The Beautiful Simplicity of Monster Hunter's Fatalis

[@knightofarkronia8652]

Keep in mind that in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, when you go to confront Fatalis, you are told that you aren’t just fighting a monster, you’re fighting history itself.

[@dannydevito3284]

It says something like that in the description of most of his previous fights

[@carltasticdrew9633]

I wonder if White fatalis could made it in future MH games, will they depict it as “you aren’t just fighting a dragon, you’re fighting god himself.”

[@hariman7727]

History, in the form of a monster that can destroy a civilization in a few days. Fatalis is the living embodiment of "EVERYTHING DIES!", and is THE final boss of the franchise.

[@bagusarif1199]

​@@carltasticdrew9633 nah nah nah I ain't gonna fight him I've enough of him on mhfu

[@xxx_jim_the_reaper_xxx]

​@@bagusarif1199 Fatalis variants in MHFU are kinda scary though. Most of them and tanky and also, if you don't have bombs to bypass his hyper armor, you're doomed!

[@franciscoguinledebarros4429]

Ngl, the "no special mechanics, no flamboyant techniques, just you and me, one on one, plain and simple, fight me" type of enemy/boss fight needs to be more appreciated

[@kurosan0079]

It works incredibly well too as a final final boss of the Monster Hunter series. So many unique monsters to fight, but at the end of it all, you face this basic-looking dragon to test you. No tricks, just a pure mano a mano fight to the death. It's for this reason I pick the AT Nergigante as the best fight in pre-Iceborne MHW. While very different from Fatalis, he still gives off that mano a mano fight since he fights with pure power and speed.

[@vern7789]

Since when does fatalis have no special mechanics or flamboyant techniques xD

[@djdedan]

lol no special mechanics? He has two modes, one on all fours vs standing up. wall banging is different for each mode. Breaking his horns also does a mode shift. You can also bind him. You have the gate, you have the shelter, you have his almost stage level blast... but yeah no special mechanics lol...

[@bladehunter1097]

Fatalis is the most flamboyant monster in the game. He breathes fire so good he melts steel within seconds.

[@ShatteredGlass916]

@Michael T the ballistas on Fatalis weren't a mandatory tho. Unlike Alatreon's elemental dps and Safi's floor draining mechanics which are a must

[@lyre5250]

Fatalis is like seeing a normal human sized boss in dark souls

[@Babushkabongwatr]

Ikr?

[@G.L.O.R.ious1307]

Fatalis is the Plin Plin Plon of Monster Hunter.

[@Babushkabongwatr]

@@G.L.O.R.ious1307 you sir are brilliant

[@iliketea4443]

But in dark Souls that human sized boss will send you to oblivion

[@Solyssey]

@@iliketea4443 ThatsTheJoke.jpg

[@lucasfraczek4320]

Rule #1 of Elder Dragons; the closer it is to looking like a normal dragon, the more of a world-endingly strong threat it is.

[@Epicvibes999]

Dalamadur?

[@darkcust4478]

@@Epicvibes999 it would be kind of like a chinese dragon right? they have various types but one of them are snakes that after 1000's of years would transform into a dragon, or perhaps what about jormungandr from the viking mythos? it sometimes is referred to as a dragon but usually as a giant snake, and we know of a dalamdur who crossed the ocean to the new world that is probably the biggest creature in monster hunter in the canon so far that is resting on the rotting vale right know

[@mohammadsaleem5990]

@@darkcust4478 still not a traditional dragon tho

[@timesnewramen4861]

cries in Kushala

[@kylegonewild]

@@mohammadsaleem5990 What? Chinese dragons are OLDER than European dragons lol. If anything *they're* the traditional dragons.

[@darthplagueis13]

Another interesting factor is the lore. Generally speaking, monsters will attack because of one out of three reasons: Self Defence, Terrtorialism or Predation. In other words, exactly the same reasons why a wild animal might attack a person. Fatalis on the other hand is different. Fatalis' motivation is outright hatred for civilization as a whole, to a point where he wiped out the entire nation of Schrade. Other monsters and especially elder dragons have on occasion been responsible for wanton acts of destruction and manslaughter, but Fatalis has canonically committed genocide. Other monsters probably see hunters as odd, stubborn little creatures who somehow hurt a lot more than their small size suggests. Fatalis might quite possibly be the only monster in the entire setting who knows and understands what hunters, what people in general are and he wants them all dead. Fatalis is the only creature in the setting that could be considered evil which is a stark contrast to the general narrative of the setting.

[@luketfer]

That's the thing, because of what happened during the 'Great Dragon War' back in the ancients, where the 'ancients' (we THINK are modern Wvyerian's ancestors) where they were butchering elder dragons for science and to create god awful weapons. Depending on who you ask in the lore this is also why it hates hunters because 'hunters' are possibly bio-engineered super soldiers the Ancients used in their fight with the Dragons (whose bloodline has diminished over the years which is why hunters are a rarity and also why some hunters just outpreform others). So the Ancients threw everything they had at Fatalis who by this stage was in unbridaled rage and thus the whole 'shattering of the kingdom of schrade' happens. It's also why Fatalis patrols those ruins, it wants nothing to live there, it wants those ruins to stand as a monument of its power. As you said Fatalis hates everything about hunters, Wyverians, Civilization in general. It's grudge has lasted millenia, either passed down from Fatalis to Fatalis or (if the lore on the armour is to be believed) taking over the prideful hunter that wears it's hide as armor and forcing them to transform into a new Fatalis. Fatalis is a malignant, ever present evil like Ganon from Zelda, even defeating that one incarnation means it'll still be back eventually and it'll return to Castle Schrade to sit in the monument to its hatred.

[@RenAkakaze]

Believe it or not, Fatalis’ hatred goes even deeper than that. Genocide is not enough to satiate this dragon’s hatred for humans. Fatalis’ chest is canonically so incredibly hot that a hunter’s armor and body MELT INTO IT after brief contact. How do we know this? Because Fatalis constantly does this according to the lore. A sizeable chunk of his armor is genuinely made up of dead Hunter armor and flesh that he molds onto himself to show his absolute hatred for them. Also, ever notice that there are several times in Fatalis fights and cutscenes when he stands solely on his hind legs? That’s not to intimidate humans, it’s to mock them. In a similar way to when children sometimes make monkey or chicken noises to mock others, Fatalis only stands on its hind legs when it is fighting against humans. It is unquestionably ruthless, unmatched in power, and has enough rage and pure hatred to roll over the entire earth, but most dangerously of all, it is highly intelligent. It knows what it is doing, and it loves doing every, single, moment of what it does

[@kittentacticalwarfare1140]

From a certain PoV Fatalis is an antihero, everything it has done up to date is "justified" but the magnitude of it's actions are too terrible for them to be considered heroic or good. It's lovely that we finally got a Fatalis fight that lives up to the lore.

[@monsterhuntersucks2441]

@@luketfer not going to be a smartass but hunters are just normal humans just like us, it's just that your charactor is a protagonist so you are pretty much special than normal hunters

[@luketfer]

@@monsterhuntersucks2441 That's the thing which is hinted towards that 'humans' as they are in MonHun now are all the descendants of the Great War bio-engineered super soldiers. HOWEVER whether that shit is canon or not is a massive debate within itself. Like the Equal Dragon Weapon is kind of considered canon and kind of not.

[@Digiking2031]

As I like to think, Elder dragons do not have to adapt to the environment... The environment adapts to them.

[@Lakita2880]

That's not even a personal thought, that's just actually how it is in the lore! Elder Dragons wipe out entire ecosystems by just *existing*. Even some of the weakest ones like Kushala and Teostra while weak relatively for Elder Dragons, they can still completely destroy an entire ecosystem without even trying. Which is just fucking terrifying and amazing

[@cryamistellimek9184]

Not to mention fatalis was not created brought evolution as most monsters were, most elder dragons in general are ancient to the point it’s possible they never evolved outside of subspecies to begin with.

[@paulandreig.sahagun34]

Huh, Just like Godzilla's Kaiju existence thingy. When ever a titan goes life florist, If it came from earth. But when an Alien species or King Ghidorah moved in it changes the unnatural balance of that ecosystem and changes it according to it's will or nature.

[@irvancrocs1753]

@@Lakita2880 And then there is Vaal Hazak, which is a walking grim reaper itself to the environment..

[@knightofarkronia8652]

Ironically, that also makes them like humans in that regard.

[@freshlymemed5680]

What I love the most about Fatalis is the symbolism. Its the big evil dragon you hear about in fairytales. Emphasis on "evil" because it doesn't "hunt" or "defend" itself, no, its actively seeking and destroying humanity. Its the evil dragon the brave warrior must slay to save the day. Yet its fairytale like symbolism is sidelined by the fact that it is evil incarnate. Its said to melt down hunters to use as its own armor, a mockery of the humans it so hates that do the same. This juxtaposition in a world where all you're really doing is responsibly hunting megafauna, occasionally elder dragons because those freaks of nature cause harm around them just because of their nature, not their intentions.

