AION 2 pets are not just cosmetic mounts: collecting and leveling them gives permanent Owned Effects and feeds Genus Insight, one of Global's long-term character progression systems. The current EU/NA client contains 209 pets across Fera, Natura, Varian, Cogni and Special. Normal pets reach Pet Insight Lv3 after 105 Souls, while Genus Insight uses separate boards, Soul Crystals and Analysis rolls to unlock additional permanent stats.
Quick answer: unlock many easy pets first, then raise efficient targets to Pet Insight Lv3, and avoid expensive Genus Insight locks until your board is at least Lv9 and preferably Lv10. Pet collection alone cannot finish Genus Insight: all five boards must eventually reach Lv10 to complete Genus Genius and earn the Unbound by Genus title.
AION 2 Pet System at a Glance
| System | Current Global Rule |
|---|---|
| Total pets in current client | 209 |
| Pet genera | Fera, Natura, Varian, Cogni, Special |
| Souls to unlock a normal pet | 5 |
| Souls for Pet Insight Lv2 | +25, 30 total |
| Souls for Pet Insight Lv3 | +75, 105 total |
| Global Pet Insight cap | Lv3 |
| Genus Insight cap | Lv10 |
| Analysis slots | 9 per genus |
| Base Analyze cost | 4 matching Soul Crystals + 1,000 Kina |
| Long-term reward | Unbound by Genus title |
How Pets Work in AION 2
Most ordinary AION 2 pets correspond to monsters found in the world. Defeating the matching monster can provide that pet's Soul. Collect enough Souls and the pet is registered in your Pets collection.
A collected pet does three important things:
- it can be used as a mount;
- it grants permanent Owned Effects based on its genus and Pet Insight level;
- its collection and leveling progress contributes EXP to the matching Genus Insight board.
You do not need to ride a pet for its Owned Effect to matter. The progression value comes from building the collection, not from finding one single “best pet” and ignoring the rest.
How Many Pets Are in AION 2 Global?
The current EU/NA 2.0.7.0 client contains 209 pets.
| Genus | Pets | Main Lv3 Owned Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Fera | 65 | Mount Ground Move Speed, Accuracy Bonus, Dexterity |
| Natura | 48 | Stamina, Critical Hit Resist, Precision |
| Varian | 46 | Mount Sprint Stamina Cost Reduction, Evasion Bonus, Constitution |
| Cogni | 41 | HP, Critical Hit, Might |
| Special | 9 | No normal genus Owned Effect |
The exact roster can increase when NC adds event or shop pets. The October 14 Global update, for example, added the Special pets Pumpkin Carriage and Little Ghost.
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Pet Insight Levels and Soul Costs
| Pet Insight | Additional Souls | Total Souls | What It Unlocks | Genus EXP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lv1 | 5 | 5 | Registers the pet and enables riding | 500 |
| Lv2 | 25 | 30 | Improved pet functionality / gliding | 250 |
| Lv3 | 75 | 105 | Maximum Global Pet Insight and transformation access | 250 |
A fully developed normal pet therefore contributes 1,000 Genus Insight EXP in total.
Why You Should Unlock Many Pets Before Maxing Them
For pure Genus Insight EXP, the first five Souls of a new pet are dramatically more efficient than the later stages.
| Upgrade | Souls Spent | Genus EXP | EXP per Soul |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock pet | 5 | 500 | 100 |
| Lv1 → Lv2 | 25 | 250 | 10 |
| Lv2 → Lv3 | 75 | 250 | 3.33 |
ExpCarry calculation: if your immediate goal is raising Genus Insight, unlocking a new pet gives roughly 10 times more Genus EXP per Soul than the Lv2 step and about 30 times more than the final Lv3 step.
This does not mean Lv3 is bad. Lv3 gives the pet's full Owned Effect and completes that pet's current Global progression. It means your most efficient early route is usually breadth first, depth second.
Best Pet Progression Order
- Take the free starter pet.
- Unlock easy 5-Soul pets around your home region.
- Spread collection progress across Fera, Natura, Varian and Cogni instead of farming one species for hours.
- Raise dense and useful pets to Lv3 for full Owned Effects.
- Use Spacetime Rifts to collect enemy-faction pets you cannot normally reach.
