TRIFORCE

The is a fictional relic from Nintendo's ''The Legend of Zelda'' series of video games. Referred to as "The Golden Power" and the "True Force to Govern All," in ancient Hylian literature, it is a , omnipotent holy relic containing the essence of the three Golden Goddesses who created the realm of Hyrule.
The Triforce will grant any wish made by it's holder, regardless of it's magnitude, nature, or extravagance. The possessor of the Triforce is, for all intents and purposes, omnipotent.

Contents

Pieces of the Triforce

Triforce of Courage

Triforce of Wisdom

Triforce of Power

Other appearances

Television appearances

Appearances in other Nintendo games

Popular culture

See also

Other media that use symbols similar to the Triforce

References

Pieces of the Triforce

''.]]It consists of three distinct entities represented by the three smaller triangles, each of which is also referred to as a Triforce when considered individually. Counter-clockwise from the top, the triangles are reffered to as the Triforce of Power the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage.
These can be further subdivided, as shown in ''The Legend of Zelda'' wherein the Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces), and '' wherin the Triforce of Courage was split into eight pieces and the Triforce of Wisdom into two.
In some games, each of the three Triforce parts manifests itself as a symbol on the hand of its bearer. When two or more Triforce bearers come into close proximity, the Triforce symbols on their hands will glow. When all three are together (as seen again in both ''The Wind Waker'' and ''Ocarina of Time''), the entire Triforce can potentially be recombined.

Triforce of Courage

The Triforce of Courage contains the divine essence of Farore, the Goddess of Courage, whom is reknowned for creating all life that inhabits the Hyrulean realm. It is usually associated specifically with Link. When triggered by certain dramatic events, or the congregation of two or more Triforce holders, one of the three triangles on his hand will glow; the Triforce of Courage is typically portrayed as the bottom-right piece of the Triforce.
It is unclear what benefits the Triforce of Courage affords it's user, but it has been confirmed that each segment of the Triforce gives it's wielder "true power". The holder of the Triforce of Courage is imbued with Farore's essence, and afforded attributes analogous to those of the Goddess of Courage herself. For instance, Farore's essence amplifies Link's already remarkable courage.
The Triforce of Courage also seems to afford it's wielder an unknown degree of protection from magic. In ''Twilight Princess'', when Link entered the Twilight-afflicted regions of Hyrule, the essence of the Triforce of Courage prevented him from becoming a lost soul like the other denizens of Hyrule, and instead transformed him into a divine wolf.
The Triforce of Courage first appeared in '', sealed within the Great Palace, and is required in the game by Link to awaken the sleeping Zelda. In ''Ocarina of Time'', Link inadvertently obtains the Triforce of Courage while trapped in the sacred realm, after Ganondorf fails to claim the complete Triforce, splitting it into it's three components. In '', it is implicitly indicated that Link carried the Triforce of Courage throughout his entire life, as he bears the crest on his hand at all times. The Triforce of Courage can be seen on a small banner above the entrance of Link's home in Ordon Village.
In the cinematic introduction of ''The Wind Waker'', it is stated that when the Hero of Time left Hyrule (when Link was sent back in time and went on his search for Navi), the Triforce of Courage was broken into eight pieces and scattered across the land, to be recovered one day by another Hero deserving of its power. After restoring the power of the Master Sword in ''The Wind Waker'', Link hauled up all 8 shards of the Triforce of Courage from the sea.

Triforce of Wisdom

The Triforce of Wisdom holds the essence of Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, who is recognized for creating the physical laws of the realm of Hyrule. It is usually associated with Princess Zelda, and in most games, she possesses it. When activated, the lower left triangle in the Triforce mark on Zelda's hand glows, representing the Triforce of Wisdom.
Though Zelda is known to possess innate mystical powers, the essence of Nayru, wielded in Zelda by the form of the Triforce of Wisdom, enhances these abilities. In various incarnations, Zelda has demonstrated, telepathy, precognition, and mystic energy projection, among other abilities.
By means of the Triforce's power, Zelda demonstrated shapeshifting abilities in ''Ocarina of Time''. To hide herself from Ganondorf, Zelda assumes the guise of a young Shekiah man, Sheik. In ''Twilight Princess'', after Zant exposed Midna to the Light Spirit Lanayru's pure light in an attempt to kill her, Zelda used the Triforce of Wisdom to save Midna's life. She bonded her spirit to Midna's, allowing Midna, from then on, to exist in Hyrule without reverting to the form of a mere shadow.
In ''The Wind Waker'', Tetra the pirate carried a necklace made from most of the Triforce of Wisdom; the King of Hyrule carried the rest of it. When combined, Tetra's true identity was revealed to be Zelda.

