Monster Hunter Wilds is crawling with predators completely new to the action RPG series; colossal wyverns stalk their prey with fanged wings, stocky monkeys turn metal into lava, and creatures generally try to intimidate you with their twisted bodies and abilities. (Spoilers to follow.) But you might find one of Wilds' original monsters more familiar than the rest, as the game's final boss, Zoh Shia, seems to be a combination of Monster Hunter's most memorable beasts.
Monster Hunter expert Shincry shared a video demonstration on Twitter. With the help of Monster Hunter community members, Shincry was able to collect footage of Zoh Shia's moveset compared to enemies from games like Monster Hunter World and even 2005's Japan-exclusive Monster Hunter G.
"I might be wrong," Shincry says on Twitter, "but I really want to believe this was a love letter to longtime fans from the MH team and [Worlds and Wilds director] @YuyaTokuda."
The evidence is compelling. Monster Hunter's iconic black dragon Fatalis rests with its head low and tail swung around it like summoning salt, and so does Wilds' crystal creature. Zoh Shia dangles its tail up like a piece of spaghetti and sweeps it to the side, just like Monster Hunter World: Iceborne's red dragon Safi'jiiva. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak's bold dragon Gaismagorm stomps its clawed foot to conjure an explosion, and Zoh Shia does the same, creating rubble with its fists. There might be a bite of Alatreon in those epic breath attacks, too.
"I think the fact that there's zero info about [Zoh Shia]," says a popular reply to Shincry's video, "and how our hunter reacts in one part ('It can't be') says enough about why this thing's a giant mass of references. Not to mention appearance and lore."
Others claim Zoh Shia is simply disappointing proof that developer Capcom is reusing assets. I prefer an interpretation that's more simple than either of these perspectives: dragons are cool. Besides, reusing elements like these can add flavor to a world. Case in point: there's a compelling theory that this crystal guardian was somehow engineered as a weapon to rival true dragons like Fatalis, so it would make sense for those mad engineers to leverage its strengths.
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