Fairy

This article is about the recurring race. For the spell from The Adventure of Link, see Fairy Spell. For the ingredient from Breath of the Wild, see Fairy.

Fairy
Artwork of Navi from Ocarina of Time
First appearance	The Legend of Zelda (1986)
Appears in	The Legend of Zelda The Adventure of Link A Link to the Past Link's Awakening Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Four Swords The Wind Waker Four Swords Adventures The Minish Cap Twilight Princess Phantom Hourglass Spirit Tracks Skyward Sword A Link Between Worlds Tri Force Heroes Breath of the Wild
Distinctions	Insect-like wings Healing properties Colorful light aura
Notable members	Ciela Fairy Queen Felicia Fortune Goddess Grand Fairy Great Fairies Hide 'N' Seek Fairies Leaf Miff Navi Neri Pinkle Queen of Fairies Fairy of Winds Spryte Tael Tatl Venus Fi Proxi

Fairies are a recurring race in the Legend of Zelda series. These magical, winged creatures are associated with nature and seldom seen by ordinary people.

Link has a strong connection with fairies, who often aid him on his adventures. They are seen in nearly every game and are apparently friendly with anyone that is not allied with Ganon and his hordes. Out of every Fairy so far in the series, Tael and Leaf are the only known males.

Fairies range in size from smaller than a human hand to far larger than a human being.

In most games, Fairies have the power to heal people that are near death. Link can store Fairies in bottles, then either use the Fairy to heal him at any time or wait until he loses all of his hearts, at which point the bottled Fairy will automatically release itself and revive him before flying off.

Biology

Fairies are sometimes depicted as young women with wings and, sometimes, a wand. Another common depiction is a small orb of light with transparent, insect-like wings. They appear in a large variety of sizes, from human-sized Great Fairies to those small enough to fit in the palm of Link's hand. Many Fairies are able to produce their own light, or even change their color.

In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Great Fairies are able to be shattered into many smaller Fairies known as Stray Fairies, though they do not do this of their own power. If Link reunites all of a Great Fairy's Stray Fairies, its body and its powers are restored.

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

In the Majora's Mask manga, Link states that Tatl, and Fairies in general, lack blood or tears. This is contradicted by the appearance of Great Fairy's Tears in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is possible that only Great Fairies can produce tears, hence their rarity and potent magical properties. Also the description of the item seems to imply that it is actually sacred water that contains the prayers of the Great Fairy, not actual tears.

In the The Minish Cap manga, the Great Mayfly Fairy is the first Fairy to be given a lifespan. In her appearance, it is said that her lifespan is short, and that she had only just grown her wings a week beforehand. After she has finished singing her song, she will pass away.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Culture

It seems that Fairies are a species that do not have any formal government. The closest thing resembling leaders are Great Fairies and the Fairy Queen, who seem to be superior to other Fairies and more spectacular in appearance. Great Fairies also have other abilities in addition to the healing powers of lesser Fairies: they can grant Link new or upgraded items, and provide him with powerful spells. Fairies are also known to be a huge part of Kokiri culture, a form a symbiotic relationship to them, as they are given to them by the Great Deku Tree to protect them.

Fairy Companions

In certain games, Link has a Fairy companion who accompanies him for the duration of the game. These often give Link hints as to his next destination or reveal the weaknesses of enemies.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda

Fairies can be found randomly from defeated enemies. They cannot be captured, but they restore some of Link's health. There are also several ponds that house fairies, which, if found, restore all of Link's health.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Fairies appear in the Overworld and in some dungeons and caves. They restore all of Link's health when touched. Additionally, a spell allows Link to temporarily transform into a Fairy. It lasts for as long as Link remains on the screen that it was cast. As a Fairy, Link can fly around the screen, allowing him to cross large chasms or ascend high cliffs that would be otherwise inaccessible. He also has the ability to fly through locked doors that would normally require a key.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Fairies (called Faeries in-game) grant Link seven hearts upon contact. If Link has an empty Bottle, Fairies can be captured and stored in one using the Bug-Catching Net, and will automatically revive Link with seven hearts if he dies. Fairies will occasionally be released by a defeated enemy, will come out of certain trees when rammed with the Pegasus Boots, will appear when Magic Powder is sprinkled on an Anti-Fairy, and can be found in Fairy Fountains throughout Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Fairies can be obtained from defeated enemies, pots, and always from a defeated mini-boss. They cannot be captured. Instead, the Secret Medicine takes the place of a bottled fairy, reviving Link if his hearts should deplete to zero.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

