Summary

• Save side quests until after unlocking the Ikran in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora for a better gaming experience.
• Ikran, or mountain banshees, are flying mounts that serve as a practical and immersive way to travel in the game.
• To unlock the Ikran, players must progress through the main quest and complete the mission "Take Flight" in the Floating Mountains.

Side quests are better left untouched until a certain feature becomes available in ending that creates opportunities for future Avatar films.

But there's also a ton of side content to do. From Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's approach to material gathering, to crafting incrementally better weapons and gear, to raising Clan Favor with the various peoples of Pandora, there's a lot to get lost in. In such an immersive, open-world game, it can be tempting to tackle all the side content first, simply walking around and taking on each activity as a player finds them. But in the long run, that may not be the best approach. Here's why.

Side Quests In Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora Are Better After Unlocking The Ikran

It's best to save the bulk of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora's side quests until after Ikran flying has been unlocked. Ikran, or mountain banshees, are a species of avian creatures used by Na'vi as flying mounts. Their place in the wider narrative represents the Na'vi's connection with nature. Taming an Ikran is a rite of age in Na'vi culture. While the nature of the ritual varies from clan to clan, basically all Na'vi are required to bond with an Ikran in order to ascend to adulthood.

Ikran choose Na'vi riders just as Na'vi choose Ikran mounts. The two must wrestle in an often deadly ritual before the Ikran is tamed. But once they're bonded, they're bonded for life: an Ikran will never seek out a second Na'vi rider, even if their first one dies. It's not unlike the bonds between humans and domesticated animals like horses, but there's one crucial difference. While Ikran and the Na'vi who ride them are highly trained, they don't respond to verbal commands. Through their braids, Na'vi have a direct neural interface with their Ikran, allowing them to glide seamlessly through the air as one.

In the Avatar films, Ikran are used to create marvelous set pieces, usually involving hunting or aerial battle maneuvers. But in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, they serve a more practical purpose: travel. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has a sizable map, and penalizes fast travel. Each time the player character fast travels somewhere, they have to expend 20% of their energy. Restoring energy afterward requires consuming valuable food, so constantly fast traveling isn't a viable strategy. The best alternative is flying the Ikran as much as possible. That also costs energy, but not as much, and provides ample opportunity to gather food along the way.

The Ancestor Skill "Free Fast Travel," which can be found in the northern part of the Clouded Forest region, removes all energy costs for fast traveling.

While it's arguably more immersive to walk around on foot until the Ikran is unlocked, it's not the best way to experience the game. Players who do so may cover more ground early on, but it's not like it's going anywhere - those areas will still be explorable, and easier to get around, once the Ikran is unlocked. Legging it everywhere risks frustration, which may mean more fast traveling and more wasted food.

And anyway, it's just as immersive to fly from point A to point B once the Ikran is unlocked. It actually makes for quite a touching character moment. The player character was raised in RDA captivity, then cryogenically frozen. As a result, they were denied the opportunity to bond with an Ikran as a rite of age. The moment when they finally do so represents a newfound embrace of their culture, a final step in their homecoming. Plus, it's just a lot of fun to fly around on an Ikran's back.

How To Unlock The Ikran In Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

The first step to unlocking Ikran flight in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora is to progress the main quest up to the mission named "Take Flight." This brings the player character to an Ikran rookery in the Floating Mountains, where a Na'vi named Nefika offers to set them up with their very own mount. It's the 11th main quest in the game, and immediately follows "The Eye of Eywa."

They must then ascend the mountain slopes in order to find one, navigating various obstacles along the way. First, there are Gateway Lilies. Each Gateway Lily is flanked by two smaller flowers that must be activated in order to open the path ahead. This can be done by simply interacting with them, or by shooting them with the bow. Next, there are Lift Vines, which must be shot down in order to create a climbable surface. Na'vi Senses can help locate Gateway Lilies or Lift Vines that are difficult to spot with the naked eye.

Eventually, they'll run into an Ikran, and receive a button prompt to try and tame her. She'll get spooked and fly off. This dance must be repeated twice: use Gateway Lilies and Lift Vines to climb up, see the Ikran, frighten it, and give chase. The third time they meet, the Ikran will bond with the Na'vi, and can then be summoned more or less at will.

How To Use The Ikran In Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora

Once unlocked, the Ikran can be summoned at almost any time by pres on the D-pad if playing with a controller, or H on a keyboard. She can be summoned mostly at will, but there are a few places she won't venture - this usually occurs when trying to summon her during a main quest that requires exploration of uncharted territory. Once the quest is over, the Ikran should become available again as normal. Once summoned, the Ikran can be flown or customized, with options to change her name (selected from a list), colors, or patterns. And yes, it's possible to pet the Ikran in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

When flying, the first thing most players will notice is that the Ikran has her own energy bar. Like the player Na'vi, she must be fed to keep her stamina up. Each Ikran has a favorite food that'll give her additional bonuses whenever she eats it. This is hidden at the beginning of the game, and can only be discovered through trial and error.

The Ikran can be used both in exploration and in combat. By default, the Ikran has acces to an aerial maneuver called Burst, which aptly gives her a short burst of increased speed. However, certain Ancestor Skills, like Screech and Wing Gust (both of which are located in the Upper Plains), along with those in the Rider section of Frontiers of Pandora's skill tree, can unlock additional Ikran abilities. In particular, Barrel Roll is useful for evasive maneuvers, while Flying Takedown can immediately eliminate staggered enemies. Aerial Fishing reduces the need to feed the Ikran; she'll automatically catch and eat fish while flying low near water.

Ikran make a fantastic addition to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. They're not only useful in exploration and in combat, but also have an important role in the game's story. Whether to unlock the Ikran immediately or take time with the story is a decision that comes down to individual player choice. It's not necessary to rush through the main quest until Ikran flight is available, but doing so vastly improves the Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora experience.