You earn HR points from every large monster you slay or capture and every quest you finish, with more for Tempered and harder monsters. Points earned while you're capped are saved for later. Side missions, Tempered hunts, investigations and multi-monster quests are the quickest sources, and the cap disappears after Chapter 6.
Hunter Rank gates the story, unlocks new monsters and opens up the endgame. If you’ve ever hit a story mission that asks for a higher HR, this is the guide for you.
How HR points work
- You earn HR points by slaying or capturing large monsters and by finishing quests.
- Tempered and tougher monsters give more.
- Points you earn while your HR is capped aren’t lost. They’re stored and applied as soon as a story mission raises the cap.
- Co-op quests and SOS hunts count too, and are often the quickest way to clear hunts.
HR gates in the story
| When | HR needed |
|---|---|
| High Rank begins | After the Chapter 3 story |
| Chapter 4 story missions | HR 15, then HR 20 |
| Finishing the story | HR 40 |
| HR cap removed | After Chapter 6, “What Lies Ahead” |
When you hit a cap, don’t stop hunting. Every point you earn while capped is saved and counted once the cap lifts.
The fastest HR sources
- Side and optional missions from NPCs. They pay out when you finish them.
- Tempered and high-difficulty hunts. More danger, more points.
- Investigations and Field Surveys.
- Multi-monster quests. Two targets means more points per run.
- Playing with others. Join SOS hunts and Link Party quests to clear more hunts in less time.
What opens up at each HR
| HR | Unlock |
|---|---|
| 16 | Grand Hub tutorial mission (Title Update 1) |
| 21 | Mizutsune extra mission, after Kanya’s first fishing side mission (Title Update 1) |
| 31 | Lagiacrus and Seregios extra missions (Title Update 2) |
| 41 | Omega Planetes extra mission (Title Update 3), and Tempered versions of the title update monsters |
| 50 | Story mission to fight High Rank Zoh Shia again |
| 100 | 9★ Tempered monsters, the Gogmazios extra mission, armor Transcendence, and melding specific size 2 jewels and Artian parts |
Most of these unlocks were added by free title updates through 2025. If an older guide tells you HR stops mattering after the story, it was written before the updates.