Flying Wyvern Ecology : Barioth in Monster Hunter

As the local predator of the tundra, it's pretty clear from the outside barioth has adapted to a mountain life. But inner adaptations may have as much of a sway on it's behaviour and ecology too.
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[@latrodectusmactans7592]

Some traits I’m surprised you didn’t go over - The wing spikes and their importance in climbing and navigating a slippery environment - The “snow goggles” Barioth uses to shield its eyes from sunlight - The eye color changing when Barioth gets enraged - The “dewlap” on Iceborne Barioth Honestly, there’s a surprising amount to talk about for Barioth, and you did a really good job of discussing a monster you don’t like.

[@jameswilliams2075]

Well the dewlap is a trait found in fully mature male big cats and show sexual maturity it is also possible that it is lose skin to help with the tornado making in lore they use there spiral shaped windpipe to cause the twister its possible it will expand to alow the pressure needed for a powerfull blast and stretches the skin out like a frog when singing

[@tomm8218]

I really love the detail with the small spikes under his feet, arms and wings. I feel like it grounds him more in icy regions

[@draw2death421]

And his habit of jumping on walls and bouncing the hunter went also un mentioned even tho that was one of the things that made him unique in the older games

[@jameswilliams2075]

@@draw2death421 well in the context of the vid he did say that's was barioths hunting strategy

[@louzerk2662]

@@draw2death421 iirc Gigginox had wall interactions as well, same gen.

[@redheadriot11]

im not sure if mentioned before, and maybe i should watch the whole video before commenting, if he mentions ill edit... Tigrex actually have a barbed tounge like felines, visible in its world:IB model (and mentioned in a teacommonshark vid) that would suggest its adapted to basically grind muscle tissue off of bone

[@davidegaruti2582]

24:50 that mother cheeta must have gone to valhalla , she just did well

[@austinames9340]

One of my toughest fights in Iceborne. My question is: Given males use their tusks for display, could there be some kind of sexual dimorphism between males and females? I know the game models don't look like it, but it's interesting to ask

[@brisingrdragon7573]

I really like the idea of some cultures keeping Barioth as a sign of status. I wonder if Barioth are sometimes are given as malicious gifts to kingdoms or nobles who can't afford one, similar to the gifting of a white elephant in Thailand. If Barioth are considered sacred in some way, the recipient would inevitably suffer from the drain on their resources by a Barioth they can't get rid of for fear of retribution.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Really nice idea. A sickly barioth being viewed as a king’s failing and leading to the public and other nobles losing faith in them.

[@GodpraisethePALANTINE]

@@unnaturalhistorychannelnd having a frostfang barioth in a rare season for them, or a strong barioth being a sigh or success and high amounts of dominance and power. And the ability to rule without fear or fail.

[@kennethsatria6607]

Damn I didn't know that was a thing that happens

[@atlander4204]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@kennethsatria6607 A white (albino) elephant was considered so sacred that it was the mount of gods and depicted on the seal of Laos. Real white elephants had to be treated like living gods-constantly cleaned, sleeping on massive silk cushions, eating only the finest food, and of course being exempt from all labor. The kings that owned white elephants were seen as blessed by the gods, but could also weaponize this blessing. If the king wanted to make a powerful noble poor in a hurry, he would “bestow this divine favor” that was impossible to get rid of without offending both the king and the gods. It’s where we get “white elephant gift exchanges”: giving impractical and silly gifts as a party game.

[@carlosmartinez2370]

I'm still surprised this channel hasn't soared up more in popularity, it's and incredibly well crafted structure doe the videos, with a simple way of showing the research, giving it a solid foundation, not just someone talking smack, really love this videos, hope you can keep them up for long 👏

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Thank you so much - and plenty more to come!

[@tinglemcdingle2767]

I very much agree to this!

[@pathfindersavant3988]

Agreed, its a good channel and the videos make me feel like I'm back in Undergrad taking "Principles of Big Game Ecology" again. These videos actually feel like what ecological lectures in the MonHun universe would actually be like

[@atdeigo1415]

I like this channel alot but this kind of content doesn't go popular its a niche and the type of channel to get subscribers and retain them over a long gradual time while quality content usually takes longer to bloom but bloom it will

[@Brokenkeyboard279]

His videos are really good

[@thenerdbeast7375]

Barioth and Sand Barioth reminds me of how the same adaptations that allowed camels to thrive in arid climates also allowed them to survive in polar ones during the last ice age.

[@johncronk8867]

This comment reminded me that Camels are surprisingly good swimmers despite being desert animals.

[@isaiahparker1781]

One of the best channels for monster design I have seen. Keep it up man!

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

More on the way!

[@DorritoFries]

"So I'd be lying if I said I really like Barioth, but ...... thanks for watching" 🤣🤣🤣 Love your content, It is always interesting to hear your analysis and opinions!

[@romeobelisario3190]

For Desert Barioth, they actually have a Gammoth calf equivalent for end of rearing hunts in the form of Rust Duramboros

[@cro-magnoncarol4017]

I literally just learned Rust Duramboros existed through this comment...

