Nocturne RTA

WIP

Equips are notated as (e.g.)

  • bomb || hook || stick (weird egg)
  • goron tunic

where the item in parentheses shows which slot the item before it is equipped over (here, stick is equipped on the adult trade quest slot). In this route, which c-button each item is equipped on is never important. Bomb, bombchu, and rupee counts and health are notated as [b, c, r, h] where relevant. See Common Terms and Abbreviations.

It is helpful to watch a top run on the leaderboard for reference when learning, as this route document can only go into so much detail.

Child

  • Exit Link's house
  • Stepping stones blue rupee [5r]
  • Shop hidden blue rupee [10r]
  • Buy deku stick [10r]
    • stick || blank || blank
  • Climb to Lost Woods with [jumpslash optimization]
  • [Child aqua escape with stick]

  • Swim down Zora's River [22r]
  • [WESS to Kakariko] to skip owl
  • [Collect cuccos] for bottle
  • [Navi dive to enter BotW]

  • [Skull push] to bombchu chest [10c, 20r+]
  • [Vine clip with bombchu] and void [9c, 20r+]
    • chu || blank || blank on buffer
  • Exit BotW

  • Backwalk to Hyrule Field
  • [Skip owl with sign]
  • [Enter Market at night] with 3 drawbridge red rupees [9c, 80r+]
  • [Shop clip] to buy Hylian Shield [9c, 0r+]
  • [Door of Time skip] (as child, swordless)
  • Pick up Master Sword

Dungeon preparation

  • Light Medallion and Sheik cutscenes
  • Savewarp
    • chu || bottle || blank
  • Exit to Hyrule Field
  • [Double chu HESS to Kakariko] [7c]
    • Alternatively, single chu HESS (slower)
  • [Chu HESS off sign to Graveyard] [6c]
  • Enter Dampe's grave [6c, 2.5h]
  • Dampe race for hookshot
  • Void and exit [6c, 1.5h]
  • Catch bugs to dupe bottle on empty c-button
    • chu || blank || bottle during bottle swing
  • Chu grass for damage [5c, 1h]
  • RNG fairy from grass
    • Fairy can only spawn at 1h or less; can use poe for additional damage if needed
    • If you accidentally catch bugs again, shield swipe to catch a fairy in the same real bottle without having to release bugs first
  • Return to Kakariko

  • Chu HESS off sign to DMT [4c, 1h]
    • chu || bugs || hook
  • Chu HESS off sign to Dodongo's Cavern [3c, 1h]
  • [Hookshot jump to 2f] [3c, 3h]
  • Get bomb bag [20b, 3c, 3h]
  • Exit DC

  • Chu HESS off rock to Goron City [20b, 2c, 3h]
    • bomb || bugs || hook
  • [Megasidehop clip into Darunia's room] [19b, 2c, 3h]
  • [Clip past statue to DMC] [18b, 2c, 3h]
  • [Bolero cutscene skip] [17b, 2c, 2h]
  • HESS through Goron City to Lost Woods [15b, 2c, 1.5h]
  • [Adult aqua escape]
  • [Megasidehop to Zora's Domain] [14b, 2c, 1.5h]
  • [Ladder clip to Lake Hylia]
  • HESS to Serenade warp pad [13b, 2c, 1.5h]
  • [Jumpslash clip into Water Temple]
    • chu || bugs || hook

Water Temple

  • [Superswim popup to boss ledge] [13b, 1c, 1.5h]
    • bomb || bugs || hook on buffer
    • If worried about health, get fairy from pot after popup
  • [Ascend slope with blade traps]
  • [Water Temple boss key skip] (2 bomb method) [11b, 1c, 1h]
  • [Morpha] with hookshot and Master Sword
  • [Water Medallion cutscene skip] [9b, 3h]
    • Bomb OI method is fastest, but bottle OI with bugs works as well
  • Play Bolero with OI (bomb OI is fastest) [8b, 1c, 2.5h]

Fire Temple

  • Drop to Fire Temple entrance (grab ladder to avoid damage)
    • bottle || bugs || hook
  • [Skip Darunia cutscene] (bottle timestop method) and get bombs and fairy [18b, 2.5h]
    • bomb || bugs || hook
  • Return to entrance
  • Get ISG and Ledge Cancel [17b, 2.5h]
  • [Zombie jump to maze room]
  • HESS to fire wall [16b, 2.5h]
    • Alternatively, traverse maze by [skipping flame barrier] (slower)
  • Bypass fire wall during damage invincibility [15b, 2.5h]
  • Break pots for bombs if needed [20b, 2.5h]
    • Can get health if needed in preparation for [1/16 health]; ideally have 2.25 or 2.5h entering flare dancer
  • [Flare dancer] with damage [20b, 1 + 1/16h]
    • Fire damage between cycles to 1 + 15/16h - cancel flames when HUD shows 2 full hearts
    • Flare dancer explosion damage to 1 + 1/16h
  • Climb through next room [19b, 1 + 1/16h]
  • Hammer

  • [Boss key skip from SoT block room] (1h damage jumping down) [19b, 1/16h]
    • bomb || bugs || hammer on buffer; leave hookshot equipped if fighting Volvagia with weirdshot
    • Fire keese in hammer room can be used to reach 1 + 1/16h if needed
    • If at 1/16h, [boss key skip from hammer room]
  • [Volvagia at 1/16h] (superslide method) [17b, 1/16h]
    • Weirdshot method also works
    • 133 method works but uses 7 bombs, which may cost time later
    • If you die, [weirdshot to the boss key], savewarp, [get 1/16h in entrance], and use boss door to retry
  • [Wrong Warp to Forest Temple] [16b, 3h]
    • bomb || bugs || hook on buffer if using bomb OI
    • Bomb OI method is fastest, but bottle OI with bugs works as well

Forest Temple

  • Avoid skulltula or kill with hookshot or hammer
  • Watch poes cutscene
  • [Boss key skip from central room]
  • [Phantom Ganon] with hookshot [12b, 1h]
    • Take 1.5h damage from 3 bombs between cycles 1 and 2
    • Get ISG and take 0.5h damage from 1 bomb between cycles 2 and 3
  • [Forest Medallion cutscene skip] [10b, 3h]
    • Bomb OI method is fastest, but bottle OI with bugs works as well

Nocturne of Shadow

  • Damage down with bombs [5b, 0.5h]
    • Can use wolfos if low on bombs
  • [Minuet cutscene skip] [4b, 3h]
    • Save and don't continue
  • Exit to Hyrule Field
  • [Superslide] to Kakariko [2b]
  • Watch Nocturne of Shadow cutscene and learn song
    • Timing ends on the frame the dialog box that says "You have learned the Nocturne of Shadow" completes (i.e. the frame a blue square appears at the bottom or the textbox disappears, depending on player input)
Last updated 07/21/2026 – bewildebeest