Monster Hunter comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Rathalos

During Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-themed Nintendo Direct, several new announcements shook fans. Favorites from Castlavania and Donkey Kong Country joined the fight, but danger comes from above with the Smash debut of Monster Hunter’s powerful dragon behemoth, Rathalos. The massive monster will be showing up in the upcoming Smash for Switch as both a boss and an Assist Trophy.

During Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate-themed Nintendo Direct, several new announcements shook fans. Favorites from Castlavania and Donkey Kong Country joined the fight, but danger comes from above with the Smash debut of Monster Hunter’s powerful dragon behemoth, Rathalos. The massive monster will be showing up in the upcoming Smash for Switch as both a boss and an Assist Trophy.

On top of being the debut of Monster Hunter in Smash Bros., it is also the first time a character has appeared as both a boss and Assist Trophy. 

Rathalos isn’t as large as you may have expected it to be in-game, as it’s shown off in the new Smash footage roaring ferociously, breathing dangerous fireballs, and letting fire rain down on unfortunate characters below it. 

The predator character utilizes much of the same inventory of moves in Capcom’s game, with bites, tail swipes, an airborne combat that make it a formidable opponent. With poison, fire, and its dangerous size, Rathalos is a difficult target already, so it’ll be interesting to see how this all translates to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Rathalos isn’t the only guest star appearing as an Assist Trophy. Bomberman made his explosive intro in Ultimate‘s debut, and during today’s Nintendo Direct we also saw Castlevania‘s popular child of the night Alucard, and the titular Shovel Knight for the first time in action. The latest entry in the Smash series is coming as a Nintendo Switch exclusive later this year, on Dec. 7, 2018 with a veritable menagerie of fighters.