BotW Balloon Flight: Make Shamae’s Barrel Float

How do you complete Balloon Flight?

Attach Octo Balloons to a barrel at Woodland Stable, make it rise and talk to Shamae for a Star Fragment. This Breath of the Wild side quest uses a material from your inventory; Magnesis and Stasis are not needed to lift the barrel.

Find Shamae beside the barrels at Woodland Stable, northeast of Central Hyrule. Talk to the child while she is awake and accept her wish to see the barrels float. Bring a few Octo Balloons so you have spare attempts if one misses or bursts.

How do you make a barrel float?

1. Choose an intact barrel beside Shamae. Leave it on the ground while you prepare the material.
2. Open the materials menu and hold Octo Balloons. Stand close enough to place them onto the barrel rather than dropping them several steps away.
3. Set the balloons on the barrel. They need to attach to the object. Add balloons until the barrel rises clear of the ground.
4. Talk to Shamae again. Complete her dialogue and collect the Star Fragment.

You do not need to ride the barrel or keep it aloft for a long trip. Stay close enough to see the result and finish the conversation. Octo Balloons do not last forever, so avoid spending the lift time sorting the rest of your inventory.

Where do you get Octo Balloons?

Octoroks can drop Octo Balloons when defeated. Water Octoroks attack from ponds and rivers, while other varieties appear on land. Collect the material after the fight and check that it is the balloon, not just an eyeball or tentacle.

The Octo Balloon page explains the material’s lifting effect. Previously collected balloons count, so you can finish this errand as soon as you reach the stable if you already carry some.

Why is the barrel still on the ground?

The reward is a Star Fragment. Keep it if you plan to upgrade equipment that requires one; the Star Fragment guide covers other ways to obtain more. There is no separate delivery to another NPC after Shamae’s reward.