Drink a Plasma Vial to heal — but a vial only restores as much health as the yellow "Plasma" bar you've built up by hitting enemies. You can't heal defensively.
Healing in Mina the Hollower is built like an Estus Flask, with one twist that catches everyone: a Plasma Vial only heals as much as you’ve earned by fighting. You can’t sit back and chug potions to stall out a boss.
The yellow bar is the rule that matters. No Plasma built up means a tiny heal. Deal damage first, then drink.
How it actually works
As you take damage, part of your health bar turns yellow. That yellow chunk is Plasma — recoverable life. When you drink a Plasma Vial, it restores up to the amount of Plasma you’ve stored. You build Plasma by dealing damage to enemies (and from a few pickups, below).
So the loop is: get hit → some health goes yellow → fight back to bank Plasma → drink to claim it. Stay aggressive and your heals stay strong. Turtle up and your vials are nearly worthless.
Don’t panic-heal
The heal animation takes up to about three seconds, and Mina can’t move or act the entire time. Drink at the wrong moment and you’ll eat a free hit — which often costs more than the heal restores.
💡 Heal in the gap after you dodge a big attack, not in the middle of pressure. Burrow to create the gap if you need to.
Carrying and refilling
- Vial count is upgradeable. Vial Pouches raise the max number of vials you carry — grab the Primed Vial Pouch early; it adds two.
- Refill vials by visiting the Underlab.
- Refill Plasma (the yellow bar) with Plasma Roses, the Mist Jar sidearm (dash through an enemy to heal a little and build Plasma), fishing pickups, and the Joule Syringe trinket (Joules convert to Plasma).
Trinkets that help
- Iron Lung — extends your Plasma reserve.
- Vascular Syrup — gives a rolling, slow-draining health bar that buys you time to heal.
- Plasma Funnel — drink vials twice as fast and stop losing vials when hit.
Note on numbers
Yacht Club hasn’t published exact heal amounts, Plasma values, or the precise heal duration — “up to three seconds” comes from previews. Treat any specific figures online as unofficial.
| Heal source | Plasma Vials |
| Heal time | ~3 seconds (immobile, vulnerable) |
| How much it heals | As much as your yellow Plasma bar |
| How to build Plasma | Deal damage to enemies |
| Carry more | Vial Pouch upgrades |
FAQ
How do you heal in Mina the Hollower?
Drink a Plasma Vial. But it only heals as much as the yellow "Plasma" bar you've built up — and you build that bar by dealing damage to enemies. You can't just heal whenever you want.
Why is my heal so weak?
A Plasma Vial only restores the amount of yellow Plasma you've stored. If you haven't been hitting enemies, the bar is small, so the heal is small. Land hits to fill it before you drink.
How long does healing take?
The heal animation takes up to about three seconds, and Mina is immobile and exposed the whole time. Find a safe gap before you drink — don't panic-heal mid-combo.
How do you carry more Plasma Vials?
Pick up Vial Pouches, which raise your maximum vial count. The Primed Vial Pouch is a great early-game grab that lets you carry two extra vials.
What is the yellow bar in Mina the Hollower?
It's your Plasma — recoverable life. As you take damage, part of your health bar turns yellow, and the bigger that yellow section, the more a Plasma Vial restores.