[@Purexfallenxangel90]

it also has lore that if made into armor (via defeat or just acquiring parts) it drives the wearer mad.

[@loupblanc7944]

@@Purexfallenxangel90 It also says that once you wear it for too long you not only turn mad but you also turn into another Fatalis. This thing is not and animal its a demon. Hell I would even go so far as to call it THE DEVIL of monster hunter.

[@_Tzer]

@@loupblanc7944 I don't know if it's another fatalis but it may infact be the same one just using another person. You can also literally get an entire set of fatalis gear in a game by mining a fatalis weapon.

[@Broomer52]

@@loupblanc7944 the legends of Monster Hunter are often just that. Theirs a cult that worships Anjanath after all. That said it’s been stated on many occasions that Elder Dragons are purposefully made to defy conventional designs for their monsters. In general they want monster to be believable as real animals, but theirs some monsters like the Elder Dragons that are designed in such ways they look otherworldly as if the only possible way they’re doing what they’re doing is with magic. Fatalis is one of these because of a brutal intelligence behind it, how it seems to purposefully destroy civilizations, a Giant Sword made from it constantly regenerates as if whatever made that weapon never managed to truly kill it, the descriptions of its armor suggests the same thing that it haunts you in your sleep, the legends that say the ones that wear Fatalis armor disappear eventually, or the legend that the armor consumes it wearer as the turn into a new Fatalis. Whose to say how much of it is actually true but you can’t deny it has otherworldly power.

[@drakeford4860]

What makes Fatalis feel epic is that he isn't _a dragon,_ he's _the dragon._ Fatalis is the archetype upon which all dragons are based, and the standard which even the other Black Dragons are measured against. He's primal and pure in a way unlike any other monster in the game, and he stands out because of it.

[@deltazero7262]

But also He’s FUCKEN SENTIENT he’s a FUCKEN embodiment of Destruction and hates civilization, hell His lair (a castle) is man made vs other dragons who live in nature, he resides in a castle he himself FUCKEN destroyed and the remaining of its corresponding kingdom, it mocks humanity (when it stands on his hind legs), and the armor on his chest is made of the armor and gear of hunters he’s killed and melted to his body, TLDR: FATALIS IS A FUCKEN WAR-CRIMINAL

[@patrickt101]

Agreed, I think even more so than the likes of xeno and safi’jiva, fatalis has much more of a primordial energy to him that just screams pure power and hatred

[@patrickt101]

Agreed, I think even more so than the likes of xeno and safi’jiva, fatalis has much more of a primordial energy to him that just screams pure power and hatred

[@fire4036]

dont gotta say it twice bro

[@chiyue5676]

@@patrickt101 this makes even more sense when you realize that safi only ends up looking like a generic dragon due to the continuous absorption of dead elder dragon energy which molds him into the “perfect being.” fatalis however was born with those traits

[@illogik]

Says Fatalis but gives in depth strategy guide on alatreon.

[@Thuggaz]

Lmfao that mofo was harder than fatalis imo we need strat guides in evry mhw video regardless of the subject lol

[@aeris_zaeleria9722]

@@Thuggaz Though it's not the same "harder" than fatalis. It's an artificial hard put on a monster that would otherwise be veeeery easily overthrown given time and the fact that its attacks don't hit that hard. It's hard because you know you have to rush the monster and it's DPS check; Elemental by that too..., and thus be pretty clumsy and rushy against the monster. Whereas Fatalis is hard because he hits hard and fast, having a crap ton of health compared to the rest of the roster and a reduced time limit to complete it. Everything screams too hard said like that but the monster still stays open enough even in attacks for you to pile the necessary damage in thanks to your endgame stuff and all that extra damage already present in the arena in the form of the siege weapons. So it's completely your fault cause there is no set check you have to pass but your own skill and organization as TomKon said in the video.

[@Dnznxbebwushdn]

@@aeris_zaeleria9722 I'd argue that there's nothing wrong with alatreons type of difficulty. Being forced to rush clumsily around, until you eventually get good enough at the fight that you can rush while hunting at maximum efficiency is a good learning curve. Just because its artificialy inserted doesn't immediately make it bad.

[@raymundogonzalez2036]

@@aeris_zaeleria9722 i can't believe we're in 2021 and there's people still saying alatreon is artificially difficult. Like, we get it bro, you can't dps for your life (literally). People prefer being punished for actually impossible to survive scenarios like those impossible to reach gates when Fatalis catches you badly positioned before transitioning into the final phase, to a simple dps check. If that's not artificial difficulty (because it can't be countered by skill, you either are close to the door the moment he starts channeling or you die) i dont know what is. I'd say Alatreon became one of the 3 best fights in the series (along with Raging Bracchy and MH4U Rajang) due to how well they did it after how boring it was in MH3

[@raymundogonzalez2036]

@@Dnznxbebwushdn people say it was "artificially difficult" because they cant just leech any group of people who are actually dealing damage , because Escaton is done precisely to punish that. I'd say Alatreon was a much better final boss because it was very good to measure if you by yourself were at the same level as the endgame content, and not being carried

[@plebxemooh3328]

Can't forget Fatalis' description from older mh games either, it's not an animal or a monster or even a dragon, it's literally described as a living, flying disaster which is more of a legend than anything since no one ever lived to tell the tale

[@thesterben5573]

Wouldn't that be the same for all elder dragon ecologies?

[@sabershiro5707]

@@thesterben5573 I’m not really well versed in MH lore, but based on other comments, the other elder dragons really only fight other monsters. The only time it fights us is when we engage them, meanwhile, Fatalis’ main prey is humanity itself. Wyverians have info on the other elder dragons since it is not really trying to kill hunters until it sees them as threat so they can just watch from a distance, observe and take notes. Fatalis on the other hand, just wants to see you burn.

[@chilomine839]

@@thesterben5573 Most other elder dragons have gimmicks. Fatalis is just a og dragon with og fire breath.

[@timesnewramen4861]

@@sabershiro5707 Fatalis is the only monster who knows humans very well .. pretty sure he's also aware about the other monsters existence but he is often labeled as humanity's end, if there are humans he will always exist.

[@samuraispartan7000]

According to Plato, there is a realm of metaphysical “forms” in which the purest embodiments of objects and ideas reside. For me, Fatalis is the purest platonic “form” of a dragon. He looks like he belongs in almost any fantasy setting because he represents the very essence of fantasy itself. Some people might say that makes him generic, but to me, it makes him one of the best monsters in the series.

[@Zyckro]

Yeah the juxtaposition between almost every monster and Fatalis makes him just that much more special.

[@hisholiness4537]

I agree. It's like the dragon invaded this realm from the collective unconsciousness.

[@solomon9655]

Yeah Fatalis and Safi redefined standard dragons for me.

[@pillarmenn1936]

@@solomon9655 well I'd say Safi is the modern take of the fantasy dragon (he flat out looks like Smaug) whereas Fatalis looks like the OG classical dragon from medieval era

[@darkluxgames2347]

Fatalis IS the embodiment of fantasy right down to its lore. No one calls Schrade's destruction as like The Night of the Black Dragon, it's classed as "an unnatural event". Children in the MH universe grew up with fairytales about Fatalis (Including the few lines in Iceborne: Whole forests combusting, everything including Elder Dragons fleeing the area.). No one knows where Fatalis come from or what caused them to evolve. Hell, Fatalis literally melts down the armour and flesh of its defeated hunters and applies it to its body for protection as if it was intelligently replicating hunters making armour out of dead monsters. It's no wonder even Alatreon fled to the New World. Think about that in terms of lore. A Black Dragon, classed so dangerous and impossible by the Guild that all records of it have been burned, runs from the presence of Fatalis, a creature they don't believe at all exists except in fairytales and fantasy.

[@invaderzam]

A note should also be said for the stage. Fatalis is the only monster whose lair is man made. There are other man made stages but the monster you fight in those stages are usually attacking the town, it is not their natural environment. For Fatalis, it stays in Castle Schrade, a monument to the creatures it has conquered. It is the dragon in the palace that the knight must fight. The only thing missing is a princess to save.

[@xxx_jim_the_reaper_xxx]

Oh my goodness little princess...

[@Catman_CM]

The real princess was the Hunters we met along the way.

[@ssctiyo4735]

A knight and his cat friend

[@savvivixen8490]

​@@Catman_CM😂😂😂 🥇

[@syaasy99]

Does The Handler count as a princess?

[@justacatwithasadface2692]

Alatreon: "You suck, old-timer! I've got all the elements and you only have one!" Fatalis: "It's not about the amount of elements you have, boy!" *charges Schrade's Demise* "It's how you USE it!"

[@da_BemBem]

Alatreon knows ten thousand punches it has practiced once. Fatalis knows one punch, and has practiced it ten thousand times.

[@johan9428]

Alatreon and Fatalis are kind of opposite. Alatreon uses every elements as a jack of all trade Black Dragon and has a good mastery over them, wants to be left alone and has nothing personal with the Hunters, he attacks because they are in his territory. Fatalis use only one element in a simplistic way, but with a lot of power, he actively looks for life to destroy and hates Humanity.

