Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Theory - Sidon May Be The New King Of Zora's Domain
Prince Sidon captured the hearts of players when he debuted in "Breath of the Wild." Thanks to his enthusiastic support of Link and winning smile, thousands of people fell under his spell, establishing him as a fan-favorite character. Even series producer Eiji Aonuma and game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi weren't immune to the royal's charms.
"It's interesting when we were creating this Prince Sidon character and working on his dialogue, he was kind of overly enthusiastic at first," said Fujibayashi during a dev talk. "We thought it was a bit too much, but as we adjusted his dialogue and improved it, we also came to love his character." Aonuma echoed this sentiment, sharing that he liked Sidon so much that he "requested several design changes" to ensure they got his look right.
Sidon's wearing his father's crown in Tears of the Kingdom! Does that mean he's king of Zora's Domain now? 😲😲#TearsoftheKingdom pic.twitter.com/ys86uKwnUw
— Jazz (@ArtsyJazz) April 13, 2023
This widespread admiration may have motivated Nintendo to give Sidon a greater role in the follow-up. Fans noticed that the final "Tears of the Kingdom" trailer shows Sidon wearing what looks like the same crown that his father, King Dorephan, dons in "Breath of the Wild." Based on this, they have suggested that Sidon has stepped into the role of ruler for Zora's Domain in the sequel. Other details from the game's promotional materials seem to support this concept.
Ganondorf targets King Dorephan and other allies of Hyrule
Past "Tears of the Kingdom" theories have suggested that the "tears" mentioned in the title refer to both magical relics Link must obtain and the collective grief of Hyrule in the wake of a major loss. While many initially thought Princess Zelda would die early in the story, prompting Link to collect the tears as components for her resurrection, it now looks like the casualties could be more widespread.
Ganondorf may make good on his declaration in the second "Tears of the Kingdom" trailer to "Eliminate this kingdom and her allies." Fans can see the impact of this strategy on certain landmarks, such as the Malice-corrupted Death Mountain. Ganondorf's forces could also bear responsibility for the giant vortex that has taken over part of the map. If Sidon has ascended the Zora throne (or does so during the course of the game), it may indicate that Ganondorf further seeks to demoralize his opposition by taking out important individuals among the major races of the Hyrule.
A land awash with loss
Ganondorf's brutal tactics could explain why Tulin features in trailer #3 instead of his own father, Teba. In the footage, both Sidon and Tulin hold tears, which appear to function as the title's major collectibles and objects of power. A mural highlighted in the first trailer shows seven tears. Based on this number and their known distribution, fans think that a member of each of the tribes established in "Breath of the Wild," which also total seven, will get a tear.
Clearly, these allies will play a major role in safeguarding the kingdom and defeating Ganondorf. So, it makes sense for the antagonist to target those in leadership positions to make it harder for the tribes to fight back. It's possible that Ganondorf will simply injure or capture these major supporting characters. However, he clearly orders his forces to "Leave no survivors" in trailer #2. The murder of these figures also fits better with the themes of death and mourning implied by "Tears of the Kingdom," so "Zelda" fans should prepare for the worst. On the bright side, at least Prince (King?) Sidon will likely get more screen time.