Great Fairy Fountain

Great Fairy Fountains are, as the name would imply, fountains in which the Great Fairies reside. Upon accessing the fountain, Link is often rewarded with important items or power ups which are helpful or necessary to finish the game. The great fairy fountains are often hidden in places that are not accessible without special abilities or items, such as behind a giant rock or a wall that can be bombed. Fairy fountains are usually located in holes, caves, and (in The Wind Waker) inside of houses shaped like seashells. Link receives special inventory increases for items like bomb bags at certain Fairy Fountains.

In Ocarina of Time, the Great Fairies offer Link a variety of power ups, such as the magic meter, Din's Fire, Nayru's Love, and Farore's Wind, and a defense upgrade among other useful abilities.

The great fairies play a somewhat different role in Majora's Mask, in which the great fairies have been separated into several stray fairies scattered throughout the game's temples. By collecting stray fairies from within each temple and bringing them to their respective fairy fountains, Link could restore the Great Fairies to their original forms. This would result in Link obtaining useful power ups, such as an improved spin attack, extended magic meter, upgraded defense, and the most powerful sword in the game, the Great Fairy's Sword. Unlike in Ocarina of Time, all of these power ups are entirely optional.