In Monster Hunter: World, if you want to increase your Hunter Rank fast, you must complete parts of the story first. For example, HR 15 is the max you can obtain until you finish the story.
However, after the credits, all extra experience gained is credited to your Hunter. Hunter Rank is a what the developers of Monster Hunter World decided to call a level.
Hunter Rank is abbreviated to HR. Monster Hunter World is shortened to MHW. The important Hunter Rank unlocks in Monster Hunter World are as follow:
Monster Hunter Rank Unlocks
- HR 15: The max Hunter Rank you can obtain until the story is completed. Extra experience accumulated will be added after you complete the story.
- HR 29: At Hunter Rank 29, you unlock the Assigned Quest “Beyond the Blasting Scales“. To complete it, you have to hunt two Tempered Bazelgeuse. Completion is necessary if you want to increase your hunter rank further.
- HR 49: At Hunter Rank 49, you unlock the Assigned Quest “Thunderous Rumble in the Highlands“. To complete this quest you need to slay a Tempered Kirin. To increase your HR past 49, you must finish this quest.
- HR 100: At Hunter Rank 100, you unlock the Optional Quest “The Sapphire Star’s Guidance“. In this quest, you must slay a Tempered Nergigante, Tempered Kushala Daora, and Tempered Teostra in one quest. To increase your Hunter Rank fast and beyond level 100 you must complete this quest. Achieving an HR of 100 also grants you the trophy/achievement The Established Hunter.
Hunter Rank Before HR 15
The main MHW story starts off in the hub area of Astera. There you have to accept an assignment that involves hunting a Great Jagras in the Ancient Forest. It is actually your first mission in Monster Hunter World.
Complete this assignment, and you level up your Hunter Rank to level 2, unlocking the ability to do new assignments from the Quest Board in Astera.
In between HR 2 and HR 15, there various missions that include hunting a Barroth or an Anjanath. Tacking and slaying a Pink Rathian etc. Complete them to get to HR 15.
MHW: How To Increase Hunter Rank
To raise your Hunter Rank, you simply need to complete quests. The more difficult the quest, the more your hunter rank improves after completing it.
MHW Hunter Rank Cap
As of writing, there is no confirmation on a Hunter Rank cap. However, in previous games from the franchise, the cap was HR 999. For what its worth, the highest level I’ve seen while playing on PlayStation 4 is Hunter Rank 999.
Final Advice/Recap
As mentioned, in the beginning, the Hunter Rank is tied to the main story. However, after completion, it switches to an XP bar found in the Status menu.
Certain quests allow you to level up in increments until you finally hit Hunter Rank 100. After, every Expedition, Optional, or Event adds experience points that go toward leveling up your Hunter Rank.
The higher your Hunter Rank, the more challenging quests and monsters you can take on. And, of course, the more challenging the quest is, the more experience points you gain.
The best advice to raise your Hunter Rank quickly is to simply complete the main storyline and then go on to do lots of quests.
Additional Resources
If you want more help with Monster Hunter: World, check out our guide page. Here are a few useful tutorials with regard to improving your Palico and obtaining Palico equipment/gadgets from different Grimalkye tribes throughout different areas:
- Monster Hunter World: Rotten Vale Grimalkyne Quest Guide
- Monster Hunter World: Coral Highlands Grimalkyne Quest Guide
- Monster Hunter World: Wildspire Waste Grimalkyne Quest Guide
- Monster Hunter World: Ancient Forest Grimalkyne Quest Guide
There are some event quests that give extra HR progression, though you need to be HR 30 before you can do them (when they are available).