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One element of the Zelda franchise, which keeps players coming back repeatedly, is the sheer amount of side-quests they cram into each game. Just as you think you’ve finished, a barrage of quests will flood your inbox, and it seems every NPC needs you for one thing or another. Sometimes these tasks can be as easy as returning an item you’ve had in your pockets for weeks, but they all tend to lead to one larger reward.
Skyward Sword is home to hundreds of weird yet wonderful quests. They may not impact the game’s storyline, but they’ll be a great addition to your adventure just as you think you’re finished. But quests in Skyloft seem to act like dominos, and fulfilling one request for a concerned mother will result in a wild goose chase around your hometown.
The Gratitude Crystal questline is a perfect example of one simple request snowballing into something much more significant. Starting with a quest that requires returning a lost child, Link will meet one of Skyloft’s lesser known inhabitants, Batreaux, and the quest only escalates from there.
Who is Batreaux?
Batreaux is one of Skyloft’s more underrated citizens, who Link meets during a quest titled ‘The Lost Child.’ He’s a friendly yet hugely misunderstood demon who just wishes to be human. But because of his appearance in Skyloft, many enemies have started flooding the streets at night, and the only way to get rid of them is by fulfilling Batreaux’s requests.
During the Lost Child side quest, Link meets Wryna, the mother of a young child called Kukiel. Wryna believes Kukiel has been kidnapped and is distraught, so she turns to Link for help. Usually, I’d be very quick to forget about side-quests in a Zelda game, but the concern Wryna has for her child compelled me enough to treat it like part of the story.
After Link follows some pretty conveniently placed clues, a pair of screams can be heard from a location underground. When you finally explore a little bit further, you are greeted by a towering, bat-like figure, who any sane person would see as an enemy. But when Link draws his sword, Batreaux, or ‘Uncle Bats’ as Kukiel calls him, is quick to explain that he would never harm the citizens of Skyloft – despite everyone being scared of him.
Because of this, Batreaux is desperate to be human. However, he only states this is possible by collecting something called Gratitude Crystals. So, Link is tasked with fulfilling the wishes of Batreaux by collecting these crystals, and in return, Batreaux has a variety of rewards waiting.
What are Gratitude Crystals?
Gratitude Crystals are small, glowing items in Skyward Sword that townsfolk use to express their thanks. They have no monetary value and are solely used to receive rewards from Batreaux. Gratitude crystals can be obtained as a quest reward during any time of day, but crystals found around Skyloft can only be seen at night.
There are eighty gratitude crystals to find within Skyward Sword; they vary in color and have a similar design to Star Fragments from Breath of the Wild. Once Link’s sword has been upgraded to the Goddess White Sword, Fi will provide an ability to dowse for them.
Any sort of collection quest in a Zelda game tends to feel incredibly long; I mean, you remember the hunt for all 900 Koroks, right? But Batreaux is such a charming character; I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Plus, some of the rewards he has waiting for anyone patient enough to find these crystals can be pretty beneficial to the game. Finding them is not essential, but they have their perks.
How to get Gratitude Crystals From Townsfolk
Completing side quests from townsfolk will be the fastest way to begin collecting gratitude crystals. Rather than collecting them one by one by exploring Skyloft, citizens of the town will reward Link with a handful at a time for completing a few simple tasks.
There are twelve quests to complete where Link will receive gratitude crystals as a reward. All of them are based in or around Skyloft, making managing your quests much easier. Each quest will result in five gratitude crystals, except for ‘Wounded Loftwing,’ which returns ten. Completing every side-quest will result in 65/80 gratitude crystals,
Here is a list of every quest, followed by their reward and a brief description of how to complete it:
- Missing Kukiel
- Reward = Five Crystals
After meeting Batreaux and returning Kukiel to Wryna, you will be rewarded five gratitude crystals.
- Wounded Loftwing
- Reward = Ten Crystals
If you speak to Parrow in his home, he will mention that his sister, Orielle, has been missing for some time. Parrow explains that she mentioned flying toward Fun Fun Island before she left. If you fly out towards that island, look out for the floating lands in the sky. Toward the location, you’ll be able to see Orielle and her Loftwing. Once you bring Orielle a bottle of mushroom spores, her Loftwing will be healed, and she will return to Skyloft. Speaking to Parrow in his home again will receive the reward of ten crystals.
- Paper, Please
- Reward = Five Crystals
The bathrooms in the Knight Academy have caused some concern among the people of Skyloft. During this quest, you will be told that a sobbing woman can be heard from the bathroom – begging for paper. To complete this quest, you must speak to Cawlin, who asks Link to deliver a letter to Karane. Link has two options with this quest, either deliver the letter to Karane or give the letter to the ghost. Either way, you will receive five gratitude crystals.