[@justacatwithasadface2692]

@@johan9428 so I guess Dire Miralis is the hipster cousin who's also a surfer?

[@xdan-]

Player: *dies 999 times to Escaton Judgement and not a single one to Schrade's Demise *

[@ianchang2661]

@@justacatwithasadface2692 he’s just another fatalis ngl

[@toasterteostra5906]

What for me, as an old Wolrd Hunter, stood out in the Fatty fight, was the new Phases they gave him. At first, you have the classic fight with him in Schrade. A bit of fire breathing, the knee of death, his funny wiggling and of course the music. But then you did enough damage for him to make him show you his true power. The music changes to a world-ending track, and it´s the first time he demonstrates you the steel-melting flames that killed the entirety of Schrade kingdom. You see his glowing chest which contains the remnants of other hunters trying to defeat him, and his blue fire kills you on an instant if you´re not careful enough. He just wants to see you dead. That had been absolutely mind-blowing for me, and makes World Fatalis one of my favourite Boss fights in the entire Franchise.

[@Kim_Naine]

Geezus, cringe.

[@hideharu-xiii8852]

@@Kim_NaineImagine knocking someone’s passion. Now THAT’S cringe

[@absolutionone]

​@@hideharu-xiii8852Leave it to the Danganronpa AND Naruto fan to call other people cringe.

[@reflected_mid7121]

@@Kim_Naine uno reverse, your the cringe one!

[@Bruh-wq8kv]

​@@Kim_Naine look in the mirror pal and fix that yee yee ass haircut you got boy

[@thenerdbeast7375]

I think its the point that Fatalis is "just a dragon"; all the other enemies in the game are suped-up wildlife with all sorts of unique adaptations to make them special. They may be in "wyvern" categories, but they certainly aren't dragons. Fatalis is the ultimate life-form; a dragon, no gimmicks attached or needed.

[@Rajang6]

Yeah, while the rest of the "monsters" ingame are really cool speculative evolution creations, Fatalis is just.. a dragon, which really makes him one of the most unsettling monsters in the franchise.

[@elninopoco8117]

Alatreon is also just a dragon

[@Raziel_231]

@@elninopoco8117 Alatreon does have a gimmick though, it's its ability to control all the elements.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

@@elninopoco8117 Even Alatreon has adaptations, some of its physical traits such as its tail and scales suggest a former aquatic lifestyle.

[@nawson]

The elder dragons are all dragons and their anatomy shows that

[@saljm697]

My first fatalis kill gave me a bigger endorphin rush than any other game I’ve ever played. At 10% hp remaining, with no carts(deaths) left, my game disconnected from the internet and my team vanished. Leaving me alone with an enraged fatalis and proof of a hero playing. I was on my last few rounds of ammo and hope seemed lost, I remember shouting in panic “no no no no” as my team disconnected. I managed to take the beast down with my last magazine in my bowgun before actually screaming in victory and leaping to my feet. This was my greatest victory in monster hunter and maybe all video games I’ve ever played.

[@gladiatordragon9219]

The classic fantasy dragon is so dramatically overdone, the entirety of Monster Hunter seems to go out of its way to specifically to counter the concept. Among the Flying Wyverns, only Rathalos and Rathian are close to the traditional depiction of a "dragon," and even then, there's a ton of different parts to them, such as the poisonous talons/tail. For other Flying Wyverns, Tigrex, Nargacuga, and Barioth practically use their wings as an extra pair of legs. Diablos doesn't use them at all in combat, though they help with digging. Astalos' mannerisms are far closer to those of insects than "dragons." Even with the Elder Dragons (specifically those that actually look like Dragons, as Kirin's an easy low-hanging fruit), the only ones that actually look like a traditional "Dragon" are Kushala, which, even then, is a wind-bending creature with a hide of metal, and Safi'jiva, who is a powerhouse of bioenergy, absorbing and releasing it as it sees fit. I'd hesitate to call Chameleos, Teostra, Namielle, Nergigante, Vaal Hazak, Valstrax, or even Velkhana depictions of "traditional fantasy dragons," despite sharing the body type, as their powersets, mannerisms, and fighting style are far different than that of your normal fantasy dragon. Even the other Black Dragons, Alatreon, Dire Miralis, and the non-canon Dhisufiroa and Merphistophelin (from Monster Hunter Frontier and Monster Hunter Online respectively) vary incredibly from "normal" dragons by having specific mechanics and design elements. Dire Miralis is a walking volcano, Alatreon has a greater emphasis on its horns and its elemental instability, Dhisufiroa shares many design attributes with Alatreon and is just as unstable, and Merphistophelin looks more like a skeleton than an actual dragon. Then, after all this, we come to Fatalis, the so-called "god of monsters." He's got it all, four legs, two wings, long tail, long neck, fire breath, black scales, and nothing else. We go from designs specifically made to move creatures away from the European fantasy dragon, into a drastic 180 toward the absolute embodiment of that design. Even the fight is pretty simple. You just need to avoid the attacks, break the head, and beat it up in any way you see fit. There's a sort of beauty in this simplistic contrast with the others - there's no spikes that you need to break, no elemental power that you need to seal, no staggering tornadoes to avoid, nothing that you have to worry about except for what Fatalis is doing at the current moment. Sure, you need to cave in his head to survive phase 3, but that should come naturally, as the head is its primary weak spot, and you should be going for it anyway. It's a beautiful contrast. Something that I'm very certain the Monster Hunter developers know and have a desire to maintain - no monster has challenged Fatalis for the title of "most traditional fantasy-dragon." Sure, Fatalis has been given a bunch of variations, such as Crimson and White, but those have massive differences in how they work, and how they look. White Fatalis tosses dragon-element lightning everywhere, and Crimson rains down meteors like it's going out of style, and has even more fire.

[@samieltheinfamous]

I call White Fatalis Falcor.

[@Jesus-vu9fs]

Sometimes… the classics just can’t be outshine Sometimes. In design and being memorable

[@jasongibson1225]

"The Red Dragon" Safi Jiva "am I a joke to you?"

[@samieltheinfamous]

@@jasongibson1225 Yes.

[@greenjey2152]

There's also the area in which you fight it: Castle Schrade. You fight the Fatalis in a castle, similar to old European Fairy tales and Folklore where knights would go on a quest to kill an evil Dragon residing in a castle to save a Kingdom or a princess.

[@omabang5002]

"When everyone's super, no one will be" Fatalis : and i took that personally

[@johncronk8867]

When everyone but one is super, only one person is truly special.

[@ventoast1579]

Came from the subreddit, not disappointed, and not at all the quality I expected! Amazing video, great commentary, hits all the marks! Great job.

[@aussiepuppet5250]

This is something I commented on another video nearly a year ago, but I wanted to share it since the topic is relevant. It's about my thoughts on Fatalis Fatalis contrasts a lot with all the other monsters, because it is the most stereotypical depiction of a dragon in the game. Among dragons in fiction, it's not particularly unique in abilities, personality, size, or anything at all. But what gets me is that this is all COMPLETELY DELIBERATE. In the specialised world of Monster Hunter, every monster has some place in the ecosystem. Even other black dragons have definite habitats in the world around it, and are specialised to fight with cataclysmic abilities. Dire Miralis lives in the ocean and it's lava is meant to fight things to devastating effect from a distance. Alatreon is a recluse that will deliberately seek out the most barren parts of the world to make it's home. In comparison, you'd think Fatalis doesn't seem like it's designed to do... anything really, aside from just being big and scary. You have to stop and think "this makes no sense", what practical purpose could it's appearance serve, what is it meant to to? What is it meant to fight? From the knowledge of Monster Hunter, most would assume it's nothing. Except it is meant to fight something. It is meant to fight Humans. Like Nergigante hunts elder dragons to balance nature, like Nerscylla hunts Gypceros for protection, like Rajang hunts Kirin for power, like Deviljho hunts literally anything, Fatalis hunts humans because... well because of it's personality. Unlike most monsters, which are characterised by their survival instinct, environment and rivals, Fatalis is characterised by its sole hatred of humanity. It is the only monster that will look at humans and fight it not because of food, not of a threat, or an obstacle, no. It hates humanity. And it's entire appearance represents that. The dragon with a terrifying black hide and a grudge against the hunters, a literally burning hatred for it's greatest enemy, that will annihilate anything. The only other monsters that evokes this are Behemoth and Leshen, which aren't even from Monster Hunter, and Safi'jiva and Xeno'Jiva, which aren't natural to begin with. You could argue that it's the only Monster in Monster Hunter that isn't an animal. It is, well and truely, a monster that needs to die. This is also reflected in it's abilities. It's not anything really new to counter anything. It's not like Brachydios' slime or even the Dragon Element we associate so much with the Elder Dragons. All it has is a lot of really, really hot fire. Because honestly, what else does it need to kill humans? Even other forms of Fatalis show this too. White and Crimson fatalis have just made different ways to obliterate hunters, there's a crossover Fatalis that wishes to destroy other worlds, the one in Monster Hunter Stories is trying to turn every monster around into a mindless frenzy to kill humanity. And the ones in Frontier (who I will say have the worst designs because of their weird obsession with spikes for no discernible reason) are the same. If it's sole existence is to be the one, singular monster that hunts humans in the entire world solely for hatred, and strikes fear into the hearts of humans everywhere, then surely his design would be completely faithful to that of the one monster that appears in hundreds of cultures in human history. One that is so recognisable that you could immediately look at it and go "that's a dragon". But the people of the Old World, the New and entirety of Monster Hunter don't know that. All they see is this giant flying reptile, that fits in no other part of the world, and can only think that it's sole purpose is to destroy them. This is further elaborated on in the Lore. An infant will take only hours to grow into a full-sized adult to start it's rampage, and even if you kill one, they say that they can regenerate from the armour and weapons made from them, becoming another Fatalis. Something that, even after being defeated, will come back again, and again, and again to kill it's foe. Sound familiar? It's the hardest boss in the game, a monster that hunts hunters, and thats what it will do. That's why, even though it has such a basic design and abilities compared to other monsters, it stands out as one of the most popular and fearsome monsters for that exact reason. Valstrax, Velkhana, Shara Ishvalda, Alatreon, Dire Miralis, Nakarkos and so many more Elder Dragons are remembered because they, like Fatalis, have diverted from the natural chain of evolution to become something unique. To thrive, to survive they have become something wholly deviant from anything else. But unlike all those others, Fatalis is not meant to survive. It is meant do destroy. And that is the legendary Black Dragon.

