In Crimson Desert, players can unlock Blackstar as a permanent dragon mount near the end of Chapter 11 after first meeting and cleansing the dragon during Chapter 9. This guide explains the full unlock process, including why Stamina Level 5 is required, how to complete the Chapter 9 riding sequence, how to defeat Golden Star in Chapter 11, and how Blackstar works once it becomes a summonable mount. Blackstar can fly across Pywel, attack enemies from the air, and help clear outdoor enemy camps, but it has a 15-minute use limit and a 60-minute cooldown. Recent updates also added another flying dragon-like option, letting players hatch a Baby Wyvern, raise its Level of Growth by feeding it meat, and transform it into a rideable wyvern mount.
The Blackstar dragon is one of the most exciting mounts in Crimson Desert . It lets you fly across Pywel, attack enemies from the air, and clear enemy camps with fire-based attacks. But you do not unlock it early, and the game does not simply hand it to you after the first encounter.
To get the Blackstar dragon mount in Crimson Desert , you must first meet and cleanse Blackstar during Chapter 9, then progress to Chapter 11 and complete the Golden Star boss sequence. After that, return to the Nest of Valor to unlock Blackstar as a permanent summonable mount.
This guide explains every step, including the Stamina requirement, the Chapter 9 riding sequence, the Chapter 11 boss fight, and how Blackstar works once unlocked.
Quick answer: how to unlock the dragon mount in Crimson Desert You unlock the Blackstar dragon mount near the end of Chapter 11.
Here is the basic process:
Progress through the main story until Chapter 9. Complete the Shattered Stars quest chain in Urdavah. Make sure your Stamina is at least Level 5. Ride and cleanse Blackstar during the Chapter 9 sequence. Continue the story until Chapter 11. Defeat the Golden Star boss during the Foreboding Shadow quest chain. Return to the Nest of Valor. Blackstar becomes your permanent dragon mount. Spoiler warning: This guide includes story details from Chapter 9 and Chapter 11.
When do you first meet Blackstar? You first encounter Blackstar during Chapter 9 as part of the Shattered Stars quest chain. This section takes you to Urdavah, where you find the wounded dragon and remove a spear from its body during a story cutscene.
At this point, Blackstar is not your mount yet. The scene only introduces the dragon and sets up the next part of the unlock process. After the cutscene, you will need to return to Urdavah and complete a riding sequence to cleanse Blackstar.
Before you start: level your Stamina to Level 5 Do not start the Blackstar riding sequence unless your Stamina is at least Level 5.
This is the most important requirement in the entire process. During the Chapter 9 sequence, you must perform an Aerial Maneuver after grappling onto Blackstar. That move costs 200 Stamina, so you will not be able to complete the objective if your Stamina is too low.
If the sequence feels impossible, check your Stamina first. In most cases, the issue is not your timing. It is that your character does not have enough Stamina to perform the required action.
How to ride and cleanse Blackstar in Chapter 9 After the first Blackstar cutscene, return to Urdavah. When you are close enough, open the pause menu and look for the “Wait” option. Selecting it moves you to the battlements, where Blackstar will fly toward you.
Here is what to do:
Wait for Blackstar to approach the battlements. Jump and glide as the dragon passes below you. Use Axiom Force to grapple onto Blackstar’s back. Immediately press the jump button to perform the Aerial Maneuver. Hold the “Resist” prompt whenever Blackstar dives, twists, or rolls. When prompted, activate Focus. Charge Force Palm. Aim at the glowing mark on Blackstar’s back and release the attack. If done correctly, this purifies Blackstar. The dragon will fly away afterward, but you still have more story to complete before it becomes your permanent mount.
Why can’t I complete the Blackstar riding sequence? If you are stuck during the Chapter 9 dragon sequence, check these common issues.
Your Stamina may be too low. You need Stamina Level 5 because the Aerial Maneuver costs 200 Stamina.
You may be grappling too late. Jump and glide before Blackstar is directly below you so you have enough time to target its back.
You may not be pressing jump after grappling. Latching on is not enough. You need to trigger the Aerial Maneuver immediately.
You may be missing the Resist prompt. Hold the prompt when Blackstar dives or rolls. If you ignore it, you may lose your grip.
You may be releasing Force Palm too early. Wait until the attack is charged and the glowing target appears on Blackstar’s back.
How to unlock Blackstar permanently in Chapter 11
Blackstar becomes a permanent mount during Chapter 11, not Chapter 9.
Continue the main story until you reach the Foreboding Shadow quest chain. This sends you to Delesyia, where you eventually fight Golden Star, a mechanical dragon boss.
Golden Star uses heavy attacks such as flame tornadoes and explosive barrages, so keep moving and avoid staying directly in front of it for too long. When the boss becomes immobile, throw spears to deal major damage. This is one of the fastest ways to push the fight forward.
Once you reduce Golden Star’s health enough, Blackstar appears and helps finish the encounter. After the battle, return to the Nest of Valor, the location connected to your earlier Chapter 9 sequence. Blackstar will be waiting there. From that point on, it becomes your permanent dragon mount.
Can you use Blackstar anywhere? Blackstar can be summoned while exploring Pywel, but there are limits. You cannot freely use it in every location, and it cannot be summoned inside the Abyss realm.
The dragon is extremely powerful, so the game limits both how long and how often you can use it. Blackstar can only be used for 15 minutes at a time , and after that, it has a 60-minute cooldown before you can summon it again.
Because of this, Blackstar is best treated as a high-impact mount for long-distance travel, enemy camps, and large outdoor fights rather than something you rely on every few minutes.
Blackstar dragon abilities and controls
Once unlocked, Blackstar gives you both flight and combat options.
