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There’s a load of resources waiting to be found in the depths of Planet 4546B, some being more valuable than others. Kyanite is one of these valuable resources, being a prerequisite for items and machinery needed to finish Subnautica’s storyline. To get your hands on this endgame material, you’ll need to prepare for a great expedition that will take you far from the Safe Shallows and deep beneath the surface.
Searching for Kyanite in Subnautica
Being an endgame material, it should be no surprise that Kyanite is one of the most difficult resources to find. There is also a very limited supply of it, so you’ll want to know how to maximize your haul before diving in. Before setting off on your voyage for Kyanite, you’ll need to equip yourself properly first.
Equipping for the journey
Kyanite is only found in the deepest reaches of Subnautica, exceeding 900 meters to be exact, in the Lava Lakes biome. This means you won’t be able to bring your Seamoth, even if it’s fully upgraded. Instead, you’ll need to bring a Prawn Suit with a drill arm and a depth module MK I. You should also get a grappling arm and a jump jet upgrade for better mobility. The trip is best made with an upgraded Cyclops, as you’ll be traveling far, deep, and through dangerous waters.
If you’re having trouble getting the resources for these upgrades, check out our Aerogel guide for a helping hand. Once you’ve got these upgraded vehicles, plus a bunch of food and water for the trip, it’s time to set off.
Also Read: Subnautica Leviathans: How To Find (Or Avoid) Each One
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Traveling to the Lost River
Your quest to obtain Kyanite will take you through most of the biomes of Subnautica, though you’ve got some choice over the path you take. I’ll attempt to be as clear as possible with directions, but you might want to scout the way with a Seamoth, at least partially. The Cyclops can be a bit too cumbersome for an initial expedition, and there are a few small spaces to get stuck in.
There are a few routes open to you, but I’ll be directing you through the Northwest passage for this guide. Once you’re ready, set off from your Lifepod on a Northwest heading. You should aim for the Northwest Mushroom Forest, which can be marked by Lifepod 13. If you’re going for Kyanite, you should have this beacon by now.
As long as you head directly to this Lifepod, you’ll make it there without any danger. Once you’ve reached Lifepod 13, you’ll want to set a slightly Northeast course. You’ll end up stumbling across the Northern Blood Kelp Zone, with a handy little trench joining the Zone to the Mushroom Forest. This trench marks the second leg of your journey.
Also Read: Best Places To Find Lithium In Subnautica
Follow the trench straight down, and you should see a large opening into an underwater cavern full of green brine. This is the Lost River, which needs to be navigated in order to reach Kyanite. There are a few entrances to the Lost River, but this Northwest one is my favorite. It’s pretty safe to reach, and the entrance is big enough to easily fit the Cyclops, which is handy for venturing deeper.
It’s also quite close to an important area and the entrance to deeper waters. You’ll need to watch out for a Ghost Leviathan Juvenile though, which is easy to do if you stick to the left-hand side of the cavern. Follow the wall until you reach a brine waterfall that goes into the Lost River. This waterfall will empty out into a junction that has three other branching paths and a fossil at the center. You’ll want to follow the passage on your right.
This passage leads to an excellent reward – a safe and picturesque waystation for you to rest up before continuing on. I’d suggest building a base here; it has thermal energy, food and water in the form of gel sacks and bladderfish, and a bunch of other resources like nickel, titanium, and so on.
The Cove Tree and Ghost Rays are also nice to look at, making it a real breath of fresh air from what you’ve been through previously and what’s to come. You’ll also need nickel to upgrade your Cyclops’ depth module and make some other upgrades. Once you’re ready to move on, go behind the Cove Tree and sink beneath the blue brine. Below awaits the final biome.
Entering the Lava Lakes
At roughly 1000 meters deep, you’ll have entered the Inactive Lava Zone. Having come through the Cove Tree area, you’ll only need to follow the passage to reach the main cavern. More importantly, this passage might even contain the object of your search – Kyanite. It seems pretty rare here, though; I’ve never seen it lining the passages personally, though it does vary between saves, so you might be luckier. If you don’t see any, just head into the main cavern and have a look around, there should be a few large Kyanite crystals in there.
Prawn Suit
You’ll need to use your Prawn Suit’s drill arm here, and you aren’t guaranteed to get a crystal for every bit of Kyanite you drill. Be aware of the two Sea Dragons that lurk in this Zone, as they can deal a lot of damage to your Cyclops. You should stick close to the cave floor and pulse your sonar, though the Dragons are pretty easy to hear from a mile away. If you still can’t find any, or you don’t want to risk your Prawn Suit, you can head straight on from the passage you came from until you reach the Lava Castle.
Small Kyanite crystals line the walls inside this castle, which you can pick up by hand. You should go in here for some lore stuff anyway, so you might as well pick up some Kyanite while you’re here. After you’ve collected your Kyanite, you can return the way you came. Not far from the Lava Castle, between it and the passage you came from, is a massive hole leading to the Lava Lakes. I won’t spoil what’s down there, so make sure to check it out once you’ve used your Kyanite.
What can be crafted with Kyanite?
Kyanite has only a few uses, despite it being so difficult to acquire. Every use is crucial for finishing the game though, which kind of makes up for it. Here’s what you can build with Kyanite in Subnautica:
- Cyclops Depth Module MK III: You’ll need this upgrade to travel deeper into the Lava Lakes, as the MK II just won’t cut it.
- Prawn Suit Depth Module MK II: If you plan to deploy your Prawn Suit in the Lava Lakes, you’ll need this upgrade to withstand the pressure.
- Cyclops Thermal Reactor Module: This upgrade lets your Cyclops recharge its cells from the heat, which is pretty intense in the lava areas. It’s very handy to have, considering the energy parasites that live down there.
- Prawn Suit Thermal Module: Like the Cyclops’ module, this lets your Prawn Suit recharge itself in the heat of the lava areas. It isn’t as handy to offset the energy parasites though, as they aren’t as attracted to the suit as they are to the Cyclops.
- Storyline Use: The last use for Kyanite is for a story item. I won’t spoil what that is since it completely gives Subnautica’s end goal away, but you’ll know it when you see it, and the recipe is unlocked automatically.
Final Thoughts
That’s everything you need to know about Kyanite in Subnautica. It’s a pain to get, but it takes you on a beautiful journey through the best parts of Subnautica. Kyanite is also pretty useful, which is a bonus. As Kyanite is found in the last biome, it pretty much marks the final stage of the game. I hope you enjoy your last moments in Subnautica as much as I did.
1 thought on “Subnautica: Where To Find Kyanite”
Thank you for the very informative article on finding kyanite I have watched many different videos on this and your article by far is the best.