Monster Master

The Monster Master (魔物使い Mamono Tsukai) is a recurring vocation first introduced in Dragon Quest VI. The vocation allows players to walk on the wild side with the finer details varying between titles, but it has also consistently focused on taming and making allies of monsters defeated in battle.

Localization history

The profession is notable for frequently having its name changed even in the original Japanese scripts: 魔物使い (Mamono Tsukai) became 魔物ハンター (Mamono Hantā) in the seventh game in 2000, was changed to 魔物マスター (Mamono Masutā) in the Nintendo DS remake of Dragon Quest VI in 2010 and it's subsequent ports, became まもの使い (Mamono Tsukai) in Dragon Quest X in 2013 with the release of the version 2.0 update, and finally was changed to まものマスター (Mamono Masutā) in both Stars and Walk. In all Monsters titles the vocation is called the モンスターマスター (Monsutā Masutā). Not counting the alternate kanji and katakana spellings, this leaves the vocation with three distinct Japanese names.

In English the name was changed to Monster Masher for the seventh game to match the alteration in the original script but had since returned to being referred to as the Monster Master in peripheral media and spinoff titles, with the exception of the Terry's Wonderland event in Dragon Quest Tact. Here young Terry introduces himself as being a Monster Scout.

The term Monster Wrangler has seemingly replaced this vocation in the current English localization standard, being alluded to via the wrangler's ring item in Dragon Quest Builders 2 in 2019 and was fully implemented in the June 22, 2023 trailer reveal for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. A third anniversary celebration event in Tact in which the Hero of the fifth mainline game was referred to as the "Legendary Monster Wrangler" followed in the same year, and the nomenclature was fully cemented with the inclusion of Monster Wranglers in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake in 2024. With the release of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined in 2026 the Monster Master term has been repurposed as the name for the mainline series' advanced-grade beastly vocation, replacing the Monster Masher.

Appearances

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

While the Hero of Dragon Quest V has attributes and spells more akin to a physically stronger Priest, he is referred to in peripheral media as the legendary monster tamer and is the first protagonist in the series' history to be able to recruit monsters.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

The M.M. suffers considerable reductions to their strength, resilience, HP, and MP in all versions of VI, befitting a starting vocation characters are not meant to spend too much time in. Various breath skills are learned through the profession, in addition to the Puff! spell upon mastery.

In the original version of VI, having a master in the party activates the chance that a monster will join you upon its defeat, however this function was dropped in the Nintendo DS remake in lieu of Slime Buddies. Monster Master is one of the prerequisites for the Ranger vocation (along with Merchant and Thief).

Stat Changes

Statistics	Change
Battles to Master	165
Strength	-15%
Agility	Null
Resilience	-20%
Wisdom	Null
Style	Null
Max HP	-20%
Max MP	-30%
Trait	Low chance for a randomly selected enemy to be asleep during the first round

Abilities

Rank	Title	Learns	Battles Needed	Target	Info	MP
1	Slime Master	N/A	1			-
2	Beast Master	Sweet Breath	18	Enemy group	A fragrant sigh that lulls a group of enemies to sleep.	0
3	Zombie Master	Poison Breath	33	One group	Poisons a group of enemies.	0
4	Nature Master	Tongue Bashing	58	One enemy	A punishing lick to reduce the enemy's defence.	0
5	Demon Master	Cool Breath	77	All enemies	A chilly breath attack.	0
6	Troll Master	Flame Breath	93	All enemies	A fiercely fiery breath attack.	0
7	Material Master	Burning Breath	125	One group	Paralyses the enemy with a torrid sigh.	0
8	Dragon Master	Puff!	165	Self	Transform into a fire-breathing dragon.	18

Monster Recruitment

Rank	Recruitable Monsters
1	Slime (1/2), Feralball (1/8), Lips (1/64)
2	Mud Mannequin (1/64), Walking Corpse (1/32), Healslime (1/16), Slimeknight (1/4)
3	Lesser demon (1/4), Sluggernaut(1/4), Gustbluster (1/64)
4	Rockbomb (1/32), Dreamaera (1/32), Battering ram (1/16)
5	King slime (1/64), Boss troll (1/16)
6	Liquid metal slime (1/256)
7	Overkilling machine (1/64)
8	High djinks (1/256)

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

The M.M. replaces the older Monster Masher's hodgepodge of abilities and refocuses the profession on blasting enemies with bolts of darkness through the Zam spells and summoning friendly monsters to aid in battle.

