It would probably never happen, but most fans of both Monster Hunter and the Soulsborne franchise have likely thought at one point how amazing a crossover between these two game worlds would be. Mechanically speaking, they play very differently from one another, but at their core they are similar in premise. A human sets off to battle massive monsters in what should probably be impossible fights. By way of pure skill, players are able to come out on top, but it takes quite a bit of effort in order to do so. Since both have a penchant for huge bosses, it would be interesting to see these cross over somehow.
The biggest thing that sets Monster Hunter's boss battles apart from the Soulsborne series is that the former is much more forgiving. If players get hit, they can just take one of several craftable potions. Players that are struggling to defeat a monster can grind in order to get better gear that can potentially trivialize the fight as well, further setting the two apart. Fights in Monster Hunter also tend to take a good deal longer, but this is by design. If Monster Hunter were to lend some of its iconic monsters to the Soulsborne franchise, which ones would fit best?
Monster Hunter World - Vaal Hazak
While Vaal Hazak may not be the most iconic monster from the franchise, it is certainly Monster Hunter World's creepiest beast. Made out of thin, rotting flesh, this elder dragon would fit right in with the grisly creatures of the Soulsborne franchise, perhaps finding its home in a swamp or other dreary area such as Dark Souls' Blighttown, Demon's Souls Valley of Defilement, anywhere in Bloodborne, or even Dark Souls 3's Farron Keep. In Monster Hunter World, players that get hit by its breath attack suffer from Effluvium, a status effect that halves the player's max HP. This is similar to the curse status effect in Dark Souls, or could even be represented with poison or plague.
In terms of combat, Vaal Hazak is one of the easier Elder Dragons in Monster Hunter World and probably wouldn't be a huge challenge to a Soulsborne character either. In these games, characters have the benefit of more i-frames on rolls, magic, and miracles to help them dispatch foes. Even still, it would be very cinematic to see a Vaal Hazak rise up from a pile of bones and filth to challenge the player, and its fully charged effluvium attack would be difficult to manage.
Monster Hunter Generations - Glavenus
Like many of the monsters introduced in Monster Hunter Generations, Glavenus is unique in its design and capabilities. Though many monsters use their tails as weapons, none do so with the effectiveness of the Glavenus, whose bladed tail can not only cut through the toughest armor but also create explosions. While the Vaal Hazak would probably be easy enough to handle with Soulsborne mechanics, the Glavenus might give players a run for their money. As a brute wyvern, this creature is both fast and deadly, a dangerous combination in Soulsborne games.
Another thing that would be amazing about including this monster is the potential to get its tail as a weapon. Whether from cutting off tails or forging weapons from boss souls, Soulsborne games often let players use scaled down versions of iconic boss' weapons and the same thing could work here. The Glavenus Great Sword from Monster Hunter is essentially its tail fashioned into a weapon with a handle and would be an amazing thing for characters with a high enough Strength stat to wield. It wouldn't even stick out much considering some of the outrageous Strength weapons players can get in those games already.
Monster Hunter - Kirin
Not all Soulsborne bosses have to be lumbering brutes, and in fact some of the smaller ones can be much tougher. The same holds true for Monster Hunter, and there's no better evidence of that than the Kirin. Introduced in the first ever Monster Hunter title, Kirin has been a mainstay of the series ever since for good reason. Despite its small stature, it can take a beating and has an exceptionally hard coat of fur that is capable of deflecting all but the sharpest weapons. Players wanting to do any real damage will need to aim for its head, but that's very difficult given its small and agile nature.
Kirin would be a great fit for the Soulsborne franchise because of how different it is from other bosses. It's ability to conjure lightning from the sky would be on par with the magic that characters from this series can cast, and it would make for an interesting mini-boss or world encounter. Different builds would likely have to approach hunting this creature in different ways, and it would provide a unique challenge for Soulsborne veterans that can't be found elsewhere.
Monster Hunter Tri - Alatreon
Though Monster Hunter Tri isn't everyone's favorite entry to the series, it did add some really cool monsters. One example of this is Alatreon, an elementally unstable Elder Dragon that keeps players on their toes with constantly switching elements. When translated to a Soulsborne boss, Alatreon would be interesting for its ability to command multiple damage types and elements. Its fire and lightning powers are represented in Souls games already, and its mastery over Monster Hunter's Ice element could be represented by the Frostbite status effect from Dark Souls 3. Finally, it's water attacks would likely just deal physical damage, but its Dragon element moves could be represented with magic damage.
Alatreon is everything in one package when it comes to Monster Hunter boss fights, and all of that would translate so well over to Soulsborne games. It would most definitely be a lengthy and difficult fight compared to other boss battles in the series, but players that manage to defeat it would surely be rewarded well. There are countless other monsters in the franchise that would make great boss battles for Soulsborne players, but these are just a few that would fit exceptionally well.
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.