Why pets matter for progression
AION 2 pets strengthen your character even when you are not riding them. Collecting and leveling pets adds permanent Owned Effects, advances collection milestones, and supports Genus Insight progression. Your favorite mount can stay equipped while the rest of your collection continues contributing useful bonuses.
| Feature | What it provides | What advances it |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Effects | Benefits that apply while riding a pet | Using the relevant pet as your mount |
| Owned Effects | Passive bonuses that accumulate across collected pets | Unlocking pets and increasing their levels |
| Collection rewards | Materials and progression rewards at species milestones | Discovering more unique pets |
| Genus Insight | Additional passive stat rolls within genus categories | Spending crystals on analysis |
Owned Effects differ between pets and can include movement benefits, accuracy, and other character stats. Unlocking additional effects gives duplicate fragments a purpose after the initial acquisition.
This makes collection breadth valuable. Before spending a long session improving one pet, compare its next reward with the bonuses available from several nearby species you have not unlocked. Early upgrades across multiple pets can provide useful progress while also moving you toward collection milestones.
Unlocking pets and raising their level
The pet system opens through All Geared Up, a quest available after Dawn Legion during Episode 2. Completing it lets you choose from three starter pets and introduces the Pets screen. Continue the early Episode 2 quests before committing to a dedicated farming route, since normal story progress provides your first companions.
For pets acquired through monster drops, follow this process:
- Find the monster associated with the pet you want.
- Defeat it for a chance to receive its Soul Fragments.
- Collect five matching souls to register the pet at level 1.
- Continue gathering that same pet's souls to unlock further levels and Owned Effects.
The next upgrade requires 25 additional souls, bringing the total collected through that stage to 30. Fragments are tied to the corresponding pet, so hunting an unrelated creature will not advance the pet you are currently targeting.
Later upgrades require more farming. Inspect the next Owned Effect before continuing: a useful stat unlock gives you a clear stopping point, especially when another unfinished pet is nearby.
Pet level caps and transformation requirements differ between versions. Check the requirement displayed in your current Pets menu before planning around a particular transformation level. Keep pet leveling separate from Genus Insight leveling; they are related progression systems, but their levels and upgrade resources should not be treated as interchangeable.
Where to find pets and Soul Fragments
Overworld monsters are the main source of farmable pet souls. Choose a pet with several known locations when possible, since alternate hunting grounds give you options if your first destination is crowded.
These are example locations, rather than a complete roster or an exhaustive list of spawns.
| Pet | Genus | Known Soul Fragment locations |
|---|---|---|
| Manduri Fighter | Cogni | Black Claw Village, Pilgrim's Ridge, Crimson Isle |
| Aullaeu Shaman | Cogni | Aullaeu Village |
| Aberrant Bee | Fera | Basfelt Ruins, Silent Hill, Nameless Cemetery, Calderon Canyon |
| Aberrant Coradon | Fera | Basfelt Ruins, Trainen Highland, Flauke Legion Outpost |
| Young Kailin | Fera | Spirit Isle, Sanctum Outpost, Trainen Highland, Trainen Pond, Battlescar Mound |
Several other acquisition methods help fill gaps:
- Expedition elites: Some pets come from elite enemies inside expeditions. Include relevant side enemies and mid-bosses when farming their souls.
- Black Cloud Merchants: Rotating stock can provide pets that are inconvenient to farm or unavailable through ordinary monster drops.
- Pet and Soul Chests: Genus-specific chests narrow rewards to a particular group. Check whether the item awards pets or Soul Fragments before using it.
- Events and passes: Special rewards and Pass Shop offerings provide additional acquisition routes, including exclusive pets.
Not every pet has a normal monster drop. Examples listed through merchants and reward chests include Elite Dratona, Varg Berserker, and Mumu Worker. Confirm the acquisition method before spending time searching the overworld for an enemy that will supply its souls.
Treat limited-time rewards separately from routine farming. Check their availability while the event or pass is active; future access has not been officially confirmed for every exclusive pet. A pet's appearance alone does not tell you whether it can be farmed later.
