You know that feeling. You're staring at the inventory screen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and there’s that one annoying gap in your health bar. It's driving you crazy. Most people just rush the dungeons, get the Heart Containers from the bosses, and call it a day. But if you want that double row of twenty hearts, you’re going to have to hunt down all heart pieces Ocarina of Time has hidden across Hyrule. There are exactly 36 of them.
Honestly, some of these are a total nightmare.
Getting a full health bar isn't just about bragging rights. It changes how you play. With 20 hearts, you can tank a hit from an Iron Knuckle or a Fall Master without breaking a sweat. If you’re playing on the original N64 hardware, the GameCube Master Quest version, or the 3DS remake, the locations remain largely the same, but the frustration of the fishing pond is universal. Let's get into the weeds of where these things are actually hiding.
The Early Game Scramble: Young Link’s First Pieces
Most players miss the easiest ones because they’re too busy listening to Navi yell "Listen!" in the Great Deku Tree. Don't do that.
As soon as you step out into Hyrule Field, head to Lon Lon Ranch. There’s a shed at the back. You’ll see some crates. You've gotta pull them away to reveal a tiny hole in the wall. Crawl through, and there it is—your first piece. It’s tucked behind some milk crates, and it's basically a gift from Talon if he wasn't so busy sleeping.
Then there’s the graveyard in Kakariko Village. This place is a goldmine. During the day, you can pull back a specific headstone (the one with flowers) to find a hole. Down there, you fight a Ghini. Beat it, and a chest appears. But the real "pro tip" is the Dampe Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour. You have to pay 12 Rupees and hope he digs in the right spot. It’s RNG. It sucks. You might spend 100 Rupees or 1,000. Just keep at it until the piece pops out of the dirt.
Market Shenanigans and the Dog Lady
The Market is where most completionist runs go to die. Why? Because of the Richard the Dog quest. You have to find a specific white dog—Richard—near the bazaar at night and bring him back to a lady in a blue house in the back alley. If you pick the wrong dog, she’s annoyed. If you pick the right one, she gives you a piece of heart.
💡 You might also like: Why Batman Arkham City Still Matters More Than Any Other Superhero Game
And don't forget the Bombchu Bowling Alley. It’s random. The prize rotates. Sometimes it’s a purple Rupee, sometimes it’s Bombchus, and sometimes it’s a Heart Piece. You have to be patient. Wait for it to show up, then land those hits on the tiny holes in the wall.
The Absolute Worst: The Fishing Pond and the Frog Choir
Look, we need to talk about the Zora’s River frogs. This is arguably the most tedious part of finding all heart pieces Ocarina of Time offers. You need the Song of Storms. You have to stand on a log and play songs for a group of frogs. First, you play the standard songs (Zelda’s Lullaby, Epona’s Song, etc.) to make them grow. Then, you have to play a "Simon Says" style mini-game where you trigger specific frogs with your ocarina buttons. It’s fast. It’s annoying. But they give you a heart piece for finishing the song.
Then there’s the Fishing Pond.
As Young Link, you need to catch a 10-pound fish to get a heart piece. The 3DS version makes this a bit easier with touch controls, but on the N64, it’s all about the "R" button and the analog stick. Pro-tip: Look for the big one near the sunken log in the middle of the pond. If you can’t get it to bite, try leaving and re-entering the area to reset the fish spawns. It’s a grind, but you can’t get that 20th heart without it.
Scaling the Heights: Death Mountain and Beyond
Death Mountain is vertical, which makes it a pain to navigate. As Young Link, after you get the Bolero of Fire, you can warp back to the Crater. There’s a heart piece tucked inside a niche in the wall. You basically have to climb down the wall or use a bean sprout to reach it.
Speaking of bean sprouts, if you didn't buy Magic Beans from the guy at Zora’s River, you’re in trouble. You need to plant these in those soft soil patches when you’re a kid so you can ride them as an adult.
📖 Related: Will My Computer Play It? What People Get Wrong About System Requirements
- Graveyard: Ride the plant up to the ledge.
- Death Mountain Trail: Ride it to the platform above the entrance to Dodongo’s Cavern.
- Lake Hylia: Use it to get to the roof of the Lakeside Laboratory.
