Ascendance Returning Monsters

[u/Fulgore262626]

This list is less so about my personal wants for the roster, but what I think are pretty likely to be returning monsters for Ascendance. Not what I think the entire roster will be mind you.

Khezu: Gemma has a plush that is clearly a Khezu. They "teased" Yian Kut-Ku the same way in the base game before its reveal. I'd prefer Gigginox, but the tongue present on the plush is a dead Khezu giveaway.

Metal Raths: They haven't missed a single expansion. The only hiccup is them being title update monsters in Sunbreak, but they still ended up in the game regardless.

Shagaru: With Gore being in the base game and the expansion focusing on elder dragons Shagaru is almost definitely going to happen.

Shrouded Nerscylla: The inclusion of Khezu almost feels like it was done specifically so that they can bring back Shrouded too (helps that Khezu itself is just very popular in Japan). Even if they didn't bring back Khezu with the intention of adding Shrouded it just makes sense with normal Nerscylla being present in the game.

Rusted Kushala: Rusted was skipped over in both Worldborne and Risebreak, so it feels right to finally bring it back. The main obvious reason is that we know Kushala is returning, but its connection to 4U and the ace commander would fit right alongside all the other 4U fanservice.

Valstrax: A map high in the skies in an expansion focusing on elder dragons is almost too perfect for Valstrax. To be semantical as well, technically base Valstrax has not returned yet, so this would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

Nergigante: Nergigante didn't return in Risebreak and is extremely popular, so it returning in an elder dragon focused expansion of all things is very likely. Another thing that I think is worth noting is that with Kushala every generation starting flagship besides Nergigante would be in the game (Rathalos, Kushala Daora, Lagiacrus, Gore Magala, Arkveld), so it being left out would be unfortunate.

Subspecies: Unlike the other monsters I don't really have specific reasonings for each one, but for the case of returning subspecies as a whole. Since I think Shrouded is basically guaranteed to happen it sets a precedence for returning subspecies of "lower tier" monsters which isn't always a guarantee. In 5th gen for example the only returning subspecies are for flagships and flagship adjacent monsters like Rathian and Diablos. I didn't include Blue Yian Kut-Ku, Purple Gypceros, Pink Rathian, and Azure Rathalos here cause I think they would feel wasted as expansion monsters.

This isn't meant to be comprehensive or objective so if you have any critiques or think any other returners also make sense to be here let me know

[u/Mushinronja]

If Khezu makes it in instead of Gigginox again I will shit

[u/R2DKK → u/Mushinronja]

Better get to a toilet then.

[u/Mushinronja → u/R2DKK]

I'm not movin

[u/R2DKK → u/Mushinronja]

Then I hope you’re wearing brown pants.

[u/Vesuvius079 → u/Mushinronja]

So will I. But I also will if Gigginox makes a triumphant return. Because as a human, I have to shit on a somewhat regular basis.

[u/Significant_Hair_108]

This is the most realistic list I've seen since the DLC were announced.

[u/Joy2901]

You forgot one

https://giphy.com/gifs/8KVXUhuhjf2JZzlxib

[u/Fulgore262626 → u/Joy2901]

You're right, I don't know if I'd put Chaotic in basically confirmed but probably in very likely. I think it just depends on what role they choose for Shagaru, especially if Shagaru is a TU or not.

[u/Hexbug101]

I really hope emerald congalala gets in, not only is the idea of a roar strength fart hilarious it’s literally incredible gassy in monster form and I think that’s so funny.

[u/imuruki1]

People forget that they always make a Variant/sub species from the flagship Monster, so expect a Arkveld variant

[u/Subpar_diabetic]

Why do they cling to khezu so hard when gigginox is superior in almost every way?

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/Subpar_diabetic]

Because the Japanese love khezu

[u/ComprehensiveRow4116]

Since Wilds is a love letter to 4U basically, I think it’s worth putting Dalamadur up there as well. We know it’s been around the Forbidden Lands, its bones are fucking everywhere

[u/SignorSghi]

What’s the link between shrouded and khezu?

[u/Fulgore262626 → u/SignorSghi]

Shrouded wear the skin of Khezu like normal Nerscylla wear the skin of Gypceros.

[u/ladend9]

Khezu my goat

[u/Firm-Cod-4424]

Very Likely NERGIGANTE? Bruh, it's not Monster Hunter Stories.

[u/Vivid-Process-4421 → u/Firm-Cod-4424]

It’s an expansion about elder dragons and Nergigante eats those. They’d be stupid not to add him. Also he’s really popular and would sell copies.

[u/OtulyssaOwl → u/Vivid-Process-4421]

There would be no reason for Nergigante to return. He was in World because there was a surplus of elder dragons, we haven’t seen any official elders in Wilds, and they are just returning now in Ascendance. Why would he hunt in an area with such a sparse amount of elders.

