Triforce

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For the arcade system board, see Triforce (arcade system board).

An artist's impression of the Triforce.

Within the fictional universe of the Legend of Zelda series of video games, the Triforce (sometimes called "The Golden Power" or "The Golden Triangles") is a holy relic created by three goddesses. The Triforce consists of three separate parts, each referred to also as a Triforce: the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage.

The shape of the Triforce is based on the mon of the Japanese Hōjō clan, which is said to represent the three scales of a Shinto dragon. Its design also resembles a level 1 Sierpiński gasket.

[edit] History

The Triforce in the Sacred Realm, from A Link to the Past.

According to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Hylian legend states that the Triforce was bestowed upon the world by the three goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. The Triforce was created when the goddesses left the realm of Hyrule at the exact point where they left; it houses the essence of the goddesses and it is the ultimate representation of all power, wisdom and courage in Hyrule. The Triforce was guarded in the Temple of Light in a land parallel and reflective of the "normal" Hyrule, known as the Golden Land or Sacred Realm. It has been a subject of dispute whether the Triforce is an inanimate object that cannot distinguish good from evil, or if it is a living entity, as depicted in the end of the game A Link to the Past and in The Legend of Zelda (TV series).

[edit] The Triforce pieces

The Triforce can be split up into 3 pieces, which can then be split up even further, as shown in Wind Waker, where the Triforce of Courage was split into eight pieces, and in the original Legend of Zelda, where the Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces. When 2 people with a Triforce piece come in close contact, the triforce symbol on their hand will glow and when all 3 are together (as seen again in The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time), it is possible that the Triforce will be summoned.

[edit] Triforce of Courage

The Triforce of Courage was not actually a piece of the Triforce in The Legend of Zelda. It first appeared in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time the Triforce of Courage was given to Link after it splits when Ganondorf touches it. In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, it is stated that when the Hero of Time left Hyrule (supposedly when Zelda returns Link to his childhood), the Triforce of Courage was broken into eight pieces and scattered, to be recovered one day by another Hero deserving of its power (in this case, the Link from The Wind Waker, the Hero of Winds). After restoring the power to the Master Sword, Link hauled up all 8 shards of the Triforce of Courage from the sea, and entered Hyrule, submerged in a magic air chamber on the sea floor. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, it is implicitly indicated that the Link in that game carries the Triforce of Courage, as he bears the crest on his hand. It protects Link in a moment of vulnerability during his first steps into the Twilight-afflicted regions of Hyrule, and then prevents Link from becoming a lost soul like the other denizens of Hyrule, instead transforming him into a wolf. This Triforce piece is associated with the color green and the goddess Farore. This piece of the Triforce is located in the lower right.

[edit] Triforce of Power

This was mentioned in the original The Legend of Zelda.

In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf (A Gerudo thief and the sole male of the tribe in one hundred years) heard of the legend of the Triforce and lusted after its power, primarily as a tool to subjugate the kingdom of Hyrule and expand his influence. Inadvertently aided by a young hero known as Link and the Hylian princess Zelda, Ganondorf found his way into the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf did not know that to claim the Triforce, one must have the three facets of the Triforce - power, wisdom, and courage - in perfect alignment within one's self. Ganondorf valued power far more than wisdom or courage, so he could only claim the Triforce of Power. The other two Triforces split off; the Triforce of Courage merged with Link and the Triforce of Wisdom merged with Zelda. They were chosen to house the Triforces because they represented courage and wisdom more than any other. Each of the three received the mark of the Triforce on the back of one hand. Ganon was defeated and the power of the Seven Sages, including Zelda, was used to seal him in the Sacred Realm along with the Triforce of Power. Link and Zelda retained their Triforces. The Triforce of Power is associated with the color red and the goddess Din. This piece is located at the top.

[edit] Triforce of Wisdom

This was mentioned in the original Legend of Zelda. In The Wind Waker, Tetra the pirate carried a necklace made from a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, the King of Hyrule carried the other half. When put together, Tetra was revealed to be Zelda. This Triforce Piece is associated with blue and the goddess Nayru. The Triforce of Wisdom is also believed for being responsible of Princess Zelda's alter ego, Sheik. Since Sheik's characteristics are very different from those of Zelda, and also it's believed he is a male form of Princess Zelda, obviously it should be the power of the Triforce, as Zelda uses it as she reveals to Link her hidden identity in the Temple of Time before Ganondorf kidnaps her (Ocarina of Time). This piece is located in the lower left.

