Monster Hunter Risesteeped its identity in traditional Japanese culture more than any previous entry in the Capcom franchise. Similar to Intelligent Systems’Fire Emblemseries,Monster Huntergames typically follow the tropes of medieval fantasy as small groups take on guild quests to defeat dragons and other beasts using a diverse array of weapons - not unlike aDungeons & Dragonscampaign. YetRisewas set in a different environment with monsters based on Japanese folklore and yokai.
The upcoming “massive expansion"Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreakwill turn this conceit on its head with monsters inspired by Western canon. Players set off fromKamura Villageto help the Royal Order of a far-away kingdom, basing their adventures out of Elgado Outpost. Sunbreak’s major threats are the Three Lords: Frankenstein-inspired Garangolm, werewolf-inspired Lunagaron, and vampire-inspired Elder Dragon Malzeno. While the expansion draws a line between these mythos, it should bring in older monsters that parallel theRisecast to emphasize its two-worlds approach.
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Returning Monsters in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak
In traditionalMonster Huntergames, an initial release would be followed up by an “Ultimate” version that adds its own distinct storyline surrounding a G Rank mission set with harder monsters and new variants.Monster Hunter Riseis following more directly in the footsteps of its predecessorMonster Hunter World, withRise’s Sunbreak adding Master Rank quests akin to G Rank inWorld’s Iceborne expansion.
Beyond the Three Lords who stake their claim in Sunbreak’s Citadel map, Capcom has confirmed three more creatures being introduced in Sunbreak. Returning from olderMonster Huntergames are Shogun Ceanataur andAstalos - the second member ofGenerations' Fated Fourto be inRise. A variant of the base game’s Bishaten will also appear in Sunbreak, with Blood Orange Bishaten tossing explosive pinecones rather than status-inflicting fruits. This follows a tradition of new subspecies like Tigerstripe Zamtrios inMonster Hunter 4 Ultimateor Coral Pukei-Pukei inMonster Hunter World: Iceborne.
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Fitting Creatures to Bring Back in Sunbreak
In terms of returning monsters, the addition of Astalos as a parallel for fellow Fated Four member Mizutsune could lead to a larger pattern matching up the creatures around Kamura Village in an uncanny way. There are a few overarching monster classes that have been introduced throughout the series. WhileMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreakdoesn’t necessarily need one-to-one replacements for each of its base monsters, many similarly designed creatures could provide a contrast in thenew lands around Elgado Outpost.
Perhaps the most obvious example isMonster Hunter 4’s Tetsucabra. This stone-coated frog with massive tusks is one of three Ambibian monster species alongside the aforementioned Zamtrios andMonster Hunter Rise’s sumo-wrestling Tetranadon. Tetsucabra would be a fitting inclusion because it was already teased in the base game: Kamura Village’s Gathering Hub (where multiplayer quests are accessed) houses Guild Master Hojo, who can be seen riding a baby Tetsucabra despite grown versions not appearing as monsters to hunt.
Running with this template could lead to a lot of unique monsters. Thefire-spewing spider Rakna-Kadaki is one of two Temnoceransin the franchise, so it would be fun to seeMonster Hunter 4’s Nerscylla make another appearance. The mud-caked Leviathan monster Almudron could be contrasted withMonster Hunter 3’s Lagiacrus, or the similar-shaped Snake Wyvern Najarala fromMonster Hunter 4. Capcom could also reintroduce Monoblos as a contrast to Diablos, Yian Kut-Ku or Yian Garuga as a contrast to Kulu-Ya-Ku, Lunastra as a contrast to Teostra, and more.
With the immense back-catalog of designs, it would be easy to pick anything and everything for players to hunt. Going with parallels to the base game could give Capcom some direction that emphasizes the duality ofRise’s Japanese and Western-inspired core threatsexisting in different lands.
Monster Hunter Riseis available now for PC and Switch. Its Sunbreak expansion launches on June 19, 2025.
