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| “ | When the world is full of wyverns, the legend is revived. Meat is eaten, bone is crunched, and blood is sucked up dry Fatalis. He burns the earth and melts through iron. He boils the rivers and mows down trees. He awakens the winds and lights an inferno. He is called Fatalis, the wyvern of destiny. He is called Fatalis, the wyvern of destruction. | „ |
| ~ A quote from "The Legend of Fatalis". |
| “ | So what we're fighting isn't a monster, its actually history... | „ |
| ~ Aiden's retort about Fatalis. |
The Fatalis is the overarching antagonist of the Monster Hunter franchise. A member of an eponymous species of unfathomably powerful dragons, feared by all living creatures, the Fatalis referred to in this page possesses a deep-seated hatred for all of humanity and other living beings, leading it to destroy the keep of Castle Schrade and claim it as its own territory.
Thus, the main protagonist, the Hunter, is sent to fight the Fatalis, hoping to limit its attacks on nearby human settlements. It’s unclear if the Fatalis fought throughout the series is the same individual first encountered in Schrade, seeing as the Guild consistently erases data on these encounters to protect hunters.Fatalis is renowned for its incredible regenerative abilities, allowing it to return post-defeat.
Appearance[]
A colossal, black-scaled dragon, the Fatalis resembles a typical Western dragon, with a paler underbelly and spines running along its back. Its head is adorned with three pairs of horns: a large pair on the top, a smaller pair in the middle of its head, and the smallest pair being attached to a pair of fin-like membranes.
The Fatalis's neck is disproportionately long and flexible, while its wings are bat-like, with a lighter membrane and a single talon on each. Its legs are noted to be digitigrade like a Wyverian's. Disturbingly, the Fatalis has no eyes. In their place, two round crystals fill its sockets, a firey orange with black, slitted "pupils".
Biography[]
Background[]
One thousand years ago, a black dragon descended upon the kingdom of Schrade, a then prosperous human nation full of technological wonders and bountiful riches. What caused this attack is unknown till this day, but what is certain is that the dragon razed the entire kingdom to the ground in a single night, leaving nothing but charred corpses and scorched ruins. The desperate battle Schrade's people fought against this force of evil would become immortalised in the name "Fatalis", meaning "Battle of Destiny" in the Wyverian language, a name that the black dragon would soon bear itself.
With that, Fatalis disappeared from history, only leaving the devastation it had wrought as its claim to history. Legends and myths would be spun about this creature, claiming that it was nature's wrath personified, or a demon sent to destroy the world. It would even be deified as some sort of destroyer god in some regions, with artifiacts apparently made from its body being highly prized objects. Whatever's the case, Fatalis would become a deadly symbol of destruction and the wrath of monsterkind. Over the years, many hunters have attempted to slay Fatalis but none have returned alive, the only traces of their existence being the metal fused to the dragon's shell as it sleeps on piles of scrap claimed from fallen hunters.
Monster Hunter[]
During the events of the game, Fatalis begins to stir, causing creatures such as the Lao-Shan-Lung to flee towards human civilisation in fear of its wrath. Fatalis is eventually unlocked as a secret encounter and can be tackled with other players.
Monster Hunter G[]
It is revealed that Fatalis apparently survived its encounter with the hunters at Castle Schrade, forcing it to retreat to the Volcanic Belt of the Ingles Isles. There, it would continue simmering its hatred for humanity and slowly mutate under the heat of the lava, becoming Crimson Fatalis, which can be faced as a boss. However, seeing as only the encounter with Fatalis during Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is considered canon and there are many myths about Fatalis being slain, it's possible that this Crimson Fatalis is an individual from an earlier confrontation many years ago.
Monster Hunter 2[]
A version of Fatalis dubbed White Fatalis appears in this game, said to be the original Fatalis that grew so old it transformed into this form. It still dwells in Castle Schrade, emerging during eclipses to survey its territory. Once again, the canonicity of this is unknown, with implications that there's a White Fatalis that is a separate being from the Fatalis that destroyed Schrade.
