Zelda: Breath of the Wild – How to Get More Heart Containers and Increase Stamina

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a brand new game in the Zelda franchise, but it shares a lot in common with the older games in the series. As you first start getting into the game you’ll probably be wondering how to get more heart containers to increase Link’s health. This article covers how to increase Link’s health by finding heart containers in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You will also find out how to increase stamina so Link and run and climb longer in Breath of the Wild.

With each new heart container Link gets another heart added to the meter in the upper left corner of the screen. The more hearts, the more health Link has and the more hits he can take before needing to replenish his health through various means. In Breath of the Wild, getting more heart containers is directly tied to increasing Link’s stamina, meaning you can only increase one at a time. In most cases you should start by increasing Link’s health, but having more stamina means you can climb higher and glide farther, which can be very beneficial later in the game.

Spirit Orbs

In order to get another heart container or increase Link’s stamina, you need to obtain at least four Spirit Orbs. These are the rewards you receive for completing a shrine. You don’t have to find every chest or secret in the shrines, so long as you get to the end and speak with the monk in the final chamber. Do this and the monk will give you one Spirit Orb.

Collect at least four Spirit Orbs and then you can pray to the Goddess Hylia and one of the various altars located around Hyrule. The first altar is in the back of the Temple of Time, but there are others in the major villages across the land. When you pray to the Goddess you can spend four Spirit Orbs and choose between one additional heart container or more stamina. Once you’ve selected you must confirm your selection, then you will lose four Spirit Orbs and see your hearts or stamina increase.

For the most part the shrines are not difficult to complete, so make sure you stop into every shrine so you can collect as many Spirit Orbs as possible and increase your health and stamina. Consider this leveling Link up so you can defeat stronger enemies.

It’s also possible to temporarily increase Link’s maximum number of hearts. There are several meals you can make that will fully restore Link’s hearts and add more hearts for a short time. Be sure to check out our complete coverage of meal preparation in Hyrule.

Be sure to check out our Zelda: Breath of the Wild game hub for more strategy and advice!