Anti-Fairy

Anti-Fairy
An Anti-Fairy from A Link to the Past
First appearance	A Link to the Past (1992)
Appearances	A Link to the Past Link's Awakening Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Four Swords Four Swords Adventures The Minish Cap A Link Between Worlds
Effective weapon(s)	Boomerang Magic Powder Gust Jar Bow Tornado Rod

"Appears in dungeons. They float in midair. They won't hurt you, but if you touch them, you won't be able to use your sword for a while."

— Figurine

Anti-Fairies, also known as Whisps and Wisps (ウィスプ, Uisupu^?), are recurring enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. Depicted as floating skulls, Anti-Fairies are the polar opposites of Fairies in terms of healing properties; Anti-Fairies sap a victim's health while Fairies heal them. Anti-Fairies are not affected by most items, but will leave a Fairy behind in certain games when defeated in a specific manner.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Anti-Fairies appear as skulls protected by a rotating magical field. They move at a constant speed in a predictable direction. Most move diagonally, bouncing off walls when they hit them, while a few follow along walls. If Link is hit by an Anti-Fairy, he suffers a loss of both health and magic power. If sprinkled with Magic Powder, most Anti-Fairies turn into fairies, except for the four Anti-Fairies in the Eastern Palace room where the Big Key is located, as they are somehow immune to Magic Powder.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Anti-Fairies appear in several dungeons, in which they are invulnerable to almost all weapons. The Boomerang and Magic Powder, however, will defeat them instantly.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons

Anti-Fairies look and act identical to their Link's Awakening counterpart. They move around diagonally across rooms and ricochet off the edge of the room and blocks. Most weapons cannot hurt the Anti-Fairies; however, the boomerang will defeat them with one successful hit. If the Anti-Fairy is flashing rapidly, as some do, defeating it with the Boomerang will yield a true fairy, which can be used to recover health.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Anti-Fairies are seen periodically throughout the game. Unlike most enemies, they can exist in the Dark World. If they touch Link, they deal a small amount of damage. They cannot be destroyed by Link's sword. Jumping over them with the Roc's Feather is an efficient way to avoid them.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

There are two varieties of Anti-Fairies: red and blue. Both types cause Link to be unable to use his sword or items for a period of time, much like the Bubbles in many games in the series. Red Anti-Fairies move slowly and stay attached to Link only for a short time, however, they then reappear in the same spot where they first spawned. Blue Anti-Fairies move much quicker then red ones do, however, they do not continue to reappear after attaching to Link. Both kinds can only be defeated by use of the Boomerang, Bow or Gust Jar.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Anti-fairies appear in the House of Gales. They can only be defeated if their flames are put out with the Tornado Rod and are then attacked directly with the sword. After they become vulnerable, they will attempt to flee from Link until they can reignite themselves. There are also icy varieties, Ice Anti-Fairies, which will freeze Link if he makes contact or slashes at them with his sword. Link must use the Fire Rod, the Bug-Catching Net, or the Lamp to make them vulnerable to sword attacks. Unlike most enemies, Anti-Fairies cannot be harmed by the Nice Tornado Rod.

Etymology

Anti-Fairies seem to be named after the fact that they are the polar opposites of Fairies in terms of healing properties. Also, upon their defeat in some games, a Fairy is released. Their alternate names, Whisp and Wisp, may be derived from will-o'-the-wisp, mysterious, fire-like lights that often loom over swamps and disappear when approached.

See also

• Bubble
• Spark