Empty Vessel

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(except in Rebirth)

Empty Vessel is an unlockable passive item added in The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth.

Effects

  • When Isaac has no Red Hearts:
    • Grants flight.
    • Every 40 seconds since activation or pickup, when the seconds on the timer hit 00, 20, or 40, while in a room with enemies, a shield triggers, nullifying all types of damage for 10 seconds.
  • Grants 2 Black Heart.pngBlack Hearts on pickup.

Notes

  • Does not affect Character Keeper icon.pngKeeper/ Character Tainted Keeper icon.pngTainted Keeper.
  • (except in Repentance and Repentance+)This item is difficult to use for anyone with red health, as it is impossible to have no red hearts without removing all heart containers (such as through Devil deals). It is best used by characters that cannot gain red health at all, such as Character ??? (Character) icon.png???.
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+)Characters can now deplete their red health fully through sources like Blood Donation Machine.pngBlood Donation Machines while having other hearts like Soul Heart.pngSoul Hearts. As a result, this item is usable for a wider amount of characters, and has synergies with characters who prefer to have no red health (such as Character Eve icon.pngEve).
  • (in Repentance and Repentance+) Rotten Heart.pngRotten Hearts also prevent Empty Vessel's effects.

Synergies

  • (except in Rebirth and Afterbirth)Collectible Brittle Bones icon.pngBrittle Bones: The empty Bone Heart.pngBone Hearts will trigger Empty Vessel.
  • Collectible Gnawed Leaf icon.pngGnawed Leaf: If the player has no Red Hearts, they can stand still and wait for the shield to activate, allowing the player to deal damage without leaving invulnerability.

In-game Footage

Trivia

  • The changed texture of the player's body is the same as Character The Lost icon.pngThe Lost's, but recolored.
  • "Empty vessel" is a religious term for having an open mind so God can fill it with His divine wisdom.