Choosing pets and planning a farming route
Pets belong to five genus groups: Fera, Cogni, Natura, Varian, and Special. These categories organize the collection and help you identify relevant chests and Insight tracks.
| Genus | Example pets | Acquisition routes represented |
|---|---|---|
| Fera | Papis, Sparkie, Kailin, Aberrant Bee | Monster drops, matching chests, merchants |
| Cogni | Manduri Fighter, Aullaeu Shaman, Krall Warrior | Monster drops, matching chests, merchants |
| Natura | Forest Specter, Agrint, Konutin Worker | Monster drops, matching chests |
| Varian | Kalgolem, Silver Blade Rotan, Marsh Targon | Monster drops, matching chests |
| Special | Pagati, Black Dragon, Swift Lugi | Specific rewards, purchases, passes, or achievements |
Acquisition varies within each genus. The routes above describe examples across the group, not a guarantee that every listed pet comes from every method.
For efficient collection, build a short route around unfinished pets in the same area:
- Review your collection and mark pets already at your intended stopping point.
- Group missing species by location to reduce travel.
- Prioritize pets whose next Owned Effect helps your character.
- Move to another spawn area when competition leaves too few monsters available.
- Revisit merchant stock for entries that cannot be completed through hunting.
A genus-focused route can help when you want particular bonuses, but nearby pets from other groups are still worth considering. Collecting several unfinished species together may use your time better than traveling between isolated targets.
When crossing into the opposing faction's territory through a space-time rift, prepare your targets beforehand. Favor pets you cannot conveniently obtain at home, while taking advantage of useful nearby spawns. Track completed targets so later trips focus on remaining gaps.
Using Genus Insight
Genus Insight provides another set of passive bonuses alongside each pet's Owned Effects. Analysis consumes crystals and rolls stats within a genus. Genus-specific crystals and multicolored crystals are used for this progression; collecting pet souls and opening world cubes are relevant ways to obtain these resources.
A practical PvE approach is to develop the Insight tracks before spending heavily on perfect results. Landon7's pet and Genus Insight guide recommends reaching level 10 across the tracks as an initial goal, then refining the stats you keep.
The same guide suggests these offensive priorities for the fourth slot. Treat them as PvE recommendations, with positional bonuses depending on how you fight.
| Genus | Suggested fourth-slot priorities |
|---|---|
| Cogni | PvE damage boost |
| Fera | Weapon damage boost |
| Natura | PvE damage boost |
| Varian | Back or frontal attack damage boost; PvE damage boost is another option |
| Special | Double Chance or a suitable positional damage boost |
Auto Analysis lets you choose desired results and continue rolling until a selected condition appears. Use it deliberately:
- Review the available stats and select the outcomes you want in relevant slots.
- Start Auto Analysis and inspect the result when it stops.
- Lock a result worth preserving before continuing.
- Improve weaker tracks before spending heavily to perfect an already useful roll.
FAQ
Are aion 2 pets only cosmetic?
No. Pets provide mount functionality, permanent Owned Effects, collection milestone rewards, and progression connected to Genus Insight. Their appearance is one part of the system; collecting and upgrading them also contributes to character strength.
Do I need to ride a pet to receive its bonuses?
Owned Effects apply through your collection and do not require you to ride that particular pet. Mount Effects apply while riding. Check the effect category when comparing pets so you know which benefits remain active after changing mounts.
How many souls do I need to unlock a pet?
A standard monster-soul unlock requires five matching souls. The pet begins at level 1, and the next upgrade takes 25 additional souls. Later requirements increase, so check the pet's displayed progression before planning a longer farming session.
What should I do with duplicate Soul Fragments?
Use them to increase the corresponding pet's level and unlock additional Owned Effects. Once that pet reaches your current target or cap, reassess your route rather than continuing to farm it without a specific progression goal.
Is there one best pet to collect first?
There is no universal first choice established for every build. Prioritize accessible pets with useful Owned Effects, then expand your collection. Your preferred mount and your most valuable passive-stat unlock do not have to be the same pet.
