Even the Hero of Hyrule can use a helping hand sometimes, and for Link in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it comes in the form of five different companions. Sages are much like Champions from the prequel Breath of the Wild, fighting alongside the protagonist with powerful special abilities. Luckily, each of the companions is unlocked during the main quest line, so players will become familiar with them sooner rather than later. But at the end of the day, knowing which Sages are actually best in TOTK can be the difference between a fun or a frustrating Hyrulean adventure.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Sages can be upgraded by collecting Sage's Wills. These items can be found scattered all throughout Hyrule, and by collecting four of them and bringing them to a Goddess Statue, Link can permanently increase one Sage's attack damage (meaning both their base attacks and respective abilities). Since there are five different companions to unlock and a total of 20 Sage's Wills to find, players will eventually be able to upgrade each of them once. However, thanks to the size of Tears of the Kingdom's map, players won't be able to collect all 20 Sage's Wills right away. Knowing which companions in TOTK are best can help determine which to upgrade first.
5 Yunobo
Though he might win in the personality category, Yunobo is the worst companion in Tears of the Kingdom. The Fire Sage's ability - which sees him curl up into a ball and forcefully fling himself in the specified direction, causing a fiery explosion on impact - is by no means a detriment to players. In fact, it can even be used outside of combat to break through strong barriers or obstacles.
But when compared to the powerful abilities of the other Sages, Yunobo is decidedly the worst of the five. It's a shame since his skill might as well be another neat Sonic reference in Tears of the Kingdom (if it was more powerful).
4 Sidon
Sidon, the Sage of Water, is a step up from his elemental opposite Yunobo, but he's still not the best companion in TOTK. The main reason for this is that Sidon's primary ability is defensive in nature. Employing it will cast an orb-like barrier of water around Link, which protects him from one enemy attack, regardless of how strong. The aquatic shield lasts for ten seconds, meaning that it will disappear automatically after that time if the player doesn't receive any damage. This is a solid defensive measure during boss fights, especially for players who don't have many heart containers in Tears of the Kingdom.
As with all defensive measures, it could be argued that Sidon's main ability is only helpful in the event that players make a mistake; this situational usefulness is unfortunately his main weakness in combat. However, it's offset somewhat by his secondary ability, which lets Link burst the bubble early and imbue his weapon with the power of water. This causes the player's next melee attack to send out a penetrating wave, which can deal damage to multiple enemies at the same time. The offensive counterpart to Sidon's ability redeems him among the Sages in TOTK somewhat, but he's still not the most impressive option.
3 Riju
The Sage of Lightning, Riju, is a far better companion in Tears of the Kingdom, especially for those with a love for archery. Unlike Sidon's defensive power, her ability is damage-heavy, as activating it will cause lightning to strike wherever Link's next arrow lands. The best part about Riju's lightning strike is that it isn't limited to one target; players can use it against large groups of low-health enemies and singular, high-health enemies alike. Plus, though it might not make much sense (even in the fantasy setting of Hyrule), it works both indoors and outdoors, making it a highly versatile addition to anyone's arsenal.
Obviously, players won't be able to join in on the fun without a bow, which might discourage those who strongly prefer melee weapons. However, the sheer power and damage provided by Riju's lightning strikes are enough to warrant a quick arrow or two from even the most devout melee traditionalists. Having one of the strongest combat abilities in the game, there's never a bad time to call for the electrifying help of Riju, who is one of the best Sages in TOTK.
2 Tulin
Tulin is the Sage of Wind who feels right at home in the sky, so it's not too surprising that he's one of Tears of the Kingdom's best companions. While in battle, Tulin's ability isn't the most remarkable, causing a gust of wind that can only knock back smaller enemies. It's a nice, minor form of crowd control that can be used to quickly eliminate groups of low-health targets - but at the end of the day, it's majorly overshadowed by its use outside of combat.
While soaring through the air on a Paraglider, Link can use Tulin's ability to give himself a brief, yet impactful aerial boost. Since it shares the same short cooldown as the rest of the companions' skills, it can help players cover a much greater distance in a much shorter amount of time. Tulin's ability makes him one of the most useful Sages in Tears of the Kingdom, especially for those wanting to explore every nook and cranny of Hyrule.
1 Mineru
Initially, the game's main storyline will only introduce Link to four Sages, but there's a fifth, slightly more secret Sage in TOTK who is coincidentally the best companion. Mineru, the Sage of Spirit, has an ability that completely blows even Tulin's wind ability clear out of the water, making her well worth the extra wait even to those eager to reach Tears of the Kingdom's ending as soon as possible. To put it briefly, using her skill summons a giant Construct mech that amazingly, Link can mount and use for both battle and exploration purposes.
Players can attach various Zonai devices (like Flame Emitters or Rockets) onto Mineru's mech, allowing them to customize their combat experience to their liking or even set up exciting combinations with Link's own abilities. But the Sage of Spirit is invaluable even outside of combat, as her tall, metal structure lets the protagonist safely traverse otherwise dangerous terrain, like water or lava. Granting Link a whole new world of opportunities in both combat and exploration, it's hard to deny that Mineru is the best companion in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
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