Any% (Gorge) (ZA)
Note that this alternative Any% route is roughly 3m18s slower than the optimal Any% route (including Stallord Skip), which gets bombs instead of Zora Armor and empties Lake Hylia.
If you are not consistent with Morpheel / Zant without Zora Armor, this route probably is the better alternative.
Runs should start with a blank file in slots 1, 2 and 3 as all files are used during the run.
It is helpful to watch a reference run when learning, as this route document can only go into so much detail. The top runs on the leaderboard use the optimal route, but these older runs follow this route:
Playing on German (PAL) is optimal for this route; see language rankings.
Ordon
- Ordon Gate Clip
- Back in Time on Ordon Bridge
- BiT Save over File 1
- Lantern (E Lantern)
- [Lantern]
- Save Talo
- Goats
- Iron Boots
- Save on File 2 outside Bo's house
- Castle sewers
- Castle rooftops
- Sword & Shield Skip
Faron Province
- Skip Faron Vessel
- EMS
- Skull Kid chase
- Skull Kid fight
» Master Sword puzzle (LD UUU RR DDD LU)
- Warp South Faron
- Cross purple mist with lantern
- Enter Forest Temple
- Early Monkeys
- Save on File 3 (if using save prompt buffer BiT in the following step, this is built in)
- BiT behind load zone (save prompt buffer method is fastest)
- Perform BiTE and load File 2 (outside Bo's House) to spawn in the King Bulblin fight
- Set Early Boss Fights (EBF)
- Voiding at the monkey chain un-sets the boss flag, but it is still needed for Deku Toad later. If you accidentally void here, after the savewarp from boomerang, clip to Deku Toad instead.
- Load File 3 (Forest Temple)
- Kill one or both walltulas with deku baba nuts
- Alternatively, try to climb past one or both walltulas (requires good RNG)
- Light torches
- Cross over monkey chain to Ook
- Voiding at the monkey chain un-sets the boss flag, but it is still needed for Deku Toad later. If you accidentally void here, after the savewarp from boomerang, do BiTE to set EBF again before leaving Forest Temple.
- Ook
- Boomerang (E Rang, Boots)
- [Rang/Boots]
- Savewarp
- Warp South Faron
- Faron Escape
- Dash to Eldin
- Postman Skip
- Enter Eldin Province
Getting to Eldin Vessel (Gorge Void)
- Kakariko Gorge warp portal
- Gorge Void
- Gorge Skip (10R)
- Avoid King Bulblin 1 trigger (dig under gate and hug the wall)
- Enter Kakariko
- Kakariko warp portal
- Return to gorge for map warping (avoid King Bulblin 1 trigger again)
- Warp South Faron (forced warp to Faron)
- Faron Escape
- Dash to Lanayru gate as wolf
- Lanayru Gate Clip
- Drop into Lake Hylia as human
- Pillar Clip
- Enter Lakebed Temple
- Savewarp
- Pull lever and enter next room
- Skip stalactites
- Double LJA to skip staircase
- Head to Deku Toad through east door of floor 1
- Early Deku Toad
- 1-cycle with Master Sword
- Clawshot
- Savewarp
- Go through first three rooms again
- Clawshot to the right to Ooccoo
- Ooccoo out
- [Boots/Ooccoo Jr.]
- Kargarok Skip with Iron Boots
- Faster Kargarok flight
- Zora's Domain warp portal
- Warp Kakariko
- Eldin Vessel
Getting to Eldin Vessel (No Gorge Void)
- Kakariko Gorge warp portal
- Warp South Faron (forced warp to Faron)
- Faron Escape
- Dash to Lanayru gate as wolf
- Lanayru Gate Clip
- Drop into Lake Hylia as human
- Pillar Clip
- Enter Lakebed Temple
- Savewarp
- Pull lever and enter next room
- Skip stalactites
- Double LJA to skip staircase
- Head to Deku Toad through east door of floor 1
- Early Deku Toad
- 1-cycle with Master Sword
- Clawshot
- Savewarp
- Go through first three rooms again
- Clawshot to the right to Ooccoo
- Ooccoo out
- [Boots/Ooccoo Jr.]
