Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — How to Dodge and Parry in TotK

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom parry and dodge mechanics are integral to beating enemies and bosses, especially the further you get from Lookout Landing. These moves are necessary if you want to gain the upper hand in combat situations and not hit Game Over. With that in mind, here’s our guide to help you dodge and parry in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

How to Dodge and Parry in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Totk dodge and parry mechanics require a shield to be equipped before you can do anything. You’ll also need to hold the ZL button to enter the focus stance, where you’ll lock on to a particular enemy. Here’s what you need to do next.

TotK Dodge and Parry Explained

• To dodge, wait until the enemy is about to hit you, then press the X button to jump, while tilting the left thumbstick sideways or downward. This will let you dodge sideways or backward, respectively.
• To parry, wait until the enemy is about to hit you, then press the B button. This will swat away their weapon, culminating in a bright blue flash (as seen in the featured image).

Why is Learning Dodge and Parry Important in Tears of the Kingdom?

How exactly do the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom dodge and parry mechanics benefit you? I’ve found that they’re great for DPS, as you get to counter your opponents:

• After doing a perfectly-timed dodge, time will slow down, and you’ll see a button prompt. Press the A button to do a Flurry Strike, a series of slashes and stabs that your target can’t do anything about.
• Meanwhile, if you do a perfectly-timed parry and see the blue flash, that means your foe has been disarmed. You can quickly press the L button to pick the Fuse ability. This will let you attach the item to your own armament, essentially whacking your opponent with the weapon that they were just using.

Bear in mind, however, that these are also high-risk, high-reward combat mechanics in. If you dodge too early or too late, you could leave yourself open to attacks. The same goes for parrying, as that implies that you swung your shield away, leaving Link defenseless for a split second.

In any case, this is all you need to know about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom dodge and parry mechanics. For more information about the game, you can visit our Zelda: TotK guides hub.