Honestly, the first time I ran into the Sphinx in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, I was bracing myself for a bloodbath. I had my gear engraved for high crit damage and my adrenaline bars were topped off, expecting something like the Medusa fight or that nightmare of a boar in Phokis. But then? Nothing. Well, not nothing, but certainly not a sword fight. You just sit there. You talk. You answer some riddles. If you mess up, you die instantly. It’s easily one of the most memorable moments in the game because it forces you to actually use your brain instead of just spamming the Hero Strike button.
Finding the Sphinx is a whole ordeal in itself. You can’t just stumble upon her in the middle of a forest. You have to be at least level 35, though I’d recommend being a bit higher just to survive the trek through Boeotia. The questline starts with "A Lore Once Lost," which sends you to the Scorched Lands. You’ll meet Gorgias, who’s looking for his apprentice. It’s a classic RPG setup that spirals into a supernatural encounter with a creature that looks like it crawled straight out of a history textbook and into your nightmare.
The Trick to Getting the Sphinx Questions in AC Odyssey Right
The thing about the sphinx questions ac odyssey throws at you is that they aren't fixed. You won't get the same set of riddles as your friend did. The game pulls a random selection from a larger pool. This is where most people mess up. They look up a guide, see the answer "Sun," and click it without realizing their specific riddle was actually about "Memory" or "Time."
You have to listen. Carefully.
The Sphinx doesn’t just care about your verbal answer, either. This is the part that trips up players who are rushing. After you answer the riddles, you have to walk over to the nearby pillars and interact with the symbols that represent your answers. If you answered "Moon," "Stars," and "River," but you accidentally touch the "Sun" icon on the pillar? Zap. You’re dead. Game over. Load your last save. It’s brutal, but it’s fair in a weird, mythological sort of way.
Breaking Down the Riddles
Let's look at the actual logic here. Most of these riddles are ancient. We're talking about tropes that have existed since humans started telling stories around campfires.
Take the "Time" riddle. It’s some variation of "This thing all things devours; birds, beasts, trees, flowers." If you’ve read The Hobbit, you know this one. The answer is Time. When the Sphinx asks you about something that "never was but always will be," she’s talking about Tomorrow. It’s simple stuff, but when you’re standing in front of a glowing, winged monster that could rip your head off, it’s easy to overthink it.
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Then there’s the one about the "Spider." It describes a weaver that doesn't use a loom. Pretty straightforward. But then she might hit you with the "Sun" riddle: "In the morning I am tall, in the evening I am small." Wait, no, that’s a shadow. See? It’s easy to get them swapped. The Sun riddle usually focuses on the idea of hiding at night without being stolen.
Why the Symbols Matter More Than the Words
Once you've given your three answers, the Sphinx will tell you to "prove" your knowledge. This is the interactable phase. The pillars surrounding the arena have icons.
- The Moon: Usually represented by a crescent shape.
- The River: Look for wavy, horizontal lines.
- The Spider: A clear eight-legged icon.
- The Sun: A circle with rays shooting out.
- Death: Often a skull or a symbol of a fading soul.
If you chose "River" as an answer but click the "Fish" symbol, you will die. The game is testing your consistency. It’s a two-step verification process for your brain.
The Reward for Your Mental Heavy Lifting
Is it worth it? Totally. You get the Sphinx Figurehead for your ship, which looks incredible and intimidating as you’re ramming Athenian triremes in the Aegean. More importantly, you get a Piece of Eden—the Sphinx’s Feather. This is a mandatory item if you’re trying to wrap up the "Gates of Atlantis" questline and see the "true" ending of the game.
Plus, there’s the Mace of the Sphinx. It’s a legendary heavy blunt weapon. Honestly, I don't use maces much because they feel sluggish compared to the daggers or the spear, but the legendary perk on it is decent for certain builds. The real prize is the XP and the satisfaction of outsmarting a literal demigod.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid a Quick Death
The biggest mistake is clicking through the dialogue too fast. I get it. You’ve played 60 hours of this game, you’ve cleared a hundred bandit camps, and you just want the loot. But the Sphinx is one of the few times the game demands your undivided attention.
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Another mistake is neglecting the quest "The Sphinx's Lore." You need to find the half-medallion first. You’ll find it at the Tomb of Menoikeus. There’s an Alpha Lion there. Kill it, get the medallion, and only then should you head to the ruins. If you show up empty-handed, you're just sightseeing.
The Lore Connection
Ubisoft did something cool here. They tied the Sphinx into the Isu lore—the "First Civilization." In the world of Odyssey, these monsters aren't just "magic." They are biological experiments or security systems left behind by an advanced race. This explains why the Sphinx is so mechanical in her judgment. She’s essentially a high-tech biometric lock that requires a "logic key" to open.
This makes the encounter feel less like a fantasy trope and more like a sci-fi mystery. It’s one of the reasons Odyssey still holds up years after release. It blends these elements in a way that feels cohesive.
The Riddles You Might Encounter
If you’re looking for the specific answers to the sphinx questions ac odyssey provides, here is a quick rundown of the most common ones I've seen across multiple playthroughs:
- The Stars: "At night they come without being fetched, and by day they are lost without being stolen."
- The Tree: "In spring I am gay in handsome array; in summer more clothing I wear; when colder it grows, I fling off my clothes; and in winter quite naked appear."
- The River: "Always running, never walking; often murmuring, never talking; has a bed, but never sleeps; has a mouth, but never eats."
- The Spider: "A small house, well-filled with meat, but no windows or doors." (Wait, that’s an egg). The spider one is: "I build my lair with silken thread, and feast on creatures trapped and dead."
- A Mountain: "What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?" (Actually, that’s also a river—see how tricky they are?)
The Mountain one usually goes like this: "Great as a castle, tall as a tower, with no wings to fly, yet great power."
Final Strategy for the Sphinx Encounter
Before you head to Boeotia, make sure you save your game right outside the ruins. Seriously. If you get a riddle that confuses you, or if you accidentally click the wrong symbol on the pillar, it’s much faster to reload a save than to deal with the frustration of a "Desynchronized" screen and a long walk back.
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When you’re answering, literally say the answers out loud or write them down.
- Answer 1: Sun
- Answer 2: Memory
- Answer 3: Mountain
Then, walk to the pillars. Find the Sun. Find the Memory (usually a brain or a scroll-like icon). Find the Mountain.
Don't let the atmospheric music and the glowing eyes of the Sphinx distract you. She wants you to fail. She’s a predator. But she’s a predator that has to play by the rules of logic.
Once you’ve finished the riddles and touched the symbols, the Sphinx will die. It’s a bit tragic, honestly. She just... turns into sand and light. You’ll get your artifact, your ship cosmetic, and a massive chunk of experience points. You’ll also be one step closer to sealing Atlantis and finishing Pythagoras’s quest.
Take the Sphinx’s Feather to the gateway in Thera. Slot it in. Watch the holographic projections. It’s one of the most cinematic sequences in the entire Assassin's Creed franchise.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
After defeating the Sphinx, your next move should be heading to Lesbos or Kythera if you haven't faced the other mythical beasts yet. Medusa is significantly harder than the Sphinx and requires a high-level ranged build to avoid her petrification beam. Make sure your "Second Wind" ability is upgraded to level 3 so you can clear status effects and heal instantly during the tougher fights ahead. Stay focused on the Isu gear sets, as the bonuses they provide are essential for the late-game DLC content.