It is first revealed in Ocarina of Time that certain Fairies are the companions and protectors of the Kokiri, each Kokiri having his or her own Fairy guardian. Link, who is ridiculed for being "The Boy without a Fairy", is finally assigned Navi, who helps keep him on track by reminding him where to go. She also allows him to Z-target objects, people, and enemies, provides tactical information about the latter, and even sometimes provides hints for solving puzzles.

As in previous games, health-restoring Fairies are also present, often flying out of broken pots near the lairs of dungeon bosses. They can be captured in an empty bottle and will revive Link in the event that he loses all of his hearts. Butterflies will fly toward a nearby Deku Stick Link is holding, and if lured away far enough, will transform into a Fairy. Additionally, playing "Zelda's Lullaby", "Epona's Song", the "Sun's Song", or the "Song of Time" at a Gossip Stone will cause a Fairy to appear.

Rare Big Fairies can also be found. In certain areas, Navi will turn green, indicating something special. If Link plays the "Song of Storms" or sometimes the "Sun's Song" at these spots, a Big Fairy will appear. One will also appear if Link plays the "Song of Storms" at a Gossip Stone. Big Fairies completely restore Link's Magic Meter as well as eight hearts. They are larger than regular Fairies, have no visible wings, and cannot be bottled like normal healing Fairies.

Also, found within the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods are small, glowing orb trails that zip around, apparently aimlessly. These may not be related to the Fairy community at all, as they appear merely decorative, or perhaps akin to Forest Fireflies.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Navi is replaced by Tatl, a new Fairy who reluctantly helps Link on his quest. After being separated from her brother, Tael, and their friend, Skull Kid, Tatl agrees to accompany Link until she is reunited with Tael.

Stray Fairies have a significant presence in this game, appearing as scattered fragments of Great Fairies, which Link can collect and return to their respective Fountains for rewards.

Healing Fairies and Big Fairies are also present. Healing Fairies can be found in various places, including outside boss chambers and near almost every Owl Statue in the game. They can also be bought at the Trading Post, and will appear when Link plays the Song of Healing in front of a Gossip Stone. As in Ocarina of Time, if a Butterfly is lured away with a Deku Stick, it will turn into a healing Fairy. Big Fairies like those seen in Ocarina of Time--although now restoring 18 Hearts and bearing wings--will again appear when the "Song of Storms" is played in front of a Gossip Stone.

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

Great Fairies can be found throughout the game in caves and alcoves. Healing Fairies, which notably cannot be captured, can be found by defeating enemies, digging, or cutting grass. Furthermore, each mini-boss leaves behind a Fairy upon defeat. Magic Potions serve the same purpose as captured Fairies in other games, restoring all of Link's health if he runs out of hearts. A group of characters called the Hide 'N' Seek Fairies also appear in Oracle of Ages. They look similar to the stray fairies found in Majora's Mask, and are part of a mini-game needed to find the Wing Dungeon.

In the second phase of the boss fight with Veran, she transforms into a Fairy.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Healing Fairies that resemble Navi (yellow balls of light with wings) appear randomly after defeating enemies or cutting grass. Bosses are guaranteed to drop several Fairies upon death.

Another type of Fairy appears in the Chambers of Insight. These Fairies resemble the Stray Fairies from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and they offer tutorials on game controls and items.

