Darners are one of several insect species in Breath of the Wild. They're fast and quick to flee, making them troublesome to catch. There are Warm Darners, Electric Darners, and Cold Darners. Each one of these species prefer very specific habitats, but they can be cooked to create special Elixirs.
The Cold Darners make themselves at home in the colder regions of Breath of the Wild. Luckily, they're not required for upgrading any armor sets. Instead, they're the perfect ingredient for heat-resistant Elixirs, which can come in handy if Link is lacking on heat-resistant gear.
Cold Darner Habitats
Cold Darners can be found in the Tabantha Frontier and Hyrule Ridge, but it's easier to look for them in the Thundra Plateau. Players can reach the Thundra Plateau by heading north from Hyrule Ridge/Seres Scablands, which is east of Tabantha Bridge Stable. Refer to the Toh Yahsa Shrine on the above image for the Thundra Plateau's location.
The Thundra Plateau is where the "Trial of Thunder" Shrine Quest is held, so if players haven't done so, they'll want to complete the quest and Activate the Toh Yahsa Shrine. An unending thunderstorm will loom over the Thundra Plateau until the trial is finished, making it impossible to farm Cold Darners in this specific area.
Once the Trial is complete and Link receives the Spirit Orb from Toh Yahsa, the skies above the plateau will clear up. Link can then start farming Cold Darners or Winterwing Butterflies as long as it's not raining. If it is raining, he'll find Tireless Frogs and Thunderwing Butterflies instead.
The best way to farm Darners is to equip Stealth-enhancing Gear (ex: Sheikah Set) or consume Sneaky Elixirs. Darners will flee the minute they hear or see Link, so it's not recommended to farm them at night. Stal-monsters will ambush Link and there are more than enough Keese Swarms to scare away any insects.
Where to Buy & Use Cold Darners
Those that want to avoid farming Cold Darners can buy them from the following locations for 10 rupees per Darner
- Kara Kara Bazaar (Beedle)
- Woodland Stable (Beedle)
- Gerudo Canyon Stable (Maypin, traveling merchant)
To use Cold Darners, players will want to cook them with at least one Monster Part to bring out their heat-resistant effects. Add a Monster Part and x1-x4 Cold Darners and toss them into a cooking pot. The more Darners added, the longer the Elixir's duration. Cooking Cold Darners will result in a Chilly Elixir.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available on Nintendo Switch.