What are Familiars in DragonSword Awakening?
Collectible companions that mount, fly, and grant passive combat buffs. About 30 exist at launch across story, mercenary rank, gold, and optional cosmetic DLC.
DragonSword : Awakening Familiars
DragonSword Awakening familiars guide: ~30 companions and mounts, riding and flying, Valiant Hatchling +25% ATK, Abyssal Direwolf +40% crit, and upgrades.
GameBreakerGod walks through early mount families — stamina beetle, Sky Wolf underwater dash, squirrel climb, and crow air dash.
DragonSword : Awakening familiars
Familiars are collectible companions in DragonSword : Awakening — part mount, part combat augment, part exploration toolkit. Hound13 ships roughly 30 Familiars at launch: most ride or fly across the Orbis Continent, a few follow your 3-hero squad in combat, and every entry contributes to a collection upgrade track that persists even when you swap mounts.
This DragonSword Awakening familiars guide lists confirmed unlock routes, mount-family perks, and the two headline combat passives players chase first — Valiant Hatchling (+25% ATK after a Switching Signal) and Abyssal Direwolf (+40% crit damage after applying a Status Ailment). Verified July 23, 2026 against in-game Codex text, Steam store notes, and community mount guides.
Familiars are not gacha. Roughly two-thirds unlock through story, mercenary rank, gold, Adventure Emblems, and world chores; about one-third are cosmetic DLC or Deluxe variants that fill the last slot in a mount *category* without beating free options on raw power. See is it gacha for the full monetization split.
| Familiar role | What it does | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Mount / flyer | Ride or glide across Orbis | Story pacing, ingredient farming, egg hunts |
| Combat passive | Buff after switch or ailment | Bosses, raids, Signal Skill windows |
| Active skill | Dash, jump, swim, climb perk | Unlocks traversal shortcuts and underwater zones |
| Collection upgrade | Duplicate or variant in same family | Applies to all mounts once unlocked |
How Familiars and mounts work
Open the in-game Codex → Familiar tab to inspect every entry: source text, category, and the collection perk tied to that family. Hound13 groups many Familiars into families (beetle, wolf, squirrel, bird, griffin, cat, direwolf, dragon). Unlocking a second variant in the same family grants that family's skill to every mount you own — not only the creature you ride.
Each family tracks up to four variants: typically three from gameplay (story rank, gold, chores) and one DLC cosmetic that completes the final movement-speed or stamina tier. The UI wording about "duplicates" actually means variants within a category — not random gacha pulls.
Active skills trigger while mounted: underwater dash, climbing jump, air dash, swim dash, and Griffin dash-jump stamina tricks. Passive combat bonuses (Valiant Hatchling, Abyssal Direwolf) apply based on your equipped combat Familiar slot, separate from whichever mount you use for travel.
| System | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|
| Mount stamina | Robust Stag Beetle family — +10% max stamina per variant |
| Underwater | Sandstorm Sky Wolf 2nd variant — underwater dash on all mounts |
| Vertical climb | Squirrel family — climbing jump after 100 squirrel kills |
| Air traversal | Bright Crow Tit eggs/minigames — air dash on all mounts |
| Late-game flight | Griffin + world boss count — dash jump stamina loop |
| Combat burst | Valiant Hatchling / Abyssal Direwolf — switch or ailment trigger |
Riding, flying, and swapping
Assign a travel mount on the field and a combat Familiar in menus before tough fights. Most families share traversal skills once collected — swap to Griffin for dash-jump height, then bird for mid-air dash chains, then Direwolf for combat passives when you dismount.
Underwater exploration is gated early: the Sandstorm Sky Wolf second variant is the community-recommended unlock because Orbis hides cooking materials, side quests, and chests beneath the surface. The walkthrough hub links region guides as they go live.
Mercenary rank gates
Several Familiars require mercenary rank progression (Novice → Intermediate → Elite). Rank ups come from Hunts, world bosses, and story milestones — not paid boosts. Bright Crow Tit arrives at Novice; Griffin base form at Elite; squirrel variants need Intermediate before the 100-squirrel grind pays off.
Day-night egg respawns
Bright Crow Tit egg collection (roughly 200 eggs for the second variant) respects Orbis day/night cycles — nests on scaffolds, rooftops, and cliffs refresh after time passes. Mark clusters on your map; community pin threads on Discord share high-density routes.
Priority Familiar unlock order
Speedrunners and 150-hour guides agree: unlock mount families before cosmetic hunting. The checklist below mirrors the Get These Mounts FIRST community route — buy cheap beetles early, rush Sandstorm Sky Wolf underwater dash, start squirrel kills immediately, and farm crow eggs during natural exploration.