A third type of Fairy (also resembling Stray Fairies) appears in the minigame on the credits screen. These Fairies fly across the screen and can be slashed by the four Links. They drop Rupees based on their skin color. Some of these Fairies are obese, and they drop larger Rupees when slashed.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Fairies from The Wind Waker share the same function as healing Fairies from previous games, restoring health upon contact or release from a bottle. These Fairies return to a decidedly humanoid appearance. At one point, Link's Grandma becomes fearful that she has lost both of her grandchildren to the point of being very sick, prompting Link to release a Fairy near her to cure her. She then gives Link a bottle of Elixir Soup as thanks for helping her.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Force Fairies act much the same as healing Fairies. If Link loses all health, they appear from the Four Sword and heal him. They can be obtained randomly throughout the stages, and are awarded at the end of each stage based on how many Force Gems Link has collected. Link can hold a maximum of 99 Force Fairies.

After being rescued, the Six Maidens seemingly fly in the shape of a Fairy as they guide the four Links to their next location.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Three Great Fairies as well as traditional healing Fairies appear. The latter can be caught in empty bottles and will restore Link's hearts should they be depleted. When a Spark is defeated, it always leaves behind a Fairy. Link can also use Orange Picolyte to briefly increase the amount of Fairies he encounters.

Tingle frequently states that he wishes to become a Fairy. He believes that by fusing Kinstones, he will eventually become one.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Fairies are found throughout Hyrule, and are commonly released from breaking jars, especially preceding a boss battle. If Link touches a Fairy when his Heart Containers are full, he will not cause it to disappear, making the capturing process much easier than in previous titles. However, touching one when Link is not at full health will cause it to automatically restore eight hearts. As with many other games, a bottled Fairy will revive Link when his heart containers run out, restoring eight hearts. For every ten floors of the Cave of Ordeals Link completes, the Great Fairy will release Fairies to one of the Light Spirits' springs (in the same order that Link emancipated them from Twilight). These will sometimes land on Link's head or sword if he does nothing for a period of time.

Fairies found in the game are exclusively pink in color with the exception of the Wii version of the game, where an unnamed blue Fairy is used as an on-screen cursor. Notably, another Fairy aids Link, albeit much less obviously. While never seen, the Fairy of Winds inhabits the Gale Boomerang. She mentions her presence when Link acquires the item, and claims to be the source of its power. She never speaks nor is referred to again.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

The Three Spirits, from left to right: Neri, Ciela, and Leaf

Link is paired with a Fairy named Ciela, who was rescued by Oshus. Two others—a blue Fairy, Neri, and a red Fairy, Leaf—later join Link, though Ciela continues to play the largest role. Once Link has collected the proper amount of Spirit Gems for a particular Fairy, that Fairy becomes "equippable", giving Link a different skill depending on which Fairy is equipped. The effects of the three Fairies are: wreathing Link's sword in flame (Leaf); enhanced defense and a stunning shield attack (Neri); and the ability to shoot Sword Beams (Ciela). Leaf, Neri, and Ciela are the Spirits of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, respectively.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Link encounters one fairy during this game called the Spirit of Healing. This Fairy first appears when Link learns the "Song of Healing", which Link can play in dungeons to summon the Spirit of Healing, which restores his health.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

“My analysis indicates a 90% chance that this is a Fairy. I calculate a 10% chance that this is a rare or previously undiscovered insect. If my analysis is correct and this is a Fairy, you can make use of the glittering dust that covers its wings to heal your wounds. Additionally, if you carry a Fairy with you in a bottle, it will automatically revive you one time when you run out of hearts.”

Fairies can be found in specific locations such as the inside of dungeons or places such Sealed Temple (where one can be found in a Pot near the chair on the left side of where the Old Woman sits). They can also be created by pouring Glittering Spores on a Heart. They restore six hearts when touched, released from a bottle, or when all of Link's hearts have been depleted. Fairies can also be found after drawing a Triforce on a Goddess Wall. Fairies can be caught by scooping them with an empty Bottle (like in past 3D Zelda games) or with the Bug-Catching Net (like in A Link to the Past). As when using the Net or a Empty Bottle, Link can Z-Target the Fairy, allowing Fi to analyze it like Bugs and Chirri.