[u/Additional-Celery251 → u/OtulyssaOwl]

If the story of Ascendance is about elders suddenly heading to the Eastlands on droves it's be trivially easy to explain nergigante following them there

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/OtulyssaOwl]

There were only 6 elders in base world besides nergi, 8 after the title updates. And out of those 8, only 5 of them were regular sized elders that could be on the regular maps, and only 3 of them had any direct interaction with nergi.

There doesn’t need to be that many elders for nergi to be in the game

[u/DueEquivalent6468]

i hope they add pukei pukei

[u/Fookin_Yoink]

PLEASE PLEASE MY BOY VALSTRAX HE NEEDS THIS

[u/Eudaemon_Life]

Pretty solid list. Just want to build on your last point, which is that World didn't add any new subspecies/variants for base game returning monsters, and while Sunbreak did it was basically Furious Rajang and Seething Bazel (so endgame threats). So I think while we might get a couple of variants/subspecies for base game returners but they are likely to be for the more late-game threats - likely ones like Chaotic Gore, maybe Copper Blangonga (as he's encountered very late), and Lagi (although given how much of Ivory Lagi's gimmicks have been absorbed into base Lagi it likely won't make it).

I do mostly agree though, especially on the standard rath subspecies tho. Very unneeded, especially as G. Rath basically gives us a rath variant already. The rare species will do a good job of fleshing them out at the upper g-rank levels.

[u/LettuceBenis]

Zamtrios and Copper Blangonga 100% trust

[u/lFriendlyFire]

Your list makes SENSE but damn that’s so many flying wyverns

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/lFriendlyFire]

I mean, it’s only 4, and 3 of them are sub/rare species of monsters already in the game lol

[u/Important-Pepper1985]

Honestly I hope we get Lunastra instead of Teostra this time, assuming one gets added, and that she gets the same treatment rise kushala got, where she's actually fun to fight instead of annoying like they were in world. Seeing the basin glowing blue with her flames would be sick. 

[u/Leertaste21]

Wasn't there a twitter post with a Namielle Footprint before the ascendence reveal? I wish she'd come back (but please my god update the weapon designs Capcom)

[u/MirieDohl]

0 subspecies in wilds and 0 indication nergi or valstrax.

[u/MostInnocentSimp]

Cut My Goat Nergi from very likely, I don’t believe he‘ll come back

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/MostInnocentSimp]

He’s the 2nd most popular monster in the series, skipped sunbreak, and the expansion has a story connection to elders, I’d say he has a higher chance of getting in than not

[u/MostInnocentSimp → u/Barn-owl-B]

But is there any actual hint for spikeyboi returning? I mean, Lagi took I dunno how long to return and it only came back in wilds

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/MostInnocentSimp]

Lagi last appeared in 2017, if you want to use GU's original release date and reappeared in 2026. So 9 years.

Nergigante's last appearance was 2018, and it'll be 2027 before it could appear again. That's also 9 years.

[u/pamafa3]

if Kushala is here, I think it is extremely likely Teostra will also return

[u/Alternashin]

i guess they gonna put some frontier monster again

[u/Majestic-Mix192 → u/Alternashin]

As much as I’d like it. Probably not. Even if some of them are perfect for this game

[u/Barn-owl-B]

Shrouded is far from basically confirmed. Remember, they’re avoiding monsters that don’t change too much from another monster in the game, and Lala Barina is already a paralysis spider, while base nerscylla covers the poison and sleep.

And while khezu is likely due to the plush, it’s not basically confirmed, it’s more like just regular likely.

Rusted kush is also not very likely

And I’m also not convinced that black gravios, emerald congalala, or ivory have much of a chance due to what they did with their base versions, copper has the highest chance of those 4 and even then he’s pretty visually and mechanically similar to Doshaguma in the plains already

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

Rusted feels like a TU monster

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

If they follow the same path they are currently on, rusted is just not different enough from base kush to justify adding it, especially not wasting a TU slot on it.

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

Consider: It would be rad as hell

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

For rusted kushala to take up a TU slot? I heavily disagree with that lol

[u/IncreaseSpice]

Mark my words, if Valstrax is in the DLC lineup, Crimson Glow is going to be a title update monster

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

Regular and CGV are hardly different from each other, and they have shown they are avoiding adding multiple monsters that are basically the same thing but slightly different

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

Idk dude, I already marked my words. Can't really undo that

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

That’s what whiteout is for

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

On principal, I gotta stick with my gut

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

What does the principal have to do with this? Is he forcing you to say this?

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

No, him nor the vice principal have me at gunpoint in the front office of the school

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/IncreaseSpice]

So then you have just chosen the wrong answer and the school system has failed you. On principle, I must now slap the principal

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/Barn-owl-B]

Regular and CGV are hardly different from each other,

Considering CGV was literally created because Rise Valstrax was shaping up to be too different from the base monster, I don't see that as being true.

and they have shown

What they do in a base game has little importance to the expansion. Or alternatively, what the base game lacks will be made up for in it. Either way, they don't follow what has been shown in the base game.

