The final update for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released last week, and so marks the end of the game's two-year life cycle. I've just finished beating the shit out of the final monster the update added, so it's finally time to talk about my thoughts on every monster I encountered here. This will follow the format of my MHGU monster list, and it's here that I'll cover the monsters I also fought in that game that I ended up omitting. Let's cover the base roster first: Great Izuchi![]() Design: Looks like a typical raptor, but the fact that it's covered in fur and has a distinctive tail makes it stand out. Fight: It's a tutorial monster, so it is expectedly easy to predict and counter. It's also a raptor, which means its smaller brethren come in and try to gang up on you. It's on par with Great Maccao for me since it has a few memorable moves (like clinging to walls and a big tail slam). Great Baggi![]() Design: A raptor, but blue. Fight: It's a standard raptor fight, except this asshole spits sleep-inducing goop. It's actually not that bad since its smaller Baggi friends have a tendency to hit you out of sleep anyway, so the fight overall isn't difficult. Great Wroggi![]() Design: Mostly a standard raptor, but its inflatable throat sac and the spots on its back do a lot to give the creature a distinct look. Fight: This guy spits poison a lot, so that can be troublesome if you're not careful. It's not much of a threat otherwise. Kulu-Ya-Ku![]() Design: Kulu-Ya-Ku is one of the more memorable raptor designs for me. I seem to recall saying something to the effect of "look at this Toucan Sam-looking motherfucker" when I first encountered it. Between its design and its concept, I like this goofball a lot. Fight: Its whole thing is that it's a kleptomaniac that enjoys stealing eggs (shown off in a hilarious intro video). That behavior is carried over in battle as it picks up objects like rocks that it uses as a shield or throws at you. It's possible to break whatever it's holding for an opening, which is neat, but apart from that, it's not that difficult a fight. Arzuros![]() Design: It's more or less a bear, but it has the coloration of a honey badger, prominent spikes on its forelegs and back, and a more monstrous face. Pretty neat. Fight: Arzuros doesn't have many threatening moves or properties since it's a low-level monster, but some of its attacks can come at you quick (like the lunge) or have follow-ups you have to watch out for. It also has a funny move that's just it falling on its ass, which I like. Other: This guy loves honey, and if you happen to have any on you if it grabs you, it lets go to steal your honey and takes a minute to have a snack. Definitely one of my favorite unique behaviors in Monster Hunter so far. LagombiDesign: It's a giant rabbit with an angry face. What's not to like? Fight: Lagombi is a pretty slippery bastard, as its main method of movement is sliding around in the snow. This can make it a bit tough to catch up to or it can blindside you with a swift tackle from across an area. It also likes to fling giant snowballs at you from afar. It's not a slouch for sure, but it's still low on the totem pole that it's not that challenging to face. VolvidonDesign: It's kind of like a giant armadillo, and I think that's really neat. Fight: This roly-poly son of a bitch loves to roll around and hop in ball form, which makes it annoying to chase around. It can also snipe you with its long tongue, chuck paralyzing spit on you, and let out a fart that inflicts Stench (preventing you from using most of your standard recovery items). I don't really enjoy fighting it, but once I close the distance or find some openings, it's pretty easy to pummel it into the dirt. AknosomDesign: Aknosom looks like a giant crane with an incredibly eye-popping crest and a lovely red/orange color scheme. Big fan of this look. Fight: As far as early-game monsters go, Aknosom is a respectable threat. It's one of the first monsters in the game with a roar that can stop you in your tracks, it has sweeping attacks as well as a few combos, and has the ability to spit fire at you. I still get caught off guard by some of its moves when I go to hunt it again, but it's still on the easy side for me. TetranadonDesign: Tetranadon's design is heavily inspired by the kappa, a mythical creature from Japanese folklore with some... strange behaviors. Naturally, they designed it to be less humanoid than the legends and made it a rotund amphibian with a duck bill, a turtle-like shell, and the signature bowl thing on its head that most depictions of kappas have. It's one of the most unique-looking monsters in the roster, and I want more amphibian-like creatures just like it. Fight: I liken Tetranadon's fighting style to that of a sumo wrestler, as it likes to throw its weight around and perform familiar moves like the palm strikes. Its strength is on full display throughout, as it can cause tremors, some of its strikes send a gust of wind that can trip you up, and it can even lift boulders and throw them at you. If that isn't enough, it can expand itself to make it larger, spit water at you, and perform what is essentially a Banzai Drop and pulverize you with its full weight. It's no pushover, but I quickly got to the point that I can reliably bully this thing with pretty much any weapon. Royal LudrothDesign: It's a giant lizard with a rather memorable sponge mane. I don't think there's a fictional creature