Should You Unlock All Great Fairy Fountains in Tears of the Kingdom?
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The Great Fairies are a cornerstone of The Legend of Zelda experience, and Tears of the Kingdom is no exception. They provide a crucial service: upgrading your armor. But with four Great Fairy Fountains scattered across Hyrule, a crucial question arises: is it worth the effort to unlock them all?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. While it might feel like a significant time investment, fully unlocking all four Great Fairy Fountains is essential for players aiming to maximize their potential in Tears of the Kingdom. While you can enjoy the game without them, reaching the true power ceiling, especially for tougher challenges, necessitates the upgrades they offer. In essence, for players looking to optimize their experience and tackle all that Hyrule has to offer, unlocking all four is essential.
The Power of the Great Fairies: How They Enhance Your Gameplay
The Great Fairies in Tears of the Kingdom function similarly to those in Breath of the Wild, but with a few crucial differences. Upon being awakened, each fairy enhances the capabilities of the others, meaning they grow in strength. Unlike previous iterations, they don’t just upgrade your armor; they enhance each other’s abilities. Let’s break down how the system works.
The Upgrade System
- Incremental Enhancements: Each Great Fairy provides incremental upgrades to your armor. The more Great Fairies you unlock, the higher you can upgrade your gear. Unlocking just one allows for one upgrade, two unlock a second upgrade, and so on, until all four allow a max-level fourth upgrade.
- Shared Power: The fairies share their power between each other. Once all four are accessible, they all provide the same upgrade levels, irrespective of which fairy you visit. This means the order you awaken them in doesn’t matter.
- Cost and Materials: Upgrading your armor requires both Rupees and specific crafting materials. The better the upgrade, the more expensive it becomes, both in Rupees and the complexity of the required materials.
- Permanent Benefits: Once a Great Fairy is unlocked, you can use their fountain to upgrade gear as many times as you want provided you have the necessary items.
Why Unlock All Four?
If you only unlock one Great Fairy, you are limited to just a single level of upgrade on all of your armor pieces. This severely restricts your defensive capabilities, especially in the late-game areas of Tears of the Kingdom. Unlocking all four Great Fairies is essential for those wishing to maximize their defense or maximize set bonuses associated with the armor. For players looking to min/max stats or simply feel more powerful and comfortable tackling the game’s challenges, it’s a must.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Great Fairies
Here are some commonly asked questions regarding the Great Fairies in Tears of the Kingdom, to give you an even more well-rounded perspective.
1. What happens when you unlock all Great Fairy Fountains?
Unlocking all four Great Fairy Fountains allows you to fully upgrade your armor to its maximum potential, giving you the highest level of defense and effectiveness possible. This is crucial for tackling the game’s toughest challenges and making the most of your gear.
2. Does it matter which Great Fairy I unlock first?
No, it does not. The order in which you unlock the Great Fairies doesn’t affect their individual upgrade capabilities. Each fairy strengthens the others, so once you’ve unlocked all four, they all offer the same max upgrade levels.
3. Do all Great Fairies offer the same upgrades?
Yes, once unlocked, all Great Fairies provide the same upgrade options for your armor. There is no difference between them when fully activated, the difference is merely the number of upgrades they provide based on how many you have unlocked.
4. What do the Great Fairies actually do?
The Great Fairies in Tears of the Kingdom primarily upgrade your armor. They enhance your gear by increasing the defense it offers in exchange for Rupees and resources.
5. Where do I find the Great Fairies?
Each Great Fairy has a unique location, and you need to complete a mini side-quest to unlock them. These quests usually involve helping the travelling troupe with their music, and you’ll find them at the various stables throughout Hyrule. The first Great Fairy, Tera, is located near the Woodland Stable.
6. How many times can a Great Fairy enhance armor?
Each fairy upgrade allows you to upgrade your armor one time. Since there are four fairies, you can upgrade any given piece of armor a maximum of four times.
7. What can the Great Fairies upgrade?
The Great Fairies can upgrade most pieces of armor in the game. This includes headgear, chest pieces, and legwear, as long as those items can be upgraded.
8. How many fairy fountains are there in TotK?
There are four Great Fairy Fountains in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. There are also other fairy fountains, including one for a horse fairy, but these are not related to armor upgrades.
9. Should I give Rupees to the Great Fairy before I do a quest?
You should still complete the quest first. Giving rupees before completion of the associated quest does nothing. You should give rupees to fairies in A Link to the Past and other non-BOTW-and-TOTK games, but not here.
10. Is there a fifth Great Fairy Fountain?
Yes, there is a fifth Great Fairy in Hyrule, the Great Horse Fairy, who is located in the Lake Tower Region. But, this fairy doesn’t offer armor upgrades, it’s used to upgrade your horses.
11. Can I do all my armor upgrades at one Great Fairy fountain?
Yes, once a fountain is unlocked, you can use it as many times as you like, provided you have the necessary materials for the upgrades. However, only unlocking one will limit you to a singular upgrade for each piece of armor.
12. Can you upgrade the Evil Spirit Armor?
No, the Evil Spirit Armor cannot be dyed or upgraded by the Great Fairies. This is counterbalanced by its special set bonuses.
13. Can you upgrade the Fierce Deity Armor?
Yes, you can upgrade the Fierce Deity Armor. These require special ingredients, but provide great boosts to your power.
14. How do I get 10,000 rupees in Zelda?
One of the most effective ways is to hunt for prime meat in South Tabantha Snowfield. You can then use the meat to create dishes that sell for high amounts.
15. Are the Great Fairies worth the effort?
Absolutely. While it requires time and effort, unlocking all four Great Fairy Fountains is essential for players looking to maximize their armor’s potential and fully experience all that Tears of the Kingdom has to offer. The defensive boost they provide is crucial for tackling some of the game’s most difficult challenges.
Final Thoughts: The Importance of the Great Fairies
Ultimately, the Great Fairies are a critical part of Tears of the Kingdom’s upgrade system. While it might feel tedious to seek them all out and help them through their side-quests, the reward is more than worth the effort. For those wishing to experience the full scope of combat that Hyrule can throw at Link, unlocking all four Great Fairy Fountains is an absolute must. It isn’t required, but for a complete and rewarding experience, it’s very highly recommended. They empower you to become the hero Hyrule needs and make some of the game’s most challenging encounters significantly easier.