Not to be confused with Subspecies, Rare Species, Burst Species, Origin Species, Lone Species, HC Monsters, Deviants, Special Species, Supremacy Species, and Zenith Species.
A variant (Japanese: 特殊個体) is a rare individual or anomalous group of a given species of monster. They are often almost identical to a common individual but possess one or more certain unique traits that set them apart. Variants are more powerful than a normal member of their species and are more in tune with their inherent abilities.
List of Variants by Game
Monster Hunter Freedom
Monster Hunter 2
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Monster Hunter Frontier
Monster Hunter Online
- Ghost Caeserber
- Crystal Basarios
- Swordmaster Shogun Ceanataur
- One-Eared Yian Garuga
- Shattered Monoblos
- Conflagration Rathian
- Elemental Merphistophelin
Comparisons
???
 |
 |
| Gore Magala | Chaotic Gore Magala |
Bird Wyvern
| Comparison | ||
|
 | |
| Hypnocatrice | Breeding Season Hypnocatrice | |
 |
 | |
| Scarred Yian Garuga | ||
 | ||
| Yian Garuga | One-Eared Yian Garuga | |
Brute Wyvern
 |
 |
| Brachydios | Raging Brachydios |
 |
 |
| Deviljho | Savage Deviljho |
Carapaceon
| Comparison | ||
 |
 | |
| Shogun Ceanataur | Swordmaster Shogun Ceanataur | |
Fanged Beast
| Comparison | ||
|
 | |
| Caeserber | Ghost Caeserber | |
 |
 | |
| Rajang | Furious Rajang | |
Flying Wyvern
| Comparison | ||
|
 | |
| Basarios | Crystal Basarios | |
 |
 | |
| Bazelgeuse | Seething Bazelgeuse | |
|
  | |
| Legiana | Shrieking Legiana | |
|
 | |
| Monoblos | Shattered Monoblos | |
 |
 | |
| Rathian | Conflagration Rathian | |
Elder Dragon
| Comparison | ||
 |
 | |
| Kushala Daora | Rusted Kushala Daora | |
 |
 | |
| Merphistophelin | Elemental Merphistophelin | |
 |
 | |
| Nergigante | Ruiner Nergigante | |
 |
 | |
| Vaal Hazak | Blackveil Vaal Hazak | |
Trivia
- Savage Deviljho is a Deviljho that has lived a very long time and has cannibalized other Deviljho.
- The Raging Brachydios is a Brachydios who's explosive slime mold has covered it's entire body and will spontaneously combust on contact.
- Furious Rajang is a rare special Rajang individual that is constantly enraged for unknown reasons. Its theorized by the Guild that the Furious Rajang's power is unstable due to the loss of its tail and that its power potentially comes from its heart along with its nerves.
- Chaotic Gore Magala is a Gore Magala which has failed to molt properly into a Shagaru Magala.
- Rusted Kushala Daora is a Kushala Daora which has not shed its skin recently.
- Scarred Yian Garugas and One-Eared Yian Garuga are both Variants of Yian Garuga who have survived many grueling battles. In Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, Scarred Yian Garuga only appears as a Tempered Monster.
- There were no variants in the first generation of Monster Hunter.
- Variants gained a more important role in the fifth generation. In Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, four new variants were introduced (by far the largest debut in a mainline game), becoming a sizable part of the endgame and getting their dedicated entry in the Hunter's Note. Two achievements in the game were also related to Variants (Kill your first Variant, Kill 30 Variants).
- One-Horned Diablos (Japanese ディアソルテ/マ王ディア), which appeared in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, is not a variant.