How to increase stamina & hearts in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Luca Di Marzo
Link with Heart container TOTK

Increasing your health and stamina in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is essential for players who want to progress and take on tough challenges. Here’s how to get more heart containers and add to your stamina wheel in TOTK.

In the riveting world of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, your survival depends on two critical attributes: health and stamina. Having enough of both ensures you can withstand enemy attacks and traverse the expansive Hyrule environment with ease.

This guide will walk you through the most effective strategies to fortify your health with more hearts and increase your ability to get around quickly with more stamina in Tears of the Kingdom.

How to get more health & stamina in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Completing Shrines will allow you to maximize your health and stamina in TOTK.

In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, heart containers are your ticket to a stronger life force and stamina will increase your ability to explore and maneuver while taking on enemies.

Defeating main bosses in Tears of the Kingdom will provide you with an extra heart container, but there’s another method that you’ll want to make note of.

To increase health or stamina in TOTK by completing Shrines and trading in four Light of Blessing, follow these steps:

  1. Locate and complete a Shrine in TOTK.
  2. Receive a Light of Blessing once the Shrine is complete.
  3. Repeat this process until you have four Light of Blessing.
  4. Head to the nearest Goddess Statue.
  5. Select between the two upgrades: health or stamina.
  6. Continue the above steps during your TOTK journey until your stamina and health are maxed out.

Essentially, completing one of the various Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom will reward players with a Light of Blessing. Once you’ve collected four Light of Blessings, you can head to a Goddess Statue where you can exchange them for either a heart container or stamina vessel.

No matter which option you choose, the exchange remains the same: four Light of Blessing for one upgrade at a Goddess Statue. If you’re not sure where to find Goddess Statues, you can always visit the first one you’ll encounter at The Temple of Time.

If you’re struggling to find Shrines, you can check out our guide with all the Shrine locations in Tears of the Kingdom.

It’ll be up to you to decide which of the two options to focus on. Remember a heart container will increase your overall health, while an increase in your stamina wheel will impact your ability to run, climb, glide, and perform certain attacks for longer.

While we suggest a healthy balance of the two, you can always respec your health and stamina throughout your playthrough of TOTK.

Stay tuned to CharlieIntel for more tips, strategies, and guides to help you conquer The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom:

How to get the Master Sword in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | How to get Epona in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | When is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom set? | Will weapon durability be in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? | What are “tears” in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? | Can you play as Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom? | Will there be DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

About The Author

Luca is an Associate Editor at CharlieIntel. An accomplished, writer with interests in sports and gaming alike, Luca is focused on Call of Duty and FIFA as a content creator. After earning his BA in English Literature at Concordia University, he began writing for Gamelevate, OddsShark, and H4X. Luca joined CharlieIntel in 2021. You can reach Luca at [email protected], or via X @TheLucaDiMarzo.