[@nicholasnwagbara1333]

Right, somehow you have no replies and barely any likes. So, for all the people who haven’t commented or seen this let me say this. You’ve perfectly described what Fatalis is. There’s nothing else I can or should say.

[@rorydonaldson2794]

This comment just elevated and change my entire view on monster hunter, im 300 hours in and you've just made me want to triple my play time, good lord

[@HazmanFTW]

It is the Hunter Monster.

[@alimatloob2850]

This was beautiful

[@liesandy291]

@@rorydonaldson2794 you haven't lol.

[@byakugan641]

the fact that fatalis' design are very straightforward a dragon, is what makes it more contrast than the others who had bizzare designs

[@ArturoGarcia-zx3ov]

The original idea of fatalist design was making the ocidental dragon. A pure evil black dragon that can destroy one big city with his fire breath. Now is like a parody, in a game full of dragons and monster with wonderful desings, one of the strongest dragon is... just a dragon, but a dragon whose name you won´t forget.

[@xdan-]

Yes that's the whole video.

[@bonbondurjdr6553]

@@xdan- it's such an insipid video... holy shit, I felt like drooling while watching it...

[@xdan-]

@@bonbondurjdr6553 I wouldn't call it insipid. It's just that anyone who's played the game already knows this. But I'm sure it's an interesting video for an outsider.

[@bonbondurjdr6553]

@@xdan- no, not even. I'm an outsider and this is less information than any other damn video game boss in the industry.

[@resengan123]

fatalis seems like a very straight forward "slay the dragon" quest with no weird gimmicks. He looks like he could be the great great great great granddaddy of everything else you've been hunting.

[@D_us_T]

That’s interesting because one variant of Fatalis, White Fatalis is one of the oldest creatures alive, and if you translate the japanese name of white fatalis to english directly, it reads “Ancestral Dragon”.

[@ProfessionalNamielleLewder69]

@@D_us_T Also, the phylogenetic tree lists Fatalis and Dire Miralis under the suborder "Origin Dragon", supporting the claim that these guys are the oldest living creatures in the franchise.

[@D_us_T]

@@ProfessionalNamielleLewder69 👍

[@mohammadsaleem5990]

No it isn't. It's a dps check just like alatraeon tho a bit less extreme. If you don't break a horn in the first phase, you're pretty much screwed.

[@kylegonewild]

@@mohammadsaleem5990 dps checks are not gimmick fights.

[@victorBQ27]

My take, 400h in, is: "in a world where everything tastes sweet, a plain food is unforgettable". You fight so much crazy shit. Velkana, kirin, rajang, safi, teostra, lunastra, bazel, etc... When you get to fight a straight up dragon, through and through, you just feel the weight of it. You feel like you now understand why dragons are such a legendary monster. Why they are so feared. They are crazy, we are just so used to hearing about them that we normalized their craziness. Fatalis is just a stand in for a dragon. But a dragon is a legendary monster that is deeply ingrained into our culture due to how amazing it is.

[@JanusHoW]

There is one thing about Fatalis I've read in lore that suggests there's even more to it than just its historical significance - hunters who have come back from facing it are reduced to shivering, feeble shells of their former selves. It can't just be the inferno it creates. Alatreon's nightmarish mastery over fire, ice, thunder and Dragon are far scarier. Somehow, Fatalis must be able to attack (at least in lore) the very psyche of its targets, possibly with its mere gaze. It breaks the mind by communicating, perhaps through pure thought, its pure hatred for civilization and that it will never truly die as long as people exist.

[@hariman7727]

Fatalis is also the culmination of all of your skills as a Hunter, both with your weapon, and in preparation. -You NEED to be able to punish slow moves, and bait out moves that allow punishment. -You NEED to gear up and select items that will work fast, and increase your chances of survival. -You (arguably) NEED to use the radial menu to craft healing items, and other items to make healing easier. -You SHOULD be using Farcasters to resupply periodically. -It's MUCH easier if you use Mantles and the various siege weapons in the arena to get extra damage. -And you must be more relentless than Fatalis, because he doesn't give you the time for anything other than being constantly on him.

[@loupblanc7944]

@@JanusHoW Lore wise he seems more like an actual demon or supernatural being in that world. I think in older games its implied that the ones who wear the Fatalis set will eventually lose themselves and turn into another Fatalis. He's not an animal like the other monsters seen in this series, he's something else.

[@GriffinheartPlays]

Every time I use the dragonator and hear the classic theme, a tear rolls down my cheek as I remember all the years I spent in Monster Hunter as a series, the wonderful hunts, the humble beginnings, all the experiences I had and friends I made along the way came rushing back to me as I brandish my Greatsword and take down this masterfully crafted beast. Man I love this series

[@forgiveness7959]

Like the seconds phase of the soul of cinder fight in DS3 when Gwyn's theme from the first game starts to bleed through chaotic and epic music of the first phase.

[@GriffinheartPlays]

@@forgiveness7959 Exactly like that!

[@BadKarma444]

The point Tomkon makes about every other monster besides Fatalis having a somewhat "realistic" mechanic to their surroundings so it can feasibly seem that they adapted to be the way they are is such an amazing element of Fatalis's design. With just its appearance it's telling you that its creation goes against everything natural, everthing about it violates the laws of the world. Which adds such a badass and terrifying aspect to Fatalis in the context of MH.

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

White Fatalis is even more unnatural; he appears when a solar eclipse occurs, and OPENS A FUCKING PORTAL IN THE SKY WHICH HE COMES OUT OF. There is no denial to be had, that it is completely and totally, an unnatural abomination to reality as we know it.

[@ZinBax]

I found this game quite late which is quite sad, have played through the whole thing solo. recently manage to slay the beast and was a feeling I haven't had in decades. Where Alatreon feels like In mhw like a high tech fight where element is needed a tons of mechanics thrown at you; Fatalis feels like an almost timeless fight where you enter in part of history to fight how it was done even before your time, Capcom did a great job setting the scenery and background on this one. The fight is not easy by any means however the more experience you have with mechanics and environments the more manageable it become to make it possible to complete flawless runs. I do share that same sentiment Fatalis being one of the Most memorable boss fight I've personally had in a very long time. Fantastic video PS: max evade window + extender, is a game changer in this fight

[@danielstacey7785]

Just seen this comment but I am the same as you! Played very late sadly, but amazing game I played solo nonetheless. Genuinely Well worth the 100's of hours spent :)

[@NaotoSaysNo]

Fatalis looks the way he does because he didn't evolve. He didn't need to.

[@Kyfow]

I always interpreted the black dragons as supernatural creatures that weren't really evolved, but are kind of godly beings. Like Fatalis is a completely self aware dragon that came into the world to kill humans, and it's never really dead. Same for Alatreon, it's cleearly a very intelligent creature and its status as a "black dragon" gives it a one of a kind vibe

[@RuneKatashima]

He was born a chad.

[@Not_MissHina]

@@RuneKatashima if black fatalis is the chad, then white fatalis will be the chad of the chadest

[@KrystianZieba-kc8tx]

@@Not_MissHina *A LAD*

[@langleysenterprise5134]

The world evolved itself just for him

[@nebulous9280]

There was a comment I read elsewhere that read "I love how Fatalis's 'gimmick' is just breathing fire, really, really well." It's seriously hilarious to me that the most threatening Monster in the lore is just one that hyper-specialized into a single kind of attack. It's also funny because it has a sort of meta reflection of the players, too. Most of the time we just hard focus on doing one thing extremely well in order to take out our mark. We learn the optimal combos, we build weapons that compliment that combo, we find armor that best suits that one specific thing, and we slot gems to further improve its efficiency. Fatalis is genuinely just like the Hunters, in that regard.