[@unicorntomboy9736]

Please do Tigrex next. I love how it's a foil to Nargacuga in almost every respect I also find it fascinating how it can thrive in both extreme heat and extreme cold ecosystems with wide open spaces (which it seems to prefer compared to temperate environments) which seems like an enigma to me, in addition to being an opportunistic scavenger as well as being an active hunter which explains why it was found in the Rotten Vale

[@greenking9124]

That’s literally the teaser for next time at the end of the video

[@unicorntomboy9736]

@@greenking9124 In that case what about Seltas? The best real world comparison is the Asian Giant Hornet

[@xdsmile5359]

I hope he looks into lagombu it's various inspiration

[@Sunaki1000]

I would enjoy Akantor and Ukanlos.

[@Sunaki1000]

@@unicorntomboy9736 You sure? I thought its more a Heracles Beetle whit some Wanze mixed in.

[@dichotomusprime6646]

I was surprised to see this show up on my Feed after knowing how much you don't dig Barioth from way back in the Q&A. It's honestly a testament to the quality of the work you do that you were not only willing to dig so far into a design that's really not your cup of tea, and find pretty reasonable explanations for how those things could contribute to a monsters ecology in a grounded fashion. Cheers mate, you show once again why this is one of my favorite channels to watch on YT.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Much appreciated! I may not be a fan of barioth but I feel I gave him a fair enough shake.

[@g1sunstreaker584]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel I'm not really a fan of him, either--his design just doesn't really feel coherent. It's just a sabertooth head on a tigrex.

[@atlander4204]

I’m a massive Barioth fan, more than any other pseudo wyvern…but then again, I started playing in 4U and only met Barioth in Iceborne where I fell in love with his ice wall flips. …that being said I’m still traumatized by the time Tigrex chain-charged me into a wall in area 4 of the Ancestral Steppe. 😅

[@aeyelashbug6311]

The sand barioth is similar to how camels first evolved in the Arctic but those same adaptations that helped them there in the cold now make them very good desert survivors.

[@atlander4204]

Barioth is my favorite Pseudowyvern of the trip and you can’t change my mind. The grace, the wall flips, the striking amber tusks against stark white…it’s just so cool (heh) to me. He seems like a much better fit for the ice maps than Tigrex does. Of course, I started in fourth Gen, so I never met him in his original Tri form, and I got the glorious W:IB introduction.

[@bluetextwhitebackground9585]

These videos have changed the ways I design creatures and also look at monsters in the game. I hope it never ends, keep up the fantastic work.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Glad to hear I'm of service!

[@Voc_spooksauce]

Glad you take other perspectives and realism into your designs, all of the greatest artists do that :)

[@sharplosion1]

As a Tribab I obviously never had that 'replacement' feeling Tri's monsters had towards older ones. Back then I always found Barioth to be an interesting fight. It's one of the first time I ever noticed part-breaking effecting the fight, in how Barioth begins to slip around on the ice once you break the wings, showing their importance in it's ecology through the fight. Also how he'll actually make attempts to ambush the player upon entering a new zone, something I don't think any other monster really does. I remember feeling that he became incredibly nerfed after Tri once they gave him that awkward hip-check that seems to be a staple of his moveset now. Also wish they'd give normal Barioth the tornado-riding that Sand Barioth has if they aren't going to bring Sand back too. Overall I think all of the Pseudo-wyverns are mid-tier in terms of how much I like them. They all have their strengths and weaknesses to me, but I feel like I probably would put Barioth above the other two, but it's an incredibly close choice.

[@sevirakalau2171]

Honestly, I wish they all had more unique things about them pointed out more. Barioth slipping when his wings are broken is great. And since narga has such sensitive hearing it'd be cool if when it's face is broken and one eye is closed it relies more on its hearing and is more easily spooked by sonic bombs. Have tigrex trip more often when running around after having it's tail cut off. Also make narga hide when it gets to an area and isn't attacked/engaged. That way when the hunter gets there it can pounce out at them(this can be a new "super" move for it.) give barioth back his ambush if he enters an rea u are already in (if the environment allows).

[@ekosubandie2094]

@@sevirakalau2171 I kinda wish that by breaking Tigrex claws it would make it a bit harder to perform sharp turn while doing triple charge or slip after charge + 360 spin attack though

[@sevirakalau2171]

@@ekosubandie2094 ohhh that's also good, write that down write that down!

[@Xuphilo_CHSM]

@@sevirakalau2171 Nargacuga has sensitive hearing? But sonic bombs aren’t effective against him. I checked before fighting him in rise after the last time it gave me useless sonic bombs.

[@sevirakalau2171]

@@Xuphilo_CHSM yes normally loud noises aren't enough to stun it because it only fully utilizes it's hearing during ambushes or sneak attacks, the exception is during pounces. If you throw a sonic bomb at a narga while it's preparing to pounce it will flinch them and then they will get pissed off and rage (it would rage in the older games anyway, I only did the sonic bomb trick once in iceborne and then didn't do it again so idk if it rages instantly like before)

[@DawnTyrantEo]

