Thanks to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD coming to the Nintendo Switch, there has never been a better time to experience the earliest entry in the Zelda timeline. Skyward Sword was responsible for introducing many mechanics that would be built and improved on in future games, specifically The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but also keeps many of the oldest traditions alive. The primary one, of course, being Link’s health as represented by heart containers you can extend by collecting four hidden heart pieces throughout the world.
- Goddess Cube heart pieces
- Faron Woods heart pieces
- Skyview Temple heart piece
- Pumpkin Landing heart pieces
- Skyloft Heart pieces
- Eldin Volcano heart piece
- Fun Fun Island heart piece
- Lanayru Desert heart piece
- Sandship heart piece
- Shipyard heart piece
- Fire Sanctuary heart piece
- Volcano Summit heart piece
- Lanayru Gorge heart piece
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, just like the original on the Wii, hides 24 additional pieces of heart in the sky and on the land below for you to track down. These aren’t just things people who love tracking down collectibles should worry about, though. Having those additional heart containers can literally mean the difference between life and death in a tough fight or boss battle since getting them all will net you six additional hearts. With so many to find, and such massive areas in the sky and on the ground to search, check out this guide on where to find all the heart pieces.
Further reading
- Skyward Sword HD: all goddess cube locations and rewards
- The best Zelda games ranked from best to worst
- The best video game remakes of all time
Goddess Cube heart pieces
The first six heart pieces are going to be found in the hidden Goddess Cubes. There are 27 of these alone, and each has a reward, but only these six will have heart pieces. If you are unfamiliar with Goddess Cubes, you activate them by hitting them with a fully charged skyward strike. Once done, the cube will vanish and a chest will spawn in the sky, meaning you will need to track down the cube as well as the treasure back in Skyloft.
- The first cube is right outside of Skyview Temple. Activate it and the chest will show up on a small island to the south of Skyloft.
- Next, head to the temple of time and find a minecart that previously was blocked by a robot on the tracks. While riding the cart, you will need to have your Skyward Strike charged up and ready to hit the cube to the left as your ride the cart. The chest will appear on Beedle’s Island.
- In Faron woods, once you climb to the top of the Great Tree using your clawshots, look out for a root you can jump down onto to the northeast with a Goddess Cube on it. The chest will show up on the island to the south of the Lanaryu portal. You can fall into the island if you’re careful, but the clawshots are a much safer way of reaching the chest.
- While in the Pirate Hideout, after using the Timeshift Sphere to open the big mouth on the island, you can leave through a door in the middle of the island. Above this door is a target you can clawshot up to, and then to another target that will bring you to the Goddess Cube. The associated chest is on the eastern side of Skyloft and requires the clawshots to climb up the vines to the top of the waterfall feeding into the town’s lake below.
- This Goddess Cube requires the Water Dragon’s scale to get, so complete the Silent Realm before tracking this one down. Head to the eastern side of Eldin Volcano and go to the big sand slide on the north end. While sliding down, take the left path and stop on the platform on the left side with a spot you can dig in. On the next platform down, you will see the Goddess Cube. The chest is easy to get. It shows up right in the middle of Skyloft, but again will require the ability to swim underwater to reach.
- The final heart piece associated with Goddess Cubes takes you first to the cave you pass on the way into the Fire Sanctuary. There is an exit to the cave that brings you to a waterfall you can use to put out the flames on the frog statues. Simply leap off the cliff here beside the waterfall to land next to the Goddess Cube. The chest will show up on Bug Island. From the top, fall down the south side onto a small wooden ledge with the chest.
Faron Woods heart pieces
Next up, Faron Woods holds three heart pieces to collect, with the only major requirement being a bomb bag.
- In the northern part of Faron Woods is a large tree with massive roots sprawling out. Find the root you can run along from the south side. It takes you to a rope you can walk across to a platform with the heart piece waiting to be collected.
- In the area between the Faron Woods and Sealed Grounds, you will meet a Goron named Gorko. In exchange for drawing items for him, he will give you a heart piece. Just talk to him to learn what he wants you to draw — either bombs, arrows, hearts, or fairy icons — and draw it on the wall for an easy heart piece.
