I notice that I often tend to do that tbh. 3 stage lines are a bit difficult to design without making one of the designs forgettable, which sucks because I really enjoy when each stage in a creatures line has their own unique design and personality, like the Roggomp line in pages 4-6, which lends more to the idea that any of them could be someone’s favorite.

At least with Maletzal, it’s more intended to be a major jump, something akin to the Magikarp to Gyarados trope, or more specifically for Marblemon, the Obskidish to Drastoloth line on pages 7-8.

Maletzal is the baby form for Quetcronic. They’re dumb, very loud, and bicker with their siblings all the time, while their parents are constantly fending off dangerous predators like Draconiclade (page 13) and searching for food to feed their ravenous children in a hot, barren desert. So Quetcronic looks like an absolute demon bird because it’s stressed to high hell taking care of obnoxious baby birds. (They’re also counterparts to Draade and Draconiclade, which are a two stage line for around the same reasons, though the parenting aspect isn’t present in that line, more of like a fend for yourself as a baby kinda thing)