Heart Pieces are an integral part of The Legend of Zelda’s gameplay loop. What originated as Heart Containers in The Hyrule Fantasy became Pieces in A Link to the Past. It’s only until recently with Breath of the Wild that the franchise has traded in Heart Pieces for Spirit Orbs. Heart Pieces are arguably more rewarding to find, however, often tied to puzzles & gameplay challenges.
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While most Heart Pieces in The Legend of Zelda require effort to find, Ocarina of Time practically gives some of its pieces away. This makes sense considering Ocarina of Time was the first 3D game in the series, though. More importantly, it’s always nice to stumble on some easy Heart Pieces.
10 Gerudo Valley Heart Pieces
The Legend of Zelda never shies away from hiding Heart Pieces in plain sight and Ocarina of Time is no exception. Gerudo Valley actually has two Heart Pieces Link can get the moment he steps out of Kokiri Forest. Simply head to Gerudo Valley, grab the lone Cucco, and fly into the waterfall to the right of the bridge.
They’ll be a Heart Piece inside and Link can swim down into Lake Hylia. Should players double back and grab the Cucco again, they can jump off the bridge towards the left in order to land on a platform with a crate. Roll into the crate and Link will find another Heart Piece.
9 Skull Kid’s Heart
After meeting Darunia at Goron City, Link will need to traverse through the Lost Woods to ask Saria for some guidance. Upon reuniting with Saria, she’ll teach Link her song and he’ll be able to make his way back to Darunia. Staying in the Lost Woods, however, reveals an easy Heart Piece.
Simply turn left after entering the Lost Woods from Kokiri Forest and stand in front of the lone Skull Kid. Pull out your Ocarina, play Saria’s Song, and the Skull Kid will recognize Link as a friend & give him a Heart Piece– worth noting, this side quest is referenced in passing by Skull Kid in Majora’s Mask.
8 Mamamu Yan’s Little Richard
There isn’t much to do in Hyrule Market at night, but it’s a fun little area to explore. The alleyways feature some colorful dialogue, the Treasure Chest game is fun to cheat once Link gets the Lens of Truth, and all the wild dogs give the Market a different flavor. Speaking of, the white dog by the main shop is actually tied to a Heart Piece.
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This white dog, Little Richard, will follow Link if players brush up against him. Lead the dog into the alleyway closest by the treasure chest game and then enter the door directly in front of Link. Deliver Little Richard to Mamamu Yan and she’ll bestow Link a Heart Piece.
7 Death Mountain Crater
This is actually a very easy Heart Piece to get and it can be obtained in conjunction with the Magic Meter after completing Dodongo’s Cavern. Right next to the Great Fairy’s Fountain and Kaepora Gaebora is Death Mountain Crater. Navi will warn Link that they’ll overheat if they stay inside too long and a timer will start ticking.
While players will have less than a minute, the Heart Piece inside Death Mountain Crater is directly in front of Link. Simply run off the edge of the cliff in front of LInk and he’ll start climbing down. Let go, grab onto the the center alcove, nab the Heart Piece inside, and climb back up with a few seconds to spare.
6 Kakariko’s Cow Piece
After grabbing the Magic Meter and the Heart Piece inside of Death Mountain Crater, speak to Kaepora Gaebora. He’ll offer to carry Link back down to Kakariko Village, where he’ll drop Link off on top of Impa’s house. If players walk forward, they’ll notice a ledge to the right of the house above the chicken lady’s coop. Drop down onto the ledge and enter the hole in the wall. Next to a cow inside of Impa’s house will be a Heart Piece.
5 The Fenced Off Heart
After obtaining the Bombs inside of Dodongo’s Cavern, players can start bombing their way through Hyrule Field to find Secret Grottos and assorted goodies. One such secret lies close to Lake Hylia. Head to the fenced off area right outside the lake and drop a bomb dead center. A Secret Grotto will open up containing a Deku Scrub. Shoot the Scrub’s nut back into his face and purchase his Heart Piece for a measly 10 Rupees.
4 Windmill Heart
After becoming an adult, Sheik will direct Link to Kakariko Village in order to find the Hookshot. By speaking to the NPCs in front of the town gate and checking inside Dampe’s shack, players will learn that Dampe has since passed away and has hidden a “treasure” inside of his grave. Enter the grave ordained with flowers to the left of the cemetery and follow Dampe.
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Dampe will reward Link the Hookshot for keeping up with him and players will loop back into the Kakariko Windmill. Instead of jumping down into the Windmill, either Hookshot or jump towards the Heart Piece.
3 Frozen Fountain
Hyrule changes significantly after players pull out the Master Sword and Link becomes an adult. Zora’s Domain has been frozen over, with all the Zoras trapped beneath the ice. Before Link even gets the Hookshot, he can head to Zora’s Domain and complete the Ice Caverns in order to get the Iron Boots. On the way to the mini-dungeons, Link will have to jump over spinning circles of ice. Follow the ice towards the right path and it’ll lead to a Heart Piece. The left path leads to the dungeon itself.
2 Underwater Heart
After completing the Ice Caverns and obtaining the Iron Boots, Link can head back into Zora’s Domain in order to defrost King Zora with blue fire. Before players head back into Zora’s Domain, however, they should pop on the Iron Boots outside the Ice Caverns and sink to the bottom of the lake.
At the very bottom will be a Heart Piece. Link can then unequip the Iron Boots and float back up. While Link should have more than enough health to make the voyage down and back up without dying, King Zora does reward Link with the Zora Tunic for those who’d rather play it safe.
1 Golden Tree
There’s a peculiar golden tree on the western side of Hyrule. If players managed to find the tree as a child and bombed the spot, they’ll have dropped into a Secret Grotto with nothing of particular note. Returning as an adult and with the Iron Boots, however, nets Link a Heart Piece. At the very bottom of the pond inside the grotto is the Heart Piece. Pop on the Boots, sink down, and grab a free Heart.
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