You’ve probably been there. You spent hours grinding through shrines, trading in Spirit Orbs for Heart Containers because you were tired of getting one-shotted by Guardians, only to realize that your Stamina wheel is pathetic. Now you can’t climb halfway up a cliff in the Akkala Highlands without plummeting to your death. It’s frustrating. But The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild actually has a weird, slightly creepy solution for this exact problem. It’s tucked away in a corner of Hateno Village, and if you aren't looking for it, you’ll walk right past the most useful NPC in the game.
Most players call it the Horned Statue, but in the game’s internal logic and community discussions, breath of the wild the cursed statue is the go-to name for this bizarre granite entity. It looks like a Goddess Statue that had a very bad day—or maybe a very dark transformation. While the Goddess Statues are all about "praying" and "purity," this guy is all about "negotiation" and "malice." It basically runs a pawn shop for your soul.
Finding the Cursed Statue in Hateno
Finding the thing is the first hurdle. It’s not in the center of town near the shops. Instead, you need to head toward the entrance of Hateno Village. If you're looking at the Kochi Dye Shop, turn back toward the village gates and look for a small path leading down toward Firly Pond.
There’s a little kid named Teeba running around near the village entrance who will actually lead you to it if you talk to him. He calls it "scary," which is an understatement. The statue is nestled at the base of a cliff, looking neglected and covered in moss. It’s got horns. It’s got a creepy smile. And when you first interact with it, it straight-up steals a piece of your essence. Don't panic. That’s just its way of introducing itself.
How the Respec Process Actually Works
The mechanics of breath of the wild the cursed statue are simpler than they look, though the dialogue makes it sound like a sinister contract. Honestly, it’s just a currency exchange.
When you first talk to it, the statue takes one of your Heart Containers or Stamina Vessels. You have to talk to it again to get it back. After that initial "tutorial" theft, the real business begins. You sell a heart or a stamina upgrade to the statue for 100 Rupees. Then, you can buy back either a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel for 120 Rupees.
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Basically, it costs you a net 20 Rupees to swap one for the other.
It’s cheap. Considering how much gold you can make just by hunting Gourmet Meat in the Hebra Mountains or selling gemstones to Ramella in Goron City, 20 Rupees is pocket change. You could swap your entire build for the cost of a few Fire Arrows.
The Math of the Trade
- Sell price: 100 Rupees (The statue pays you).
- Buyback price: 120 Rupees (You pay the statue).
- Net Cost: 20 Rupees per exchange.
You can do this as many times as you want, provided you have the cash and the upgrades to swap. However, you cannot go below the base minimum of three hearts. The game won't let you trade yourself into an instant-death loop.
Why You Actually Need This Statue
Why bother? Well, the most common reason involves a certain legendary sword sitting in the middle of a foggy forest.
To pull the Master Sword in the Great Hyrule Forest, you need exactly 13 permanent Heart Containers. Temporary "yellow" hearts from eating "Hearty" foods don't count. If you’ve been dumping all your Spirit Orbs into Stamina because you like paragliding, you’re going to hit a wall when you reach the Korok Forest.
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This is where breath of the wild the cursed statue becomes a literal lifesaver. You can run to Hateno, sell off your extra stamina wheels, buy enough hearts to hit that 13-heart threshold, go grab the Master Sword, and then run right back to the statue to trade those hearts back for your stamina. It’s the ultimate shortcut.
But it isn't just about the sword. Toward the end of the game, or if you’re playing on Master Mode, you might realize that having 30 hearts is overkill because of how "One-Hit Protection" works in this game. If you have full health, most enemies can't actually kill you in one swing; they leave you with a quarter heart. Because of that, having a massive Stamina wheel for bullet-time archery is often way more "meta" than having a massive health bar. The statue lets you pivot your strategy as you get better at dodging and parrying.
The Lore Behind the Horned Statue
The statue claims it was a dealer in life and power until the Goddess Hylia relegated it to this stone form. It’s one of the few instances in Breath of the Wild where we see a "dark" deity or a counterpoint to the benevolent Hylia.
It’s interesting because the statue doesn’t seem evil in a "destroy the world" sense. It’s more of a cosmic bureaucrat who deals in the gray areas of life and death. It’s remarkably polite for something that looks like a demon. It even calls you "Master" or "My Lord" depending on your progress.
Some fans theorize it’s related to the Interlopers or the dark magic seen in Twilight Princess, but the game keeps it vague. It’s just there, an ancient entity hanging out near a pond in a quiet farming village, waiting for a hero who made poor leveling choices.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't go to the statue without a decent chunk of change. If you sell five hearts and realize you only have 100 Rupees total, you’re going to be stuck with a tiny health bar until you go farm some ores.
Also, remember that you can't max out both stats. Even with all 120 shrines and the DLC orbs, you’ll still be short a few slots. You have to choose between a full three wheels of Stamina or a full 30 hearts (or 28 hearts and 3 wheels, or 30 hearts and 2.6 wheels). The breath of the wild the cursed statue is the only way to toggle between these "completionist" builds to see which one feels better for your playstyle.
Another thing: the statue only deals in permanent containers. If you have a yellow stamina bar from an Endura Carrot, the statue won't see it. It only cares about the essence you've earned from the Goddess.
Step-by-Step: Moving Your Stats
- Warp to Myahm Gana Shrine in Hateno Village.
- Run toward the village entrance, staying on the right side of the path (if facing the gate).
- Drop down into the grassy area near the pond. The statue is tucked against the cliff.
- Speak to the statue and let it take its first "free" heart (you get it back immediately).
- Select "Sell" and choose which container you want to get rid of.
- Repeat until you have the Rupee balance and the "empty" space you need.
- Select "I want one back" and choose the different stat (Heart or Stamina).
- Pay the 120 Rupees per container.
Actionable Strategy for Mid-Game Players
If you are currently sitting at 8 hearts and two full wheels of stamina, you are roughly five hearts away from the Master Sword. Instead of grinding 20 more shrines—which could take hours—check your inventory. If you have five extra stamina segments, you can convert them at the statue right now for a total of 100 Rupees.
Go to the statue, swap the stamina for hearts, warp to the Lost Woods, pull the sword, and then warp back to Hateno to revert your build. This allows you to get the most iconic weapon in the game much earlier than the developers "intended" for a balanced playstyle.
Once you have the sword, the stamina is generally more valuable for exploration. The ability to climb higher and swim further changes the way you interact with the map, whereas extra hearts only matter when you're failing to dodge. Focus on the swap, get your weapon, and get back to exploring the verticality of Hyrule. It’s the most efficient way to use the mechanics provided by this creepy little monument.