As you play through The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it becomes pretty clear that Sidon, the prince of the Zora and a massive fan favorite, will fight alongside you as a sage after finishing the main Zora questline. That is indeed what happens, and you’d think that, being such a beloved character, Sidon would immediately prove invaluable across the game. However, many players have felt underwhelmed with the unique ability he brings to the table, to the point where some see it as one of, if not the, worst sage abilities on offer.
Despite this, Sidon actually can prove incredibly useful in certain circumstances; you just have to think a bit more outside the box than with the other sages. This guide will explore various ways in which you can make the most out of Sidon’s skills.
Tips for using Vow of Sidon
How Sidon’s ability works
Sidon’s ability comes in two main steps. First, by pressing A when next to him, he will generate a water shield around Link that will protect him from a single hit before dissipating. Then, with the water shield active, you can channel it into a single water projectile by swinging your weapon. The size of this projectile changes depending on the weapon equipped, with spears firing a small, piercing shot and two-handed weapons firing a big wave with a wide radius.
You only get one water shield and projectile each time you hit the button prompt with Sidon, and you have to wait through a short cooldown after every use. Additionally, the shield only lasts for a short while before it dissipates on its own. This means that you can’t just store the shield until you get hit; you specifically have to create one when you need it.
The quirks of how Sidon’s shield functions present a few problems. The shield running on a timer forces you to activate it right in the heat of battle most of the time, not exactly convenient considering the fact that Sidon acts on his own accord. Whether he stays in melee range of an enemy or simply wanders around aimlessly, breaking your focus on an enemy just to catch up with Sidon and generate his shield makes for an exceptionally clunky and inconsistent way to handle fights.
Additionally, since shooting the water projectile gets rid of the shield, you cannot stay aggressive against enemies and keep the shield active at the same time. The shield only really works in a close-quarters fight if you wait for the enemy to act first.
Screenshot via PC Invasion
Uses for the shield in combat
Despite these problems, the shield still has some decent use in fights. In encounters where you’re less reliant on your melee weapons, such as the Gleeok fights, you can use arrows to stay on the offensive without expending your shield in the process, giving it more chances to save you from a mistake. And since these encounters often have the enemy out of range of Sidon’s melee strikes, he is more likely to stay within your general vicinity, which makes getting near him to generate the shield much less of a hassle.
The water projectile also comes with more uses than you might initially assume. At first, it seems like a fairly mediocre attack on the same level as the Master Sword beams, but it turns out that the water projectile’s attack power scales to that of the weapon you have equipped. So if you have a powerful weapon on hand, you can deal some pretty decent damage from a safe distance thanks to the water projectile.
Even better, the water projectile can actually pass right through enemies as it deals damage, allowing it to hit multiple foes in one fell swoop. With the water shield active and a powerful two-handed weapon equipped, you can create good coverage and inflict quite a bit of damage on two or three enemies through just a single swing of your weapon.
Uses for the shield when exploring
For many players, Sidon’s water shield may become even more useful when exploring the world, at least under specific circumstances. For one, when used on lava, the water projectile can create multiple hardened lava rocks you can safely cross with. If you don’t have a hydrant or another water-based item on hand, Sidon’s shield can serve as a free, effective substitute when getting past pools of lava.
Sidon’s shield also helps immensely when navigating hot environments like Gerudo Desert or even the caves of Death Mountain. In Tears of the Kingdom, water has a universal property – when Link gets splashed by it, he will become resistant to high temperatures for a short while. As you can imagine, Sidon’s water shield follows this same rule, which means you have a quick, easy, and cost-free method of staying safe in the heat at basically all times.
And note that the game’s recommended dungeon order has you completing the Zora questline before the Gerudo one. This makes Sidon all the more helpful, as he can provide heat protection for the entirety of the Gerudo quest without the need for heat-resistant food or the Desert Voe clothing set. Even if you obtain the Desert Voe set partway through the quest, it starts off with a low defense stat you need to go out of your way to upgrade. By using Sidon instead, you can freely wear any combination of clothes with high-defense stats that you may have on hand.
Sidon’s synergy with Zora weapons
On top of all this, Sidon’s ability can become a true terror when used in conjunction with Zora weapons. These have a unique function in which their attack power gets a major boost when doused with water. Of course, that includes the water from Sidon’s shield, so you can repeatedly apply this weapon buff with absolutely zero cost. Even after you dispel the shield with a melee attack, the buff will still remain active for several seconds, and because of the short cooldown for the shield, you can reapply the buff well before it runs out.
This attack power increase can become downright silly when applied to the Lightscale Trident. When combined with a particularly powerful monster part, Sidon’s shield can boost the Lightscale Trident’s attack stat to potentially well over 100. For reference, using a Silver Boss Bokoblin Horn and the water buff, I was able to beat a King Gleeok and two Moldugas all with the same Lightscale Trident before it broke.
So before you become too disappointed by Sidon’s implementation in Tears of the Kingdom, try out some of the above tips. You might be surprised by just how helpful he can be.
Screenshot via PC Invasion
Published: Jun 15, 2023 05:50 pm