Flying across the skies of Pywel on the back of a massive fire-breathing dragon is easily one of Crimson Desert's most spectacular moments. Blackstar, the game's primary dragon mount, is tied directly to the main story, but getting there takes real commitment: expect at least 50 hours of playtime before you see those wings spread for you. Here's exactly what you need to do, step by step, with no wasted time.
How do you unlock the dragon mount in Crimson Desert?
Blackstar becomes your permanent mount after completing the Foreboding Shadow questline in Chapter 11: Truth and Reality. The process actually begins two chapters earlier, so think of it as a two-act unlock spread across a large chunk of the late game.
Step 1: Chapter 9 — first contact with Blackstar
During Chapter 9: The Sage of the Desert, the Shattered Ties quest chain takes you to the Palace of Urdavah. A cutscene plays where you pull a spear from the wounded Blackstar. That's your first introduction to the creature.
After that cutscene, return to Urdavah. Once you're close enough, a Wait prompt appears when you open the pause menu. Selecting it teleports you to the battlements as Blackstar approaches.
Here's the mounting sequence:
- As Blackstar closes in, jump and begin gliding.
- Activate Axiom Force (your grapple ability) and target the dragon's back as it passes beneath you.
- The moment you latch on, press Jump to perform the Aerial Maneuver.
- While riding, hold the Resist prompt whenever Blackstar dives or rolls erratically.
- When prompted, activate Focus and charge your Force Palm until a green glow appears on the dragon's back. Aim for it and release.
This purifies Blackstar of its corruption. The dragon flies off. Your job here is done, but the mount isn't yours yet.
First encounter with Blackstar
Step 2: Chapter 11 — the Golden Star boss fight
Fast forward to Chapter 11: Truth and Reality. The Foreboding Shadow quest chain sends you to Delesyia, where you'll face the Golden Star, a mecha dragon boss and one of the tougher fights in the game.
The Golden Star hits hard, with a flame tornado and a bombard barrage among its nastier moves. Throwing spears at it during its immobile phases deals significant damage and speeds the fight up considerably. Once its health is depleted, Blackstar swoops in to finish the job alongside you.
After the sequence ends, head back to the Nest of Valor location from Chapter 9. Blackstar will be waiting there, and from that point forward, the dragon is yours as a permanent summonable mount.
How do you summon and ride Blackstar?
Once unlocked, summon Blackstar by holding H on PC or pressing down on the D-pad and selecting the dragon from the radial menu using the right stick. The dragon flies overhead and your character automatically grapples up.
Dragon controls and abilities
Once you're actually in the saddle, Blackstar handles like this:
- Fireballs: Shoot in succession with a lock-on mode for multiple targets. Drains stamina.
- Fire breath: Burns enemies at close range.
- Barrel roll / dodge: Press the dodge input twice for a quick mid-air roll to evade incoming attacks.
- Aerial freedom: Fly anywhere across Pywel, including high into the sky toward the Abyss.
If Blackstar's health bar is depleted while you're riding, the dragon becomes unsummonable for the full cooldown period. There's no way to skip or shorten this penalty by sleeping or waiting, since it runs on real-world time. Keep an eye on that health bar during combat.
What are Blackstar's time limits and cooldowns?
This is the part that has frustrated a chunk of the player base. Blackstar is only available for 15 minutes of real-world time per session. After that, a 50-minute cooldown kicks in before you can summon the dragon again. Both durations are measured in actual minutes, not in-game time.
There is currently no confirmed method to reduce the cooldown or extend the active window.
All five Crimson Desert dragons
What other dragon mounts exist in Crimson Desert?
Blackstar is the most accessible dragon since it's tied to the main story, but Crimson Desert actually has 5 dragon-type mounts in total:
- Blackstar Dragon (story unlock, Chapter 11)
- Abyssal Dragon
- Ember Wyvern
- Highland Wyvern
- Storm Drake
The other four are not tied to the main questline, and details on their unlock conditions remain sparse at the time of writing. Blackstar is the guaranteed first dragon for every player.
For more on Crimson Desert's systems and late-game content, browse more guides on GAMES.GG to keep your playthrough moving.