- Use dungeon, chest and event sources for pets without open-world Soul monsters.
- Push each Genus Insight board toward Lv9–10 before spending heavily on locked rolls.
How to Get Your First Pet
The early story gives access to the Pet system around level 10.
- Elyos: All Geared Up in Verteron.
- Asmodians: Gathering Essentials in Altgard.
The starter choice includes Fossa, Armadon or Tog. All three belong to Fera, so there is no major long-term combat advantage from choosing one over another. Pick the appearance you prefer.
Is There a Best Pet in AION 2?
There is no single best normal pet within the same genus. Pets of the same genus use the same level-based Owned Effect structure, and current client data does not give one Fera pet a faster mount or stronger Fera bonus than another Fera pet.
The practical “best pet” is usually the one whose Souls you can farm efficiently.
For collection progression, spawn density matters more than pet rarity or appearance.
Pet Owned Effects by Genus
Cogni
Each Cogni pet reaches the following effects at Lv3:
- HP +30;
- Critical Hit +2;
- Might +1.
All 41 current Cogni pets at Lv3 combine for HP +1,230, Critical Hit +82 and Might +41.
Fera
Each Lv3 Fera pet gives:
- Mount Ground Move Speed +3;
- Accuracy Bonus +2;
- Dexterity +1.
All 65 current Fera pets combine for +195 Mount Ground Move Speed, +130 Accuracy Bonus and +65 Dexterity.
Natura
Each Lv3 Natura pet gives:
- Stamina +9;
- Critical Hit Resist +2;
- Precision +1.
All 48 Natura pets combine for +432 Stamina, +96 Critical Hit Resist and +48 Precision.
Varian
Each Lv3 Varian pet gives:
- Mount Sprint Stamina Cost Reduction Rate +0.30%;
- Evasion Bonus +2;
- Constitution +1.
All 46 current Varian pets combine for 13.8% Mount Sprint Stamina Cost Reduction, +92 Evasion Bonus and +46 Constitution.
Special
Special pets do not use the normal Fera/Natura/Varian/Cogni Owned Effect structure.
The current Special list includes pets such as Black Dragon, Pagati, Wandering Merchant Lugi, Swift Lugi, White Bunny, Chonky Hamster, Two, Little Ghost and Pumpkin Carriage.
Where to Farm Pet Souls
The current client lists 162 pets with monster Soul sources. Most ordinary farming is concentrated in the two faction home regions.
| Region | Pets With Soul Sources |
|---|---|
| Verteron | 113 |
| Altgard | 108 |
| Chaotic Lower Reshanta | 25 |
| Chaotic Middle Reshanta | 27 in later/current client data |
| Eltnen | 1 later high-level source |
| Morheim | 2 later high-level sources |
Five current pets also use dungeon monster sources, while dozens of others come from chests, quests, events or shops rather than normal world monsters.
For efficient farming, prioritize camps containing several missing pet species instead of farming one isolated monster at a time.
How to Farm Enemy-Faction Pets
Some pet Soul monsters are faction-side specific. Spacetime Rifts let Elyos enter Altgard and Asmodians enter Verteron during the available window, which makes them one of the main ways to expand the opposite-faction part of your pet collection.
Prepare a list of missing pets before entering a Rift. The limited window is much more valuable when you already know which camps and genera you need.
What Is Genus Insight?
Genus Insight is a second progression layer separate from individual Pet Insight.
There are five independent boards:
- Fera Insight;
- Natura Insight;
- Varian Insight;
- Cogni Insight;
- Special Insight.
Each board reaches Lv10 and contains nine analysis slots. Slot 1 is available from Insight Lv1, and another slot opens with each level through Lv9.
How Genus Insight Gains EXP
Normal pets contribute EXP to their own genus:
- register pet: +500 EXP;
- Pet Insight Lv2: +250 EXP;
- Pet Insight Lv3: +250 EXP.
Analysis also advances the board.
Special Insight is different: current client data states that Special pets themselves do not provide the normal pet-level EXP contribution. Special Insight progression comes through Analysis.
Can Pet Farming Alone Reach Genus Insight Lv10?
