Triforce

The Triforce (トライフォース, Toraifōsu) is the golden triangle from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Referred to as "The Golden Power" in ancient Hylian literature, it is an omnipotent sacred relic, representing the essence of the Golden Goddesses who created the realm of Hyrule. It appeared where they departed the realm for the heavens. It is a main focus of the plot of many games in the series, including The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Ages, Oracle of Seasons, The Wind Waker, and A Link Between Worlds.

The Triforce consists of three equilateral triangles, which are joined (with an inverted empty triangle in the middle) to form a large equilateral triangle. Occasional variations are found in the shape and subdivisions (see below).

In the series

Pieces

The Triforce consists of three distinct entities represented by the three smaller triangles, each of which is also referred to as a Triforce when considered individually. The triangles are referred to as the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage.^[1] In the first game, The Legend of Zelda, only two Triforces are present (Power and Wisdom, but not Courage), and they are not joined into the three-fold form that is later found. In the second game, The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the third Triforce (Courage) is introduced.

In a few cases a Triforce is subdivided. In The Legend of Zelda, the Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces; the pieces are inconsistently rendered, as equilateral triangles on the main display, but as 45–45–90 (isosceles right) triangles in the status screen, and the overall Triforce of Wisdom is also shown as a 45–45–90 triangle, shorter than a (60–60–60) equilateral triangle. In The Wind Waker, the Triforce of Courage was split into eight irregularly shaped shards^[2] 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 in both Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker), the entire Triforce can potentially be recombined.

In A Link Between Worlds, it is revealed that if one obtains two pieces of the Triforce, as Yuga-Ganon did after obtaining both the Triforce of Power and Triforce of Wisdom, it will transform them slightly granting them greater powers. However it is shown that even one possessing two Triforce pieces can be defeated by a single Triforce bearer, as Link with the Triforce of Courage was able to defeat Yuga-Ganon using the Master Sword and the Bow of Light.

In Hyrule Warriors, it is shown that Triforce bearers marks tendency to glow when in close proximity to one another ultimately allowing Cia to claim both the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage, as Zelda disguised as Sheik was unaware that Cia possessed Ganondorf's Triforce of Power, when Sheik's Triforce mark glowed in response to being in close to Link and Cia's respective Triforce pieces, inadvertently placing both of the remaining Triforce pieces within Cia's grasp. Interestingly it is shown that one who possesses the complete Triforce can choose to return the Triforce pieces to their original bearers, as Cia did to keep the complete Triforce out of Ganondorf's hands by returning the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Wisdom to Link and Zelda respectively. It is also shown that three Triforce bearers (Lana, Link, & Zelda) can briefly combine their respective Triforce pieces to briefly use the power of the complete Triforce, though the pieces will return to their bearers afterwards.

Triforce of Power

This Triforce embodies the essence of Din, the Goddess of Power, who is the shaper of the realm in which Hyrule exists. Her divine essence grants the holder of the Triforce of Power an unlimited amount of mystical power. The Triforce of Power is usually associated specifically with Ganon, who uses its vast power to his own evil ends. The top triangle in the Triforce represents the Triforce of Power.

It appears in The Legend of Zelda, but the only back-story given was that Ganon gained it by thievery. Link acquires it after defeating Ganon inside Death Mountain.

In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf (a Gerudo thief) 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 eventually finds his way into the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf did not know that to claim the complete Triforce, one must have in his/her heart a balance of three virtues represented by each of the three pieces of the Triforce: power, wisdom, and courage. As his heart did not contain in it this balance, the Triforce splits into its three components, leaving Ganondorf with only the piece representing the characteristic he values most, the Triforce of Power.^[3] The remaining pieces are 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. Although Ganon suffers defeat at the hands of Link and is banished to the Sacred Realm by the power of the Seven Sages, he retains the Triforce of Power. Link and Zelda also retain their Triforce pieces.

In the back-story of Twilight Princess, the Triforce of Power, along with his own dark magic (which is 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, Link defeats him by using the Master Sword to impale him through the wound on his chest, and as Ganondorf grows weak, the Triforce crest fades from his hand.

