The second Fighters Pass ofSuper Smash Bros Ultimateis winding down. That means that fan speculation about the last characters invited to the game is only going to ramp up. EverySmashcandidate’s odds are quickly decreasing, but that only makes fans even more eager to see their favorite games represented. One franchise that fans have been wondering about for a while now isMonster Hunter.Technically this franchise is represented inSuper Smash Bros Ultimate,since the Rathalos appears as an Assist Trophy and a boss monster in a few modes. However, that’s a far cry from a playable character fromMonster Hunter.
AlthoughMonster Hunter’s protagonists are rarely well-defined characters, the archetype of the Monster Hunter is so well established by now that it’d make a perfectSmashfighter. All the different weapons in the games make for ample source material for designing aSmashfighter. Considering the fact that the Rathalos is already in the game, it seems like it’d be pretty easy to put a Monster Hunter inSmashanyway. There’s already a few otherCapcom representatives inSmashtoo, soMonster Hunterseems like a strong candidate. Here’s what a Monster Hunter fighter could look like if they appeared inSmash.
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Monster Hunter’s Many Weapons
There’s already a character inSmashthat’s an excellent portrait of what aMonster Hunterfighter would look like: Byleth.The DLC representative fromFire Emblem: Three Housesfamously uses a wide range of weapons referencing important characters in the game. It means Byleth has a diverse moveset full of surprising hitboxes. That’s exactly what the Monster Hunter weapons make possible. A Monster HunterSmashfighter would probably use a wide range of weapons and switch between them for different moves, rather than the fighter only using something like the Greatsword.
Consideringthe huge size ofMonster Hunterweapons, odds are aSmashfighter would be pretty heavy. Monster hunters may have to do a lot of running around in the middle of fights, but they’re not generally known for their mobility, and their huge weapons are cumbersome. However, the Monster Hunter would definitely make up for the lack of mobility in damage output and launch power. Special attacks might involve the Monster Hunter buffing themselves with the Hunting Horn, firing projectiles with a Bow or a Gunlance, or aerial leaps with an Insect Glaive that’ll help the Hunter get back onto the stage.
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Monstrous Allies
It’d be fascinating to see if theSmashdevelopers could find a way to incorporate a Palico into the Monster Hunter’s moveset. Palicoes are so crucial to the player’s endeavors inMonster Hunterthat it only seems natural that they’d join a Monster Hunter inSmashsomehow. Perhaps the Hunter would show up with a permanent Palico ally similar to Rosalina’s Luma that could take damage and be put out of commission temporarily. Alternatively,the Monster Hunter’s Palicomight make only brief appearances, summoned to help the Monster Hunter briefly via a special attack.
As forthe Monster Hunter’s Final Smash, there’s a few options. An obvious answer would be similar to recent affair’s like Min Min’s where the Monster Hunter summons an army of allies with different weapons to do a team attack on the Hunter’s target. However, it’d be more exciting if the Monster Hunter used the very monsters it hunts to their advantage. Maybe the Monster Hunter’s Final Smash would involve throwing out a trap and catching enemies in it. Once that happens, a huge monster like the aforementioned Rathalos could be attracted to the bait and tear into the Monster Hunter’s enemies.
All the DLC characters inSuper Smash Bros Ultimatehave found ways to push the boundaries of the game. They all stand out in their own ways and sometimes redefine just what aSmashfighter can look like. If the Monster Hunter comes toSmash, they should be no different.Monster Hunterhas a rich historyforSmashto draw from, and so far, theSmashdevelopers have done great in being faithful to the DLC fighters' source material. AMonster Hunterfighter would almost certainly be an exciting deep dive into all of the franchise’s traditions.
Super Smash Bros Ultimateis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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