quite like it, and I appreciate that. Fight: Royal Ludroth has a few annoying moves which involve it throwing its body around or rolling on the ground, but apart from that, I find the rest of the fight quite manageable. JyuratodusDesign: It's a hideous mud fish with legs, and I might be in the minority when I say that I appreciate the abominations that are piscine wyvern designs. Fight: Jyuratodus enjoys swimming around, so you spend a good chunk of time chasing it around or moving out of the way so it doesn't trip you. It also spits mud that can slow you down and covers itself in it for protection (and you have to break the armor to continue inflicting full damage), making it a slog of a fight in several respects. Other: Lavasioth is my preferred walking fish freak of the very similar pair, but I find Jyuratodus more bearable to fight because it doesn't disappear into the ground as often. Even when it's swimming, its top half is still on the surface, so there's still something to hit. BarrothDesign: Barroth's frame is that of the typical brute wyvern (which is close to that of more familiar creatures like the T. Rex) but it has a rather distinct crown on its head that I don't think is based on any dinosaur we've discovered in real life. It's also covered in plated armor instead of sporting more reptilian hide. Fight: Much like Jyuratodus, Barroth is a big fan of mud, and it has similar interactions with it (rolling around in it to cover itself in armor or whipping globs of it at you). It also uses its massive skull as a weapon, slamming it on the ground at close range, or charging at you at full speed. Despite its use of mud, I don't find this guy as much of a chore to fight; perhaps that's because it's a serviceable threat without relying on the gimmick. Other: Breaking off its scalp with a hammer is one of the most satisfying part breaks I've encountered in the series. Doing so actually leaves a chunk of the scalp on the ground that you can carve for extra parts. KhezuDesign: I believe my exact words upon first encountering this abomination was "Jesus fucking Christ, what am I looking at?" This is definitely up there as one of the most memorable designs of the entire series, and as upsetting as it is to look at for more than five seconds, I appreciate the concept of a blind, icky wyvern. Fight: I would much rather stare at a photorealistic render of this thing than fight it, because it is incredibly annoying. If you don't have Earplugs, its infuriating habit of roaring every two seconds will completely stifle your momentum. If that isn't enough, it can stretch out its already disturbing-looking head to hit you from afar, and its electric attacks (which will absolutely paralyze you and/or inflict Thunderblight) can come from both close range and as projectiles. It's not difficult at all, but goddamn, you have to endure such irritating bullshit just to end its life. BishatenDesign: Bishaten's one of the more out-there designs for me. It's a large monkey-like creature with a tail that has a hand at the end, but it also has wings that allow it to glide a bit. Again, nothing quite like it that I've seen so far, and that's cool. Fight: This funny monkey's main gimmick is that it throws various fruit at you, some of which can inflict status ailments like poison or paralysis. It even throws one down that works like a flash bomb (which can be annoying). It's also quite agile on its own, able to use its wings to glide into a tail slam, perform acrobatic strikes (sometimes in quick succession), and cling onto walls. I don't find it too difficult, but the fight is certainly engaging. Other: Some knockdowns can result in Bishaten dropping its stash of fruit, which you can pick up and use to your advantage. The Jumbofruit, for example, can be eaten to restore HP, but others like the Flashfruit can be thrown to give Bishaten a taste of its own medicine. I thought this was a cool mechanic. BasariosDesign: It's basically a rock wyvern, and I like that concept a lot. I love that its rocky back is an irregular shape; that makes its camouflage look believable (even if it's obvious to players). Fight: Basarios has quite the bag of tricks, from using its size to its advantage, breathing fire, and emitting gases that can poison/induce sleep/burn you up. While that's all quite neat, actually fighting it isn't as fun, since its rocky exterior isn't as susceptible to damage until it's heated itself up, and it likes to spam the infuriating roll attack that's hard to avoid. Other: It's strange to me that Basarios is in this game but Gravios isn't. I enjoyed fighting Gravios more even though it retains a lot of the behaviors of its juvenile counterpart. Tobi-Kadachi![]() Design: Tobi-Kadachi has the body similar to a flying squirrel, but its face looks a lot like a snake. Pretty unique look. Fight: This bastard is fast both in terms of its movements and its attacks, and it's got some tricky moves like flinging quills at you and using an assortment of electric attacks. I definitely have to be on my toes when facing this creature, but as long as I can keep up with its pace, I'll beat it with little issue. RathianDesign: Both Rathian and Rathalos share an identical overall design, so this bit will be directed at both of them. Their look is pretty much iconic given Rathalos's status as the series flagship, but the design itself stands out from the typical dragon depictions we see in media. Elements like the trademark flying wyvern