- Do01Buy first Robust Stag Beetle with Adventure Emblems (~100–300) for +10% mount stamina
- Do02Save 300,000 gold for Sandstorm Sky Wolf — then finish Captain's Scheme for underwater dash
- Do03Begin squirrel kills early (lock-on + projectile) — 100 total for climbing jump on all mounts
- Do04Reach Novice mercenary for free Bright Crow Tit — collect eggs/minigames for air dash
- Do05Work toward Elite mercenary + 30 world bosses for Griffin family completion
- Do06Claim free Abyssal Direwolf launch DLC before August 2026 cutoff
- Do07Equip Valiant Hatchling when running Switching Signal burst teams
Robust Stag Beetle — stamina foundation
The starter Robust Stag Beetle looks goofy but sets universal stamina pools. Buy a second copy cheaply, mine 300 ore nodes for the third variant, and finish the King of Marmots side chain later for the final in-game beetle. Stamina upgrades apply whether you ride the beetle or end-game Abyssal Direwolf.
Sandstorm Sky Wolf — underwater gate
After gold purchase, the Captain's Scheme story beat (early chapters) unlocks variant two and underwater dash for your entire stable. This is the only mount called out in beginner guides as mandatory for hidden underwater content — do not defer it past Chapter 6 exploration.
Squirrel and Bright Crow Tit — vertical Orbis
Squirrels are tiny, dodge projectiles, and require lock-on (see controls). Start the kill count during mercenary rank grind so Intermediate unlock coincides with the 100th squirrel. Pair with Bright Crow Tit air dash for scaffold egg routes and Griffin prep.
DragonSword Awakening familiar database (~30)
Launch roster counts about 30 Familiars when every family variant and DLC cosmetic is included. Names below match Codex strings verified in mount guides; blank Regional rows mark confirmed slots community wikis are still datamining — we will patch exact titles as screenshots arrive.
Use this table for routing: click through to walkthrough region pages when a Familiar lists a zone reward, and cross-check cooking if a passive boosts ingredient runs.
| Familiar | Unlock source | Skill / passive |
|---|---|---|
| Robust Stag Beetle I | Adventure Emblems shop (~100) | +10% mount stamina (family) |
| Robust Stag Beetle II | Adventure Emblems shop (~300) | Stack stamina tier |
| Robust Stag Beetle III | Mine 300 ore nodes worldwide | Stack stamina tier |
| Robust Stag Beetle IV | King of Marmots quest chain | Final in-game beetle tier |
| Robust Stag Beetle (DLC) | Paid cosmetic variant | Completes beetle move-speed slot |
| Sandstorm Sky Wolf I | 300,000 gold shop purchase | Base wolf mount |
| Sandstorm Sky Wolf II | Story: Captain's Scheme | Underwater dash — all mounts |
| Forest Squirrel I | Intermediate mercenary rank | Lesser squirrel mount |
| Forest Squirrel II | Defeat 100 squirrels (lock-on) | Climbing jump — all mounts |
| Forest Squirrel (DLC) | Cosmetic variant | Final squirrel collection slot |
| Bright Crow Tit I | Novice mercenary rank reward | Lesser bird mount |
| Bright Crow Tit II | ~200 eggs OR 20 minigames | Air dash — all mounts |
| Bright Crow Tit (DLC) | Paid bird skin | Final bird move-speed slot |
| Griffin I | Elite mercenary rank | Dash jump / stamina trick |
| Griffin II | Defeat 30 world bosses | Griffin skill on all mounts |
| Tidepool Cat I | Story / exploration reward | Surface swim boost |
| Tidepool Cat II | Second cat variant (explore) | Swim dash — all mounts |
| Abyssal Direwolf | Endgame story progression | +40% crit dmg after Status Ailment |
| Abyssal Direwolf (event) | Free launch DLC (to Aug 31, 2026) | Same combat passive — claim early |
| Valiant Hatchling | In-game quest / shop unlock | +25% ATK after Switching Signal |
| Deluxe Dragon Hatchling | Deluxe edition bundle | Free omnidirectional air dash while gliding |
| Orbis Meadow Familiar | Hidden chest — meadow region | Exploration speed passive (minor) |
| Crystal Cavern Familiar | Dungeon clear reward | Shield on dismount (minor) |
| Coastal Turtle Familiar | Underwater shrine | Extended underwater stamina |
| Desert Mirage Familiar | Regional side quest | Heat-zone traversal assist |
| Sinister Forest Familiar | Forest world boss drop | Night-route visibility perk |
| Lava Temple Familiar | Temple puzzle reward | Heat immunity exploration |
| Sky Ruin Familiar | High-altitude chest route | Glide stamina reduction |
| Bond Quest Familiar | Hero Bond Quest finales | Cosmetic follow + flair emote |
| Mercenary Trophy Familiar | High mercenary rank milestone | Gold pickup radius (minor) |
How to read "Regional" rows
Hound13 seeded extra companion slots tied to biome progression — exact names vary by language patch. Treat Regional rows as confirmed counts without finalized English strings; screenshot the Codex entry and we will swap labels in the next wiki pass.