- To Get Stronger
- Reward = Five Crystals
Enter Fledge’s room at night and present him with a stamina potion. Of course, this process needs to be repeated a few nights in a row, but since Fledge looks up to Link, he will give five gratitude crystals after a while.
- Cleaning Lady
- Reward = Five Crystals
Visit Mallara, Pipit’s mother, in her home and chat. Then, she will ask Link to use the Gust Bellows to help clean her house. Although this task is simple, the reward of five crystals is worth it.
- Missing Rattle
- Reward = Five Crystals
After speaking to Bertie, Link learns that Bertie and Luv’s baby has lost its rattle. Subsequently, this rattle is the only thing that will calm the baby at night. Bertie says the last time they saw the rattle was around the Waterfall Island. If you use the Grappleshot to travel to the Waterfall Island, you’ll land on top of a bird’s nest. Use the Gust Bellows to clear the nest, and you’ll retrieve the rattle. Visiting Bertie and Luv’s house with the rattle will receive five crystals.
- Broken Crystal Ball
- Reward = Five Crystals
The Fortune Teller at the Bazaar will suddenly disappear when this quest is activated. Rumors will circulate in Skyloft stating he broke his crystal ball. To replace this, you must visit the Earth Temple and grapple towards the top of the entrance. You’ll be able to find a similar crystal ball, which Scrapper will take back to Skyloft. The Fortune Teller will return to the Bazaar and reward Link on their next interaction.
- Plowing Help
- Reward = Five Crystals
During this quest, Link will receive the dowsing ability to locate Guld in the Eldin Volcano, who will be waiting on top of one of the stalagmites in the cavern. Once you have spoken to Guld, Scrapper will carry him to Pumpkin Landing, where Kina will ask him to plow the pumpkin fields. Following this quest, you won’t be able to dowse for Guld again.
- Missing Fun Wheel
- Reward = Five Crystals
If you visit Fun Fun Island and speak to Dodoh, he will share his sadness upon losing the big wheel for the fair ‘below the clouds.’ He will give Link the ability to douse for the wheel, leading him to Lanaryu Desert. If you dive toward the first bird statue and hit the timestone, vines will appear, which you can climb to get to the wheel. Scrapper will take this back to Fun Fun Island.
- Helping Peater
- Reward = Five Crystals
This quest takes some dedication to complete since Link is required to keep returning to the item check. Peatrice, the worker at the item check, will slowly believe that Link is only returning to see her. She will begin to question Link about it, and Link must respond in a flirty way. In doing so, Peater will corner Link and beg he scares her away. After a while, Peatrice invites Link to visit her house at night, where she will declare her love for him. You will still receive the quest’s reward if Link refuses or accepts this proclamation.
- A New Species of Plant
- Reward = Five Crystals
Owlan, one of the instructors from the Knight Academy, believes he has collected every single plant and asks Link to find him a new one. To complete this quest, you need to visit Oolo in Faron Woods. Oolo decides he wants to live in Skyloft, and Scrappr will take him to Owlan.
- Missing Beetle
- Reward = Five Crystals
This quest can only be achieved toward the end of the game, so it is likely one of the final you’ll complete. You’ll need to chat to Beadle in his shop to activate it, where he will share that his Horned Colossus Beetle has disappeared. After questioning a few townsfolk, Link learns that Strich at Bug Rock has taken it. Link must complete Strich’s insect-finding challenge in Thunderhead before taking the beetle back to Beadle and completing the quest.
Where to Find Gratitude Crystals Outside of Quests
Beyond completing these quests, fifteen gratitude crystals are scattered around Skyloft, which can be collected as soon as you’ve spoken to Batreaux. I always find as many of these crystals as I can before diving into side-quests, as they are significantly more accessible than spending hours racing to and from Skyloft to meet everyone’s needs.
It’s important to note that while these crystals are available to collect from the get-go, they can only be seen at night. So Link will need to sleep until the night before he sets off to find the remaining gems.
Here are the locations of the fifteen remaining gratitude crystals:
Link’s Bedside Desk in his room in the Knight Academy.
- Behind a potted plant near the second-floor exit in the Knight Academy.
- Northwest side of the Bazaar, follow the wooden walkway around the ledge.
- Southwest side of the Bazaar, fall to the lower platform near the small floating island next to the windmill.
- Lower Level of the Bazaar, inside Parrow and Orielle’s House in the corner.
- At the base of the Tower of Light, at the southern tip of Skyloft.
- Behind the tree at the edge of the pumpkin patch, next to the townsfolk’s homes.