frame, its distinctive head, the spiked wings, and the clubbed tail are elements that you don't often see when you look at dragon designs elsewhere. While I'd argue there are a lot more interesting designs in Monster Hunter than the Rath couple, the fact that they're quite removed from what many people would consider a dragon makes them (and Monster Hunter's design philosophy, which is based on their frame) special. Fight: Rathian and Rathalos have a few similar behaviors in combat (from favoring the air, using their tail to attack, charging, spitting fireballs), but Rathian is notable for using its poison-tipped tail for maximum damage. This, of course, includes the iconic tail flip. I had a bit of trouble fighting this thing in the early stages of my playthrough, but I'm now at the point where I can bully this creature without really breaking a sweat. SomnacanthDesign: Here's another monster with a design that I'd say is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a serpent with fish-like features (fins and such), but also has legs, a giant head fin, and a face that doesn't resemble anything that I know of. As far as I can tell, Somnacanth is based on a mermaid (the freaky ones in old myths, not Ariel), and I think this is a cool take on the idea without the creature looking too human. Fight: Somnacanth's lengthy frame allows it to perform a few wide-range attacks, and it's also able to jump pretty high and throw spikes at you from afar. Its signature ability is its sleep-inducing gas, which it can either breathe out or unleash in a blast around itself. Strangely, it also cracks open shells (I assume they're like oysters or something?), which have different effects (from a flash bomb effect to a blast explosion, among others). It's certainly got some tricks, but I never really have trouble avoiding most of its attacks. AnjanathDesign: Anjanath looks pretty close to a T. Rex, but with distinctive pink skin, a lot more fur, a prominent crest on its nose, and sails that extend when it's enraged. Familiar, but sufficiently different. Fight: Given how it's based on a dinosaur often viewed as a killing machine, I expected Anjanath to be quite the formidable force. It's far from the most threatening monster you fight in the game, but at the point you first encounter it, it's no joke. It comes at you with its massive jaw almost relentlessly, and it's able to breathe fire on top of that. It's also deceptively agile, able to leap a considerable distance from out of nowhere. Pukei-PukeiDesign: Pukei-Pukei's another interesting-looking one, as it's a cross between the standard wyvern frame and a chameleon. It's covered in feathers and boasts a hose-like tail as well. I like it a lot, and I love that it has vibrant colors. Fight: The main threat here is Pukei's poison, which it can either spit or spread with its tail. That's really the only thing I watch out for, so it's an easy fight for me otherwise. Other: It occasionally eats mushrooms to keep its toxin reserves topped up, which I thought was a neat behavior. NargacugaDesign: It's a sleek-looking panther-wyvern hybrid with jet-black fur, a spiky tail, and terrifying red eyes, and a beaked face. Easily one of the coolest designs in the series, and I totally understand why it's a fan favorite. Fight: Nargacuga is as fast and agile as the animal it's inspired by, able to strike before you can blink twice, close a gap almost immediately, and keep the pressure up with follow-ups (including the notorious multiple tail slam). Despite Nargacuga being one of my most-hunted monsters in base Rise, I still feel a sense of challenge when fighting it. BariothDesign: It's a sabretooth cat with a wyvern frame covered in spikes. I like sabretooths, so this is one of my personal favorites. Fight: Much like Nargacuga, Barioth's as quick as a cat (it's actually hard to keep up with sometimes), and it's made more threatening with its ability to breathe ice and conjure ice tornadoes. Plus, it can fly (which is odd given its quadrupedal), which can catch people off guard. Similarly, this guy still puts up a fight no matter how many times I've killed it. Other: Breaking Barioth's forelegs actually severely affects its ability to move quickly. I wish part breaks were as significant in fights as this. MizutsuneDesign: Mizutsune is a truly unique monster at first glance. I don't even know how to go about describing it: it's pink and purple, it's vaguely fox-like, has that long leviathan frame, and it has fins but also fur? Well, whatever it is, it's a really elegant design, and I love it. Fight: Mizutsune's main gimmick is scattering large bubbles around, which makes you slip and slide if you get hit. It's a fun challenge to weave around those bubbles as Mizutsune himself attacks with elegant movements. I feel like he's easy to knock down repeatedly, but other than that, I have fun fighting this guy. ZinogreDesign: It's a giant dog with spiky fur and horns. I like it as it is, and I appreciate it for not being the typical wyvern in terms of body type. Fight: Zinogre is a threat as it is, able to attack quickly with its claws and tail. Things get challenging when it starts charging electricity, and once it's fully charged, it can attack with lightning bolts and such. Other: The way Zinogre charges electricity is via the Thunderbugs it has a symbiotic relationship with. That's an interesting concept to me. MagnamaloDesign: A fearsome tiger-like beast covered in armor and spikes, a distinctive purple/red color scheme, and prominent horns and arm blades. Pretty intense-looking. Fight: As one may expect, Magnamalo is as formidable as a big cat, with raw power complementing its serviceable speed. What elevates it as a threat is its ability to build up Hellfire, a purple flame it can harness to cause devastating explosions. It can even use this to propel itself across the map and divebomb into you. I eventually mastered the fight since I hunted it a lot during my journey to learn every weapon, but I still eat shit from time to time when it charges up Hellfire. Goss Harag![]() Design: Goss Harag has a bear-like frame, but it prefers walking on its hind legs and boasts a face that is quite reminiscent of the oni of Japanese folklore. It has shaggy fur across its back, and its forelegs can turn red when enraged. Fight: This beast's brute strength is scary already, but it can also fire off a beam of ice to stop you in your tracks. Its main gimmick when enraged is coating its forelegs in ice to form weapons (primarily blades). With these weapons, it is relentless, able to strike multiple times and even throw out shards of ice if you're far away. Easily one of the coolest monster mechanics in the series for me. AlmudronDesign: Here's another one I have trouble describing. It's an absolute unit of a leviathan, is mostly mammalian (its face looks like an otter with facial hair), sports a brown shell, and has a massive tail. Again, another one of those out-there designs, and I like it. Fight: Almudron is another mud-lover, flinging it around with reckless abandon to hurt you or annoy you with how it slows your movement down. It also loves to swim under the surface a lot, and that coupled with how massive it is makes it an ordeal to keep track of it. It also has special abilities like scattering golden mud that damages you over time if you stand in it, as well as creating a massive ball of mud on its tail that it can use to crush you. People don't enjoy fighting Almudron based on what I've heard, but I personally enjoy what it brings to the table in terms of challenge. RathalosDesign: Like I said for Rathian's entry, the couple share a very similar design. Rathalos stands out from his mate with brighter colors and more spikes on his tail. Fight: Whereas Rathian uses its tail more and prefers to inflict poison, Rathalos favors using its fire breath in various ways instead. It can still inflict poison, though it'll use its claws to do that instead. Rathalos also flies a lot more than Rathian does from my experience. Though tougher than its mate, I've also reached the point where I can wipe the floor with this thing with barely a scratch. Other: When I fought Rathalos in GU, it hardly ever left the ground, and in a game where the only reliable way to hit it at that range is with Aerial Style weapons, that shit is annoying. I had to spam flash bombs just so I can get openings. I'm glad Rise changed the fight to lessen its time out of your range without taking away that trademark behavior of flying altogether. DiablosDesign: A wyvern with a truly devilish face that boasts massive horns and large tusks, a stocky frame, a tough shell, and a large, club-like tail. It looks like a such a beast and I love it. Fight: Instead of flying, Diablos likes to burrow underground to move, and despite its build, this thing can move pretty fast and leap pretty far. It mostly fights with brute strength, but it can also fling rocks at you. It's a respectable threat, but this is another fight I've mostly mastered (especially with Insect Glaive). Other: Due to my choice of weapon in that game and the fact that vaulting into the air takes more effort, I had more trouble fighting Diablos in GU. TigrexDesign: Tigrex is one of a few outliers in the flying wyvern family in that it walks on all fours, and it has a very dinosaur-like head and a notable yellow hide with blue stripes. It's a simple design compared to other monsters I've run into, but I think that's what I like about it. Fight: Tigrex is super aggressive, as its main move is charging angrily at you or leaping towards you. It's kind of stressful to fight it since it doesn't let up, but I enjoy the challenge it provides. Other: This guy's got a massive appetite that you can exploit when it's tired, and you can feed it poisoned/tinged/drugged meat. I did this a lot in GU. Rakna-KadakiDesign: It's a giant spider with a massive abdomen, web coverings for its legs, big meaty claws, and a weird head that also has a neck. I've gone on record multiple times saying how much I like giant arthropods, so this is a personal favorite of mine. Fight: Rakna-Kadaki's capable of many attacks, from spitting silk from its mouth to snare you, breathing a sustained flame, and using its Rachnoid offspring to move around or to overwhelm you. When enraged, it webs up its abdomen to create a massive sac that it can use to slam foes. While I don't have trouble fighting it, the fact that it's got a bag full of tricks can still catch me off guard. RajangDesign: It's a very angry monkey with horns that, when enraged, literally goes Super Saiyan with golden fur. Big fan. Fight: Don't be fooled by its size; Rajang is a menace that'll bulldoze you with its strength, overwhelm you with a relentless assault, catch you off guard with deceptively quick attacks, and annihilate you with a powerful laser beam. This thing is no joke. BazelgeuseDesign: This wyvern is covered in thick scales that make it look