Unraveling the Heart Containers in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The challenge level of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom surpasses that of Breath of the Wild, with the inclusion of new enemy types and treacherous locations such as the Depths. As a result, players require more than just high Stamina to overcome the hurdles of their adventure. In terms of Heart Containers, what is the maximum quantity that Link can acquire?

Maximum Amount Of Hearts Possible

Link currently has a maximum of 40 Hearts and 3 full Stamina Wheels, but players can only obtain 38 Heart Containers without sacrificing some Stamina at the Forbidden Horned Statue under Lookout Landing. The Link in the game's introduction only had 30 Hearts, which is a reference to the fact that the original max HP in Breath of the Wild was 30. However, in Link's newest adventure, the max HP has increased by around 10.

How To Get To 40 Hearts

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But, how are players actually supposed to get to 40 Heart Containers? What steps does it entail? Let's go over every source for Heart Containers:

There are a total of 152 Shrines in the game, each providing a Blessing of Light that can be offered up at Goddess Statues across Hyrule. By dividing this number by 4, players can receive 38 upgrades to either their Stamina or Health. Additionally, defeating the five Temple Bosses and the boss in Hyrule Castle during the 'Crisis at Hyrule Castle Part 2' Main Story Quest will reward players with a full Heart Container, resulting in a total of 6 additional Hearts. Completing the 'Call from the Depths' Side Quest will also grant players with a single Stamina or Health Upgrade. To break it down further, 10 of the 39 upgrade choices between Health and Stamina are dedicated to Stamina, with the remaining 29 Shrine/Optional upgrades and the 6 Containers gained as part of the story totaling to 38 Hearts, as Link starts with 3.

Simply exchange half of a Stamina Wheel for 2 Hearts at the Forbidden Horned Statue once all other necessary tasks are completed. This will result in the player having 40 Hearts and 2.5 Stamina Wheels. If a player changes their mind about the trade, they can easily switch back at the Statue.

Why The Awkward-Looking 38 Instead Of An Even 40?

Some players have expressed confusion over Link's starting Health and Stamina in the game. It has been pointed out that at the beginning of the game, when Link is under Hyrule Castle with Zelda, he actually only has 30 Hearts instead of the perceived 40 Hearts. This means that he is missing out on 10 Heart upgrades at this point in his journey. While this wouldn't have necessarily helped him in his battle against Ganondorf's Gloom Attack, it is still worth noting.

The Yellow Temporary Heart Containers in Tears of the Kingdom work similarly to those in Breath of the Wild, adding to Link's maximum HP. However, if Link already has 38 Hearts, he can only gain 2 Temp Hearts on top of it, and if he has 40 Hearts, any food that would normally grant Temp Hearts won't have any effect. Nintendo is expected to release DLC for Tears of the Kingdom in the near future, which may include additional Blessings of Light or Heart Containers, similar to the post-release updates for Breath of the Wild.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.