Natlan is home to a variety of Saurians, which you can transform into to help you explore the area and solve puzzles. Here's everything you need to know about Saurian transformation in Genshin Impact.
How does Saurian transformation work in Genshin Impact
Saurian transformation can be used without prerequisites. I strongly suggest taking advantage of being able to transform as it will save you time getting from one place to another.
Transforming into a Saurian
There are two ways you can transform into a Saurian. First, look for a floating symbol that represents a Saurian (there is a different symbol for each kind). Approach it and use the special interaction key (T button for PC) to transform.
Alternatively, look for an adult Saurian in the wild, approach it, and use the special interaction key to transform. It's worth noting that this doesn't work for baby Saurians!
Transforming back to your character
Suppose you want to switch back to your character, press and hold the Elemental Burst key (Q for PC) to separate your character from the Saurian. You will gain full control of your character.
When you exit from the Saurian form, its symbol will remain on the ground for a while. This way, you can quickly change into your character to fight against enemies, then switch back to Saurian form to continue exploration.
Phlogiston (stamina bar)
Saurians have a unique stamina bar called Phlogiston, which gets consumed as they use their abilities. When their Phlogiston bar is depleted, they'll start using yours, and when yours is depleted, you can no longer use Saurian abilities.
These naturally replenish over time, but you can get a quick boost by interacting with objects that contain Phlogiston, which look like small flame crystals that float in the overworld.
How to use Saurian abilities in Genshin Impact
Each Saurian will have unique abilities that are useable while you are transformed.
Tepetlisauri
The Tepetlisauri can traverse quickly underground. Press the Elemental Skill key while in Tepetlisauri form to trigger it to dive underground, then use the directional keys to move. This function can also be used to climb mountains, which is extremely useful in some of Natlan's mountainous areas.
Yumkasauri
The Yumkasauri has two useful abilities. First, you can press the Elemental Skill button when you see the floating symbols in the air to use them as hook shots that work similarly to Sumeru's four-leaf sigils.
If there are no symbols floating in the air, you can also use the Yumkasauri to propel yourself in any direction. Press and hold the Elemental Skill key to aim at a target position, then release to propel the Yumkasauri toward it. This function covers a rather short distance, so I encourage you to experiment with it to make it useful for your exploration.
The Yumkasauri is also great at baseball! It can pick up light objects, such as the flaming blue buds pictured above, by pressing on the Elemental Skill key. For reference, a green symbol must appear above the object to indicate that it can be picked up.
After picking up the flaming ball, face the direction of your target, and then press the Elemental Skill key again to release it.
Koholasauri
The Koholasauri can be used on both land and in water, but its abilities are especially useful in all forms of water (including magma!). While in the Koholasauri form, you can press and hold the dash button to swim quickly. Additionally, Koholasauris can interact with Jet-Set Eddies to surf from one place to another. These appear as portals and are more frequently used in quests than in the wild.
For more on Natlan, check out our guide on All Sprayfeather Gill locations in Genshin Impact here on Pro Game Guides.
Nicki is a freelance writer with 5 years of writing experience. She's a fan of anything from HoYoverse, from Genshin Impact to Tears of Themis and Honkai: Star Rail. She also loves rhythm games like BanG Dream! and D4DJ.