Triforce of Power

This Triforce embodies the power of Din.
It appears in the original ''Legend of Zelda'', but the only back-story given was that Ganon gained it by thievery. Link acquired it after defeating Ganon deep within the bowels of Death Mountain.
In ''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 all three virtues of the Triforce - power, wisdom, and courage - balanced in their heart. Ganondorf did not, so the Triforce fragmented, leaving Ganon with only the piece representing the virtue he valued most, the Triforce of Power. The remaining pieces were sealed in "those chosen by destiny", the Triforce of Courage in Link and the Triforce of Wisdom in Zelda. 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.
In ''Twilight Princess'', the Triforce of Power, along with his own dark magic (rejuvenated by being close to the malice and hatred of the execution grounds) allowed Ganondorf to survive his execution at the hands of the Ancient Sages. At the end of the game it seems to have been either taken away from Ganondorf, or it simply abandoned him on its own after Link defeated him and drove the Master Sword into the wound on his chest, as the Triforce marking disappeared from his hand. Without the Triforce of Power Ganondorf seemingly died, although he may have just abandoned his body.

Other appearances

Television appearances

In the cartoon ''The Legend of Zelda'' television show, only the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power appear. The Triforce of Courage is never mentioned or seen, likely because it was not referenced to in the original game, ''The Legend of Zelda''. The Triforces were not golden triangles, but made of shimmering colored jewel. Emerald green was the color for the Triforce of Wisdom, and ruby red was the color for the Triforce of Power. Both Triforces floated over a pedestal, and were capable of sentient thought and speech. The Triforce of Wisdom spoke frequently, with a feminine voice and in rhyme. The Triforce of Power chose to speak only once, and when it did it was in the vernacular with a masculine voice. Both Triforces possessed considerable magical ability, the Triforce of Power infinitely more so than the Triforce of Wisdom; though its power was only showcased once in the entire series (the ability to destroy an otherwise indestructible magic bubble,) as opposed to the Triforce of Wisdom's, which was depicted in several episodes. Interestingly, the Force Gems featured in ''Four Swords Adventures'' bear a striking resemblance to the Triforce as depicted here.
In the cartoon television series "Captain N," the characters from Zelda appeared four times and the Triforce appeared in one episode. The Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage were stolen at the beginning of the show but were returned by the end of the episode. The Triforce of Wisdom remained with Zelda and occasionally gave advice by talking through Zelda.
The Triforces were made of some sort of Jewel with gold on the interior and each had the letter for the beginning of their name engraved on them.

Appearances in other Nintendo games

Link's "Triforce Slash" in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.

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 Slash" appears as Link's "Final Smash" attack, as he traps the enemy between two Triforce symbols and relentlessly slashes at them.^[1]
In '', 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 fortune teller, has the Triforce symbol emblazoned in the far back of her tent. However, it is barely visible in ''Wild World'' with her recently discarded crystal ball in front of it.
In ''Kirby Super Star'', ''The Great Cave Offensive'' required Kirby to collect treasures while escaping from a vast cave. The final treasure is the distinctively Zelda-like Triforce. In the more recent '', a minigame involving joining dots to form images features a Triforce-shaped image^[2].

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.^[3]

★ In the online game ''AdventureQuest'', when you ask the NPC, Robina Hood about Rogue class, she will exclaim, "By the great Tri-Farce, I am a ranger!" In AdventureQuest's sister game, ''DragonFable'', Robina has quests to acquire the Quadforce and defeat the evil Gananana.

See also

★ Master Sword

★ Musical instruments from The Legend of Zelda series

★ Recurring weapons and items from The Legend of Zelda series

Other media that use symbols similar to the Triforce

★ American Academy of Actuaries

★ American Megatrends

★ AFG Glass

★ Delta Delta Delta

★ Delta Faucet Company

★ Delta Machinery

★ Fischer Skis

★ Ku Klux Klan (1800s)

★ Superior Recovery Services, Inc.

★ Zales Diamonds

References

1. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/link.html
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FO83eZdWks
3. .