Heart Containers...

[shadowlink626]

maybe it was thier heart and link is just a beast and beats the crap out of them for his own benefit

 

[Master Kokiri 9]

It's simple really. Heart Containers are the embodiment of life force so when something that has a ton of it dies it simply releases it and when collected by link his health is powered up. And i guess they come out of the weak point by coincedence.

 

[TVTMaster]

What I'm thinking is that Heart Containers are artifacts of power. For one thing, Heart Pieces, which form Heart Containers, are usually found outside of enemies or bosses. This relation implies that it's not an organic essence of a creature. Rather, a Heart Container is likely a power source for bosses. It's likely no coincidence that they come out of giant, magical creatures, and that they emerge from the representation of the villain's control over the beast. Heart containers are probably used by the villains to imbue their servants with greater power, and when Link slays such a beast, he takes said power. Heart containers also likely explain why Link doesn't take injury from attacks, but that's another topic.

 

[DeletedUser9]

I've always felt that the Heart Container's given by the bosses were supposed to be their life force or essence, due to the way in which they appear.

Somehow you're taking the boss's power. Instead of devouring their soul or eating them... you get a little trinket.

 

[Dungeon killer]

I always thought that was weird, but I just accepted it as it was, and because it looks cool when they die!

 

[Emicon]

I always thought that the Heart Containers were a gameplay device as well. In your typical RPG, you level up. In Zelda, you don't (besides AoL). This could be the designer's way of showing how Link is getting stronger throughout the game.

 

[BlackOut0189]

I always thought of them to be the monster's soul, or something along those lines.

 

[Roxas20]

I just associated them with Link's lifeline since I could remember (playing Zelda 1 at age 3)... It was a basic concept.

 

[Qwerty0805]

In the Wind Waker, when you read the signs on Sturgeon's wall, one of them say that your life force naturally increases as you grow. From that I think heart containers as a visual representation of Link's life force increasing, and not an actual object.