While the serrations might be useful for shear-feeding, the length and great flexibility of its neck could imply that Barioth might be doing something a little different. Sabre-toothed animals tend to have weak bites (partially due to the large gape requiring stretchy rather than powerful jaw muscles), but a long, powerful neck, serrated weapons and a relatively weak bite do fit another animal- allosauroids. Allosauroid theropods have a neck and skull setup that allows for incredibly powerful tugging motions, with their weak bites merely getting a grip for neck-driven slashing and evisceration. Barioth's sabre teeth seem relatively unspecialised for puncturing, have a serrated surface, wouldn't be as effective for stabbing due to diverging rather than aligning vertically like a smilodont or thalaccosmilid (potentially resulting in damaging horizontal stresses if there's too much resistance , e.g if they hit bone), would be further weakened by the relatively shallow roots (the eye socket meaning most of the tooth is exposed rather than having very large roots like most carnivores), and are much deeper anteriorly than a normal sabre-tooth (implying much greater strength in the forwards-back plane than a normal sabretooth). Together, that all suggests to me that that they might be using them in a similar fashion to carcharodontosaurs rather than smilodonts- using their teeth to pierce and tear or eviscerate, rather than precision-puncture, albeit with Barioth's sabre-teeth being for much more localised deep-tissue tearing due to the obvious stabbiness. (Also, just because I tend to ramble about alternate hypotheses rather than commenting on the video itself- your content is superb, keep it up! It's a joy to see a channel that's not only stating its sources, and not only referring to the literature, but actually being able to relay information directly in a way that's interesting and digestible for a casual audience. And with the ecological theories themselves, there's always a lot more in these videos that I can't critique versus the stuff I do ramble about!)

[@wildmoose6934]

Pfft imagine having the Barioth be your favourite monster- (couldn’t be me, nah, no way, never, UNIMAGINABLE-) 😅

[@andrewcrowley6331]

Totally agree with you on the goofy ahh head design. The mouth doesn't even look big enough to open wide enough to use the fangs for biting, and the placement of the fangs is really awkward too. Side note, I love how this channel not only is great for lore and spec evo, but can teach stuff about real life biology. For example, I had no idea there were places where Leopards and Snow Leopards actually coexist and interact in the wild.

[@dariusrose9909]

Could you maybe do Gravios or Uragaan next. Those guys have an interesting ecology wise as being the giant herbivores/mineral eaters of the volcanic regions. Also they have no natural predators (besides Akantor). Even Uragaan back in the Tri Encyclopedia used to be a formidable force that even Deviljho ignored. Guess Iceborne ignored that.

[@AxisChurchDevotee]

Iceborne retconed things like Lunastra being stronger than Teostra so it's not surprising that got retconed as well.

[@dr.masiaka7048]

Too bad MH generally cares more about its carnivores(and the blos bros) than anything else.

[@johncronk8867]

I mean, the slather-on explosives of Brachydios are the optimal way to deliver concussive trauma to armored targets. A thing to note about the Urugaan in the cutscene is that it looks pretty undamaged aside from obviously being dazed, so the Brachydios likely did it in via repeated concussions. (Or as I prefer to call it, performing amateur brain surgery with your fists and proxies.)

[@alejandroelluxray5298]

Deviljho it's poorly equiped to handle such a huge armored wyvern like Uragaan, but with it's explosive slime and pile driver arms, Brachydios could effectively perform hit and run tactics against it to weaken break the armor of Uragaan to then consume it as seen in Iceborne

[@dariusrose9909]

@@johncronk8867 I know this a late response. I'm more talking about Ebony Odagaron. I think a Brachydios can beat an Uragaan but it would probably be a pyrrhic victory, as it is still a massive and powerful wyvern (probably even being heavier than Deviljho). Even in the old encyclopedias animals like Agnaktor, Brachydios and Deviljho were said to be the monsters that avoided it, since it's a large and very territorial wyvern.

[@Cosmosis401]

I always found it funny how Barioth is the only one of the "pseudo wyvern" that can fly properly. Anyways; another banger video as always. Keep it up!👍

[@wild_skelly_ph]

I wonder why everyone ignores the fact old world Nargacuga and tigrex can fly hm?

[@cro-magnoncarol4017]

Tigrex can still canonically fly, it just looked so stupid they basically retconned it...

[@Sorrelhas]

I miss Iceborne Barioth, coked out of his mind Dude straight up waveshined through the map

[@VincenzoStudios]

Poor Barioth really is stuck in an awkward middle ground, but Iceborne really made me appreciate him a lot more as you said. Frostfang in particular is probably my favorite of the Pseudo-Wyverns, he truly feels like the lord of the deep tundra and a definite design upgrade to standard Barioth, imo. Surprised that you didn't mention Sand Barioth's weird habit of using it's prey's blood to cool itself down, hence the red face. I've tried to see if that came from any actual animal, but I've come up a short.

[@GunlessSnake]

I started with MH3, so Barioth has always been my favourite. His sabre-tooth design and blend of wyvern shell and furry mammal always just worked for me compared to Nargacuga and Tigrex. I absolutely love the little touches to how his visuals change to suit the environment, namely his eyes in dark and light. Also, I find the frequency of hot/cold weather Monsters switching to the opposite spectrum with their various Subspecies to be extremely fascinating. Blangonga, Agnaktor, Barioth, Zamtrios, etc., all made the jump from one temperature extreme to the other. I wonder if it's a matter of using their innate insulation against one weather extreme and adapting it to cover the opposite spectrum, and what kind of Elder Dragons may be responsible for influencing the environment in such ways for populations to be isolated to such an extent.

[@Kroq-gar]

To be honest Barioth never made sense to me, Tigrex and Nargacuga seems to cover what Barioth does, Tigrex being stronger and Nargacuga being extremely stealthy.

[@brmorde8754]

That start of the video regarding the tribal worship of monsters Is something I wish we got more of from Capcom Though likely not mentioned because it's not the focused but like I mentioned in the discord I feel like many tribes or villages would rever the various monsters and may take up the cultural of painting themselves in the colours of the monsters they wish to channel the power up. Meanwhile like you mentioned the kings would probably only ever rever the monster so far as they act as a status symbols. That or using them as a national symbol such as a bazelgeuse for an industrial kingdom known for its artillery I guess tldr I want to see more of the human society living in this world 😭

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Apparently one tribe mentioned in Rise worship anjanath. I also love these tidbits and really want more of them in the future + deeper looks into culture.

[@brmorde8754]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel it unironically wouldn't be that difficult assuming royalty like to ego stroke as much as the royalty in our world like to their national monster would be everywhere hell elgado could have had banners with a gu icon of whatever monster represented their kingdom, could have even had a passing mentioned that their kingdom was founded on the land where the first king slayed a powerful beast (probably some elder dragon) Much like you mentioned tid bits of the world is all that we need.

[@BoneReaperLagiallosaurus]

I really hope the Three Lords are next because they are already my favorite trio and also the fact that they have a very interesting ecology.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

One of them is a vampire dragon that can teleport

[@xdsmile5359]

Yeah I'm excited

[@draw2death421]

The teaser was for tigrex tho so no they arent next

[@mpo48]

He doesn't care about rise so don't get your hopes up on hearing anything positive at all about it from him.

[@wichiewamirez5599]

The most down to earth of the three is the giant monkey. The other designs are kinda ridiculous

[@OllieDust]

These videos give me so much random knowledge about the animal kingdom and makes me realise that a lot of the time real life is more awesome than fiction, thanks for putting all that research in!

[@Frosthawk2815]

I started with tri so my love for barioth definetly comes from a biased place, but there are parts of his design that I didnt like at first that really grew on me like his squinty eyes being reminicent of inuit snow goggles to limit bright light exposure during the day but I agree he could have done with a little bit of snow leopard inspiration. I also really like sand barioth, the blue colour of their fangs likely coming from copper found in carapaceon blood which sand barioth using its tusks is uniquely situated to penetrate their protective shells. Barioth like narga and most cats are likely nocturnal hunters and the desert being cold at night was what I thought would be perfect for a population of barioth, polar regions technically being deserts due to their lack of moisture too likely meant barioth could have more easily adapted to a true sandy desert region. But I also like your frostfang ice age idea for their origin as frostfang was definetly as highlight of iceborne for me personally.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

The blue tusks coming from carapaceon blood is a very nice idea!

[@RubyCarrots3232]

When I first saw Barioth as a kid, it felt like I was facing the king of the Ice fields and to this day I've had a soft spot for this monster. I am excited to watch this when I have the time, on another note I'd love to see a video on Lunagaron or especially my favorite bird wyvern Yian Garuga.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

Yain Garuga is canonically one of the most intelligent and cunning monsters, aside from higher elder dragons. It is as smart as real world Ravens

[@RubyCarrots3232]

@@unicorntomboy9736 It's wit likely plays a major part in its ferocity in a fight as well.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

@@RubyCarrots3232 It would have been cool if Yain Garuga could mimic Human speech like Ravens have been seen to do

[@bignelly9476]

A new unatural history upload. My day is ever so slightly brighter

[@obambagaming1467]

I would like to see a video about Narkarkos. Out of all bigger elder dragons, it is probably the one with most information on it's lifestyle, prey and predators.

[@sethfakelastname]

This has got to be my favorite biology/paleobiology content, period. I’ve learned so much about these topics from this channel. It’s really given me a new lens to look at speculative biology in fiction. Always rush to watch new videos when I see the notifications. Keep up the amazing work!

[@draw2death421]

Barioth did have his own gimic aswell! He could use his envirioment to attack you by jumping from walls to bounce at you.

[@cyrylo1452]

Once i was watching Ark Survival Evolve with the MHW mods and the guy said that Barioth looks more like a walrus than a Sabertooth cat. It had been always on my mind since, mostly because Walruses use their tusk sometimes to pull themself on to icecaps to rest. Perhaps Barioth does something simmiler but instead of pulling themself from water it is used for climbing like natural moutain climing equipment.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Ouch. “Getting the negatives out of the way first” and then ending the video before you said anything positive. Ice cold.

[@bloodykenshiro8218]

Barioth is one of my favorite designs. Beautiful and regal. I'm also a big fan of Goss Harag, another monster that lives in the cold.

[@OldGreyGryphon]

18:05 Now THAT is a story prompt! Not to mention a great aphorism for the world. “Are you serious?” “As a fangless Barioth.” Edit: Idiom! Not aphorism. Sorry.

[@XmortoxX1990]

I also think Iceborne did wonders to Barioth. Easily the best iteration of the monster so far.

[@yikes6969]

More like the worst. So bad they had to add frostfang to stone for it.

[@brownbaron7179]

Your videos have started to influence how I think even when not playing Monster Hunter. I was playing Elden Ring the other day and wondering what was controlling the populations of giant crustaceans living in seemingly every body of water, then realizing the dragons that are almost always found living near such areas probably do so specifically to prey on them.

[@LaughingMask257]

Love your videos! They really make me sit and say, “Huh, now that I think about that, it works out!” Would love to see your take on the Seltas Queen and Seltas! They seem to be interesting, due to their subspecies adaption with paralysis!

