Unlock the Legend: Master Sword and Heart Containers in Zelda: Breath of the Wild & Tears of the Kingdom
Want to wield the Master Sword? In Breath of the Wild (BOTW) and Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK), it takes more than just finding it. You prove worthiness through heart containers. Let’s explore hearts and the Master Sword.
Master Sword and Hearts in Breath of the Wild (BOTW)
Want the Master Sword in BOTW? Buff up Link first. The Great Deku Tree doesn’t hand out legendary weapons to just anyone.
Hearts Required to Obtain the Master Sword in BOTW
Temporary hearts won’t cut it. To pull the Master Sword, you need 13 full heart containers. No extras or yellow hearts from food. Earned heart containers are your ticket. Thirteen is crucial to wield the Blade of Evil’s Bane.
How to Cheat Your Way to the Master Sword (Early Glitches)
Patience is not your strength? The internet has found ways around the heart container requirement. Yes, glitches exist. You can snag the Master Sword with only 3 hearts!
How? Campfires help. Set up a campfire near the pedestal and position Link correctly. Press ‘A’ as the screen fades. It’s tricky, but it works. YouTube is full of tutorials with various titles like “NEW SUPER EASY GLITCH TO GET THE MASTER SWORD WITH 3 HEARTS” or “Steal the Master Sword in 3 easy steps“. Glitching might bring consequences or just bragging rights.
Master Sword Mechanics in BOTW
The Master Sword packs a punch. It has a base attack power of 30. That doubles to 60 when fighting Calamity Ganon’s minions. Think of it as your ultimate monster-slaying tool.
Regarding durability: the Master Sword doesn’t break. Instead, it runs out of energy after a while and needs 10 minutes to recharge. It takes a little nap. And when you have full hearts, Link can throw the Master Sword for a beam attack.
Master Sword and Hearts in Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK)
In Tears of the Kingdom, the challenge remains: become stronger to wield the ultimate weapon. The heart vs. stamina debate also gets interesting.
Maximum Hearts Possible in TOTK (and the Stamina Trade-Off)
You can hoard heart containers in TOTK and reach a maximum of 40 hearts. That’s a lot of health. But there’s a catch: you must choose between maximum hearts or stamina. Goddess Statues offer heart containers or stamina upgrades.
If you max out hearts, you can get 30 heart containers from Goddess Statues, plus boss and quest rewards, totaling 40. But if you want full stamina with three wheels, you’ll have only enough blessings for 38 hearts. Tough choices in Hyrule.
How to Pump Up Your Heart Count in TOTK
Want more hearts? Explore and complete challenges. Shrines are your main source of heart containers. There are 152 shrines in Hyrule: 120 on the surface and 32 in the sky. Clearing shrines nets you Lights of Blessing, exchangeable for heart containers or stamina vessels.
Main quests also grant hearts. Completing temples in the “Regional Phenomena” quest rewards you with heart containers. Boss battles and side quests like the Bargainer Statue quest add to your collection. Explore, fight, and complete everything for hearts.
Master Sword in TOTK: Dragons, Fusion, and Durability
Getting the Master Sword in TOTK is a real adventure. Forget pedestals. You find the Light Dragon soaring through Hyrule and mount it. Epic, right? To attempt this, you need at least two full stamina wheels and all 12 Dragon’s Tears or completion of “Trail of the Master Sword”.
Once acquired, the Master Sword gets an upgrade: fusion! You can fuse materials to it, boosting attack power and durability. Even if it runs out of energy and requires a recharge, it won’t break permanently. In battles, it needs a breather, not a burial.
Heart Management and Game Mechanics
Let’s discuss hearts and stamina. Managing these is crucial to thriving in Hyrule.
Shrines, Spirit Orbs, and Heart Containers: The Grind
Shrines matter. In both BOTW and TOTK, shrines upgrade Link. Completing one gives a Light of Blessing in TOTK (Spirit Orb in BOTW). Collect four for a heart container or stamina vessel at a Goddess Statue.
BOTW has fewer shrines; thus, each Spirit Orb feels special. In TOTK, with 152 shrines, you have many chances to boost stats. For BOTW, you need 40 shrines for 10 heart containers after starting with three. In TOTK, shrine counts give more flexibility.
Stamina vs. Hearts: The Eternal Dilemma
The heart vs. stamina debate is real. Do you want a tanky Link or a nimble adventurer? In BOTW, maxing hearts gives 30 hearts. Choosing stamina provides 27 hearts. In TOTK, you can get 40 hearts or 38 for max stamina. It depends on your playstyle.
Temporary Hearts: Nice to Have, But Not for the Master Sword
Temporary hearts from foods and elixirs help in battles, but they won’t prove your worth for the Master Sword. As mentioned, it demands full, permanent heart containers. Temporary hearts are like fool’s gold – shiny but not real.
Heart Duplication: A Risky Business
There’s a heart duplication trick with the Horned Statue in Hateno Village. This statue lets you exchange hearts for rupees and buy them back at a higher price. You can manipulate this system for extra hearts.
However, tinkering with the Horned Statue for duplication could corrupt your save file or waste rupees. Maybe avoid that path.
Visit shrines and temples for heart upgrades. Unless you love living on the edge of game-breaking glitches.
Other Tidbits You Might Find Interesting
Hyrule holds many secrets. Here are more details related to hearts and swords.
The Iconic Hylian Shield
No Zelda adventure is complete without the Hylian Shield. This shield is a royal heirloom. It is durable in BOTW. It can break, but lasts longer than other shields. If you break or lose it, you can buy another one from Granté in Tarrey Town, but first, find the original in Hyrule Castle. Be ready to pay 3,000 rupees for a replacement. Sadly, in TOTK, even the Hylian Shield can break. So cherish it while you can.
Ganondorf’s Power and the Master Sword
Do you remember that epic scene in TOTK? Ganondorf shatters the Master Sword. He is so powerful he can break the Blade of Evil’s Bane. It took many years for the Master Sword to absorb sacred energy. Link needed this strength to defeat him. This detail shows how strong Ganondorf is in TOTK. Some say he is the best Ganondorf ever. Even a shattered Master Sword is never truly lost in Zelda games.
Korok Seeds: 900 Seeds for… Poop?
Speaking of grinding, collecting all 900 Korok Seeds in BOTW gives you “Hestu’s Gift.” What is it? A golden pile of… poop. Yes, it’s true. The game director confirmed it is a joke. If you expect an ultimate weapon or armor for your Korok Seed dedication, you receive digital golden excrement. Perhaps the real treasure lies in the journey (and more inventory slots) along the way?
DLC: To DLC or Not to DLC? (For BOTW, at Least)
If you are deep in BOTW, the Expansion Pass is worth considering. It unlocks new items, quests, and challenges. It expands the game experience greatly. However, for TOTK, Nintendo stated there will be no DLC. They packed everything they wanted into the base game. What you see is what you receive in TOTK, and it is already massive.
So there you have it – your guide to hearts, the Master Sword, and some fun distractions in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Now go forth, explore Hyrule, collect those hearts (or glitch your way to the Master Sword – we won’t tell), and save the kingdom! Avoid the golden poop collection quest if you don’t have a specific sense of humor.
