Best Mounts in Palworld — Flying & Ground Mount Tier List (2026)

In Palworld, certain Pals can be ridden as mounts once you craft their specific saddle at a Pal Gear Workbench. Saddles are unlocked through the Technology tree at different levels — the earliest flying saddle unlocks at Level 15, while the best endgame mounts require Level 50. Each saddle costs Technology Points plus crafting materials (typically Leather, Fiber, Cloth, and Ingots).

There are three types of mounts in Palworld:

• Flying Mounts — The most versatile category. Flying mounts let you bypass terrain obstacles, cross oceans, and reach elevated areas. They are essential for efficient exploration and are the fastest travel method in the game. If you're new to the game, getting your first flying mount should be a top priority — see our beginner guide for the full early-game progression path.
• Ground Mounts — Faster than running on foot, and some have combat abilities while mounted (like Direhowl's bite). Ground mounts are useful in combat-heavy areas where flying would be risky, and they don't require stamina management for vertical movement.
• Water Mounts — A smaller category. These Pals let you ride across water surfaces, replacing the painfully slow manual swimming. Essential for reaching island bases — check our base location guide for islands that require water access.

Key mechanics to know:

• Mounted combat is available for most Pals — your Pal's partner skill activates while you ride. For example, Jetragon fires homing missiles, and Direhowl performs a lunge bite.
• Flying and sprinting consume stamina. When stamina runs out, flying mounts descend rapidly — always keep an eye on your stamina bar over water or mountains.
• You can dismount at any time by pressing the interact button. Your Pal will remain in the world and can fight alongside you.
• Mount speed is affected by the Pal's passives. Swift (+30% movement speed) and Nimble (+10% movement speed) are the best passives for mount Pals. You can breed these onto your mount using our breeding guide.

1. Jetragon — The Ultimate Endgame Mount

Jetragon is not just the best flying mount — it's arguably the best Pal in the entire game. As a Dragon-type Legendary, it has the highest flight speed of any mount, and its partner skill equips you with a homing missile launcher while mounted. This means you can rain explosive damage on enemies from the sky while traveling at breakneck speed. Jetragon spawns as a Level 50 Alpha at the far western edge of the map in the Mount Obsidian volcanic region.

The catch? You need to be Level 50 to unlock Jetragon's Saddle, and the saddle itself requires significant crafting materials including Pure Quartz and Carbon Fiber. For most of your playthrough, Jetragon will be a goal you're working toward rather than a daily ride. But once you have it, every other mount feels obsolete. Jetragon also tops our Best Pals tier list for combat — it's the total package.

Best passives for Jetragon: Swift, Nimble, Musclehead, Ferocious. The first two maximize travel speed; the latter two maximize missile damage. Breeding all four onto a single Jetragon takes effort, but our breeding guide walks you through the chain-breeding process step by step.

2. Frostallion — The Ice Dragon Alternative

Frostallion is Jetragon's closest competitor. While slightly slower, it is significantly easier to obtain — it spawns at a lower level and in a more accessible location (the frozen northern region of the map). Frostallion's partner skill allows you to perform a dash attack while mounted, dealing Ice-type damage in a cone. This makes it excellent for both travel and combat, especially against Dragon-type enemies.

For players who want a top-tier flying mount before reaching Level 50, Frostallion is the bridge. It's also a viable breeding parent for Frostallion Noct, a Dark-type variant with even higher damage potential.

3. Suzaku — The Mid-Game Workhorse

Suzaku is a Fire-type flying mount that unlocks at Level 35. It's the mount most players will use for the majority of their mid-to-late game progression. Suzaku offers solid flight speed, decent stamina, and a partner skill that boosts Fire-type damage while mounted. It's also one of the best-looking Pals in the game — a fiery phoenix-like bird that turns heads.

Suzaku's Water variant, Suzaku Aqua, is obtained through breeding and offers Watering Lv3 alongside flight, making it a dual-purpose Pal for both base work and travel. This makes Suzaku one of the most versatile mounts in the game.

4. Vanwyrm — The Best Early Flying Mount

Vanwyrm is the flying mount that most players will unlock first that actually feels good to use. Unlocking at Level 20, Vanwyrm is a Fire/Dark dual-type that provides reliable flight speed and a partner skill that highlights nearby enemies while mounted — essentially a built-in radar. This makes Vanwyrm invaluable for hunting specific Pals in the wild.

Vanwyrm is also one of the best early combat Pals, making it a dual-purpose addition to your party. If you're following our beginner guide, crafting Vanwyrm's Saddle at Level 20 should be one of your first major milestones after establishing your first base.

5. Nitewing — Your First Flying Mount

Nitewing is the first flying mount available in Palworld, unlocking at Level 15. While its speed is modest compared to later mounts, the moment you craft Nitewing's Saddle, the entire game changes. You can fly over walls, skip enemy encounters, cross water without swimming, and reach previously inaccessible areas. Every player should prioritize reaching Level 15 and crafting this saddle as soon as possible.

Nitewing is common in the starting areas — you'll likely have caught several before you even unlock the saddle. Once you upgrade to Vanwyrm or Suzaku, Nitewing can be retired to your base for transport duties.

