Monster Hunter Wilds focuses much more on its story than previous Monster Hunter games. The story largely revolves around Nata, a young member of a tribe that inhabits a region known to outsiders as the Forbidden Lands. Due to its hostile weather events and the prevalence of large monsters there, those who live outside the Forbidden Lands believe it to be uninhabitable - until Nata shows up at the doorstep of a hunters' academy, explaining that his tribe was attacked and needs help.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Monster Hunter WIlds.]Three of the hunters' guild are assigned to Nata's case: Alma, the handler, Gemma, the Smithy, and the player's custom character, the hunter. Together, they come to be known as the Avis Unit for their quick mastery of Seikret riding, and seek to bring Nata home. They travel across the Forbidden Lands, moving from tribe to tribe, and growing ever closer to Nata's home. Along the way, they learn a great deal more about life in the Forbidden Lands, and discover the origins of the monsters who inhabit them.

What Happens To Nata In Monster Hunter Wilds?

Nata Finds His Village, Takes On A New Role

After following a series of rumors, Nata is eventually able to locate his village after finding a pair of gloves he abandoned during his journey. Nata's tribespeople, a society known as The Keepers, has been holed up the ruins of Wyveria, an ancient civilization also responsible for creating a powerful group of monsters known as the Guardians, since the attack on their village. Arkveld is one of the Guardians.

The Guardians are fueled by a substance called Wyvern Milk (Wylk, for short), which is more of a synthetic mineral than actual milk. The Keepers also created a piece of technology called the Dragontorch, which causes the Forbidden Lands to remain fertile, peaceful, and balanced - but clearly something's wrong with it.

Nata and the Avis Unit continue to search the region, eventually finding Arkveld, surrounded by a mountain of monster carcasses. Arkveld has become an invasive species - not even predatory anymore, but uncontrollably destructive, as Alma describes it. Nata despairs, but Alma determines that Arkveld must be killed to allow the Forbidden Lands to flourish. The hunter engages in pitched battle with Arkveld, in what's arguably the most difficult low-rank hunt in the game.

The hunter defeats Arkveld at length. Nata mourns it at first, but eventually comes around to agree with the hunters' decision after the events described below. Eventually, Nata becomes a liason between the hunters' guild and the various tribes of the Forbidden Lands, bringing messages and trade goods back and forth between the various villages and base camps.

What Happens To Arkveld & The Guardians In Monster Hunter Wilds

Zoh Shia Emerges

After defeating Arkveld, Nata asks the hunting party to take him to the Dragontorch. Having determined that Arkveld was feeding on it, he wants to understand what caused its rampage. Following ancient Keeper inscriptions, they find their way to Wyveria's ancient energy source. However, they find a monster wrapped around the Dragontorch - another Guardian. They return to Nata's village to explain the situation, and Nata's tribespeople are able to identify the monster as Zoh Shia. Although they believed it had gone dormant, it's clearly active, and has grown incredibly powerful from the Dragontorch's energy.

So the hunters and Nata's tribespeople consider cutting Zoh Shia off from the Dragontorch, knowing that it could destroy the balance of the Forbidden Lands. They reveal that the pendant Nata wears around his neck is the key to destroying the Dragontorch; it was once his father's responsibility to care for the Dragontorch, but since his father died during the attack on their village, it now falls to him. However, as it's his last memento of his father, the hunters decide to leave the ultimate decision to him.

Believing it his father's will, Nata decides to take the pendant to Zoh Shia himself. The Avis Unit accompanies Nata, and they reminisce about their journey as Nata thanks them for showing him the world. They arrive at the Dragontorch, and Nata clutches his pendant, walking boldly towards the monster. However, the hunter steps in at the last moment, deciding to defeat Zoh Shia themselves, smashing the Dragontorch with their weapon.

Zoh Shia is a much easier boss than Arkveld, though still difficult. It changes form several times, summoning Dragontorch energy to call on a variety of different elements. Although the Dragontorch is fractured, the land continues to flourish. Nata returns to his tribe, and his father figure Tasheen is shocked to find his pendant intact. Tasheen thanks the hunters for freeing the Keepers from their ancient duty

What Happens To The Avis Unit & The Forbidden Lands In Monster Hunter Wilds

Research In The Forbidden Lands

In a post-credits scene, word of the Avis Unit's activity reaches the hunter academy they initially came from. Based on the knowledge they've discovered, Fabius, their Guild's leader, decides to set up a base of operations in the Forbidden Lands. He directs the hunters there to continue their research in the region. In short order, they determine that the Frenzy Virus has been spreading, creating more dangerous variants of base game monsters. Eventually, following this plot leads to the High Rank feature, which allows players to take on more difficult hunts in exchange for rarer rewards.

Once the new crop of hunters settles in the region, the Hunters' Guild and the Forbidden Lands villages begin to intermingle. Eventually, they form a diplomatic relationship with Nata's help, exchanging knowledge and resources freely.

The destruction of the Dragontorch doesn't completely destroy the Forbidden Lands, but it has a profound effect on its ecosystem. Its previously predictable seasons become chaotic and uncontrollable, changing suddenly and randomly. Seasons can radically alter the landscape of each region, changing not only the material conditions of exploring them, but also the monsters that inhabit them and the resources available. This becomes an important endgame mechanic: you'll have to time your explorations within the ideal seasons to get the maximum rewards, and manage their unique conditions during hunts.

After this, Wilds' story comes to an end, but there's still plenty to do. The main attraction here is the postgame, where you're able to take on a wider variety of tougher and more rewarding monsters in a series of High Rank hunts. Your ultimate goal is to increase your Hunter Rank and better your gear as you continue to explore in Monster Hunter Wilds.