Getting Started

Welcome! This site is the central resource for information about Twilight Princess speedruns. Here are some tips for getting started:

• Twilight Princess speedruns can be done on any of the three consoles the game is available on: GameCube (SD), Wii (SD), and Wii U (HD). Routes and information for the SD versions of the game are linked on the left sidebar on this page, while information for the HD version can be found here.
• There are practice tools available to facilitate learning, the most useful of which is TPGZ, whose features include built-in practice saves for several main speedrun categories, cheats, and tools to set teleport spots, reload areas, and much more.
• If you join our discord server, you can connect with other runners, who will be happy to answer questions.
• To have a run verified on our main leaderboard, you must submit a video recording with clean audio of the full run played from disc on console (GC version can also be played on a Wii). However, our category extensions leaderboard accepts submissions of runs done on Dolphin emulator as well. Click "Show rules" on the leaderboard(s) for more information.

Choosing a category and route

We have a lot of speedrun categories to choose from, and not everyone has the same favorites. If you're not sure which category you want to learn first, you may want to browse the main and extensions leaderboards to check out the categories that exist. Here are some categories beginners may be interested in, with estimates of their lengths for experienced runners:

• Any% (3h; see route options below)
• Master Sword RTA (20m; essentially the first 20m of Any%; includes some difficult tricks, but can be used as a way to prepare for longer runs that use the same tricks)
• Goron Mines RTA (1h; includes the tricks in Master Sword RTA, plus Faron Twilight and Goron Mines)
• All Mirror Shards (75m; starts from a save file partway through the game and completes the four Mirror Shard dungeons without any twilights or early game tricks; hardest strategies are optional without altering the route)

While we typically only maintain the one or two most optimal routes for each category, the Any% route has branched into quite a few variations as it has undergone changes. These routes can all be seen under the "Routes" dropdowns on the left sidebar. Here are guides to help undecided runners choose a route:

GameCube Any% routes

• Timing comparisons of the routes can be found here

• Gorge, Empty Lake Hylia is currently the most optimal route. Like all other routes aside from the Intermediate and Beginner routes (see below), it requires some tricks that may be difficult for beginners, but with practice it is feasible to start off with this route. Runners who don't want to use the Intermediate or Beginner routes are recommended to try this route first.

• Gorge, Pillar Clip is the next fastest route. It is roughly equal in difficulty to the most optimal route, so because it is slower, it is not recommended for use. It's still linked on the site because some runners have not yet switched to the newer Empty Lake Hylia route (above).

• Routes marked "(BiTE)" use Back in Time Equipped (BiTE) to get to Kakariko for the first time instead of Rupee Roll and Gorge Void. Some runners prefer these routes because Gorge Void is a frame perfect, one-try trick that costs about one minute to fail. The tradeoff, however, is that BiTE routes are up to one minute slower than Gorge routes.

• Routes marked "(ZA)" get the Zora Armor (ZA) to fight Morpheel and Zant. Fighting Morpheel without Zora Armor is challenging at first, and drowning costs several minutes, so some beginners opt to start with a ZA route while still learning the rest of the run outside Morpheel. Because ZA routes don't get bombs, they can't perform Stallord Skip (among other, smaller changes), which means that they are optimally several minutes slower than non-ZA routes. However, since most beginners don't attempt Stallord Skip anyway, beginners usually won't see quite as big a time difference.

• The Intermediate route gets Zora Armor and omits some of the least beginner-friendly tricks in the run, but leaves in others and is not too dissimilar to the optimal route. This is a good option for beginners who want to be able to finish a run with only a few tricks that require serious practice.

• The Beginner route gets Zora Armor and omits all of the least beginner-friendly tricks in the run. This is a good option for beginners who want to be able to finish a run without any tricks that require serious practice. However, it's also an estimated 20+ minutes slower than the optimal route, so it is not recommended to stick with this route for long, as it can impede progress.

Wii Any% routes

• BiTE, Empty Lake Hylia is currently the most optimal route. It is several minutes faster than the next fastest route; however, it is only recommended for experienced runners, as it requires the difficult Epona Seam Clip and the frame perfect, one-try Gorge Void.

• BiTE, Midna Dive is similar to the route above, but uses Midna Dive to enter Lakebed and does the Helmasaur LJA, introducing more rng into the route. It is also about 40 seconds slower optimally.

• Routes marked "(Forest)" don't do Epona Seam Clip, Gorge Void, or BiTE and instead complete the Forest Temple. This is several minutes slower, but much more consistent.

• ZA is similar in nature to the "Forest" Routes, but gets the Zora Armor to fight Morpheel and Zant. The route still has to get bombs, so this costs about 5 additional minutes to complete the escort.

• Routes marked "(Beginner)" get the Zora Armor as well. They also complete Ordon mostly normally, removing Sword and Shield Skip from the route. Depending on the variation, there are different tricks omitted. (BD) or Bomb Duping will mean you have bombs in Lakebed and won't have to do the Helmasaur LJA. Beginner routes can be completed on any version.