Fairy


 * This article is about the recurring race in The Legend of Zelda series, For the Spell from The Adventure of Link, see Fairy Spell.

Fairies are a recurring race in the Legend of Zelda series. These small, winged creatures hold magical powers that usually aid Link in some way. They are seen in nearly every game and are apparently friendly with every race not allied with Ganon and his hordes. Out of every Fairy thus far in the series, there have only been two known males: Tael and Leaf.

In most games, Link can capture health-restoring Fairies in Bottles. Link can either use the Fairy to heal him at any time or wait until he loses all life, at which point the Bottled fairy will automatically revive him.

Biology
Though little is known, in the manga for Majora's Mask, Link states that Tatl, and all Fairies in general, do not have blood or tears. This, however, is contradicted by the appearance of Fairy Tears in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It could be possible that only Great Fairies can produce tears, hence its rarity and powers.

In the manga for The Minish Cap, the Great Dragonfly Fairy is the first Fairy 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.

It should be noted that none of the manga serials are considered canonical.

Physical Attributes
Fairies are usually depicted as young women with wings and, sometimes, a wand. They appear in a large variety of sizes, from very large Great Fairies to minute Fairies that appear to be no more than an orb of light and clear insect wings. As shown by these smaller variations and even Great Fairies as they appear, some, if not all Fairies can give off their own light and even change its color if so desired.

Some Fairies, most notably Great Fairies, are able to be separated into smaller pieces known as Stray Fairies, though it is unknown if they are able to do this of their own power. By reuniting all of a Great Fairy's Stray Fairies, its body will be restored.

Social Structure
It seems that Fairies are a species that has evolved beyond any formal government. The closest thing resembling leaders are the Great Fairies and Fairy Queen, who seem to be superior to other Fairies, and more spectacular in appearance. Great Fairies also have the ability to upgrade Link's items, heal his health, and grant him spells.

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

The Legend of Zelda
Fairies can be found randomly from defeated enemies. They cannot be captured, but they restore some of Link's health.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
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. Fairies also appear in the overworld and in some dungeons and caves. They restore all of Link's health when touched.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Fairies (called Faeries in-game) occasionally appear from defeated enemies. If Link has an empty Bottle, they can be captured using the Bug-Catching Net and will revive Link if he dies. There are also special fountains where fairies gather.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Fairies can be obtained from defeated enemies, pots, and always from a defeated miniboss. Fairies cannot be captured.

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 helps him target objects, people, and enemies, and can provide tactical information about enemies during a fight. In one interview with series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, he reveals that Navi has "romantic feelings" for Link. The in-game dialog, however, gives no tangible indication of this.

As in previous games, health-restoring Fairies are also present. They can be captured in an empty Bottle and will revive Link upon death.

Rare Red Fairies also can be found. In certain areas, Navi will turn green, indicating something special. If Link plays the "Song of Storms" or "Sun's Song," a Red Fairy will appear. They completely restore health and magic meter.

Also, found within the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods are small, glowing orb trails that zip around, apparently aimlessly. These may not be related to the Fairy community as they appear to only be decorative rather than practical and seem more like 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.

Notably, Stray Fairies make a large appearance in this game, appearing as scattered fragments of Great Fairies, which Link can collect and return to their respective fountain for a reward.

Health-restoring Fairies and Red Fairies are also present.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
Great Fairies can be found throughout the game in caves and alcoves. Health-restoring Fairies can also be found by killing enemies, digging, or cutting grass. Furthermore, after defeating each mini-boss, it will leave behind a Fairy, although these Fairies cannot be captured. Red Potions serve the same purpose as captured Fairies in previous games. 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 Wing Dungeon.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Fairies appear randomly after defeating enemies or cutting grass.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Fairies from The Wind Waker act as most fairies do, restoring health to the person who captured them in Bottles when released. At one point in the game, Link's Grandma becomes fearful that she has lost both of her grandchildren to the point of being very sick. Link can release a fairy near her to cure her. Link's Grandma 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 health-restoring Fairies though they are only activated in special circumstances. If Link loses all health, they appear from the Four Sword and heal him. They can be obtained randomly throughout the stages and at the end of each stage based on how many Force Gems Link collected.