[@Rajang6]

In other words, Fatalis has become the very thing he swore to destroy.

[@jahrusalem3658]

There's also the fact that Fatalis apparently melts the bodies of his victims onto his body in a twisted mockery of the Hunters using materials from monsters as armor. And when he stands up on his hind legs? Fatalis's body isn't supposed to do that, he only stands upright to *mock* us, to insult us by emulating how we walk. The fact that he's smart enough to understand the concept of mockery and taunting is the scariest part about him.

[@savvivixen8490]

"I'm going to hit you, really, REALLY hard..."

[@eandlbloodflower6765]

9:57 -- "It doesn't need flashy visual elements to impress or intimidate you; its actions are more than enough to manage that." Compare this to games where you are said to fight a god or powerful being(or you being one) yet you don't feel like you're fighting one when the gameplay is concerned(or that you are one) and this is especially true in games with difficulty levels in which the sole difference is the damage done by the enemies -- a ludonarrative dissonance if you will. In Fatalis' case, the "it's the most dangerous dragon" description of it isn't merely said in exposition to the player -- it's shown through the whole fight itself; I think this is one of the most core reasons Fatalis(and Monster Hunter in general) is so memorable -- because the things said in the game and the things the monsters do/look like they do are actually WHAT they do and that philosophy in monster and combat design is what separates Monster Hunter, more so Fatalis, to its peers.

[@bobbobbobbobb]

I agree but this really only applies to the Iceborne depiction of Fatalis. Before that it was an honestly lackluster fight against a generic dragon. Iceborne did him justice.

[@defalttheloner]

I would put Fatalis in the same level of Sephiroth, both are basic and straight in their nature. If you were to see any of them in a battlefield your mind would tell you that this is a apocalyptic moment.

[@SchradeDemise]

Fatalis is the best boss I've fought in my entire gaming experience. At this point it reached literal perfection. All the lores surrounding it, the soundtrack, the challenge. I lost my mind when the barricade starts melting. I cried when Proof of a Hero plays. Man, what a way to end a game. This fight is unforgettable! It just hits different.

[@ParkingLotGod]

Finishing Fatalis on the roaming ballastae with a Temporal Mantle on after four days of failed attempts was the most cathartic feeling I've had in a video game. I was screaming in my head and pleading with Fatalis to just die lol

[@forgiveness7959]

If you can get through it, I recommend the final boss of base game dragons dogma. It's on a similar level. Also a capcom game.

[@CooleyHigh20]

@@forgiveness7959 Grigori was a force of nature

[@randomboiyo6254]

Okay. Hold your FUCKING PHONE. You’re telling me you’re under 500 subs, has less than 2K view on this video and you’re producing something of THIS quality? Can I just say, your voice reminds me of some of the National Geographic narrators?! Keep up the great content!

[@redd_Jack340]

Right?! Easy sub. Glad the algorithm is working with them now

[@hijikili2656]

Holly fuck! He also talk about Lost Planet series, subbed

[@Flurarn]

Facts

[@DarkDoughnutsVids]

Yeah. His voice is sexy af

[@butyou_nobody]

I bet you meant the Natural World Facts guy :)

[@forgiveness7959]

I think the impact of the fight is really influenced by the fact you have to run for cover, not once, but twice from devastating fatal attacks that you can NOT stop or influence in anyway. It's the time when the hunters roles are reversed and instead of the monster running away from the overwhelming force that is the hunter, the hunters are running away from the overwhelming force that is Fatalis. Slapping away any notion the players may have established at this point that THEY are the apex predator. The start of the fight itself has the Fatalis patiently waiting for you to come to HIM, not him wandering around until you stumble on each other, and that cold confidence creating that nagging thought at the back of your head telling you that he knows something you don't. All this paired with the screen flickering during roars or attacks, emphasizing the primal power you're up against, makes it all the more epic and memorable when you finally do overcome this monumental task.

[@SotiCoto]

They were just using the same idea they introduced with the Behemoth... which honestly was one of the worst things about World. A one-hit-omnikill attack you need to hide from is just so antithetical to all the rest of the combat in the entire series that it should never have been introduced... but they brought it back for Safi'jiiva, then Alatreon (to a slightly different extent) and then Fatalis. But you never had to do that with Fatalis before... in the old games. They didn't have any sort of massive omnibombardment. They didn't do anything that Teostra couldn't also do with more flare, for instance... but they just had bigger numbers. And it isn't like Fatalis is any more of a hunter-killer than any other monster out there. Every single game in the series is a sequence of "waaa this monster is causing trouble go kill it", and Fatty is no different. "Waaa the black dragon of calamity is causing trouble go kill it". And we do. And then it is dead. And then we kill it another 20 times and make a suit of armour out of its skin just like every other monster. By this point Fatalis is like a less endearing Team Rocket. It shows up late, puts on airs, and gets roflstomped until the next Monster Hunter game.

[@edgarego5813]

@@SotiCoto i can understand the take about one shot moves that destroy all pillars of monster hunter gameplay (even if i found some of them exiting), but the take about fatalis is...stupid to say the least, u have to balance the core gameplay mechanics with the story and lore, canonically every single quest can be beaten one time only, the grind is usually a mechanical necessity for gameplay purpose and not narrative, in some cases like the kulve and safi quest the multitude of quest u partake in to kill them has an in game explanation that kinda work, if u are not willing to suspend ur belief in order to immerse urself into a setting than u can't comment on the flow and meaning of gameplay and story dynamics, the world of monster hunter is one of his strenghts, but is a flavor added to make more immersive the gameplay, fatalis is always been the last boss of each again he is featured in and is always slain time and time to make his equipment and the fact that he continuosly appears is tied to the lore of his equipment that is said to posses the hunter that wears it tramutating him into another fatalis, adding a layer of tragedy to everything, with the mechanic and gameplay loop that monster hunter has is difficult to make a monster meaningfull and frightening, with fatalis they elegantly did both at the same time, he exist and attack because he hates humanity, in comparison to every other monster that is just trying to survive, it's no tied to any place, he is not adapted to any ecosystem he is not part of anything unlike every other monster (even black dragons) his sheer existence is outside of the usual flow of the game and narrative and he only want to kill u

[@WolfSoulXIV]

I have a saying regarding Monster Hunter's design philosophy: The more it looks like a traditional European dragon, the closer it is to Satan, and Fatalis looks exactly like a traditional European dragon.

[@zionthedragon8866]

Uh, you mean the closer to tradition, the closer to fatalis or being a real threat?

[@DronesOverTheMoon]

@@zionthedragon8866 literally satan

[@zionthedragon8866]

@@DronesOverTheMoon ?

[@leowulf5280]

Gaismagorm: Lmao.

[@reallycantthinkofausername487]

This didn't age well

[@Zyckro]

It's not trying to be unique, and in consequence that is what I find makes it one of the most unique and well done final bosses in any video game.

[@ultrahyperduck6791]

Videos like this prove that you don’t have to be a huge channel with 50k+ subscribers to put out high quality videos. Excellent points and great pacing!

[@paladingeorge6098]

I love this fight too. Beating him solo with great sword was a goal of mine, and achieving it was one of the best moments in a video game I have ever had.

[@hariman7727]

Tell me your secrets! Seriously though, I burned out part way through fighting him and then had to take a break from playing the game, so I'm going to come back to it in the next month or so. I'm also a great sword man so I'm trying to beat Fatalis with greatsword.

[@paladingeorge6098]

@@hariman7727 Honestly you need the Heavy Artillery 2 Jewel. I went for full Alatreon gear using the beta gauntlets. There is a strategy where when you first start you use the ghillie mantle before entering the arena then set up the cannons perfectly so that they all hit Fatalis. This completely changes the pacing of the first phase, before I used this strategy I would get close but run out of time. After that, its really a matter of learning him and getting as much head damage as possible. Remember to weaken his head, sometimes weakening the stomach helps when you are trying to knock him down. Also Only slinger burst when he is on all fours, does more damage that way.

[@alistershade8923]

"small opportunities" 9:42 smoke bomb cheese. nice timing lol

[@elflordyt6830]

Not rly cheese cuz he seems to snipe me while doing this

[@alistershade8923]

@@elflordyt6830 if you do it perfectly you can loop him into the "looking for you" animation. A few hits and pop another smoke bomb.

[@elflordyt6830]

@@alistershade8923 wtf so it works for other people but omly i get bugged into an insta line of sight gained animation

[@alistershade8923]

@@elflordyt6830 iirc you can only do it at certain points in the hunt, like when fatty is flying back down from his big fires

[@walkinghazards7528]

Hearing proof of a hero play when I solo'd my first Fatalis clear after carting dozens and dozens of times, my mates insisting I should run it with them so we could all beat it but sticking to my rule of solo first clears, that feeling was one I'll never forget. If I can one day make a game that instils that feeling in even one other person, I'll have succeeded.

