Familiars are your primary mode of transportation in Dragonsword Awakening, and collecting all 29 mounts isn't just for completionists — each type unlocks a unique traversal ability that changes how you explore the world. You'll receive your first mount, the Robust Stag Beetle, automatically during Chapter 1: The Beginning of the Adventure. Swapping familiars is straightforward: open the main menu, select Familiar, and choose whichever mount suits your current situation.
Insect Familiars — Stamina Specialists
The insect family focuses purely on stamina management. None of these mounts have an active traversal ability, but collecting multiple insects progressively increases maximum stamina for all your familiars — a universal buff that pays off during long climbs or extended glides.
Robust Stag Beetle — Awarded automatically during Chapter 1. This is your starter mount and the only insect with no unlock requirement.
Fierce Rhinoceros Beetle — Gather 100 Adventure Emblems. Emblems drop from various world activities, so this unlocks naturally as you play.
Cowardly Firefly — Mine 100 times. Head to any mining node and commit to a gathering session; the count tracks across all nodes.
Red Ladybug — Clear 40 puzzles. Puzzle locations are marked on the map once discovered, making this a good target for exploration-focused sessions.
Squirrel Familiars — Vertical Mobility
Squirrels excel at climbing. Once you own at least one squirrel, Climbing Jump becomes available — a 0.7-second cooldown ability that lets you jump while climbing to ascend faster. Additional squirrels reduce climbing stamina consumption by 20% and increase climbing movement speed by 10% across your entire stable.
Cotton Flying Squirrel — Purchase via DLC. This is a premium unlock.
Acron Flying Squirrel — Defeat 100 Squirrels. These enemies spawn in forested regions; a dedicated farming run knocks this out quickly.
Viola Flying Squirrel — Purchase via DLC. Another premium option.
Maple Flying Squirrel — Reach Intermediate Mercenary Corps rank. Promotions come from completing corps missions and accumulating reputation.
Cat Familiars — Aquatic Speed
Cats dominate water traversal. The first cat unlocks Swim Dash (2.0-second cooldown), letting you dash while swimming. Each additional cat reduces water stamina consumption by 20% and boosts swim speed by 10% for all familiars.
Orchid Wing Cat — Purchase via DLC.
Mist Wing Cat — Craft 100 pieces of equipment. Crafting counts across all gear types, so this accumulates naturally if you engage with the crafting system.
Shadow Wing Cat — Open 300 Treasure Chests. Chests are everywhere — this unlocks passively during normal exploration.
Dawn Wing Cat — Reach Advanced Mercenary Corps rank. The next promotion tier after Intermediate.
Bird Familiars — Aerial Control
Birds grant Air Dash (3.0-second cooldown) — a quick dash while airborne. Stack more birds to reduce aerial stamina consumption by 20% and increase air movement speed by 10% globally.
Refreshing Canary — Clear 20 Mini-Games. Mini-games are scattered across towns and hubs; most take under a minute each.
Timid Hummingbird — Purchase via DLC.
Diligent Sparrow — Collect 150 Bird Eggs. Eggs spawn in nests throughout the world; use a map guide if you want to optimize the route.
Bright Crowtit — Reach Novice Mercenary Corps rank. The first promotion tier, typically earned early in the campaign.
Sky Wolf Familiars — Land & Dive Hybrids
Sky Wolves are unique: they grant Underwater Dash (2.0-second cooldown) for diving, but their stacking bonuses apply to Ground Boost stamina reduction and land movement speed. This makes them the go-to for players who split time between surface travel and diving.
Frost Sky Wolf — Purchase via DLC.
Sandstorm Sky Wolf — Purchase for 300,000 Gold. A hefty sum early on, but trivial by mid-game. Gold farming routes exist if you're impatient.
Gale Sky Wolf — Purchase via DLC.
Snowstorm Sky Wolf — Complete Chapter 9: The Captain's Scheme. Story progression unlock — you cannot miss this if you finish the campaign.
Direwolf Familiars — Underwater & Jump Specialists
Direwolves unlock Boost Jump (instant cooldown) — a forward leap using Ground Boost. Their stacking bonuses reduce underwater stamina consumption by 20% and increase underwater movement speed by 10% for all mounts. If you spend time in submerged areas, prioritize this family.
Stormy Direwolf — Reach Veteran Mercenary Corps rank. The fourth promotion tier.
Abyssal Direwolf — Purchase via DLC.
Flame Spirit Fox — Purchase via DLC. Despite the name, this counts as a Direwolf for ability stacking.
War Direwolf — Purchase via DLC.
Gryphon Familiars — Glide Masters
Gryphons grant Charged Jump (5.0-second cooldown) — stand still to charge a high vertical leap. Additional gryphons reduce gliding stamina consumption by 20% and cut Charged Jump cooldown by 10%. This family is essential for reaching high collectibles and skipping vertical climbing sections.
Guardian Gryphon — Defeat 30 World Bosses. World bosses rotate daily; group up for efficiency.
Holy Knightage Gryphon — Purchase via DLC.
Exploration Squad Gryphon — Purchase via DLC.
Knitage Gryphon — Reach Elite Mercenary Corps rank. The highest standard promotion tier.
Dragon Familiar — The Ultimate Mount
Brave Baby Dragon — Purchase the Deluxe Edition. This single mount unlocks Air Free Dash (3.0-second cooldown), letting you dash in any direction while airborne — not just forward. It's the only familiar with this capability, and it does not have stacking bonuses since there's only one dragon. If you own the Deluxe Edition, this is your endgame exploration mount.
How Familiar Abilities Stack
The ability system rewards specialization. You don't need every familiar — you need multiple familiars of the same type to unlock that family's traversal ability and passive bonuses. The first mount of a type grants the active ability to your entire stable. The second, third, and fourth mounts of that type each add a stacking passive: stamina reduction, movement speed increase, or cooldown reduction depending on the family.
This means you can focus on one or two families that match your playstyle — climbers should prioritize squirrels, swimmers should grab cats, and so on — rather than spreading unlocks thinly across all eight types.
Which Familiars Should You Prioritize?
If you're early in the game, the Bright Crowtit (Novice Corps promotion) and Maple Flying Squirrel (Intermediate Corps) unlock through natural progression and give you Air Dash and Climbing Jump respectively — two of the most universally useful traversal tools. Snowstorm Sky Wolf comes free with Chapter 9 completion. Dawn Wing Cat (Advanced Corps) and Stormy Direwolf (Veteran Corps) follow the same pattern.
For the grindy unlocks — 100 Squirrel kills, 150 Bird Eggs, 30 World Bosses — set aside dedicated sessions rather than chipping away. The Mining (100) and Puzzle (40) requirements for insects are similarly best handled in focused bursts.
The DLC familiars are purely optional cosmetics with identical stats to their in-game counterparts. They don't gate any content, so skip them unless you want the visual variety.
Collecting familiars isn't just a checklist — it's a progression system that directly expands your movement toolkit. Whether you're scaling cliffs, diving ruins, or gliding between peaks, the right familiar combination turns tedious travel into the best part of the game.
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