“Unconventional Triumph: Monster Hunter World Player Defeats Game Using Only Street Fighter Emote”

Back in January 2018, streamer and Monster Hunter enthusiast UncleAaronT became fascinated by a clip where Monster Hunter World’s Rathian was defeated using the Street Fighter 5 Hadoken emote available in a crossover pack. Recognizing that this emote could damage monsters, he quickly utilized it during the inaugural Hadoken-focused hunt against Great Jagras.

Fast forward nearly seven years, and Aaron has now successfully utilized the Hadoken—combined with several other emotes—to conquer Monster Hunter World completely without swinging or firing any weapon, which I would compare to assembling a bookshelf purely by using your mouth. He began seriously tackling this feat in November. To give some context, one of his Nergigante hunts took 41 minutes.

After months of dedication, Aaron revealed his achievement to the Monster Hunter World Reddit community earlier this week, and I immediately reached out to discuss this extensive journey. From Great Jagras to Xeno’jiiva, the lineup of monsters in Monster Hunter World was powerless against the Hadoken, as demonstrated by Aaron’s comprehensive emote-focused playthrough archive. There is also a helpful explainer video to bring you up to speed.

“I was unable to continue the challenge at that moment due to life obligations, but fast forward to the end of the Monster Hunter Wilds beta, and the idea came back to me,” Aaron shares with GamesRadar+. “I had the evening free and decided to return to finish the task. The emote-only approach felt like something I could accomplish. While others may have attempted challenges with no damage or similar conditions, I couldn’t find anyone who had done precisely what I achieved. My stubborn nature meant that once I committed to a challenge, I was determined to see it through.”

The Hadoken was critical because it serves as a proper ranged action that inflicts consistent high damage—a significant 13 on a well-placed hit—without consuming your stamina like the Shoryuken does. Another effective tool was the Devil May Cry emote featuring Dante’s firearms, which delivers about double the damage of the Hadoken, but is far less reliable and spreads the damage over a larger area. This made it challenging to execute effectively but still helpful for minor yet beneficial DPS boosts in crucial moments.

Monster Hunter World Emotes only run is possible. I’ve played through the entire game using emotes as my sole source of damage with my hunter, from Great Jagras to Xeno’jiiva. This challenging run was completed on 06/01/2025. I believe I’m the first person to achieve this at this point in time. from r/MonsterHunter

“Ultimately, the Hadoken prevailed, offering a flat damage value that remained consistent while also providing me enough time to learn patterns to dodge when it mattered,” Aaron explains. There are various powerful emotes, but they have their limitations. “The other emotes I considered were either paid or were locked behind requirements that necessitated completing the game once before accessing them. The Witcher’s Fire and FF14 Jump can be beneficial against certain monsters for dodging attacks or utilizing elemental damage to my benefit. In the end, it was about choosing the right actions based on the specific monsters encountered.”

The good news is that with no weapon mechanics to manage, Aaron could customize his Monster Hunter World loadouts focusing on defense and utility skills like Windproof, Earplugs, and Tremor Resistance. If it aids in executing Hadokens or keeps him safe, it’s crucial. This strategy became especially relevant later in the game when facing High-Rank Elder Dragons, with Kushala Daora proving particularly challenging. Thankfully, flash bombs turned the tide.

While you’re curious, Aaron did have a Palico companion to assist, but it was specialized for healing and didn’t contribute much in terms of damage. One of the most impressive aspects of this journey is Aaron’s capability to confront these monsters for extended periods without being worn down. Typically, killing monsters faster minimizes the damage you take over time and reduces opportunities for making mistakes, but Aaron strategically pursued the opposite approach.

Another challenge was Zorah Magdaros, a volcanic creature with substantial health that usually requires environmental tools like cannons to chip away at. Aaron’s followers agreed that environmental damage was permissible in this instance, lest Zorah destroy the run, so cannons and ballistae—also not technically weapons—were permitted.

Aaron’s final battle with Xeno’jiiva is truly something to witness—and approximately half the duration of a movie, at that. “The challenge is complete!” he proclaims triumphantly. “It is indeed possible to complete Monster Hunter World using only emotes!” For the finale, he even obtained a rare gem.