Breath of the Wild: How to Increase Hearts and Stamina
Link has heart and stamina meters in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, both of which can be increased by completing Shrines. In this Zelda Breath of the Wild heart and stamina guide, we'll be walking you through not only how to increase both meters for Link, but also how to respec hearts and stamina in Breath of the Wild as easily as possible.
On this page:
- How to Increase Hearts and Stamina in Breath of the Wild
- How to Respec Hearts and Stamina in Breath of the Wild
How to Increase Hearts and Stamina in Breath of the Wild
The main way to earn new heart containers or stamina wheel upgrades in Breath of the Wild is to complete Shrine trials and amass Spirit Orbs. Each trial gives Link one of these orbs, with four being needed to trade for one upgrade.
Once you've got four Spirit Orbs you need to head to a goddess statue, talk to her and then choose whether you want a new heart container or a stamina wheel boost. Goddess Statues can be found in most villages and also inside the Temple of Time. If you're not near one just use fast travel to the nearest point.
It's that simple, but with Shrines becoming more and more challenging as you progress you'll start to find it trickier to build up your Spirit Orb supply.
You can also cook up meals and elixirs to give temporary buffs to health and stamina (along with other benefits such a increased damage resistance or speed increases). Head to our Breath of the Wild Cooking Guide for more info.
How to Respec Hearts and Stamina in Breath of the Wild
Although Link doesn't build up a complex set of attributes, he does frequently gain more hearts and stamina. If you feel like you've made a mistake somewhere along the line, need more health to defeat a boss, or require a touch more stamina to climb a tower, there is a way to reorganise.
In Hateno Village there is a Horned Statue that has gone unloved by the residents. To find her head west of the Myahm Agana Shrine in Hateno Village to the edge of Firly Pond. She's the other side of the peak to the right of the village entrance, next door to the flagpole.
If you speak to her she'll steal a heart container from you, but continue the conversation you'll get that back and then learn about the service she offers. She will buy a heart container or stamina upgrade from you for 100 rupees, then let you buy either upgrade for 120 rupees. So you can respec for 20 rupees for each altered upgrade.
Follow the video guide below to learn how to respec hearts and stamina if words aren't enough for you.
If you want more incredibly informative articles we've got a simple guide on how to get rupees quickly, plus info on how to get the Sheik outfit. Our guide on how to kill Guardians could well save your life, and understanding how to cook will also be valuable.
Now you've successfully learnt how to rejig your health and stamina you'll hopefully be able to head onwards and tackle whatever obstacle was standing in your way.
For more on Breath of the Wild be sure to check out Mike's review. Elsewhere there's our look at why we think Zelda may be the protagonist of the next game.