like some sort of pinecone. Once again, this is another design with nothing else quite like it elsewhere. Fight: Bazelgeuse's scales are explosive, and its main mode of offense is scattering them all over the place to attack you. Its signature move is the bombing run where it makes several passes dropping scales from above, then ends it by divebombing into you. Despite its ranking on the totem pole of Rise's progression, I find it a relatively easy fight. Wind Serpent IbushiDesign: A freaky-looking serpentine dragon with wind sacs on its arms, abdomen, and tail, as well as a terrifying set of jaws. Compared to the more elegant-looking Eastern dragons we see in depictions in other media, this guy feels very distinct. Fight: Ibushi spends nearly all its time floating in the air, and as its title implies, it commands the power of wind to wreak havoc. It can blast wind out of its mouth, conjure tornadoes, and hurl boulders at you. The arena fight spawns ballistae you can use during certain phases to deal extra damage. I'm not sure how the fight is with other weapons since I haven't tried everything, but it is a blast to fly alongside it with Insect Glaive. Thunder Serpent Narwa![]() Design: Narwa looks quite similar to her husband Ibushi, but is larger and sports a more golden color scheme as opposed to Ibushi's blue. Fight: As you may have guessed, Narwa commands lightning, and its many electric attacks either have a wide range or move strangely. It can also nuke the entire arena with a powerful charged blast. Like the Ibushi fight, usable ballistae spawn occasionally, but there's also a Dragonator and a Splitting Wyvernshot in the arena you can use to deal massive damage. It's more threatening than Ibushi, I'd say. Narwa the Allmother![]() Design: This is Narwa's true form, and while it looks largely the same as its normal counterpart, Allmother has more blue in its color scheme. Fight: Allmother has a lot of similarities with regular Narwa, but its lightning attacks are more potent. It can also use the power of wind alongside this lightning, making it even more dangerous. The most shocking move in its arsenal is its inexplicable ability to summon Dragonators from the ground as an attack; I still cart to that attack sometimes. Overall, it's a solid fight that still engages me. Other: The way Narwa becomes the Allmother involves sexual cannibalism. RIP Ibushi. ChameleosDesign: It's a purple chameleon dragon. I love how goofy it looks. Fight: Chameleos is a trickster, able to become invisible, can cover the area in mist to reduce visibility, and use its tongue to steal shit from you. Its main offense is spitting poison at you and occasionally slamming its tail. As far as Elder Dragons go, I find Chameleos on the easier side, but I take care not to underestimate it due to the dangers of poison. Other: The tongue-stealing mechanic in Rise steals Spiribirds from you (which is punishment enough), but in the older games, Chameleos steals your items. That shit made me angry when it first happened to me in GU. Kushala DaoraDesign: It mostly looks like a generic dragon, but I'm a big fan of its metallic covering. Fight: Kushala Daora's preferred method of attack is weaponizing gusts of wind (either from its mouth or its wings), and those attacks cover a lot of area. Between that and its tendency to stay in the air, approaching it can be tough. Thankfully, it's incredibly weak to poison, so as long as you can consistently get some hits in, it'll go down. TeostraDesign: It's a red lion with wings. Badass. Fight: Teostra attacks by breathing fire and spreading explosive powder all over the place. It can be a frustrating fight since shit's exploding all around you, but I largely don't mind the challenge. Crimson Glow ValstraxDesign: I've already commented on Valstrax's design in the GU monster list, and what I said there stands here. The only difference with this variant is the eponymous crimson glow that is prominent all over its body. Fight: The first time I fought Crimson Glow Valstrax, I found its mix of explosive attacks and wide-ranged wing attacks a thrilling encounter. This is still one of my favorite fights in Rise. The base game also features six Apex Monsters, who were born of the Rampage caused by the serpent duo. I found that these Apexes are more or less based off their equivalent Deviants after playing GU, so unless there's a notable difference, I'll just call out the Deviant they're based on. Apex Arzuros![]() Design: Arzuros, but with dark fur. Fight: Patterned after Redhelm Arzuros. The differences are more pronounced here due to the improved visual effects, but the fight is more or less the same. Apex RathianDesign: A more purple Rathian. Fight: Patterned after Dreadqueen Rathian. Largely unchanged. Apex RathalosDesign: A Rathalos with deeper colors and scarring. Fight: Patterned after Dreadking Rathalos. Very explosive. Apex MizutsuneDesign: A Mizutsune with darker coloration. Fight: Patterned after Soulseer Mizutsune, except it isn't blind. Apex DiablosDesign: Looks a lot like Bloodbath Diablos minus the disfigured horn. Fight: It's an easier Bloodbath Diablos fight. I don't know if it's easier because I have more options in Rise or because some of its moves have been dialed down. Apex ZinogreDesign: A Zinogre with deeper green fur and brighter yellows. Fight: Patterned after Thunderlord Zinogre. This is easily the most memorable Apex fight for me due to its terrifying attack combos. This made me