Glitches and Tricks

Twilight Princess has many glitches & tricks you can use to get items early, access areas early (sequence breaks), or just speed things up. This page will outline only the tricks that are applicable to randomizer. ZeldaSpeedRuns (ZSR) is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn about the glitches used in speedrunning or speedruns in general beyond what this page covers.

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General

Tricks listed here may be used in many situations. This list excludes glitches that have potential of breaking the randomizer like Back in Time, stealing one or multiple Bomb Bags from Iza that cannot be randomized, or glitches that take a very long time to setup/perform like a Pickup Slide or specific Actor Duping of small objects.

Drained Magic Armor

How to: Wear Magic Armor after draining all of your rupees

Result: The Magic Armor is now drained, meaning it doesn't provide invincibility anymore, instead it gives you the same heavy properties of the Iron Boots which makes it possible to sink underwater and open underwater chests.

Notes:

• Unlike Iron Boots you don't have the magnetic properties which means you can't attach to magnetic walls/ceilings
• Unlike Iron Boots you can't deal damage when rolling

Backslice as Sword

How to: If you do not have a Sword, you can still do the same Backslice inputs

Result: You will perform a Backslice and can still deal damage even though you do not have a Sword which is useful if you do not have any other damaging source

Notes:

• Backslice will deal default damage as if you had the Ordon Sword
• Backslice Moon Boots can be performed even without Sword

Map Glitch

How to: Open the map with dpad left/right at the same time you press Z to talk to Midna. With map open (for a consistent method, unplug controller, hold map button and Z, then plug controller in), warp somewhere. Midna should talk to you after the map closes, interrupting the warp.

Result: When a warp starts, loading zones are disabled. Having an action happen that interrupts the warp (talking to Midna, Midna jump, reading a sign, etc.) allows you to play in this "mid-warp" state.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/4BAygtsEu0U

Notes:

• Loading zones will remain inactive until a load is completed
• Game overing or voiding out will softlock you. Savewarping gets you out of a void softlock. If you game over, you have to reset
• Void planes like Faron mist or Snowpeak blizzard also get disabled during this state
• Crush voiding becomes impossible

More info: ZSR

Epona Out of Bounds

How to: With Map Glitch active, riding Epona past an inactive loading zone will let you go out of bounds beyond the loading zone, walking over the void.

Notes:

• Some areas will force Epona to fall to the bottom of the void plane automatically, such as Kakariko Gorge

Reverse Door Adventure (RDA / Storage)

How to: With Map Glitch active, pull out a one-handed item and then go through door with that item in hand.

Result: Your hitbox will be reduced until your next item/load, allowing you to clip through certain walls and walk up steep slopes.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/8YQNRAXiROk

Notes:

• One handed items that can be used to perform this are Sword, Bottle, Boomerang, Clawshot, Lantern, Bow, Slingshot and Dominion Rod
• Grabbing an item resets your hitbox
• Backslice can slightly go up the walls and then can be combined with Backslice Moon Boots for even more height
• This can be combined with Epona Slide to go up walls even further than may normally possible with rolling

More info: ZSR

Long Jump Attack (LJA)

How to: Throw the Boomerang over a void or high ground. Press B to pull out Sword. Press A to jump attack when the Boomerang is over the void/high ground.

Result: You get extended distance to your jump attack.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/c48_ZTD2JM0

Notes:

• The speed you get from LJAs is greater the higher the platform compared to Link's position is and grants max speed if the Boomerang is above a void
• Some LJAs work by having the Boomerang over certain objects (eg. chest)
• Enemy LJAs are also a thing; see https://youtu.be/gIsV7Hg_E2k
• Moon Boots does increase the height you get from LJAs but as a result you loose a lot of horizontal distance

More info: ZSR

Jump Strike Long Jump Attack (JSLJA)

How to: Similar to Long Jump Attack target many far apart places with the Boomerang and throw it. Press B to pull out Sword. Press and Hold A to charge the Jump Strike. Release A the moment the Boomerang is over a void or high ground.

Result: You get extended distance to your Jump Strike.

Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmVNntofUEU

Notes:

• Unlike LJAs the direction you are going to is depending on Link's facing direction before throwing the Boomerang and not the Boomerang itself
• JSLJAs do not have sword recoil
• Moon Boots does increase the height you get from JSLJAs but as a result you loose a lot of horizontal distance

More info: [1]

Moon Boots (MB / EBMB / BSMB / JSMB)

How to: When performing a jump attack or Jump Strike with Iron Boots or Drained Magic Armor on, unequip Iron Boots in item wheel or Magic Armor within the first 2 frames after Link's feet have left the ground. Can be done with jump attack, Ending Blow, and Jump Strike. Can also be done with Backslice but only with the Drained Magic Armor.

Result: You gain more height than usual.

Notes:

• Logically you need 3 items in your item wheel to perform Moon Boots that use the Iron Boots since you need to unequip them. In a no logic you could do it with 2 items in your item wheel
• Different types of jumps give different height. Ending Blow gives the most height by far, with Backslice (with Magic Armor) in second, followed by Jump Strike and then jump attack
• Can get additional height by getting hit by a bomb blast at the peak of your jump
• Useful data with graphs for visualization of moon boots height can be found here (thanks to: Simikins for plotting it, JW for all frame data)

More info: ZSR

Epona Slide

How to: Hold R while riding Epona to make Link crouch. Let go of R and press A on the next frame to dismount Epona.

Result: Epona should keep moving forward while Link dismounts her you'll get a super slide starting at the speed Epona was at when you dismounted her.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/6Ggr7WtV1YM

More info: ZSR

Swim with Water Bombs & Air Refill

How to: While at the bottom of a body of water with Iron Boots/Magic Armor on, pull out a Water Bomb and quickly open the item wheel/pause before Link holds the bomb above his head. Unequip Iron Boots/Magic Armor. Continue moving with the bomb in Link's hands or he'll drop it. When you're ready to get an air refill, simply press A to drop the bomb.

Result: You will be able to swim with water bombs, which allows you to get unlimited air refills; essentially infinite air as long as you have a Water Bomb supply.

Demonstration: https://youtu.be/Fterq72hP9Y

Notes:

• Pressing A immediately upon pulling it out results in Rocket Link, where you will shoot up to the surface of the water in one frame. Tip: Don't do this when fighting Morpheel without Zora Armor

More info: ZSR

Faron Province

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Eldin Province

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Lanayru Province

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Desert Province

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Snowpeak Province

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Forest Temple

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Goron Mines

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Lakebed Temple

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Arbiter's Grounds

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Snowpeak Ruins

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Temple of Time

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City in the Sky

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Palace of Twilight

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Hyrule Castle

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