Stat Changes

Statistics	Change
Total proficiency points	520
Strength	+10%
Resilience	0%
Magical might	+9%
Magical mending	-6%
Agility	-5%
Deftness	+10%
Charm	+20%
Max HP	0%
Max MP	0%

Abilities

Rank	Title	Learns	Proficiency points	Target	Info	MP
1	Slime Stalker	Summon Slime	0	Random	Calls a creature of the slime fmaily to join the fray	6
		Animal Magnetism		One foe	A loving cheek rub which can beguile a single enemy	6
2	Animal Assailer	Zam	25	One foe	Summons bullet-like blobs of black energy to blast a single enemy	6
		Dazzle		One group	Envelops a group of enemies in illusions	3
3	Zombie Zapper	Summon Zombie	40	Random foe	Calls an uncanny undead creature to join the fray	10
4	Metal Mauler	Zammle	45	One foe	Unleashes an umbral explosion that assails a single enemy	12
5	Demon Defeater	Sow Chaos	65	One group	Confuses a group of enemies while boosting their attack power	6
6	Troll Trouncer	Summon Beast	85	Random foe	Calls a real copper-bottomed beast to join the fray	16
7	Dragon Destroyer	Kazam	110	One foe	Calls forth a devastatingly dark and destructive force that strikes a single enemy	28
8	Creature Commander	Summon Dragon	150	Random foe	Calls a deadly but dependable dragon to join the fray	24
Let Loose command
Positive Reinforcement				Makes it more likely that a powerful monster will answer the call when performing a summon

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

The monster master was originally planned to be a playable vocation in IX, but this was scrapped at some point in development. The conceptual art depicts a boy wearing an outfit consisting entirely of animal hides and holding a gnarled staff.

Monsters series

Generally speaking the protagonist of every game in the Monsters sub series was referred to as a Monster Master until the younger Terry made an appearance in Dragon Quest Tact, where he dubbed himself as a Monster Scout. With the release of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, the term has been retired in the spinoff series for Monster Wrangler. Certain titles will place more emphasis on this profession than others, such as treating it as a societal class in it's own right.

Dragon Quest of the Stars

The Monster Master utilizes breath attacks and enjoys excellent HP growth, but has mediocre growth in all other stats.

Dragon Quest Walk

Monster Masters were added in a March 2022 update as part of the game's 2.5 year anniversary. Unlike the other advanced vocations, a character is able to become a Monster Master after befriending more than 35 types of monsters. Their weapons of choice are Wands, Spears, Claws, and Whips.

Dragon Quest Monsters+

The basis of the manga is the exploration of what it really means to be a master of monsters, focusing on the bonds a tamer makes with their companions and how this strengthens the beasts will to fight. The vocation is treated as a proper societal class with its own distinct role and expectations within a community.

Trivia

• The Monster Master's inclusion in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined was first revealed in an article published on September 18th, 2025 on Square-Enix's American website prior to any Japanese coverage.

See also

• Monster recruitment
• Item Master
• Monster Masher
• Monster Wrangler

Gallery

• 

  Milly detailing the capabilities of the vocation in the official guidebook for VI

• 

  Milly taming a metal slime in the V-Jump guide for VI, an impossibility in every version of the game

• 

  Concept art of the M.M. for IX. The vocation was scrapped in development and repurposed for X

• 

  Terry referring to himself as a scout in Tact