Monster Hunter concepts Pt. 2: The Raptors II
After covering the raptor monsters from earlier gens it's time for those introduced from Monster Hunter Tri onwards. That brings us to the Jaggis and co.
The young males are known as Jaggi, the adult females Jaggia, and the alpha is known as Great Jaggi. This updated naming convention, using "Great" instead of the "-drome" suffix is not the only significant change in early bosses. It is clear that these small pink dinosaurs are an improvement over the Preys of previous generations, with a less rigid posture that feels bird-like and natural. Their pink and lilac colouration is also an interesting choice and somehow doesn't feel so out of place, and the frills on the sides of their head are a nice alternative to a crest. The Great Jaggi also improves the evolution of an leader design, as unlike Velocidrome, it isn't just a larger Velociprey with a larger crest: its body is way more robust and heavy, it has large hooked claws and bigger spikes on its tail, as well as a more prominent frill and a white mane running through it's neck and tail. It feels more menacing, or at least, menacing enough for a first boss fight. Can you hear it? AUGH AUGH AUGH. This monster is beloved by fans (despite being a punching bag) and it is definitely deserved, hopefully it will come back in future games.
Then we have Baggi and Great Baggi from the freezing Tundra (and also the Frost Islands), blue-yellow relatives of the Jaggi with a forward facing crest, their design might not be as elaborate, but the different limb shape and patches of fur are nice little changes that make them feel different enough. The Great Baggi doesn't fail to appear as a stronger boss either, thanks to its piercing yellow eyes, large crest and thicker limbs. The sleeping spit of these blue beasts also offers an additional level of difficulty.
Lastly for 3rd gen we have Wroggi and Great Wroggi, these are the most odd-looking of the bunch. Like Ioprey and Iodrome, their design has more amphibian traits, with a shiny orange skin and inflatable throat sacs. Wroggis sport two blue sacs on the sides, while Great Wroggi has a single, large purple sac as display structure. They are also poisonous, but unlike Iopreys, they emit this poison in a cloud that stays for a bit, making the fight against Great Wroggi a bit more interesting, breaking the throat sac of Great Wroggi also reduces its spitting ability, adding a tactical advantage to the break. Other elements on their design, including their narrow snout and multiple flaps on the forelegs and tail, kind of give it a feel of being semiaquatic despite being terrestrial.
While I wanted to talk about the etymology of the 3rd gen raptors, the truth is that it isn't really known. Theories include that Jaggi comes from "jagged" (due to their jagged tails), baggi comes from, well, "baggy" (referencing its sleep-inducing ability) and Wroggi (Furogi in Japanese) seems to come from "froggy" (ribbit ribbit). But honestly, it possibly is something less obvious.
In 4th gen we didn't get a new raptor until MH Generations with the Maccao and Great Maccao, these jumpy fellows have a pretty fancy design based on tropical birds: a yellow crest, vibrant red skin and green feathers on the body. They are also feisty and use their spiked tails and scuted limbs to hit you. The Great Maccao also uses a variety of movements including kicks and punches, something that previous raptors didn't really do, this makes its fight incredibly fresh and fun (if only it didn't last less than 5 minutes). The theme of this monster is clearly based on martial arts, and the name Maccao reflects this: while you may think it comes from "macaw", you couldn't be more wrong, as it is actually a combination of the taiwanese words Màt (punch) y Káo (knee).
Lastly we have the Izuchi and Great Izuchi that were introduced relatively recently in Monster Hunter Rise. Following the theme in the game around the yokai, it is quite obvious that this monster is based on the Kamaitachi, a weasel-like yokai with sickle-like limbs that travels in whirlwinds and leaves small cuts on people before they notice. Its chestnut fur is clearly based on a weasel, while the sickle tail on Great Izuchi is its predominant trait and main weapon. The most innovative gimmick of its fight, however, is that it always travels with two Izuchis and combines attacks with them. This raptor fight is by far the one that feels the most like a team fight. Lastly, to mention its etymology, unlike other "dromes" and "greats", the Japanese name for the Great Itachi isn't Dosuizuchi, but Osaizuchi, this is a combination of 長 osa (leader), 飯綱 izuna (weasel) y 窮奇 kamaitachi. Pretty cool right?
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jacobvanloon
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