Sidearms are your secondary attack. You carry one at a time, power them with Joules, and lose your current one when you die. They're burst tools — damage, healing, crowd control and traversal — not a main-weapon replacement.
Sidearms are your second attack — the throwables, dashes, summons and gadgets that sit alongside your main weapon. They won’t carry a fight on their own, but the right one at the right moment kills a boss, crosses a gap, or saves your life.
Three rules to remember: you carry one at a time, they run on Joules, and you lose your current one when you die.
How the system works
- One slot. You hold a single sidearm. Pick up a new one and it replaces the old. Choose for the fight or area ahead.
- Joules are ammo. Every use spends Joules. Refill at Joule Jars (break objects to find them), and raise your max capacity with Joule Boxes — there are eight in the game.
- Lost on death. Die and your equipped sidearm is gone. Pair this with the death penalty on Bones and you’ve got a real reason to play carefully.
- They scale. Your Sidearm Damage stat (from Bone Up, cap level 10) makes them hit harder. The Joule Syringe trinket turns picked-up Joules into Plasma.
Where to find them
Most sidearms spawn from specific destructible objects in the field, and also turn up in shops, chests and as quest rewards. The big exception is the Fishing Rod — it’s the only sidearm you have to unlock first (borrow it from an alligator brother in Nox’s Bayou), after which it appears for you.
The best sidearms
Rankings from launch guides land on a few standouts:
- Drill Driver (S) — launches Mina forward with heavy knockback. Shove enemies into pits for instant kills, and combine it with the burrow-jump to cross the biggest gaps. The most useful sidearm overall.
- Mist Jar (S) — a long dash that heals you a little and builds Plasma when you pass through an enemy. One of the only healing sources outside Plasma Vials.
- Recall Disc (S) — drop a portal, then teleport back to it with an explosion. An instant escape that doubles as a trap in boss arenas.
- Volt Hatchet, Gyro Dagger, Dynamo Lantern, Fishing Rod (A) — strong damage and utility picks. The Gyro Dagger boomerangs and can be juggled; the Dynamo Lantern melts bosses; the Fishing Rod farms emergency resources.
See the full table below for every documented sidearm, its tier, and where to find it.
How many are there?
Yacht Club’s official “by the numbers” says 14 sidearms. DualShockers and GameSpot both count 15. Treat it as roughly 14 confirmed, with one or two still being nailed down by the community.
Joule Box locations
There are eight Joule Boxes that raise your max Joules. Confirmed locations include three sold at the Ossex Emporium (500, 2,000 and 4,000 Bones), plus boxes in the Southern Outskirts: Cave Network, Backwater: Pinky’s Parlor, Sandfalls: Sifting Sands, Eastern Heath: Buckler’s Bluff, and Western Wilds: Secret Passage. A couple of the exact spots are still being verified post-launch.
| Carry limit | 1 sidearm at a time |
| Powered by | Joules |
| On death | You lose your current sidearm |
| How many exist | 14 (Yacht Club) / 15 (some guides) |
| Joule Box locations | 8 |
All Sidearms
| Sidearm | Effect | Tier | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gyro Dagger | Spinning throwing dagger that boomerangs back to Mina, hitting multiple times. Smack it with your weapon to send it forward again and juggle it for sustained damage lines. | A | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Volt Hatchet | Thrown in an arc; lobs then crashes down releasing blast/shock waves in four directions. Damages on flight and on detonation; can be thrown over walls. Best vs large or stationary enemies. | A | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Beckoning Collar | Summons a friendly imp that orbits Mina and auto-bites nearby enemies, reaching flyers out of weapon range. Passively drains Joules; explodes when Joules run out or on command. Good vs flying foes, bosses and minibosses. | B | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Bounding Bombs | Two bombs that must meet to deliver their full (extremely potent) effect; the high Joule cost often makes them not worth it. | C | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Angler's Raft | A traversal aid for crossing large ponds and rivers (pairs with the Fishing Rod context). | C | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Deflector Parasol | Tap to throw a parasol forward (contact damage plus blocks projectiles and reflects physical attacks). Hold it overhead and hold Jump to float/slow-fall across long gaps; tap again to throw. Versatile defense and traversal. | B | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Drill Driver | Launches Mina a short distance forward with strong knockback — shoves small foes into pits/hazards for instant kills (bonus damage into walls). A key traversal tool; combine with burrow-jump to cross the biggest gaps. GameSpot's single most useful sidearm. | S | Eastern Heath (up through tall grass past a house, burrow under the fence, through a cave to a hidden path) |
| Dynamo Lantern | Wind up, then throw it out on a chain a few tiles ahead; delivers several large electric bursts at its apex. Smaller AoE but melts large enemies and bosses. Long windup — best vs slow foes. | A | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Fishing Rod | Makes fish-shadows appear in all water (even puddles); catch fish and critters that drop Joule Jars, Plasma Roses, flowers and Mana — emergency resources and trophies. The only sidearm that must be unlocked first. | A | Nox's Bayou (borrowed from an alligator brother, then kept) |
| Iron Steed | A pedal-bike mount; moves faster than walking or burrowing and can jump while mounted to clear long gaps. Ring its bell to agitate/draw enemies. Damages enemies on contact, but you fall off. Mainly traversal and enemy corralling. | C | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Hollower's Rocks | Throwable rocks; very situational — only about two areas allow their longest-range throw. | C | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Mist Jar | Mina flashes green and dashes a long distance (ground or air); passing through an enemy deals no damage to her but recovers a little health and builds Plasma — one of the few healing sources besides Plasma Vials. DualShockers' most consistently useful sidearm. | S | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
| Recall Disc | First use drops a portal in front of Mina; the next use teleports her back to it with a powerful explosion — an instant escape plus AoE damage. Set traps in boss arenas. | S | Field destructibles, shops and chests |
FAQ
What are sidearms in Mina the Hollower?
Sidearms are your secondary weapons — throwables, dashes, summons and traversal tools. You carry only one at a time, they're powered by Joules, and you lose your current sidearm when you die. They support your main weapon rather than replace it.
How do Joules work?
Joules are sidearm ammo. Each use spends Joules from your reserve. Refill at Joule Jars (break objects to find them), and raise your max with Joule Boxes — there are eight in the game.
How many sidearms are there?
Yacht Club's official count is 14. Some guides (DualShockers, GameSpot) say 15. Treat it as roughly 14 confirmed, with one or two still being pinned down.
What is the best sidearm?
The Drill Driver, Mist Jar and Recall Disc top most rankings. The Drill Driver is the best all-purpose tool (knockback kills plus traversal), the Mist Jar heals you mid-dash, and the Recall Disc is an instant escape with an explosion.
Do you lose sidearms when you die?
Yes. You lose your currently equipped sidearm on death, along with your carried Bones if you're out of Sparks. Some trinkets help you hold onto resources.
Can you carry more than one sidearm?
No. You hold exactly one sidearm at a time. Picking up a new one swaps out the old one, so choose based on the fight or area ahead.