With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for the Nintendo Switch, new fans are finally getting into Breath of the Wild‘s predecessor and one of the most important entries in the series’ lore. Featuring a brand new control scheme and a whole host of quality-of-life improvements, Skyward Sword HD has quickly gained a new host of fans who now appreciate this ten-year-old game.
Re-introduced and refined from the golden bug-collecting mini-game from Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword has a large number of bugs Link can collect throughout his journey above and below the skies. All these bugs can serve a variety of different purposes and it’s up to the player to use each one of them to the best of their abilities.
Why You Should Catch Bugs (And How to Catch Them)
Every collectible insect in Skyward Sword is scattered all over the floating islands in the sky (including Skyloft) and across the various regions found on the surface below, from Faron Woods to the Lanayru Desert. Upon collecting the first of each bug, they are cataloged in the game’s pause menu where more information can be gathered from them, as well as tracking how many Link has on his person. The earliest and most apparent use for them is as ingredients for potion infusion, where specific bugs create specific effects when used in a potion recipe.
Bertie in the Bazaar of Skyloft is a master of potion infusing and will likely be one of the most frequently visited NPCs in the entire game for his potion-mixing skills. While the potions that he normally provides are potent enough to carry Link through the entire adventure, infusing bugs into potions will make them even stronger and more useful, borderline guaranteeing Link’s safety and quality of life.
Link might be fast, but not even Hyrule‘s Hero can catch many bugs with only his bare hands; for the player to succeed in the capture of these arthropod critters, they’ll need to go to Beedle‘s flying shop and purchase a Bug Net for 50 Rupees. Of course, to get to Beedle’s shop, they’ll need to ring the bell on his vehicle to grab his attention, which they’ll need at least a slingshot for. Upon buying the bug net, you’re ready to catch any bugs in your vicinity–just move very, very quietly.
Upon defeating the Bilocyte and curing Levias of his curse, former bully Stritch will be found on Bug Island in the Overworld skies. Much like Agitha from Twilight Princess, he has a strange and somewhat creepy obsession with bugs. However, this is to the player’s benefit as Stritch has a price for every bug Link finds. If the player is tired of making infused potions with a surplus of bugs, they always have the option of getting more Rupees from Stritch.
Where to Find the Bugs (And What They Do)
Most of the bugs cataloged in Skyward Sword are usually found in specific locations except for the Blessed Butterfly, which can be found near Goddess Walls in various areas throughout the world. Each insect has a different sale price and different effects in infusion, often varying in the amount needed to make certain potions. Many of them can be found within grassy plains, dug through soft ground or underneath rocks.
For Faron Region insects, there’s the Deku Hornet (1 Rupee, Heart Potion ++), the Faron Grasshopper (40 Rupees, Stamina Potion+) and Woodland Rhino Beetle (20 Rupees, Heart Potion +). Eldin Region insects include the Eldin Roller (40 Rupees, Heart Potion++) and Volcanic Ladybug (20 Rupees, either Heart+ or Stamina +). Lanayru Region insects consist of the Gerudo Dragonfly (30 Rupees, Stamina +), Lanayru Ant (20 Rupees, either Air+, Guardian+ or Revitalizing++) and Sand Cicada (50 Rupees, Heart++). Finally, across Skyloft and its neighboring islands, there’s the Sky Stag Beetle (20 Rupees, Stamina +), Skyloft Mantis (10 Rupees, Air+, Guardian+ or Revitalizing+++) and the nocturnal Starry Firefly (30 Rupees, Guardian+).
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