Blackstar can:
Fly across the open world Shoot fireballs Lock onto targets for multiple fireball attacks Use fire breath at close range Perform mid-air evasive rolls Clear enemy camps quickly The lock-on fireball attack may not always behave consistently, so fire breath and direct fireball attacks are often more reliable when fighting groups of enemies.
Blackstar is powerful, but its use is limited. Each summon lasts up to 15 minutes, followed by a 60-minute real-time cooldown. Save it for major travel routes, large outdoor fights, or clearing enemy camps when you want to make the most of its short active window.
Can you give armor to Blackstar? Yes. After unlocking Blackstar, you can later craft the Abyssal Dragon Armor , a late-game upgrade that changes Blackstar’s appearance into a more mechanical, armored dragon.
This does not unlock a new dragon mount. It is armor for Blackstar. To get it, you need to progress well into Chapter 11, defeat the Golden Star boss, and then follow the Flight: Wings of Iron quest under the Faction Quests: Hernand - The Witches tab.
The process is not very clearly explained in-game. In short, you need to craft the Small Kuku ATAG first, then use it as part of the recipe for the Abyssal Dragon Armor. Important materials include a Kuku Iron Pot, Abyss Cells, Cogwheels, Small Batteries, Golden Star’s Component, Core: Ore of Resipiscence, and Aeserion’s Scale. The Golden Star’s Component is received after defeating Golden Star in Chapter 11.
Once the armor is crafted, track Flight: Wings of Iron and return to the Nest of Valor . Walk to the marked spot to trigger a cutscene, and Blackstar will receive the Abyssal Dragon Armor.
Are there other flying dragon or wyvern mounts? Yes. Blackstar is no longer the only flying dragon-like mount available in Crimson Desert. A recent update added a way to raise a Baby Wyvern pet into a fully grown wyvern mount, giving players another flying option if they want to explore Pywel from the air.
How to get the Baby Wyvern pet Before you can get the Baby Wyvern, you need the Focused Force Palm ability. Some players unlock this during Chapter 4 on the way to Scholastone. If you missed it, you may need to wait until Chapter 9 during the quest The Calling, where the ability becomes available in a desert temple sequence.
Once you have Focused Force Palm, travel to Wyvern’s Cradle in southwest Deleysia. This area is in the easternmost region of Pywel, west of Dewhaven and north of Three Brothers’ Cliff. Clear out the Wyvernflame enemies in the area first so you can safely search the nest.
Inside Wyvern’s Cradle, climb into the pillared section of the cave and follow the left wall until you find a mineral blockage. Use Focused Force Palm to clear the blockage, then enter the newly opened cave and pick up the Wyvern Egg. Bring the egg back down to the nest area and place it in the correct central nest, specifically in the twig-covered part of the nest.
If done correctly, the egg will begin to shake and glow. Wait a few minutes until the shaking and glowing become more intense, then interact with the egg to hatch it. The Baby Wyvern will appear and register as your pet.
The Baby Wyvern does not become rideable immediately. First, summon it as a pet, then feed it meat to raise its Level of Growth. This growth meter appears in the pet menu below its equipment.
You need to raise the Baby Wyvern to Level 3. Growth appears to be time-gated, so you may only be able to gain about one level of progress per day. Once the Baby Wyvern reaches Level 3, summon it, look at it, and interact with the prompt to bring it down to the ground. A Grow prompt should appear. Use that prompt to transform the Baby Wyvern into a fully grown wyvern.
After the transformation, the grown wyvern can be summoned, mounted, and flown like a special mount.
This means Crimson Desert now has at least two major flying dragon-like mount options: Blackstar and the grown wyvern mount. Blackstar is still the major named dragon mount tied to its own unlock process, while the wyvern mount works more like a pet-raising system. Other rumored dragon or wyvern mounts, such as the Abyssal Dragon, Ember Wyvern, Highland Wyvern, and Storm Drake, still do not appear to be confirmed as unlockable rideable mounts at this time.
Conclusion The Blackstar dragon mount is not an early-game reward in Crimson Desert . You first meet the dragon in Chapter 9, but the permanent unlock does not happen until Chapter 11. The key requirement is Stamina Level 5, which allows you to complete the riding and cleansing sequence in Urdavah.
Once you defeat Golden Star and return to the Nest of Valor, Blackstar becomes one of the most powerful mounts in the game. It can fly across Pywel, attack enemies from the air, and make exploration feel much faster. Just remember that Blackstar can only be used for 15 minutes at a time and has a 60-minute cooldown after each use.
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FAQ What chapter do you get the dragon mount in Crimson Desert ?
You unlock Blackstar as a permanent dragon mount in Chapter 11 after completing the Golden Star boss sequence and returning to the Nest of Valor.
Do you ride Blackstar before Chapter 11?
Yes. You ride and cleanse Blackstar during Chapter 9, but it does not become your permanent mount at that point.
What Stamina level do you need for Blackstar?
You need Stamina Level 5 or higher. The Chapter 9 riding sequence requires an Aerial Maneuver that costs 200 Stamina.
Where do you unlock Blackstar?
The process starts in Urdavah during Chapter 9. The permanent unlock happens later, after the Chapter 11 Golden Star boss fight, when you return to the Nest of Valor.
Can you summon Blackstar in the Abyss?
No. Blackstar can be used while exploring Pywel, but it cannot be summoned inside the Abyss realm.
Are there other flying dragon or wyvern mounts in Crimson Desert ?
No. Blackstar is currently the only rideable flying dragon mount in Crimson Desert . Other names like Abyssal Dragon, Ember Wyvern, Highland Wyvern, and Storm Drake appear online, but they are not available as rideable mounts in the current version.
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