[@freindlyspicerun4424]

MHW Fatlais lasted a good amount of time without being beat, im pretty sure it was a good 5 or more hours before the first "streamed" kill which is impressive considering the community

[@rucci7893]

I love a lot of your essay type of videos, but this one I come back to routinely simply bc it struck such a chord with me. Pure comfort listening to you explain why Fatalis is such a memorable boss!

[@alphenhousplaysgames4565]

Fatalis is Capcom mocking every other game designers like,"look, we made a generic ass dragon, put it in a game that is filled with unique creatures that are arguably more feature rich and it's still fresh af and not boring at all."

[@dwiprasetyaputra221]

Any players who had been playing since the original game know the true reason is in the the idea in the original game is the progression of monster you have to hunt is wyverns to elder dragons. Look at wyverns in original game, they are not that bizarre and looked pretty natural.

[@alphenhousplaysgames4565]

@@dwiprasetyaputra221 that's the point. nothing looks out of the ordinary. even in newer gens, the monsters looks alright in their own environment. it's as if they are natural and not huge beasts that shouldn't exist. but the dragon is the only thing that feels unnatural. there is no reason for any creature to opt for wings and quadrupedal genetic evolutions. yet the fatalis is just that. an abnormality. making it pretty fresh.

[@dwiprasetyaputra221]

@@alphenhousplaysgames4565 no. what i mean is the original game look the way it is because it hadn''t any plan yet about new games. So the design sticks to much "safer" natural looking design wyverns and dragons. Wyverns borrow the look of prehistoric era and elder dragons are dragons. The fact that the physicality of the 2 elder dragons resembles the european dragons and east asian dragons shows that. And also let's not remove the hardware limitation factor to the much simpler designs. Players and writers are just going along with the now Fatalis looks "unnatural" because where the direction of the newer games going. They looked just as natural as Rathalos back then. Every other reasoning is just an "excuse" we make along the way to string the games together. I don't mean it in the bad way though. All I wanted to say, if we wanted to be honest, The reason Fatalis looked the way it looked is because the factor I said earlier and not pretend it was premeditated when Fatalis was designed.

[@alphenhousplaysgames4565]

@@dwiprasetyaputra221 i guess that's true. but good on them for sticking with it.

[@yxtee]

Fatalis is also a nod towards early conceptions of Monster Hunter. Monster Hunter was originally conceived to be a medieval, fantasy RPG, not too different from Dark Souls in terms of its theme and aesthetic.

[@RetroTSSoS]

Great video and you didn’t even go into the lore references of his move set! Fatalis was an unforgettable experience and my favorite video game boss of all time

[@hectords164]

I love Fatalis, He is THE black dragon. But when my friends and I faced dalamadur in 4u we were so awestruck. ..and then gogmazios happened lol.

[@Thuggaz]

Put the SUPREME jacket on fatalis at the 1:14 he would look so drippy in that pose.

[@Argnos2293]

Fatalis: “How about YOU go hunt for some bitches?”

[@thisiswrathspeaking2057]

lmfao

[@avh2153]

Great video!! The production quality was very unexpected in the best way possible. I would love to see your analysis on other monsters/aspects of this series in the same format. Keep up the great work

[@hisholiness4537]

The bad thing about him is that after learning him, the rest of monsters become unengaging and borderline boring. Because Fatalis demands so fucking much from the player, they have no choice but to git gud. And once they do, they are rewarded well. He's so far above every other monster in the game that they just don't even seem to compare. Why is Fatalis' armor so strong? Because the player has proven his valour and has both mastered and conquered the game. They don't need that armor to kick ass, so why not have some fun?

[@joswasi4144]

After beating Fatalis solo a few times and getting his whole set and weapon, the game is just like a drag to me. It was just boring and too easy... I just went for harder games like Nioh 2.

[@skeletonwar4445]

@@joswasi4144 okay epic badass mega gamer

[@joswasi4144]

@@skeletonwar4445 😂😂 I was agreeing with his statement, after beating Fatalis I felt so accomplished because it was so difficult. The Fatalis armor set makes most of the monsters a joke, most Master Rank monsters can't even do much. The weapons are so good, the monsters die so much easier. If they made more monsters like the Fatalis fight I would probably still play. OnIy plausible challenges are arch - tempered event monsters, or fighting fatalis again. would play MH Rise, but I don't have the money for a switch so I will probably just wait for the next Monster Hunter that comes out on PS5 / Series X

[@liesandy291]

@@joswasi4144 rise is too easy not recommended.

[@reallycantthinkofausername487]

@@liesandy291 just because its easy doesn't mean its a bad game

[@brunoborne90]

I agree with you, the simplicity of Fatalis really makes him shine as "the final boss" of the game. It's my favorite fight in the game along with Rajang and Black Diablos. On the other hand, Alatreon and Behemoth are my least favorite ones because of theirs gimmicks which gives you a "challenge" that feels pretty artificial after you figure it out and then it just becomes an annoyance later on, specially when you want to do coop with randoms. Great video and commentary as always btw, thank you Tomkon!

[@Tomkon]

Thanks for the kind comment! I agree completely on the coop aspects-it's tough to not get annoyed when you see someone join with raw weapon against alatreon!

[@shadownight9956]

Behemoth is completely fine and actually world was forgiving for teamwork unlike older games which LIKE Extreme deviants are absolute hard for everything that 99% can one shot you and have tracking moves behemoth is very cheeseable and alatreon was sucked because of some idiot allowed let him fly in air(curse of sharing a skeleton with kushala) and a bit flawed weapon balance for that fight was disgusting and also the fight could not last more than 15 min

[@VadeInSpiritu]

I fully agree. Alatreon and behemoth don’t feel like monster hunter fights to me. I know alatreon is a monster hunter monster, but the elemental checks and instant kills just don’t feel right. You feel forced to use one strategy in a game that’s fun because of its multiple ways to hunt. I do wish elemental damage was better utilized in base MHW though. It was so raw focused.

[@shadownight9956]

@@VadeInSpiritu mhw is its own mechanic and unique to rest of series and still I find people like you judging this game to older games

[@BlazeMakesGames]

I really wanna like Alatreon but honestly I feel like the elemental system in Monster hunter is just really fucked up. It makes almost 0 sense to a casual player so it's no wonder that tons of people hated it. Not to mention that elemental builds are typically completely optional if they're even meta and so suddenly having a monster practically require you use one also messed a lot of people up. If they simplified the elemental damage system and also made it not have 1 hit kill DPS checks then the fight could be a lot more fun for the actual moves and attacks it uses.

[@KnightsDisillusion]

Fantastic video and subscribed! I've always loved the simplicity of Fatalis and how he doesn't need any gimmicks to be powerful, which honestly makes him more threatening.

[@HotPocketHPE]

Good points on the contrast between the psuedo-naturalistic designs of most (gen 1) monsters and the fantasy design of Fatalis. I would have liked to see more analysis on Fatalis's moveset, since IMO that is the primary reason why the fight is actually fun. His flame cone breath is impossible to avoid from range, so you have to consistently stay close to him beforehand in order to be safe. This type of nuance in positioning is missing from almost all the other monsters in World. Many of his moves (such as 360 spin breath in phase 3) have sweet spots that you can use to deal hits while avoiding damage, which rewards knowledge and aggression. Fatalis not having clutch claw stagger or trip from flinch shot really helps, as you don't have constant interruptions to the flow of the fight that is endemic to the rest of Iceborne. I agree with the sentiment though, Fatalis and Alatreon are really the only monsters I actively love in Iceborne.

[@froggie610]

There are things in common with Alatreon and Fatalis, because they are black dragons. Both need specific planning on the hunters part to succeed. In Alatreon and Fatalis, they deal with the two ways of damage, elemental and physical. You need the right gear and skills to deal with both monsters and they reward you for spending time developing strategy against each monster. With Alatreon in the use of clutch claw, evasion and overall aggressiveness and with Fatalis, the use of environment i.e cannons, ballista and binders, as well as mechanical skill like evasion and knowing when to avoid and attack. I've fought against both Alatreon and Fatalis and I've never have anything more fun and rewarding for both monsters. Sometimes I get annoyed from both of the monsters but it is still very much rewarding and fulfilling about the two monsters.

[@Sunaki1000]

You can survive the Flame Con by Panicdiving twice, or standing behind a Rock.

[@hisholiness4537]

You can actually superman dive the cone breath, just have to chain it.

[@arapaimagold8088]

I like AT Velkhana tho, she's a very fun dance partner when you play with SnS.

