The Hunter (Rain World)

Hunter is one of the nine playable slugcats in Rain World, being one of the three released with the base game. Hunter is a carnivorous slugcat skilled at combat, who was created by the Iterator No Significant Harassment. When fellow Iterator Looks to the Moon shuts down due to disrepair and dehydration, NSH sends Hunter to give her a special green neuron that will reboot her. However, Hunter is on a strict time limit, as they have a deadly infection known as the Rot which they'll succumb to in 19-24 cycles.
== Appearance ==
Hunter is a pinkish-orange slugcat with black eyes, a black nose, and a scar over their right eye. While hibernating, a large Rot cyst can be seen on their back.
As Hunter Long Legs, they are now a pale, fleshy pink with X-shaped eyes, 2-3 large cysts on their body with X markings, and four long, cyst-covered tendrils they walk and grab things with.
== Biography ==
Chronologically, Hunter's campaign takes place between Artificer and Gourmand.
Hunter is a purposed being created by the Iterator No Significant Harassment, who at some point became infected with the Rot, though its unknown how. After Looks to the Moon had shut down NSH sends Hunter to deliver a green neuron to her, which will reactivate her own neurons and clear out the built up slag.
Should the player visit Five Pebbles before going to Moon, he'll inspect the green neuron and be surprised at the sixteen slag reset keeys inside, though state that the neuron was clearly not meant for him. He tells Hunter that Moon is to the east of his facility, and admits that he's largely responsible for her situation, deciding it would only be fitting for him to aid in rescuing her. He tells Hunter they aren't well, and informs them he isn't a medical facility, but will do what he can to help them, giving them five extra cycles before the Rot consumes them. Pebbles remarks that the slugcat is admirable for what they're doing with their limited time, and asks them to send Moon his regards.
Once the neuron is delivered and Moon reawakens, she surprised to find that the slugcat had helped her. Moon then notices Hunter's infection, and solemnly says they don't have much time left. She expresses deep gratitude that they spent their last remaining cycles on a quest to help her, saying she knows few being so noble and calling them an amazing little creature. She laments that her dwindling neurons won't allow her to remember them for long, before stating that they'll wake up again.
If they have not already, should the player visit Pebbles after this, he'll tell them that his Overseers have been insistently showing him footage of Hunter's journey ever since they entered Farm Arrays. He then notes that they don't have what they were carrying in the footage, asking if they lost it or had given it to Moon, hoping it was helpful to her if the latter is the case. Pebbles then tells Hunter that they both have something in common, that being infected with Rot, and while not much can be done for him, the pinkish-orange slugcat still has a way out. He tells them to head down into the fissures in the Farm Arrays until they reach the Depths, where they can ascend and be free of the Rot. He gives them five extra cycles, then tells them to hurry.
If the Hunter dies before ascending once their cycles run out, the Rot will take over their body, turning them into Hunter Long Legs.
Should Hunter reach Karma 10, they will be allowed through the Depths by the Guardians, and from there can reach the Void Sea. There, Hunter will dive into the Void, where the Void Worms will help them ascend. During their ascension, a large black branch bursts from their body, and they are then reunited with NSH.
== Gameplay ==
=== Hunter's campaign ===
Hunter is unlocked alongside Artificer and Gourmand after completing either Survivor's or Monk's campaign.
Unlike most slugcats, Hunter deals a high amount of damage when using spears, and can hold two spears at once, with one on their back and the other in their paw. They require six food pips to be filled before they can hibernate, and three additional pips can be filled for the next cycle. Their speed and jumping height are higher than average, though they are louder and more visible than most slugcats, making sneaking past enemies very difficult. Notably, they are different in that rather than their cycles counting up every time they hibernate, the number instead goes down. The player if given 19 cycles at the beginning, and can gain an additional 5 when first visiting Five Pebbles.
Hunter's campaign is the most difficult in the game, partially due to the cycle limit and poor stealth stats. During the campaign, the player will frequently encounter extremely dangerous enemies such as Red Lizards, King Vultures and Spitter Spiders, which are normally either absent (outside of the lineage system) or rare spawns in other campaigns. Normal enemies like Scavengers also have their aggression increased. Additionally, food is more scarce, Karma Flowers don't spawn, and Hunter cannot teleport back to previously used shelters with Passage Tokens, among several other miscellaneous changes.
Should the player have not ascended before the cycle counter runs out, the cycles will begin going into negative numbers. Starting from cycle zero, Hunter begins to feel the side effects of the Rot taking over, making them significantly weaker, with their symptoms worsening the lower the cycles get. These symptoms include Hunter's stats being lowered considerably, food filling less pips, Hunter occasionally having seizures, and them frequently hallucinating, causing the screen to turn red and distort for a few seconds. Should the player die at any point after the cycles have run out, the death will be permanent, and the campaign cannot be continued unless it's reset.
Beating their campaign will unlock Spearmaster and Rivulet, delivering the green neuron earns the achievement A Helping Hand, and ascending earns the achievement Within Time.
If the player has completed the Food Quest in Gourmand's campaign, they will unlock the ability to find up to two slugpups in Hunter's, Survivor's and Gourmand's campaigns. However, since pups cannot be brought into the Depths, the player is forced to abandon any they find as Hunter no matter which ending they get.
=== Gourmand's campaign ===
Should the player have permanently died in Hunter's campaign, Hunter Long Legs can be found in or near whichever room they died in during Gourmand's campaign. (unless Hunter has died of starvation, in which case they don't spawn at all) Hunter Long Legs is much slower than other Rot Cysts, but has much better hearing than them and isn't able to be killed with a single explosive spear like them. They have 50 hp, and while Gourmand's first spear throw does very high damage, all subsequent spear throws will be incredibly weak for a while. Due to this, Hunter Long Legs is one of the most difficult enemies in the game to kill. If they are killed though, their corpse can be eaten, which will fill 2 1/2 of Gourmand's food pips.
== Gallery ==
File:HunterHibernation.png|Hunter hibernating
File:HunterPermadeath.png|Hunter's permadeath screen
File:HunterAscension.png|Hunter ascending
File:HunterTendril.png|A black tendril bursting from Hunter's chest
File:HunterReunion.png|Hunter reuniting with NSH
File:HunterAscensionEnding.png|Menu art after the ascension ending
== Trivia ==
* When Remix is enabled, Hunter's campaign select description is changed to "Strong and quick, requiring a steady diet of meat. But the stomach won't be your only concern... this path is one of extreme peril where every cycle eats away at an ominous countdown."
* Hunter and Monk are the only two slugcats without their own unique title card artwork.
* Hunter Long Legs is one of the only six beings that cannot be unlocked for arena mode, the others being Train Lizards, Stowaways, the Chieftain Scavenger, Inv and Sliver of Straw; all of which were added in the Downpour DLC.
* By spawning them in via mods and then killing them, Hunter Long Legs is able to be eaten by Artificer, Spearmaster and, ironically, normal Hunter themself. Doing so will fill one food pip for Spearmaster, and five for Artificer and Hunter.
== External links ==
Hunter on the Rain World Wiki
Hunter Long Legs on the Rain World Wiki
Category:Video Game Heroes
Category:Indie/Doujin Heroes
Category:Genderless
Category:Animals
Category:Bio-Engineered
Category:Creations
Category:Predators
Category:Mute
Category:Parents
Category:Fighters
Category:Lethal
Category:Warriors
Category:Chaotic Good
Category:Determinators
Category:Selfless
Category:Successful
Category:Tragic
Category:Fallen
Category:Deceased
Category:Mutated
Category:Status Dependent upon Player Choice