[@The_PokeSaurus]

Happy to know Tigrex is next. But I wanna say I agree that Barioth's design looks kinda half-assed, it's just kind of a generic wyvern with saber teeth that don't even fit its skull. Pretty underwhelming for a saber tooth cat analog.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Sadly so!

[@Wash-tq7ed]

Barioth!!! LETS GOOOOO

[@josecoronadonieto6911]

Between Nargacuga and Barioth, Barioth always seemed to be more feline, Nargs seem more lizardly with how flexible their tail is and how important as a weapon it is for them, as an aside, i see likely than adolescent or sub-adult Barioth commit haemophagy of the fresh kills when still around their mothers, both for it's higher caloric need, since they are still growing, and to allow for a greater mass of iron to be used in their fangs as they grow.

[@cyan_2877]

Barrioth could be more competent at duraphagy given its iron tusks, I mean beavers are able to eat wood during the winter. I'm also surprised how you didn't mention that Barrioth uses its front claws like ice skates to quickly traverse over flat land.

[@VashimuXIV]

I feel I’m in a minority of people that likes Barioth more than Tigrex, but I can’t help but adore the big snow kitten. Though I can’t help but admire how much work you put into these research pieces and theorizing what makes the monsters work scientifically. Cheers.

[@thedappercritter6644]

It literally just hit me that Barioth has too much going on with their design and their moveset. That said, I still enjoyed hearing you discuss how applicable big cat behaviour is to Barioth as is. With your comments about the flapping along with the design of the skull, I wonder if Barioth would have worked any better as a fanged beast. Fun fact: That beauty at 29:39 King drew is a prototype Gigan he created as part of a commission for our WIP Godzilla fic, Chaos Theory! You can follow either of our tumblrs for updates if you're into that sort of thing.

[@lilturtleandshell3690]

It's interesting because I find Tigrex boring as he'll I really don't like that monster and nargacuga is cool but I just se barioth as better nargacuga and a comfortable tigrex in 1 monster and he's design I just think it's superior than the other 2 narga being as good maybe a little less but yeah barioth is just better in my opinion but again it's just preference

[@toadart4232]

As a person interested in biology, but not really versed in it. I sincerely enjoy your spin on the monsters ecology. However one perceives this franchise, or the individual fights/designs, I find new attachment points of appreciation towards the whole from this type of narration. I genuinely think of Barioth in new light after listening and it further makes me want to see a monster hunter game where you are more of a explorer/scientist rather than a hunter. Allowing you as a player to study unique animal behaviours. Maybe requiring to recruit hunters to protect you or whatever. Appreciated, thanks for your hard work!

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Always love hearing such things; thank you!

[@harrisongodzilla]

Great video on the saber-toothed wyvern! While I do like Barioth as he was my first major wall in Iceborne, I do agree that he should have a bigger head to accommodate his large tusks. Additionally, I think Barioth drew the short stick when it came to copy-and-pasted turf wars. While SOME copy-and pasted turf wars are fine in my opinion and his turf war with Fulgur is great, I don’t think Legiana has the brute strength to lift Barioth like how Rathalos does with Nargacuga and it would be curtains for Ebony Odo if Barioth bit down on him like how Tigrex does. Speaking of Fulgur, I would think Fuglur may be another kleptoparasite of Barioth much like how you suggested Anjanath is with Nargacuga. Although, I'd imagine Barioth's more robust build may help him dispel Fulgur much easier than in Narga's case.

[@scorpiopede]

Once again a great video. While its design could have used some touch ups, the wings and sabers definitely being weak points, I've always loved this monster and its lore and ecology has always been really well thought out with new monsters in each gen helping to flesh out its prey and competitor species.

[@professorsimosuchus7954]

Another aspect of barioth life history could be that since the young lack the masive tusks, maybe their dentition varies from juvenile to adult in more ways, and juveniles are able to proces a carcass more eficiently and thus juice every kill by their mother for all it is worth at the cost of being comparatively poor hunters once they grew enough to acompany their mother on hunts

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Excellent point!

[@blackhammer5035]

I'd certainly agree on Barioth peaking in Iceborne. One of my favorite fights in that game, among the few I have distinct memories for the first hunt, and possibly the only one that isn't an elder. Fighting him in a cramped cave, where his rushes and wall bounces were at their best, was quite the experience. The head is definitely too small compared to the sabres.

[@odd-eyedduelist2735]

The bit about the Menagrie and Barioth's place in them was very interesting and that kind of "culture role" of monsters really isn't something I think about often! It reminds me of how you touched on how hunting Monoblos may be seen as a rite of passage within certain cultures/the cultural weight placed upon him.

[@danielg2967]

I've probably watched each of your videos 3 times and I'll probably go back and watch them again.. Great work

[@stormerjc9493]

You've really helped explain Barioths saber tusks but for me I've always felt this his tusks where a bit excessive, they are so big and go far past the jaw line even when fully open and they just didn't look functional to me, which is a shame cuz there is concept art in illustrations 2 where there's a Barioth with smaller more functional saber teeth that looked much far more functional, as they are the teeth like like someone took 2 kitchen knives and shoved them in his face

[@gabrieljvelez-perez9275]

It’s interesting how underrated this apex monster is within the series. The role in its given environment and the way it lives is quite interesting, and quite a representative as to how these creatures aren’t far-off from those on Earth. One interesting fact that has just occurred to me is that another use for his breath; is that he uses it on smaller creatures and let the biting cold or the impact of the ground make a swift kill. Evidenced by his intro with Great Izuchi and his pack members.

