Summary
While the Dragon Isles offers up brand-new factions, landscapes, and villains to defeat, for Hunters, there are a variety of interesting new pets just waiting to be tamed. As can be expected, the pets found inWorld of Warcraft: Dragonflightappear primitive and ancient, just like the continent adventurers find themselves on.
The Dragon Isles will allow hunters to fill their stable with unique species, as well as run dungeons and raids with an incredibly cool elemental-themed companion by their side. It’s not all about looks, however, as many of thebest hunter pets inDragonflightmentioned below belong to families that provide useful skills for different situations.
Updated on July 19, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:As fans of World of Warcraft are gearing up for the fight of their lives in The War Within and the upcoming Midnight expansion, players might want to ensure their Hunters are accompanied by the best Pets possible. While a lot of Pets have similar powersets, it’s especially because they differ in appearance that some Pets become ahead of the pack when it comes to the vibe they provide their owners. Some examples include a giant bee, a phoenix-like owl, a unique bird from the dream realm, and a Spirit Wolf with quite a compelling backstory.
Diet
A common pet associated withHunters inWorld of Warcraftwould be wolves and falcons, especially with their popularity in fantasy fiction. For this reason, theTephratennaecan be quite the controversial choice for a Hunter Pet, as having a giant bee roaming around with the player can certainly be a new “look”, even amongWoWplayers. As a member of the fiery Cinderbee family, the Tephratennae (in the Cinderworld of the Isle of Dorn) looks unique for its pale skin and heavy emphasis on reds - a far cry from the stereotypical “molten” appearance of Cinderbees.
As a Ferocity Pet, aggression is the key to the Tephratennae’s performance in combat. Its Dash can provide quite the significant movement speed to chase foes or retreat, while Growl can generate threat so the Tephratennae can take the heat while players spam their attacks on unsuspecting opponents. The latter works well with the lifesteal with Predator’s Thirst and the increased attack speed via Primal Rage. Moves-wise, the Tephratennae has access to the traditional Smack and healing penalties via Toxic Sting.
WhileGarais technically encountered in Draenor’s Shadowmoon Valley, the method of its acquisition makes it such a worthwhileWorld of WarcraftHunter Pet. Players first encounter her as a spirit below the Burial Fields near a grave, and they can interact with her better with Shadowberries. After that, they need to take particular items around Draenor (Ancient Bone, Crude Effigy, Elder Incense, Small Fruit, Torn Cloth, Wooden Bowl) to reveal that her former master, Mother Om’ra, had her soul taken hostage by the void god Xan. This attempt to release her summons the void god into the world and Gara is taken as “compensation.”
Players now need to save Gara’s soul. They must go to the Pillars of Fate in Shadowmoon Valley to get the Void Lantern from Shadowmoon Voidtwisters. After its acquisition, players must go to the Great Tree Valuundira and use the Lantern to view a mystical Voidblade. Interacting with this sends players to the void realm, where Gara’s spirit awaits. Players must fight Elder Void Lords and Xan to release her spirit, and she becomes a companion. As a Tenacity Pet, Gara can boost her and the player’s maximum health (Endurance Training, Fortitude of the Boar) with unique debuff remover (Spirit Pulse), heal (Spirit Mend), and stealth (Spirit Walk) skills.
Located in the Emerald Dream’s Viridescent Thicket,Ristar, the Rabidis perhaps the only named Dreamtalon Raptor in the region. Its larger appearance compared to its companions is justified by its Level 70 placement, and Ristar also retains its name after Taming - a testament to its rarity.
Not much is known about Ristar’s story and why it’s called the Rabid, making it a more interesting acquisition. As expected with its name, Ristar is a Cunning Pet, making it ideal for Hunters who love being in the thick of combat. With Growl, Ristar can be a reliable threat generator, which should encourage its Hunter owner to attack without worrying much about retaliation. Its Master’s Call is a reliable anti-CC move to ensure players can get out of sticky situations, whereas the anti-healing of Savage Rend can tear through an enemy’s defenses.
Locateddeep in the Emerald Dream, the Spirit Somnowls having a rather calming appearance is explained by their presence in this fabled dreaming realm. Their larger statures, beady eyes, and characteristic horns make them unique in the game - even more so forNah’qi, the only Fiery Spirit Somnowl players can tame. Unlike her other companions, Nah’qi is characterized by molten tips on her horns, flames from her eyes, and fiery tips on her tails. Her glowing halo of fire around her indicates her unique presence. She is the “matching” pet of Anu’relos, Flame’s Guidance, a Fiery Spirit Somnowl mount.
InWorld of Warcraftgameplay, players can locate Nah’qi in Amirdrassil, specifically by flying around its largest tree. Her distance from players makes activating the Tame Call rather difficult, and players need to do some flying in order to get to a high point in the tree where they can land safely. They can do so by studying Nah’qi’s flight pattern, as getting to this point in the tree will prompt her to attack players, triggering the Tame Call. As a Spirit Beast, Nah’qi falls under the Tenacity line and has skills tailored to support players. Her Endurance Training and Fortitude of the Bear can increase Nah’qi and her owner’s total health, with Spirit Mend being a nifty healing aide. Spirit Pulse can remove a debuff from players, while Spirit Walk can render Nah’qi invisible and perfect for scouting.
