Sidon
The Legend of Zelda character
Sidon, as he appears in promotional artwork for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
First appearanceThe Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild (2017)
Designed byHirohito Shinoda
Yuko Miyakawa
Voiced by
Various
  • James D. Mortellaro (English)
  • Kosuke Onishi (Japanese)
  • Bruno Meyere (French)
  • Paolo De Santis (Italian)
  • Nic Romm (German)
  • Sergio Mesa (EU Spanish)
  • Pepe Toño Macías (LA Spanish)
  • Maxim Onishchenko (Russia)
In-universe information
RaceZora
OriginZora's Domain
NationalityHyrulean

Prince Sidon[lower-alpha 1] (/ˈsaɪdən/ SY-don, later King Sidon) is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. He first appeared as a major character in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. He reappears as a playable character in the hack-and-slash video game Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Sidon is the prince and eventual king of the amphibious Zora and younger brother of Mipha, one of the four Champions who helped Princess Zelda and Link fight Calamity Ganon. In Breath of the Wild, Sidon helps Link to reach Divine Beast Vah Ruta so he can defeat Waterblight Ganon and free it from Ganon's control. Since his debut, Sidon has received overwhelmingly positive reception from both fans and critics. Due to his personality, he has achieved a large fan following and has also been the subject of fan art and Internet memes on social media.

Concept and creation

Producer Eiji Aonuma and game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi have commented on Sidon's popularity of Sidon and have stated that they enjoy his enthusiasm. Fujibayashi said that during the development of Sidon's character, "he was kind of overly enthusiastic at first". He went on to explain: "We thought it was a bit too much, but as we adjusted his dialogue and improved it, we also came to love his character. So, where he ended up, it makes a lot of sense that people like him".[1]

Character design

Sidon has the typical design traits of the Zora, being a humanoid with features resembling a fish. He is primarily red or dark pink in colour, with a tail fin sprouting from the top of his head.[2] Eiji Aonuma has commented on his design: "Actually, the initial colour of Prince Sidon's body was blue, but since he's meant to be Mipha's brother, he obviously wouldn't have looked like a sibling. That's why we gave him a pink-ish colour".[1] Artist Yuko Miyakawa said in development notes that he had been asked to create the character as "a passionate, dignified and powerful character with a stronger physique than other Zora" and based his design on a hammerhead shark.[3] As a member of the Zora race, Sidon is taller than the average Hyrulean, but is also tall by Zora standards. Due to the slow age rate of the Zora, Sidon is considered a young man despite being 135 years old.[4] Like other Zora, Sidon wears little clothing, but his attire features several items that reflect his status as prince of the Zora, such as his scarf, epaulettes, bracelets, and belt.[5]

Portrayal

Sidon is voiced in English by James D. Mortellaro in Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,[6][7] and by Kosuke Onishi in Japanese.[8]

Characteristics

Sidon is the prince of the Zora and a leader of its people. He is also the best swimmer of his race. His friendly, brave and optimistic personality is reflected in his tendency to strike poses during gameplay. He has also been noted for his muscular physique and smile, which have resulted in many fans treating him like a heart-throb.[9] His affable personality makes him well liked by the Zora people.[10] Sidon is the son of King Dorephan, the ruler of Zora's Domain, which makes him next in line as ruler.[5] He displays a great deal of respect for his older sister, Mipha, which provides an emotional element to his storyline.[11] They share a deep bond, which is expressed in a flashback during The Champion's Ballad DLC for Breath of the Wild, in which Mipha helps a baby Sidon glide up a waterfall in Zora's Domain and tells him, "I believe in you".[12] He sometimes displays moments of grief, such as when Mipha's death is mentioned in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.[13]

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Sidon plays a major role in Breath of the Wild as a supporting character to Link. After Link reaches Zora's Domain, Sidon greets him and shows he holds him in high regard. Sidon is an ally to Link in his quest to defeat Waterblight Ganon and regain control of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. He provides words of encouragement to Link in gameplay, such as "I believe in you, Link!"[14] Before Link can enter Divine Beast Vah Ruta, he rides on the back of Sidon to be transported along the surface of the water in Zora's Domain in order to reach the Divine Beast.[15] After Link gains control of Vah Ruta, Sidon expresses his gratitude and admiration for him.[16] Sidon also appears in the Memory "Champion Mipha's Song" in The Champion's Ballad, the second DLC pack for Breath of the Wild, a flashback which shows him as a baby with Mipha.[17] In the storyline, it is revealed that Mipha is one of the four Champions who helped Zelda and Link fight against Calamity Ganon 100 years earlier, but died in the process. In the present day, at night Sidon is depicted mourning while standing before her memorial statue in Zora's Domain.[12]

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Sidon returns as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. During battle, he wields the Zora spear, a weapon Mipha also wielded.[18] He can also wield two Ceremonial Tridents and manipulate water to create a powerful attack on surrounding enemies.[19] During gameplay, he moves around by riding on a shark created from water. He can also propel bombs by hitting them with his trident.[20] The storyline takes place 100 years before the events in Breath of the Wild when Calamity Ganon launches an attack on Hyrule. After Zelda's small Guardian Terrako travels back to the past through a time portal, she gathers allies to help defeat Ganon.[21] Near the end of the storyline, Sidon arrives from the future to defend Mipha against Waterblight Ganon while declaring he will not let her be taken from him again. The scene reflects upon the tragedy of Mipha's death in the main timeline and the strength of their bond.[22]

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Sidon returns in Tears of the Kingdom[23] as the Sage of Water. He now possesses the ability to wrap Link in an orb of water which, when Link brandishes a sword or other weapon, creates a wave of water. Between games, Sidon is revealed to have a fiancée, Yona. Shortly after the Upheaval, which causes the Sky Islands to appear in the skies above Hyrule, "Zelda" appears to King Dorephan and uses a sludge monster called Mucktorok to pollute Zora's Domain. Link and Sidon head to the Water Temple to defeat Mucktorok, after which Sidon receives a "Secret Stone" from the ancient Sage of Water. Upon their return, King Dorephan decides to abdicate the throne and passes the crown onto Sidon, which he reluctantly accepts.

