Nintendo kicked off its September 2021 Direct with the announcement ofMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, a paid DLC expansion for the hit title coming to both Switch and PC next year. After that, Capcom highlightedMonster Hunter RiseandMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruinduring its Tokyo Game Show block, with highlights includingRise’s official PC launch dateand more details aboutSunbreak.
While Capcom did not provide a price tag for the “massive expansion,” it confirmed players will be leaving Kamura Village for a new base of operations with access to locales like ominous castle ruins: home of the expansion’s flagship monster, the elder dragon Malzeno. Older monsters are also confirmed to be returning forSunbreak, with Shogun Ceanataur being revealed atTokyo Game Show 2021. The massive and deadly blue hermit crab has been a fan-favorite since its introduction inMonster Hunter 2, and there’s room to grow its popularity now.
RELATED:Everything Confirmed for Monster Hunter Rise’s Sunbreak DLC So Far
Shogun Ceanataur’s History in Monster Hunter
Those who picked upMonster Hunter Riseas their first experience with the franchise may not understand the appeal of a giant blue crab by itself, but what makes the Carapaceon classification as a whole stand out is that many members wear the skulls of other monsters as their shell. The pink Daimyo Hermitaur, another introduced inMonster Hunter 2, is perhaps the most distinctive for wearing a Monoblos skull; which allows it to attack by thrusting its unicorn-like horn up from underground.
Shogun Ceanataur, by contrast, wears much smaller shells that can be broken and replaced (seen in the Tokyo Game Show trailer when one shell fakes-out a Royal Ludroth). Sometimes these are more generic swirly snail shells, but other times it wears the heads of Wyverns such as the stone-armored Gravios. Variants sport trophies from even more monsters, such as Plum Daimyo Hermitaur wearing a Diablos skull orGenerations Ultimate’s deviant Rustrazor Ceanataur wearing theTyrannosaurus-inspired Glavenus' skull.
Monster skull shells are not the only distinctive feature for Shogun Ceanataur. Its main form of attack is lashing out at hunters using its sickle-shaped claws, which in games likeMonster Hunter Generationscan inflict the bleeding status. It also launches beams of water like its close relative Daimyo Hermitaur, and can attach itself to the ceiling. For the trouble of hunting this Carapaceon, hunters have previously been able to build armor with Sharpness and Expert, increasing one’s weapon sharpness retention and critical hit rate.
RELATED:Monster Hunter Rise and Mega Man Collaboration Adds Rush
Why Shogun Ceanataur is Perfect for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
Because Shogun Ceanataur has such a long history in theMonster Hunterfranchise, going back to 2006, it makes sense to use the Carapaceon as a way to draw fans into buyingSunbreakupon release. It’s actually surprising it wasn’t included in the base game.Monster Hunter Risefocused much of its art direction and monster roster on traditionalJapanese imagery and yokai, so not including a swordsman-inspired crab literally named after ancient Japanese military leaders feels like a missed opportunity.
Another reason Shogun Ceanataur seems like a perfect fit forRiseis how it would fit into the game’s increased focus on monster interactions across open-world maps. The Turf War feature returned fromMonster Hunter World, seeing monsters occassionally do battle with one another if they meet in the field. Shogun Ceanataur is generally considered to be an aggressive, territorial monster that is easy to imagine getting into sparring matches.
Beyond that, Shogun Ceanataur pilfering monster skulls to wear could be symbiotic withRise’s flagship monster, Magnamalo. The malicious Wyvern is known for leaving a trail of bodies behind and taking advantage of the Rampages which affect Kamura Village. Shogun Ceanataur could take advantage of this too, wearing the skull of monsters like Anjanath, or even Magnamalo itself to bring a more vicious look akin to Rustrazor’s Glavenus. It would be fun to see Capcom do more with this monster, and given a “Master Rank” will be added inSunbreakit’s likely there will be a lot more surprises to anticipate.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now on Switch, with a PC port releasing Jul 07, 2025.Sunbreakreleases summer 2022.
MORE:5 Classic Monsters We Hope Return in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
