The Legend of Zelda franchise has been around for over thirty years, with over a dozen iterations. Each entry comes jam-packed with little tricks that you are not taught as part of the tutorial. Little glitches, both useful and useless, make their way into every game. The series never stops giving.

You may think you already know them all. That you have every single last one of them, squirreled away in that little treasure chest of knowledge that is your brain. "There's nothing you can tell me that I don't already know," you think to yourself, your green tunic hanging up in your cupboard. Your hand-made Master Sword resting in its sheath. "I am the master," you say.

Well, The Legend of Zelda series is so vast in scope and intricate in design, that I beg to differ. That despite how in-depth your own knowledge of the franchise is, and I don't doubt it is, there are a few little tricks that I bet you've not come across before. Maybe, these 25 tricks from the Legend of Zelda franchise might surprise you. Get ready to plug in your old Game Boy, NES, GameCube or Wii, or turn on your Wii U or Switch, to see them for yourself.

25 Going Bear Back (Breath Of The Wild)

I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you expected from this entry, but it’s not that, we’re not here for that. What I’m talking about, however, is still pretty fun, though.

It’s well known that you can mount horses and even deer if you’re able to get close enough. However, when exploring the woodlands of Hyrule, you can encounter bears on rare occasions and mount them if you’re careful enough. If you’re not, they’ll easily maul you to death so be sure to create a save point if you come across one and want to try this. Once you are on top of a bear, they calm down quickly but move slowly. Don’t expect to get anywhere fast while riding one. However! You can manage to set your bear on fire and light up the woods behind you. That's pretty badass.

Incidentally, you can’t register your new bear chum at one of the stables. Oddly enough, people are a bit hesitant to look after wild bears you've not long found. Go figure.

24 Backflip Off Of Epona (Twilight Princess)

You can do this in every single version of the game, be it GameCube, Wii, or Wii U. That being said, all of them require a very specific situation.

Basically, you can backflip off of Epona to create a spectacular entrance, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies. Cliché be damned! On the GameCube version, you can do this by holding R and then A, while galloping. On the Wii or Wii UVersion, you simply have to dismount Epona when enemies are nearby.

It’s much better than waiting for Epona to stop and clamoring down whenever you need to enter combat. Do you think your foes will just wait patiently for you to get off of your horse and talk quietly amongst themselves? Of course not, now do a flip and put a sword in that baboklin.

23 Swimming in Hyrule Castle (Ocarina Of time)

This one isn’t easy and requires a bit of patience, but it is interesting. When you get past the gatehouse to Hyrule Castle, instead of following the road round to the castle, you can glitch up the wall next to a small wooden sign. When on the mound, walk to the top until you are at the very edge and make your way towards the castle.

Once you reach the castle, you can continue along the edge of the terrain until you can jump into a black void below. The game will glitch, and you'll end up clipping through the castle wall. Once you do, you'll move through the empty space as though Link was in the water. This allows you to swim through the castle model. There isn’t much to see, but you feel like a bit of a nightmare creature, swimming through the walls of the royal castle.

22 Kill the Postman (Twilight Princess)

You know the postman who is constantly running around Hyrule, who stops to chat while you're busy. Let's face it: you’re constantly busy, and the postman only ever has meandering nonsense to say. Yeah, you can kill him.

You can do this when you leave Kakariko village from its northern exit and come across a rocky bridge. Hang off the side about halfway across and wait for the sucker. He’ll come, his faced puffed from having jogged across Hyrule field. That's when you jump up and run close to the canyon edge. Eventually, his cutscene will trigger where he runs towards you. Except he doesn’t stop, and careens towards the canyon floor below. Success. His workman compensation won’t cover this.

However, his cutscene will continue as normal, and he’ll try to carry on talking to you. What is this guy made from? Just who the hell is this guy, really.

21 Chris Houlihan’s Secret Room (A Link To The Past)

Chris Houlihan is the lucky Nintendo fan who won a competition, held in the Nintendo Power magazine in 1992, where the winner would see their name featured in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. However, Chris got more than he could ever wish for when he won this competition. This is one of the most well-known secrets in The Legend of Zelda series, but given how many hoops you must jump through to find the secret room, it’s likely many people couldn’t find it without a guide. So, here you are, this is your guide.

To find the room, you need the Power Glove and the Pegasus Boots. Once you have these, start your game from the Sanctuary. Then, follow these directions as fast as possible:

Leave Sanctuary and go down the path until you can head east. Go in that direction and head in a straight line until you come to a wall. Then, head south and cross the bridge, then go southwest until you end up in the grounds of Hyrule Castle. You can lift the boulder with the power gloves and head north. You’ll see the secret passage which will take you to the Chris Houlihan room. The room is filled with a bunch of rupees and a cornerstone. Chris, your secret is safe with us.

20 Killing Sakon (Majora’s Mask)

Sakon is a bit of a scamp, isn’t he? A right old nuisance. When you first encounter him in North Clock Town during the first nightfall, he will suspiciously tell you that he isn’t doing anything suspicious. Not long afterward, you catch him stealing bombs from an old lady. Being the righteous avenger that you are, you can hit him with an arrow, causing him to drop the bombs which explode. His thieving days are over.