- Last up is the one requiring the bomb bag. The quickest way to the spot you need to be is to warp to the “In the Woods” statue and head north until you spot the cracked wall just begging to be blown up. Drop a bomb here and collect the heart piece inside the cave.
Skyview Temple heart piece
The only heart piece in Skyview Temple is in the area where you first get the Beetle item. Once you have it, deploy it and use it to trigger a switch near the top of the center structure. The switch will cause the gate at the bottom to open, letting you pick up this heart piece.
Pumpkin Landing heart pieces
We have two heart pieces to get while in Pumpkin Landing.
- While in the Pumpkin Landing pub, go up to the second floor and roll Link into the rafter to knock down the heart piece.
- The second heart piece is a reward for completing all the side quests the owner of the Lumpy Pumpkin gives you, which include the Pumpkin Soup delivery, Pumpkin Harvest, and Kina’s song. Finish them all for this piece.
Skyloft Heart pieces
As big as Skyloft is, there are only four heart pieces out in the wild to collect, and they’re all tricky.
- First, collect 10 Gratitude Crystals and deliver them to Batreaux, who will give you a heart piece. Gratitude Crystals can be found around Skyloft and are rewards for some side quests.
- This heart piece can be spotted from inside Zelda’s room through a crack in Karane’s wall, but getting there requires the clawshots. Scale the Knight Academy building and, from the roof, use your clawshot to dangle over the chimney. Do your best Santa impression and fall down the chimney and inside. Here you can climb into a hole that leads into Zelda’s room where you can pop open the cabinet and retrieve the heart piece.
- Beedle will straight up sell you a piece of heart, but at quite the price. You’ll either need an expanded wallet to carry that much, or you can do Beedle’s Missing Beetle side quest, which will give you a 50% discount.
- The final heart piece requires you to have done the Fledge’s Workout side quest already. Once you have, Fledge will appear behind the academy building and let you play a Pumpkin Pull mini-game. Get a score of 600 or more to earn the heart piece as a prize.
Eldin Volcano heart piece
In the southwest part of Eldin Volcano, you can see the heart piece up above, and while you might send your Beetle out to retrieve it, that won’t work. Instead, direct your Beetle past the heart piece and into the bomb beside an armored Pyrup. The bomb will get the Pyrup out of the way so you can go up and around on foot to grab the piece of heart.
Fun Fun Island heart piece
Once you have fully fixed up Fun Fun Island, you will unlock another mini-game called Dodoh’s Drop, where you need to fall through a series of rings and land on one of the rupee spaces. If you get the maximum score by dropping through all five rings and hitting the 50 rupee space, you will earn this piece of heart.
Lanayru Desert heart piece
Head to the northeast end of Lanayru Desert and scan the walls near the end of the tracks for a wall you can blow open with a bomb. Blast it open and follow the path to a piece of heart.
Sandship heart piece
This is another heart piece you need the clawshots for. Head all the way up to the crow’s nest on the Sandship and use the clawshots to reach the back area of the ship. On this ledge is a chest with the piece of heart waiting for you inside.
Shipyard heart piece
While in the area after getting the Sandship heart piece, head back to the Shipyard and start the Rickety Coaster mini-game. You’ll specifically want to beat the course called “Heart Stopping” and get a time below 1:05.00 to earn a piece of heart.
Fire Sanctuary heart piece
This heart piece requires you to have the Mogma Mitts. When in the Fire Sanctuary, go to the far northwest corner and find a spot you can dig in right before you hit the lava river. After digging, you’ll need to catch the Mogma in the tunnel to earn this piece of heart.
Volcano Summit heart piece
Another convenient one to do after the last, again needing the Mogma Mitts, is the Volcano Summit right outside the entrance to the Fire Sanctuary. Here you’ll find a gossip stone that you can dig right in front of. Do so and this piece of heart is yours.
Lanayru Gorge heart piece
Our last piece of heart is in Lanayru Gorge, but you’ll have to unlock the boss rush mode first. This is done by healing the sick Thunder Dragon, which you need to do to get the third part of the Song of the Hero anyway. Once you do, speak to him to access the boss rush mode by selecting “Battle!” from his list of options. If you can beat four bosses in a row, you will get this final piece of heart.