Monster Hunter Freedom 2[]
Fatalis is once again fought as a final boss of the game. A gigantic sword made of Fatalis materials is also seen frozen in Pokke village, which can be carved regularly for materials and even slightly twitches. This implies that the sword is currently attempting to regrow back into a full dragon, only being hampered by the repeated harvesting of its biological material.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne[]
Fatalis shows up as the final monster of the DLC and the overarching antagonist in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne and is revealed to be responsible for an amass of forest-fires, earthquakes and the disappearances of elder dragons. The commission is hired to help slay the beast once and for all before it attacks human civilization. It's implied that Safi'jiiva attracted the dragon over thanks to its sheer might.
Its revealed that in the past, Fatalis attacked the Schrade region and massacred the people of Castle Schrade for no known reason; the historic event becomes a fairytale and song overtime and Fatalis itself being a mere legend that some don't believe could even exist.
The commission eventually arrive at what's left of Castle Schrade, the General and co then start to ponder over the people of Schrade and how they fought the best they could before being interrupted by the early arrival of Fatalis. Aiden and the hunter both stay behind while the others retreat and wait for back-up.
Fatalis faces both Aiden and the hunter and licks its lips in anticipation before engaging in combat with the two; after a short fight, Fatalis unleashes its super move known as the 'Ruinous Pyroclasm' which obliterates a portion of Castle Schrade and almost kills Aiden before he is rushed away by the two handlers to recover while the hunter faces Fatalis alone (or with online players).
Eventually, the hunter successfully finishes off Fatalis once and for all, putting an end to its murderous rampage.
Dragalia Lost[]
Fatalis appeared as an obtainable dragon and boss in the Dragalia Lost x Monster Hunter collab event: Monster Hunter Primal Crisis. Fatalis is said to have entered the space between worlds known as the Otherworld. Despite the Otherworld's life-eroding black mana, Fatalis is resilient enough to survive in it without issue. Whenever a rift into a new world opens, Fatalis travels through it to to raze it to the ground. When it's the only life in that world that remains, it returns to the Otherworld to repeat the process. It appears that Morsayati attempted to summon Fatalis for his own means, but after hearing it roar in defiance to his commands, he decided to leave it alone as he respected its status as a force of destruction that bends to no other will.
As a useable dragon, Fatalis grants the adventurer it's equipped to a 80% strength increase if they're attuned to Shadow. However, should the adventurer shapeshift into Fatalis, they become afflicted with the Curse ailment for the duration of the quest. It can also be fought as a boss during the event.
Personality[]
Misanthropic and destructive, the Fatalis responsible for conquering Schrade possesses a seething hatred of humanity, so much so that it licks its lips in anticipation upon seeing the hunter, hoping to torment them as much as possible. In battle Fatalis shows an arrogant side, mocking the hunter by assuming an awkward bipedal stance resembling them and squashing hunters with its body, melting them to its hide as a twisted form of armour. This sadism also extends to other forms of life: all life forms, including other Elder Dragons, instinctually feat Fatalis for its destructive powers, and Fatalis is known to destroy ecosystems around it to expand its domain. When its confident and arrogant front is broken after the hunter begins to overpower it, Fatalis displays a vicious side, completely discarding its callous and calculating appearance to go all in to eliminate its foe. To this end it often slithers about on all fours trying to rend the hunter apart with its jaws or crush them with its weight.
Powers and abilities[]
- Supernatural physical attributes: As one of, if not THE most powerful Elder Dragon, Fatalis is strong, durable and resilient beyond any natural means, possessing a metallic hide thanks to the armours fused to its body. It is able to tank dozens of ballista shots without flinching, can effortlessly crumble stone battlements, and can keep on fighting despite several broken body parts. Furthermore, the Dragalia Lost crossover states that Fatalis is basically immune to black mana: hate manifested into a tangible form, said to erode life, induce insanity and even transform those afflicted into terrible monsters. Thus, it's no wonder that Fatalis was able to destroy the entirety of Schrade in a single night, with even its stirring sending hordes of Elder Dragons fleeing from the region.
