Three Palworld mounts you can catch early for air, land, and water

Unlocking mounts opens up a wealth of new opportunities in Palworld, and whether you want to travel on land, in the air, or across water, there are some great early Pals to get your hands on.

Riding on the back of a Pal is the fastest way to navigate Palworld‘s expansive map. Taking to the air can help you reach rare items, and surfing across the sea can lead you to encounters with rare Pals in Pal Sanctuaries. While it may seem like you need to wait for the mid-game before you can start riding mounts in Palworld, that’s far from true. Here are three excellent Palworld mounts you can catch early on.

Best early land mount in Palworld

The best mount you can get early in Palworld for traveling on land is Direhowl. This Pal is widespread in the earliest locations you’ll explore, yet still boasts the honor of being among the fastest land mounts available in Palworld.

To unlock Direhowl’s Partner Skill, which lets you travel around on its back, you need Direhowl’s Saddled Harness. You can unlock this item once you reach level nine, as long as you’ve already caught a Direhowl, and it only requires basic resources like Leather, Wood, Fiber, and Paldium Fragments to craft.

Best early flying mount in Palworld

The best mount you can get early in Palworld for traveling in the air is Nitewing. You can find this Pal in several early locations, including the skies around the starting spawn area. It can be a core member of your party until you upgrade to one of the fastest flying mounts in Palworld later.

To unlock Nitewing’s Partner Skill and use this Pal as a flying mount, you need to craft the Nitewing Saddle. Once you’ve added Nitewing to your Paldeck, you can learn the crafting recipe at level 15, and can craft the item at a Pal Gear Workbench using Leather, Cloth, Ingot, Fiber, and Paldium Fragments.

Best early water mount in Palworld

The best mount you can get early in Palworld for traveling across water is Surfent. You can find this Pal in the seas northwest of the standard starting location, and it’s a valuable team member, as its Partner Skill lets you travel across water on its back without Surfent losing Stamina—so you never need to worry about drowning.

To unlock Surfent’s Partner Skill and gain the ability to ride on Surfent’s back, you need to craft a Surfent Saddle. Once you’ve caught a Surfent, you can unlock this crafting recipe at level 10, and can craft the item using Leather, Pal Fluids, and Paldium Fragments.