~8 min
The best mount in Palworld 1.0 is Jetragon, whose ride sprint speed of around 3300 is the fastest of any Pal on land, air, or sea by a wide margin - more than double the next-fastest flyer. But you do not need it for every job: the smart approach is the fastest mount for each terrain. Flying opens the whole map, ground mounts save stamina, swimming mounts cross oceans, and 1.0 added the Wing Pack glider so you can fly without using a Pal slot at all. This guide ranks the best flying, ground, and swimming mounts with their actual sprint-speed and saddle numbers, covers the early picks and endgame kings, explains the speed passives that add up to +100%, and details how to unlock each saddle.
Whatever you ride, you first need its Pal Gear (its saddle): catch the Pal, unlock the saddle in the Technology tree, and craft it at a Pal Gear Workbench. Here is what to aim for at each stage.
Best Mounts at a Glance
Terrain | Best mount | Speed |
|---|---|---|
Fastest overall / flying | Jetragon | ~3300 sprint |
Second flyer (with stamina) | Xenolord | ~2700 sprint |
Best pre-endgame flyer | Faleris | ~1400 sprint |
Fastest ground | Necromus / Paladius | Dash + high jump |
Fastest swimming | Neptilius (new) / Jormuntide | Top water speed |
No-Pal-slot flight | Wing Pack glider | Uses Wing Cells |
How Mounts Work
You cannot ride a Pal until you have its Pal Gear. The process: capture the Pal to unlock its gear under the Technology tab, spend 1-3 Technology Points to unlock the recipe, then craft it at a Pal Gear Workbench and pick it up so it lands in your Key Items. Saddle costs scale with tier - an early Nitewing saddle is a handful of Wood and Leather, while a Jetragon saddle runs 50 Carbon Fiber and 50 Refined Ingot - so check the recipe before you commit. Once mounted, you can sprint for extra speed, use the Pal's Partner Skill (like Jetragon's missiles), and imbue your attacks with the mount's element by aiming first. Two details matter for flyers: some hover and use their full run speed while others land and walk slowly, and flying drains stamina, so cruising instead of full-sprinting extends your range. 1.0 improved riding with a better sense of speed, smoother turning, and the ability to cancel a mounted skill with jump plus a direction.
Best Flying Mounts (Ranked by Speed)
Flying is the best way to travel - it crosses water, mountains, and volcanoes and reaches remote spots like Wildlife Sanctuaries. Here is every key flyer ranked by ride sprint speed, with stamina and the saddle's Technology level:
Pal | Sprint speed | Stamina | Saddle Lv | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jetragon | ~3300 | 100 | 50 | Aerial Missile (homing, no boss stun); fastest by a huge margin |
Xenolord | ~2700 | 300 | 60 | Meteor Wings; from the Xenolord raid; smoother long-haul flyer |
Frostallion | ~1800 | 300 | 48 | Ice Steed converts attacks to Ice; the best non-SS legendary flyer |
Frostallion Noct | ~1800 | 300 | 48 | Same profile; Black Steed converts to Dark instead of Ice |
Shadowbeak | ~1600 | 250 | 47 | Best combat flier outside legendaries; Modified DNA boosts Dark |
Faleris | ~1400 | 230 | 38 | The best pre-endgame progression flyer; Kindling worker too |
Ragnahawk | ~1300 | 150 | 37 | Solid mid-game Fire flyer |
Beakon | ~1200 | 160 | 34 | Thunderous adds Electric damage; useful dual-purpose Pal |
Helzephyr | ~1100 | Mid | 26 | Night-only; Wings of Death converts to Dark; Transporting worker |
Vanwyrm | ~850 | 150 | 21 | An early upgrade over Nitewing with a Fire/Dark buff |
Nitewing | ~750 | Low | 15 | The first flying mount most players reach |
Jetragon is the endgame king and was buffed in 1.0 with a stronger Aerial Missile, shorter cooldown, and higher stamina. Xenolord is slower at 2700 but its 300 stamina makes long hauls smoother, and it can be pushed past 3200 with speed passives. Until you have either, Faleris at 1400 is the best progression flyer, with Nitewing and Vanwyrm getting you airborne early. For where to catch the legendary fliers, see our legendary Pal locations guide.
