Gossip Stone

Gossip Stones are recurring items in the Legend of Zelda series. These mysterious stones can give Link advice and background information on many things, including information about side-quests. These stones are often associated with the Sheikah tribe, as the typical Gossip Stone has the Sheikah Emblem carved into it.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Gossip Stones are found all over Hyrule. Their principal feature is providing information for the one who wears the Mask of Truth. Without this mask, they will not speak and a message will state that their gaze "pierces into your mind." If Link strikes them with his sword, they will tell him the current time in the game. If he drops a bomb near one, it changes colors and will blast off like a rocket into the air. If he uses Din's Fire or shoots a Fire Arrow at it, it will spin rapidly and stretch upward before returning to normal. When he hits one with the Megaton Hammer it is flattened, only to rise again with a "springing" sound. Playing any of the non-warp Ocarina songs (with the exception of "Saria's Song") near a Gossip Stone will summon a Fairy; playing the "Song of Storms" summons a Big Fairy, which refills eight Heart Containers and Link's entire Magic Meter.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Gossip Stones appear again in Majora's Mask, where their function is largely similar to those in Ocarina of Time. In this game, the stones will inform Link of the time left until the Moon crashes into Termina when they are struck by a sword. In response to the "Song of Storms", they will again provide a Big Fairy, which now refills 18 Heart Containers as well as Link's entire Magic Meter.

Termina Field contains four underground grotto in which a special type of large Gossip Stone is found alongside three regular ones. If Link plays one of the special songs designed for use with a particular instrument (e.g. the "Sonata of Awakening" played on Deku Link's pipes), the large stone will change color. If the larger Gossip Stone in each cave is changed to the same color by playing the "Sonata of Awakening", the "Goron's Lullaby", or the "New Wave Bossa Nova" on the proper instrument, Link is rewarded with a Piece of Heart.

Gossip Stones can also be found in the Lunar Children's Moon Dungeons. Twenty in all, each one gives Link information on the holder of one of the game's masks.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker


The Pirate's Charm, which allows Tetra and the King of Red Lions to communicate with Link telepathically, is an enhanced version of the Gossip Stones. The Pirate's Charm was made by Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the King of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Gossip Stones, although never referred to as such, have a slightly different appearance and function than previous incarnations. They appear to have noses and mustaches (similar to the mustache of Wario, another Nintendo character), and can be communicated with only by hitting them with a sword. For the most part, the stones serve as switches that activate mini-games, and are largely associated with said games. There is also another variety found in dungeons, usually one per floor. If Link hits one of these with his sword, they will disclose the location of Treasure Chests on the current floor for 20 Rupees and allow Link to copy the locations onto his Dungeon Map, effectively acting as a Compass.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Gossip Stones return in Spirit Tracks, but with a different look. They are similar to the stones from Phantom Hourglass but they appear to lack the "nose and moustache" feature and have rabbit ears instead. To wake them so they will speak to Link, the Song of Awakening must be played in front of them. They will tell Link the location of Treasure Chests, as in Phantom Hourglass, but also, one in every dungeon will tell Link where the Stamp Station is located.

In the manga
In the extra chapters of the Ocarina of Time manga, a Gossip Stone appears in the Lost Woods. The Mask of Truth is not needed: Link just smashes a rock against it, and the stone reveals things such as Mido still wetting his bed the Great Deku Tree being troubled that he cannot scratch his own back, until at last it reveals something about Saria, who was kidnapped by the Skull Kid.