Before Monster Hunter: World, as the Fifth Fleet sails across the Great Sea toward the New World, a boastful group of young hunters aboard the flagship taunts the coming battle with the Elder Dragon—only to be silenced by veteran hunter Aiden, who aims to humble them by recounting his own first encounter with such a beast.
Ten years earlier, [Aiden] is a teenager living in a small, remote mountain village where people lack easy access to the Guild-house. To protect his neighbors, he takes it upon himself to hunt down the monsters that trouble them. He is sent into the wild to track a livestock thief, but nearly falls prey to a Velociraptor-like predator. He is rescued by Julius, a seasoned hunter from the guild, who reveals the true culprit: a sly Melynx named Nox, whose tracks misled him. Aiden captures Nox and brings the creature back to the village to show Julius. The Wyverian leader confirms a looming threat: an Elder Dragon is on the move toward the New World and will pass through Aiden’s homeland.
[Julius] agrees to lead Aiden to witness the Elder Dragon so the villagers can evacuate in time. The trio—Aiden, Julius, and Nox—reach the site and learn that the dragon is a Lunastra, a shockingly destructive, fire-prone elder. Rather than flee, Aiden chooses to stand with his people and confront the danger, prompting Julius to stay behind and summon help by firing a signal flare.
Soon they encounter two more hunters: Mae, the owner of a journal Nox stole, and Nadia, Julius’s old partner. The group agrees to join the effort to defend the village. They seek out Ravi, a wary blacksmith who previously refused aid, and learn that the plan hinges on a coordinated defense. Ravi eventually joins, aided by Mae, and—with the help of many smiths—crafts a super weapon using parts from the Congalala and the Deviljho.
As preparations finish, the villagers gather to feast and brace for the siege. The battle tests them all: a brutal clash with the Lunastra rips through the settlement, claiming the lives of both Mae and Ravi. In the face of tragedy, Aiden devises a bold gambit—rupturing the village dam to flood the area and douse the dragon’s flames while the rest of the team draws the Elder Dragon’s attention. The flood smothers the blaze and drives the Lunastra away from the village.
With the threat neutralized, the losses are mourned, and Aiden’s path forward becomes clear: he joins Julius and Nadia as an Ace Cadet bound for the distant town of Dundorma to become a Guild Hunter. The film closes in the present day, foreshadowing the adventures that await in World.
