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You need 13 permanent hearts to draw the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That is a requirement for obtaining the sword—not a separate heart-count requirement for the Trial of the Sword DLC challenge. Once you have the sword, you can attempt the trial; extra hearts are optional preparation that may give you more room to take damage.
Why the 13-heart requirement is easy to mix up
“Master Sword trials” usually refers to the Trial of the Sword, the challenge in The Master Trials DLC that powers up the weapon. But the 13-heart rule applies earlier: it is the requirement to pull the Master Sword from its pedestal in the base game. Nintendo’s Explorer’s Guide says Link must have “enough heart” for the sword to let him free it; a Nintendo Life guide specifies 13 standard hearts. Cooked temporary hearts do not count toward drawing it.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many permanent hearts to draw the Master Sword? | 13 |
| Is 13 a separate entry gate for the Trial of the Sword? | No separate heart-count gate is stated in Nintendo’s descriptions. You must already have the sword to undertake its DLC trial. |
| Are extra hearts mandatory for the trial? | No. They are optional preparation. |
What the Trial of the Sword requires
Nintendo describes the Trial of the Sword as a challenge in which Link starts without armor or weapons and must defeat enemies in successive rooms. Its game page describes 45 rooms; clearing the challenge powers up the Master Sword. Nintendo does not state a minimum heart count for entering it.
The trial’s challenge is therefore not about carrying your normal equipment into the rooms. You begin stripped of armor and weapons, then must handle the encounters and resources available as you progress. Nintendo’s 2017 DLC announcement describes that no-equipment start and the room-by-room fights.
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Should you get more than 13 hearts first?
You can attempt the trial with the 13 permanent hearts needed to draw the sword; there is no official higher preparation target. Extra hearts can make combat more forgiving by giving you a larger margin for damage, but they do not change the trial’s entry rule. Game8’s Trial of the Sword guide says a 13-heart run is possible and that additional hearts help on harder sections. That is practical guide advice, not a guarantee that the challenge will feel easy for every player.
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![The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xVZUUZ1hL._SL160_.jpg)
- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls objects and enemies in fun ways
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- If you have 13 permanent hearts and the Master Sword, you meet the known heart requirement to attempt the DLC trial.
- If you want more room for mistakes, consider collecting additional permanent hearts before you start.
- Do not count temporary cooked hearts toward the requirement to draw the sword.
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