Palworld capture rate table

Lamball, Cattiva and Chikipi have the highest base capture rates in Palworld, so a Basic Pal Sphere catches them reliably even at full HP. Anything above a 60% base rate on this table is safe to throw at without weakening it first.

Final catch chance = Base Rate x Sphere Multiplier x HP Factor x Sneak Bonus. Dropping a Pal below 30% HP roughly doubles the HP Factor, and a back-attack sneak throw adds a further bonus, so a 10% base-rate Pal can reach a realistic 40-50% per throw.

Use a Basic Sphere at 60% or higher, a Mega Sphere from 40-59%, a Giga Sphere from 25-39%, a Hyper Sphere from 12-24%, an Ultra Sphere from 6-11%, and a Legendary Sphere below 6%. Going one tier above the recommendation is the fastest way to save time on rare Pals.

Yes. Legendary Pals have single-digit base capture rates, so bring at least 20 Legendary Spheres, weaken them below 20% HP and apply status effects before throwing. Expect several attempts even with perfect conditions.

No. Capture rate only affects how hard a Pal is to catch. Stats, passive skills and work suitability are rolled independently, so a re-caught Pal can have better passives than your first one.