When Garrosh Hellscream went to a Draenor of a different timeline, he collaborated with his father Grommash to create an uncorrupted Horde free from Mannoroth’s corruption. This Iron Horde became the “successor” tothe True Horde, complete with advanced machinery from modern-day Azeroth. Such an application to this huge leap in technology isFaultline, a spin on Rhinos and Draenor Clefthooves that have the Iron Horde’s signature take on smelting-inspired plating, complete with vents that shoot up hot orange flames.
Faultline is a Level 40 Elite Boss in Blackrock Foundry (Raid), specifically in the Breaking Grounds, as part of the fight against Beastlord Darmac. When tamed, Faultline retains its name alongside base abilities, such as +80% Movement Speed (Dash) and a natural threat generator (Growl) as well as a +4% Leech (Predator’s Thirst) and +30% Haste to all party members (Primal Rage). As a Clefthoof, Faultline has a default attack (Smack), a 15-second 60% Damage Reduction at 40% Health (Thick Hide), and +10% Armor and +20% Healing Effectiveness (Blood of the Rhino).
The Wolf is among the most common types of Pets for Hunters inWorld of Warcraft, which also explains the abundance of their sub-types. However, despite their commonality, some Wolves stand out among the rest - such asFenryr, whose appearance as a Worg changes drastically with the sticks (presumably arrows or spears) protruding from his body, a scar across an eye that glows a furious yellow, and scratch marks on his flank that glow upon running - revealing themselves to be runes.
Fenryr can only be tamed after defeating him and Hymdall in a solo instance of Halls of Valor (Dungeon)in Mythic Mode. Upon acquisition, Fenryr is revealed to be a Ferocity Pet capable of getting +80% Movement Speed (Dash) and natural threat generation (Growl), as well as +4% Leech (Predator’s Thirst) and +30% party-wide Haste for 40 seconds (Primal Rage). When on the offensive, Fenryr can unleash a fierce attack (Bite) and a debilitating bite on the enemy’s feet that inflicts -50% Movement Speed for 6 seconds (Furious Bite).
With the Shadowlands known as the Plane of Death, it’s unsurprising forWorld of Warcraftcreaturesin the region to feature strange designs that outmatch even Azeroth’s share of unique aesthetics such as that of the Undead. Compared to the visual imagery of “edgy” Hounds that are often made of bones or blaze with hellfire, aSoulseekeris instead a spectral Hound encased within what appears to be an automaton plating.
Being native to the Shadowlands, these Soulseekers are found in various areas such as the Planes of Torment, the Desmotaeron, and even Ruin’s Cradle. As a Cunning Pet, Hounds can get 80% Movement Speed (Dash) with an additional 8% given to them and their Hunter (Pathfinder). When needed, they can cancel all CCs on them (Master’s Call) and even generate threat (Growl). In combat, they have a standard attack (Bite) and an attack that comes with -50% Movement Speed debuff to the opponent (Lock Jaw).
While lizards as Hunter Pets seem to have been popularized by adventurous Troll Hunters, fans who want to level up their Hunter’s look with an exotic-looking companion should consider thePrimal Thunder Lizard. Introduced in theDragonflightexpansion as part of the Scalehide family, Primal Thunder Lizards separate themselves from their cousins with unique features such as tail spikes, back plates, and electrified horns that crackle across their spine. They are commonly found in the Forbidden Reach.
As Hunter Pets, Primal Thunder Lizards have access to threat generation (Growl) and an 80% Movement Speed boost (Dash). Being Ferocity Pets, they can provide 4% Leech to themselves and their Hunter (Predator’s Thirst) as well as give 30% Haste for 40 seconds for their party (Primal Rage). Due to their nature as Scalehides, they have a traditional attack (Smack) and a 50% Damage Reduction buff (Scale Shield).
Introduced inDragonflight, players who venture into theEmerald Dream of the Green Dragonflighthave the opportunity to tame aSprite Dreamer. Taking the form of a cross between a dragon and a salamander with ornate butterfly wings, the Sprite Dreamer are Lesser Dragonkin that demonstrates the sheer spectacle of this location. Players who are enamored by their appearance still need to get the special Lesser Dragonkin Taming Skill to Tame the Sprite Dreamer.
As Ferocity Pets, Sprite Dreamers can remain aggressive partners for Hunters. In turn, their Common Skills naturally boost their movement speed and even generate aggro to get the enemy’s attention. This suits Sprite Dreamers well, as Predator’s Thirst gives them and the Hunter 10% Leech while Prima Rage grants 30% Haste, allowing them to attack faster. As Lesser Dragonkin, Sprite Dreamers can enjoy a ferocious Claw attack and use Shimmering Scales for 70% Magic Damage reduction.
It’s not all the time that players can get a sleek-looking Pet while enjoying theirWorld of Warcraftgameplay, and this is exactly what theArmored Direhornembodies. Belonging to the Direhorn class of Tenacity creatures, these Pets indeed display an intimidating appearance. Direhorns essentially take the form of a large rhinoceros with multiple spikes protruding from different parts of their body, with their appearance drastically enhanced with armor all over their person. The addition of spiky protrusions on the side with skull ornaments gives them a specific ferocity unique to them.
Armored Direhorns are only available for taming with Direhorn Taming, a special skill already learned by Zandalari Hunters unless acquired from the rare Ancient Tome of Dinomanacy from Zandalari Dinomancers. The Armored Direhorn can give themselves and their players additional maximum health amounting from +5% (Endurance Training) to a limited +20% boost (Fortitude of the Bear).
