| |
| Scriveners' Data Card | |
| Scientific Name | Airou Felyne Airou / Felyne[1] |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Felyne / Felyne Cat |
| Character Lines | Hunter community abbreviation:Palico Nicknames from Chinese players:The trueAibo |
| Guild Classification | Beastmen |
| Icon | 
|
| me | Omnivora |
| Family | Felyne Family |
| Size Range | 103.37cm |
| Distribution | Worldwide |
| None | cat、Beastman、Cat ears、Cat tail |
| Appearances | All titles |
Felyne /アイルーis from the game "Monster Hunter seriesis a Lynian tribe in the series, serving as the series' mascot. They have appeared in every title, including both mainline and spin-off games.
Overview
Felynes are the most numerous, common, and closely integrated Lynian tribe within human society. They possess intelligence and status comparable to mainstream races like Humans and Wyverians, and are capable of performing most human tasks. As such, they are an indispensable part of human society within the "Monster Hunter" worldview.
The scientific name of Felynes, "Airu", comes from the Greek word "Ailouros", meaning cat.
Basic Physiological Characteristics of Felynes
The appearance of Felynes is almost identical to that of real-worldcatcats, with an average body length of about 1 meter. Their entire bodies are covered in light-colored fur, with dark cat-paw-shaped patterns on their bellies and some stripes on their bodies. Felynes mostly walk upright on their hind legs, hunching their backs like cats while walking. Their front legs have evolved into structures similar to human hands, allowing them to grasp objects and dig into the ground to burrow. When running, they move on all fours like real cats.
Felynes are omnivorous animals and can eat almost any food, but their favorite food is undoubtedly Felvine.
Felynes are friendly and cooperative by nature. In addition to using a Felyne language that sounds like cat meows, they can also learn to use the languages of humans and Wyverians (nonetheless, in the main series, until*Wilds*Felynes finally received human-language voice acting). Most Felynes have a "meow~"Verbal ticverbal tic when speaking, though a small number of individuals lack this quirk due to extreme self-restraint.
In MHWilds, Felyne individuals known as "Long-haired Breeds" (長毛種) appeared for the first time, perhaps implying that Felynes, like real-world cats, are divided into long-haired and short-haired varieties.
Felyne Society
Felynes are capable of performing almost any job in human society, and they can be found in industries such as freight, commerce, and blacksmithing.
There are two industries for which Felynes are most well-known. One of them is Felyne cooking: Felyne meals are essential for humans, especiallyMonster Hunterplays a vital role, providing various buffs for hunters about to head out for a hunt. Although Felyne cuisine is not exclusive to Felynes (such asAibo、Yomogihumans like her can also prepare Felyne meals), the expertise and prevalence of Felynes in the culinary arts remain unsurpassed to this day.
Another major profession for Felynes, even better known in the Monster Hunter industry, is the Palico: although Felynes are generally not as strong as humans, they possess their own unique hunting techniques and can participate in hunting quests alongside hunters. Hunters can use leftover monster materials (known as scraps) to craft weapons and armor specifically for their Palicoes and teach them various unique skills. Depending on their role, Palicoes can assist hunters in attacking monsters during combat, provide support and healing during the hunt, or prioritize gathering materials during the quest.
Although Felynes are almost unable to hunt alone due to individual strength limitations, there are some whose strength and skill are formidable enough to rival hunters, such as the Admiral's partner, the Meowscular Chef, andKamura VillageElder Fugen's partner, Togarashi. Additionally, the Felynes under the Wycademy are strong enough to hunt alone without a hunter's accompaniment (in MHX and MHXX, players can control Felynes to hunt alone in "Prowler Mode").
