Espinas

Espinas
エスピナス (Esupinasu)
English Name	Espinas
English Title	Thorny Wyvern Forbidden Venom Lord of the Forest
Japanese Title	棘竜 禁忌の邪毒
Chinese Name	棘龙 (Simplified) 棘龍 (Traditional)
Korean Name	에스피나스
General Information
Monster Class	Flying Wyvern
Elements	Fire
Ailments	Fireblight (5th Gen) Poison Paralysis
Weakest to	Ice
Habitat	Tower Tower 3 Great Forest Shrine Ruins Citadel Jungle (MHRS) Forlorn Arena (MHRS) Interceptor's Base Flower Field Sky Corridor Fortress Ruins Dark Veil Forest
Size	2477.2 836.9
Related Monsters	Flaming Espinas Espinas Rare Species Zenith Espinas Meraginasu Gravios Black Gravios Zenith Gravios Basarios Ruby Basarios Crystal Basarios Sandstone Basarios Gureadomosu Diablos Black Diablos Varusaburosu Monoblos White Monoblos Shattered Monoblos
Generation	Fifth

Espinas is a Flying Wyvern introduced in Monster Hunter Frontier Season 2.0.

Physiology

Espinas is physically similar to a Rathian, but alongside scales its body is covered in hot pink spikes full of venom and rough green armor plating. A long, pink, venom-filled horn protrudes from the front of its head, in a similar fashion to Monoblos. Venomous thorns also protrude from its body, wings, tail, feet, and head. Its body, tail, and feet are bigger and more muscular than those of other Flying Wyverns. It has four pink claws upon its feet. Red-orange veins will appear when it is in its enraged state, similar to Tigrex.

Abilities

In addition to its extremely thick hide making it impervious to most attacks, Espinas has the ability to shoot toxic fireballs that cause both Poison and Paralysis upon impact. In addition, most of its physical attacks cause poison status as well due to the thorns. Espinas can also take advantage of its immense weight and physical strength to physically overpower its foes, but can also exhibit surprising bursts of speed such as sprinting at targets to ram them with its horn.

Behavior

Espinas is an unusually passive Flying Wyvern. In the wild, it can almost always be found sleeping, and is so durable that it will often continue to sleep while being attacked by enemies, who may in turn be harmed or killed by its toxic spikes. Even when disturbed and woken up, it still responds disinterestedly to any attacks, casually walking back and forth whilst relying on its thick hide to protect itself.

However, if enough damage is dealt to Espinas, it will become enraged. When this occurs, it becomes much faster and more brutal, charging aggressors down, ramming them with its horn, and shooting toxic fireballs. However, in this state, because of the extra blood distribution to its hide, it will soften and make it more vulnerable to attacks.

Habitat

Espinas can usually be fought in flora filled places like the Great Forest and Flower Field, although there have been much rarer sightings in areas like the Tower and Fortress Ruins, as well as swamps like the Dark Veil Forest.

In the main series, Espinas appears in the Jungle, Shrine Ruins, and Citadel.

Game Appearances

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Main Series

• Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak (Introduced in main series)

Frontier

• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 2.0 (Introduced)
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 3.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 4.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 5.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 6.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 7.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 8.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 9.0
• Monster Hunter Frontier Season 10
• Monster Hunter Frontier Forward.1
• Monster Hunter Frontier Forward.2
• Monster Hunter Frontier Forward.3
• Monster Hunter Frontier Forward.4
• Monster Hunter Frontier Forward.5
• Monster Hunter Frontier G
• Monster Hunter Frontier G2
• Monster Hunter Frontier G3
• Monster Hunter Frontier G Genuine
• Monster Hunter Frontier G5
• Monster Hunter Frontier G6
• Monster Hunter Frontier G7
• Monster Hunter Frontier G8
• Monster Hunter Frontier G9
• Monster Hunter Frontier G10
• Monster Hunter Frontier Z
• Monster Hunter Frontier Z Zenith

Spin-offs

• Monster Hunter Online

Cross-overs

• TEPPEN

In-Game Description

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Flying Wyverns known for the red spikes on their tough green frame, forming both a means of attack and defense, thus generally keeping foes at bay. As a result, they are often seen sprawled out and relaxing in their domain. Once they sense danger, however, they expand their blood vessels to turn their hide and wing membranes a bright red, and they will run riot with noteworthy brutality. Threat Level (危険度): ★★★★★★★ Monster Hunter Frontier G (?) Monster Hunter Online 分类 飞龙种。 生境范围 茂密树海是棘龙的势力范围。 生态位 棘龙生性憨厚老实，就算有猎人恶意地在它领地内徘徊也无动于衷，大部分时间都在睡觉，哪怕被猎人吵醒也只是换个地方继续睡觉。但若将棘龙彻底吵醒，带着起床气的棘龙将变得十分凶暴且极具攻击性。 适应性 从根源上来追溯，棘龙和角龙、铠龙是一家，但是它的骨骼结构在进化的过程中与火龙越来越相似，甚至有人曾经目击，棘龙将雌火龙当做同类对其示好，也从侧面印证了棘龙的智商在飞龙种中可能是相对较低的。 行为 棘龙的双翼十分坚硬且长满锐利的棘刺，和一般的飞龙种不同，棘龙将翅膀作为主要武器之一。强大的翅膀斩击，还有同时带有毒和麻痹的招数令不少猎人吃尽了苦头。 Threat Level (危険度): !!!!!!!

