Gnarls

Depending on how you look at it, Gnarls are both bigger and smaller than any of the other Quint-Element Monsters. Bigger in the sense that each 'being' is actually comprised of multiple organisms instead of just one; and smaller because the Gnarls themselves are actually quite minuscule! Some might say they are little more than parasitic vines that attach themselves to a tree and coordinate to hijack the plant's latent motor functions. Then it's a simple matter of working together to 'animate' the tree's trunk and branches to give it a full range of motion. Each Gnarl operates the opposite side of the tree, and synchronously conjoin their tendrils to form a 'mouth' through which wind can blow to produce sound. Mercifully, the tree doesn't perceive this transformation as troublesome - instead, it delights in the opportunity to explore the Monster World and make music! Another mercy is that the Plant Top Boss's dual intelligences are satisfied to stick to one tree - no need to 'infect' anyone else.

Monster Bio

Notes

• Gnarls is the fourth and final Fire Monster to be released in My Singing Monsters before being released in My Singing Monsters: Dawn of Fire. The first is Kayna, the second is Bowhead, and the third is Tuskski.

• Gnarls' name comes from the word "gnarls," a rough, knotty protuberance, especially on a tree.

  • Its name may be a reference to American soul duo Gnarls Barkley. This is reflected in the design, as the Monster is comprised of two entities, and the body of the tree is, of course, made of bark.

• Gnarls is an example of a colonial organism, a single organism made up of smaller ones with designated purposes.

• Each Gnarl controlling the opposite side of the tree may be a reference to the way each hemisphere of the brain controls the opposite side of the body.

• Gnarls is the last Common Monster to release on Amber Island, making it the last Fire Monster to be added to the game.

• Similarly to the other Quint-Element Monsters, it requires the egg of every Monster with a specific element. In this case, it requires the egg of every Monster with the Plant Element.

  • This excludes Potbelly, however.

  • Blasoom also requires only Monsters with the Plant Element, but it does not require the other Natural Quads with the Plant Element, Fire Monsters, or Magical Monsters.

• Gnarls was released in the month of April, which is the month of the Growing Green constellation according to Starhenge.

• Being a Plant Quint, it makes sense for it to have Plant Island's natural elements.

  • This makes Gnarls the second Quint to have the same four (excluding Fire) elements as its Quad counterpart, the first being Drummidary.

• Its Vessel was teased in a promotional image for the third Amber Reprise, which was behind a Wingaling at the top right corner.

• Upon Gnarls' release, the Amber Island song was extended.

• Gnarls is the first and currently only monster to be voiced by Monster-Handlers Tyson and Charlie.

  • Coincidentally, Gnarls' name rhymes with Charlie's real first name, Charles.

• Gnarls' arms look very similar to Loodvigg's, from how they're connected by the elbow.

• Before incubating, the Plant sigil is over the Earth sigil on Gnarls' vessel. However, once the animation to move the egg to the Nursery starts, they swap places.

• Gnarls' name itself is pronounced “nyarls”, possibly in reference to the way it sings.

• Gnarls is the only Quint to not like or be liked by another Quint.

• If you listen carefully at the end of Gnarls' second Amber Island track, a faint Krillby sound can be heard in the background.

• Every Monster that likes Gnarls have it as its Mystery Like.

• If Gnarls was intended to be breedable on Bone Island, then its best and only breeding combination would be Incisaur and Noggin.

  • Ironically, Incisaur has just recently been introduced on Bone Island (joining Noggin, who has been there from the beginning) in Update 4.1.1, which now homes Gnarls, though Gnarls is still not breedable.

• Although Gnarls' bio mentions it technically being the biggest Quint, it is actually tied with Candelavra for the smallest Quint in terms of grid size, at 2x2.

• Gnarls is one of only two monsters to have both the Plant Element and the Cold Element on Bone Island, the other being Incisaur.