The old lady thanks you for what you’ve done and you won’t see Sakon for any of the three days following. The theif is probably putting some ointment on those third-degree burns.

19 The Horse Whisperer (Twilight Princess)

During a few stages of Twilight Princess, when you visit the Twilight realm as wolf-Link, you can talk to Epona.

Admittedly, it’s not an eventful conversation which consists of Epona asking you to turn back to your normal version. Never, Epona. I’ve got tears of light to get, holes to dig and ass to kick.

It’s never really explained by the game why it is they can communicate, albeit briefly. In the end, it was probably one of those little secrets they never expected many players to find, as the goal during the Twilight Realm sections forces you to explore away from Epona.

18  Ride Epona In Clock Town (Majora’s Mask)

If you’re a bit of a maverick who was the type of kid who skateboarded in places where ‘no skateboarding signs’ were on display, then you’ll like this one. Essentially, there is a way for you to ride Epona in Clock Town, despite the developer’s best efforts to keep you out.

You’ll need two save files. Start a game in the first file by starting either a new or an existing save. When you’re by the Owl Statue in South Clock Town, save and quit. After you’ve done this, start a new game in the second file, again, this can be a new or existing save file.

Once back in the game, ride Epona towards the Owl Statue on Milk Road. While on Epona, save and quit, and then start the first save file again. When the game loads up, you’ll be able to ride Epona in Clock Town. You can’t ride her into shops though, so even though you’re a maverick, there are still rules to follow.

17 Walk A Mile In My Feathers (Twilight Princess)

Now, I’m not going to insult your intelligence by suggesting that you don’t know that the cuccos attack you en masse in you hit one of them. It’s been meme-ified as one of the most popular Legend of Zelda tricks in the series. Those cuccos are organized, aren’t they? But here's the question: Where are they hiding when you’re not attacking their innocent comrades? They are nowhere to be seen before they unleash on you. A veritable shower of angry, pecking birds, chipping at your health until you can’t take it anymore and succumb to their fury.

Twilight Princess takes a different, more subtle, and possibly more psychological take on this trope. When you attack a cucco, you briefly control the small animal. You get to feel its vulnerabilities as something so small in a world where literally everything could kill it. So yeah, just think next time, before you attack the damn cuccos.

16 Secret Uses For Fairy Dust (A Link To The Past)

In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, you get this item after giving Syrup the magic mushroom from the Lost Woods. It has several uses, like dissolving bushes, turning various enemies into slime. Perhaps most importantly, inside the well near the Dwarvian Swordsmiths, you can summon the Mad Batter by sprinkling the dust on the altar, which will double your magic meter. However, there are some more obscure uses that you may not have discovered.

When sprinkled it flying skulls, it changes them into fairies. Cute. Or if you find a lone chicken in a certain Kakariko house, give it a smattering to turn it into a woman. In Kakariko village, if you sprinkle it on the old lady sweeping outside in Kakariko Village, she will transform into a fairy for you to bottle. However, this can only be done once.

15 Blood Moon Bonuses (Breath of the Wild)

The Blood Moon can be a bit of an annoyance when exploring Hyrule. It happens randomly at midnight and respawns all the enemies you’ve toppled on your adventure, undoing all your hard work in the process. However, there is a hidden benefit to the Blood Moon that will have you welcoming it with anticipation.

Any dishes you decide to cook during a Blood Moon will grant random extra bonuses, like three extra hearts or an extra stamina wheel, and it also increases the duration of any effects, such as increased damage or stealth. The best time to harvest these extra bonuses is between 11.30pm to midnight, in game time.

Another bonus is that any weapons you’ve picked up will respawn at the location you found them. So, if you find a weapon you like, place a stamp and come back when the moon turns red. It’ll take the sting out of breaking your favourite weapons during combat.

14 Looking Like A Badass (Twilight Princess)

In one of the trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Link sheathes his sword in a stylish way — like they do in the movies. The Hero twirls the sword above his head before placing it in the sheath with ease. Remember how, when you played the game, he didn’t do this, and just put it away like an amateur. Well, you can still put your sword away like a badass, it just requires the right situation.

When you beat one of the game’s tougher enemies, like a Stalfos, sheath your sword immediately afterward without moving, and it’ll trigger that animation. Trust me, it never gets old and is the most stylish way to finish a tough fight.

13 Stop The Running Man (A Link to the Past)

The running man in Kakariko Village was a bit of a pain in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. He’s another sneaky thief who is just asking to be caught. Don’t worry, you won’t have to take him out so brutally, like Sakon in Majora’s Mask, you just need to approach him from the west, rather than chasing from behind like a sucker.

Alternatively, you can come back when you have the Pegasus Boots and chase him down with ease, but the feeling of satisfaction won’t be the same.