[@healexhelixvideos4680]

Having come across Barioth before Nargacuga and Tigrex in my journey, I did feel that it was a good middle ground between Narg' & Tigrex. Every part break on Bari' feels like it has a major contribution to the fight, which can't be said of most monsters who have a similar number of breaks. (Plus the weapons look fantastic.) That said, the tornados definitely feel tacked on, but I understand the design choice for giving Sand Bari' a better vantage point to attack from.

[@ashenesoterica]

Not to mention that, unlike Qurupeco and Uragaan, the monsters Barioth was meant to stand in for *were still in the frickin' game* and who both got subspecies in said generation (although Tigrex was only in P3rd, not Tri/3U, curiously; maybe they didn't add it to 3U for this reason). So that kind of makes the argument even more fair. Honestly, even if I can't refute the logic of your criticisms of it (and don't really want to, because, well, it's all very fair to point out; especially that atrocious skull anatomy), I really like Barioth. The way its face resembles an oni mask, almost like a Hannya, kinda just tickles the weeb in me. Also it's neat to see that some of its concept art may have been the precursor for good ol' Legiana. I have to admit though, I'm not sure about the end of its tail, and it does kind of feel like a detraction to the design overall. Digging implement? Built-in tableware (maybe as a sub-option for pulling organs out if the fangs are lost)? Useful for creating ventilation for burrows? Maybe the weirdo two-prong thing is a flight stabilizer (doesn't look like it'd work well for that, though)? Some or all of the above like a butt-attached Omniwrench? Or someone just went "hmm, not kewl enuff" and threw it in, either or. But otherwise, the fight itself has always been one of my favorites. Back in third gen it didn't irritate me like Nargacuga did (ffs backhops for days), and it had a better flow than Freedom Unite Tigrex. Though yeah, the tornados are pretty bullshit. Not to deal with in gameplay, just in terms of ecology. It could've been interesting if the Sand version used the remnants of its frost sac to futz with the desert's air pressure, and thereby it wouldn't be usable at night, but creating a whirlwind that powerful'd still be too magical in nature. (That, plus, well. Frost sacs in general. And it wouldn't excuse the polar version's usage of them either.)

[@LonesomeDevil]

Even if there are some monster designs you like a lot less than others, it's still appreciated that you give an honest try at analysing them regardless. Even if I don't always perfectly agree with you, I never actually get mad, because I got to watch a great video regardless. Although I'm not specifically a big Barioth fan here, it does hold some nostalgic value to me as it was the first monster back in Tri which made me try out the Lance, because I wasn't able to beat it otherwise with my ultra-awful GS plays. And it's still my main weapon to this day.

[@evodolka]

i never understood the hurricanes, like at all probably why i like Frostfang most, he just shoots ice cannons that have IMPACT, none of this tornado stuff

[@Direblade11]

About liking Barioth: Tri was my first game. I got so stuck on Barioth that I just had to farm it as best I could, it was my first big accomplishment feeling as a hunter. I will love this monster more than any other. I want a tattoo of it

[@beastmaster0934]

27:00 I wouldn’t be surprised if they just took the head of this concept art, and then created Lagombi around it.

[@justaguyandadog2984]

Hmmmm, could you try some ARK survival evolved? In particular the aberrant creatures and the extinction titans, it could be interesting

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

Okay so there is one point of contention I have. Barioth should be fine with frozen kills evem if it doesn't like it. It spits ice at monsters and its wings have club-like features. Considering its face, teeth and claws can take its body weight slamming down into the ice to break it, and it similarly will bash with the wing even if the ice doesn't always break, a barioth with broken sabers should be able to pin or skewer monsters from the air on the ice, and then smash them apart quickly. The serrations in its claws that normally grip ice should help somewhat while the saber teeth theoretically grow back, letting it be more messy and take longer, but theoretically getting the same food in the end. Consequently to this moment I spent considering, I remember his tail is also a club but is less frequently used. But the true consequence is I think a barioth could claim the brains of its prey even if it would take too long to eat the whole head. The aforementioned club features and the puncturing from the sabers to soften up the area, these might mean a hard-headed beast isn't too safe from a hungry Barioth.

[@powerbalancevathelastkitsu2504]

I actually love Barioth. I like the idea of sabertooth cat wyvern. I prefer him over the other too. But I guess I'm a extreme anomaly. Also..... You can't just leave us on "But ....."

[@shadyoak1899]

When you said "I would be lying if I said I liked Barrioth but-" an advertisement cut you off. I thought this was intentional and the end of the video for a second. Not your thing to do but it was funny in the moment.

[@Yutyrant95]

"The King's Wyvern" is such a great title. I'm surprised they haven't touched on monster collections more in-game

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

They’re used a fair amount for quest descriptions in the earlier games but not much more comes of if

[@stronghold325]

Great video! I honestly agree with you at lot on Barioth, both in how it hunts and it’s design. It’s not awful, but it is quite awkward and doesn’t feel as fast or agile as they wanted it to be. I’m looking forward to Tigrex next time! Out of curiosity, has your opinion on any of the other snow or ice based monsters you’ve covered changed at all? Would also be curious to hear your thoughts on Lagombi too.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Hm, I wouldn't say so. Most times my opinion stays fairly constant by the time I make the video, but with certain monsters much earlier in the series history I've changed my thoughts on them like seregios.

