Three Heart Challenge

The Three Heart Challenge is a challenge where the player completes a Zelda game without gaining a Heart Container or a Piece of Heart throughout the entire game, keeping the three heart health bar that most Zelda games start out with in the beginning of a game, hence the name of the challenge. It is possible to perform this challenge in most of the Zelda titles except for a few. In other titles such as The Adventure of Link, the game starts out with more than three hearts or health bars, but is still possible to perform the challenge, as the point of the challenge is to not increase Link's maximum life bar. Most challenges would want to increase the challenge of the game by adding restrictions, such as no fairies or magic potions.

This challenge cannot be done in A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening, due to the fact that these games require that Link must collect a Heart Container after defeating a major boss in order to progress further in the game.

There are also Low% Three Heart Challenges, in which the player tries to only get necessary items, and avoids optional items, in addition to avoiding Heart Containers. A good example being The Legend of Zelda in which the Silver Arrows are required to complete the game, whereas an item such as the Book of Magic isn't.

Games in which the Three Heart Challenge can be done

 * ''The Legend of Zelda
 * The Adventure of Link (Game starts out with four life bar panels, and Heart Containers are hidden in the overworld, and leveling up Life is optional.)
 * Ocarina of Time
 * Majora's Mask
 * Oracle of Seasons
 * Oracle of Ages
 * The Wind Waker
 * The Minish Cap
 * Twilight Princess
 * Phantom Hourglass