[edit] The Triforce Carriers

When the Triforce is split and possessed by the three destined individuals, the piece's influences can be felt by the holders. This can have multiple effects. Ganondorf, in particular, was corrupted even further by his Triforce's power. The Triforce carriers can also sense each other's presence, but not at a great distance (otherwise, Ganondorf would not have to search for Zelda very long in Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker).

[edit] The Triforce

In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, it was revealed that one who touches the Triforce has all of their wishes come true; the Triforce reflects the heart of the one who touches it, whether good or evil. When combined into a single entity, the Triforce is sometimes referred to as the "True Force to Govern All", as it was in ancient Hylian literature. In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Ganon exploits this power to corrupt The Golden Land, turning it into the Dark World, a realm of dark skies and evil creatures. In The Wind Waker, the king of Hyrule, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, touches the Triforce and wishes for Link and Zelda to have a good future and wishes for the land of Hyrule to be "washed away".

The Triforce is referred to as the "Golden Power" in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and could have something to do with the Light Force mentioned in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

[edit] Other appearances

[edit] Ocarina of Time rumours

The Triforce appeared as an obtainable item in a pre-release video of Ocarina of Time.

Main article: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time#Triforce rumors

Though the Triforce makes appearances throughout The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, there is no way to physically obtain it within the game. However, it is rumoured that at some point in the game's development, it was possible for the player to obtain the Triforce. This theory is backed up by an early promotional video released before the game was completed, which appears to show Link discovering the Triforce itself. Many video game hackers have attempted to reverse engineer the game, but there does not seem to be any way to successfully obtain the Triforce as an actual item.

There have been attempts to create faked screenshots using image-editing programs and hacked versions of the game, but these have either been proven to be false, or revealed to be April Fools' jokes.

[edit] Appearances in other Nintendo games

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Link's Super Smash Move involves trapping an enemy between two Triforce symbols and swiping at them furiously.

The Triforce is Link's symbol in Super Smash Bros.. It returns as his symbol in the sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and is also used as the symbol for Zelda, Sheik, Young Link, and Ganondorf. There are three structures in Zelda/Sheik's Target Test that look exactly like Triforces. The Triforce is also the goal in the second side-scrolling level in Adventure mode, the Underground Maze. In the upcoming third game in the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Triforce appears as Link's "Super Smash" attack, as he traps the enemy between two Triforce symbols and relentlessly slashes at them.

In Animal Crossing: Wild World, the Triforce is a furniture item. When used, it separates and assembles in mimicry of the opening to A Link to the Past. In both the original Animal Crossing and Wild World, Katrina, the fortuneteller, has the Triforce symbol emblazoned in the far back of her tent. However, in Wild World it is barely visible with her recently discarded crystal ball in front of it.

[edit] Popular culture

• In the MMORPG World of Warcraft, a quest line based loosely on the Legend of Zelda series requires the player to retrieve the Triforce-like "Golden Flame" item for the character Linken.^[1]

• In Halo 2 the triad (closely resembling the Triforce) is one of your choices for the logo you can put onto Master Chief's armor.

• In Kirby Super Star, The Great Cave Offensive requires Kirby to collect treasures while escaping a vast cave. The final treasure is the distinctively Zelda-like Triforce.

• In the online game Adventure Quest, when you ask the NPC, Robina Hood about Rogue class, she will exclaim, "By the great Tri-Farce, I am a ranger!"

• In Drawn Together's first episode, Xandir, himself a parody of Link, refers to "quad-forces" as being among his acquired power-ups, obviously a reference to the Triforce.

• A Triforce "hack" was displayed on the Great Dome at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday, November 18, 2006.^[2]

• "Triforce" is also the name of a 3 man drum & bass DJ crew from Shropshire, UK. The name was used to emphasize the fact the group are a trio, and that each of them covers a different style of the music (in the same way the Triforce in the Zelda series represents three different powers).

[edit] References