So you’re looking to increase your hearts and stamina in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? No worries, we got you covered. Just like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is a considerably harder Zelda game when compared to any of the former games in the franchise. Getting heart containers to increase your health is something you are going to need to focus on as soon as possible, but how?
Stamina is a new mechanic released in BOTW also and has returned in this game. Climbing, flying with your glider and some other mechanics like taming horses will consume stamina. Increasing your stamina meter is also something you will want to focus on.
The good news is that both increasing health or hearts and increasing stamina in Tears of the Kingdom are the exact same. You will need to obtain Light of Blessing by completing the new shrines all across Hyrule. You will then be able to use these to increase your health and stamina. Follow this step-by-step guide and you’ll be adventuring through Hyrule with a stronger Link in no time!
- Shrine Hunting: First things first, you’re going to need to track down some Shrines. These are small puzzle-filled dungeons scattered throughout the land of Hyrule. Each will have a puzzle that makes use of links to different abilities. Some may even have puzzles to solve just to get inside. Shrines are easy to find. They look like large stones with a spiral of green and blue light that flows high above the shrine, making them easy to spot from a distance.
- Complete Shrines: Once you’ve found a Shrine, it’s time to dive in and conquer the challenges within. Each Shrine contains a unique puzzle or combat trial, so be prepared to put your thinking cap on and flex those sword-swinging muscles. When you’ve successfully completed a Shrine, you’ll be rewarded with a Light of Blessing
- Collect Light of Blessings: Your ultimate goal is to collect as many Light of Blessing as possible. Each Shrine you complete will reward you with one Orb, so the more Shrines you conquer, the more Light of Blessing you’ll collect. You’ll need these shiny orbs to exchange for heart containers and stamina upgrades.
- Locate a Goddess Statue: With a handful of Light of Blessing in your possession, it’s time to find a Goddess Statue. These statues are usually found in towns and villages, like Kakariko Village or Hateno Village. You can also find one at the Temple of Time near the Great Plateau, where you start your journey. There should also be one in a central location in all of the main cities for the Zora, Goron, Gerudo and Rito.
- Exchange Light of Blessing for Heart Containers or Stamina Vessels: When you’ve found a Goddess Statue, interact with it to pray. You’ll then be presented with the option to exchange your Light of Blessing for either a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel. Each upgrade will cost you four Light of Blessing, so choose wisely!
- Rinse and Repeat: Now that you know the drill, keep exploring, conquering Shrines, and collecting Spirit Orbs. The more you adventure, the stronger Link will become. Just remember to visit a Goddess Statue whenever you have enough Spirit Orbs to exchange for upgrades.
Other Ways To Increase Stamina In Tears of the Kingdom
If you’re all about climbing mountains and gliding through the skies, then upgrading your stamina is the way to go. Each Stamina Vessel you acquire will extend your stamina wheel, allowing you to perform more physically demanding actions like running, swimming, and climbing for longer periods.
There are no ways to obtain more stamina vessels to permanently increase stamina outside of completing shrines and praying at the goddess statues. There are ways to restore and increase stamina through recipes and potions in Tears of the Kingdom. Elixirs and food can be easily crafted using various ingredients that will increase the amount of stamina that Link has for a short amount of time. This can be handy when you are planning on taking on a bigger challenge.
Other Ways To Increase Hearts In Tears of the Kingdom
Each time you obtain a heart container, it will increase the total number of hearts in your health bar by 1. Completing shrines is a fun way to get more heart containers but there is another method that you can use to get a couple more heart containers.
As with all games in Zelda history, killing a major dungeon boss will result in you being awarded with a new heart container. This is no exception in Tears of the Kingdom. Killing a boss from any of the game’s major dungeons will also reward you with a shiny new heart container.
Just like Stamina, it is also possible to craft recipes and elixirs that will increase the total number of hearts Link has temporarily. This is an incredibly useful thing to rely on for some of the more difficult boss fights as you can get some recipes that can give you 4 or 5 bonus hearts that can be invaluable for survival.