Best Ground Mounts
Ground mounts trade top speed for stamina - they do not drain it the way fliers do, so they are ideal for sustained overland travel and combat, and several jump or dash:
Pal | Speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Hartalis | Top new ground speed | New 1.0 winner; a top ground mount and strong fighter |
Paladius | ~1500 + dash | Spear Thrust dash and a high triple-style jump; no element weakness |
Necromus | ~1400 + dash | Twin Spears dash; brutal Dark melee, the classic endgame ground king |
Fenglope | Very fast + air control | A lightweight speed pick with a big jump and mid-air control |
Direhowl | Fast early | The earliest saddle in the game (Level 9); a strong opener |
Necromus and Paladius are the endgame ground kings - fast, with dashing Active Skills and high jumps - though their saddles unlock around Level 49. The new 1.0 legendary Hartalis pushes the ceiling higher still as a top ground mount and fighter, while Direhowl is the go-to until then thanks to its very early saddle. Ground mounts shine in prolonged fights, where you attack from the saddle without the stamina drain of flying.
Best Swimming Mounts
For crossing oceans and reaching offshore locations like the oil rigs, a swimming mount beats a tiring flight - and swimming mounts do not burn stamina in water, so raw speed is all that matters:
Pal | Speed | Saddle Lv | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Neptilius | Top swimmer (new) | Endgame | Added in 1.0; incredible speed plus a high leap out of the water |
Jormuntide | Fastest classic | 39 | The long-standing king of swimming speed |
Azurobe | Fast early | 24 | Quick, easy to get, and adds Water damage; good for narrow water |
Surfent | Earliest | 10 | The first swimming mount you can unlock |
The new 1.0 Pal Neptilius tops the swimming category, with Jormuntide the long-standing fastest and Azurobe the best early option (it also adds Water damage to your attacks). Surfent is the earliest saddle if you want to swim from the start.
Gliding and the Wing Pack
1.0 added the Wing Pack, a glider that lets you fly using Wing Cells without taking up a Pal slot - a huge convenience before you have a strong flying mount, since your party stays free for combat and work Pals. It is the cleanest early-traversal option in 1.0. Some glider Pals like Galeclaw (the fastest glide, and it lets you use ranged weapons while gliding) and Hangyu (which shoots you upward to reach high places) also provide gliding utility, acting as your glider automatically while their gear is in your inventory. Between the Wing Pack and a good flying mount, you rarely need to walk anywhere for long once you are set up.
Mount Speed Passives: Stacking to +100%
A mount's base speed is only the start - the right passive skills massively increase it, and this is the biggest reason to breed a good mount rather than just catch one. The movement passives stack additively across a Pal's four passive slots:
Passive | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Swift | +30% move speed | The single best speed passive; run two of them |
Runner | +20% move speed | Stacks additively with Swift |
Nimble | +10% move speed | The filler speed passive for the last slot |
Legend | +15% (innate on legendaries) | Free on Jetragon and Frostallion; adds on top of the above |
Two Swift plus two Runner gives roughly +100% effective speed - doubling your travel pace on top of the mount's base number. On legendaries like Jetragon and Frostallion, the innate Legend passive adds another 15% for free. You pass these down by breeding, so a bred mount with a perfect speed stack outruns a caught one of the same species by a wide margin - our breeding guide covers inheriting them.
What 1.0 Changed for Mounts
Traversal got a real pass at launch. Riding was improved with a better sense of speed and smoother turning, and you can now cancel a mounted Pal's skill with jump plus a direction for tighter control. Jetragon was buffed directly - more Aerial Missile power, a shorter cooldown, and higher max stamina - cementing its top spot. The Wing Pack glider is a brand-new traversal tool, and the expanded 287-Pal roster added strong new mounts across every terrain, including the SS-tier flyer Xenolord, the top swimmer Neptilius, and the ground legendary Hartalis. Many of the best mounts double as workers or fighters, so pick ones that earn their party slot twice - see our combat tier list and best base Pals guide for the mounts that pull double duty.
