Heart Container

Heart Containers, originally formatted as heart containers and also known as Container Hearts, are items that represent the units of Link's health on the life bar in every The Legend of Zelda game. They are featured as recovery items in the Super Smash Bros. series. Most of them can be obtained if Link defeats a boss, or if he collects a number Pieces of Heart (usually four), which make up a Heart Container. Heart Containers are optional because when Link collects one, another heart unit is added to his health bar.

Pieces of Heart usually resemble Heart Containers except less of their perimeter is filled red.

The Legend of Zelda
In The Legend of Zelda, there are 13 heart containers that Link can obtain. The LIFE meter begins with 3 hearts and can have up to 16 hearts if Link collects every heart container. 8 heart containers are obtained by defeating a boss. The 5 others are offered by old men in caves, along with a Red Potion. Link can only choose one item, so if he chooses the Life Potion, the heart container is gone permanently.

Link must have at least 5 heart containers for the White Sword, or 12 of them for the Magical Sword.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link's life meter is represented by bars instead of hearts. As such, every Heart Container adds another bar to his life meter. There are 4 Heart Containers in the game, so Link can have up to 8 bars of health.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, there are 17 Heart Containers. Like the first The Legend of Zelda and subsequent games in the series, Link's life meter is represented by hearts, and every Heart Container adds another unit to his life bar.

The first Heart Container is located inside a Treasure Chest in the Sanctuary. A total of 10 Heart Containers are earned by defeating a boss. 6 Heart Containers can be each formed by four Piece of Hearts, which were introduced in the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, there are 11 Heart Containers. 8 are obtained from defeated bosses, and the other 3 are obtained by four Pieces of Heart each.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there are 17 Heart Containers. Like the previous game, 8 are obtained from defeated bosses. The other 9 are obtained by four Pieces of Heart each. It is the first game where Heart Containers occasionally appear from the exact location that the boss was defeated.

Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., if a fighter picks up a Heart Container their damage is reset back to 0%. Heart Containers are designed after their appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee, Heart Containers only heal up to 100% damage, except the three Heart Containers in All-Star mode, which recover all damage. Heart Containers retain their design from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Heart Containers have the same role as in Super Smash Bros. Melee but are redesigned to match their appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is the first game where fighters can grab Heart Containers in midair, which is also possible in subsequent Super Smash Bros. installments. Like the All-Star mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Heart Containers recover all health in both the All-Star and Boss Battle modes of the game. If either mode is done in co-op mode, there are six Heart Containers instead of three.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Heart Containers were redesigned to match their appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. In All-Star mode, the fighter starts off with one Heart Container initially, but if all characters are unlocked, they start with two Heart Containers.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Heart Containers retain their appearance and role from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.