Humorously, Fi will comment that there is a 90% chance the creature is a Fairy and 10% chance that it is a rare or previously undiscovered insect. Fi's analysis also indicates that the glittering fairy dust that covers a fairy's wings can heal wounds, thus explaining exactly how fairies are able to heal Link's injuries. Fi will also point out the benefits of carrying a Fairy in a Bottle. Any fairy caught in the net will be added to any Empty Bottles in Link's possession automatically, however if Link's Bottles are full or he has none with him, he will briefly hold the Fairy in his hands while the item message box appears, but will have to let the Fairy go until he has an Empty Bottle to put it in.

It is very possible Fi herself is a kind of fairy.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Like in A Link to the Past, fairies can be caught with the Bug-Catching Net and are found in Fairy Fountains. These Fairy Fountains can be found all over both Hyrule and Lorule, and can also be found in some dungeons. These Fairies restore five hearts when touched, released from a bottle after being caught, or when Link's hearts are all depleted.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Link obtaining a Fairy from a chest in the Den of Trials in Tri Force Heroes

In Tri Force Heroes, fairies act as continues when the Link's lose all their hearts or when the player uses the skip function during solo play. In solo play, Link starts with 3 fairies upon venturing into one of the Drablands' stages. Losing all of his fairies in a stage results in a Game Over. In the Den of Trials, two of Link's fairies will flee leaving him only one try at the start, however he can obtain a single fairy from a Treasure Chest that appears after completing each Zone by reaching the 5th Floor and collecting a Material from one of the three treasure chests on that floor.

Additionally two Materials in the game: Fairy Dust and Mock Fairy are related to fairies. Fairy Dust is dust produced when Fairies sneeze and Mock Fairy is a decoy created by fairies when they sense danger.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

In Breath of the Wild, fairies can be encountered throughout Hyrule. They can be usually found flying near Great Fairy Fountains, the top of the Great Deku Tree, and occasionally by cutting grass. There are five Great Fairies in the game. The four ones named Cotera, Kaysa, Mija and Tera, propose to Link to enhance his clothes in return for certain monster parts. Malanya is the patron Deity of Horses, he proposes to Link to revive his dead horse.

Like the various incarnations Link, it is implied by Link's conversations with young Hylian girl Ena at the Tabantha Bridge Stable that fairies sometimes befriend children as Ena notes she is friends with an unnamed male fairy. Like Navi and Tatl, fairies that befriend children tend to provide them with wisdom and useful information as Ena's told her about a big "forest kid" who can increase a person's inventory if they are nice to him which is a reference to the tall Korok Hestu whom Link can help in the Side Quest "The Priceless Maracas". Given the validity of this information and the series history with fairies befriending Hylian children like Link, Ena is likely telling the truth about her fairy friend as fairies inhabit Korok Forest and can be found throughout Hyrule.

Fairy Ingredient

In Breath of the Wild, Link can catch and stock a fairy item in his inventory amongst his materials. Like past games, Fairies revive Link from death when he loses all his heart containers, restoring five hearts though if he has Mipha's Grace it will revive him before any fairy. As he is no longer limited to bottles, Link can hold several fairies but they tend to stop spawning in areas they normally do, once Link obtains a certain number, in order to prevent Link overstocking them. Catching Fairies is similar to collecting small animals such as sunset fireflies. Fairies can be sold to shops for 2 Rupees apiece which is quite low considering their usefulness, though the low selling price may be an attempt by merchants to avoid encouraging people to catch and sell fairies which are sentient creatures which maybe supported by the fact no shop or merchant in Hyrule sells fairies. However it may also be due to the fact fairies can be found throughout Hyrule and are relatively easy to catch. However Link must be careful as they will fly off unless he approaches them carefully. Increasing his stealth can make the process catching them a lot easier.