Adult Link’s Hidden Treasures
When you pull the Master Sword and wake up seven years later, the world is a mess, but there are more heart pieces to find. Some are locked behind the Longshot. If you haven't beaten the Water Temple, go do that first. (I know, I know—the Water Temple is the worst, but you need that hookshot upgrade).
Once you have the Longshot, head back to the Kakariko Village windmill. You can grapple onto the wooden beam to reach a ledge where a man is sitting. He’s been there for seven years. Talk to him, and he’ll give you a piece. It’s one of those "how was I supposed to know that?" moments that defines 90s game design.
The Gerudo Fortress Archery Range
This one requires Epona. You can't do it on foot. You have to go to the Horseback Archery Range in the Gerudo Fortress after you’ve earned the Gerudo Membership Card. You need to score 1,000 points. That means hitting the bullseye on the targets while your horse is at full gallop. If you’re a perfectionist and hit 1,500 points, you get the Big Quiver, but for the heart piece, 1,000 is the magic number.
Deep Dives and Hidden Walls
There are two pieces that most people overlook because they require the Iron Boots and the Zora Armor.
First, head to the Zora's Fountain (where Lord Jabu-Jabu used to be). As an adult, the water is frozen over. There are ice floes you can jump across. One piece is just sitting on a lonely ice sheet. But the other one is underwater. You have to put on the Iron Boots and sink to the bottom of the lake near the entrance to the Ice Cavern.
Second, the Lakeside Laboratory in Lake Hylia. You need the Golden Scale, which you get by catching a 13-pound fish as an adult. Once you have it, dive into the pool inside the lab. Touch the bottom, talk to the old scientist, and he’ll be so impressed by your lung capacity that he hands over a piece of heart. It’s weird, but hey, we’ll take it.
👉 See also: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
The Forgotten Grabs: Hyrule Field and the Woods
People forget that Hyrule Field isn't just a transition zone. There are two "secret" holes you can blow open with bombs.
- Near the entrance to Lake Hylia: There’s a circle of bushes. Drop a bomb in the center. Inside, you’ll find a business scrub who sells you a piece for 10 Rupees.
- Near the entrance to Gerudo Valley: Look for a circle of stones. Same deal. Bomb the middle, drop down, use the Iron Boots or a Golden Scale to grab the piece at the bottom of the water.
In the Lost Woods, as a kid, you can find a piece by simply standing on the stump across from the two Skull Kids and playing Saria’s Song. They’ll like it so much they’ll give you a gift. It’s one of the few wholesome moments in a forest filled with monsters that want to eat your shield.
Finalizing the Collection
To truly wrap up all heart pieces Ocarina of Time offers, you have to check the rooftops. In Kakariko, use the Longshot to get onto the roof of the house where the man with the blue chicken lives. Talk to the guy sitting there. He’s just chilling, watching the sunset, and he’ll give you a piece for your effort.
Then there’s the Treasure Chest Game in the Market (at night). You need the Lens of Truth for this. Without it, it’s pure luck. With it, you can see inside the chests and pick the ones with the keys until you reach the end. The final prize? You guessed it.
Your Completionist Checklist
- Don't ignore the Magic Beans. They are the key to at least four different pieces.
- Get the Lens of Truth early. It saves you hours of frustration in the Market and the Wasteland.
- Master the Horseback Archery. It’s the hardest mini-game, so practice your aim before you get frustrated.
- Check the bottom of every pool. If there’s water and you have Iron Boots, there’s probably a chest down there.
The beauty of Ocarina of Time is that it doesn't hold your hand. Finding these pieces requires you to actually explore the world Nintendo built. It forces you to look at a wall and wonder if it's bombable, or to look at a roof and wonder if you can reach it.
Once you have all 36, head to Ganon's Castle. With 20 hearts and the Double Defense upgrade from the Great Fairy near the castle, you're basically a god. Ganon doesn't stand a chance.
Go back to the fishing pond first. Get that 10-pounder. It’s the one piece everyone puts off until the end, and honestly, getting it out of the way makes the rest of the hunt a lot more fun. Start with the Graveyard, hit the Market at night, and then move on to the adult-era Longshot challenges. You’ll have that full health bar before you even step foot in the Spirit Temple.