In addition to the professions mentioned above, there is another extremely dangerous industry that only Felynes can handle—the Felyne Cart. When a monster hunter is incapacitated during a hunt, two Felynes will push a small cart to rescue the hunter who can no longer fight from the battlefield andquite roughlysend them back to camp. Felynes pushing the cart often need to rescue hunters from the clutches of various dangerous monstersand in MHF, they might even have toKhezurescue the hunter from their bellies, and perhaps because of this, every time a hunter takes the Felyne Cart, they must pay one-third of the quest reward to the Felynes pushing the cart.
Hiring Palicoes
If a monster hunter wishes to hire a Felyne as a Palico, they need to find an agency specializing in Palico recruitment to complete the formalities. The maximum number of Palicoes a hunter can hire varies across different villages.
In titles before MHX, an old lady known as "Granny Cat" served as the Palico scout; in MHX and MHXX, this role was taken over by a young Wyverian girl known as "The Meowstress"Katyawho is responsible; in MHRise, a human boyIoriis responsible for the management of Palicoes andPalamutes, including services such as hiring and renaming Buddies.
Additionally, if a hunter no longer requires a Palico's services, they can also dismiss the hired Palico.
The function to hire/dismiss Buddies was once abolished. That was during the MHW era, when the Research Commission seemed to adopt a mechanism of one Palico and one hunter partnering to the New World, so no scout appeared in this title.
Meowcenaries
Hunters can dispatch groups of 3 to 4 Buddies to different regions for exploration and gathering, sometimes even obtaining materials that cannot be acquired normally.
This system originated from "Trenya" during the MHP2 era; this Felyne, who would set off in a boat to find treasures as long as he was paid, was fromPokke VillageThe Palico of the Farm Manager during his service. From a plot perspective, the exploration mode of the Meowcenaries was proposed by the Treasure Cat.
Similar to the Palico Scout, the NPC in charge of the Meowcenaries varies in each game. In MHW, wild tribe allies can also join the Tailraider Safari. In MHRise, Palamutes can also join the Meowcenaries, which is renamed "Meowcenaries" in this title.
Wild Felynes
Although most Felynes settle and work in human society, some Felynes form their own settlements and live in the wild like indigenous people.
Wild Felynes in the game mostly have white fur, so they are called "White Cats," and they usually carry a pickaxe-like staff. They are mild-tempered, but if attacked, all wild Felynes will unite and use their pickaxes or Barrel Bombs to attack the intruder.
Close Relatives of Felynes
Melynx/Black Cat/メラルー
Body Length Range: 103.37cm; Distribution: Worldwide; Appearances: All titles[2]
Within the Felyne population, there exists a subspecies namedMelynx/メラルーknown as "Black Cats" due to their black fur. Melynxes are mischievous and highly curious, with the bad habit of stealing property. They often carry a cat-paw-shaped staff to steal items from merchants, hunters, and even other Felynes. As a result, they have a very poor reputation in society, are mockingly called "Thief Cats," and are frequently driven away or attacked.
It is worth mentioning that in wild Felyne settlements, wild Felynes act together with wild Melynxes. When a Melynx is attacked by a hunter, nearby Felynes will also become hostile toward the hunter, which seems to prove that Felynes living in the wild do not harbor prejudice against Melynxes.
However, not all Melynxes are bad cats. Some Melynxes, like Felynes, make their own contributions to society to eliminate prejudice against Melynxes and redeem the reputation of the truly hardworking Felynes. For example, in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, there is a Melynx wearing a straw hat next to the base camp tent responsible for temporary storage and sending items home. Its delivery method is to stuff all the entrusted items into a wooden barrel and then roll back to the village while standing on the barrel.Of course, you can also put raw meat and monster dung together so they get mixed well on the way back (just kidding).. Depending on the hunter's choice of Felyne coat color, Melynx can also serve as a hunter's Palico.
Grimalkyne/Wildcat/テトルー
Distribution: New World; Appearances: MHW
- Main article:Grimalkyne
A Lynian race in the New World with appearance and behavior similar to FelynesGrimalkyne/テトルーIt has also been confirmed that they are known as "Wildcats" due to their appearance. Various signs indicate that Grimalkynes seem to be closely related to Felynes, and their lineage may be older than that of Felynes.
