If you spent any time wandering Hyrule Field at night as a kid, you probably remember that specific, haunting lantern jingle. It’s a sound that triggers a weird mix of nostalgia and genuine stress. Most people think of the Ocarina of Time Poe as just another enemy, but for completionists, they are the ultimate test of patience. Dealing with them isn't just about swinging a sword. It’s about timing, horse riding mechanics that haven't aged perfectly, and a very specific creepy guy sitting in a burnt-out guardhouse.
Honestly, the Big Poe hunt is the "Ocarina of Time" equivalent of a fever dream.
The Difference Between a Regular Poe and the Big Prize
Let's get the basics out of the way because people always mix these up. You’ve got your standard Poes. These guys hang out in graveyards or the Forest Temple. They’re annoying, sure. They turn invisible when you target them, and they love to spin around with those lanterns. But they aren't the real challenge. You kill them, they leave a soul, you shove it in a bottle, and maybe you sell it for a few rupees. It's basically a side hustle.
Then there are the Big Poes.
These are a completely different beast. There are exactly ten of them scattered across Hyrule Field, and they only appear when you are riding Epona as Adult Link. This is where the game gets technical. You can’t just walk up to them. If you dismount, they vanish. If you stop moving, they vanish. You have to hunt them from horseback using your bow, which, back in 1998, was basically the peak of "look what this console can do" mechanics.
The mechanics are finicky. You have to trigger a specific "spawn point" on the map, usually by passing a certain tree or a specific rock wall, and then quickly pivot Epona to nail them with two arrows before they fade away into the ether. It’s fast. It’s sweaty. It’s rewarding in a way that modern map markers just can't replicate.
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The Poe Collector: Hyrule’s Creepiest NPC
We have to talk about the guy who actually wants these things. The Poe Collector sits in what used to be the guardhouse at the entrance to Hyrule Castle Town. After Ganondorf takes over and turns the place into a literal hellscape, this guy just moves in with his glowing red eye and his jars.
He’s fascinating. He tells you that "the world is a dark place," which is a massive understatement considering the town outside is filled with ReDeads. But his sole purpose is to buy those souls from you.
- Standard Poes get you 10 Rupees.
- Big Poes are worth 50 Points.
If you manage to bring him all ten Big Poes, he gives you the fourth Empty Bottle. In a game like this, a fourth bottle is basically god-tier loot. It means another Fairy, another Green Potion, or another life-saving milk delivery during the Ganon fight. But the cost? Hours of riding Epona in circles near the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch.
Where Most Players Get Stuck
Most players hit a wall around Poe number seven or eight. Why? Because the spawn points are incredibly precise. One of the most notorious ones is near the gray boulder by the entrance to the Gerudo Valley. You have to approach it from a very specific angle, or the Poe simply won't trigger.
Another one hides near the bushes outside Hyrule Castle. If you’re riding too fast, you’ll blow right past the trigger point. If you’re too slow, you won’t have the momentum to keep up with the Poe’s flight path. It requires a level of map knowledge that feels like learning a secret language.
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There's also the technical limitation of the Nintendo 64 (or even the 3DS remake). The draw distance is a factor. Sometimes the Poe spawns, but because of the way the camera pivots when you’re aiming the bow, you lose track of it. You’re fighting the controls as much as you’re fighting the ghost. It’s a rhythmic, frustrating, beautiful mess.
Why the Poe Hunt Still Matters Today
In modern gaming, we are spoiled. We have "detective vision" and waypoints. In "Ocarina of Time," you just had the sound of the lantern and your own intuition. The Ocarina of Time Poe represents a design philosophy where the world didn't care if you found everything. The developers at Nintendo, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma, built these secrets as a way to reward people who actually paid attention to the geography of the world.
There’s also the lore aspect. What are these Poes? The game implies they are the manifested hatred of the deceased. Seeing ten "Big" versions roaming the field where a war clearly took place adds a layer of environmental storytelling that's easy to miss if you're just rushing to the Shadow Temple.
Tips for the Perfect Hunt
If you’re going back to finish that 100% run, don’t just wing it.
First, get the Biggoron’s Sword first just to make life easier elsewhere, but remember: the bow is your only friend here. Keep Epona at a steady gallop; don't use all your carrots at once. If you dump all your speed, you won't be able to adjust your aim when the Poe inevitably zags while you expected it to zig.
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Second, use the borders of the map. The Poes have a tendency to fly toward the edges of the field. If you can "herd" them toward a wall, their movement becomes predictable. It’s almost like sheepdog trials, but with ghosts and a magical horse.
Third, pay attention to the grass. Some Poes only trigger if you run through a specific patch of bushes. If you've been circling a tree for ten minutes with no luck, try widening your radius. The game's "hitboxes" for these triggers are sometimes a few feet away from where you'd logically expect them to be.
Moving Toward the Final Bottle
Capturing all ten Big Poes is one of the few things in the game that feels like a true achievement because it’s entirely optional and genuinely difficult. It’s not a dungeon puzzle with a logical solution. It’s a skill check. Once you hand over that tenth soul and see the Poe Collector practically vibrating with excitement, you get that bottle.
The bottle is great, but the real reward is the silence. Hyrule Field at night becomes a little bit less crowded. You’ve cleared the spirits. You’ve mastered the horse. You’ve proven that you can handle the weirdest, most tedious task the Kingdom of Hyrule can throw at you.
Actionable Steps for Completionists
- Check Your Inventory: Ensure you have at least one empty bottle before you start the hunt. There is nothing worse than killing a Big Poe and realizing you have nowhere to put it. They disappear if you leave the area to go find a bottle.
- The Lon Lon Ranch Loop: Start your hunt by circling the perimeter of Lon Lon Ranch. Three of the ten Poes are located in this general vicinity, making it the most efficient place to practice your horseback archery.
- Visual Markers: Look for the lone tree near the entrance to Gerudo Valley and the "V" shaped wall near the Kakariko Village entrance. These are high-probability spawn zones that most players miss on their first pass.
- Save After Every Catch: The game doesn't auto-save. If you catch a difficult Poe and then accidentally ride into a group of Leevers and die (it happens), you’re doing it all over again.
- Master the "Quick-Draw": Practice tapping the stick to center your view before pulling the bow. This "snaps" your aim toward the direction Link is facing, which is usually exactly where the Poe just appeared.
The hunt is tedious, but it defines the "Ocarina of Time" experience. It’s about the grit. It’s about the atmosphere. It’s about being the only person in Hyrule brave—or crazy—enough to collect ghosts for a guy in a jumpsuit.