This study shows that the fate of internal tide energy is not uniform but is dictated by interactions with mesoscale eddies features, affecting the intensity and distribution of energy flux. The study finds that the specific response of an internal tide—whether it propagates freely or deviates—is dually controlled by the internal tide vertical modal structure, and the ocean state it encounters together with its associated background conditions. In additions, it is also found that the redistribution of energy via intermodal transfers is governed by a hierarchy of synergistic interactions between the topographic features and the background flow of the ocean state.