Thunderous Star

 is a Rider that appears in the Riders of Discord DLC featured in Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate.

Description
The Thunderous Star is a young man clad in white Pop Star gear who wields an Oppressor's Forger Great Sword. He is a human of above-average height and average build, and has pale skin, yellow eyes, short, brown hair, and a mustache that reaches his chin in terms of length paired with a short beard.

Personality
The Thunderous Star exhibits a cautious demeanor around others, getting easily alarmed by his surroundings and becoming unnerved by things like the Fossil Knight's sneezing. However, if pushed far enough, he will become enraged, not backing down in the face of danger unless he knows he doesn’t stand a chance. He exhibits fondness towards the Lightning Starlet and is a fan of the Handler, speaking of them in high praise and getting irritated if anyone is unsupportive of them. He can be seen working with the Violet Guardian at times, viewing him as a trusted ally, and writes stories based on their adventures together whenever he gets the chance.

Background
Born and raised in Pokke Village, the young man known as the Thunderous Star was fairly popular within his hometown growing up, even before he gained his title, being a hit with the ladies and garnering admiration from the gents due to his looks and shy, yet adorable demeanour, but only had eyes for two things within and outside his village: his childhood friend and girlfriend, who would later be known as the Lightning Starlet, and the chance to clash against powerful monsters that many fledgling hunters within and outside of Pokke would dream of hunting. However, the only way he would accomplish the latter task was to prove his worth as a hunter to the village elders, who viewed him as a coward due to how easily he could be caught off guard by things like sneezing and rustling tree branches, and he set out with the Starlet to hunt monsters troubling the village after she convinced them that he was safe with her; after all, if she could fend off all the women who wanted him for themselves, then she could keep him from becoming a monster snack. It was a long and tedious process, with him getting repeatedly mowed down by Bulldromes as he gathered Mountain Herbs and hunted small game like Giaprey and Anteka, to the point where it seemed like they had a personal vendetta against him, and they soon became his least favourite monsters due to their continuous assaults necessitating the assistance of the Starlet on a daily basis and making him look wimpy to the elders. Angry with the beasts for harming her boyfriend and embarrassing him in front of everyone, the Starlet retaliated by slaughtering every single one she saw, reducing incidences of attacks on villagers and providing the village with enough meat to last them for weeks, if not months, and impressed with the raw emotion he could instill in others despite his flaws, the Pokke Elder had him join her in the latest quest, which was to hunt a Khezu that took up residence within the Arctic Ridge and attacked gatherers tasked with collecting Carnivore Eggs and Khezu Whelps, leaving them with serious wounds and necessitating the intervention of Felynes with carts. This did not go easy, either, as in spite of their teamwork, the Flying Wyvern caused trouble for the duo with its lightning shields and long reach, and within the middle of the fight, it lunged at the roughed-up Star with the intention of eating him, and the Starlet jumped in to protect him, with it latching onto her with its fangs and paralyzing her with near-lethal doses of electricity before throwing her to the ground like a ragdoll, making a taunting gesture with its tail once it finished the act. Believing that the Khezu killed his beloved girlfriend, the Star became overcome with rage and ran towards it with reckless abandon, shaking off the physical blows it landed and unleashing a barrage of heavy sword slams that reduced it to a bloody, mangled corpse within seconds, with the assault only stopping when he noticed her twitching and coughing, both signs that she was still alive. Upon the completion of this harrowing quest, the hidden strength and courage that laid within the Thunderous Star’s skittish exterior were acknowledged by the village elders, who granted him and the Lightning Starlet the rite of travel which would ensure that he would get to carry out his desire to encounter the monsters he dreamed of hunting. As he tended to her wounds, he noticed a pamphlet requesting the assistance of Old-World hunters within the New World, for the researchers within Astera and Seliana were in need of crucial information on monsters that could only be acquired by sending hunters out into the fields, and after showing it to her, the two embarked on a voyage to a new land via airship. Joining them on this airship was a travelling Rider clad in Gammoth gear who, while terse and gruff, was content to share the art of Monster Riding with anyone who was willing to listen, and she told them about the bonds that form between master and monster and the power they exude when used right as the airship flew, then demonstrated it by bringing down a pack of Ogromtyv that harassed the airship mid-flight with her trusted partner, a Gammoth. Once she finished the explanation, she handed them both Kinship Stones before heading off on an exploration of her own, wishing them the best of luck in their hunts, and the duo, fascinated by the idea of working with monsters instead of just hunting them, set out to become the best hunters and Riders they could be. It would be this random act of kindness from a stranger that would determine their future as hunters working within the New World. Upon reaching the shores of Astera, the Star and Starlet were greeted by members of the Fifth Fleet, who granted them New World hunting permits and a house they could stay together in before and after their hunts, and once they were finished getting accustomed to their new residence, they received various tasks within the Ancient Forest to fulfill, ranging from Unique Mushroom-gathering to the culling of large monsters that were wandering too close to the research base, which would allow them to move on to other areas within the New World. During a request to hunt an Anjanath, the duo came across a most troubling sight: an orphaned, juvenile Coral Pukei-Pukei, which was part a species foreign to the forest and forced to live within it due of Velkhana outbreaks within the Coral Highlands, being beaten into submission by a pair of poachers who intended to sell it as an exotic pet on the black market, with these poachers having manipulated the Anjanath’s movements beforehand to ensure that it would fight with the young Flying Wyvern’s father, who succumbed to wounds inflicted by the Brute Wyvern during its attempt to protect the nest. Incensed by the poachers’ cruelty, the duo took them head-on, and successfully repelled them with teamwork. Appreciative of their support, the juvenile Pukei-Pukei decided to join them, choosing them as its new parental figures, and later returned the favour when the fatigued, but unwavering Anjanath ambushed them, distracting it with shrill calls and watery sprays from its tail and allowing them to set up a Pitfall Trap surrounded by Barrel Bombs and Raw Meat lures that would ensure the Brute Wyvern’s defeat. Upon the completion of this hunt, the Fifth Fleet allowed them to keep the Coral Pukei-Pukei, deciding that all three would be happier together, and the duo, having imprinted on it, nicknamed it Cora and had it join them on their travels. It would be this event that cemented their status as Riders. As they traveled throughout the New World, the trio, though teamwork combined with sheer determination, continuously overcame challenges thrown their way and added more Monsties to their collection. It was a process of trial and error, with them losing their intended quarry due to invasions from outside forces like Deviljho or Bazelgeuse or being overpowered by the aggressive tactics of Diablos and Kushala Daora, and even in battles they won soundly, they would occasionally suffer bouts of humiliation, ranging from the Star getting pelted by dung from a Congalala to the Starlet getting frustrated by a Plesioth who refused to be fished out, but nonetheless, they managed to form full teams of Monsties for themselves, acquire powerful weapons forged from the scales and shells of mighty Thunder wyverns, get revenge on the monsters who initially beat them to a pulp or drove their targets away, and make snazzy white and gold Pop Star suits for themselves, the second and fourth of which granted them their signature titles. Throughout their adventures, they gained respect recognition within Astera and Seliana, being well past their humble origins as the hunter who got repeatedly bullied by Bulldromes and the huntress who was assigned as his partner because the Pokke elders thought he was a cowardly wimp. However, a certain event would drive them apart. One fateful day, as the couple and their Monsties were boarding a boat in pursuit of new lands to explore, they were blindsided by an ambush from an Amatsu, who destroyed their ship and separated them with raging tornadoes and hurricanes, with the Thunderous Star falling unconscious following the assault and needing to be carried above water by Cora, who was washed away alongside him. Upon awakening, he realized that he and his troupe had washed up upon the shores of a series of unfamiliar islands, with his girlfriend’s whereabouts being unknown, and desperate to find her under the belief that she was still alive, he ventured to the centre of the isles to request help from the Riders of Discord who congregated there. Happy to help a stranger in need due to the isles having a history of people suddenly washing up on the shores, the Riders of Discord took him in, gave him a room of his own, and helped him get back into physical shape by engaging in friendly duels with him. Here, he made friends with many members of the congregation, with the most notable one being the Violet Guardian, who wrote a series of comics starring exaggerated caricatures of themselves going on odd and sometimes dumb adventures together with him. Here on the isles, he would make a new life for himself, but still sought out his lost love with the Riders’ assistance, mentioning her in the comics he and the Guardian handed out and putting up posters with her face on it, which were drawn by the artist known as the Illustrative Swordsman. But little did he know that a new arrival within the isles could be the key to reuniting with her…