No. The current normal-pet roster is not large enough to finish any normal Genus board through pet levels alone.
| Genus | Pets | Maximum Pet EXP if All Reach Lv3 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fera | 65 | 65,000 | Lv7 |
| Natura | 48 | 48,000 | Lv7 |
| Varian | 46 | 46,000 | Lv7 |
| Cogni | 41 | 41,000 | Lv7 |
Reaching Lv10 requires 250,000 cumulative Genus Insight EXP. Analysis is therefore a required part of the endgame progression, not an optional min-max system.
Genus Insight Level and Roll Odds
| Insight Lv | EXP to Next | Common | Rare | Epic | Unique | Heroic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 90% | 10% | — | — | — |
| 2 | 1,500 | 70% | 30% | — | — | — |
| 3 | 3,000 | 55% | 45% | — | — | — |
| 4 | 5,000 | 50% | 45% | 5% | — | — |
| 5 | 10,000 | 45% | 45% | 10% | — | — |
| 6 | 20,000 | 40% | 40% | 20% | — | — |
| 7 | 40,000 | 35% | 34% | 30% | 1% | — |
| 8 | 70,000 | 30% | 30% | 35% | 5% | — |
| 9 | 100,000 | 25% | 25% | 39% | 10% | 1% |
| 10 | Max | 20% | 30% | 30% | 15% | 5% |
This table explains why early locking is expensive. At Lv9, only 11% of rolls are Unique or Heroic. At Lv10 that increases to 20%, and Heroic alone rises from 1% to 5%.
How Genus Insight Analysis Works
A basic Analyze costs:
- 4 matching Genus Soul Crystals;
- 1,000 Kina.
Analyze rerolls the unlocked effect slots and also advances Genus Insight.
You can lock a good line to preserve it, but every lock makes future analyses substantially more expensive. With many locked slots, the Soul Crystal and Kina cost becomes one of the largest sinks in the system.
When Should You Lock Genus Insight Stats?
Do not aggressively lock early rolls.
A safe Global progression rule is:
- Analyze freely while leveling the board.
- Reach at least Lv9.
- Prefer Lv10 before committing expensive locks.
- Lock only a line you would realistically keep long term.
- Build around your class and content rather than blindly copying another class's board.
Lv10 provides much better high-grade odds, while locks dramatically increase every later reroll cost.
Best Genus Insight Slots to Check First
Exact best stats depend on class and PvE/PvP content, but the current Global slot pools create a useful general pattern.
| Slots | Typical High-Value Options |
|---|---|
| 4 | Major damage multipliers and genus-specific offensive effects |
| 1 and 5 | Max Attack, Attack Bonus, Boss Attack, PvE Attack and other attack lines |
| 3, 6 and 9 | Critical Hit, Accuracy, Power Shard Damage Bonus and positional Critical Hit lines |
| 2 and 8 | HP, defense and defensive stat pools |
| 7 | Damage Tolerance, defensive multipliers and genus-specific resistance lines |
Why Slot 4 Matters
Slot 4 contains several of the strongest offensive effects available to each genus.
| Genus | Notable Slot 4 Effects |
|---|---|
| Cogni | Critical Damage Boost, Damage Boost, PvE Damage Boost |
| Fera | Weapon Damage Boost, Damage Boost, PvE Damage Boost |
| Natura | Multi-hit Chance, Perfect Chance, PvE Damage Boost |
| Varian | Positional / PvE damage options depending on roll pool |
| Special | Double Chance plus several major damage modifiers |
That does not make one universal Slot 4 roll correct for every class. Assassin, Templar, Cleric and Sorcerer can value different offensive or defensive lines.
Use our AION 2 class guides and builds for class-specific priorities.
What Are Soul Crystals Used For?
Soul Crystals are the reroll currency for Genus Insight Analysis.
Different boards can use their matching Genus crystals, while general Soul Crystal sources can also support the system depending on the current interface and item type.
Current sources include pet progression/crystallization systems, world and event rewards and selected shops.
Hidden Cubes are also an important progression source; see our AION 2 Hidden Cube Map & Locations Guide.
Current Soul Crystal Shop Change
During the current server-transfer period, NC temporarily moved Soul Crystal (Bound) from the Wind Breeze Merchants Special tab to Substance Morph → Special → Wind Breeze Merchants.
This is a temporary Global shop-location change rather than a permanent redesign of Genus Insight, so always check the latest patch notes if the item is not where an older guide says it should be.