[@stronghold325]

​@@unnaturalhistorychannel That’s fair. Just thought I'd ask. Thanks! I really loved the videos you did on my own favorite monsters, so I’m really excited to finally get to see you cover your own favorite monster!

[@edwardkravchuk5659]

Make a video on Eruzerion.

[@houstonhenleyiv3218]

With the mention of barioth potentially being viewed with high status in some cultures, it brought up the idea of the domestication of monsters in the monster hunter world to my mind, which reminds me of a quest in base world where a researcher lost a pet and wants you to capture an odogaron for him. I remember trying my best to avoid breaking parts in that quest lol. I can see that working in favor of the consistency for odogaron in the series as enough odogaron being captured and bred in captivity would result in a captive population as opposed to being exclusive to the rotten vale with enough escaped individuals starting a feral population in some areas. Success may vary. I don’t mind personally if odogaron is exclusive to the rotten vale or becomes an at least partially domesticated species as well as the first known species to be invasive due to humans, as although it’s a very interesting monster its not necessarily a favorite monster to me, regardless the idea of the domestication of large monsters is a very interesting one and can provide excellent lore and world building and I would like to see something along those lines in the series.

[@10100viperman]

comment for the algorithm

[@bingbong8239]

Someone should do a redesign of Barioth with your imput

[@microphone_styxosaurus7078]

When I first fought him, I thought Barioth's design was horrible, and was by far and away my least favorite of the Pseudowyverns, but as i've fought him more, I've really begun to appreciate his mechanics, and how breaking parts actually serious change up the fight, so mechanically, he's really grown on me

[@gambitaku6179]

Another absolute banger. Loved this vid.

[@Sunaki1000]

Isnt it a bit early for Santa? If Barioth has problems making the best out of every Kill, couldnt they adapt to dragging there Prey into Caves, or burrowing them for later? Barioth have been using all the Cave Zones of all the Icy Maps so fare, minus Frozen Seaway in Generations, but Gen never cared anyway. Also including the Teeth I was allways under the Impression it uses its Spikes to climp Mountains and Glaciers. And indeed its Lore states, it supports itselfe on the slippery Ice by using its spikes to stay solid. But would have been nice seeing it actualy using its Teeth to do something, and the Climping Part is redundant for a flying Monster anyway. 23:00 whit limited time to eat, why taking the Risk if most of it cant be eaten in Time? 31:10 the sarcasm on Barioth overall and Lucents moonlight limit. You realy do not give a fu about them, what?

[@samwill7259]

I do wonder why its wings are furred. Like I know that its wings have fur because its cold where it lives but I wonder if it would be able to fly with thick fur layers on its wings Bats, the only mammals capable of true flight, very famously have naked wings that are just thin, leathery skin between its skeletal fingers and I wonder if fur, especially fur thick or well evolved enough to keep it warm would somehow interfere with flight.

[@juiceart9199]

This is shaping up to be one of my favorite vids of yours, and makes me appreciate a monster I simply assumed to be another gen 3 edgelord monster! The dentition examination is super cool, very paleontology-feeling

[@geckozon6247]

Ayo will Seltas Queen ever get covered? Love the vids

[@unicorntomboy9736]

Regarding the Worker Seltas, the best real world comparison is the Asian Giant Hornet

[@RTDice11]

I've got a soft spot for Barioth since Tri was my first MH game. I didn't know most of 3's roster were replacements until 4U, but I still enjoyed the fight and that tense, piano-heavy theme. Great breakdown and exceptionally informative as always - especially for a beast you're not a fan of! Small thing, but I really appreciate the closing statements. These videos are already great for science and creature-design, and you've got such a knowledgeable community that can contribute extra facts and perspectives, I love this stuff!

[@boshwa20]

Been waiting for this ever since I saw Ragegaming's video on Barioth and how he questioned its entire existence

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Is he also not fond of it? Interesting

[@lexrupus4798]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel He loathed it in the past but slowly grew to appreciate the species over time, I believe Frostfang helped with that.

[@mozax8118]

27:03 looks like a roided up marsupial.

[@sleepingdeep7885]

As someone who started with World, something to note is that I don't really feel its origin. It feels naturally like its own creature, rather than a replacement from Tri. Barioth is a fun fight, and Rise really didnt do much anything good for most monsters, though Sunbreak was quite nice until the whole qurios non-sense. Barioth is, to me at least, a nice design. Comparatively to Banbaro, it seems more realisticaly feasible, minus the whole ice tornado. Of note, some of your critisism regarding the design of Barioth's head could also be due to the sabertoothed rodents you mentioned and showed skulls for, which possessed very little in the way of post-tusk snout. The cheek design is a bit odd, but in an environment where excessive development could be a determent, the additional cheek coverage may not be needed for such hardy, large fangs, or perhaps its part of the mating rituals, an odd side effect of the tusks being shown off as part of that process.

[@sleepingdeep7885]

an interesting thing to note as well is that visible from various real-world studies and trials, creatures being selectively bred for one thing tended to also begin developing other, seemingly unrelated, characteristics. This undiscernible correlation may be behind some of the less sensible designs from an in-world perspective. Also, after a bit more thought I've come up with a more reasonable explanation for the cheeks, where the inverse of what happened to dogs bred to hunt large game happened to the large-game, I.e. gammoth and banbaro, hunting mother Barioths and the cheeks, devolving away to reduce the risk of being caught and injured in the inevitable fight against such creatures.