It is notable that the six maidens seem to be able to fly in the shape of a fairy when guiding the four Links to the next location after they have been rescued.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Aside from three Great Fairies, Fairies only appear as health restoring items. They can be caught in empty Bottles and will restore Link's health, should he die. When a Spark is defeated, it always leaves behind a fairy.

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

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Fairies are found throughout Link's quest and are used exclusively as items. Link may take advantage of a Fairies healing properties by touching a flying Fairy, or he may use an empty bottle to capture it. If he touches a Fairy when his heart containers are full, he will not cause it to circle him and disappear, thus making the capturing process much easier than in previous titles. As with many of the other games, a bottled Fairy will revive Link when his heart containers run out. A bottled Fairy when released will restore up to 8 hearts.

Fairies are found throughout Hyrule, and are commonly released from breaking jars, especially before the entrance to a boss battle. 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. Once Link has completed a series of battles in the Cave of Ordeals a Great Fairy will release Fairies to one of the Light Spirit fountains in the same order that Link emancipated them from Twilight. Also, if Link goes to one of the fountains after the fairies are released there, they will sometimes land and rest on Link's head or sword if he does nothing for a period of time.

It should be noted that another Fairy may also aid Link, albeit much less obviously, because Link never sees her. She inhabits the Gale Boomerang, and is called the Fairy of Winds. She mentions her presence when Link acquires the Boomerang, and claims to be the source of its power. She never speaks nor is referred to again.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Link is teamed up with a Fairy named Ciela, who was rescued by Oshus. Two others—a blue Fairy, Neri, and a red Fairy, Leaf—later join him, though Ciela continues to play the largest role. The three Fairies are "equipable," giving Link different skills depending on the Fairy equipped. The effects include enhanced defense, a shockwave attack sent out when Link swings his sword, and an increasingly powerful sword engulfed in flame. Respectively, Leaf, Neri, and Ciela are the Spirit of Power, the Spirit of Wisdom, and the Spirit of Courage.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Link encounters one fairy during this game called the Spirit of Healing. The Spirit of Healing first appears when Link learns the Song of Healing. Link can use the Spirit of Healing to restore his health in dungeons by playing the Song of Healing.

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.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past comic
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. Like Spryte and Miff, she is humanoid in appearance, although Epheremelda has a pair of antenna. Like Spryte, 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 a solution to how they are created. It is shown that they are birthed during a ritual by the Great Deku Tree yearly, where the fairies become companions for new Kokiri.

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, usually leading to comical situations, as Spryte has a one-sided crush on Link while Zelda rebuffs his advances. A different Fairy, Miff, appears the comic books published by Valiant, which loosely relate to the cartoon.

The Legend of Neil
When Neil arrives in Hyrule, the Fairy appears and presents him with the green garb of the hero, as well as a shield. Link later meets the same fairy, who develops a dangerous obsession with Link. After Link is forcibly made to make love with her, his Heart Meter is replenished. In the first episode of Season 2 "A Link to the Past", the Fairy is kidnapped by Schlam Maroney, a Moblin who runs a tavern. In the musical episode, "Les Neilérables", the Fairy sings a song about her sexual preferences, disgusting the male fairy trapped together with her. In "Getting High in Hyrule", Neil completely ignores the Fairy, whose fairy dust is being used by Neil and Schlam as drugs. In "The Fairy Strikes Back" The Fairy is free and angry at Neil for abandoning her, but she ends up saving him from Schlam and his friends, after Neil proves his love for her.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
For one of Link's taunts, Link brings out a blue fairy, which flies around. In the Subspace Emissary, the same fairy is with Link when he draws the Master Sword. There is a sticker of a Fairy in a Bottle from Twilight Princess as well.

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