When caught, the running man tells Link that dashing into trees may reveal secret items. Just don’t try that in real life. Tree huggers and park rangers won’t like it.

12 Walk On The Roof Of Palace Five (Adventure Of Link)

The Ocean Palace is the fifth dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link, and it is a complex location with a maze-like design. With a little bit of know-how, you can make your way to the roof of the Ocean Palace, and while there’s nothing interesting or any reward for doing so, it’s a neat little trick which you’ve probably never come across before.

Once inside the room with the falling wall, wait for the wall to go up and use a jump spell. When you're mid-jump, use a fairy spell, and you’ll be able to go up. You’ll then enter a falling animation and end up on the roof of the palace. You can repeat this from the rooftop but will most likely get stuck in the ground, almost as though you were buried alive. Grim.

11 Skip To Quest 2 (The Legend Of Zelda)

Let’s imagine you're pressed for time, but want to get some playtime with The Legend of Zelda. Why, if you’re rushed for time, would you play video games? That’s not the right question to ask. What you should be wondering is, how do I get the most of my time with this game?

Well, I’ll share with you. When starting the game, there is a way to skip straight to the second quest. Start by entering your name in the menu screen as 'ZELDA.' Then, once you have beaten the first nightmare boss, Moldrom, you jump into the pit from the side view and tap the Roc’s feather button as fast as your stubby thumbs will allow. If you can do this quickly enough, you’ll jump from the pit into a strange locale. It’s the dungeon, but things are different, with both the environment and physics acting strangely. You’ll be able to walk through walls, and as the dungeons are interconnected, you’ll pass from one dungeon to the next. So, enjoy the game with this little tip, you big cheater, you.

10 Boomerang Shield (Link’s Awakening)

Boomerangs are featured heavily in The Legend of Zelda series. The tool is used for puzzle solving, and combat. However, in The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, players can use their boomerang to avoid attacks. This can be done by using the special flying rooster that follows you around once you’ve found him.

To do this, throw the boomerang as normal and quickly pick up the rooster before the boomerang returns. You’ll float in the air and, once the boomerang reaches you, it’ll spin you right round, baby, right round, like a record player, round, round, round, and will shield you from any attacks coming your way. Talk about a stylish defense.

9 Get the Magic Cape Early (A Link To The Past)

The Magic Cape is a pretty cool item, allowing you to pass guards unnoticed and cross over spiked areas without suffering any damage. The item is typically reserved for late-game, however, there is a way to get hold of this little gem early in the game.

Go to the cemetery when you first enter the dark world. With the Magic Mirror equipped, you can warp around to the tombstone that has the Magic Cape beneath it, and maneuverer yourself into the little space next to it. Dashing into the headstone will reveal a cave you can explore and, voila, the Magic Cape is yours.

8 Change The Overworld Music (Link’s Awakening)

The Legend of Zelda theme music has become one of the most iconic tunes in gaming, up there with the Super Mario music. However, like anything you’ve heard over and over for a lengthy period, it can get a little tedious.

Like in games past, when you enter ‘ZELDA’ as your name in the main menu, it’ll give you a different overworld music. Just to mix things up. It’s almost as if Nintendo knew early on that people would confuse Link’s name for Zelda. After all, where’s the fun in calling Link just ‘Link’?

7 Get The Swift Sail (The Wind Waker HD)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is one of the best entries to The Legend of Zelda franchise, but by George, sailing in that game gets boring quick. It’s just so slow. The speed makes traversing between different islands a chore. Especially during side quests which require you to visit various locales at once. Fortunately, albeit only available in the HD version for Wii U, there’s a way to speed things up.

After completing the Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon, you can return to Windfall and take part in auctions which happen at night. To find the auction house, head up the steps into town and head forwards. It is the building at the foot of the second, smaller staircase. Go inside and speak to the owner, Zunari, to activate the auction. The Swift Sail may not be up for auction initially, so don't be concerned if you don't see it. Just exit the auction house and go back in to restart the auction.

Tap the A button while the other bidders make their offers. When it is your turn, put in an offer of 10% more than the highest so far. This will stun-lock the other bidders for a short while. However, the auction lasts for about a minute, and time will still countdown while they are paralyzed and unable to make offers. This buys you some time to maintain the highest bid. Keep repeating this process, and the Swift Sail will be yours. This is a pretty useful item, as not only does it double your sail speed, but the wind changes with your direction. Set ship, ahoy, and all the other sailing based commands you can think of.

6 Escape From Closed Rooms (The Legend of Zelda)

The Legend of Zelda is a challenging game, and you’ll find yourself stuck at many turns, unable to figure out what to do to or where to go. If your gray matter is tired from all that puzzle solving, there’s a little trick put into the game that will help you out in these tight spots.

All that is required from you is to input a code to save your game and start over from the main menu. You won’t even lose any items. Handy, eh? Just press start and select the sub-screen whilst using controller 1, then switch to controller 2 and press Up and A to bring up the ‘continue, save and retry screen.’ Then, you’ll be able to continue your game as normal. Like I said: handy!