Mount Progression: Early to Endgame
You will cycle through several mounts as you level, so here is the clean upgrade path rather than chasing Jetragon from the start:
- Early (Level 6-20). Direhowl or Rushoar to get moving on land, then Nitewing at Level 15 for your first wings and Surfent for water.
- Mid (Level 20-40). Vanwyrm then Beakon or Ragnahawk in the air, Azurobe for water, and Faleris at Level 38 as your last pre-endgame flyer.
- Late (Level 40-60). Frostallion, then Necromus and Paladius for ground, Jormuntide or Neptilius for water, and finally Jetragon and Xenolord, which remove every traversal limit at once.
The Wing Pack slots in at any stage to free a party slot, and breeding speed passives onto whichever mount you are riding keeps even a mid-tier flyer competitive far longer than its base number suggests.
Mount Tips and Common Mistakes
- Unlock the saddle first. You cannot ride a Pal without crafting its Pal Gear, so spend the Technology Points and build it at a Pal Gear Workbench.
- Match the mount to the terrain. Fly to explore, ride ground mounts for stamina-free overland travel, and swim to cross oceans.
- Cruise, do not full-sprint everywhere. Flyers drain stamina at top speed, so cruising extends your range on long hauls.
- Breed the speed passives. Two Swift and two Runner roughly double a mount's speed, which matters more than a small base-speed upgrade.
- Use the Wing Pack early. It frees a Pal slot and gets you flying long before you catch Jetragon.
- Chase Jetragon last, not first. Its saddle needs Level 50 and it is a Level 60 catch, so ride Faleris then Frostallion on the way.
- Pick dual-purpose mounts. Many fliers and swimmers are also strong workers or fighters, so a good pick earns its slot twice.
Save -20% on your boost ⚡
FAQ
What is the fastest mount in Palworld 1.0?
Jetragon, with a ride sprint speed of around 3300 - the fastest of any Pal on land, air, or sea and more than double the next-fastest flyer. It also fires homing missiles while ridden and was buffed in 1.0. Its saddle unlocks at Level 50 and it is a Level 60 legendary catch, so use other fliers until you secure one.
What is the fastest flying mount besides Jetragon?
Xenolord at around 2700 sprint speed, with a comfortable 300 stamina that makes long flights smoother than Jetragon's, and it can exceed 3200 with speed passives. It comes from the Xenolord raid. Frostallion (about 1800) is the best non-raid legendary flyer, and Faleris (1400, saddle Level 38) is the best pre-endgame option.
What is the fastest ground mount in Palworld?
Necromus and Paladius are the endgame ground kings, both fast with dashing skills and high jumps, though their saddles unlock around Level 49. The new 1.0 legendary Hartalis pushes ground speed higher still. Direhowl is the best early ground mount since its saddle unlocks at Level 9.
What is the best swimming mount in Palworld?
The new 1.0 Pal Neptilius tops the swimming category, with Jormuntide the long-standing fastest (saddle at Level 39). Azurobe is the best early swimmer at Level 24 and adds Water damage, while Surfent is the earliest at Level 10. Swimming mounts do not use stamina in water, so raw speed is all that matters.
How do you ride a mount in Palworld?
You need the Pal's saddle (Pal Gear). Capture the Pal to unlock its gear in the Technology tree, spend Technology Points to unlock the recipe, then craft it at a Pal Gear Workbench and collect it. Saddle costs scale with tier, from a few Wood and Leather early to 50 Carbon Fiber and 50 Refined Ingot for Jetragon. Then summon the Pal and press the ride button.
What are the best passive skills for mounts?
Swift (+30%), Runner (+20%), and Nimble (+10%) increase move speed and stack additively across four passive slots. Two Swift plus two Runner gives roughly +100% effective speed, and legendaries add another 15% from their innate Legend passive. You inherit these by breeding, so a bred mount outruns a caught one of the same species.
What is the Wing Pack in Palworld 1.0?
The Wing Pack is a glider added in 1.0 that lets you fly using Wing Cells without taking up a Pal slot. It is a huge early-game convenience because your party stays free for combat and work Pals, and it gets you airborne long before you can catch a strong flying mount.