Currently, four Grimalkyne tribes have been discovered in the New World: the Bugtrappers, the Protectors, the Troubadours, and the Plunderers. Each tribe has its own unique equipment and the ability to communicate with certain small monsters. Grimalkynes are happy to teach their unique skills to allies and assist them in hunting. These tribes usually operate in their own regions, but occasionally travel to other parts of the New World to hunt.
Felyne's appearances in spin-offs and collaborations
As one of the most famous mascots of the Monster Hunter series, Felynes have never been absent when the Monster Hunter series collaborates with other IPs, appearing in games such as "Metal Gear series》、《TRIALS of MANA" and other games' collaboration plots and game modes.
Notable IndividualsMeowMono-
- Felyne Hunter
- The first Felyne in history to serve as a monster hunter, who played a major role in the integration of the Felyne race into human society and their participation in hunting, leading to the birth of the Palico system.
- They speak with the verbal tic "Gobu".
- Treasure Felyne
- A Felyne who first appeared in MHP2, the apprentice of Treshi, always carrying a large backpack.
- In the game, hunters can commission the Treasure Felyne to go out on treasure hunts.
However, they often shipwreck shortly after setting out.. This led to the birth of the Meownster Hunters.
- Meow Knight
- Appearing in MHX, this Felyne wears a blue wide-brimmed hat and a blue cloak; they debuted at the same time as the Treasure Felyne and the two are rivals.
- The leader of the Meownster Hunters in Bherna Village.
- Neko (Means Cat)
- First appearing in MHP3, this Felyne wears a bamboo hat and an eyepatch, always carrying a large wooden barrel; in older titles, he handled the business of transporting materials and items back for hunters out on quests.
- His prototype is the protagonist of the film "Kogarashi Monjirō".
- Cloaked Felyne
- A Felyne who first appeared in MHP2G, wearing a large cloak and belonging to the Hunter's Guild; he assigns confidential quests to hunters (the quest giver for Village High Rank quests).
- His personality is different from other Felynes, being very cold and aloof, and he deliberately restrains himself from using the common Felyne verbal tics.He loses his composure when he gets emotional.。
- Has a younger sister.
- Meowscular Chef
- Appears in MHW,Research Commissionmember, a robust, elderly white Felyne with a scar over his right eye, and the head chef of the "Arms and Felyne" Canteen in Astera.
- Originally the Admiral's partner Felyne, but later during a battle withNergiganteduring the battle, his blade used as a weapon broke, leading him to retire from hunting. Later, to take care of the Admiral, he learned culinary skills from the Grammeowster Chef. After completing his training, he opened the "Arms and Felyne" Canteen in Astera to provide Felyne meals for hunters.
- The Meowscular Chef usually only cooks personally when preparing high-grade Felyne meals, using his broken weapon as a kitchen knife. His cooking style focuses on bold thick cuts, pan-frying, and grilling.
- Grammeowster Chef
- Appears in MHWI,Research Commissionmember, a slightly plump, kind-looking elderly grayish-white Felyne, the head chef of the Seliana Canteen, nicknamed "Grandmeow."
- The Grammeowster Chef was the Meowscular Chef's culinary mentor. She had originally retired but came out of retirement to assist the hunters at the Seliana base, serving as the head chef.
- The Grammeowster Chef's cooking style features gentle and meticulous stews and gratins, mostly using herbs, cheese, and cream as ingredients. The atmosphere of the food preparation alone can make hunters feel warm.
- Famous
annoyingThe requester of the quest "You're the Golden Champion."
- Kogarashi
- Appears in MHRise as the leader of the Kamura Village Meowcenaries, and was formerly the Palico partner of Village Elder Fugen.
- Fukashigi
- Appears in MHRise as a mysterious informant who reveals secret information about various characters to the Flame at their base.
