Monster Hunter Rise was released on Nintendo Switch in March 2021 and made its debut on PC in January 2022. The game’s first DLC expansion, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, is slated to come out in Summer 2022, giving lots of time for fans of the franchise to speculate on new and returning Monsters.

Capcom has already confirmed that the Shogun Ceanataur, a Monster that first appeared in Monster Hunter 2 for PlayStation 2, will be included in Monster Hunter Rise’s new DLC. Hopefully, more fan-favorite Monsters will be returning, though these ten Monsters will likely be left out of the current installment.

10 King Shakalaka

More recent fans of the Monster Hunter franchise may recognize Shakalaka creatures from Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, where they served as the player’s Buddies. In more recent installments, that role has been given to Palicos and Palamutes, though Shakalakas were cute and helpful companions as well.

However, in their introduction in Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, Shakalakas served as enemies on the field, and King Shakalaka was their leader. This monster is equivalent to the Great Izuchi, lording over its smaller subjects and facing monsters. However, Shakalaks seem to have been abandoned by the franchise, so it’s unlikely Hunters will get to face this Monster in the near future.

9 Lunastra

Lunastra was introduced in Monster Hunter 2 alongside Teostra, its red-colored counterpart. However, it has made scarce appearances in the main series compared to Teostra, only appearing in second-generation games before its return in Monster Hunter World. It seems as if Teostra, who also appears in Monster Hunter Rise, has risen as the more popular of the two Monsters.

All hope may not be lost for Lunastra fans, though. In addition to its recent appearance in Monster Hunter World, Lunastra also made an appearance in Monster Hunter: Legends of the Guild, an animated Netflix movie based on the franchise. Unfortunately, the movie was poorly received by fans and critics, so it’s possible this has put a damper on Lunastra’s future potential.

8 Qurupeco

Players who dove into Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Wii U and 3DS have probably banged their heads against the wall fighting this bird-like Monster. As one of the earliest fights in the game, Qurupeco offered Hunters their first real challenge after spending their time against Small Monsters and the occasional Arzuros.

Suffice it to say, most diehard Monster Hunter fans would be glad to see this Monster out of rotation, especially in favor of some more fan-favorites that have yet to appear in Monster Hunter Rise. However, Qurupeco still appears in both installments of the spin-off series Monster Hunter Stories, so fans will get a taste of what it’s like there.

7 Ceadeus

This Elder Dragon made its debut in Monster Hunter Tri, released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii in 2010. In this new generation of Monster Hunter games, Capcom introduced underwater combat as a way to expand hunting capabilities. With this unique gameplay mechanic came a selection of new Monsters, with Ceadeus being the feature’s signature Elder Dragon.

However, underwater combat was a poorly-received gameplay mechanic, as players found it difficult to control. Capcom removed the mechanic from Monster Hunter 4 and onwards, with certain underwater Monsters like Lagiacrus and Plesioth being updated for land combat. Sadly, Ceadeus is among those who will likely remain in the past.

6 Dire Miralis

Similar to Ceadeus, Dire Miralis appeared in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as a late-game Elder Dragon that took advantage of the game’s underwater combat. This mysterious Monster lurks beneath the water, with a body that resembles a volcano. The Dire Miralis proved to be one of the most interesting uses of the underwater mechanic in the series’ third generation.

Despite the frustration players faced with underwater combat, Dire Miralis was slow-moving and large enough to make for a fun fight. However, unless the Monster was given a complete redesign to make it adapt to land combat, players will probably have to pick up a Wii U or 3DS to fight it themselves.

5 Kirin

This unicorn-based Monster has made several appearances in Monster Hunter past its introduction in the very first installment in the franchise. Its most recent appearance was in Monster Hunter Rise’s predecessor, Monster Hunter World. It was only ever absent in the third generation of games, meaning it very well could appear again in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak.

However, it’s possible that Capcom may view Kirin as unfit for Monster Hunter Rise’s mechanics. With the inclusion of Wirebug attacks, the game promotes a lot of movement in combat that the surprisingly small Kirin might not encourage. Add that to many players’ frustration with fighting the quick-moving Monster, and it’s probably not one that Capcom is looking to reintroduce.

4 Nakarkos

Most late-game Elder Dragons in the Monster Hunter franchise are featured in very cinematic, complicated battles. This helps to make for some pretty epic fights, but ones that players aren’t eager to repeat. Nakarkos is one of them, making its debut in Monster Hunter Generations.

While this bone-covered cephalapod is an engaging fight, it’s unlikely Capcom will go through the trouble of updating and adapting it for Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. The Monster spends most of the fight on the outskirts of the fighting arena, forcing Hunters to attack it with Ballistas and Cannons. This type of gameplay isn’t something that fans of Monster Hunter Rise would necessarily get excited about.

3 Ahtal-Ka

Like with Nakarkos, Ahtal-Ka is an Elder Dragon whose originality and interesting gameplay mechanics might not be enough to push it forward to a new installment. Appearing in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, a Switch exclusive for the US, this insect-like Monster appears no different in size to the fourth generation’s Seltas.

However, Ahtal-Ka’s main ability is using its silk to puppeteer “the Empress’ Throne”, a large-scale war machine that it pilots to attack Hunters. Defeating the Ahtal-Ka also rewards Hunters with a pretty impressive Armor Set that boosts Skill Points on Decorations and Talismans. It’s a worthwhile fight, but maybe a bit too much for Capcom to prioritize in the near future.

2 Gammoth

The hulking wooly mammoth Monster appeared as one of four flagship Monsters in Monster Hunter Generations. Mostly residing in icy terrains, this Monster is unique for its slow-moving yet powerful attacks. While it would be great to see Gammoth join its fellow flagship Mizutsune in Monster Hunter Rise, it might not be possible.

As the opposite of Kirin, Gammoth might be too slow for Monster Hunter Rise’s advanced Wirebug techniques, making it an uneventful (or even too easy) fight. It’s possible that Capcom could update Gammoth’s abilities, though this could be too harsh of a change for the former flagship. If Gammoth does ever return, it’s unlikely that it will be the same fight from Monster Hunter Generations.

1 Zorah Magdaros

Monster Hunter World opened the franchise up to a whole new audience with completely altered gameplay mechanics and exclusivity on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. The game opens with an epic scaling of the Elder Dragon Zorah Magdaros, a volcanic dragon whose migration drives the game’s main story. Simply put, the Zorah Magdaros makes the Dire Miralis look like a Kirin.

While this hunt was exciting for both old and new Monster Hunter fans alike, the scale of it probably outshines what the Nintendo Switch is capable of. It certainly would be a surprise to see this walking mountain on the tiny portable Switch screens, but most fans of the series would agree that it’d be a welcome surprise.

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak releases in Summer 2022. Monster Hunter Rise is currently available on PC and the Nintendo Switch.

More: Monster Hunter Rise: Best Armor Sets, Ranked