wish Apexes had proper Master Rank versions in Sunbreak. Now, for the monsters added in Sunbreak. Daimyo HermitaurDesign: It's a giant crab with a Monoblos skull for a shell. I may have already said this, but I love the novelty of fighting giant crabs. Fight: Daimyo's a simple fight that I don't have much trouble with, though I'm still entertained that I'm fighting a crab that jumps around. Blood Orange BishatenDesign: Bishaten, but with black/red/orange fur. Fight: Instead of fruit, BOB (as its name has been lovingly abbreviated) throws pinecones that explode on contact or when triggered with fire breath. The pinecones come at you in occasionally tricky patterns, but I find the rest of the fight largely unchanged (and not any more difficult). GarangolmDesign: A giant gorilla covered in thick plating, a large skull with a shape that's meant to evoke Frankenstein's monster, and a pair of massive fists. Fight: It probably won't come as a surprise that a big boy like this one uses brute strength to deal with most encounters, but it's able to throw rocks if you're out of its range. Garangolm has a unique gimmick where it imbues its fists with elemental abilities (one with blast, another with water), which allows it to deal extra damage and inflict status effects with its strikes. I quite enjoy fighting it, even if it isn't particularly difficult. Shogun CeanataurDesign: It's also a giant crab like Daimyo Hermitaur, but this one looks quite different with its blue coloration, scythe-like claws, and different shells (typically a Gravios skull). Fight: Shogun is not a pushover, as its claws have insane range, it can juggle you with its burrow attack, and it can inflict Bleed on you. I still get messed up by this bastard on repeat fights, but it's not the hardest fight in the world, and it's satisfying to evade its attacks. Aurora SomnacanthDesign: It's Somnacanth, but blue. I personally prefer this color scheme. Fight: What sets this variant apart from its normal version is this one uses ice to attack instead of sleeping gas. Apart from a few additional attacks, the removal of the shell-breaking gimmick, and the overall change to ice, this fight doesn't feel too different. LunagaronDesign: It's a blue wolf that grows ice spikes and stands on its hind legs when it's enranged. One of the coolest-looking monsters added to Sunbreak, in my view. Fight: Lunagaron's already fast in its base form, but when it goes full werewolf and covers itself in ice, it is way more aggressive. It's an engaging fight, but I don't really find it challenging. AstalosDesign: A wyvern with a bright green color scheme, a large crest on its head, and heavy insectoid features (most notably its clear wings). I think this thing looks badass, and it's tied with Glavenus as my favorite Fated Four monster. Fight: Astalos is lightning-fast in its movement and strikes you with actual lightning that come at you in tricky patterns or from powerful attacks using its crest or tail. I find it an exciting fight. Other: Has one of my favorite battle themes in the series. SeregiosDesign: Seregios is a wyvern covered in jagged scales. Like Bazelgeuse, it's reminiscent of some sort of pinecone. Fight: An aerial fighter that rivals the likes of Rathalos, Seregios's signature move is its diving dropkicks. In addition, it can fire off its scales as projectiles, and getting hit by them will cause Bleed. Its speed makes it an engaging fight for me. EspinasDesign: An angry-looking wyvern covered in rose-colored spikes that make it look even less friendly. Fight: Espinas is a more brutish wyvern compared to its brethren, preferring to muscle its way through fights instead of maneuvering in the air. Its spikes are tipped in poison, so getting hit by most parts of its body is quite dangerous. What makes it terrifying is its fireballs, which can inflict three status effects at once (poison, paralysis, and Fireblight). I like to think of Espinas as a more threatening Rathian overall, and that's a fight I can get behind. Other: Espinas's whole thing is that it likes to sleep and simply flips out when its sleep is interrupted. Most hunts actually start with it sleeping, and it's surprisingly difficult to wake it up. Magma AlmudronDesign: Almudron, but more orange. Fight: This variant flings lava instead of mud, and its attacks cover a lot more ground. It can also cause explosions sometimes. I find its attacks more threatening, but I don't think the fight is significantly more difficult than the normal version. Pyre Rakna-KadakiDesign: It's Rakna-Kadaki, but with a darker color scheme and more glowing orange bits. Fight: Pyre Rakna-Kadaki feels largely similar to the regular version, though it does have a few different moves. The main difference is that instead of Rachnoids, this variant has an army of Pyrantulas, which it uses to set off explosions remotely with its web. I'd have honestly preferred if a Rakna-Kadaki variant used an element that's more distinct from the regular's fire element, but the fight itself is solid. Gore MagalaDesign: A demonic-looking wyvern with a black hide, a disturbing lack of eyes, wings that look like tattered black cloth, and prominent wingarms. I love this design a lot. Fight: Gore Magala carries the Frenzy virus, a dangerous pathogen that it spreads with its breath attacks. Letting the virus take over will make you more susceptible to damage, but landing enough hits will help you overcome it. Doing so will give you a damage bonus of sorts. I