Honestly, Barta is a bit of a disaster. If you've spent any time in Gerudo Town, you know the vibe. Discipline, training, sand seals, and then there’s Barta, who just cannot seem to stay out of trouble. Most players first run into her while infiltrating the Yiga Clan Hideout. She’s locked in a cage, looking pathetic, and basically serves as your warning that getting caught is a bad idea. But once the Yiga are dealt with, she doesn't just go back to her post and behave. No. She disappears again.
The side quest known as the search for barta is one of those Breath of the Wild moments that feels like a wild goose chase if you don't know where to look. You talk to Liana in the training courtyard, and she’s losing her mind because her subordinate has vanished—again. The rumor is she went off to find some "Leviathan bones" in the desert.
💡 You might also like: Sudoku Hard Online Free: Why You Keep Getting Stuck and How to Fix It
It’s a long trek. The desert is brutal.
Where Barta actually is (and why she’s there)
You won’t find her wandering the dunes. She’s way out in the southwest corner of the map, tucked under the massive skull of the Gerudo Great Skeleton. If you haven't been there yet, it’s a trek. The sandstorm in that area is thick enough to mess with your Sheikah Slate, meaning your mini-map goes fuzzy and your GPS stops working. You have to navigate by sight.
Look for the Hawa Koth Shrine. Barta is literally leaning against the bones right there, looking like she’s about to pass out from heatstroke and exhaustion.
📖 Related: Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai Another Road: Why This PSP Gem Still Slaps in 2026
When you find her, she’s mumbling about wanting to eat a Hearty Durian one last time. She went all that way to see the bones and forgot to bring, you know, water or food. Classic Barta. You can’t just talk her back to town; you actually have to give her the fruit to get her moving.
Don't leave Gerudo Town without the fruit
Seriously. Save yourself a trip. Before you head out into the wasteland, stop by the Gerudo Town market. There’s a vendor who sells Hearty Durians for 60 rupees. Buy one. If you’re feeling cheap, you can find them growing in the Faron region near the Faron Tower, but if you're already in the desert, just pay the 60 rupees. It’s worth it to avoid backtracking through a sandstorm.
Once you hand it over, she perks up immediately. She thanks you, mentions she’s going to head back, and then warns you not to tell Liana how dumb she was.
The rewards and the "Hidden" dialogue
After she heads out, you have to go back to Gerudo Town and talk to Liana. The reward is a Silver Rupee (100 rupees). Not a massive payday, but it’s one of the requirements if you’re trying to get your hands on the Thunder Helm later from Riju.
There’s a funny bit of nuance here that most people miss. If you talk to Barta while wearing your "voe" (male) clothes—which you can do since she's outside the town walls—she has different dialogue. She recognizes you from the Yiga Hideout. She’ll mention she realized you were a guy because you looked "muscular," but she promises to keep your secret. It’s a nice touch that proves the developers at Nintendo were thinking about player choice even in small side missions.
Dealing with the sandstorm
Getting to the Great Skeleton is the hardest part. The sandstorm is relentless. If you have a Sand Seal, use it. It makes the trip significantly faster and helps you keep your bearings. If you get lost, just keep heading southwest. The skeleton is so massive you can usually see it through the haze once you get close enough.
Also, keep in mind that the Great Fairy Tera lives right there too. If you’ve got 10,000 rupees to spare (for the final upgrade level), you might as well knock that out while you’re visiting Barta. It's a two-birds-one-stone situation.
Actionable steps for your quest log
- Prep the fruit first: Buy a Hearty Durian at the Gerudo market before you even talk to Liana.
- The route: Grab a Sand Seal from the gate and aim for the far southwest corner of the Gerudo Desert.
- Navigating the storm: If your map cuts out, look for the dark silhouette of the Leviathan bones. The Hawa Koth Shrine is your landmark.
- Talk to Barta twice: Give her the durian, wait for her to leave, and then warp back to Gerudo Town.
- Close the loop: Talk to Liana in the courtyard (the one with the spears) to get your 100 rupees and credit toward the Thunder Helm questline.
This quest is basically a test of your preparation. If you head out there empty-handed, you're going to be annoyed. If you bring the durian, it's a quick ride, a nice bit of lore, and an easy 100 rupees. Just don't expect Barta to learn her lesson—she’s probably going to get lost again the moment you turn your back.