In Hyrule Warriors, a fragment of Ganondorf's soul uses his power to remove the light (which became the White Sorceress, Lana) from the soul of the Guardian of Time transforming her into the Dark Sorceress, Cia. The fragment granted Cia the Triforce of Power to free the other pieces of Ganondorf's soul. Cia manages to obtain the Triforce of Wisdom from Sheik and Triforce of Courage from Link and uses it power to summon the different eras where the other fragments of Ganondorf's soul where sealed. Cia's forces managed to break the seal on several fragments save for the final fragment which was held under seal by the Master Sword. Deciding he no longer needed Cia, Ganondorf revealed himself and attempted to seize the completed Triforce from Cia, but she managed to return the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage back to their original owners to keep them out of Ganondorf's grasp, Zelda and Link. Cia than manages to reseal Ganondorf briefly due to him lacking his the final piece of his soul, while retaining the Triforce of Power for herself. She tries desperately to regain the other pieces, though the allied Forces of Hyrule along with Lana, manage to defeat Cia's forces. Cia is eventually defeated and dies, with Lana taking possession of the Triforce of Power, becoming its first bearer to lack an evil heart. Together with the other Triforce bearers, Lana uses its power to help restore Hyrule to normal. However Ganondorf is able to completely revive as Link had removed the Master Sword in order to defeat Cia and her forces, weakening the seal on the last fragment of Ganondorf's soul. Ganondorf revives Ghirahim and Zant and rebuilds his dark army to reclaim his Triforce of Power along with the remaining Triforce pieces. Ganondorf attacks Lana in the valley of Seers to reclaim his Triforce of Power, though Zelda sends Impa to assist her in retreating from Ganondorf's army. While in possession of the Triforce of Power, Lana gains the ability to split her soul which she uses to flee from Ganondorf though ultimately he manages to reclaim the Triforce of Power from her and once again sets his sights on obtaining the complete Triforce.

In A Link Between Worlds, the Lorulean Wizard Yuga kidnaps the Seven Sages in order to resurrect Ganon so he can fuse with him to gain his Triforce of Power. It is later revealed that Princess Hilda was working with Yuga to steal Hyrule's Triforce in order to restore her kingdom. When Yuga-Ganon is defeated by Link, Hilda orders Yuga to give her the Triforce of Power, but Yuga reveals he has no intention of saving Lorule as he reveals he desired the Triforce to become a God and planned to remake Lorule in his image. He then transforms Hilda into a painting in order to claim the Triforce of Wisdom. Yuga-Ganon is then transformed by possessing two pieces of the Triforce and attacks Link to obtain his Triforce of Courage. However even with the combined might of Power and Wisdom, he is defeated by Link.

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. The bottom-left piece of the Triforce typically portrays the Triforce of Wisdom.

Though Zelda is known to possess innate mystical powers, the essence of Nayru, wielded by Zelda using the Triforce of Wisdom, enhances these abilities. In various incarnations, Zelda has demonstrated telepathy, precognition, and mystic energy projection, among other abilities.

Seemingly 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 Sheikah man who calls himself Sheik, the last remaining Sheikah other than Impa. In Twilight Princess, Zelda used the power of the Triforce of Wisdom to detect the dark magic trapping Link in his wolf form, and it may have granted her the power to remain in her true form in the Twilight. The Triforce of Wisdom may have been used to save Midna's life and transfer Zelda's light or soul into Midna to give her the ability to survive the light of Hyrule. Zelda, after being revived, states to Midna, "Our souls were one, however briefly." It is unknown whether or not Midna receives the Triforce for a short time, because after putting back Zelda's "soul", she survives in the light just fine.

In The Wind Waker, Tetra the pirate carries a necklace made from most of the Triforce of Wisdom; the King of Hyrule carries the other part of it. When the two pieces are reunited, Tetra's true identity is revealed to be Zelda.

In A Link Between Worlds, the Triforce of Wisdom is taken from Zelda by Princess Hilda as part of her plot to seize Hyrule's Triforce only for it to be later stole by Yuga-Ganon. While in possession of both the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Power, Yuga-Ganon is granted a more powerful form capable of levitation. However even with the power of two Triforce pieces, he is still defeated by the combined might of Link's Triforce of Courage and Master Sword.

In Hyrule Warriors, the Triforce of Wisdom is once again in the possession of the game's incarnation of Zelda, who transforms into the mysterious Sheikah warrior, Sheik to hide from Cia's forces. However she is unaware that Cia possesses Ganondorf's Triforce of Power and when Sheik joins Link in confronting Cia, the presence of all three Triforce bearers causes each of their Triforce marks to glow due to being in close proximity to each other. This allows Cia to steal both of their Triforce pieces and uses the complete Triforce to summon different eras where the pieces of Ganondorf's soul are sealed. However Cia is later forced to return the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage to their original bearers when Ganondorf manages to partially revive himself to keep them from falling into the King of Evil's hands. Zelda is shown to be able to maintain her Sheik disguise even after the Triforce of Wisdom is taken from her.

Triforce of Courage

The Triforce of Courage contains the divine essence of Farore, the Goddess of Courage, who is renowned for creating all life that inhabits the Hyrulean realm. It is usually associated specifically with Link. The Triforce of Courage is typically portrayed as the bottom-right piece of the Triforce.

It is unclear what specific benefits the Triforce of Courage affords its user, but 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. Link seems to have an affinity for Farore's color, green.

