How to unlock and use Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds

Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds are unique little creatures that players will be able to control if they choose to main the Insect Glaive weapon in the latest open-world RPG title from Capcom. Understanding how to take full advantage of these creatures can help make your hunt quicker.

This article guides you on how to unlock and use Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Note: This article contains spoilers for a Chapter Two and a High-Rank monster.

Check out All Monster Hunter Wilds Monsters to know who you are going to face!

How to unlock Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds

You'll gain the ability to raise Kinsects after defeating (Spoiler Warning) The Black Flame (Nu Udra) in the Oilwell Basin in Chapter 2.

Gemma the Smithy in Monster Hunter Wilds (Image via Capcom)

There are two specific steps to unlocking Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds. Firstly, you'll have to buy one of the two basic Kinsects (Mauldrone or Culldrone) from Gemma the Smithy. Following this, they need to be raised along a particular path, which will require the corresponding materials. This will then transform said kinsect into its next form. The final forms will be unlocked once you reach the High Rank stage and beat (spoiler warning) Yian-Kut-Ku.

To raise a kinsect, interact with Gemma, head to Manage Kinsects, and then select Raise Kinsects.

For example, if you need a Pseudocath, you'll first need to raise a Culldrone to a Windchopper (give 3 Dragonite Ore, 2 Monster Fluid, 2 Wingdrake Hide, and 500z). After this, its next stage will be Pseudocath (3 Carbalite Ore, 2 Monster Broth, 2 Kut-ku Wing, and 3,000z). Think of it as Pokemon evolutions, but instead of just XP, they require specific materials.

There are a total of 20 Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds, but only 12 are of the highest rarity.

Kinsect Tree

The Kinsect tree can have 3 rarities

Rarity 1(materials) —> Rarity 2 (materials) —> Rarity 3 (materials)

Mauldrone Tree

Mauldrone (100z) —> Foebeetle (Sturdy Bone x3, Monster Fluid x2, Rompopolo Hide x1, 500z) —> Carnage Beetle or Bonnetfille (Quality Bone x3, Monster Broth x2, Toxin Sac x2/Stoutbone x2 respectively, 3000z)
Mauldrone (100z) —> Gullshad (Sturdy Bone x3, Monster Fluid x2, Wingdrake Hide x2, 500z) —> Whispervesp or Bullshroud (Quality Bone x3, Monster Broth x2, Kut-Ku Wing x2/Monster Keenbone x2, 3000z)
Mauldrone (100z) —> Ladytarge (Sturdy Bone x3, Monster Fluid x2, Lala Barina Floret x1, 500z) —> Ladypavise or Arkmaiden (Quality Bone x3, Monster Broth x2, Lala Barina Floret+ x2/ Inferno Sac x2, 3000z)

Culldrone Tree

Culldrone (100z)—> Alucanid (Dragonite Ore x3, Monster Fluid x2, Rompopolo Hide x1, 500z)—> Empresswing or Monarch Alucanid (Carbonite Ore x3, Monster Broth x2, Stoutbone x2/ Toxic Sac x2, 3000z)
Culldrone (100z) —> Rigiprayne (Dragonite Ore x3, Monster Fluid x2, Lala Barina Floret x1, 500z) —> Fiddlebrix or Cancadaman (Carbalite Ore x3, Monster Broth x2, Inferno Sac x2/Lala Barina Floret+ x2, 3000z)
Culldrone (100z) —> Windchopper (Dragonite Ore x3, Monster Fluid x2, Wingdrake Hide x2, 500z) —> Pseudocath or Grancathar (Carbalite Ore x3, Monster Broth x2, Kut-Ku Wing x2/ Monster Keenbone x2, 3000z)

Each Kinsect also has different stats affecting their performance:

Powder effect (Effectiveness of their dust powder)
Power (Attack Power)
Speed (How fast they can extract harvests)
Stamina (How long they can be active before you need to recall them)
Kinsect Bonuses

How to use Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds

Kinsects in Monster Hunter Wilds can be used to either attack monsters or harvest extracts from them.

Extracts

Extracts refer to essences that you can collect from various monsters. These essences can provide various buffs for a short period. The Kinsects will extract different juices depending on which body part of the monster you target.

There are three basic extracts you can remove from the creature. These have distinct and different effects, However, they can be mixed to achieve unique advantages.

Color

Effect

Green

・Immediately recovers health (You cannot hold it in the vials)

Red

・Enables charged attacks

White

・Increases movement speed・Increases jump height

Orange

・Provides Flinch Free

Red+White

・Increases Attack・Allows charged attacks・Increases movement speed・Increases jump height

Red+Orange

・Allows charged attacks・Grants Flinch Free

White+Orange

・Increases defense・Increases movement speed・Increases jump height・Grants Flinch Free

Red+White+Orange

・Further Attack increased・Alters certain attacks・Allows Charged Attacks・Increases movement speed・Increases jump height・Grants Flinch Free・Mitigates wind pressure, tremors, and roars

When holding R2, the icon below the crosshair will indicate which essence you'll receive. To extract using Kinsects, use these default keybinds:

Xbox: RT + Y
PC: R + Right Click
PlayStation: R2 + Triangle

The Red, White, and Orange extracts in Monster Hunter Wilds (Image via Capcom)

This command can be charged for additional piercing and damage. When you want to absorb the extracts, press (R2 + Circle on PS5, R + RMB on PC, RT+B on Xbox), and you'll consume the available essences.

Attacks

Understanding when to attack or extract with the Kinsect is important for mastering the Glaive (Image via Capcom)

Kinsects can also be used to attack monsters. Although they don't deal high damage, they apply one of four dust effects, which are status conditions signaled by the color of dust clouds they leave behind:

Green: Slightly recovers your health
Orange: Builds up Blast
Purple: Builds up Poison
Yellow: Builds up Paralysis

These are the default keybinds to command Kinsects to attack in Monster Hunter Wilds: