Zelda - Illuminating Secrets: Unveiling the Mysteries of Deep Fireflies

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Where to Use Deep Fireflies

Critters in Tears of the Kingdom serve as valuable resources for creating elixirs and enhancing armor. However, unlike inanimate materials, critters have a tendency to flee when excessive noise is made, which can make the process of farming them quite tiresome.

In the game Tears of the Kingdom, there are three distinct maps: The Surface (also known as Hyrule), Sky Islands, and The Depths. On the Sky Islands and The Surface, players can come across insects like butterflies and darners. However, these insect spawns are not present in The Depths. The only critters that can be found below Hyrule are the Deep Fireflies. Interestingly, unlike Sunset Fireflies, these tiny creatures appear regardless of the in-game time of day.

Deep Firefly Locations

Deep Fireflies, in comparison to their Sunset Firefly counterparts, are slimmer and emit a delicate, nearly lilac illumination. This distinctive glow allows for their easy identification in regions yet to be illuminated by Lightroot or Brightbloom Seeds. The preferred habitat of Deep Fireflies is typically forested areas, although they can also be found in The Depths.

Similar to Sunset Fireflies, Deep Fireflies are easily startled by excessive noise made by Link. To avoid this, it is advisable for Link to crouch and approach the fireflies in a slow manner. Players can enhance their stealth abilities by consuming Sneaky Elixirs or wearing stealth-enhancing attire such as the Yiga Set or the Sheikah Set. Monitoring the Noise Meter displayed in the bottom-right corner of the screen is advised.

Unlike frogs and lizards, Deep Fireflies cannot be collected after being hit with an arrow; shooting or striking them will result in their destruction. This also holds true for Restless Crickets and other insect-critters. Therefore, TotK players will need to approach the Deep Firefly and press the A-button when prompted.

Nisoiji Lightroot

If players have talked to Josha at Lookout Landing after activating the initial Skyview Tower, they can accompany her to Robbie. This action will subsequently activate the "Camera Work in The Depths" side quest, which grants Link the Camera Ability in Tears of the Kingdom. Players must then rendezvous with Robbie in The Depths.

Visit the Hyrule Field Chasm, located south of Lookout Landing and adjacent to the Jiosin Shrine (-0240, -0374, 0026). Prior to venturing into the Chasm, it is essential for Link to possess Brightbloom Seeds in his inventory. While it may pose challenges, navigating The Depths and locating Robbie is not entirely impossible.

Each Shrine of Light found on The Surface corresponds to a Lightroot within The Depths. Therefore, upon reaching the bottom of the Hyrule Field Chasm, players should easily spot the Nisoiji Lightroot in close proximity. Approach the Lightroot and Activate it in order to illuminate the surrounding area.

A little ways north of the Lightroot are some Deep Fireflies at -0242, -0355, -0479.

Grove of Time

The Grove of Time located at coordinates (-0367, -1561, -0467) is a vibrant habitat for a multitude of Deep Fireflies. Positioned to the west of the Nuzimak Lightroot (-0178, -1559, -0473), players have the option to either trek on foot or plunge into the Chasms on the Great Plateau in order to reach the Nuzimak Lightroot. Situated northeast of the Great Abandoned Central Mine, the Grove of Time and the Nuzimak Lightroot offer captivating exploration opportunities.

The Grove of Time in Evermeans is infested with gloom. Thankfully, they can easily be eliminated with a few swings of an axe or sword. Players also have the option to use Fire Fruit or a Bomb Flower to set them on fire. However, in The Depths, getting hit by an Evermean will result in Link permanently losing a heart due to the gloom. Although gloom damage can be restored at Lightroots, it is still unwise to allow them to get too close.

Within the Grove of Time, there is a sizable tree stump (-0375, -1573, -0472) where a treasure chest, an Evermean, and a group of Deep Fireflies reside. Unfortunately, when Link approaches, the Evermean comes to life and frightens the Deep Fireflies away. The best method to collect the fireflies is to stand on top of the tree and glide towards them using the paraglider. As Link gets closer, rapidly press the A-button to gather them.

Where to Use Deep Fireflies

When cooking a Deep Firefly with a Monster Part, you can create a Bright Elixir. Consuming this elixir will cause Link to emit a glow, making it easier to navigate in dark areas like The Depths or pitch-black caves on The Surface. However, since Brightbloom Seeds are quite common and players can obtain the Miner's Armor Set, it may not be worth cooking Deep Fireflies for Bright Elixirs. Brightbloom Seeds can be used to illuminate distant areas when thrown or shot with an arrow. Each piece of the Miner's Set also emits a glow, and when all parts reach level 2, Link will receive a Set Bonus.

Additionally, Deep Fireflies are required for armor upgrades, particularly for the enhancement of the The Depths Set to level 1. To unlock armor upgrading, perform the following actions:

Visit Traysi at the Lucky Clover Gazette (located outside Rito Village) in order to embark on the captivating side quest titled "Potential Princess Sightings!"

Head over to Woodland Stable and engage in conversation with the Stables Trotters and Penn to initiate the thrilling side adventure known as "Serenade to a Great Fairy."

Completing "Serenade to a Great Fairy" will reveal the whereabouts of the three remaining Great Fairies in Hyrule. Link must locate the respective Stable Trotters member for each Great Fairy Fountain. Speaking to Mastro will provide players with hints on their locations.

Each Great Fairy grants access to a new "level" of armor upgrades. In order to fully maximize their armor at level 4, players must free all of the Great Fairies.

Here are the armor sets that require Deep Fireflies to upgrade:

Once players acquire the Miner's Armor Set, they can activate its Set Bonus at /level-2 without any further upgrades. On the other hand, the Depths Armor Set requires three Deep Fireflies, one for each piece, to reach /level-1. Once players achieve this, they can begin gathering materials to upgrade the Depths Armor Set to /level-2.

To obtain the Depths Armor Set, players must locate and interact with the giant Poe Statues found in both The Depths and Lookout Landing. The total count of these statues is seven, and players will need to find all of them if they want to collect all the pieces of the armor set. The Depths Armor provides Link with resistance to gloom, and its Set Bonus grants him resistance against gloom-affected attacks. Considering this, it may be worthwhile for players who plan on spending significant time in The Depths or battling gloom-enhanced monsters to upgrade this armor.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.