid of a weapon's elemental properties, and decrease a hunter's health at a fast rate comparable to Noxious Poison/Venom.
Monster Hunter: World introduced the Elderseal (龍封力) to dragon element weapons. The Elderseal is used to temporarily seal the power of an elder dragon. Depending on the elder dragon, the effects of the Elderseal vary. https://x.com/BannedDino/statu...
Besides elder dragons, the Elderseal was also effective against an enraged Deviljho. Noticeably, its muscles decrease in size when the Elderseal is used against it. Note: Dragon Pods have the same effect as the Elderseal, and Azure Rathalos can also drop Dragon Pods.
Sources 1. Monster Hunter World: The Official Complete Works (DIVE TO MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD モンスターハンター:ワールド 公式設定資料集) - pg. 335, 403 2. DIVE TO MONSTER HUNTER WORLD: ICEBORNE モンスターハンターワールド:アイスボーン 公式設定資料集 - pg. 281
3. https://kiranico.com/en/mh4u 4. https://mhgu.kiranico.com/ 5. https://monsterhunter.fandom.c... 6. 7. https://wikiwiki.jp/nenaiko/%E... 8. https://wikiwiki.jp/nenaiko/%E... 9. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite 10. Monster Hunter Frontier Thank you; Goji, Alphadivine, @lutyrannus, @SchradeAcademy, and @Ramika30898.
Hopefully, I can limit this to two or three threads.
@BannedDino Do you think qurio have some connections to the dragon element?
@Dravonista1 Maybe? I know some of Primordial Malzeno's Qurio-based attacks can cause Dragonblight as well as Bloodblight.
@BannedDino I read somewhere dragon element does more damage to intelligent species. More damage to Fatalis while the Chatacabra is... highly resistant.
@BannedDino My personal theory is that dragon element is enthropy/chaos energy. Elders can control such unstable energy but besides Stygian who gains its dragon element through symbiosis with insects, mostly notorious gluttons (Jho, E. Odo, Magna, Ark) among monsters use dragon element - 1/2
@BannedDino me as a kid till now whenever using dragon element weapon : "cool black red lightning!! hell yeah!!"
@BannedDino Isn't it also believed that Dragon Element causes insanity when too high in concentration. It seems that a lot of Dragon-Element monsters like Jho, Valstrax, Ark, Edony, etc go somewhat berserk as the element floods their system.
@BannedDino >dragon element is the rarest element meanwhile water element in almost every mainline title: