Palworld allows players to capture humans, but their usefulness is limited to selling or performing Handiwork. Captured humans can be renamed and assigned to the player's base, albeit they may be less valuable than Pals.

Palworld offers players a unique and controversial experience where they can capture humans in a similar manner to Pals, but the practicality and long-term value of such an act are questionable.
"When a human is captured on Palpagos Island, the game will notify players that the action is inhumane on Palpagos Island, yet it is entirely possible for humans. Humans are distinct from Pals, and as the main focus of the game is on Pals, humans are relatively useless once captured other than for selling their labor for Gold or completing various Handiwork tasks. The online community seems to be divided on whether captured humans can do any skills beyond Handiwork, but currently, there is no evidence to support this claim."
Capturing a human in Palworld follows the same method as capturing any other Pal in the game. After finding the desired target, players have to enter into combat with them to lower their health and then throw a Pal Sphere at them to attempt to capture them. After bringing them to base and introducing them to their new home, humans can be renamed just like any other Pal, but they will need to be given a special name by the player before they can be renamed. Humans will also need a Pal Bed and food just like other Pals, although thankfully they are not able to breed.As if capturing humans wasn't bad enough, the truly disturbing aspect of Palworld's human capture mechanic is that they are at risk of being butchered by the dreaded Meat Cleaver. The weapon that is used to butcher Pals and get their loot drops and meat can, in fact, be used to butcher humans as well, resulting in the regular loot that can be gained from killing them in the wild, such as Bread and Gold Coins. Butchering humans will result in the regular loot that can be gained from killing them in the wild, such as Bread and Gold Coins. Something about it seems even more gruesome than shooting them, however.Unfortunately, one of the biggest reasons that players have found to capture humans in Palworld is that they can be a good way of making quick money. Once caught, they can be sold to the Black Marketeer Vendor with no questions asked. Depending on the type of human that is being sold, they can be worth anywhere from 80 to 1200 Gold a piece. There may be a few raised eyebrows if the player attempts to sell a Black Marketeer Vendor on the Black Marketeer, yet even that seems to be allowed.
Palworld: All Black Marketeer Vendor Locations Black Marketeers are vendors in Palworld who will purchase stolen goods or illegal Pals, but only if you find the locations of their hidden shops. 4 Force A Friendship Pretend They Want To Be There
Humans are not assigned to the base in Palworld and are left to wander around aimlessly, despite the ominous thought that they could escape. Their freedom and agency are taken away, leaving them vulnerable and powerless. This, combined with the ability to rename them, can make it seem less cruel as players can imagine themselves forming a bond with these captured humans, rather than viewing them as mere pawns for the amusement of the Paldex guards.
One Teased Palworld Feature Would Make Gameplay Even More Brutal. While Palworld is filled with various activities and gameplay options, there's one mechanic that should probably never be included in the game.
Capturing Merchant NPCs is not recommended for public servers as numerous reported cases have shown that NPCs never respawn on public servers, rendering the merchant unavailable to others.