You're running through the tall grass of Hyrule, your armor is basically paper, and a Guardian just beamed you into oblivion. It happens. But honestly, if you haven't tracked down a Great Fairy in Breath of the Wild, you’re playing the game on hard mode for no reason. These massive, colorful, and slightly intimidating sisters are the only way to upgrade your gear, but they come with a catch: they want your Rupees. A lot of them.
The first time you stumble upon a Great Fairy Fountain, it looks like a giant, glowing flower bud. It’s mysterious. You approach it, and a booming voice asks for a donation. If you're early in the game, 100 Rupees feels like a fortune. By the time you’re hunting the fourth sister, she’s asking for 10,000. It’s a literal pay-to-win system built right into the heart of Nintendo’s masterpiece, and if you don't have a plan, you'll be farming Ore Deposits for hours just to survive a hit from a Lynel.
Where the Great Fairy Fountains are Hiding
Most players find Cotera first. She’s tucked away in the woods behind Kakariko Village. It’s the "tutorial" fountain, basically. You follow the path uphill from the shrine, and there she is. But the others? They’re scattered in corners of the map you might never visit if you’re just rushing the main quest.
Take Tera, for instance. She’s out in the Gerudo Desert, hidden under the Dragon’s Exile. You have to endure a massive sandstorm that knocks out your map just to find her. It’s frustrating. It’s hot. And honestly, without cold-resistance gear or plenty of hydration, Link is toast before he even sees the fountain. Then there’s Mija in Akkala, perched on a cliffside, and Kayasa in the Tabantha Frontier.
Finding them is only half the battle. The real kicker is that the sisters are "linked." You don't just pay for one and get max upgrades. The number of sisters you’ve awakened determines how high you can level up your armor. One sister gets you one star. Two sisters get you two stars. You see where this is going. If you want that sweet level four Ancient Armor, you need all four sisters out of their buds and breathing that crisp Hyrulean air.
The Cost of Power
Let’s talk money. This is where most people get stuck. The price scaling in Breath of the Wild is aggressive.
- The first sister costs 100 Rupees. Easy.
- The second jumps to 500. Still manageable if you sell some Bokoblin guts.
- The third is 2,000. Now you're starting to feel the sting.
- The fourth is a staggering 10,000 Rupees.
If you aren't hunting Taluses or playing the bowling mini-game at Pondo’s Lodge, hitting that 10,000 mark is a grind. Many players think they can skip the fourth one, but that’s a mistake. Level four armor doesn't just increase your defense; it often unlocks "Set Bonuses." Wear a full set of upgraded Rubber Armor, and suddenly lightning doesn't hurt you anymore. It changes the game entirely.
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Why the Upgrades Actually Matter
It’s not just about the numbers. It’s about the mechanics. Every piece of armor has a base defense value. A standard Hylian Tunic starts at 3. That’s nothing. A late-game enemy will breathe on you and you’ll die. But a fully upgraded Tunic? That’s 20 defense. Multiply that across three gear slots, and you’re walking around with 60+ defense.
Suddenly, those terrifying Silver White Moblins are just a nuisance.
But there’s a nuance here that the game doesn't explicitly shout at you: the materials. The Great Fairy in Breath of the Wild doesn't just work for cash. She needs stuff. Rare stuff. For the Zora Armor, you’ll need Lizalfos tails and Hearty Bass. For the Flamebreaker set, you’re going to be hunting Smotherwing Butterflies in the searing heat of Death Mountain.
I’ve spent way too much time crouching in the rain trying to catch Stealthfin Trout just to satisfy a Great Fairy’s requirements. It’s a cycle of exploration. You find the fairy, you pay the fee, she tells you what she needs, and you head back out into the wild. It forces you to engage with the environment in a way that just following the yellow quest marker never would.
The Secret Fifth Sister
Okay, she’s not technically a Great Fairy in the traditional sense, but you can’t talk about these sisters without mentioning Malanya. The Horse God.
Located in the Faron region, near the Horse God Bridge, Malanya resides in a bud that looks just like the others. She wants 1,000 Rupees. But she doesn't care about your armor. She cares about your dead horses. If you’ve ever accidentally ridden your favorite horse off a cliff or had it caught in the crossfire of a Guardian’s laser, Malanya is your only hope. She’ll bring them back to life. Just don't let her catch you killing them on purpose—she’s got a bit of a temper and some very weird dialogue about it.
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Surviving the Interaction
Let’s be real for a second: the Great Fairy animations are... a choice.
