How Link Heals?

[Matthew Srolis]

Although this can simply be explained by "video game logic" we are video game theorists, we don't take that for an answer. So throughout playing the zelda games I have always wondered how link heals by running into a heart. My theory is that link, is able to heal by absorbing the life force from fallen enemies. The hearts simply represent the life force. Link is able to store as much life force as he has containers for them like heart containers. This is also why grass drops hearts as well, it may not have a heart but it has life force. This means red potions also contain life force.

 

[Dio]

I imagine it as he has his heart containers in which he keeps his enemies hearts and although not shown when he takes damage he eats some and when he runs out he dies.

In BotW however they are just kept as a familiar health gauge as Link eats food now. It is likely to appease the vegetarian fans so Link can do a vegetarian run without eating actual hearts.

 

[Dan]

I imagine it as he has his heart containers in which he keeps his enemies hearts and although not shown when he takes damage he eats some and when he runs out he dies.

In BotW however they are just kept as a familiar health gauge as Link eats food now. It is likely to appease the vegetarian fans so Link can do a vegetarian run without eating actual hearts.

We need a huge controversy over this, I'm talking Samus Aran tight clothes style. ****ing Nintendo pandering to those veggies that won't even buy the game, geez!

 

[Matthew Srolis]

I imagine it as he has his heart containers in which he keeps his enemies hearts and although not shown when he takes damage he eats some and when he runs out he dies.

In BotW however they are just kept as a familiar health gauge as Link eats food now. It is likely to appease the vegetarian fans so Link can do a vegetarian run without eating actual hearts.

Lol and cool interpretation

 

[GloatingSwine]

It's fully diagetic.

He tramples the hearts of his foes beneath his mighty (iron) boots. This gives him strength and purpose.

 

[CM30]

Maybe the hearts themselves are both generally edible and extremely nutrious. Hey, it's a magic land with both biology and physics very different to that in our one, it could be possible.

 

[Lozjam]

As seen with Zelda 2, Link obviously heals by sex.

Link is a huge serial killer, so he gets sexual pleasure by eating virgin's hearts. That heals him.

 

[Vaati The Wind Mage]

Link must heal by crushing the hearts and then their magical influencr propably heals him

 

[Djinn]

This is one of the few game mechanics that cannot really be answered through storyline, you even see other NPCs interact with the heart containers and not have much of an idea what they are. Hard to think that they are some kind of little known but incredibly common magic that is everywhere in the world.

It was just easier when Link ate apples or drank soup to heal. Tiny hearts are really just a holdover from the early 8-bit days when every enemy drop was just a sprite you picked up that signaled t the player what it is.

 

[PalaeoJoe]

Here is the thing about the recovery hearts and possibly all harts relating to them, they are not necessarily part of the cannon world. Recovery heart may be the best example of this but not everything we see on screen in TLoZ is actually going on in the world we are experiencing. Things like this are simply a part of the medium we are experiencing the story though.
We as theorists need to be able to distinguish between what is part of the story and what is a consequence of the media framework the story is being told through. You can decide for yourself where this distinction is, but it needs to be recognized as existing.

A similar topic has been descused before. This is what I had to say on the matter.
What do you think Hearts would be in reality?:

It would be interesting to see a game where the story goes in some depth about the true nature and social consequences of such things as hart peaces and containers. This is unlikely to be seen because these elements of the games are first and foremost simple game play features and at this point have no confirmed relevance in the world it'self.

I can see a hypothetical situation where when someone dies their physical energy they had in life manifests and becomes a hart peace. Then the hart peace is handed down in the family to give the family more strength. Or where monster hunters go out to fight beings with powerful life forces and collect the hart containers/peaces to sell or clam as their own (like Link dose). Social systems as well as the economy in Hyrule would be greatly influenced by the existence of these objects and lead to interesting world building and story possibilities.

 

[Devon Thurgood]

Although this can simply be explained by "video game logic" we are video game theorists, we don't take that for an answer. So throughout playing the zelda games I have always wondered how link heals by running into a heart. My theory is that link, is able to heal by absorbing the life force from fallen enemies. The hearts simply represent the life force. Link is able to store as much life force as he has containers for them like heart containers. This is also why grass drops hearts as well, it may not have a heart but it has life force. This means red potions also contain life force.

Hearts have appeared when yeta and that other yeti kiss, aswell as from that women who blows link a kiss in ALBW, hearts, I think represtent feelings of passion. When link cuts the grass he feels the rush of adventure, giving him the strength to continue.

 

[Tibari]

The red heart fills him with DETERMINATION.

Hearts have appeared when yeta and that other yeti kiss

I wonder how they would react if they cared about Link's actions in this scene. He litteraly stole the representation of their love...

 

[Whimsical]

Hearts are representations of the souls/life energy from monsters/animals that link picks up and absorbs to extend his own life. Or, they're part of a video game mechanic and hearts are an internationally recognisable symbol for health. One of those is realistic and one of them is interesting.

I'm glad in some ways that in BotW cooking and eating seems to be replacing health replenishing pick-ups, because it's more realistic to life and is part of the new direction the game is going in. I'm also a little sad about it because hearts have been in Zelda since the beginning. I hope fairies still make an appearance.

 

[Night Owl]

They are obviously peaches, it's just that they are oriented upside down. Just ask any good Subrosian such as .

Perhaps they are really some sort of fruit like cherries or something that are packed full of health energy.

In Skyward Sword they were the tops of a particular flower that grew everywhere. The grass could be so dense that you just don't see them among the weeds of the other games. Since those flowers have magical healing properties, monsters and Link likes carrying around spares for healing wounds. Heart containers are really just special vessels that keep those flowers from spoiling.

 

[Devon Thurgood]

The red heart fills him with DETERMINATION.



I wonder how they would react if they cared about Link's actions in this scene. He litteraly stole the representation of their love...

I think of it in more of a sense that link is so inspired by the display of their affection he is filled with the DETERMINATION to fight harder than he ever has before.