I remember the moment a Rathian reared up and my partner’s move decided the fight. I had one hand on the controller and the other on my notes — his katana was a conductor’s baton that cut the chaos into rhythm. If you ever felt a battle slip away because of the wrong companion, this guide is for you.
I’ve tested the partners across early quests and harder hunts, watching speedruns on Twitch and reading patch notes from Capcom while cross-checking builds on community hubs like IGN and Moyens I/O. You’ll get crisp takeaways: what each partner brings to a fight, which mons pair best with their kit, and the moments where swapping companions saves a hunt.
At 3 a.m., I scribbled partner notes between matches — All partners in Monster Hunter Stories 3: Monsties, abilities, weapons, and more
Partners change how you play. Some force you to be cautious; others let you push risk. Below I strip away filler and show exactly what each ally offers so you can decide fast when a boss resets the arena.
Who are the partners in Monster Hunter Stories 3?
Short answer: a mix of weapon specialists and mon-focused allies. I’ll walk you through each name, their weapon or element, and the active/passive skills they bring. If you follow community builders on Steam or Nintendo Switch forums, you’ll spot the same pairings repeated — there’s a reason certain combos keep surfacing.
How do partner abilities affect fights and team composition?
Abilities change tempo. Defensive ditties from a Hunting Horn can buy time, while a katana’s burst can punish openings and force stagger windows. Use partners to cover your blind spots: if you play aggressive, add a buffer; if you prefer bait-and-punish, take someone who pressures status or debuffs.
Simon
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Katana (Lightning) | Absolute EvasionCheerLunge StanceSpirit BladeSpirithelm BreakerSpirit Release SlashSakura SpiritbladeUnsheathing StrikeWild Slash | Evasion Ability (s)Dragon Buster (s)Feral Monster ChaserIai Mastery (s)Soul Kinship (s) |
Simon is your precision striker: high single-target damage and mobility. Use him when you need a quick follow-up or to pressure stagger windows.
Fawn
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Ice | Speed | Diamond RaidEvasion Ability (s)Freezing Burst+Ice SprayIcicle RalmIce Attack Boost (s)Sealbreaker (m) |
Fawn plays control: speed-based hits and chill effects that punish reckless moves from enemies. Pair her with kin that exploit freezing or speed stacks.
Thea
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Bow | Aerial AimAbsolute EvasionDefense Down CoatingPoogie ParadePiercing ShotPower CoatingPoison Coating | Bow Mastery (s)Critical Kinship (s)Kinship Skill+Sixth SenseSynchronize (s) |
Thea is your ranged specialist for weak-point hunting and status coatings. She softens targets before you commit to a slow charge or a big kinship move.
Kagachi
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Speed | High VoltageKadachi FuryThunder Attack Boost (s)Thunder DropThunderball |
High-voltage tempo. Kagachi thrives in fast skirmishes where you chain pressure and exploit paralysis or stun windows.
Kora
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Gunlance | Guard ReloadShellingShielding StanceTauntWyvern’s Blaze | All-Elements Boost (s)Divine Blessing (s)Guard Chance (s)Insitgator (s)Potential (s)Vicious (s) |
Kora anchors defenses and forces enemies into predictable patterns. If a hunt demands siege and zoning, she’s the steady hand.
Gravy
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Power | Bishaten EmbersDivine Blessing (m)Fire Defense Boost (s)Health Boost (s)Magma SurgeRock ShieldSpreading Beam |
Gravy is raw offense and sustain. Bring him when you want to out-damage a fight and shrug off small hits.
Ogden
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Hunting Horn | Absolute EvasionDefensive DittyComforting MelodyLyrical LegatoMagnificent TrioMagnificent Trio StylePower PaeanSpriny StaccatoWyvernfell Melody | Dragon Buster (s)Partbreaker (s)Polychrome Performer (s)Salt In Wound (s)Sealbreaker (s) |
Ogden is a support engine: buffs, debuffs, and party-sustaining melodies that shift a losing fight into a winnable one.
Chirpy
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Technical | Antivenom 9m)Debilitating LiltInflit Rate Up (m)Omni Shaser (s)Salt In Wound (m)Venom SurpriseVenom Shot |
Chirpy is value in status play: toxins and trickery that turn slow attrition into victory, especially against high-health bosses.
Gaul
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Katana | Lunge StanceMurray MultiplicatorSpirit BladeSpirithelm Breaker | Item Saver (s)Inflict Rate Up (s)Long Sword Mastery (s)Panacea (s)Sef-Heal (s) |
Gaul mixes offense with utility: sustained pressure, self-heal, and item efficiency when resources run thin.
Legia
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Ice | Speed | Debuff Chaser PElemental Assault (s)Frost VeilIce DrillIcicle RealmTenacity (s)Quick (s) |
Legia is a secondary controller with debuff chasing that punishes mistakes and amplifies your kinship hits.
Eleanor
| Weapon | Active Skills | Passive Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Great Sword | ChargeCharged SlashCharge TackleFortified SpiritPep TalkStrong Charged SlashSlash | Charge Burst (s)Fire Attack Boost (s)Heroics (s)Soul Kinship (s)Slugger (s) |
Eleanor is heavy-hitting and methodical. Bring her for slow, guaranteed punishment when openings last longer.
Angie
| Element | Attack Type | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Power | Anja AssaultBlightproof (s)BlazeballBurning FangFire Attack Boost (m)Health Boost (s)Killer Tackle |
Angie is straightforward power—ideal when you need raw damage to finish a hunt fast.
One practical tip from testing: treat partners as tools in a toolbox — sometimes a screwdriver solves what a hammer can’t. I track builds with simple spreadsheets and compare notes with streamers and community patch threads; those small data points tell you when a partner outperforms expectations.
Partners are Swiss Army knives: when you blend their strengths with your playstyle, fights go from frustrating to manageable. Which ally will change your next hunt and provoke arguments in the forum threads — do you want to bet on raw damage or layered control?