6. Helzephyr — The Dark-Type Specialist

Helzephyr is a Dark-type flying mount unlocking at Level 40. While not as fast as Jetragon or Frostallion, it has a unique partner skill that boosts the player's attack power while mounted. This makes Helzephyr a strong choice for players who want a combat-oriented flying mount without needing to reach Level 50. It's also a key breeding ingredient for Astegon, the best mining Pal in the game.

1. Frostallion Noct — The Fastest Ground Mount

Frostallion Noct is a Dark-type ground mount that is technically a bred variant of Frostallion. It has the highest ground speed of any mount in the game and its partner skill allows you to perform a devastating dash attack while mounted. To obtain Frostallion Noct, you'll need to breed Frostallion with Helzephyr — it cannot be caught in the wild.

While ground mounts are generally less useful than flying mounts (terrain obstacles limit their utility), Frostallion Noct's raw speed makes it worth using in flat areas like deserts and plains. It's also a powerful combat Pal in its own right.

2. Rayhound — The Electric Sprinter

Rayhound is an Electric-type ground mount unlocking at Level 25. Its partner skill performs a forward lunge that deals Electric damage, making it useful for hit-and-run tactics. Rayhound's sprint speed is excellent for its level tier, and its Electric typing makes it a solid counter against Water-type Pals in the wild.

3. Direhowl — The Early-Game Sprinter

Direhowl is the first ground mount available in Palworld, unlocking at just Level 10. While its speed won't impress compared to later options, it's dramatically faster than running on foot, and its partner skill (a lunge bite) is surprisingly effective in early combat. Direhowls are common spawns in the starting area, so you'll likely have one before you even unlock the saddle.

For new players, Direhowl is the bridge between walking and flying — it makes early exploration and material gathering significantly faster. Once you get Nitewing at Level 15, Direhowl becomes less essential but remains a solid combat Pal.

4. Eikthyrdeer — The Antler Charger

Eikthyrdeer is a Neutral-type ground mount with a charge attack partner skill. While its speed is average, the charge attack deals significant damage and can knock back smaller enemies, making it useful for clearing paths through groups of hostile Pals. Eikthyrdeer is also a decent early-game meat source when assigned to a Ranch.

5. Chillet — The Ice Serpent

Chillet is an Ice/Dragon dual-type that slithers rather than runs. While its speed is unremarkable, it has a unique partner skill that applies an Ice-element buff to your attacks while mounted. This makes Chillet a niche but useful mount for players who want to exploit Dragon-type weaknesses in combat. Chillet also appears on our Best Pals list as a strong early Dragon-type for tower boss fights.

Water mounts are a smaller category in Palworld, but they serve a critical purpose: eliminating the pain of swimming. Manual swimming in Palworld is extremely slow, and you cannot attack while swimming — making you vulnerable to aquatic Pals. A water mount solves both problems.

Azurobe — The Best Water Mount

Azurobe is a Water/Dragon dual-type Pal that can be ridden across water surfaces. It unlocks at Level 20 and is the most accessible water mount in the game. Azurobe's partner skill boosts your attack power while mounted on water, making it useful for fighting aquatic Pals. It's also a strong combat Pal in its own right — check our Best Pals guide for its combat ranking.

Jormuntide — The Dual-Purpose Aquatic

Jormuntide is a Water/Dragon Pal that serves as both a water mount and a top-tier base worker (Watering Lv4). While primarily valued for base automation — see our base location guide for optimal Jormuntide deployment — its ability to cross water is a nice bonus. Jormuntide unlocks at Level 40 and is one of the most versatile Pals in the game.

Pal Gear Workbench is required to craft all saddles. It unlocks at Level 6 in the Technology tree and costs 10 Wood, 10 Stone, and 5 Nail to build. Place it in your base — ideally near your storage area since saddle crafting requires frequent material access. New players should check our beginner guide for tips on early material gathering.

Technology Point management: Technology Points are scarce — you get 1 per level, and there are many competing unlocks. If you're focusing on mounts, prioritize Nitewing's Saddle (Lv 15) as your first flying saddle, then Vanwyrm's Saddle (Lv 20) for a meaningful upgrade. Skip ground mount saddles if you're short on points — flying mounts make ground mounts largely obsolete by mid-game.

Mounted combat is one of the most important mechanics in Palworld, especially for tower boss fights and alpha Pal encounters. When mounted, your Pal's partner skill becomes available as a combat ability, and you can use your own weapons simultaneously. This effectively gives you two damage sources at once.

Combat Mount Tier List

• S Tier: Jetragon (homing missiles), Frostallion Noct (dash attack + attack buff)
• A Tier: Frostallion (ice dash), Vanwyrm (enemy radar + fire boost), Helzephyr (attack buff)
• B Tier: Rayhound (electric lunge), Direhowl (bite lunge), Chillet (ice buff)

Mounted Combat Tips

• Stay mobile: The biggest advantage of mounted combat is mobility. Circle strafe bosses while firing your weapon and activating partner skills on cooldown.
• Aerial advantage: Flying mounts let you dodge all ground-based attacks. Hover above the boss and rain damage down — this trivializes many boss fights.
• Stamina management: Combat drains stamina faster than travel. Don't sprint while fighting unless you need to dodge — save stamina for emergency escapes.
• Dismount for healing: You cannot use healing items while mounted. If your Pal takes heavy damage, dismount, heal, then remount.
• Breed for combat passives: A mount with Musclehead, Ferocious, and Swift passives is dramatically stronger than a wild-caught one. Use our breeding guide to create the perfect combat mount.