The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is stuffed to the seams with hidden content, including one secret mechanic that makes cooking and armor upgrades more important than hearts. Fans of the prequel Breath of the Wild may already be aware of the mechanic that prevents players from being killed when at full health, but it's lesser known that this makes a comeback in Link's newest adventure, and it can change everything.
Just like in its predecessor, in Tears of the Kingdom, any time Link is struck by a normally fatal blow at full hearts, he will instead survive with a quarter of a heart. Neither game explains this, but knowledge of it allows incredible survival strategies that range from early to late-game utility. Clever players can focus on healing and stat bonuses instead to make Link a near-unstoppable fighting machine.
Why Cooking And Armor Upgrades Are More Important In Tears Of The Kingdom
Once players are aware of how to manipulate the one-hit-kill protection mechanic to their advantage, it isn't a stretch to say cooking food and upgrading armor can become more important than hearts in Tears of the Kingdom. Access to most of these resources (food) comes very early, so it can help players at a time when they can't actually upgrade their heart capacity much. It also takes less long-term player investment to use food and armor upgrades. Add in the additional bonuses gained from meals and armor sets, and it's clear why players might choose these over hearts.
How To Exploit The One Hit Kill Protection In TOTK
Players need to understand how to properly use food and armor upgrades to make the most of their full health protection. Using TOTK's best recipes and cooking is the first step, as this function is available right from the beginning on the Great Sky Island. There are apples, acorns, and fish available for healing, and the effects are enhanced when cooked. Keeping cooked food at the ready will allow early-game players to top off Link's hearts whenever he takes a hit, guaranteeing survival with the one-hit-kill protection. This is a viable option long before shrines become available to regularly upgrade his heart capacity.
Later on in Tears of the Kingdom, armor upgrades become an important counterpart to meals. While using the one-hit-kill protection does make hearts less important, it doesn't mean they're not important and most players will still upgrade their health a few times. That is what makes armor upgrades so crucial as the more hearts a player has, the more ingredients they'll need to cook a fully healing meal; unless they're suited up with fully upgraded armor. Enemies will deal fewer hearts per hit, making it easier to continue the top-off strategy of meals for that extra protection.
Food: Your Friend From the Beginning
One of the first things players will probably do in Tears of the Kingdom is pick up an apple or two. Food is such an early resource and even grunt enemies hit pretty hard when you start with three hearts, so it's almost obligatory to use food. It's also a resource that remains plentiful and accessible throughout the game; which cannot be said about heart containers. Shrines are spread out, and players need to complete four for every heart increase.
Another great aspect of cooking meals is the variability between recipes. Players have the option to cook modularly to meet their needs by switching ingredients, and the quantity of those ingredients. Even as early as the Great Sky Island, players can cook mushrooms singularly for a meal that heals one heart, or throw in three to make a mushroom skewer that heals three. Mushrooms and fish can be mixed to craft an even better healing meal. Cooking creates variable options for players right from the beginning to keep their hearts full and Link protected from a one-shot kill
Investment Tradeoff Makes Cooking and Armor Upgrades Better Than Hearts In Tears Of The Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom takes four Lights of Blessing obtained from shrines. This is an investment, and not just because of the sometimes very long journeys between those shrines. Link's upgrades involve a choice players must make between hearts and stamina as it's impossible to fully upgrade both. Unlike its prequel, in Tears of the Kingdom, a certain stamina threshold needs to be broken before players acquire the legendary Master Sword, so the choice is harder than ever. Cooking and armor upgrades can mitigate the pressure of that choice as with one-hit-kill protection, Link can still survive despite lower hearts.
Armor upgrades do need to be unlocked, but require only one-and-done tasks to acquire, with the permanent benefit of upgrading Link's defenses. This is done through Great Fairy Fountains, with further upgrades available per fountain activated. While these are spread to the corners of Hyrule, they can be activated fairly quickly with a guide. Alternatively, players can complete four of the many side quests TOTK has to offer for the ability to fully upgrade any armor, exploiting one-hit-kill protection at higher health by reducing hearts lost.
Bonus Effects Put Cooking And Armor Over The Edge
On top of the dramatic boost cooking and armor give to Link's survivability, they also provide helpful bonus effects. Certain ingredients can be cooked into meals to help with navigating treacherous environments, like adding hot peppers to a dish for added resistance to cold in the mountains. But players can also add a dual-purpose to their healing meals when preparing for a big fight by including ingredients like an ironshroom in recipes to give Link a defense boost. Tears of the Kingdom also features ingredients that enhance attack, create light emission, and increase maximum health.
This is where, for a little extra work, armor sets outshine even cooking benefits. Many stat boosts players can enjoy temporarily through meals can be bestowed upon Link permanently while wearing full sets of armor. These special effects range from simple attack boosts and elemental resistances to the more unique negating fall damage, increasing performance in specific weather, and even hiding players from certain enemies. One-shot protection in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom makes cooking, with its ease of access, and armor upgrades, with their added set bonuses, more important than hearts.
