Overview
The Circus Lion is a temporary mount in Crimson Desert and one of the most unusual mounts in the game. Unlike other predator mounts that must be subdued through combat, the Circus Lion can be mounted by simply walking up to it and pressing the mount button. It is found exclusively at The Laughing Marionette, a traveling circus located in the Demeniss region.
Despite sharing the same base stats as the wild Tiger (450 Health, 100 Attack, 45 Evade), the Circus Lion behaves quite differently. It is tame and approachable, letting players ride it without resistance.
Base Stats
At Level 1, the Circus Lion has the following base stats:
Stat | Value |
|---|---|
450 | |
100 | |
Attack | 100 |
Evade | 45 |
1 | |
1 | |
Climb Speed Multiplier | 1 |
Swim Speed Multiplier | 1 |
Seats | 1 |
Location and Access
The Circus Lion sits near the circus tents at The Laughing Marionette in Demeniss. The circus is located between the "M" and second "E" of "Demeniss" on the world map, just outside the City of Demeniss.
Timing note: Guards in this area are hostile until after Chapter 8 of the main quest. If you visit before completing Chapter 8, you may need to deal with hostile guards to reach the lion.
How to Mount
Walk up to the seated lion (NPCs may be petting it) and press Square (PlayStation) or X (Xbox). No combat is required. You simply ride away.
Important: Do not wear a Mask when approaching the lion. If a mask is equipped, the Ride option will not appear. Unequip any mask before attempting to mount.
Riding Behavior
The Circus Lion is extremely fast but has a low stamina pool (100). It can cover short distances very quickly but tires rapidly during sustained sprinting.
Unlike wild predator mounts, the Circus Lion cannot attack enemies on its own. You can still use your equipped weapons while riding it, but the lion itself provides no offensive contribution. This is a notable difference from mounts like the Bear or Gristle Wolf, which have their own attack commands.
Limitations
Cannot be stored: Taking the lion to a stable does not register it. It cannot be kept permanently.
Respawn delay: After the lion is lost or you dismount, it takes several in-game weeks to respawn at The Laughing Marionette.
No lion attacks: The lion has no attack commands of its own. All damage comes from the rider's weapons.
See Also
Lion - General lion information
The Laughing Marionette - The circus where the lion is found
Tiger - A wild big cat with identical stats
Mounts - All mounts in Crimson Desert
Travel and Combat Notes
The Circus Lion stands out as one of the quickest temporary mounts for pure travel. When sprinting, it covers ground at a noticeably fast pace, making it a practical option for getting across the Demeniss area quickly. For short-to-medium distance travel, the lion's raw speed is one of its biggest strengths.
However, its combat capability is unreliable. While the Circus Lion technically has an attack command, the majority of attempts to use it do not deal damage to living targets. The attack animation plays, but hits frequently fail to connect or register against enemies. This makes the lion a poor choice for mounted combat compared to bear mounts or tigers, which both deal consistent damage with their attacks.
This inconsistency suggests the Circus Lion's attack may not be fully implemented or is bugged in its current state. If the developers fix the damage output, the lion could become a strong candidate for a permanent mount option, combining high speed with predator combat. For now, treat it primarily as a fast travel mount and rely on your own equipped weapons for damage while riding.