When Heavensward was released in summer 2015, alongside new job classes to play and new areas to explore, one of the most eagerly-awaited features was the ability to fly.
There were certain zones that just begged to be flown through, like Sea of Clouds. But players had to first traverse on foot, progressing through the Main Scenario Quest and attune to “Aether Currents.”
This persisted through Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and should continue through Endwalker.
Since flying was introduced, the mount selection has undergone a Cambrian Explosion – game designers thought of a mount’s terrestrial animation and how it would look soaring through the air.
Some mounts really light up the sky when you take them for a spin, and others… not so much.
Some are more suited to the ground (the tank mounts don’t really give aviation-vibes), others were born to fly.
Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away as we go through my picks for best-in-flight: mounts that are awesome fliers in FFXIV.
Shadowbringers brought a new species of monsters (“sin eaters”) – stark white, mindless shells, their only concern being the insatiable appetite for the aether of others.
Fortunately for us, this giant winged lion/lizard hybrid is “not aggressive,” and there’s nothing more Warriors of Light love than to mount up on the foes that once tried to dismember them!
Riding a sin eater, especially after the hardships they caused in Shadowbringers, is incredibly satisfying.
And Forgiven Reticence looks intimidating in flight.
Winged lions, griffons and the like, all occupy a place in the collective consciousness that begs us to fly with them – and Forgiven Reticence is a prime specimen of that archetype.
How to get: Participating in The Hunt content for Shadowbringers is required to obtain the Forgive Reticence Horn (3,200 Sacks of Nuts, purchasable in The Crystarium).
Pteranodon is FFXIV’s version of the Pterodactyl, a winged dinosaur thought to be carnivorous, terrorizing the ancient skies of Earth.
This Pteranodon mount is less of a hunter and more of a scavenger, becoming friendly after being fed scraps.
Good for us, because this mount is a thrill to fly.
It’s such a pure flying mount that it doesn’t even land on the ground in terrestrial mode, instead preferring to constantly hover in the air with the flapping of its massive wingspan.
How to get: In order to acquire the Pteranodon Horn you have to earn 500,000 points toward your Skyward Score (participating in the Ishgardian Restoration) in every crafting/gathering class – yet another reason Pteranodon is special is because it’s a status symbol for crafters/gatherers.
Amaro are unique to the Shadowbringers expansion, a mashup between a camel and a bird.
If you do any of the side quests in Il Meg, you’ll see they’re sentient and capable of complex, deep relationships.
Stunning in flight with their dusty black feather/fur combo, they have two pairs of wings, and a little supply pack that sits behind your character – making Amaro fitting for roleplaying as a true adventurer.
Also, Amaro comes with low-fi mount music!
Turn the setting on if you want to hear a unique song you can’t hear anywhere else in the game.
How to get: You’ll have to get all combat jobs to level 80 to acquire the Amaro Horn. Enjoy the grind!
Long-time fans of Adamantoise know exactly why it’s making the list.
It sports an incredibly unique and ridiculous flying animation, tucking its limbs into its shell and achieving flight by nothing other than jet propulsion.
It’s so ridiculous, yet makes perfect sense at the same time.
And I love the way it pops back out of its shell when it returns to the ground.
I’d place Adamantoise first on every mount list if I could. But alas, I strive to remain as impartial and objective as possible.
How to get: The Adamantoise Whistle can be purchased from the Gold Saucer for 200,000 MGP.
Unfortunately, the Garo PvP event required to obtain Raigo has since passed.
The event, however, ran for years, so there’s a high chance you’ll see one of the event mounts out in the wild – the most impressive of which is the fearsome Raigo.
Raigo’s a mashup of the best parts of the other two Garo mounts, each an armor-clad Pegasus sporting reflective and deadly protection head to hoof.
I’m a big fan of Raigo’s bird-like wingspan and color palette.
It has all the qualities of a superb flying mount:
A unique design suited to being airborne, and a visually appealing flight animation.
The tailfeathers remind me of a peacock’s at rest, contributing to Raigo’s overall extravagance.
How to get: You had to really enjoy the PvP grind to get the Raigo Pipe (win 60 Frontlines, The Feast, or Rival Wings matches while sporting a Garo title).
In Chinese mythology, a qilin is a horned creature with features borrowed from the giraffe, horse, and dragon.
In FFXIV, Kirin is all of those things and you can ride it.
The gold and black color palette is stunning, and the aetherial cloud and shimmering effects make you feel like you’re on something truly special, something that’s allowing you to ride.
The golden wings themselves are probably my favorite on the list.
They simply emanate in a butterfly fashion from the shoulders. The majestic gallop through the air, how it tucks its front hooves gliding… Kirin’s a spectacular flying mount.
Astrope is a regal snow-white Pegasus with a distinct horn and luxurious saddle.
While it does lack in the iridescent bodily glow department, its design and symbol of dedication to helping the player base as a whole earns it a high ranking.
It also seats up to two!
Fitting for the mentor-type player you’ll have to be if you want to pilot the Astrope.
The flying animation is exactly what you’d want from a giant horned Pegasus, and it’s got the same hoof tuck-and-glide animation as Kirin.
How to get: Obtaining the Astrope Whistle is quite possibly the most grinding you’ll have to do in FFXIV, as you need to complete 2,000 Mentor Roulette duties.
Alte Roite first appeared in FFV as a wizard whose final form, Jura Aevis, became the inspiration for FFXIV’s majestic winged serpent.
It appears in Deltascape V1.0 (Normal), and while it’s not the hardest raid, game designers must have liked the design enough to translate it into one of the more stunning flying mounts in the game.
The tropical color palette is pleasing, and the double pair of wings are some of my favorites on this list, especially the strategic placement on the snake’s body.
The endlessly gyrating way it slithers through the air gives me goosebumps – the good kind.
How to get: The Alte Roite Prism has a chance to drop after beating Deltascape V4.0 (Savage).
The beauty’s in the detail with Rathalos, a fellow Japanese game franchise crossover mount (Monster Hunter: World).
It doesn’t have the glowy flashiness of the others.
But the understated way it moves can only be appreciated if you land this fearsome dragon, zoom in, and admire the details in the design.
Take it all in, it won’t bite (at least the mount version won’t!)
I love how the wings interact with the air resistance when it’s in glide mode – the detail is so precise you can see the sunlight glisten off each individual scale.
How to get: The Rathalos Whistle is obtained by trading in 50 Rathalos Scales+ or as a rare drop from The Great Hunt (Extreme).
Max has been playing MMORPGs since he was a preteen. He's quite keen on the Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft franchises, mostly playing DPS classes because, well, tanking and healing is a ton of responsibility. Max took his love of all things Japan to a year-long study abroad program, giving him a front row seat to his favorite things. You could say it was... quite the fandom spot for him (*^-^*);;