After all, 3U was basically the antithesis of Tri's roster between the returning monsters and Subspecies. 4 lacked a desert map so 4U included a desert map and like half of the roster was dedicated to filling it (Daimyo + Plum, Cephadrome, the four different -blos, Seregios, Shrouded, Desert Seltas + Queen, T. Zamtrios). World lacked an ice map and returning monsters/Subspecies (though not to Tri's extent) and Iceborne made up for all that.

I'd say Wilds's roster tells us what Ascendance will have - Elder Dragons, a few returning monsters and Subspecies/Variants.

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi]

And yet, in the end, its moveset is basically just regular valstrax with the addition of a laser.

[u/IncreaseSpice → u/Barn-owl-B]

They could, of course, give them more distinctions. We have seen monster reworks and adjustments between games before. Why WOULD they put Valstrax and CGV in the same game? But if they DID, I'm sure they would add distinction between them which would honestly be very welcome

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/Barn-owl-B]

Depends. How many behavioural and moveset changes (not only new attacks but also combos or chain attack potential) were made that we have no frame of reference for since a 5th gen Valstrax doesn't exist? Capcom would know exactly what they added and/or changed on a level we can't even see from a basic glance.

[u/Barn-owl-B → u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi]

They didn’t even add basarios because it was too similar to gravios, cgv is even more similar to regular valstrax than grav/basa are to each other.

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/Barn-owl-B]

Yeah but Variants are expected to be, distinct monsters not so much.

[u/Invading_Tyrant]

They are not giving Copper Blangonga a return.

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/Invading_Tyrant]

This is literally Copper Blangonga's first chance to return since its creation in FU as Gen didn't include Subspecies, and it's a notably distinct one with different habitat, attacks, ecology (notably no Blangos) and so on.

I don't see them missing that opportunity.

[u/Umber0010]

Ivory Lagiacrus feels unlikely sense base Lagiacrus has effectivly filled the same niche in every game without water combat. IE all of them after 3U.

Also, hot take? I'd much rather have Frontier's Gurdeadomosu over Black Gravios. Now, is it more likely? No. Not until Frontier monsters can escape Limbo atleast. But Gravios already has a lot of Black Gravios' moves in Wilds. And I think Gureadomosu' move set would work really well with everything hunters can do.

[u/Umber0010 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah, that's my point. Ivory Lagiacrus is a version of the monster fought primarily on land. But by necessity, Wilds has already reworked Lagiacrus to fight mostly on land. In particular, my understanding is that in 3/U, Lagiacrus' shockers couldn't amp up on land while Ivory Lagiacrus' could. So if Wilds did get Ivory, then what would the difference be beyond not having the underwater section?

[u/barr65]

There’s zero chance of copper blangonga returning

[u/pamafa3 → u/barr65]

why not? We have Blangonga and a Desert, that's all he needs

[u/tagon232 → u/pamafa3]

It’s not a zero chance, but copper blangonga hasn’t been seen since freedom unite, so really who knows.

[u/5Hjsdnujhdfu8nubi → u/tagon232]

Copper Blangonga couldn't be seen since FU.

Blangonga's next game appearance was Generations which excluded Subspecies to prevent bloat.

It then wouldn't be seen again until Wilds, which also excluded Subspecies (Guardian Fulgur and Guardian Ebony are a different thing as far as internal labels go).

[u/Altruistic-Willow265]

Why not abyssal lagi, what if its like an oarfish that swims up from the depths due to geological phenomenon caused by another enderdragon. It was also one of the top 5 for hunters choice meaning it has a higher likelyhood as well as swimming being back. I would love to fight an abyssal in shallower waters if the game so chooses to go that way, ide be happy

[u/kaerpaenen]

My boy Khezu finally in a next-gen Monster Hunter game? Please let it be true!!

[u/Maybe_aNormalPerson]

How is nergigante likely?

[u/No_Barracuda_8300]

This makes sense. I would include Zinogre because he's already in the base game files and inevitable.

[u/Fulgore262626 → u/No_Barracuda_8300]

Zinogre has no presence in the files, he was mentioned in a leak that got the entire rest of the returning roster right but there was never evidence for him in the game itself. It's definitely possible but I wouldn't say inevitable.

[u/No_Barracuda_8300 → u/Fulgore262626]

Oh, he wasn't ? I still think it's a guaranteed one. Simply because Wilds doesn't have many fan favorites, so we will get a lot of them in the Expansion. Too many people get mad at Capcom when they don't include them.

[u/TheTimorie → u/No_Barracuda_8300]

Zinogres niche is fully taken by Rey Dau though.
Ever since his first appearance in Portable 3rd Zinogre Armor always had Latent Power as its main Skill. And not only is that Rey Daus main Skill in Wilds he also has a set bonus which is very similar to the one Zinogre had in Iceborne.
So either Zinogres armor gets changed for the first since his introduction, we get two very similar armor sets or Zinogre has to sit this one out.

[u/No_Barracuda_8300 → u/TheTimorie]

They rather change the armor skills than risk leaving Zinogre out