Palworld has a huge world that feels almost impossible to fully explore, so riding on a Pal is your best bet when trying to accomplish such a feat. If you’re bold enough to do it from the get-go, here are the best early mounts you can get in Palworld.
The Best Early Mounts for Palworld
To ride a Pal, you first need to catch it and then craft its Saddle in the Pal Gear Workbench. You have to unlock each Pal’s respective Saddle recipe in the Technology skill tree before it becomes available for crafting. You can only unlock the recipe once you catch that Pal.
A Chillet Saddle won’t work for Dinossom, for example, but will let you ride any Chillet you catch in the future. A Pal will be faster if it has certain passives like Swift, which increases its Movespeed. If you already have a regular mount but caught a new Pal that has such a passive, using them as your new mount is definitely worth it.
Rushoar
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 6
One of the first rideable Pals you’ll find in the game, Rushoar works quite decently as a mount. Its special ability makes it easier to mine Ores when riding it, making that perfect for the early moments when you still need lots of Stone for the most basic facilities and structures. This big boy might not be the fastest, but does a great job for starters.
Eikthydeer
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 12
You might encounter this passive-but-strong deer Pal early in the game, too, so be careful if you try to catch it unprepared. It does work wonders for catching more lumber at your base, but it can also be your private ride during the first portions of the game (or until you find something faster).
Direhowl
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 9
Direhowls tend to come with Move Speed passives from what I’ve experienced, so they’re a prime example of early mount for beginners. They’re a bit harder to find around the starting areas in the Windswept Hills, but they’re worth your Spheres if you manage to meet them.
Chillet
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 13
Guaranteed as an Alpha boss spawn next to Zoe’s tower, Chillet is one of the first big challenges you can overcome in the game, and getting this Ice/Dragon Pal as a reward is worth the trouble. I highly recommend it as your first ground mount for its sheer fighting capacities, and it has an okay speed even without passives.
Kingpaca
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 22
Another boss mount, but a bit harder to get early as it spawns at Level 23. Kingpaca isn’t that hard to beat, but you might need a Mega Sphere or two to catch it. But it’s a good option if you got that far and haven’t got a mount yet or aren’t satisfied with your other options. Bonus points if you’re lucky to get a Swift Kingpaca as it happened to me twice.
Nitewing
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 15
It spawns during the morning despite its name, but can be quite a hassle to find. But once you do, make catching it your priority, as this will probably be your first flying mount in the game. And once you get on its back, you can never go back. Flying gives you many new possibilities, from unlocking various Fast Travel points to getting easy Effigies around the map. Just be careful with your Stamina.
Vanwyrm
- Location: Windswept Hills
- Saddle Unlocks at: Level 21
If you couldn’t find Nitewing right away, Vanwyrm might be a good (although later) alternative. It does the same function, but it’s easier to find, even if you must venture further from the starting area to get it. But it’s worth your trouble because flying is just too important for exploring.
You’ll get better and faster rideable Pals as you progress through the game, but make sure to keep an eye on their Passives, as these can be a huge game changer for defining who’s really faster on your team. Flying around will be important for catching certain faraway Pals, so get on your best Pal’s back ASAP!