[@vjan4786]

My first fatalis kill was on solo, I couldn't reach the dragonator part of the hunt, but after 30+ attempts I managed to reach the dragonator part and I feel so hopeless bc there was onpy 1 attempt left then I used the dragonator the music changed and I was so damn hyped after hearing the proof of a hero, it helped lift my spirits up and beated fatalis. That was literally the best hunt of my life👌🏻

[@PodofOrcas]

The Dragonator dropping and Proof of A Hero starts playing is top 3 gaming moments of all time

[@TaosoftheVoid]

I don't entirely know why this came across my feed but I'm glad it did. I've never fought Fatalis (I never got my hands on Iceborn, just did regular MHW) but I always was curious about why I heard so much about him. Looking at the footage and hearing how you talk about it, I can see why people remember it so well. You reminded me of a video I can't really find anymore, I don't even remember the title but it was video essay on the themes of Monster Hunter. I think it's the way you talk, it feels like a documentary style mixed with just a genuine fan. I loved this video, makes me want to actually get Iceborn just to find Fatalis and fight him 1v1

[@MrKutKuGaruga96]

That's something I really love about MH monsters design, they try to be realistic in some aspects and not rely on magic or things like that, always trying to fit everything on monsters biology, like special organs and evolutionary adaptations. ♥️

[@clockworkavalon1103]

A wonderful description of the simple majesty of gaming's BEST dragon. A little unexpected to not see its lore mentioned, as I find it to be the most fascinating of anything I've ever had the honor to learn and theorize on, but also probably a good choice, as it's not precisely simplistic in that respect. Definitely earned my subscription.

[@Blasteronefr]

I don’t know man, Ragnir from Brawlhalla is a pretty drippin’ dragon too y’know

[@clockworkavalon1103]

@@Blasteronefr Fair, but does Ragnir meld the armored bodies of it's enemies to it's hide as they still live?

[@AlbeyAirto]

my gf has been playing Monster hunter for years, she told me to buy world when it launched (and rise now) i finally defeated Fatalis after so many fails within a year. That feeling though.

[@D1GTL-D1L3M4]

Fatalis SUCKS i hate the fight so much

[@TmanTheTdog]

@@D1GTL-D1L3M4 It’s meant to be challenging, focus primarily on breaking the head

[@D1GTL-D1L3M4]

@@TmanTheTdog i understand that! I just mean its frustrating and hard but in a fun way!

[@AgentCali21]

I fell put of MHWH and world after my buds stopped but Fatalis is one I really want to kill

[@lixd3054]

@@D1GTL-D1L3M4 OH man you just wait for crimson and white to be added in a future mh game you will find black soo easy compared to them fought crimson g rank version in 4u hell of a fight basically the true actual God of the flame element and heat itself and white was hard I just don't think as hard as crimson tho.

[@azazel166]

He is also the final boss of the very first game back on the PS2.

[@UnPokemon]

I have a similar opinion to Fatalis as I do with Deviljho. There isn't much fluff around them, for the most part, they are exactly as they look: Big and strong. No gimmicks or bullshit, yet they can, and will, delete your health bar if they have the opportunity. It's a complete package, in a world where more and more monsters get weird, you've got these two that are still considered as massive threats, both to the lore and the players.

[@bakihanma3978]

brilliant video, honestly amazing and i never knew about the monster hunter 1 theme wow thank you!

[@unlimited971]

op: what mech fatalis? don't have an.... first timers: SURVIVE

[@tomongchangco4345]

The Fatalis hunt always reminds of the red dragon boss fight in Shadow Over Mystara arcade game back in the day.

[@zredfernhall]

How the *hell* do you not have more subs? The quality of this in-depth game design analysis and breakdown is the type of thing I'd expect to come out of Extra Credits or Game Maker's Toolkit, not someone who only has 1.3k subs at the time of writing. ...Well, 1.3k +1, as I'm certainly going to be watching more from you in the future. Keep it up. You show a lot of promise with this kind of thing :)

[@trevorburke8660]

I gotta be honest, this comment confused me for a hot minute, because when reading it the first time I some how missed some key words and thought you said "how the hell do you have more subs", assumed you were about to go on some tirade about how you or some other youtuber deserved more subs than him and got real confused when the comment turned complimentary, and gave it a re-read. So, here's an upvote for confusing my brain I guess.

[@BlueFireDrakka]

One of the really interesting details that I adore with Xeno'jiva is when you sit back and watch her attacks from a distance, shes actually really clumsy and off balance, her beam attack is really sporadic simply because she can barely control it. And it makes sense when you find out that xeno is an infant, the elder dragon end boss all of base world is a literal baby that hatched too early, hell you can see her bones and organs through her skin.

[@Kougeru]

1:45 kinda. All wyverns are dragons but not all dragons are wyverns. Wyverns are basically lesser dragons but still dragons. Just like how Pluto is a dwarf planet... which is still a "planet"

[@jackbordar2727]

Fatalis didn't need to evolve to fit the enviorment, because he evolved the enviorment to fit him.

[@Joe-yx1gq]

Do Agree here Fatalis has the Best Fight in Iceborne not just Because it's the Hardest Fight in the game or being a Simple Dragon Design the Flow of the fight Avoiding his attack are really great there Artillery around the Arena you don't need to use always them but it still helps regardless if you do or don't and the OG Proof of the Hero fits for The Original Final boss of Monster Hunter same goes when you finally slay the black dragon playing the Original Victory theme form the first game as well this a fight I Always come back on way or another. Other fights I Do Enjoy with there Gimmick for other Elder dragon are monster like The Serpert Duo Ibshiu & Nawa form Rise Xeno Jivva & Safi Jivva Alatreion great even despite the one shot move And some the Flagship elder dragons and some others are still great battles Fatalis will be still one of the best in monster hunter.

[@samieltheinfamous]

Man, when that music swells in the final stage...talk about exactly what the doctor ordered.

[@partydeer1640]

A thing to note on Fatalis: not only does he possess a unique design for Monster Hunter, he himself is actually an unnatural existence. Monster are afraid of Fatalis. Lao Shan Lung and Alatreon are both first encountered while theyre fleeing from Fatalis, and the Wyverians mention Fatalis being an odd and unnatural creature. Another thing to note is that while its generally considered that Elder Dragons possess human-level intellect, they all fight defensively against the hunters. Fatalis willingly sought out Schrade and destroyed it, later returning and fighting the Hunter. Fatalis is so far the only monster to recognize the Hunters for what they are and possesses a raw hatred for humanity. Fatalis is aware

[@jacktheomnithere2127]

this is one of the prime examples of how a monster can win me over: simplicity. and one of the best ways to do so, is to make said simple monster a typical, ordinary, fire-breathing dragon. now, Fatalis is my favourite elder dragon (my profile picture backs up that statement). i have other favourite elder dragons, but Fatalis ranks the highest.

[@samieltheinfamous]

I find the lore about the history of Fatalis with the elder civilization really enhances my experience with the fight, because I know that he knows that I know he really, really wants me dead.

[@draw2death421]

Hello Jack! Long time no see! And i love fatalis aswell! Probably my 2nd Favorite elder just after gore and shagaru wich my profile pic proves lol.

[@jacktheomnithere2127]

@@draw2death421 long time indeed. Downloaded Pokemon Unite and discovered that i can just join multiplayer in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (instead of the convoluted mess i expected). How 'bout you? And that's Chaotic Gore's picture.

[@draw2death421]

@@jacktheomnithere2127 coudnt choose wich i liked more so i went with a monster thats litereally both.

[@jacktheomnithere2127]

@@draw2death421 fair enough XD

[@vexbane]

I definitely did not expect this high of quality, excellent work! I hope you keep looking into the monster hunter series

[@gaius5901]

Your voice is so soothing man 😌

[@assimir1989]

I remember Fatalis from the old games, then I saw him in the anniversary portrait and I was like “GAME ON!” His fight in ice borne was the best fight I’ve ever had. Also had me on my toes non stop as I tried to find 3 seconds to play my songs to boost my teammates. Still love to fight him every now and then. I love the music as it tells you, “ your fighting something that will push you to your limits! “

[@gregotox]

I think the one thing the video missed is that for pretty much all other elder monsters I am taught after looking at em or reading a description from the hunting book that they are "legendary"(Elder) for some reason. The game has to convince me that these monsters are absolutely insane the same way pokemon has to try and convince me that legendary pokemons have the power to shape mountains etc when u never see stuff like that happen in any of the games (cinematics dont count). The reason why Fatalis feels legendary is not because the game taught me it is, but because centuries and piles of books and media describe a dragon precisely like it as a creature worthy of legend. While stuff like Kirin need backstory and some1 telling me they control storms for example, Fatalis is CONTEXTLESS. Fatalis needs no introduction because centuries of IRL folklore and legends already gave it to it.

