Link wakes up with nothing. No clothes, no memories, and definitely no armor that can stand up to a Guardian’s laser. It’s a rough start. Eventually, you’ll realize that the rags you’re wearing aren't going to cut it against a Lynel. That's where the great fairies in Breath of the Wild come in. They aren't just giant, flamboyant women living in flowers; they are basically your only hope for survival in a world that wants to crush you.
Most people think these fountains are just a quick stop for a power-up. They’re not. They are a massive resource drain that requires genuine planning if you don't want to end up broke and frustrated.
The Reality of Tracking Down Every Fountain
Hyrule is huge. Finding the first fountain near Kakariko Village is easy enough because the game basically points you there with a quest called "Finding the Fairy Fountain." Pikango, the traveling painter, acts as your guide. But after that? The game stops holding your hand. You’re on your own in the wilderness.
The second, third, and fourth fountains are scattered in corners of the map you might not visit for forty hours. One is tucked away in the autumn-colored trees of Akkala. Another is baking in the Gerudo Desert, hidden under a massive skeleton that provides just enough shade to keep Link from passing out. The final one is in the rainy, dense woods of the Tabanta Frontier.
Finding them is only half the battle. Opening them is a financial nightmare.
The price scaling is aggressive. The first one costs a measly 100 Rupees. You probably have that in your pocket from selling a few flint. But then it jumps to 500. Then 1,000. By the time you reach the fourth sister, she demands 10,000 Rupees just to pop her head out of the bud. 10,000. In a game where most enemies drop rusty swords and guts, that is a fortune. You have to become a gemstone hunter or a professional cook just to afford the entry fee.
Why You Actually Need Them
You might wonder if it's worth it. It is.
Each sister you wake up increases the "level" to which you can upgrade your gear. If you only find Cotera, you can only upgrade your Hylian Trousers once. If you find all four sisters—Cotera, Tera, Kayasa, and Mija—you can boost your armor to its maximum potential. We’re talking about taking a piece of armor from 3 defense points all the way up to 20 or more.
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It changes the math of the game. A hit that used to kill you instantly suddenly only takes off a quarter of a heart.
But there’s a catch. They don't just work for free once they’re awake. They need materials. Lots of them. If you want to max out the Ancient Armor set, you aren't just looking for Rupees; you're looking for Ancient Cores and Giant Ancient Cores. Those only drop from the big Stalkers and Skywatchers. It turns the game into a loop of hunting, gathering, and praying to the RNG gods.
The Set Bonus Secret
Here is where the great fairies in Breath of the Wild become truly essential. It’s not just about the raw defense numbers. It’s about the Set Bonus.
When you upgrade every piece of a matching set to at least level two, you unlock a hidden perk. Wear the full Rubber Set? You become completely unshockable. Thunderstorms become a joke. Wear the Flamebreaker Set? You're fireproof. Not just "heat resistant," but literally immune to catching fire.
The most famous one is probably the Sheikah Set's Night Speed Up. It makes Link run like he’s had five espressos as soon as the sun goes down. You can’t get that without the fairies. They are the gatekeepers of the game's best mechanics.
The Fifth "Fairy" Nobody Mentions Early On
Technically, there are four Great Fairies that upgrade armor. But there’s a fifth entity that looks like them but acts very differently. Malanya.
Located at the Lake of the Horse God in the Faron region, Malanya is... creepy. Let's be real. She lives in a bud that looks like the others, but she doesn't care about your shirt or your pants. She cares about your horses. If your favorite horse dies—maybe it walked off a cliff or got caught in a Guardian's crossfire—Malanya can bring it back to life.
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She also charges a fee, usually an Endura Carrot. It's a weird, slightly macabre corner of Hyrule lore, but if you’ve spent hours bonding with a 5-speed horse, she’s the most important NPC in the game.
Farming Rupees Without Losing Your Mind
Since the 10,000 Rupee barrier is the biggest wall players hit, you need a strategy. Don't just sell everything in your inventory. You'll regret selling those Swift Violets when you realize you need 15 of them for a climb-speed upgrade later.
The best way to fund your fairy addiction is hunting in the Hebra Mountains. Prime Meat and Whole Bird Thighs drop constantly from the cold-weather animals. If you cook five pieces of "Gourmet Meat" together, you get a meat skewer that sells for 490 Rupees. Do that twenty times, and you’ve paid for the final fountain.
Another trick? Ore. Talus bosses are your best friends. They respawn every Blood Moon. If you mark the Rare Ore Talus locations on your map, you can do a "lap" around Hyrule and walk away with Rubies, Sapphires, and Diamonds worth thousands.
The Nuance of Material Gathering
Every fairy has a personality, but they all share the same hunger for your loot. The requirements start simple. A few Bokoblin horns. Maybe some Blue Nightshade. Then it gets weird. Suddenly you need 15 Smotherwing Butterflies. Have you ever tried to catch a Smotherwing Butterfly? They’re tiny, they only live in the volcanic heat of Eldin, and they disappear if you breathe too loudly.
This is where the Sheikah Sensor+ comes in. If you don't take a picture of these items and track them with your slate, you will spend hours wandering aimlessly.
Expert players know that the great fairies in Breath of the Wild aren't a side quest. They are the backbone of your character's progression. You can beat the game without them, sure. Speedrunners do it in their underwear. But for the average person trying to explore the corners of the map, these fountains are the difference between a fun adventure and a frustrating "Game Over" screen.
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Strategy for the End Game
Once you have all four unlocked, the game shifts. You stop being the prey. You become the predator.
With a fully upgraded Barbarian Set, your attack power is so high that most bosses melt in seconds. With the Soldier's Armor maxed out, you have a physical defense of 84. At that point, a silver Bokoblin hitting you with a club feels like a gentle breeze.
But getting there requires more than just button mashing. It requires a deep understanding of Hyrule’s ecology. You need to know that Electric Keese only show up in specific spots or that Lizalfos Tails come in three different elemental flavors.
The Great Fairies are a test of your knowledge of the world. They force you to engage with the bugs, the plants, and the monsters. Honestly, it's one of the best designed "level up" systems in modern gaming because it isn't just about XP points. It's about your relationship with the environment.
Next Steps for Your Journey
To efficiently max out your gear and utilize the Great Fairies, follow these specific actions:
- Pin the Locations: Immediately head to the Tabantha Frontier (near Nero Hill), Akkala (south of Tarrey Town), and the Gerudo Desert (the bottom-left corner of the map) to mark the buds on your map even if you can't afford them yet.
- Save Your Gems: Stop selling Diamonds and Sapphires to random merchants. Keep at least 10 of each in your inventory at all times, as they are required for the final tier of many circlets and elemental armor pieces.
- The Meat Grind: Head to the Snowfield Stable in Hebra. Spend thirty minutes hunting the moose and rhinos. Cook the meat in batches of five and sell them to the merchant at the stable to clear that 10,000 Rupee hurdle for the fourth sister.
- Photograph Everything: Use your camera to snap a photo of every butterfly, dragonfly, and snail you see. Setting your sensor to track "Stealthfin Trout" or "Rugged Rhinos" will save you hours of aimless searching when the fairies demand specific tribute.