There Will Never Be Another Final Boss Like Ahtal-Ka

The last boss of Monster Hunter Generations: Ultimate is Ahtal-Ka, and when you see it for the first time, you're most likely going to feel underwhelmed. In a series that's got a roster of god-level dragons, a bug seems like an odd choice for the final boss slot.

But there's a lot more to Ahtal-Ka than meets the eye - and I don't think we'll ever see another boss like it again.

Video credit:

[caseyclark]

I love Ahtal-Ka so much, one of my favorite things is the implication of just HOW MANY entire fleets of monster hunters it must have slain to acquire this many parts, and it kept upgrading and upgrading up the ranks until it had a full suit of armor made of monster hunters it defeated. It is literally a Monster Hunter Hunter.

[WolfSoulXIV]

Even without the symbolism of the wheel, destroying Ahtal-Ka's mech only for her to be still standing in the wreckage with glowing eyes carrying a giant wheel with malicious intent is undeniably badass

[dinadore]

Another thing I would like to add about the 3rd and final phase other than the symbolism of the wheel itself is that while in the 2nd phase, Ahtal-Ka was trying to mimic large monsters to be stronger.
But in the 3rd phase, it was trying to mimic hunters by using a weapon because it recognized them as the apex predators capable of defeating all the other monsters in the series this past generation.
The switch in music to the proof of heroes is also fitting as it is the theme of the hunters. So that final phase was truly celebrating the hunters and their journey and accomplishments thus far.

[joaogomes]

What I love most about Ahtal-Ka is that it's the final boss of the game and yet it's not an elder dragon. It's a neopteron, the same class of monster as joke monsters like seltas and vespoid and those annoying rolly pollies from 4. And here it is, overpowering the magic metal jetpack comet dragon. And it does all of that through being smart. Sure, lore sources or whatever may hint that some elder dragons are sentient and as intelligent or more intelligent than humans, but they all still just act like animals while fighting. Except for Ahtal-Ka, which actually understands how to use tools and how to turn them against hunters. It even blocks the dragonator with silk if you use it on its big mech dragon.That's badass.

[sophiekarp]

I remember the story was trying to build up this giant dragon named ahtal ka that keeps disappearing and its massive and is destroying all these fortresses. So when I fought her, I was shocked, and every moment in it was overwhelming past the first phase. Truly the pinnacle, and sadly a lot of people miss the idea of her when they ask for her to be in Rise

[unclaimedusername]

I think the final musical change showed something else: an unspoken solidarity between two weak creatures that use weapons and tactics to overcome. It's basically her saying "Now we fight as equals!"

[CeraCymmetry]

"Sending one guy and a cat to fight God is a bad idea" brilliant line. Great video, great commentary, nice work!

[lucidlullaby]

For the final boss of the final game in the old world format, they didn’t go with a dragon or wyvern despite being the most associated with the game, they went with a bug to end the era, and I’d like to think that it’s to highlight how much the monster species and design variety has exploded over the series’s run

[peterduprey]

I’d like to point out that the golden silk on Ahtal-Ka’s wheel during the final phase spells out XX - The Japanese name for Generations Ultimate.

[Kyfow]

I'm actually hopeful we'll see ahtal ka return in sunbreak. Her mechanics fit too well into the wirebug system. Great video as always

[kingofflames]

An interesting thing about Athal Ka is that she could come back as a regular mid to high tier monster. They usually build their nests with plants and rocks, so the one we're fighting in GU is, like Gogmazios, technically a variant.

[JanusHoW]

Ahtal is Arabic for "ruins". The Ka in Ancient Egypt was an aspect of the soul. The giant mech's name is Ahtal Neset, with Neset probably being a corruption of "Nest". So Ahtal-Ka could translate to "Soul of the Ruins" while Ahtal-Neset could be "Ruin Nest". How cool is THAT?!

Edit: Also, I think it can be implied that the Lao Shan Lung you faced in the Urgent that unlocks G3 was not running from Fatalis this time - it was running from Ahtal-Ka when it formed Ahtal-Neset!

[awakenedcrowl]

I never really cared about bugs either, but Ahtal-Ka pulling out her giant mech was just the most "WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK THIS IS COOL" moment I had in Monster Hunter.

[Zakading]

There's also something to be said regarding the whole "fighting our reflection" topic and her gearing up using exclusively human tools and things she looted from destroying humanity's cities and hunting them.

[ZMike]

the wheel of dharma blew my mind. there’s no way that’s unintentional, this series is brimming with little details and it even sits behind Ahtal’s shoulders like a Buddhist halo. What a cool capstone to classic monhun.

[BMW-pdtt]

Also in the last phase, you mentioned the wheel of reincarnation on its back, but the wheel is also the first human invention. They really outdid themselves with the symbolism lol

[robertomacetti]

this is my favorite game of all time, so i'm definitely bias
BUT
yes, ahtal ka is hands down the coolest final boss in the series, i completely agree, when you see the megazord pop up for the first time your jaw drops, i won't believe anyone who says otherwise
also, can we appreciate more how capcom always manage to hype a fight? when proof of a hero start it's over, no matter what actually happens, you feel like a god, and that's awesome

[ripleyandweeds]

"Let's be real, nobody really gives a fuck about the lives of bugs"
Every entomologist ever: am i a joke to you?

[dragonorbminecraft]

Let's also talk about the fact that on the second time she jumps into her mech, its a longer and more difficult fight than the 1st time.

And when you finally break it down, there's a rare instance of forced camera perspective, and we are shown the dust and sand cloud slowly dispersing after the mech falls, and Aktal Ka's eyes glowing and perhaps the most impactful and powerful version of Proof of a Hero kicks in, and the fight kicks back up a notch

[Ten_Thousand_Locusts]

I hope you never stop making videos about Monster Hunter. You've made me look at this series in an entirely different light and made me appreciate it even more.