Crimson Heart

Naturally generated
The content described on this page is only generated naturally and therefore cannot be collected.

This article is about the background object. For the light pet summon item, see Crimson Heart (item).

A Crimson Heart is a floating, pulsing, red, heart-shaped background object found deep in the branches of the Crimson. A world with Crimson features several Crimson Hearts, and destroying at least three of them (in a single world) is usually a crucial step in game advancement. This can be done using any hammer or explosives. Crimson Hearts release a fair amount of their own flickering light, similar to Crimson Altars. They are the Crimson counterpart to the Corruption's Shadow Orbs.

Crimson Hearts are usually located at the ends of the branches that split from the main circular room of a Crimson area, surrounded by Crimstone Blocks. In order to reach them, the player may use a Deathbringer Pickaxe or better pickaxe, explosives, or Purification Powder.

Consequences of destruction

Each Crimson Heart drops items when destroyed. The first will always drop an Undertaker and 100 Musket Balls, and carrying the Undertaker and/or Musket Balls will fulfill the criteria for the Arms Dealer to arrive.
Destroying at least one Crimson Heart fulfills one of the two criteria for a Goblin Army to attack (having at least 200 health is the other requirement).
The third Crimson Heart destroyed summons the Brain of Cthulhu, which spawns immediately. The Brain of Cthulhu is re-summoned with every third Crimson Heart destroyed.
(Old-gen console and 3DS versions) Each Crimson Heart destroyed provides a chance for a meteorite to land. Each Crimson Heart gives a separate 50% chance of immediately causing a meteorite to fall when destroyed between midnight (12:00 AM) and dawn (4:30 AM). Destroying any number of Crimson Hearts between dawn and midnight will only allow one 50% chance of a meteorite falling the following midnight.
Once a Crimson Heart is destroyed, the Traveling Merchant(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions) has a chance to sell the Revolver(Desktop, Console, Old-gen console and Mobile versions).

Messages

The following status messages appear upon destruction of Crimson Hearts:

First heart: "A horrible chill goes down your spine..."
Second heart: "Screams echo around you..."
Third heart: "Brain of Cthulhu has awoken!"

Achievements

Smashing, Poppet! • “Using explosives or your trusty hammer, smash a Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart in the evil parts of your world.”

Smash your first Shadow Orb or Crimson Heart. (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions)

Category:

Explorer

Trivia

Both Crimson Hearts and Shadow Orbs drop a gun, magic weapon, melee weapon, light pet, and an accessory.
Crimson Hearts and Shadow Orbs share the same counter for how many have been destroyed in a world, meaning that if both appear in the same world, such as in drunk worlds(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), destroying three total of either will summon the boss associated with the last one broken.