In this game, for the first time, collected Fairies items are cooking ingredients. Link can thrown a Fairy into a cooking pot to create Fairy Tonics. However unlike other ingredients, the fairies themselves are not cooked as they fly off as soon as the Tonic is completed. The Fairy Tonic's description reveals it is imbued with the power of Fairies, and Beedle suggests that fairy dust is used to create the tonic itself. Adding Fairies to certain dishes can boost the number of hearts and in some cases can create dishes that offer Full Recovery depending on how many fairies and what other ingredients are used.

Other appearances

Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

Tingle has a sort of Fairy companion of his own named Pinkle. She contacts him via the computer console in his house, teaching him about the game and helping him to Save. Pinkle's mother is the Grand Fairy.

Hyrule Warriors

Impa & Sheik encountering Navi on Death Mountain in Hyrule Warriors

A Fairy named Proxi appears in Hyrule Warriors, resembling Navi and taking on her role of giving helpful information to Link and acting as Link's voicebox, allowing him to remain a silent protagonist. She also performs the same role for Young Link. Additionally, Sheik and Impa encounter Navi (a generic fairy in the Japanese version) on Death Mountain in the Era of the Hero of Time and are informed that Darunia has kidnapped Princess Ruto and has changed ever since a girl named Zelda appeared.

Fairies also play a large role in Adventure Mode. In some levels, certain keeps have barriers that can continuously damage the player character and any allies present. To negate the effects, the player character must capture a keep where an Elemental Fairy is imprisoned. Upon the keep's capture, the player character acquires the fairy as an item that can neutralize the effects of the barrier (provided that the fairy is of the same element as the barrier keep). In DLCs starting from the Wind Waker pack, certain maps will also have Fairy Hunter units on the enemy's side, which will run to keeps where fairies are held, kidnap them and start to run away, upon which the player will have a limited time to defeat them to recapture the fairy.

During the main story, the Great Fairy commands her fairies to assist the Hyrulean Forces when they call upon her aid via Magic Circles located in local Fairy Fountains to produce powerful magic attacks. At one point, when the Great Fairy summons the Moon to weaken Argorok at the Palace of Twilight, after hitting Argorok the Moon dematerializes into several fairies. In Cia's Tale, Cia attempts to weaken Hyrule by hunting down and killing fairies. Her forces end up finding Proxi, but fortunately she is saved by the intervention of Lana.

Fairies also appear as part of Link's Great Fairy moveset, when the Great Fairy dashes she becomes surrounded by a group of fairies. During her Focus Spirit Attack, the Great Fairy blows a kiss that turns into multi-colored fairies. The 8-Bit Fairy appears as Link's 8-bit Great Fairy weapon.

As part of his Balloon moveset, during his standard Weak Point Smash, Tingle will spot a Fairy which he humorously tries to catch only to end up crushing into a bunch of Bombs (that suddenly appear out of nowhere) surrounding his weakened opponent, causing the bombs to explode and damage the opponent.

Fairies flying around Zelda in her Baton's victory cutscene from Hyrule Warriors

During Young Link's Focus Spirit Attack, Tatl and Tael appear alongside the Majora's Masked Skull Kid when he summons the Moon, which is sliced in two by the Fierce Deity. Fairies also appear in Zelda's victory cutscene for her Baton moveset. Rupee Fairies appear as part of the Majora's Mask DLC in the Termina Adventure Map. Capturing a Rupee Fairy in Rupee competition scenarios causes enemies to drop higher number of Rupees for a limited amount of time.

Hyrule Warriors Legends

Promotional Artwork of Companion Fairies from Hyrule Warriors Legends

The game features a new feature in Adventure Mode called My Fairy Mode, which allows players to collect Companion Fairies. Companion Fairies act as partners who use powerful Fairy Magic and skills to help players on their adventure. They can be found during Adventure Mode battles hidden in Pots located in enemy keeps, represented by a Fairy Bottle. When collected the Companion Fairy is released and obtained. After the scenario is complete, the player is giving the option of renaming the obtained Fairy.