love this risk/reward gimmick, and fighting Gore Magala itself feels like a challenge befitting its menacing appearance. Shagaru MagalaDesign: The mature form of Gore Magala is the polar opposite design-wise, instead boasting a golden hide and majestic, star-shaped wings. I appreciate the contrast a lot. Fight: Shagaru Magala still uses the Frenzy virus to attack, but most of its moves are more threatening in some way (whether it's more explosive breath attacks, wider range, or simply more damage). Definitely feels like final boss material (especially when I fought it in GU) MalzenoDesign: A regal-looking dragon with a silvery hide and red accents. It's meant to be based on a vampire, and that does come across with this awesome design. Fight: Malzeno's dangerous as it is with its penchant for quick attacks with its tail, but what makes it a serious threat is its symbiotic relationship with the parasitic Qurio. It's able to use the energy the Qurio gathers for powerful attacks, which usually manifest as projectiles and are strong enough to cause eruptions on the ground. Getting hit by these Qurio-empowered attacks inflicts Bloodblight, which drains your health over time. Bloodblight also has a risk/reward element to it, as landing hits while inflicted with it actually heals you. Overall, Malzeno's fight makes it more than worthy of its status as Sunbreak's poster child. GaismagormDesign: Gaismagorm more than earns its nickname of "Archdemon of the Abyss" with its terrifying appearance. It's an abomination with six massive limbs, a freaky set of jaws, and is absolutely bloody massive. Fight: The true host of the Qurio, Gaismagorm draws energy from its bloodsucking buddies to unleash all manner of hell on Hunters. As if its already insane strength isn't enough, you have to watch out for devastating explosions every time you fight this thing. Its fight is a solid mix of spectacle and challenge, and it made for a perfect finale to Sunbreak's base content. Furious RajangDesign: A Rajang that's permanently enraged, so it has that Super Saiyan golden fur at all times. Notably, it's missing its tail. Fight: As the name suggests, this is Rajang, but somehow angrier. It has faster attacks, is generally more aggressive, and uses lightning more often. It definitely hits harder than regular Rajang, but I don't find it any more difficult. Scorned MagnamaloDesign: A Magnamalo with a damaged horn, spikes that are somehow spikier, much larger arm blades, and a more reddish hue to its Hellfire. Definitely looks more pissed than the normal version. Fight: This is another one of those variants that fits the "monster, but angrier" gimmick. Scorned Magnamalo is definitely faster and more aggressive than the regular variety, with the main change is its more enhanced Hellfire attacks (which it can channel into its arm blades). When its flames turn red, it's time to run, because its attacks somehow become more explosive, and getting hit will inflict Dragonblight (assuming you're alive). Lucent NargacugaDesign: It's Nargacuga with beautiful white fur and blue accents. Delightful contrast to the normal version. Fight: This variant attacks with its tail more often, and the spikes it throws out can poison you. These poison attacks come in many scary forms, including one move where it literally rains poison. If that isn't enough, Lucent Nargacuga can turn invisible, and it can unleash some devastating strikes when transitioning out of its state. A worthy challenge overall. Seething BazelgeuseDesign: It's Bazelgeuse, except it's always in its enraged state (so its scales are always glowing orange). When it gets even angrier, it glows purple. Fight: Again, it's another one of those "monster, but angrier" variants. It has more explosions (which come out faster than regular Bazelgeuse), covers a wider area, and flies around more. Strangely, I find fighting it even easier than the normal version because you get guaranteed knockdowns when hitting it out of its superheated state. Gold RathianDesign: Rathian, but gold. Very shiny. Fight: It's a more aggressive Rathian that stays on the ground more often, has quicker attacks, and can breathe blue flames when enraged. What makes this variant tougher to fight is it has tougher hide than the regular version, so you don't do as much damage until you start breaking parts. It's not a pushover at all, which I enjoy. Silver RathalosDesign: Unsurprisingly, it's Rathalos but silver. Fight: This shinier Rathalos has the same tough hide as its golden wife as well as a similar capacity for blue flame attacks. Its fire is significantly more explosive than Gold Rathian's, however. Solid enhanced version of the Rathalos fight. Flaming EspinasDesign: It's an Espinas with brown hide instead of green, and orange accents instead of red. I would have personally preferred if they leaned more towards orange as its primary color. Fight: Although it can still inflict poison, Espinas uses fire more often, and its signature attack is it charging a nuke that covers an insanely large area. Its fireballs still inflict multiple status effects, except paralysis has been replaced with an equally dangerous Defense Down debuff. I don't find it any more difficult than regular Espinas, though I do have to be more wary of the big explosion and getting hit with Defense Down. Violet MizutsuneDesign: I personally feel the color is closer to blue than violet, but yes, it is a Mizutsune that's violet instead of pink. Fight: This