The Fairy Fountain theme is one of the most iconic pieces of music in gaming, not just The Legend of Zelda. While the song itself has seen little changes over the years, the Great Fairies themselves have evolved radically since their first appearance in the original Zelda on NES. A Link to the Past made the Fairies more graceful, Ocarina of Time added a certain energy to their depiction, and The Wind Waker intentionally played up how fantastical the Great Fairies are in concept.
For as much as the Great Fairy has evolved over the years, Breath of the Wild might have actually refined them to perfection. Quite literally larger than life, Breath of the Wild’s Great Fairies are not only difficult to track down, they have a thirst for Rupees rivaling Tingle. The fact there are only four Great Fairies in Breath of the Wild makes finding them rewarding enough as is, but they also go out of their way to upgrade Link’s armor if he has the right materials – arguably making Great Fairies’ gameplay role in Zelda more important than ever.
Great Fairy Cotera (Kakariko Village)
It’s important to keep in mind that there is no set order for tracking down the Great Fairies. Breath of the Wild is an inherently nonlinear game, but the main story does direct Link towards Kakariko Village relatively early on. Should players follow this direction, they’ll be able to unlock their first Great Fairy more or less right away.
Great Fairy Cotera is located on a hill overlooking Kakariko Village, right by Ta’loh Naeg Shrine. Her Fairy Fountain is surrounded by trees and periodically spawns Blupees on the path to her. Regardless of whether or not players find Cotera her sisters, the first Great Fairy requires a donation of 100 Rupees before she can start upgrading Link’s equipment. Tier 1 armor upgrades tend to be minimal, though, mainly serving as a stepping stone for future upgrades.
Great Fairy Mija (Lake Akkala)
Great Fairy Mija can be found in the western Akkala region, overlooking Lake Akkala and right by Tarrey Town’s plot of land. To quickly find Great Fairy Mija’s Fairy Fountain, either scale or wapr to Akkala Tower and glide to the west. Like Great Fairy Cotera’s Fountain, Mija is surrounded by a forest. Unlike Cotera, she’s easy to spot from Akkala Tower.
The second Great Fairy Link finds will require a donation of 500 Rupees before she can awaken. While 100 Rupees is easy to come by on the way to Kakariko Village, players might need to stop and grind for money if they find their second Great Fairy too early. The easiest way to make money early in the game is to hunt, cook the meat together, and then sell to any local shops. Donating to a second Great Fairy unlocks Tier 2 armor upgrades at both Fountains.
Great Fairy Kaysa (Tabantha)
Great Fairy Kaysa’s Fairy Fountain can be found in the lower portions of Piper’s Ridge right across from Nero Hill in the Tabantha region. Kaysa’s Fairy Fountain is also very easy to spot from Tabantha Tower, so climb to the top and glide south to find Kaysa’s Fountain surrounded by stone.
Upping the donation count considerably from the second Great Fairy, the third Great Fairy players find will ask for 1,000 Rupees before she reactivates her Fountain. Depending on how far you are into the game, it might be beneficial to start tracking down Talus around Hyrule. They drop several gems upon death which can be sold for reliable money. Otherwise, head north and start hunting big game.
Great Fairy Terra (Gerudo Desert)
The last Great Fairy, Terra, can be found in Gerudo Desert. Unlike her three sisters, Terra is actually fairly difficult to track down. Link first has to sneakily steal a sand seal from Gerudo Town and then ride it all the way southwest. Part of the way through the journey, a sandstorm will cut out the Sheikah Slate’s minimap and disable warping. It’s very important to understand where exactly you’re heading and not to turn too suddenly.
Regardless of who’s last, the final Great Fairy requires a whopping 10,000 Rupees to awaken. Doing allows players to fully upgrade all of their armor, but actually racking up that much money is difficult to do naturally. Get ready to hunt animals, kill Taluses, and spend a lot of time selling food.