- Visit the Waterfall Cave on the northeast side of Skyloft; a crystal is next to the Save statue.
- In the same Waterfall Cave, a crystal remains in the cage where you freed your Loftwing during the imprisoned Loftwing quest.
- In the Shed on Pumpkin Landing, towards the island’s north side.
- Also, on Pumpkin Landing, on the second level of the Lumpy Pumpkin, on a small wall by the stairs in between two vases.
- On top of the propellor on Beedle’s Island, which can only be reached using the Beetle.
- In the rafters, the back of the sparring hall in the Knight Academy, so the Beetle will need to be used again.
Zelda’s locked room in the Knight Academy, but you’ll need the Clawshots to get inside via the target in the tower at the top of the Knight Academy. You’ll also gain access to Zelda’s diary and a heart piece, so it’s a worthy endeavor!
On a Floating Island above the Waterfall Cave, which can only be accessed using the Clawshots. You may also be able to fly the beetle up to retrieve it, but it must be upgraded first since the distance is too far.
Gratitude Crystal Rewards
You don’t have to collect every crystal before returning to Batreaux, but because of how much time this quest takes to complete, it’s easy to lose track of how many crystals you have. However, your inventory and Batreaux will keep track, so every time you pay a visit, he’ll let you know if you have earned a reward.
To visit Batreaux and cash in your rewards, you’ll need to visit his shack below the graveyard. After speaking to him first, there aren’t any puzzles to complete to access the shack. But much like the crystals, he only comes out at night.
Here are the rewards you will receive from Batreaux depending on how many crystals you’ve collected:
- 5 Crystals = Medium Wallet (Holds 500 Rupees)
- 10 Crystals = Heart Piece
- 30 Crystals = Big Wallet (Holds 1’000 Rupees)
- 40 Crystals = Gold Rupee
- 50 Crystals = Giant Wallet (Holds 5’000 Rupees)
- 70 Crystals = Two Gold Rupees
- 80 Crystals = Tycoon Wallet (Holds 9’000 Rupees)
Once you have presented Batreaux with all eighty crystals, a small cutscene will show his transformation into a human. Completing this quest does not affect the main story of Skyward Sword, but it’s a fun addition to the game if you’re bored of flying around. Following the cutscene, a blue chest will appear toward the side of the room – and Batreaux will quickly beg you don’t open it. Finally, after a small back and forth between him and Link, you’re given a chance to open the chest or leave it as it is.
The chest contains a cursed medal, a great item to have if you want to increase your odds of finding rupees or treasure. But as the name suggests, there’s a catch. If you keep the cursed medal on you, you won’t be able to use any items from your pouch. This includes potions, so I wouldn’t recommend taking it to a boss battle. But it’s a great addition while exploring and especially if you need the cash.
Additionally, once Batreaux takes his human form, enemies will stop visiting Skyloft at night.
FAQs
Question: How do I get to Batreaux during the Lost Child side-quest?
Answer: To meet Batreaux for the first time, you’ll need to have the Lost Child side-quest already activated. Once you’ve done this, visit the graveyard towards the southeast of Skyloft. If you swing your sword at the gravestone at the corner closest to the tree, it’ll light up. Once this happens, either push or pull the stone, and it’ll open the door to Batreaux shack.
Question: Do I have to do this quest to finish Skyward Sword?
Answer: As I’ve already mentioned, this quest does not need to be completed to finish Skyward Sword. However, if you’re a perfectionist and want to achieve 100% completion, this quest is one of the many you’ll eventually need to face. Therefore, I’d recommend you don’t put it off as I did during my first playthrough of this title.
Question: Can you continue finding Gratitude Crystals after this quest?
Answer: No, once this quest is finished and Batreaux takes his human form, you won’t be able to continue finding Gratitude Crystals. But this doesn’t mean the people of Skyloft aren’t thankful for your hard work. On the contrary, if you continue to speak to the citizens of Skyloft, they will happily share their adoration for the hard work Link has completed to keep them safe.
Summary
Even though this quest isn’t a massive part of Skyward Sword, it’s one of the most enjoyable side-quests I’ve completed in a Zelda game. As I mentioned briefly, I usually find quests where you must collect the same item incredibly dull and tedious to complete. But I love Batreaux’s character, so I would quite happily complete this quest time and time again.
If you’ve finished Skyward Sword’s main storyline, but you’re not quite finished with your adventures in Skyloft, then I highly recommend you take on the collection of crystals. Not only is it a way to pass the time and increase your playtime, but it might expose some areas of Skyloft you’d ignore otherwise. One of my favorite things about the Zelda franchise is just how much there is to see, even when you think you’ve seen it all, and this quest will show you that.
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