Chasing every Heart Container in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn’t just about survival-it’s about mastering balance between power and endurance. Here’s how to reach the absolute maximum hearts and make Link nearly unstoppable.
If you’re wondering how to get max hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, our guide covers how many hearts there are in Tears of the Kingdom, and shows you how to increase your max hearts – either permanently or temporarily.
How many max hearts there are in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Link starts with three heart containers and gains permanent hearts from shrine rewards, temple bosses, and specific quests. Players collect 152 Lights of Blessing from shrines, which exchange for either heart containers or stamina vessels at Goddess Statues, limiting the total upgrades to 39 alongside the initial three hearts. The cap stands at 40 hearts by allocating all upgrades to health, though balancing with maximum stamina drops it to 38 hearts. Trading excess hearts at the Horned Statue under Lookout Landing allows pushing to this absolute limit.
This is a trick question. In theory, based on the beginning of the game, there are 40 hearts. In practice, there are 38 max hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
During Tears of the Kingdom‘s cold open, you’ll start out with 40 heart containers, as well as full stamina. Sadly, this doesn’t carry over to the actual Tears of the Kingdom experience. You can only get up to 38 heart containers which, honestly, is quite a lot. But if you’re bothered about the missing slots, I feel you.
There isn’t a narrative reason for this, either.
How to get max hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Complete shrines across Hyrule to collect Lights of Blessing, then exchange sets of four at Goddess Statues for heart containers. The game caps permanent hearts at 38 from 152 shrines plus four temple bosses and select side adventures. Trade excess stamina at the Horned Statue under Lookout Landing to reallocate for additional hearts if needed.
In order to get all 38 max hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’re going to have to work for them. Thankfully, while there are ways to achieve this in the long run, there are some shortcuts. Here are the ways you can get max hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:
- Complete all 152 shrines and interact with Goddess Statues to exchange your Lights of Blessing.
- Complete main story temples, such as the ones related to the “Regional Phenomena” quest, as they reward one heart each.
- Complete certain side adventures, like “A Call from the Depths.”
- Exchange stamina vessels for heart containers at the cursed statue.
Now, as we mentioned, there are ways to temporarily increase your max hearts. Yellow hearts add to your health, with the caveat that they disappear after being depleted by an attack. Here are some ways to temporarily increase your max hearts:
- Sleep on special beds at inns and stables.
- Create recipes with “hearty” ingredients.
If you get your hands on items like a hearty truffle or a hearty bass, hold onto them until you can cook a recipe with them. There are a few ingredients across Hyrule with this adjective – in short, you’ll not only recover your health in full, but also gain extra yellow hearts. The exact number will depend on the ingredients you use, and the quantity.
Below are a few hearty recipes that will grant you yellow hearts:
- Hearty fried wild greens (full health recovery and 25 yellow hearts): 5 big hearty radishes
- Hearty fried wild greens (full health recovery and 5 yellow hearts): 1 raw bird drumstick, 1 Hyrule herb, 1 big hearty radish
- Hearty mushroom skewer (full health recovery and 12 yellow hearts): 3 big hearty truffles
- Hearty steamed tomatoes (full health recovery and 3 yellow hearts): 1 raw meat, 1 Hylian tomato, 1 hearty radish
- Hearty meat and mushroom skewer (full health recovery and 3 yellow hearts): 2 raw meat, 3 hearty truffles
Where are the shrines that give Hearts fast
No specific shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom directly grant hearts; all 152 shrines award Lights of Blessing, which you exchange (4 for 1 Heart Container) at Goddess Statues. “Fast” heart gains depend on quickly completing the shortest or easiest shrines, often Rauru’s Blessing types where you just open a chest at the end. Prioritize these by spotting shrine beams from towers or Skyview Towers early in the game.
Easy Early-Game Shrines
Start on the Great Sky Island with its 4 accessible shrines (e.g., Ukouh, Gutanbac, Nachoyah, In-isa), which are straightforward puzzles yielding quick Lights of Blessing. In Hyrule, head to Lookout Landing area shrines like Kyononis or Turakamik, visible nearby and completable in under 5 minutes each. These cluster around beginner zones for rapid farming without combat gear.
Quick Surface Clusters
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Great Sky Island (4 shrines): Basic intro puzzles, ideal for first 1-2 hearts.
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Lookout Landing vicinity (e.g., Kyononis Shrine): Combat-light, puzzle-focused.
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Hyrule Field towers reveal 5-10 nearby beams for 1-2 hearts per session.
Efficiency Strategy
Climb towers to reveal shrine icons, glide between clustered ones (e.g., 3-4 in Tabantha Frontier), and complete Rauru’s Blessing variants first-they skip trials. Aim for 20-30 Lights of Blessing in 2-3 hours this way, netting 5+ hearts fast. Avoid Depths/Sky shrines early due to access needs.
Best shrines to farm Lights of Blessing quickly
In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the quickest Lights of Blessing come from short “Rauru’s Blessing” shrines (chest-opening rewards) and clustered easy puzzles near starting areas, allowing 4+ lights per hour early on.
Great Sky Island Cluster
These 4 introductory shrines are the fastest start: Ukouh Shrine (basic Create puzzle), Gutanbac Shrine (Rise ability), Nachoyah Shrine (wind drafts), and In-isa Shrine (Combine mechanics)-all under 5 minutes each, netting your first heart immediately.
Central Hyrule Quick Picks
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Kyononis Shrine: North of Lookout Landing Skyview Tower; simple combat training, 2-3 minutes.
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Yamio Shrine: Romani Plains east of Hyrule Castle ruins; fire fruit throwing, adjacent to Kyononis for chaining.
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Jioson Shrine: South of Lookout Landing near gloom puddle; straightforward ground puzzle.
Clustering Strategy
Activate towers (e.g., Lookout Landing, Hyrule Field) to reveal shrine beams, then glide between 3-4 nearby ones like Ishodag Shrine (wind devices) or early Tabantha groups. Prioritize surface over Sky/Depths for speed; aim for 20 lights in 1-2 hours by chaining clusters.
