You know that feeling when you walk into Zora’s Domain and everything just looks... wrong? The once-pristine turquoise waters are choked with disgusting brown sludge. The Zora are sick. Even the King is missing. It’s a mess. Honestly, Sidon of the Zora is one of the more emotional Regional Phenomena in Tears of the Kingdom, but it’s also the one that leaves people scratching their heads the most.
Why? Because the puzzles aren't just "hit the switch." They’re riddles.
Finding the Prince and Dealing with the Gunk
First things first: you can’t even talk to Sidon until you clean up. When you arrive at the Domain, you'll see a statue covered in sludge. Don't overthink it. Just throw a Splash Fruit at it or fuse one to an arrow. If you're out of fruit, look around the nearby cliffs; they grow everywhere in Lanayru.
Once the statue is clean, you’ll meet Yona, Sidon’s fiancée. Yeah, our shark prince is off the market. She tells you Sidon is up at Mipha’s Court on Ploymus Mountain.
Getting up there is a slog if you don't have the Zora Armor. You've probably realized by now that climbing in the rain is a nightmare. Do yourself a favor and talk to Yona again back at the Domain. She’ll fix your armor if you bring her an Ancient Arowana. You can find these fish near the Great Sky Island shrines or in the pool near Mipha's statue. Once you have that armor, you can literally swim up waterfalls like a salmon on caffeine. It changes everything.
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The King and the "Droplet" Riddle
After meeting Sidon—who is busy using his powers to filter the sludge—he sends you to find a historian named Jiahto at Toto Lake. This is where most people get stuck. The tablet is broken, and you need to find the missing piece nearby, hidden under more sludge.
The riddle mentions a "Land of the Sky Fish" and a "droplet."
- Find King Dorephan: He’s not in the throne room. He’s hiding in the Pristine Sanctum. To find it, look for the waterfall between the Domain and Ploymus Mountain. Go through the waterfall. He’ll give you King’s Scales.
- The Sky Fish: Look at your map for an island that literally looks like a fish (Floating Scale Island). Reach it by using Recall on a falling rock or flying from the Upland Zorana Skyview Tower.
- The Shot: Stand on the "tail" of the fish and look toward the floating debris. If you align yourself right, the rocks form the shape of a teardrop. Fuse a King’s Scale to an arrow and fire it right through the center.
Basically, if a pillar of light doesn't appear in the lake below, you missed the angle.
Wellspring Island: Low Gravity is a Cheat Code
Once you activate the "Watery Bridge," you’ll head to Wellspring Island. This is arguably the best part of the quest. The gravity is lower, meaning Link can jump significantly higher and glide further.
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Use the bubbles. If a bubble is moving the wrong way, hit it with Recall to send it back. It feels a bit like a platformer from the Nineties, but it’s the only way to reach the Water Temple. You’ll eventually have to fight a Sludge Like. Sidon joins you here. His ability creates a water shield around you. If you swing your weapon while shielded, you launch a wave of water. This is the only way to strip the sludge off the boss so you can actually hit its weak point.
The Water Temple and the Mucktorok
The Water Temple itself is basically a series of four faucets you need to turn on.
- The Fire Room: Use the floating platforms to block the flames.
- The Spinning Tower: This one is annoying. You have to hit a switch inside a spinning pillar. Use a bubble or a well-timed arrow fused with a Splash Fruit while in "bullet time" (jumping in the air).
Then comes the boss: Mucktorok.
Look, this thing is tiny and pathetic, but it’s annoying. It hides in a giant sludge shark. Use Sidon’s water wave to wash the shark away, then chase the little octopus down.
Pro Tip: Don't rely solely on Sidon. His cooldown is slow and he's often standing on the other side of the arena like a total goof. Use Opal-fused sticks or a Hydrant Zonai device. If you drop a Hydrant and move it around with Ultrahand, you can clear the floor in seconds.
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The Secret Power of the Zora
Most players finish this quest, get the "Vow of Sidon," and then never use it again. That’s a massive mistake.
Sidon’s ability doesn't just give you a shield; it makes Link "wet." In any other game, that’s a debuff. In Tears of the Kingdom, Zora weapons deal double damage when you're wet. If you have a Zora Longsword fused with a high-level monster part, Sidon’s bubble turns it into a nuke. You can maintain this buff almost indefinitely just by tapping his ability every 10 seconds.
It also provides heat resistance. If you’re in the desert and running low on cooling meals, pop Sidon’s bubble. It’ll keep your temperature down for a short burst.
Actionable Next Steps
- Farm Ancient Arowana: Go back to the Great Sky Island (Nachoya Shrine area) if you haven't finished the Zora Armor set. You'll need them for upgrades later.
- Visit the Statue: Go check the new statue in Zora's Domain after the quest. It’s a nice touch that shows how the relationship between Link and Sidon has changed.
- Upgrade the Vow: Find four Sage's Wills in the sky islands to upgrade Sidon's attack power. He still won't be as good as Tulin, but he'll hit a lot harder.
- Fusing Strategy: Find a Lightscale Trident (get it from Dento after the quest) and fuse it with a Silver Lynel Saber Horn. Use Sidon to trigger the "Water Warrior" buff, and you'll have one of the highest DPS weapons in the entire game.
The Lanayru region is finally clean, and Sidon is officially the King. It’s a solid ending to a quest that really tests your ability to think with your inventory rather than just your sword.