What Is Pet Transformation?
A normal pet at Pet Insight Lv3 can use the pet transformation system with the required transformation consumable.
The transformation changes your appearance into the equipped pet for a limited duration. It is mostly a collection and utility feature rather than the reason to choose one combat pet over another.
Special pets follow different rules and should not be assumed to support the same transformation behavior as ordinary monster pets.
Pet Progress Is Server-Wide
Current Global server-transfer rules treat Pets, Genus Crystals and Genus Insight as server progression rather than isolated character progression.
That makes alts useful: pet work done across characters on the same server contributes to the same broader collection ecosystem instead of forcing every character to rebuild the system from zero.
How to Get Unbound by Genus
Reach Genus Insight Lv10 on all five boards:
- Cogni;
- Fera;
- Natura;
- Varian;
- Special.
This completes the Genus Genius achievement and rewards:
- 20,000 Kina (Bound);
- Title: Unbound by Genus.
Unbound by Genus Title Stats
| Effect Type | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Owned Effect | PvE Damage Boost +1% |
| Equipped Effect | PvE Damage Boost +4.5% |
| Equipped Effect | Attack Bonus +34 |
| Equipped Effect | Critical Hit +68 |
The permanent +1% PvE Damage Boost Owned Effect is one of the main reasons Genus Insight remains valuable even if you eventually equip another attack title.
Is Genus Insight Worth Doing?
Yes. Genus Insight is not a cosmetic side system. It combines permanent pet Owned Effects, nine analysis lines on five separate boards and one of the strongest long-term PvE title rewards available through collection progression.
You do not need perfect Heroic rolls immediately. The efficient approach is to build the collection, reach higher Insight levels cheaply, then optimize the most valuable slots once high-grade odds improve.
Common Pet and Genus Insight Mistakes
- Following KR/TW guides that tell Global players to raise pets to Lv5.
- Maxing one pet before unlocking easy pets nearby.
- Ignoring pets because you only view them as mounts.
- Locking mediocre Genus rolls at low Insight levels.
- Spending heavily before reaching Lv9–10.
- Assuming one named pet is stronger than another pet of the same genus.
- Ignoring Special Insight when working toward Unbound by Genus.
- Forgetting that enemy-faction areas contain additional pet Soul sources.
AION 2 Pets & Genus Insight FAQ
How many pets are in AION 2 Global?
The current EU/NA 2.0.7.0 client contains 209 pets: 65 Fera, 48 Natura, 46 Varian, 41 Cogni and 9 Special. Future events and shop updates can increase this number.
How many Souls do you need to max a pet?
105 Souls total: 5 to unlock it, 25 more for Pet Insight Lv2 and 75 more for Lv3.
What is the Global pet level cap?
Pet Insight currently caps at Lv3 on EU/NA Global. Guides showing Lv5 are generally describing KR/TW progression.
What is the best pet?
There is no single strongest normal pet within the same genus. For progression, farm pets with dense and convenient Soul sources and build a wide collection.
What is Genus Insight?
Genus Insight is a separate five-board progression system that uses pet collection EXP, Soul Crystals and Analysis to generate permanent stat lines.
How many Genus Insight levels are there?
Ten levels per board. Nine analysis slots unlock from Lv1 through Lv9, while Lv10 improves the roll-grade probabilities.
Should I lock Genus Insight stats early?
Usually no. Reaching Lv9 and preferably Lv10 before expensive locking is more efficient because high-grade roll chances improve substantially.
Can pets alone get Genus Insight to Lv10?
No. Even maxing every current normal pet in one genus only reaches around Lv7. Analysis is required to finish the boards.
How do I get Unbound by Genus?
Reach Lv10 on Cogni, Fera, Natura, Varian and Special Insight. The Genus Genius achievement then rewards the title and 20,000 Kina.
What does Unbound by Genus give?
Its Owned Effect gives PvE Damage Boost +1%. When equipped, it gives PvE Damage Boost +4.5%, Attack Bonus +34 and Critical Hit +68.
How We Verified This Guide
This guide uses current EU/NA client 2.0.7.0 pet, Genus Insight, achievement and title data, together with current Global NC notices. KR/TW pet-level rules are not used as Global values. Where community strategy is discussed, it is separated from client-defined mechanics.
