How do I get the passive skills I want on a Pal?

Breeding. Offspring inherit a random selection of their parents' passives, so the standard strategy is to breed a Pal that has the passives you want onto your target species over several generations. Plan the species side of the chain with our free Palworld Breeding Calculator, then stack passives by pairing two of the same species.

What is Pal Surgery and which passives does it apply?

Pal Surgery lets you add or change specific passive skills directly using consumable items instead of rerolling through breeding. Passives marked with the surgery tag in this list can be applied that way, including the top-tier World Tree passives. Everything else still has to come from breeding inheritance or wild catches.

Which passives are best for worker Pals?

For base workers, prioritize work speed passives like Artisan (Work Speed +50%), Serious (Work Speed +20%), and Work Slave (Work Speed +30%, Attack -30%), and avoid sanity-draining negatives. A fully stacked worker crew is one of the biggest performance multipliers a base can have, and it also raises your server's simulation load. If your world runs big automated bases, size your RAM with the Palworld RAM Calculator.

Palworld Passive Skills

All 115 named passive skills with exact effects, straight from the game files: 100 positive, 15 negative, ranked from -3 to 5, with Pal Surgery availability flagged.

Demon’s Hand Surgery Rank 5

Work Speed +90%
SAN dreceases +15.0% faster
World Tree harvestables won't vanish when approached.

Dimensional Leap Surgery Rank 5

Movement Speed +50%
Increases Hunger depletion rate by +15.0%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

God of Destruction Surgery Rank 5

Attack +40%
Defense +20%
Max Health -50%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

Hermit Sage Surgery Rank 5

SAN depletion rate -50.0%
Work Speed -20%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

Sanctified Meat Shield Surgery Rank 5

Defense +50%
Attack -30%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

Twin-Edged Holy Blade Surgery Rank 5

Attack +50%
Defense -30%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

World Tree Seedbed Surgery Rank 5

Decrease Hunger depletion rate by +50.0%
HP -20%
World Tree resources will not vanish when approached.

Babysitter Surgery Rank 4

While at a base, increases egg production speed by +30% and incubation speed by +30% for Pals assigned to a Breeding Farm.

Demon God Surgery Rank 4

Attack +30%
Defense +5%

Diamond Body Surgery Rank 4

Defense +30%
Immune to Flinch
Immune to Knockback

Eternal Engine Surgery Rank 4

Max stamina +75%
*This effect is only valid for rideable pals.

Eternal Flame Rank 4

30% increase to Fire attack damage.
30% increase to Lightning attack damage.

Heart of the Immovable King Surgery Rank 4

SAN drops +20.0% slower.

Heavily Armored Surgery Rank 4

Immune to Explosion Damage

Idiosyncratic Surgery Rank 4

Pal and Player Auto Health Regeneration Rate +50%
Defense +25%
Immune to Poison Damage
Immune to Burn Damage

Immortality Surgery Rank 4

Life Steal +5%
Pal Auto Health Regeneration Rate +100%
Attack +15%

Invader Rank 4

30% increase in Dark attack damage.
30% increase in Dragon attack damage.

King of the Waves Surgery Rank 4

50% increase movement speed on water.

Lavish Hospitality Rank 4

Your Dropped Items + 100%

Legend Rank 4

Attack +20%
Defense +20%
Movement Speed increases 20%

Lightfooted Rank 4

Mounted Jump Count +1

Lucky Rank 4

Attack +15%
Defense +15%
Work Speed +20%

Lunker Rank 4

20% increase to Water attack damage
20% increase to Ice attack damage
20% increase to defense.

Mastery of Fasting Surgery Rank 4

Hunger decreases +20.0% slower.

Ranch Master Rank 4

Farming's Work Suitability +2

Remarkable Craftsmanship Surgery Rank 4

Work Speed +75%

Savior Rank 4

30% increase in Neutral attack damage.
30% increase in Grass attack damage.

Siren of the Void Rank 4

30% increase in Dark attack damage.
30% increase in Ice attack damage.

Skymarcher Surgery Rank 4

Mounted Jump Count +2

Swift Surgery Rank 4

30% increase to movement speed.

Vampiric Surgery Rank 4

Absorbs a portion of the damage dealt to restore Health.
Does not sleep at night and continues to work.

Ace Swimmer Surgery Rank 3

40% increase movement speed on water.

Artisan Surgery Rank 3

Work Speed +50%

Burly Body Surgery Rank 3

Defense +20%
Immune to Flinch

Celestial Emperor Rank 3

30% increase in Neutral attack damage.

Diet Lover Surgery Rank 3

Hunger decreases +15.0% slower.

Divine Dragon Rank 3

30% increase in Dragon attack damage.

Earth Emperor Rank 3

30% increase in Earth attack damage.

Farmhand Rank 3

Farming's Work Suitability +1

Ferocious Surgery Rank 3

Attack +20%

Flame Emperor Rank 3

30% increase in Fire attack damage.

Healing Coach Surgery Rank 3

Player Auto Health Regeneration Rate +5%

Ice Emperor Rank 3

30% increase in Ice attack damage.

Infinite Stamina Surgery Rank 3

Max stamina +50%
*This effect is only valid for rideable pals.