Reception

Since his appearance in Breath of the Wild, reception for Prince Sidon has been overwhelmingly positive. Sidon has also received positive comments about the impact of his character and his performance in gameplay. Polygon ranked Sidon among the 70 best video game characters of the 2010s decade, while Paste writer Holly Green included Prince Sidon on her list of the best video game characters of 2017.[24][25] Michael McWhertor for Polygon commented that, in addition to being known for his "enthusiasm and swimming ability", he was also known for his sex appeal.[26] GameSpot found Sidon endearing rather than a "regal jerk", expressing no surprise regarding his popularity.[27] CJ Andriessen of Destructoid felt that Sidon deserved his own game due to how he "radiated sunshine" with everything he did and said.[28]

Fan content

Due to Sidon's popularity, he has been the subject of numerous works of fan art, tweets and memes that have centred around his sexual attractiveness.[29][30] Susanna Polo for Polygon commented about how his appeal was made apparent to her due to the amount of fanart and screenshots of him on sites like Twitter and Tumblr.[17] In many fan fictions and fandoms, he enters a relationship with Link, the male protagonist of the series. The ship is often called Sidlink. The reason why it became so popular can be found in the way Sidon interacts with Link in the game, which is friendly and encouraging, especially in conversations.[31] Following the reveal of Yona, Sidon's fiancée from Tears of the Kingdom, response has been mostly negative with many insisting that the character either remain a bachelor or be in love with Link.[32][33]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: シド, Hepburn: Shido

References

  1. 1 2 Seedhouse, Alex (2018-02-05). "Nintendo Love Prince Sidon As Much As You Do". Nintendo Insider. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  2. ↑ Christopher, Michael (2020-09-23). "Zelda: Every Appearance Of The Zoras, Ranked". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  3. ↑ The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Creating a Champion. Dark Horse. p. 115.
  4. ↑ Carpou, Madeline (2021-06-18). "Breath of the Wild: Age, Height and Relationship Status of the Main Characters". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  5. 1 2 Pricener, Zachary (2021-05-23). "The 10 Legend of Zelda Characters With The Best Fashion Sense, Ranked". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  6. ↑ Osborne, Mary (2021-06-28). "The Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Cast Is Gorgeous In Real Life". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  7. ↑ "Jamie Mortellaro (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  8. ↑ "Kosuke Onishi (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  9. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick. "Prince Sidon from The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Has the Internet Hot and Bothered". Nerdist. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Gita (2017-03-14). "Breath Of The Wild's Shark Prince Is Getting A Lot Of Love From Thirsty Zelda Fans". Kotaku Australia. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  11. ↑ Filby, Jessica (2021-03-12). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild: Ranking The Best Characters Based On Likability". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  12. 1 2 Carpou, Madeline (2021-06-13). "Breath Of The Wild: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Mipha". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  13. ↑ "10 Hidden Details Everyone Missed In Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity". Game Rant. 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  14. ↑ Connor Smith, Michael (2020-01-04). "The Legend of Zelda: 5 Characters Every Fan Loves (& 5 They Hate A Little Too Much)". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  15. ↑ Gratton, Kyle (2021-08-22). "Zelda: Every Wild Animal Link Can Ride In BOTW". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  16. ↑ "Legend Of Zelda: The 10 Best New Characters In Breath Of The Wild". TheGamer. 2019-07-24. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  17. 1 2 Polo, Susana (2018-04-04). "Breath of the Wild's Prince Sidon is somehow cuter as a baby". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  18. ↑ "How to Unlock All Characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity". Nintendo Wire. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  19. ↑ Archer, Callum (2020-12-21). "Age Of Calamity: Pro Tips For Playing As Sidon". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  20. ↑ "Best Characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, All 18 Ranked". Twinfinite. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  21. ↑ Cacho, Gieson. "Video Game Review: 'Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity' a worthwhile prequel to classic 'Zelda'". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  22. ↑ Carpou, Madeline (2021-05-21). "Zelda: Each Main Character's Most Iconic Scene". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  23. ↑ Diaz, Ana (2023-04-13). "Tears of the Kingdom's new trailer just revealed a bunch of new characters". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-04-16.
  24. ↑ "The Best New Game Characters of 2017". 12 December 2017.
  25. ↑ "The 70 best video game characters of the decade". Polygon. November 27, 2019. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  26. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2018-03-05). "Ranking the fishmen of video games". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  27. ↑ "60 Things We Still Love About Zelda: Breath Of The Wild". GameSpot. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  28. ↑ CJ, Andriessen (2017-08-27). "Breath of the Wild's Prince Sidon deserves his own game". Destructoid. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  29. ↑ Frank, Allegra (2017-03-13). "In Breath of the Wild, everyone just wants to kiss a Zora". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  30. ↑ Bartleet, Larry (2017-03-14). "Legend Of Zelda players are getting horny for this new shark character". NME. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  31. ↑ "Breath Of The Wild's Shark Prince Is Getting A Lot Of Love From Thirsty Zelda Fans". March 2017. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  32. ↑ Diaz, Ana (May 15, 2023). "Prince Sidon is engaged, and we are not OK". Polygon. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  33. ↑ Zollner, Amelia (May 26, 2023). "Tears of the Kingdom Fans Are Broken-Hearted Over Prince Sidon". IGN. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
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