Other Non-Subspecies Forms

Hard Core (HC) Espinas

In terms of appearance, HC Espinas is largely similar to normal Espinas, though all its thorns, claws and horns are a brighter shade of yellow, and tinged with pink on the tips. Its legs are also more strongly developed, and peculiarly, its eyes are light blue.

HC Espinas is known for its increased speed over its normal brethren; its unique homing charge attack is especially powerful for this reason. In addition, it is more capable of combining its attacks - for example, shooting out five fireballs, then flying backwards whilst shooting the final toxic blast.

Zenith Espinas

Main Article: Zenith Espinas

A Zenith Species of Espinas first appearing in Monster Hunter Frontier Z.

Notes

• General
• MHRise
• Frontier
• MHO

General Notes

• Its head, back, and wings can be broken, and its tail severed.
  • Breaking one wing breaks both.
• 'Espinas' literally translates to “thorns” in Spanish.
  • The name was spelled as "Espinath" in promotional material for Monster Hunter Frontier; however, this name is not used in its appearance in the main series.
• Espinas is the third Frontier monster to appear in the main series, 14 years after the inclusion of Hypnocatrice and Lavasioth in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.
  • Espinas differs from Hypnocatrice and Lavasioth in that it was designed exclusively by the Frontier team, while Hypnocatrice and Lavasioth were at least partially designed by the main series team.
• Espinas often starts quests sleeping, and can sleep through foes attacking it. Once awake, it sluggishly walks and looks around, until growing aggressive and speeds up.
  • Its card in TEPPEN references this: it attacks half as fast as other units, then when damaged, instead attacks twice as fast as other units.
  • Espinas instead skips to aggression in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.
• Espinas possesses incredibly low hitzones during its slumber at the beginning of a quest. It's hitzones will slightly increase after awakening, and increase even more upon becoming enraged.
• Espinas was voted 46th place in the Hunters' Choice for Top Monster during Monster Hunter's 20th Anniversary.
  • While a mostly idle account, Monster Hunter Frontier's official Twitter/X account congratulated Espinas' and Flaming Espinas' ranking in the polls.
• Espinas was voted 17th place in the 2018 poll for Frontier's Top Monster.

Monster Hunter Rise

Its design in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is slightly tweaked; the horn on its head is noticeably thinner, and the horns along its body are shorter. Its feet have also been changed to have three front toes and one back toe.

Espinas' theme in Sunbreak is a remastered version of the Gou Rank (HR 5) Great Forest theme from Frontier, titled "Endless Maze - Jungle".

Its roar in Sunbreak has a much higher pitch than its Frontier roar.

Unlike in previous games, Espinas will immediately attack once woken up rather than lazily walk around, and takes significantly less hits to wake up.

Espinas can be observed hunting and eating a Poisontoad, a Paratoad, or a Hornetaur after landing when not provoked.

Monster Hunter Frontier

Inflicting Sleep Status upon Espinas will cause it to drop an item.

At G-Rank, the monster’s charging attacks are faster, wider and can be deployed more suddenly.

It must be near death for its horn to break and tail to be severed.

Its roar requires HG Earplugs to block.

• The roar of HC Espinas requires Super HG Earplugs to block.

Monster Hunter Online

Espinas possesses a variety of new attacks not utilized in Monster Hunter Frontier, including a 360-degrees poison mist spray, and the ability to lob poisonous fireballs to its sides.

Its charge now has a wind-up animation.

Unlike in Frontier, Espinas hitzones are constant regardless of state.

While passive, Espinas will actively follow hunters in the area, but only deal small amounts of damage to them.

Beginning G2-Rank, its sleeping and passive "attacks" will inflict Poison, and its fireballs will split into multiple smaller fireballs upon detonation. Espinas will also begin to chain charge attacks without wind-up.

Espinas has a unique theme in Monster Hunter Online.

Espinas reuses various roars and cries from Tigrex, Rathalos, and Uragaan in Monster Hunter Online.

Monster Hunter Online notes Espinas to be a relative of monsters such as Diablos and Gravios.