Logging Foreman Surgery Rank 3

25% increase in Player Logging Efficiency.

Lord of Lightning Rank 3

30% increase in Lightning attack damage.

Lord of the Sea Rank 3

30% increase in Water attack damage.

Lord of the Underworld Rank 3

30% increase in Dark attack damage.

Mine Foreman Surgery Rank 3

25% increase in Player Mining Efficiency.

Motivational Leader Surgery Rank 3

25% increase in Player Work Speed.

Noble Surgery Rank 3

Increases the value of items when sold by +5%

Philanthropist Surgery Rank 3

When assigned to a Breeding Farm, breeding speed is increased by 100%.

Reload Master Surgery Rank 3

Player Reload Speed +4%

Runner Surgery Rank 3

20% increase to movement speed.

Serenity Surgery Rank 3

Active skill cooldown reduction 30%
Attack +10%

Service-Minded Rank 3

Your Dropped Items + 50%

Spirit Emperor Rank 3

30% increase in Grass attack damage.

Stronghold Strategist Surgery Rank 3

10% increase in Player Defense.

Vanguard Surgery Rank 3

10% increase in Player Attack.

Wellness Watcher Surgery Rank 3

Player Stamina Consumption -5.0%

Whopper Rank 3

5% increase to Water attack damage
5% increase to Ice attack damage
5% increase to defense.

Workaholic Surgery Rank 3

SAN drops +15.0% slower.

Heavyweight Rank 2

Defense +20%
Immune to Knockback

Musclehead Surgery Rank 2

Attack +30%
Work Speed -50%

Abnormal Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Neutral damage.

Aggressive Rank 1

Attack +10%
Defense -10%

Blood of the Dragon Rank 1

10% increase in Dragon attack damage.

Botanical Barrier Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Grass damage.

Brave Surgery Rank 1

Attack +10%

Capacitor Rank 1

10% increase in Lightning attack damage.

Cheery Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Dark damage.

Coldblooded Rank 1

10% increase in Ice attack damage.

Conceited Rank 1

Work Speed +10%
Defense -10%

Dainty Eater Surgery Rank 1

Hunger decreases +10.0% slower.

Dragonkiller Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Dragon damage.

Earthquake Resistant Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Earth damage.

Fine Furs Surgery Rank 1

Increases the value of items when sold by +3%

Fit as a Fiddle Surgery Rank 1

Max stamina +25%
*This effect is only valid for rideable pals.

Fragrant Foliage Rank 1

10% increase in Grass attack damage.

Hard Skin Surgery Rank 1

Defense +10%

Heated Body Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Ice damage.

Hooligan Rank 1

Attack +15%
Work Speed -10%

Hydromaniac Rank 1

10% increase in Water attack damage.

Impatient Surgery Rank 1

Active skill cooldown reduction 15%

Insomnia Surgery Rank 1

Does not sleep and continues to work even at night.

Insulated Body Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Lightning damage.

Masochist Rank 1

Defense +15%
Attack -15%

Nimble Surgery Rank 1

10% increase to movement speed.

Otherworldly Cells Rank 1

Attack +10%
Fire damage reduction 15%
Lightning damage reduction 15%

Positive Thinker Surgery Rank 1

SAN drops +10.0% slower.

Power of Gaia Rank 1

10% increase in Earth attack damage.

Pyromaniac Rank 1

10% increase in Fire attack damage.

Sadist Rank 1

Attack +15%
Defense -15%

Serious Surgery Rank 1

Work Speed +20%

Sleek Stroke Surgery Rank 1

30% increase movement speed on water.

Spirit of Zen Rank 1

10% increase in Neutral attack damage.

Suntan Lover Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Fire damage.

Veil of Darkness Rank 1

10% increase in Dark attack damage.

Waterproof Rank 1

10% decrease in incoming Water damage.

Work Slave Surgery Rank 1

Work Speed +30%
Attack -30%

Clumsy Rank -1

Work Speed -10%

Coward Rank -1

Attack -10%

Downtrodden Rank -1

Defense -10%

Easygoing Rank -1

Active skill cooldown extension -15%

Glutton Rank -1

Hunger decreases +10.0% faster.

Mercy Hit Surgery Rank -1

Pacifist.
Will not reduce the target's Health below 1.

Night Owl Rank -1

Tends to nap through the day, due to being nocturnal.

Shabby Rank -1

Decrease the value of items when sold by -10%

Sickly Rank -1

Max Stamina -25%
*This effect is only valid for rideable pals.

Unstable Rank -1

SAN drops +10.0% faster.

Bottomless Stomach Rank -2

Hunger decreases +15.0% faster.

Destructive Rank -2

SAN drops +15.0% faster.

Brittle Rank -3

Defense -20%

Pacifist Rank -3

Attack -20%

Slacker Rank -3

Work Speed -30%

FAQ · Frequently. Asked. Questions.

More Palworld questions? Check the Physgun Knowledge Base or hop into the Physgun Discord.

Visit Knowledge Base

Passive skills are permanent traits a Pal is born with, up to four per Pal. They range from powerful buffs like Legend (Attack +20%, Defense +20%, Movement Speed +20%) down to negative traits that slow work speed or sanity. Ranks run from -3 (worst) to 5 (best), and this list covers all 115 named passives in the current game data.