Monster Hunter World: Kirin (Elder Dragon)

Kirin is a large Monster & Elder Dragon that you can slay in Monster Hunter World. It cannot be captured, only slain. Kirin only spawns in certain optional quests.

How to Unlock Kirin Quests:

• “Gone in a Flash” (5 Stars): To unlock this quest you must talk to the Biologists in Astera and do their capture quests up until capturing Odogaron. Just play the story until they start to have yellow exclamation marks above their head (the biologists are found on the lower level of Astera, at the Botanical Garden). This is possible sometime after earning the right to play 2-star assignments so it’s quite early in the game. The first quest that starts it all is called “Snatch the Snatcher” by the Smart Biologist and he will give you a bunch of follow-up quests when you earn the right to play higher-star quests. On the questboard those optional quests will have a speech-bubble & capture-net icon next to them. It’s a relatively long questline going from 2 stars to 5 stars, consisting of 4 quests total up to the Odogaron. Always check on each visit to Astera if the Smart Biologist has a yellow exclamation mark (!) above his head, this indicates he has a new quest for you!
• “Thunderous Rumble in the Highlands” (9 Stars): Reach Hunter Rank 49 after the story. During the story your Hunter Rank is capped at level 16. After the story you can increases it even further and unlock new assignments as the rank increases. At Rank 49 you must actually fight a Tempered Kirin which is even stronger and one of the hardest fights in the game! If you don’t want to wait till HR49, simply search for a high-rank Kirin quest on the questboard to join it (you don’t actually have to be HR49 to join it, just the host needs to be). After having beaten the quest one time it will always be on your quest board, regardless of your ran. However it will turn into an 8-star optional quest after beating the 9-star version one time.

Characteristics: Kirin are so rarely sighted that little is known of their ecology. It’s been said they envelop themselves in pure electricity when they are provoked.

Useful Information: The lightning a Kirin cloaks itself with has been confirmed to toughen its skin. The key to hunting a Kirin lies in staggering it, using Elderseal weapons, and protecting yourself from and avoiding its lightning attacks. A strong hammer attack to its face has a good chance to stun the beast.

Known Habitats: Coral Highlands (only during specified quests)

Element Weaknesses:

• Fire: 3/5 (most effective)
• Water: 2/5
• Thunder: 0/5 (immune)
• Ice: 2/5
• Dragon: 1/5

Ailments:

• Poison 1/5
• Sleep 2/5 (most effective)
• Paralysis 0/5 (immune)
• Blast 2/5
• Stun: 1/5

Low Rank Rewards & Carves:

• Kirin Hide
• Kirin Mane
• Kirin Thunderhorn
• Kirin Tail
• Lightcrystal

High Rank Rewards:

• Kirin Azure Horn
• Kirin Hide+
• Kirin Mane
• Kirin Thundertail
• Elder Dragon Blood
• Elder Dragon Bone
• Novacrystal
• High Commendation

For all other large monsters, check out our Monster Hunter World Wiki.