My Monster Hunter Favorites: “Pseudo-Wyverns”
Yes, I will be including Pseudo-Wyverns as a category in my list of favorites. With that being said, lets talk about this big lug.
To be honest, I had a really hard time deciding between Akantor and Nargacuga. Nargacuga’s design elements blend together perfectly. Nowhere else will you see a panther, a bat, a wyvern, and a….bird (I guess) blended together as smoothly as Nargacuga. I love its design, its intimidating roar, and its stealthy behaviors .
Overall, Akantor wins the #1 spot in my favorites for a couple reasons. Other than the fact that it appears reptilian or dragon-like, I cannot find any other animal/creature inspirations for this monster’s design, making it stand out among the others in the series. Some might say that this makes Akantor’s design a little boring, to which I can understand. But……I dunno! I guess I’m just a big fan of big, hulking designs for monsters and characters in general. That’s just my personal quirk.
Aside from the design, meeting this monster is also great. The fight with Akantor feels serious; the volcanic scenery as well as it’s dynamic theme music can really intimidate some hunters (although once you actually fight it, it’s pretty easy…). Regardless, facing Akantor for the first time makes you feel like you’ve reached a milestone in your hunting journeys. This is an effect that I explained earlier when I was talking about Shagaru Magala, my favorite elder dragon. If the fight with the monster feels important, it is more likely to be a favorite in my book, and for that reason, Akantor is my favorite “pseudo-wyvern”.
*Fun fact: If I had a pet Akantor, I would name it Sinnamon. It looks like cinnamon sticks! And it’s also referred to as the ‘black devil’. So, Sinnamon.