[@hisholiness4537]

I personally think that it's the best and most faithful iteration of a dragon in gaming history, but that's obviously up for debate with other contenders like Grigori. But so far, for me, it's the best and most realistic interpretation of what fighting a beast of such enormous myth and legend would be like. He sets himself apart in virtually every aspect from moveset, designs philosophy, behavior, intelligence, and even personality, which gives it this otherworldly and sinister feel. Everything from its sound design, its scale distribution, its eyes (perpetual evil glare with a slight grin that makes it seem as tho he is more self aware than we think), and even the area in which he is in is made to emphasize his unique and terrible power and MASTERY over that power. Its roar that echoes for vast distances not only highlights the emptiness and barrenness of the surrounding area which used to be a bustling kingdom, but they also sound like they open a window to hell, with screams of fallen legends being heard who faced it but were not successful in their heroic endeavor. The weather changes for all ED's, but with Fatalis you especially feel this effect in its immediate surroundings where the air itself seems to be dry and red hot, further emphasizing the fact that he's head and shoulders above everything else. A higher being that did not need to evolve through self replication, because he's strong enough to actually force the environment to evolve around him! But with all that said, I think the most important part is that Fatalis is a work of passion from the devs. The fact that no extra money was to be earned, and no actual reason for them to hold back, they went through all the stops and delivered something that's the product of them studying the game and the fanbase's tactics for 3 years. And they were NOT afraid to make something worthwhile and authentic. They were not afraid of designing a puzzle that not even they were sure they could finish, but were confident that the fans can do it. That's a level of respect that not many devs have for their fans, with Bethesda being a good example of the opposite (at least with its story and lore). So yeah, I loved this fight. Has its problems, but I'd for sure like to see something like this more often.

[@thegameranch5935]

Unnatural history did a great video about kushala which explained all the mythos about the monster which also can be used for other elders

[@amatsu-ryu4067]

After watching this video, it's all coming back to me. The scales, blacker than the cosmos Those wings that seemed to swallow the light The tail, like a sliver of midnight The jaws wreathed in flame and teeth Those hellish roars, like a death knell but the worst part, the image that's burned in my mind for the rest of my hunting years. Those flames. By the Sapphire Star, *those flames...*

[@seifeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Fatalis has a special power actually: Having bullshit hitboxes.

[@Dnznxbebwushdn]

Yea but there was only one of them that I noticed, and its easily avoidable after you know about it.

[@s1n23]

He also has insane flicks. My guy can do a fucking 180 and one shot another person across the map lol

[@rudolfdirks9253]

Well, that was back in the day, now his hitboxes are fine

[@cooperlittlehales6268]

Yeah but they're only shit compared to alatreon's, which are the best in the franchise. His hitboxes are comparable to the rest of the roster, and you can take all of them down without being hit.

[@hisholiness4537]

The only bullshit hitbox is the tail. When in doubt, superman dive. His damn knee when he does his snap 'n drag attack is so cheeky tho

[@ryan4197]

Amazing video man, criminally underrated gem of a content creator

[@Dumb-Comment]

so nobody wants to talk about the haunting feeling of the "one-time use" gate of the ruined castle gives, makes you wonder if it was never used, what happened after they fell to have the gate left intact.

[@hariman7727]

The courtyard is moderately intact... but the castle is ruined. *This wasn't the only gate.* This was the only gate that SURVIVED.

[@Don-ds3dy]

Bit off topic, perhaps what could classify a "wyvern" as a dragon is its use of wings as frontal appendages when its landed. Ex, Rathians keep their wings off the ground and are wyverns, but the dragons in skyrim use their wings as appendages when landed.

[@KeterHirameki]

I'd say Fatalis was also the perfect ending for MHW, not only it's an extremely rewarding fight for the most skilled players but also the perfect way of thanking long time fans of the series. If what Capcom said is actually true, Fatalis wasn't even planned to be in the game at all but after all the hype they got when the MH anniversary poster got released, and Fatalis was there, they simply made the effort to live up to that hype with a major free update (seriously, which other AAA company ever did this?). I doubt that was a financially good decision since the game was already at the very end of it's life, but the sheer amount of respect they got from all of us is really beyond anything I've ever seen. Take note EA, Ubisoft, Blizzard, etc...

[@marksasoldier]

I cried when I realized proof of hero playing was a reward just for setting off the nator. We lost hard but them tears were blinding me.

[@jolly_oh_golly8443]

I wasn't ready for you to start playing proof of a hero, now I'm gonna try to beat alatreon again with new motivation

[@Anilomu]

Fighting and finally beating Fatalis was one of the best feelings ever. All the hunts, all the preperation for the grand final battle.

[@Atoll-ok1zm]

I've never gotten the same feeling MH gives from another game. Souls likes might make you dance with a boss, but MH makes you dance with a wild animal.

[@samurottman6832]

Love this video! The quality is really good and the points in the vid we're conveyed very well

[@dragontamer1012]

God, I remember when I first beat Fatalis, I was determined that I'd beat Fatalis and Alatreon both solo, and I did, it felt amazing to finally take down the Black Dragon on my own, I remember being so hyped about it after all the times I died, or just timed out because bad DPS

[@hariman7727]

I'm pretty sur e my neighbors heard me cackling when I FINALLY got my first solo Fatalis victory. It took at least a month, because I'd take a couple years of break, and had to blow the rust off of my skills to git gud enough to beat him, but MAN was it worth it.

[@Pvt_Kyle]

Goosebumps when proof of hero starts... Ahhh the memories the nightmare

[@mutantraze3681]

I'd still love a tempered or just a special Fatalis thays harder with some better loot. Something like Fatalis but his blue flames stay no matter what and like 10 or 15k more health.

[@mohammadsaleem5990]

Play monster hunter generations ultimate and fight white and crimson fatalis

[@hariman7727]

That's something to hopefully get in Monster Hunter 6.

[@PlaySDolittle]

Good lord I wasn't expecting this MUCH quality. Amazing video!

[@DrVella]

Saw the low sub count, noticed the effort, so im now part of the low sub count

[@tamago9026]

This video has been absolutely blowing up lately. All the better, the recognition is greatly deserved. Can't wait to see your next vids!

[@jadebrimhall9173]

Fatalis represents the refine and polish that the series is known for at it's best!

[@Valzack]

Just beat him today for the first time and I gotta say, this is one of the best boss fights in gaming history. When Proof of a Hero kicked in I had shivers up my spine, props to CAPCOM with this game. Doing the fight with randoms adds up tremendously, randomly clicking with complete strangers in a coordinated effort to take him down feels like winning the lottery.

[@oneepicsans3530]

I remember this time because of how FREAKING hard it was to kill it at first took me about 100+ tires to kill him but after killing him and one u have got the weapons and armor he's not as hard as before he can still three or two shot u if you don't got the right setup of skils but not as hard mostly because of the 3 level 4 deco slots in EACH armor allowing for insane builds and the high damage of the wepons.

[@merlinforet5541]

I just beat Fatalis this month in MHW Iceborne and this video literally had all the feels I felt when I beat it.

[@whisperofthebookworm5341]

Y’all are like, “It’s such a beautiful and simplistic fight! I nearly cried during proof of a hero and the lore surrounding Fatalis is amazing.” Meanwhile my team after beating fatalis…. *Teabags furiously* “SUCK ON DEEZ NUTS FATALIS”

[@ZAPRST8879]

Can't blame them if they kept getting one shot by fatalis

[@powerless_imp0682]

He’s not just another dragon. He’s THE dragon.

[@lukeroberson2115]

The monsters in this game are designed to survive. Humans are designed to thrive. Fatalis is designed to dominate

[@BearinBG]

This is such a well written/spoken video! Really enjoyed it. Despite being a fan of MH for a long time, I've never truly gotten into the lore and the explanation between the designs makes a ton of sense. The thoughts they put into designing these creatures is precisely why the creatures just feel... alive and believable.

[@kitchengun1175]

to be fair what you look like doesn't matter when you're a creature whose sole driving purpose is a hatred for mankind and all life

[@samieltheinfamous]

In the lore, it's a hatred of all non-dragon life. I always thought it'd be cool to see Fatalis go up against a suped- up Ruinergi, seeing as how one is trying to murder the world for crimes against elder dragons, and the other exists to keep elder dragons in check.

[@matasa7463]

@@samieltheinfamous Nah, Nerg ain't dumb enough to try that. He knows the only ending to that is incineration.

[@skyyyy_2203]

every monster : does elemental damage* needs elemental to be countered* can deflect ur weapon if it sucks to penetrate all through* fatalis : BLOCK MY FIRE BREATH BISH

[@moonraven6145]

He's just a goddamn Dragon, that's why he worked even though there're other "Dragon" like monsters in MH's world.

[@zeroo_oone]

I'd like to add that the only brief pauses you get during the Fatalis flame attacks are still made to be very stressful. During the first one, your character looks extremely small, like it's about to drown in this ocean of flame. Visually speaking, it is very interesting as the only things you see are your character and Fatalis power, yet you can't see Fatalis, he's "absent" from the scene and still manages to obliterate everything (if he kept up with his attack the hunters would've died too). The second time this happens, the hunters take shelter behind a massive door. The Fatalis flames, from what you can see bounce of the door. Then it starts melting. This gives of the feeling that the Fatalis will pierce any defense, that nowhere is safe from his flames. You can never really rest during this fight, even when the fatalis is knocked out, since you always feel like you didn't do enough damages to his head