- Kargarok Skip with Iron Boots
- Faster Kargarok flight
- Zora's Domain warp portal
- Warp South Faron
- Faron Escape
- Dash to Eldin
- Postman Skip
- Enter Eldin Province
- Gorge Skip (20R)
- Avoid King Bulblin 1 trigger (dig under gate and hug the wall)
- Enter Kakariko
- Kakariko warp portal
- Eldin Vessel
Eldin Twilight
- Enter graveyard
- Kill graveyard bug (leave tear)
- Well Clip
- 3 basement bugs
- Graveyard bug tear
- Malo Mart bug
- 2 hotel bugs
- Abandoned house bug
- Barnes' Shop bug
- Bomb House Skip, collect 3 tears
- Watchtower bug (15R+)
- DMT bug
- Death Mountain warp portal
- 2 Death Mountain bugs
- Vessel complete
Lanayru Twilight
- Warp Death Mountain
- Transform in the corner
- Warp rock to Zora's Domain as human
- Rutela Skip
- Lanayru Vessel
- Bug outside Lanayru spring
- Lake Hylia warp portal
- Stepping stones for bug
- Warp Zora's Domain
- Wall bug and Rutela Skip
- Waterfall Sidehop or drop down right wall to bug
- 2 lilypad bugs
- Bug on cliff (RNG rupees in grass)
- UZR howling stone __–_¯¯––__
- Listen to Iza for bug
- Down the river
- Castle Town warp portal
- Dash cancel through Castle Town
- Castle Town bug
- Warp Lake Hylia
- Bug behind Fyer's house
- Howl at grass
- 4 Kargarok bugs, bonk, and press B to say 'No' to Midna
- Last small bug
- Boss Bug
- Vessel complete
Zora Armor
- Warp Castle Town
- Postman Skip
- Enter Telma's Bar (starts wagon escort)
- Bulblin 2 Skip
- Extinguish fire on wagon with Boomerang
- Open gate
- 100R chest under the bridge (140/160R)
- Kill kargarok with Boomerang before it drops its bomb
- Dash to the gorge
- Epona slide over the gorge
- Alternatively, you can Epona Backhop over the gorge (about 30 seconds slower)
- LJA over Midna trigger
- Follow Rutela through Graveyard to grave
- Zora Armor (don't equip it yet)
Going to Snowpeak Ruins
- Warp Zora's Domain
- Enter Peak Province
- Map Glitch
- Snowpeak howling stone ¯–_–––_¯–_ (only howl once, then leave)
- Cave
- Snowpeak Messenger Skip
- Blind snowboarding
- Enter Snowpeak Ruins
Snowpeak Ruins
- Enter door on the left
- Early Heart Piece 2 (don't need the Heart Piece)
- Clawshot through the ceiling
- Floor Clip
- Open door and push block
- Clip under door
- Freezard Skip
- Darkhammer 1-Cycle without bomb (either direction)
- Ball & Chain
- Equip Zora Armor and savewarp
- 100R from armor in the lobby (240/260R)
- Ooccoo back to Lakebed
Lakebed Temple
- Boss Key Skip (top of stairs south)
- Morpheel with Zora Armor
- 1-frame early hit on Morpheel
Midna's Desperate Hour
- Transform wolf
- Dash to Castle Town
- Enter Telma's Bar through the door
- Louise Glitch (saves about 1.7s)
- Push box once and dash jump to window
- Ropes in bar
- Poe
- Enter sewers
- Burn first web as wolf with stick
- Transform at 2nd web and use lantern
- Dig into hole
- Bulblin archer
- Exit tower
- Early Wind Cycle
- Zelda cutscene
Desert Province
- Ending Blow from golden wolf to your right against the wall
- Warp Lake Hylia
- Get Memo (E B&C/Memo)
- [B&C/Memo]
- Jump into lake and swim to Fyer
- Show Memo to Fyer and go to Desert Province
- Enter Bulblin Camp without a boar (E Claw/Rang)