Interestingly, when obtained Companion Fairies appear like other Fairies (excluding Great Fairies) encountered in the Hyrule Warriors series, however have humanoid appearances when selected and in the My Fairy menu. When accessing the My Fairy menu or switch to another fairy, the Companion Fairy will briefly appear as a winged ball of light, only to transform into a humanoid fairy form. Though non-canon, it indicates the possibility that fairies may be able switch between the two forms.

By finding the fairies they will become Companion Fairies. Bring a Companion fairy into battle allows the use of Fairy Magic. The effects of the magic will become more powerful as the fairy's level increases. Like weapons, fairies each have an elemental attribute (Fire, Water, Lightning, Light, Darkness). When a fairy matches the recommended element of a stage, her Fairy Magic will be even stronger. By nurturing companion fairies, players will be able to use various Rental Skills that produce different helpful effects in battle. Different kinds of Rental Skills become available depending on the fairies' personalities. Collecting and nurturing fairies with various personality traits can give players an edge in battle. Companion fairies also have Trust level, which can be increased by giving them Food. There are even some Rental Skills that become more powerful as a fairy's Trust level grows. Additionally there is also fairy clothing to chance how a fairy looks and each item has one effect that will change the amount of damage inflicted by Fairy Magic or the amount of Magic Power used. Fairy clothing can be found hidden in hidden chests located in enemy keeps in Adventure Mode (a present box will appear on the Adventure Map to indicate which scenarios contain fairy clothing and the type of clothing it is shown in the Treasure section of the Adventure Map menu). Occasionally, a Companion Fairy will communicate with the player while in the My Fairy menu.

Tatl and Tael appear along with the Skull Kid and are a key component of his Ocarina moveset, flying alongside Skull Kid who uses his Ocarina to command them to attack enemies.

Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.

Non-canonical appearances

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

For one of Link's taunts, he brings out a blue fairy like the one used to aid navigation in Twilight Princess, which flies around him. In The Subspace Emissary, what is presumably the same Fairy is with him when he draws the Master Sword. There is a sticker of a Fairy in a bottle from Twilight Princess as well. This sticker grants a +7 bonus to tail attacks. It can only be used by Diddy Kong, Pikachu, Pokemon Trainer, and Yoshi.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

The Fairy Bottle Trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Fairies appear within bottles as items that restore 100% damage to whoever picked it up, however the fairy will only heal a player whose damage exceeds 100%. If not, the bottle can be thrown at other players, although if it hits a player with damage greater than 100%, it will heal them. A Fairy Bottle appears in the All-Star rest area along with several other healing items. Also, Link again has a taunt in which a blue fairy that resembles the Cursor Fairy flutters around him. Toon Link has a similar taunt involving a fairy from The Wind Waker.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past manga

Link's Fairy companion, Epheremelda, joins Link on his quest after he enters the Dark World, where he saves her from a group of monsters. She is humanoid in appearance, although she has a pair of antennae. She seems to have a one-sided romantic interest in Link.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time manga

Fairies appear in the manga for Ocarina of Time just as they do in-game, except the manga offers an explanation as to how they are created. It is shown that they are birthed by the Great Deku Tree during a yearly ritual, during which the Fairies become companions for new Kokiri.

The Legend of Zelda comics

A Fairy called Miff accompanies Link and Zelda on their journeys. Miff is shown to be compassionate, saving the life of Rus, a resident of the town of Water Town of Saria.

The Legend of Zelda animated series

Spryte, a humanoid Fairy with a pink dress and short, blond hair, lives at the castle and attempts to help Link and Princess Zelda. This typically results in comical situations, as Spryte, like Epheremelda, has a one-sided crush on Link, while Zelda rebuffs the hero's advances. Spryte's father, Oberon, is the king of the Fairies.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.