version of Mizutsune still shoots jets of liquid and scatters bubbles, but the twist is its attacks are made of a highly flammable fluid. It's able to set the ground on fire to cut off your escape, and the bubbles have a horrifying (and inexplicable) ability to home in on you. On top of all that, this Mizutsune is even more slippery and is harder to catch. I thought this was an awesome remix of the regular Mizutsune. Other: Its ultimate attack is it basically charging a sort of Spirit Bomb, and I was terrified when I first saw it. Chaotic Gore MagalaDesign: A Gore Magala cursed with the misfortune of its transformation into Shagaru Magala being interrupted midway through. The result is that one half of it is Gore Magala's demonic look, while the other looks like the more angelic Shagaru Magala. Really cool concept. Fight: As the name implies, this variant is more erratic and unpredictable than regular Gore Magala, and it's even capable of unleashing attacks that only Shagaru Magala can. Its explosive Frenzy attacks cover plenty of ground, making this a tough fight. Other: It's explicitly stated that Gore Magala that end up like this are in extreme agony, which is really sad. VelkhanaDesign: A dragon that looks like it's made of ice. Looks awesome. Fight: Velkhana's mastery of ice is unparalleled, as it's able to use a wide variety of frost attacks that can freeze you in your tracks, cover itself in ice armor, and surround you with pillars of ice. It's probably up there as one of my favorite ice monsters for the diversity of its moveset. AmatsuDesign: I've technically fought this monster in GU first, and what I said about its design for the GU list still stands here. Fight: The only reason I've included Amatsu on this list is because its fight is significantly revamped. It has crazier wind and water attacks, and if that isn't enough, it now has command of lightning when it's enraged. I already thought the GU fight was cool, but the Sunbreak version elevates this monster to final boss status. Primordial MalzenoDesign: It's Malzeno, but instead of the red accents, it's blue, and the gold in its color scheme is more prominent. Fight: This version of Malzeno isn't empowered by the Qurio, so it uses its wings a lot more to attack. It's already a hell of a challenge without the Qurio, as its wing attacks have a ton of range and Malzeno loves to attack in combos. Throughout the fight, the Qurio attempt to parasitize Primordial Malzeno, and when that happens, it's able to unleash energy attacks that are somehow more devastating than the regular version. It also has a terrifying rage mode where it relentlessly attacks you and it glows a haunting red. I already liked Malzeno, but this version of the fight being as challenging as it is made it one of my favorite Elder Dragons. Other: I love how this monster's whole fight brings its lore to life, as it actively resists and fights against the Qurio. Lastly, Sunbreak added five Risen variants of existing Elder Dragons. These beasts overcame the Qurio and gained new abilities, and all their designs now feature prominent orange accents and scarring all over their bodies. Risen ChameleosFight: Risen Chameleos actually makes this Elder Dragon I typically don't find challenging a proper threat, as it has more wide-ranged poison attacks and can cause the occasional explosion. It also attacks while invisible now, which is scary. Risen Kushala DaoraFight: As if Kushala Daora's wind attacks weren't threatening enough, the Risen version ups the ante with wider range and more explosive wind. It still dies a painful death to poison, though. Risen TeostraFight: This Risen variant breathes a lot more fire, has faster-exploding powder that covers a wide area, and a devastating supernova that has one-shot me multiple times. I already regard regular Teostra as a decent threat, and this one feels like a more significant one. Risen Crimson Glow ValstraxFight: Crimson Glow Valstrax is already formidable, but this version is even more so. As has become customary in Risen fights, it can cause way more explosions, plus its wing attacks are more dangerous since it can leave explosions on the ground. If that isn't enough, its already devastating divebomb attack is harder to avoid because it's preceded by a rain of energy blasts. I had plenty of trouble with this guy the first few times, which really speaks to its challenge. Risen Shagaru MagalaFight: Risen Shagaru Magala makes the normal version look like a walk in the park by comparison. Its Frenzy attacks are more frequent and cover an insanely wide area on top of coming out in tricky patterns, it's overall faster and stronger, and its super attack summons deathly pillars of energy that surround you before culminating in an explosion that's guaranteed to kill you. This fight is absolutely no joke. The fact that my total playtime for Rise at the end of its life cycle is close to 800 hours really speaks to how much I enjoyed my first true Monster Hunter experience over the past two years. Along the way, I met quite the roster of monsters, each with remarkable designs, engaging fights, and even neat little quirks or interesting lore. Between this game and GU, it's safe to say that I'm officially a fan of the Monster Hunter series, and I intend to go back to play a few of the older ones while we wait for an eventual sequel.
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June 2024
Derryck
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