Abilities
True to his name, the Thunderous Star specializes in the Thunder Element, using it through the Oppressor’s Forger Great Sword, and can heal himself with restorative dances through his use of the Pop Star gear. His Monsties of choice are Oxaneiros, Brachydios, Demolothor, Coral Pukei-Pukei, Ferogul, and Mizutsune. He displays a strong sense of teamwork, acting alongside either the Lightning Starlet or the Violet Guardian to bring down opponents at times.

Tropes that Apply to Them

 * Battle Couple: He forms one with the Lightning Starlet, fighting Riders and monsters alike alongside her.
 * Berserk Button:
 * He doesn’t take kindly to people dismissing or insulting the Lightning Starlet or the Handler, and this can include the player.
 * He despises Plesioths, Congalalas, Bulldromes, Diabloses, Khezus, Kushala Daoras, Bazelgeuses, and Deviljhos, and if the player brings them into battle, he’ll become angered, gaining a buff to Attack and a debuff to Accuracy.
 * The Chew Toy: Early in his hunting career, he was frequently battered and harassed by Bulldromes as he tried to do anything within the Snowy Mountains, ranging from gathering herbs to hunting small game.
 * Cowardly Lion: He's cautious and skittish to a fault, but he can fight just as well as the other Riders of Discord, as a Khezu that attacked the Lightning Star found out the hard way.
 * Dance Battler: He utilizes boosted healing dances through his Pop Star outfit in addition to landing heavy blows with his Great Sword.
 * Dual Boss: The Lightning Starlet or the Violet Guardian can be fought alongside him at times.
 * Fanboy: He has nothing but high praise for the Handler, viewing her as being second only to the Lightning Starlet, and mocking her like some Riders of Discord do is a good way to bring out his hidden rage.
 * Mighty Glacier: As a Great Sword user, he prioritizes power over speed.
 * Shock and Awe: He utilizes the Thunder Element through his Great Sword.
 * Unstoppable Rage: Goes into an uncontrollable rage when the Lightning Starlet is seriously hurt.

Notes and Trivia

 * The Thunderous Star was based on FrostSpino, a user on the fanon wiki and Discord.
 * His Birthday, Mar. 24th, is the same as FrostSpino’s.
 * His relationship with the Violet Guardian was based on an in-joke within the Discord server. This in-joke involved a constantly angry hunter named Rohan (created by FireBall13, who was the basis for the Guardian) and a frequently wary hunter named Spino (created by FrostSpino, of course) going on inane adventures together and being paired together in various pictures.
 * His relationship with the Lightning Starlet is based on FrostSpino's and ElectricGaruga's real-life relationship.