User blog comment:Lord Loss/Monster Appreciation Week: Dire Miralis/@comment-5020152-20131007205021

Ah yes, the almighty Dire Miralis! Truly a fitting final fight for Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate (even though it technically isn't the final boss). This Elder Dragon is one that I consider the most intimidating and most powerful of the Seven Gods of Moga.

(In case you're wondering, the Seven Gods of Moga are what I call Akantor, Ukanlos, Ceadeus, Jhen Mohran, Dire Miralis, Alatreon, and Amatsumagatsuchi.)

Dire Miralis is an amazing throwback to previous generations of Monster Hunter. In a generation that consists almost entirely of brand-new content without many old foes making a return, Miralis shares the same skeleton of MHFU's infamous Fatalis trio. This reference alone helps make Miralis a worthy final boss.

Speaking of the Fatalis trio, Miralis definitely looks more unique and more exciting than any of them. As Lord Loss noted, it's basically a walking volcanic mountain range! Even its wings have been modified in order to spit fire. It uses these in an amazing way - spitting torrents of hot lava high into the air before letting them fall back down in a devastating firestorm. Its design is more or less like that of a giant lizard, and when it stands on its hind legs, it is reminiscent of some kind of Japanese kaiju. Not to mention that its roar sounds uncannily similar to Godzilla.

Dire Miralis, as its description puts it, is said to be "the giant who birthed creation". I can actually see this, as this creature is a blend of organic and inorganic, of life and rock, of beginning and conclusion. It looks like a beast that would have walked the Earth in the time before time, when volcanoes dominated the land and life itself had yet to arise. Not to mention that it spends part of its life in boiling hot water, where the first microorganisms are thought to have come from. This primordial design is definitely one of the best of all Elder Dragons, and it is why I consider Miralis to be the oldest and most powerful of the Seven Gods.

I haven't fought this monster yet, but I'm hoping to get to it soon. Dire Miralis is an Elder Dragon that is definitely a fitting creature to end the 3rd Generation with - a monster that dwells both in water and on land, a monster that towers over even Alatreon, the final boss of Monster Hunter Tri, a monster whose sky-shattering roar is accompanied by a raging meteor shower. Double thumbs up and a goblet of Tanzian Ale to the Black Flame of Calamity, the leader of the Seven Gods of Moga - Dire Miralis!