[@endless_ocean7987]

Probably the earliest I’ve ever been to one of these videos, but I’m looking forward to seeing your take on the steak knife dragon-cat

[@jakeparkin5961]

Another great video, thank you sir

[@SlightlyCivil]

I have been using your videos to help write. You explain everything super well. Keep er up amigo

[@EliTheGleason]

We love narga's Canadian cousin

[@TORGOoOo]

I like barioth, I love frostfang. having had a cat that lived to their 20's, the shaggy matted up fur of frostfang made me feel like it's so old it stopped being able to properly groom itself like you often see in particularly ancient cats. great video as always.

[@bingbong8239]

When I see monsters like Barioth, I sometimes think about it having some distant more aquatic relative that has a stronger skull and teeth and is like a big beaver, I think about the possibilities of monsters or animals with vastly different relatives, like how the giant carnivorous polar bear is in the same family with the small honey-loving sun bear. I remember me and a friend of mine have this monster OC that's this relative to the Lagombi. It's similar in appearance but had brown and dark fur and has more carnivorous traits.

[@tylerleach8796]

What I find interesting about your statement about Barioth loosing its tusks and kinda similar to how the Rise art book describes Magnamalo’s antlers. Only with Magnamalo, it becomes more aggressive due to it’s lack of antlers because the antlers are for attracting mates. Obviously the Barioth one is better but still.

[@purplehaze2358]

Using "sky waddle" as a descriptor for Barioth's flight should not have been as funny as it was.

[@marcgid1174]

Day one of reposting because I want more feedback(awesome video by the way!): This doesn’t necessarily have to do with this video, but I was thinking about some of the anime monsters that was brought up in previous videos, mainly magnamalo and zinogre. I should first mention I am no ecologist nor have I studied anything truly pertaining to ecology so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I think that magnamalo and zinogre make some sense as animals under the ideas I am about to list. For both zinogre and magnamalo, one of the main points I took away from its videos was that as a hunter they made no sense, but I think I might have come up with some ways that they work as hunters (Remember These are all ideas of an Internet stranger with no prior knowledge!). I think that zinogre might be able too actually hunt using his thunder bugs without an arzuros sitting in its path. While zinogre itself is flamboyant and colorful the Bugs are natural and wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see. I think zinogre could possibly use its howls and barks to get the thunder bugs to wall in thier prey as we know thunder bugs are strong enough to shock and hurt adult wyverns as seen in zinogre battles and turf wars. Once the prey is walled in they could use their powerful and muscular bodies to overpower and kill thier prey. I recognize this is a pretty basic and vague Idea with leaving out details like what it’s prey could be but at least think this makes zinogre work better. For magnamalo we see it hunt at night and it uses a purple explosive powdery flame that can send it flying through the air. Ignoring the fact that magnamalo literally flaunted its fire in its ecology cutscenes, it’s possible it uses its purple colors and fire to hunt at night by getting close enough to its prey and then using an explosive jump to lunge at its prey. From there it’s blade covered body would make it easier to land a killing blow and it’s extending spear like tail could help as well. The darker purple flame could possibly be a trait gained to make thier attacks less viable that normal fire, same with thier purple colors. I’m pretty confident that both of these ideas have plenty of issues but I just think it helps.

[@DavidGomez-ls6ee]

Yeah, I really hate Barioth. Sunrise was a little better than he was in Gen but that's not saying much. Overall my least favorite of the pseudo wyverns ( Tigrex my best boi). Again another great video! Btw I'm working on my first video for my channel. I'm doing the dreaded (2020) MH Movie. Don't know when I'll release that. Wish me luck I have to watch it again for the review! Keep up the good work!

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

May god have mercy on your soul.

[@DavidGomez-ls6ee]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel thank you. You kind man

[@adamgrogory]

It feels like the two weeks between videos is passing faster and faster! Incredible as always! Highlight of the fortnite!

[@Trollogrefey]

I started with 3rd gen so I've always liked Barioth, I remember as a kid struggling to defeat it with the old rathalos hammer in tri lmao. As always a superb video, these videos are a biweekly highlight for me so thanks. Also obligatory Jah'ren Mohran begging inserted here.

[@m.s.e.advanced2842]

My least favorite out of the trio with Nargacuga and Tigrex but still a really cool monster, definitely the coolest of the trio if we're talking element

[@g1sunstreaker584]

I always get so excited when you upload!! I love watching and rewatching these ecology videos. You've already done my favorites, Legi and Bazel boy, but I'm particularly interested to see your thoughts on Namielle, if she's on your list of monsters to cover. She's really fascinating to me, and her fight is a blast.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

I do like Namielle, but she'll be tricky to cover. Never say never though...

[@g1sunstreaker584]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel 😁

[@crystallakeslasher2388]

A day when UHC uploads is a good day!

[@lexrupus4798]

It's possible that Barioth doesn't fly as proficiently as pure flying wyverns do but it may use those wings as sails to glide across the air.

[@Alamand1]

Well dang, here I was crossing my fingers that you'd have some nice things to say about my favorite monster when I got to the personal opinion section... Great video as always though, I really love the amount of detail and life that you breath into these monsters with your analysis.