Smash Bros Ultimate: How to Beat Rathalos

How to Beat Rathalos in Smash Bros Ultimate

If you’re looking for some tips on how to beat Rathalos in Smash Bros Ultimate, look no further, here’s what you need to know.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the definitive entry in the franchise, bringing back every character ever featured along with a host of new ones. There are not just playable characters from these series, however, as some franchises also get deadly boss characters for you to take on.

One of the more surprising bosses in Smash Bros Ultimate is Rathalos, one of the poster monsters of the Monster Hunter series. Despite not being featured in Smash Bros Ultimate in any other way, you can take on this hulking Monster Hunter boss. Here’s how to beat Rathalos in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

If you’ve played a Monster Hunter game you’re likely familiar with Rathalos and what it can do. There are two instances where you’ll fight Rathalos in Smash Bros Ultimate, one in the Adventure Mode World of Light, and at the end of certain character’s Classic Mode, like Marth’s.

The dragon type enemy has a few different attacks up its sleeve, almost all of which hit directly in front of it. First off watch out for whenever Rathalos lets out a screech, and dodge a fair distance away from it, or time your dodge perfectly right to avoid the attack.

If you’re hit by this attack your character will be stunned for a few moments, leaving you vulnerable to another attack. This Smash Bros Ultimate boss also has a fireball and charge attack, so if you’re charge jump above the charging Rathalos and dodge behind it. In Adventure Mode this boss is most easily taken on with a ranged character like Samus, as you can keep your distance and pepper it with ranged attacks.

If you’re playing a melee character in Smash Bros Ultimate, like Marth, you’ll need to get in close, just try and stay right under it or jump behind it. Occasionally Rathalos will take to the air, making you jump to hit it. Keep an eye out for items spawning during the battle, both the Deku Seed and Pitfall.

If Rathalos is in the air you’ll most likely have a Pitfall spawn. Grab the item, hit Rathalos with it, and send the boss crashing back down to the ground. If a Deku Seed spawns grab the item and throw it for some extra damage. They also have a chance to stun the boss, which can be a huge help.

Rathalos has two long-ranged attacks in Smash Bros Ultimate where it will fly to the back of the screen. One has the boss charging forward at you, like Master Hand’s charge, and it’s dodged exactly the same way. Wait until the charging Rathalos is right on top of you then hit the dodge button (L and R) to avoid the attack entirely.

If Rathalos goes to the back and readies a flame attack it’s much harder to dodge. The boss will shoot two fireballs at the stage that explode and create a blast radius. What you’ll want to do is stand exactly in the middle of these two blasts to avoid them.

The timing can be a bit rough and if you get caught in one of the blasts you can’t escape but, keep an eye on where the first one lands and run to the right or left of it, toward the middle.

Like all bosses in Smash Bros Ultimate, at some point Rathalos will become momentarily stunned, so use this opportunity to unleash all the damage you can on it.

Continue to dodge attacks and hit the boss, and make sure to use the items that spawn, and you’ll have Rathalos down and out before too long.

That’s everything you need to know about how to beat Rathalos in Smash Bros Ultimate. For more tips and guides make sure to check out our Super Smash Bros Ultimate wiki. If you need help with other bosses, however, you can see our guides on how to beat Dracula and Galeem.

It’s filled with guides on how to unlock all characters, what the install size is, how to play as new characters such as Ridley, Incineroar, and Inkling, as well as how to get spirit points, how to level up spirits and how many spirits there are.

It really does have answers to everything you’re probably looking for, and if it doesn’t, shout out what you’re looking for and we’ll get back to you.