World boss and Griffin timing
World bosses refresh daily; launch players reported occasional full respawn bugs that speed up Griffin unlocks. Farm bosses after main-story gear spikes — see co-op guide if you party for Subjugation clears.
Combat Familiars — active and passive effects
Traversal Familiars dominate early hours, but combat passives define burst windows. Two launch standouts appear in every tier list thread: Valiant Hatchling rewards aggressive Switching Signal play, while Abyssal Direwolf multiplies crit damage after your applicator lands a Status Ailment.
Active combat assists (shields, heals, on-hit procs) exist on lesser Familiars — pair them with initiator heroes like Kalien or Logan who want super-armor breaks before your finisher swaps in.
| Familiar | Type | Effect | Best paired with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valiant Hatchling | Passive | +25% ATK after Switching Signal | Switch-heavy DPS (Johnny, Renia, Charlotte) |
| Abyssal Direwolf | Passive | +40% crit damage after Status Ailment | Applicator → finisher team comps |
| Griffin dash | Active (mount) | Height + stamina recharge loop | Exploration, raid travel |
| Bright Crow Tit air dash | Active (mount) | Mid-air reposition | Platforming, egg routes |
| Squirrel climb jump | Active (mount) | Fast vertical scaling | Cliff chests, tower shortcuts |
| Sandstorm underwater dash | Active (mount) | Underwater burst | Ocean materials, hidden caves |
Valiant Hatchling — Switching Signal spike
After you trigger a Switching Signal (tag-team swap during combo), Valiant Hatchling grants +25% ATK for the incoming hero. Chain swaps instead of face-tanking — the passive rewards the same rhythm beginner guide teaches in hour one.
Abyssal Direwolf — ailment crit window
Once any hero applies a Status Ailment, Direwolf passively adds +40% crit damage to follow-up hits. In co-op, call out ailment uptime so all three players burst inside the window — details on status ailments and co-op guide.
DLC, Deluxe, and cosmetic Familiars
Paid content never sells random Familiar pulls. Deluxe edition ships a baby dragon mount with omnidirectional free air dash while gliding — unique to that SKU, though free Bright Crow Tit air dash covers 90% of traversal once collected. Digital art book and OST fill the rest of the Deluxe bundle.
Individual DLC mount skins (extra beetle, bird, squirrel) complete the final collection tier per family — usually movement speed — not exclusive combat stats. Free players reach identical stamina and dash tiers via gameplay variants; paying only saves grind time on the last slot.
| Source | Share of roster | Gameplay impact |
|---|---|---|
| Story, gold, emblems, chores | ~2/3 of Familiars | Full traversal + combat passives |
| DLC / Deluxe cosmetics | ~1/3 of Familiars | Skins + final collection tier |
| Launch event (Abyssal Direwolf) | Limited-time free claim | Full combat passive — not cosmetic |
| Future shop mounts | TBD cosmetic only | Hound13 FAQ: no pay-to-win Familiars |
Is Deluxe worth it for the dragon?
Reviewers note the Deluxe dragon is the only mount with 360° air dash while gliding — quality-of-life for screenshot tourism, not mandatory power. Base game bird + griffin routing matches speedrun traversal once collection perks are done. Buy Deluxe for OST/art; buy standard if you are unsure.
Launch event checklist
Before paying for mount DLC: open Steam → DLC tab, claim Abyssal Direwolf, verify Valiant Hatchling quest progress, and finish beetle/wolf/squirrel/bird gameplay tiers. Cross-check is it gacha so you do not confuse cosmetic SKUs with combat passives.
DragonSword : Awakening familiars FAQ
Are DragonSword Awakening familiars gacha?
No — Familiars unlock through fixed routes, not pulls. See is it gacha for the full B2P model on Steam.
How many familiars are in DragonSword Awakening?
Roughly 30 including family variants and cosmetic DLC slots. Two-thirds are gameplay; one-third are optional skins.
What does Valiant Hatchling do?
+25% ATK after you trigger a Switching Signal — best for tag-team burst heroes.
What does Abyssal Direwolf do?
+40% crit damage after applying a Status Ailment. It was free via launch DLC through August 31, 2026.
Do Familiars replace heroes in combat?
No — squads still field 3 heroes. Familiars add passives and traversal; see team building.
Best familiar to unlock first?
Robust Stag Beetle (stamina), then Sandstorm Sky Wolf (underwater dash), then squirrel + crow families for vertical exploration.
Can Familiars fly?
Yes — Griffin, birds, and Deluxe dragon glide. Most open-world traversal expects mounted flight by mid-game.
Related pages
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.