Mechanic · combat · action, action-adventure

Dodge roll

A quick roll in the character's facing direction, often with a short window in which hits don't hurt.

stubAlso: dodge roll, combat roll, evasive roll, forward rollUpdated 2026-10-21
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A dodge roll trades a moment of control for distance and safety. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, A with the stick forward rolls Link1, and from frame 8 of the roll’s animation damage is ignored for 10 updates2.

See also

Mentioned in

Games

GameYearHowNote
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time1998Invulnerable rollA with the stick forward; 10 updates of invulnerability from the animation's frame 8
Every claim about this mechanic, by game (2)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 1998In the N64 NTSC 1.0 code, Link rolls when A is pressed with the stick forward, provided there is no hostile lock-on, his upper body isn't busy, an unnamed state flag (stateFlags1 bit 23) is clear, and the floor isn't floor type 7; with the stick elsewhere the same press puts away a held item or toggles Navi. The roll animation plays at 1.25 times speed (1.5 in the PAL N64 builds).Code
In the N64 NTSC 1.0 code, a roll makes Link invulnerable for 10 updates from frame 8 of its animation (8 updates in the PAL N64 builds): damage is ignored but, per the decompilers' comment, not the responses to it such as knockback.Code

References

  1. ^ abIn the N64 NTSC 1.0 code, Link rolls when A is pressed with the stick forward, provided there is no hostile lock-on, his upper body isn't busy, an unnamed state flag (stateFlags1 bit 23) is clear, and the floor isn't floor type 7; with the stick elsewhere the same press puts away a held item or toggles Navi. The roll animation plays at 1.25 times speed (1.5 in the PAL N64 builds).Codezeldaret/oot
    How we know
    6489s32 Player_ActionHandler_Roll(Player* this, PlayState* play) {
6490    if (!Player_UpdateHostileLockOn(this) && !sUpperBodyIsBusy && !(this->stateFlags1 & PLAYER_STATE1_23) &&
6491        CHECK_BTN_ALL(sControlInput->press.button, BTN_A)) {
6492        if (Player_TryRoll(this, play)) {
6493            return true;
6494        } else if ((this->putAwayCooldownTimer == 0) && (this->heldItemAction >= PLAYER_IA_SWORD_MASTER)) {
6495            Player_UseItem(play, this, ITEM_NONE);
6496        } else {
6497            this->stateFlags2 ^= PLAYER_STATE2_NAVI_ACTIVE;
    src/overlays/actors/ovl_player_actor/z_player.c lines 6489–6498 at 14759ab · upstream ↗
    6350void Player_SetupRoll(Player* this, PlayState* play) {
6351    Player_SetupAction(play, this, Player_Action_Roll, 0);
⋮
6354                                   FRAMERATE_CONST(1.25f, 1.5f) * sWaterSpeedFactor);
⋮
6357s32 Player_TryRoll(Player* this, PlayState* play) {
6358    if ((this->controlStickDirections[this->controlStickDataIndex] == PLAYER_STICK_DIR_FORWARD) &&
6359        (sFloorType != FLOOR_TYPE_7)) {
    src/overlays/actors/ovl_player_actor/z_player.c lines 6350–6360 at 14759ab · upstream ↗
    46#if !OOT_PAL_N64
47#define FRAMERATE_CONST(value60Hz, value50Hz) (value60Hz)
48#else
49#define FRAMERATE_CONST(value60Hz, value50Hz) (value50Hz)
50#endif
    include/versions.h lines 44–50 at 14759ab · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  2. ^ abIn the N64 NTSC 1.0 code, a roll makes Link invulnerable for 10 updates from frame 8 of its animation (8 updates in the PAL N64 builds): damage is ignored but, per the decompilers' comment, not the responses to it such as knockback.Codezeldaret/oot
    How we know
    9700    if (LinkAnimation_OnFrame(&this->skelAnime, 8.0f)) {
9701        Player_SetInvulnerability(this, FRAMERATE_CONST(-10, -8));
    src/overlays/actors/ovl_player_actor/z_player.c lines 9700–9702 at 14759ab · upstream ↗
    4584 * @param timer must be a negative value representing the number of invulnerability frames.
4585 * @note Intangibility prevents taking damage and responses to damage like knockback, while invulnerability only
4586 * prevents taking damage.
⋮
4588void Player_SetInvulnerability(Player* this, s32 timer) {
4589    if (this->invincibilityTimer > timer) {
4590        this->invincibilityTimer = timer;
    src/overlays/actors/ovl_player_actor/z_player.c lines 4584–4590 at 14759ab · upstream ↗
    11709    if (this->invincibilityTimer < 0) {
11710        this->invincibilityTimer++;
    src/overlays/actors/ovl_player_actor/z_player.c lines 11709–11710 at 14759ab · upstream ↗
    979    /* 0x0A78 */ s8 invincibilityTimer; // prevents damage when nonzero. Positive values are intangibility, negative are invulnerability
    include/player.h line 979 at 14759ab · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

Sources

Code