Best Pals for Beginners — The Essential Early-Game Picks
Palworld throws you into a world with 200+ Pals to choose from — knowing which ones to prioritise in your first few hours makes everything faster. Early Pals set up your base's work coverage, fund your crafting, and carry you through the first tower boss. Here are the ones that matter most.
Start with Cattiva and Lamball
The first two Pals you'll reliably find are Lamball (#1) and Cattiva (#2) — both Neutral type, both Common rarity (capture rate ×1.5), and both genuinely useful. Don't skip them.
Cattiva covers four work types at once: Handiwork, Gathering, Mining, and Transporting. For a Lv 1 base, that's almost every station covered by a single Pal species. Catch five or six and your early base runs itself.
Lamball adds Farming (wool production) alongside Handiwork and Transporting. Its Fluffy Shield partner skill also lets you use it as a portable shield in combat — niche, but free.
Cover your elemental bases early
Your combat team needs element coverage as soon as possible — the first Tower Boss (Grizzbolt, Electric type) is weak to Ground attacks, and you'll face Fire, Ice, and Grass enemies in the wild.
Foxparks (#5, Fire) is your best early Kindling worker and handles Grass and Ice enemies. It's common around the starting area and has Kindling 1 for your base furnace.
Pengullet (#10, Water/Ice) covers Watering, Cooling, and Transporting simultaneously — three work types from one catch. It also lets you reach Grizzbolt's weakness via Electricity-type Pals like Sparkit (#12) that counter Pengullet's Water.
Tanzee (#8, Grass) is the most versatile early Grass pick: Planting, Handiwork, Gathering, Lumbering, and Transporting all at level 1. Five work types, easy to catch, and good enough for combat through the early game.
Aim to have at least one Pal of each element type in your party by level 20. The type chart gives you a ×1.5 damage bonus against weak targets — that matters on tower bosses.
The first Tower Boss: beating Grizzbolt
Zoe and Grizzbolt at the Rayne Syndicate Tower (recommended level 15) is your first real wall. Grizzbolt is Electric type — weak to Ground attacks.
Catch a Digtoise or a Dumud before the fight. Both have Ground-type moves that deal super-effective damage. If you have a Relaxaurus (Ground), even better — it hits hard at this stage.
Bring healing items and keep your Pal's HP above 30% to avoid the one-shot. Grizzbolt's Electric Cannon hits wide, so keep moving.
Progression: what to catch next
After your first tower boss, push toward Lv 25–35 Pals. Key targets: Penking (#67) for high-level base coverage across five work types, Beegarde (#50) for Medicine Production and Farming, and Celaray (#31) for fast early flying travel.
Anubis (#100, Ground, Handiwork 4 / Mining 3) is the mid-game goal for your base. It single-handedly handles your two most important crafting stations faster than any common Pal.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best starter Pal in Palworld?
Cattiva is the single most useful early Pal — it covers Handiwork, Gathering, Mining, and Transporting at level 1, which means one Pal species can run most of your starter base. Pair it with Tanzee for Planting and Lumbering coverage.
What element should I focus on first in Palworld?
Neutral is fine for early combat, but prioritise Ground-type Pals before the first Tower Boss (Grizzbolt, Electric). After that, Fire and Ice coverage opens up most of the mid-game. Check the type chart to see what's weak to what.
How many Pals should I have in my base early on?
Aim for 5–8 Pals in your base by level 15. Prioritise work-type coverage over sheer numbers — 5 Pals covering 8 different work types is better than 10 Pals all doing Handiwork.
Is Lifmunk or Tanzee better early on?
Tanzee is generally better — both cover five work types, but Tanzee has slightly higher base combat stats and is more common in the starting area. Lifmunk's Medicine Production is useful later but isn't a priority until you need medical supplies.
Related guides
Best Base Pals in Palworld — Full Work Coverage Guide
Cover all 13 work types with the right Pals — ranked picks for every station from Handiwork to Oil Extraction.
Boss GuidesHow to Beat Every Tower Boss in Palworld
Every tower boss covered — recommended level, weakness, the moves that will kill you, and what to bring.
CombatBest Combat Pals in Palworld — Top Picks for Fighting
Ranked by combat score with element notes — the Pals that hit hardest, survive longest, and cover the key elements.