Ranking Palworld Pals – which are the LGBTQ allies and which are the homophobes?

Few projects in recent memory have taken over the world of gaming like Palworld, the monster-catching, open-world survival game that recently launched its official version 1.0.

The newest edition of your usual creature capture concept — especially a certain Nintendo franchise — Palworld puts a spin on this classic gameplay by incorporating a mature story and inventive mechanics. Because not only do these ‘Pals’ look cute, but they’re able to work in a player’s home base, serve as riding mounts across the expansive map…and even wield guns and other wild weapons to defend their owner in combat!

Palworld’s studio PocketPair has been overwhelmed by the audience’s support of this game since its beta launched over three years ago. The project’s popularity has only risen since then, with fans loving not only the innovative gameplay but the colorful monsters at the center of its story. Players love these pals so much, in fact, that a vote on people’s favorites saw more than 100,000 folks chime in on which creature they loved the most.

But while these fans considered anything from appearance, to moveset, to adaptability when making their choice, there’s only one thing that matters to the Gayming Mag team: which are the biggest allies, and which are the biggest homophobes. 

Working off of each pal’s in-game story and their overall aesthetic, we took a look at the top seven pals from this popularity contest and weighed which would be at the front of the Palworld Pride parade, and which would be on the side holding some strongly worded signs. Let’s take a look at these results now and determine which pal is the biggest ally that you absolutely need on your team!

Anubis — Ready to fight…and not for your rights

Anubis is the premier fighting pal of Palworld, as this creature can be seen across the map practicing various styles of combat. Pair this with its nature to attack players and being seen as a literal representation of death, it’s clear that not only is Anubis not an ally of anyone, especially not the queer community! With its emphasis on fighting and willingness to attack anyone, this pal seems ready to attack anyone who doesn’t abide by its ‘macho’ style. 

Jetragon — Hateful, and for what?

Despite being one of the game’s most beloved flying mounts, Jetragon unfortunately ranks as one of the most homophobic in this list of fan-favorite pals. This comes from the pal’s in-game behavior and ‘sleek’ appearance; Jetragon is a nonstop hater, attacking any player it spots adventuring nearby. This, combined with its robotic aesthetic, makes it appear more like an unfeeling robot ready to dive bomb anything that seems ‘different.’ Great for flying, but terrible for any person trying to show off their pride. 

Katress — A performative ally isn’t an ally at all

Katress is a tricky pal to classify on the homophobia scale, because at first glance, this creature embodies many of the things that the queer community loves so much. From her great style and flair for all things witchy, she’d be right at home with many LGBTQ+ gaming communities…but the night reveals her real nature. Because Katress doesn’t show off these traits in the light of day. Rather, she saves any self-expression for the moments most people can’t see, acting far too closely like the subtle homophobes in real life who will act like they support the LGBTQ+ community but refuse to stand up for them in public. Our culture is not a trend, and Katress’ behavior makes it clear it isn’t a good ally — though they certainly want you to think they are. 

Quivern — We love the support, but you can do better

We finally enter the allies portion of this list with Quivern, Palworld’s adorable azure dragon. It’s clear that Quivern would be an LGBTQ+ ally; the pal is known for their loving nature and are always ready to support their player as a flying mount. But, sadly, it has a tendency of being passive to anything happening around them unless actively being attacked. This doesn’t translate well into the world of allyship, with Quivern being likely to support queer folks only as long as they aren’t challenged by anyone around them.  

Selyne — Homophobia goes against the natural order of things

Cosmic alignment comes to life in the pal Selyne, with this ethereal creature being hinted to play a key role in this world’s celestial universe. The lunar-themed creatur is an embodiment of the natural (and especially intergalactic) world who would clearly recognize homophobia as an inherently unnatural thing. It would uplift the gay community not just because of its personal views, but because of its duty to the universe, knowing that it’s only by destroying those who cause harm that true cosmic order can be achieved. 

Shadowbeak — A real goth always throws down for the gays

Shadowbeak at first appears as the most hateful member of this list — and, when it comes to literal mechanics, it is. This pal has the tendency to attack players on sight with a ferocity that easily could’ve put it higher on this list. Except for one vital fact: Shadowbeak is so, so goth. Whether it’s the love for all things black or the spiky accents, this flying pal embodies the goth aesthetic which has historically been rooted in a passion for uplifting marginalized communities. So, yes, Shadowbeak is an equal opportunity hater, no matter your identity. But if it saw you being discriminated against, there’s no question the beast would fly in to your aid and dark wisp any bigot away. 

Chillet — A true ally and a super duper cutie

Chillet not only won title of fan-favorite in Palworld’s competition, but it wins biggest ally here! This is not only because of it’s nature, thought that doesn’t hurt; Chillet’s status as a pacifist until provoked means its ready to support any community member in need. But its lore also hints at these pals having fond relationships with humans that go beyond simple chores in a player’s homebase. The Chillet line is known to help ancient societies make foodstuffs with their wild swinging while still aiding them through their myriad of pal abilities. With this history, their peace-loving nature, and just the warmth that its adorableness emanates, it’s no wonder why Chilet would absolutely be the biggest LGBTQ+ ally of this list. 

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