There were plenty of difficult fights awaiting eager players in Monster Hunter Rise upon its release in 2021. Now, with the game's first DLC expansion, Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, a whole new challenge awaits hunters. With the expansion comes a new story mode, as well as some new and returning monsters to hunt.
In addition to the DLC's new monster roster, it also includes access to Master Rank quests. These challenging fights will turn monsters that seemed like no problem in the past into steep mountains for both old and new players alike. However, these ten monsters remain the most difficult to defeat in the full game.
10 Shagaru Magala
Sunbreak sees the return of Gore Magala, the mascot monster from Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Returning alongside the mysterious flying wyvern is the Shagaru Magala, an evolved form of Gore Magala that serves as one of the final bosses of 4 Ultimate. These are two hunts that would be best fought with a full party of hunters.
Shagaru Magala especially is no easy feat for even the toughest of Monster Hunter veterans. This monster can inflict players with the Frenzy virus effect. If players aren't careful, they can wind up taking extra damage from frenzied attacks. Before going in to hunt one, it'd be best to bring along weapons with Dragon or Fire elements.
9 Lucent Nargacuga
The standard Nargacuga is one of the toughest fights in the base game of Rise. In Sunbreak, players will get a second helping of this Flying Wyvern with the Lucent Nargacuga. This variant first appeared in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, and is set to be added to Sunbreak via an update in August 2022.
What makes the Lucent Nargacuga different is its ability to turn invisible. Additionally, its skin is much tougher, meaning weapons with Blue sharpness and under will easily bounce off it. Hunters should head into battle with high Sharpness, ideally with something to exploit its Ice weakness, too.
8 Chameleos
The Lucent Nargacuga isn't the only monster in Sunbreak with the ability to turn invisible. There's also Chameleos, the Elder Dragon known to also spit venom and steal items from players. Even in the base game of Monster Hunter Rise, Chameleos can be a pretty frustrating hunt if players aren't well-prepared.
With the addition of Master Rank quests, even hunters who have fought their fair share of Chameleos will see an increase in challenge. Fortunately, this monster is weak to Blast, so this would be a good hunt to bust out a Magnamalo weapon. It also takes increased damage from Fire, Dragon, and Electric elements.
7 Teostra
Some monsters, especially in Rise, can be difficult to fight without much of a reward. That couldn't be less true when it comes to Teostra, though. This lion-esque Elder Dragon boasts powerful Fire and Blast attacks, as well as an Armor set and weapons that every hunter should be looking to craft if they can.
As long as players avoid some of his one-hit-KO attacks, like the Supernova, they should find this hunt a good challenge. Luckily, the Teostra is as susceptible to Blast as it is powered by it, so don't hesitate to bring Magnamalo or Bazelgeuse weapons along. Teostra also takes extra damage from Blunt weapons like Hammer.
6 Kushala Daora
This icy Elder Dragon rounds out the trio next to Teostra and Chameleos. The Kushala Daora can be a challenge, even in High Rank quests, so hunters in Sunbreak should definitely be wary of facing it in Master Rank. However, with the right weapons and strategies, this fight can go from stressful to manageable.
Kushala is weakest to weapons with Thunder, Fire, and Blast elements. However, none of those will help hunters who fail to avoid some of its deadliest attacks. If ensnared in the Kushala's instant death combo, players should wirefall away to avoid costing their team a precious cart.
5 Thunder Serpent Narwa
Elder Dragons like Narwa can be quite eventful battles for some hunters. Sunbreak hunters will have the advantage here, as the DLC expansion can't be accessed until players have bested the mind-controlling thunder queen. Still, facing it is no less of a challenge in Sunbreak than it was in the base game.
Like any special Elder Dragon hunt, it would help for players to familiarize themselves with the Coral Palace locale. The Narwa will raise platforms, allowing players to access Artillery that's very useful in racking up damage. The Dragonator and Splitting Wyvernshot are also useful tools to quickly defeat the Thunder Serpent.
4 Scorned Magnamalo
Many monsters from the base game of Rise have much tougher incarnations in the Sunbreak DLC expansion. One of those is Magnamalo, who can be a pretty ruthless fight all by itself. The Scorned Magnamalo, however, will prove to be a much tougher fight, even after unlocking it all the way at HR 100.
Although Scorned Magnamalo will prove to be more difficult than its original form, players should approach this fight like any other Magnamalo. That means equipping Water and Thunder weapons, and being prepared to face the Hellfire element. Don't be surprised if carting and restarting this hunt begin to feel like routines.
3 Crimson Glow Valstrax
Valstrax first debuted in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, where it proved to be one of the hardest fights in that game. Its mutant form, Crimson Glow Valstrax, was added to Rise in an update. However, it may still be a new fight for many hunters, as it can only be unlocked after reaching HR 100 in the base game.
Needless to say, many hunters may face Valstrax for the first time if they skipped MHGU and haven't progressed far enough in Rise. Players should take advantage of attacking this monster while it's grounded, bringing Blast weapons if they want extra damage. Use its time in the air to sharpen or heal if need be.
2 Furious Rajang
Rajang is infamous in the Monster Hunter franchise for being one of the most brutal hunts. Its original form deals massive amounts of Thunder damage, so it'll come as no surprise that its aggressive variant, Furious Rajang, is even more terrifying. Thankfully, players don't have to encounter this monster until they beat Sunbreak.
There's little players can do to prep for this hunt other than bring weapons with the Ice element. This is the type of hunt that may reward quicker weapon types, like Dual Blades of Insect Glaive. For slower weapon types, it may be a good idea to bring Pitfall Traps, which can be used when Rajang is enraged to knock it out for a moment.
1 Malzeno
Of course, the mascot monster for this DLC expansion is going to be one of the most climactic fights in the game. Malzeno comes with a new blight, Bloodblight, which drains players' HP and lowers the effectiveness of healing items. Suffice it to say, this hunt will require hunters to be at the top of their game.
Malzeno's Bloodblight can be tempered by aggressively attacking the monster. It would also be wise to use weapons with shields, or perhaps weapons that can dodge at a moment's notice. While this may be the toughest fight in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, it's also bound to be the most memorable.
Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak is now available on PC and Switch.