- Fire breath: Its signature ability, Fatalis can breathe an incredibly hot fire that is capable of melting through a steel barricade, nearly half a meter thick, in mere seconds. This fire breath is so strong Fatalis has to use its wings to hold itself in place at times or get blown away itself, with the sheer force of the fire collapsing stone ramparts. Fatalis can use this ability to weld pieces of metal (occasionally with the accompanying unlucky hunter) to its body, leaving nothing but molten slag which hardens into a thick shell; while Fatalis tends to do this unconsciously thanks to its high body temperature, it seems to do this tactically in combat at times. When angered Fatalis spews an even hotter blue flame which can cause the earth to crack and rupture, and it can produce a powder that produces devastating explosions when ignited. Fortunately, hunters can weaken Fatalis’s fire attacks and even interrupt them by breaking its horns.
- Inhuman intelligence: Fatalis possesses an intelligence comparable to, if not greater than a human. Thus, it is completely sapient and capable of strategising during battle, melding opposing hunters to its body to incapacitate them and scorching the earth for area denial. This intelligence also allows Fatalis to feel genuine malice towards humanity, allowing it to come up with and execute cruel and sadistic acts on any who dare enter its territory.
- Flight: Fatalis possesses a pair of large wings that allow it to fly with remarkable agility, being able to execute elegant maneuvers. These wings are so strong that they allow it to stay in place mid-air as it blasts hunters with fire.
- Supernatural senses: Fatalis possesses keen senses as it is able to sense the presence of the hunters' party in Castle Schrade mere seconds after they arrive, making it possible it has incredibly good hearing, smell or another totally different sense. Interestingly, Fatalis can see despite its eyes being completely crystalline, though its eyesight still isn't good.
- Supernatural regeneration and nigh-immortality: Even when functionally dead and turned into equipment, Fatalis is still alive in a capacity, seeing as equipment made from its remains is said to gnaw at the hands of their users or emit hideous eldritch screams, among other things. A gigantic black blade made from Fatalis remains frozen in Pokke village can also be mined almost everyday for monster parts, implying that the individual said blade was made from is attempting to regenerate into a full dragon, a trait that is likely shared among other Fatalis equipment. This incredible regenerative ability is likely what makes Fatalis live so long as, despite conquering Schrade centuries ago, it seems perfectly fine and in the peak of health.
- Dragon energy manipulation: An ability only seen in the 4th generation of Monster Hunter games, Fatalis can incorporate dragon energy into its fire to nullify elemental attacks. However, seeing as only the encounter with it in Iceborne is considered canon, it's likely Fatalis doesn't actually have this ability.
Implied powers and abilities[]
- Control over natural disasters: As a monster heavily associated with death and destruction, it's rumoured that Fatalis can summon natural disasters, which seemingly occur when it appears. This connection is furthered by the poem The Legend of Fatalis, describing how Fatalis will emerge with natural disasters heralding it.
- Possession via equipment: As Fatalis has been proven to be well alive and aware even when made into equipment, it's implied that it can possess wielders of its gear, with hunters wearing it often reporting doing things while unconscious, gaining inhuman strength or experiencing nightmares. Some wearers of Fatalis armour are even said to become extremely bloodthirsty and disappear during hunts, with Fatalis emerging again after their disappearances, implying that they were transformed into the dragon. However, seeing as the latter incident seems to only be a rumour, it's likely that the aforementioned symptoms are just paranoia stemming from wearing the remains of such a powerful and malevolent Elder Dragon.
Trivia[]
- Due to the Iceborne Fatalis encounter being considered the only canon one lorewise, it is unclear if Crimson and White Fatalis are the same individual as the Fatalis killed in the expansion, seeing as they're said to exist elsewhere in the world undiscovered.
