What Was That? Monsterverse’s Scary New Skull Island Creature Explained

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2’s visit to Skull Island led to the introduction of a fearsome new beast. While skulking around an an abandoned Monarch facility, May and Kentaro come face to face with a carnivorous, four-legged monster not previously seen in live-action Monsterverse projects.

Thanks to Kong: Skull Island and Netflix’s Skull Island TV series, much of the creatures that share Kong’s habitat with him have already been established. Tie-in comics have also done their part in building that world. But it makes sense, given the size of the island, that many species populating Skull Island remain unknown.

Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters’ Vinerat Monster Explained

The season 2 premiere of Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters expanded the world of Skull Island a bit further through all-new creatures, one of which was the Vinerat. A monster who looks like a more terrifying version of a mole rat, the Vinerat is the name of the vicious beast that tried to devour Kentaro and May.

According to the official Monarch page on X, the Vinerat primarily lives in the network of tunnels underneath the surface of Skull Island. Accustomed to constant darkness, the Vinerats use sound and vibration to hunt their prey. Their odd appearances are explained by the “patchy, scabrous hide overgrown with viscous vine-like growths” on their bodies, which account for their name.

As for what they were doing in the Monarch facility where they encountered May and Rentaro, it’s stated that the Vinerat “occasionally surfaces into abandoned structures and caves” which accounts for why they’re only just now making an appearance in Legendary’s Monsterverse.

Since the Vinerat in the episode was killed by a forklift, it’s apparent that despite how scary they may look, they’re not incredibly difficult to kill. However, that calculus may change if the Vinerats attack together. For now, it’s not clear if they typically hunt alone like the one in the episode, or if they live together in packs. If they group together, they could absolutely pose a threat to Monarch’s forces.

Since the marketing for the show has confirmed that this won’t be the last we’ll see of Kong in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2, it’s certainly plausible that the Vinerats will make another appearance before the story ends. If the main characters are ever forced to venture into Skull Island’s underground tunnels, the Vinerats could factor more prominently into the action.