Ledge Clipping

Discovered by MrSparkle, Using Bombs Discovered by Klydestorm

Trick Description

By placing an object (such as Medli, Makar, an orb, statue, bombs, a pot, etc.) near the point where a ledge and wall meet (typically at a right angle), it is possible to clip Link through the vast majority of walls in the game.

How To

With Bombs:

  1. Backwalk and grab the desired ledge
  2. Move as close as you can to the wall you wish to clip through & pull yourself up.
  3. Either pull out a bomb, wait until it's above your head, press B to drop it behind you, then backflip off the ledge and use the deku leaf to grab the ledge...OR...Pull out a bomb, sidehop into the wall & about halfway through the sidehop pull out the leaf and continue holding towards the wall, then move Link back away from the ledge and then grab it. (Normally you will have to angle yourself away from the wall so that the bomb lands on the ledge, however, in the Wind Temple, some of the walls are slightly beveled, meaning that you don't have to angle yourself. This is especially useful in getting the hookshot early and skipping the fan cages.)
  4. Move away from the wall and the bomb should push you towards it, clipping you through the wall. Note: For some walls you will have to pull yourself up onto an OoB ledge and then shield the bomb to prevent it from knocking you down. This is demonstrated in the video below.

With Objects other than Bombs:

  1. Pick up the item and place it near the intersection of the ledge and the wall. Make sure that the object is far enough from the ledge so that when you preform step 3 it won't push you off the ledge. (This will obviously not work with enemy orbs as you cannot pick them up. Because of the precision necessary of the orb drop to be able to clip, orbs are hardly ever used.)
  2. Backwalk off the ledge to grab it.
  3. Pull yourself up, lift the object, and once it is fully above your head press B to drop it behind you.
  4. Jump off the ledge (backflip, sidehop, etc.)
  5. Use the leaf to re-grab the ledge.
  6. Push the control stick away from the wall in order to clip.

Pause Buffering

For some ledge clips (particularly the one to skip the DRC boss key), pause buffering is a more accurate, as well as a safer way to ensure that you will clip into the desired wall. When Link grabs a ledge, he bends his legs and as you advance frames they will straighten out; There is a frame where Link's legs are still slightly bent, and the next they are completely strait. This is what you are looking for when pause buffering. Depending on the ledge, either both frames, or only the latter will work (with a 2-3 frame window). On this frame press away from the wall to clip as you would normally.

Ledge Clip Frames

Both pause-buffered & non-pause-buffered methods are demonstrated in the video below.

Ledge Clipping with Chest Storage

Since storing a chest drastically reduces the size of Link's hit-box (making collisions with solid objects much smaller), it becomes no longer necessary to use an object to ledge clip. Rather (as long as the ledge and wall are perpendicular to each other), you can simply strafe against the wall until Link drops and grabs the ledge. When you then pull yourself up, Link will clip through the wall (this is especially useful in the Earth Temple).

Additional Notes

  • Because pots and bombs are "movable" objects (whilst Link is hanging on the ledge they are being pushed away from him) ledge clipping with them can sometimes require frame-perfect, or near frame-perfect, input in order to succeed.
  • In addition, bombs have a time-limiting window in which you have to clip before they explode.
  • "Immovable" objects, such as Medli or Makar, stay stationary during the whole clip. This concept contributes to the reason why clips executed with the help of Medli or Makar don't require pause buffering. Also, if the trick is failed, the clip will still work fine without having to replace the character in position.
  • In most instances, once you clip there will be no invisible ledges on the OoB side of the wall you clipped through (unlike in other Zelda games). Therefore once Link pulls himself up the ledge you will need to immediately pull out the deku leaf to avoid falling into the void.
  • Door frames in the Tower of the Gods can be used to ledge clip without the need of any additional object, but only require the proper angle (click here for more).
Last updated 03/15/2023 – EJ125