- [Claw/Rang]
- Map Glitch to King Bulblin
- Dying with map glitch active is a softlock, so save in Bulblin Camp if worried about dying to fire arrows or King Bulblin
- Enter Arbiter's Grounds as human
Arbiter's Grounds
- Human entrance
- Pull chain
- Small Key (E Lantern^Claw)
- [Rang/Lantern]
- Torch room
- Poe door cutscene
- Poe gate clip
- Boss key early (autoroll method) (get 5R in the skull if needed)
- Full human movement after Boss Key
- Or transform wolf (roughly 10s slower)
- Stalfos with Ball & Chain
- Death Sword
- Spinner
- Savewarp
- Enter Stallord
- Fight Stallord
- Exit Arbiter's Grounds
Getting to City in the Sky
- Mirror Chamber Warp Portal (you have to zoom in all the way on the map and press Z to enable portals from now on)
- Warp Kakariko
- Early City in the Sky (need 300R) (E Rang^Spinner)
- [Claw/Rang]
- Pay Fyer 300R to fix cannon, enter cannon
- If you are short on rupees, Fyer has 60
City in the Sky
- LJAs over first room
- Fan Trigger Skip for early boss key
- Exit via window on left (E Spinner^Rang)
- [Claw/Spinner]
- Bridge
- Small Key
- Argorok Cutscene Skip
- Enter East Wing (E Rang^Spinner)
- [Claw/Rang]
- Bridge
- Gate clip
- Aeralfos door clip
- Aeralfos Skip
- Double Clawshots
- Savewarp (E 2Claw/Rang)
- [2Claw/Rang]
- Return to main room via window
- Clawshot through floor to boss key chest
- Boss Key
- Drop down
- Skip turning on fans (E Boots^Rang)
- [2Claw/Boots]
- Fan tower
- Enter boss door
- Clawshot vines
- Argorok
- Heart Container
- Equip Boots and enter cannon to exit
Palace of Twilight
- Mash B to jump attack and land on the bridge
- Warp Mirror Chamber
- Transform wolf
- Enter Palace of Twilight
- West room 1 with double hit
- West room 2 and jump attack from chest
- Phantom Zant 1
- West sol with Midna text skip
- West room 2 return
- West room 1 return
- Exit west wing
- [Clawshots / Boomerang]
- Place sol 1
- LJA to east wing
- East room 1 without hidden skills
- East room 2
- Phantom Zant 2
- East sol
- East room 2 return
- East room 1 return
- Light Sword with optimizations
- Enter north wing
- Place sols in sockets or skip staircase
- Out of bounds LJA to Zant heads
- Small key with faster platform spawn
- Out of bounds LJA to door
- Boss key area
- Don't forget the boss key
- Early Platform room
- LJA after Early Platform
- Kill the waves of shadow beasts
- Enter Zant
- Zant with Zora Armor
- Take portal
- Exit Palace of Twilight
Hyrule Castle
- Warp Castle Town
- Postman Skip
- Squidna Cutscene
- Enter Hyrule Castle
- Skip Barrier 1 with LJA
- Skip Barrier 2
- King Bulblin 4
- Midna text skip
- If text skip is missed, savewarp or avoid walking into Barrier 2 on way back
- Enter Castle
- Barrier 3 Skip
- Clawshot to 2F (E B&C/Rang)
- [B&C/Rang]
- Darknut room
- Enter puzzle room (right door)
» Torch puzzle (NE, NW, SW, SE)
» SW, NE, NW, SE (1s slower but safer)
- Dynalfos with sword
- Aeralfos (E B&C^Rang)
- [2Claw/B&C]
- Small Key
- Boss Key
- Enter tower
- Block room shortcut
- Second lizalfos fight (E Spinner^2Claw)
- [B&C/Spinner]
- Spinner up (E 2Claw^Spinner)
- [B&C/2Claw]
- Skip final darknut
- Enter final battle
- Ganondorf