Image via Square Enix

Square Enix went over more details about how monsters we recruit work in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World by sharing insights into how individual elements set different characters apart and the synthesis process works. Essentially, a creature’s size and personality matters and affects their performance and growth. And through synthesis, you can make a creature that is stronger than its parents or even unique if certain combinations are put together. 

To start, Square Enix went over how Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World creatures are organized. Every kind of monster falls into one of eight families. In the past, there have been over 10 types depending on the game, but there are eight present here. (Dragon and slime families are confirmed to return.) They can be small or large, with large ones taking up two spots in a party and small one. So you could have four small ones or one large and two small, as an example. A large one would possess two traits and perform more actions each turn to make up for that. These are then ranked from G to X to determine power. Also, their personality determines stat growth rates and limits. So you might want to push for certain ones depending on a role you’d want a monster to play in the party or get an item to change a personality to one more suited for their position. 

As for the Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World synthesis feature, that allows you to combine two parent monsters who hit or passed level 10 to create a new child that could inherit the source creatures’ talents and be a different being. When you start that process, there will be options you can choose from to determine what the new monster will be. The resulting monster could also have a plus value that means it will be a higher rank. So a G rank character merged with an E rank one could result in an even stronger D rank individual. Some pairings can also make child monsters that are a more unique result. Square Enix’s example of that is how a Mitey Oak could be the result of a synthesis that involved a Bad Egg and Stump Chump. 

Here are some of the latest screenshots showing different characters and the synthesis feature in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World will come to the Switch, Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on December 3, 2026. DLC is also planned.

Jenni is Editor-in-Chief at Siliconera and has been playing games since getting access to her parents' Intellivision as a toddler. She continues to play on every possible platform and loves all of the systems she owns. (These include a PS4, Switch, Xbox One, WonderSwan Color and even a Vectrex!) You may have also seen her work at GamerTell, Cheat Code Central, Michibiku and PlayStation LifeStyle.