- Navirou
- Appears in the Monster Hunter Stories series; a unique-looking Felyne with a very large head.
- His true identity is one of the six Felynes experimented on by Dr. Manelger, specifically Number 5, and he can transform into a super form charged with electricity.
- He is the protagonist's companion in both MHST1 and MHST2.
- Tsukino
- Appears in MHST2 as the Palico partner of the Hunter Kyle.
- Terra Research Commission
- Appears in "TRIALS of MANA] collaboration with the Monster Hunter series SideStory "A Flurry to the Flame," a squad composed of three Felynes, classified in-game as a 1-star Thrower Sniper Operator.
- Main article:Terra Research Commission
- (To be added)
Related Equipment
Weapon
Defeating wild Felynes and Melynxes in hunting grounds has a chance to drop "Pawprint Stamps" or "Felyne Fur Rubies," and "Buddy Tickets" can also be obtained from one's own Palicoes; all three are key materials for crafting Felyne-series weapons.
Felyne-series weapons don't deal much damage and are mostly for entertainment and collection. An amusing detail in older titles is that when a hunter equips these weapons, they make cat sounds.
Lore-wise, some Felyne weapons are actually obtained by trading materials and tickets with specific Felyne tribes.
Armor
The materials are basically the same as the weapons, and the appearance generally mimics the Palico "Acorn" set; in some titles, it only consists of head and torso pieces. It usually provides the Bombardier and Artillery skills, making it quite practical armor.
Another type is the Felyne cartoon mask.Equipping this during real-time cutscenes results in outstanding comedic effect —_—
Palico Equipment
Palico weapons are categorized into only two types: Severing and Blunt. This is because no matter what the weapon looks like, the way it is used remains the same.
Felyne armor also consists of only two parts: head and torso.
Compared to hunter weapons and armor, Felyne equipment requires very few materials to craft. In some titles, crafting hunter weapons and armor yields "Scraps," which are used specifically for making Felyne weapons and armor.
Considering the limited attack power of Felynes, status-inflicting weapons are usually chosen; triggering an effect even once during a hunt is a gain.
Most Felyne equipment looks like miniature versions of hunter sets or monsters, but there are also some strange armors that make Felynes look like entirely different creatures (such as the Clockwork set in MHWI).
Felynes can also use other weapons and support gadgets, primarily barrel bombs and boomerangs. In older titles, these attack methods were generally fixed when a Palico was hired, and there were even non-attacking Felynes (to prevent friendly fire). In MHW, the Felyne's boomerang attack is included by default, while other gadgets, except for the default Vigorwasp Spray, must be unlocked through quests.
Theme Music
"Lovely Felyne (可愛いアイルー)": This song has been used as the dedicated BGM for the Felyne Kitchen since the MHP era. The style is quite healing and cute, with multiple versions depending on the title.
可愛いアイルー
Trivia
- All Felyne vocalizations are recorded from cats owned by the development staff.
- The development team originally intended to design a goblin-like creature as the hunter's companion,
FortunatelyUltimately, it was not adopted, and the idea of a "walking big cat" was widely acclaimed as soon as it was proposed, leading to the birth of the classic Felyne image, which has endured ever since. - Scenes of Felynes being killed have never appeared in the game (though blood splatters when they are attacked), and materials cannot be carved after knocking down a wild Felyne. When a Felyne is beaten to the point of being unable to fight, it will immediately burrow into the ground and flee; wild Felynes will leave behind drops like Pawprint Stamps after burrowing, while Melynxes will drop "Felyne Fur Rubies" or "Secret Stashes."
- The Barrel Bomb Felynes in MHP3 were quite practical in the early game, leading to the saying "two Barrel Bomb Felynes are as good as one rookie hunter."
- MHRS introduced the [Hunting Guide] series of paid layered armor in Ver. 14, among which the Felyne layered armor (namely "Silly Cat") became the most popular outside the community.