Rankings
Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddy Tier List
The best Buddies in Monster Hunter Outlanders are Kojiro, Pipa, Hoppy, Devu. This Buddy tier list ranks 38 Buddies from S to C by how much they add to the Adventurer carrying them and to the whole squad. It combines three launch rankings, two English and one Japanese, checked 2026-10-30.
Data checked against the live game and official posts
Monster Hunter Outlanders best Buddies, S to C
Large personal element bonus that is easy to trigger, plus the 3.5% squad bonus.
Strong for one playstyle, or a squad-wide bonus every team can use.
Smaller squad bonuses; good fillers until you pull better Buddies.
Not released yet, so not ranked: Aryo, Pheasant, Elwin. They appear in the game data but cannot be pulled at launch.
How we rank Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddies
Every SSR Buddy gives two bonuses: a large element boost for the Adventurer carrying it when a condition is met (Rupture damage, being airborne, landing a Parry), and a 3.5% damage bonus for the whole squad. SR Buddies give one squad-wide bonus, and R Buddies give 0.8% damage. A Buddy ranks high when its condition is easy to trigger with the Adventurers people actually own.
We combine three launch rankings and round down when they disagree, so a Buddy two lists call A and one calls S lands in A. Buddies only one list ranks keep that list's tier. The rankings use the live launch build; expect changes after the first balance patch.
Best Buddy for each class
- Assault (Palico): Kojiro for fire Long Sword users like Midori, Pipa for thunder Bow users.
- Disruptor (Rutaco): Hoppy for water users who stay airborne, such as Pepper; Devu for dragon Dual Blades.
- Support (Trillan): Nailu for Arkaya and other Supports who shield allies; Ravinge or Blademaster for any squad.
Match the Buddy to the Adventurer
The personal bonus only works if the carrier deals that element and triggers the condition. Check the element and weapon on the Monster Hunter Outlanders tier list, then pick the Buddy whose condition fits. Full effects and how to get each Buddy are in the Monster Hunter Outlanders Buddy database.
Monster Hunter Outlanders FAQ
What is the best Buddy in Monster Hunter Outlanders?
Kojiro, an SSR Assault Buddy from the Battle Pass: after Rupture damage the carrier deals 40% more fire damage for 10 seconds. Hoppy, Pipa and Devu are also S tier.
Is Kojiro free?
Kojiro comes from the Battle Pass rather than the recruitment pool, according to the guides we checked.
Should I upgrade R Buddies?
Not for long. R Buddies only add 0.8% squad damage. Use them until you pull SR or SSR Buddies of the same class.
Monster Hunter Outlanders sources we checked
- English-language community guides (used only when they agree with each other) — read 2026-10-30
- Japanese community guide A (data read from the Japan client) — read 2026-10-30
Tiers combine three launch rankings (two English guides, one Japanese guide); effect numbers come from one database and are marked as reported on the Buddy database page. Spotted an error? Email contact@mhodb.com.