- While its not explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that the Fatalis and its variants are one-of-a-kind monsters, with all of the variants being claimed to be mutated forms of the original Fatalis. While some flavour text of a Fatalis egg being discovered, with the hatchling growing up and attacking its discoverers, is present, this came from a joke quest and as such, this information is ambiguously canon as well.
- Fatalis is also the overarching antagonist of the Monster Hunter Stories sub-series.
- Interestingly, the Monster Hunter World: Iceborne artbook notes that Fatalis lacks the blood components present in other Elder Dragons making them immune to sleep-inducing toxins, making its inability to be trapped like other Elder Dragons a mystery.
- According to some developer interviews, Fatalis was conceptualised when Monster Hunter was envisioned as a more generic fantasy setting, but had its design retained as it would make it stand out more. Additionally, the designers remarked that Fatalis was the only monster they attributed "evil" to when designing.
- In the original Monster Hunter artbook, a concept for Fatalis's backstory was formed: thanks to the ancient people creating a robotic weapon out of Elder Dragon cadavers, Fatalis and its kin would be enraged at this insult to nature and, having enough with the ancient peoples' exploitations of the natural world, would destroy their entire civilisation. If this backstory is confirmed, this would mean that Fatalis is a misanthrope as it despises the harm humans bring to the world.
- Despite this, Fatalis itself does create destruction and mayhem in the ecosystem, meaning that Fatalis was probably angry that humans were attempting to challenge its position as the apex monster.
- As revealed by the developers of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Fatalis and Safi'jiva are meant to be rivals or parallels of each other. This can be noted from specific design traits and lore notes about them that make them oppose each other:
- Fatalis is a drab black in colour while Safi'jiva is covered in bright red scales.
- Fatalis's body structure is reptilian, with its belly often being low-slung and is movements serpentine, while Safi'jiva has a more mammalian stance at all times.
- Fatalis's flames are red hot while Safi'jiva spews pure blue bioenergy.
- Fatalis has been known in fairy tales for centuries while Safi'jiva has only recently been documented.
- While Safi'jiva's ecological role is well documented as a moulder and creator of ecosystems, Fatalis is not only known as a force of pure destruction, but also possesses so little ecological knowledge some in-universe scholars theorise it to be a monster from another realm.
- Safi'jiva is mostly indifferent towards humans while Fatalis is actively misanthropic, licking its lips in glee when facing the hunters and exhibiting a sadistic personality.
- Finally, Fatalis and Safi'jiva are theorised to represent two different fears of humanity: Fatalis represents the fear of the unknown with its lack of ecological information and malice, while Safi'jiva represents the fear of humanity damaging the natural world with its ability to reshape ecosystems at will.
- With the reveal of Zoh Shia in Monster Hunter Wilds, many have noted the similarities between it and Fatalis, possessing similar morphological traits in its second phase, a roar that's simply a distorted version of Fatalis's, and moves taken directly from the movesets of Fatalis and its variants, among other Elder Dragons. Additionally, the hunter is shocked upon seeing its black hide, implying that they recognise it as a Black Dragon. Thus, it's been theorised that Zoh Shia is an imperfect clone of Fatalis or that apart from being an amalgam of Elder Dragon DNA, it primarily utilises Fatalis genes.
- Conversely, some believe that this is evidence that Fatalis itself is an artificial weapon, seeing as its regenerative abilities, sheer misanthropy and lack of any role in the ecosystem could indicate it's a perfected form of weaponised construct that the ancient people used against each other.
- Fatalis was voted as the 8th most popular monster in the 20th Anniversary Hunter's Choice Poll for Most Popular Monster. Additionally, its battle theme "The Legend Descends" was voted as one of the top 10 monster themes.
- Many consider Fatalis as the lord of all monsters in the series for its power and intelligence.
External Link[]
- Fatalis on the Monster Hunter Wiki
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