How to make an Illuminator in LEGO Fortnite

Fireflies over your head.

character head illuminator
Screenshot by Dot Esports

I wouldn’t dare venture into the depths of a LEGO Fortnite cave or the darkness of the night without an Illuminator to light the way.

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LEGO Fortnite‘s Mechanical Mayhem update adds a ton of new vehicle-related content to the game. Finding resources to craft all three new vehicles won’t be easy, and you might find yourself scouring every corner of the map, even if it’s dark outside. That’s when the recently added Illuminator can come in handy: it’s a permanent passive bonus that adds firefly-like sparks on top of your head. In this guide, I’ll show you how to unlock and craft an illuminator in LEGO Fortnite.

How to unlock the Illuminator recipe in LEGO Fortnite

illuminator in inventory FN
Bye, Torch. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To unlock the Illuminator in LEGO Fortnite, you need a Purple Thermal Fish in your inventory and a rare Crafting Bench.

If you are playing in Survival mode, equip a Fishing Rod, get a Purple Thermal Fish, and upgrade your inventory twice to unlock this recipe. These fish usually spawn in the Desert biome, but here’s a guide with all fish locations in LEGO Fortnite. To increase your chances of catching one, bring a Bait Bucket along.

In Sandbox mode, you can find the Illuminator by opening your inventory and selecting the All Items menu. Under the Equipment tab, you can find the yellow icon for the Illuminator.

Once you unlock the Illuminator Recipe, head to your base’s Crafting Bench and use the required materials to craft it.

How to craft an Illuminator in LEGO Fortnite

character head illuminator
I love having bugs over my head. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To craft an Illuminator in LEGO Fortnite, get a rare-level Crafting Bench and the following ingredients:

  • Five Purple Thermal Fish: Typically caught in the Desert biome.
  • Three Wool Thread: Grab Wool from Sheep and turn it into Wool Thread in the Spinning Wheel station.
  • 10 Glass: Use a Shovel to dig sand in the Desert Biome. Then, turn Sand into Glass using a Metal Smelter.
  • 10 Brightcore: found in the Lava Caves with magma in the Desert biome.

Keep in mind that you need an upgraded Crafting Bench for the Illuminator recipe to appear. You can upgrade it by shifting to the Bench Upgrade in the station’s menu. The rare Crafting Bench is green and gray and has a sturdier appearance.

The Illuminator is labeled as Passive Equipment, which means you can only equip it in the rightmost slot of your hotbar. Once equipped, you get a permanent light buff over your head.

Author
Image of Cande Maldonado
Cande Maldonado
Though Cande started her journey in the video game industry as a localization specialist six years ago, she soon realized that her true calling was to annoy NPCS and smash virtual pottery. Under Nintendo and Square Enix's chokehold, she will willingly pour hours upon hours into reaching 100% completion in the longest roleplaying games ever made. But hey, who needs fresh air and sunlight when you can just live in Ivalice?