The Tigrex are a species that are from the science fantasy videogame, Monster Hunter Freedom 2. They are a primitive species of Flying Wyvern that, despite their flightlessness and lack of elemental powers, are incredibly powerful physically and formidable predators, making them a priority for the Hunters Guild to put down.
Why aren’t they heroic or villainous?[]
Tigrexes are animals that don't possess moral agencies, acting out of predatory instinct to hunt and kill other creatures.
Physiology[]
Tigrex are large, powerfully built Flying Wyverns that are covered in jagged, orange scales with blue stripes resembling a tiger's pelt, hence their name. They have cream underbellies, spiked tails and ear-like horns atop their heads. A Tigrex's head resembles a tyrannosaur's and is powerfully built, while its wing-arms have a single, small membrane and have well developed digits. When enraged, a Tigrex's arteries will begin pumping blood to the rest of its body at incredible rates, making them glow red.
Tigrex come in two subspecies: the Old World and New World variants. Old World Tigrex are leaner, fly more often and will occasionally walk bipedally, while New World Tigrex are bulkier, never fly and are always quadrupedal.
Abilities[]
A representative of the most basal branch of the Flying Wyvern family, the Tigrex makes up for its lack of any special abilities with its sheer, brute force. Its powerful wing arms allow it to sprint at speeds of up to 50km/h, the sharp claws tipping it allowing it to cleave through flesh effortlessly. The Tigrex's jagged scales and spiked tail can cause grievous cuts and lacerations to anybody that scrapes against them, whilst providing it substantial protection from other monsters and hunters. The Tigrex is also capable of short bursts of clumsy flight or gliding with its tiny wings, allowing it to pursue prey over longer distances. Its lungs, which are among the most powerful in the Flying Wyvern family, can emit a deafening roar so loud, it deals physical damage any hunters that hear it. The Tigrex prefers to finish off prey with its powerful, bone crunching jaws, snapping their necks in two and allowing it to pick through their carcasses leisurely.
When pushed to the brink, the Tigrex's body will overflow with adrenaline and make its heart pump many times faster, boosting its strength and speed by incredible amounts. In this state, it can often end any foe in a flurry of talons and teeth within seconds, rushing them down in the blink of an eye or ripping them limb from limb. The Tigrex must hurry, however, as prolonged use of this state will make it experience heatstroke.
Behavior[]
Mostly motivated to hunt by food, a Tigrex exhibits fairly relaxed behaviour while on its own, often being spotted lounging around and grooming itself. This relaxed temperament quickly drops, however, when it gets hungry, is challenged by an intruder, or a combination of the both. Owing to its immense strength and power, a Tigrex has no strategy for catching prey and will usually just pursue them, with some scholars believing that the thrill of prey evading them may be pleasurable to it and motivate it to keep going.
In battle, Tigrexes display a ferocious and brutish temperament, often pursuing opponent with jaws agape, ready to snap them in two. Despite its brutish demeanour, a Tigrex is actually quite an intelligent fighter, hurling clumps of terrain at opponent to inflict elemental damage and stunning them with its roar, locking them in place before charging. Most of the time, however, a Tigrex has a very simple-minded approach to killing prey, merely crushing them with its body weight and picking them apart for consumption later.
A Tigrex's favourite prey appears to be Popo, which it favours for being slow, large and nutrient rich. This often puts Tigrexes in conflict with Gammoths, who raise their calves in Popo herds and travel together with them. As such, both species will attack each other on sight; Tigrex to get rid of its prey's protector, and Gammoth to defend its children and Popo. Records of Tigrex successfully preying on Gammoth calves are not unheard of but rare, as Gammoth are some of the only monsters strong enough to fend them off.
Habitat[]
While technically desert-dwelling monsters, Tigrexes will venture anywhere they want in search of prey, particularly Popo. As such, they have been found in all sorts of environments and frequent mountains and tundras where the Popo live.
Trivia[]
- The official pronunciation of Tigrex is Tee-grex, not Tie-grex since Tigrex is named after the spanish word of tiger which is tigre and T. rex.
- The Tigrex was voted as the 23rd most popular monster in the 20th anniversary Hunters’ Choice poll.
