The Legend of Zelda Glitches

When editing this page, it is required that "Link" be used in place of "you"; also, "it is" should be used over "it's". Make sure to follow the Manual of Style. This page is a list of glitches in The Legend of Zelda.

Self-Unlocking Door
Note: This will only happen on Link's first visit to Level 1.
 * 1) In the First Quest, Link must go to Level 1.
 * 2) When Link enters, there will be a locked door.
 * 3) Exit Level 1.
 * 4) Enter Level 1 again. The north door will now be unlocked.

Solid Walls?

 * 1) During the Second Quest find any dungeon wall that has doors on both the north and south walls. In Level 2, the wall that borders the north side of the whistle room will suffice.
 * 2) Start on the north side of the wall. Walk south through it, then immediately turn north and go through it again.
 * 3) When Link finishes going through it, part of him will still be in the wall. Push south and he'll enter the wall as if it were an open doorway.
 * 4) Walk through it. Link will come out the other side and move a full tile away from the wall, even if there are stones in the way. Link can walk off the stones to the south in most cases.

Indoor Music
About half of the time, when Link re-enters, the overworld music will continue to play while inside.
 * 1) Purchase the Blue Ring.
 * 2) Then exit and re-enter the store while Link's rupee counter is still counting down.
 * There are other ways to get the glitch to work as well. The only requirement is that the Rupee counter is changing as Link enters a cave or stairway from outside. This can be done after finding a 100-Rupee secret, after being charged with a Door Repair fee, or after winning or losing a large amount of money at the Money Making Game. Note that in the above instructions, Link doesn't have to re-enter the same place he exited, provided he can get to another place before the Rupee counter finishes the transaction.

Portable Fairy
Note: This can only be done in the Second Quest. Note how the whistle always warps Link to the entrances of Quest 1 dungeons, even during the second quest. For instance, after beating Level 6, the whistle takes Link to where he found Level 6 in the First Quest, not the second. Also note that Level 5's former location becomes a Fairy Fountain in the Second Quest.


 * 1) Warp to the fairy fountain that used to be at Level 5. Link must have completed the first four levels to do this - Link does NOT, however, need to have completed Level Five, as the game reverses those two dungeons internally.
 * 2) When Link arrives, the fairy will heal him. But he can continue to move while still receiving health. This allows Link to go anywhere else in the game, even into a dungeon, while his hearts continue to fill up. It is a sort of invincibility, since any damage Link takes in the meantime will be automatically recovered. Note that once Link's hearts are filled up, it will not restore the damage that he takes.

Moving attack
Normally Link can't attack and walk at the same time. Still, Link can do this if he is in a dungeon.


 * 1) Walk towards a door.
 * 2) Just when Link is touching the door, attack with the sword. Link should now attack with the sword and walk at the same time through the door.

Keeping The Enemy Bait

 * 1) Approach the Hungry Goriya who blocks Link's path in certain dungeons and give him the Bait.
 * 2) As the "secret found" jingle plays and the Goriya fades, go to the subscreen and execute the procedure to end the game this was Up and A in the original release.
 * 3) Select "Continue" on the options list and Link will restart the game from the dungeon entrance.

Link will still have the bait, but the Goriya will be gone when he returns to its room. This may only work on the original NES release.

Walk on the HUD
An accidental discovery has unveiled the ability to walk on the HUD at the top of the game screen.


 * 1) From the start, go one screen to the left Note.
 * 2) Walk along the rocks on the top of the screen.
 * 3) When Link gets to the corner, walk to the right, avoiding the break in the wall, and walk straight up, if done correctly Link will be walking on the top.
 * 4) To stop the glitch just walk down.

This glitch may be considered credible because Tektites are able to bounce and land up there.

Note: The first time, and only time, this was performed was when all the monsters to the left were killed. It is unknown if this is a necessary step.