The first time a giant hand reaches out and drags Link underwater, it’s a shock. The higher the upgrade level, the more "intense" the cutscene becomes. By level four, it’s a full-on underwater kiss that leaves Link looking absolutely shell-shocked. It’s part of the charm, sure, but it’s also one of those things you might want to skip if you're playing on the bus.
Beyond the theatrics, the fountains are also the best place in the game to farm Fairies. The little ones. The ones that jump out of your pocket and revive you when you hit zero hearts. Every Great Fairy fountain is surrounded by 3-4 of these small fairies. If you approach them quietly—crouched, with stealth gear on—you can stock up.
Pro tip: The game stops spawning small fairies at the fountains if you already have more than two or three in your inventory. But if you hold the fairies you already have in your hands (using the "Hold" command in the menu), the game "forgets" they are in your inventory, and the ones at the fountain will spawn. Grab them quickly, cancel the hold, and you can walk away with five or six fairies in your pocket. It’s a literal lifesaver.
Breaking Down the Map Locations
If you're hunting them right now, here is the shorthand.
Cotera is in the woods near Kakariko. You basically can't miss her if you do the main story. Mija is in the Akkala region, specifically on a cliff southeast of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. She’s easy to spot from the air if you glide off the lab's roof. Kayasa is in Tabantha, right near the Nero Hill. If you climb the Tabantha Stable’s nearby tower, you can see her glowing bud in the distance.
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Tera is the outlier. She’s in the bottom left corner of the map. Look for the "Great Skeleton" in the Gerudo Desert. You’ll need "Heat Resistance" during the day and "Cold Resistance" at night just to survive the trip. Oh, and bring a Sand Seal. Walking through the desert is a nightmare.
Farming the Materials
Once you have the locations, the real work starts. The upgrade paths are varied.
- Ancient Armor: You’ll need Ancient Gears, Springs, and eventually Giant Ancient Cores. Don't sell your Ancient parts to Kilton until your armor is maxed out.
- Snowquill Set: Lots of Fire Keese wings and Red Chuchu Jelly.
- Desert Voe Set: White Chuchu Jelly and Ice Keese wings.
Most people struggle with the "Star Fragments." These are rare drops that fall from the sky at night. If you see a streak of yellow light hit a mountainside, drop everything and run toward it. You’ll need these for the high-level upgrades of "special" gear like the Circlets or the armor sets based on previous games.
Is the Fourth Upgrade Worth It?
Honestly? Yes and no.
If you are just trying to beat Calamity Ganon, you don't need 10,000 Rupees worth of upgrades. Two stars on your main set is usually enough to survive the final fight if you’re decent at dodging. But if you want to take on the DLC, specifically the Trial of the Sword or Master Mode, then yes, you need every bit of defense you can get.
The defense curve in Breath of the Wild is steep. At low levels, you take massive damage. But once your defense rating passes the attack power of the enemy, the damage you take drops to a minimum of a quarter-heart. Being able to take a hit from a Gold Lynel and only lose a tiny sliver of health is a power trip that makes the 10,000 Rupee investment feel like a bargain.
Actionable Steps for your Hyrule Journey
Stop wandering aimlessly and get your gear in order. If you're tired of seeing the "Game Over" screen, follow this sequence:
- Mark the Map: Pin the four locations (Kakariko, Akkala, Tabantha, and Gerudo Desert) as soon as you unlock the towers.
- The Rupee Grind: Go to the Hebra region and hunt prime meat. Cook five pieces of "Gourmet Meat" into a skewer and sell it for 490 Rupees. Do this 20 times, and you have your 10,000 for the final fairy.
- Stealth is Key: Always wear the Stealth Set (purchasable in Kakariko) when visiting a fountain. This allows you to grab the small fairies and the rare insects (like Sunset Fireflies) that spawn around the buds without scaring them off.
- Prioritize the "Set Bonus": Look at your inventory. Don't just upgrade random pieces. Pick one set—like the Climber’s Gear or the Ancient Armor—and focus all your resources on getting it to level two immediately. That "Stamina Up" or "Ancient Proficiency" bonus is worth more than five points of extra defense on a mismatched tunic.
The Great Fairies are more than just a weird diversion; they are the backbone of Link's progression. Without them, you're just a kid in a blue shirt swinging a stick. With them, you’re an unstoppable force of nature ready to reclaim Hyrule. Get to the fountains, pay the fee, and stop letting Bokoblins push you around.