Palworld is one of the most popular open-world monster-collecting RPG survival games that has unique mechanics, including the ability to capture humans. In the game, it offers players a vast array of ways to build their world. It has indeed been criticized for these functionalities. Let’s talk about why humans are captured in Palworld and why it’s a significant aspect of the game.
Why capture humans in Palworld?
Under the hood, it has been quite controversial about its ability to capture humans. You can capture humans like other Pals for performing various tasks like farming, building, and fighting. Palworld mechanics introduce new layers of strategy to the game; you must decide whom you want to capture, when to capture them, and how to best utilize their captured humans.
Collect humans like pals.
Just like any other pal in the game, you can collect human NPCs in the game after the recent update. Below, we have shared a list of some unique humans that you can collect, but there aren’t very many good uses for them after being caught.
| Location | NPC Name |
| Open World | |
| Black Marketeer | |
| Burly Merc | |
| Cowardly Islander | |
| Cowardly Victim | |
| Desert Runaway | |
| Expedition Survivor | |
| Guard (unique PIDF) | |
| Mercenary With a Wounded Knee | |
| Reincarnated Guy (Uncatchable) | |
| Resigned Islander | |
| Skilled Islander | |
| Vagrant Challenger | |
| Fisherman’s Point | |
| Flame-worshipping Villager | |
| Fish-loving Villager | |
| Over-caring Villager | |
| Pal Merchant | |
| PIDF Slacker | |
| Sensitive-nosed PIDF Officer | |
| Star-loving Villager | |
| Wandering Merchant (1) | |
| Wandering Merchant (2) | |
| Small Settlement | |
| Enthusiastic Amateur Researcher | |
| Gossiping Villager | |
| Innkeeper | |
| Pal Merchant | |
| Reliable PIDF Officer | |
| Village Chief | |
| Wandering Merchant | |
| Duneshelter | |
| Kind Desert Inhabitant | |
| Pal Merchant | |
| PIDF Bonfire-lover | |
| PIDF Goody Two-shoes | |
| PIDF Grunt | |
| Timid Desert Inhabitant | |
| Wandering Merchant (1) | |
| Wandering Merchant (2) | |
| Warmblooded Desert Inhabitant | |
| Enemies | |
| Brothers of the Eternal Pyre Martyr | |
| Free Pal Alliance Devout (Bat) | |
| Free Pal Alliance Devout (Crossbow) | |
| PAL Genetic Research Unit Executioner | |
| PIDF Elite | |
| PIDF Guard | |
| PIDF Infantry | |
| Syndicate Cleaner | |
| Syndicate Crusher | |
| Syndicate Elite | |
| Syndicate Grenadier | |
| Syndicate Gunner | |
| Syndicate Hunter | |
| Syndicate Thug (Bat) | |
| Syndicate Thug (Gun) | |
| Tower Bosses | |
| Zoe & Grizzbolt | |
| Lily & Lyleen | |
| Axel & Orserk | |
| Marcus & Faleris | |
| Victor & Shadowbeak |
Unlike the Pals in the game who recorded in Paldex for tracking captured humans, this requires manual effort to ensure. Although Palworld Patch 0.1.5.0 allowed players to capture Tower Bosses, this has since been corrected.
Sell your NPCs to merchants.
The game is time-consuming, especially when acquiring resources and gear. Simply sell your humans to merchants who are willing to purchase. However, some merchants might be suspicious if you attempt to sell humans.
When you sell your NPC to a merchant, you will get between 200 and 2500 gold, depending on their level. Not to mention, it’s not as profitable or efficient as other methods of making money. However, it’s another way to raise some capital if you ever find yourself short of gold.
Catch human NPCs for trade.
This is one of the most important reasons to capture humans. Some human merchants sell equipment, weapons, crafting goods, and pets.
| NPC Name | Colour |
| Wandering Merchant (Green) | Green |
| Wandering Merchant (Red) | Red |
| Pal Merchant (Blue) | Blue |
| Black Marketeer | – |
Each merchant in the game carries unique items that may not be found at the same merchant in another region. The merchants are scattered all over Palworld, but instead of tracking down the specific merchants who carry the supplies you need,
Here are the following instructions on accessing the inventory: keep them in your base so you can have access to your inventory.
- Start by assigning them to the Base Pal. From there you can access the inventory.
- Next, put them in the viewing cage, then access the inventory by taking them.
- After that, you can be a bit trickier because you require the merchants to be near the edge of the viewing cage for you to be able to talk to them.
Alternatively, you can also view the cage hole and bed glitch for easier access to the Merchant in the Viewing Cage.
Therefore, if you have been playing Palworld on Multiplayer players and capture merchants, they will not respawn for a long time. Not to mention, you can theoretically deny other players access to merchants by capturing them every time they respawn. Indeed, catching human NPCS for trade is a form of grief, and moderators of that server may not tolerate this behaviour.
Butcher, Human NPC
You can butcher the human NPC, but this is considered a war crime in the game in Palworld. Like Pals, the human NPC also drops items when butchering human NPCs with a butcher knife. You can range from gold and bread to ammo and pale spheres. While you can use these methods if you need items or gold, it is more profitable to sell humans than to butcher them for items.
Roleplay
The game, which celebrates creativity in building infrastructure, offers hundreds of unique items that players can use to construct and decorate their bases. Using these tools, players can create whatever they want, ranging from wooden cabins to full-on castles. Capturing humans can be used as additional decoration for your structures. For example, by capturing the pals, you can create an amazing bar tavern and then assign humans to the area, making it appear like a bustling tavern. With over 150 human-black marketer merchants and a handful of PIDF security guards acting as wardens.