The Triforce of Courage also seems to afford its wielder an unknown degree of protection from certain forms of magic, and transformation. In Twilight Princess, when Link entered the Twilight-afflicted regions of Hyrule, 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. Although the Triforce is seen in Twilight Princess, it is never explicitly mentioned by name.

The Triforce of Courage first appeared in The Adventure of Link, sealed within the Great Palace, and is required in the game by Link to awaken the sleeping Zelda. In Ocarina of Time, Link unknowingly obtains the Triforce of Courage while trapped in the sacred realm, after Ganondorf fails to claim the complete Triforce, splitting it into its three components. In Twilight Princess, 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 left Hyrule 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 locates and hauls up all eight shards of the Triforce of Courage from the sea. After he acquires all eight pieces and prepares to face Ganon, the reassembled Triforce of Courage absorbs into his hand. He is then declared the Hero of Winds.

In A Link Between Worlds, Link with the Triforce of Courage in his possession was able to defeat Yuga-Ganon, even though he possessed both the Triforce of Power and Triforce of Wisdom. Though in addition to the Triforce of Courage, Link also possessed the Master Sword (which blade may or may not have been upgraded using Master Ore) and Zelda's Bow of Light which fires arrows imbued with a portion of the Triforce's power. It is also implied that Lorule's Triforce has a Triforce of Courage as well.

In Hyrule Warriors, the young Hyrulian Army Trainee, Link is revealed to be the current incarnation of the Hero of Hyrule during a battle with the Dragon Knight Volga, when he briefly summons Triforce of Courage's power to defend the Sheikah General Impa from Volga's flames. Upon seeing Link's glowing Triforce mark, his innate strength, and skills she becomes convinced that Link is the current incarnation of the Hero, later giving him the Hero's Tunic to wear. Link possesses the Triforce of Courage early in the game, though it is later stolen by Cia along with Sheik's Triforce of Wisdom. However, when Ganondorf partially revives himself, Cia returns the Triforce of Courage and Wisdom to their original bearers. As a result, Link regains his Triforce of Courage while Zelda regains her Triforce of Wisdom. Zelda then has Link retrieve the Master Sword in order to defeat Cia who still possesses the Triforce of Power. However, during the forces of Hyrule's assault on Cia's stronghold in the Temple of Souls, Link becomes overconfident due to possessing both the Triforce of Courage and the mighty Master Sword, allowing Cia to tap into the darkness within the Hero's soul, allowing her to spawn Dark Links to fight Link and the Forces of Hyrule. To make matters worse, Ganondorf arrives to reclaim the Triforce of Power, though fortunately the bond between Link and his allies manages to awaken the Master Sword's true power allowing them to defeat the Dark Links and Ganondorf. Together with his allies Link manages to defeat Cia. After Lana claims the Triforce of Power, Link joins her and Zelda in using the Triforce to restore Hyrule back to normal. Afterwards the Triforce is split between them with Link retaking possession of the Triforce of Courage while Zelda and Lana carry the other two halves. However, due to Link's removal of the Master Sword the seal on the final piece of Ganondorf's soul is broken allowing the King of Evil to revive himself. With the aid of Ghirahim and Zant, Ganondorf reclaims the Triforce of Power from Lana and eventually manages to claim the other pieces from Link and Zelda, though he is ultimately defeated by Link, Zelda, Lana, and their allies.

Assembled Triforce

When assembled, the Triforce allows the owner to make and be granted as many wishes as they want, which usually last until they die or the wish is fulfilled. It will remain with the user until they send it away or have it taken from them, as explained in A Link to the Past. As shown in A Link to the Past, there are certain items, such as the Moon Pearl, which can resist the effects of the Triforce; in that game, the Moon Pearl prevents Link from being transformed into a rabbit while in the Sacred Realm. In A Link to the Past, Ganon has obtained the completed Triforce, and has wished upon it to rule Hyrule. However, his imbalanced heart changes the wish, and instead of Hyrule he rules a Sacred Realm which has become a dark version of Hyrule, where, among other things, all inhabitants are beasts. At the end of the game, Link defeats Ganon and takes the Triforce from its resting place. The spirit of the Triforce explains its powers, and Link then wishes for the acts of Ganon to be reversed (such as the corruption of the Sacred Realm and the death of Link's uncle).

In Ocarina of Time, set before A Link to the Past, the attainment of the complete Triforce is Ganondorf's primary goal, to attain control of Hyrule. Though he reaches the Triforce in the Sacred Realm, his heart is imbalanced and the Triforce splits, leaving him with the Triforce of Power and forcing him to gather the other two carriers who are "chosen by destiny", Link and Princess Zelda, and take the other pieces from them. Though he succeeds in bringing them to him, they are able to fight him off and, along with the Sages, seal him within the Sacred Realm.

In The Wind Waker, set long after Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf manages to escape from the Sacred Realm, and his search for the new Princess Zelda and her Triforce of Wisdom sets in motion the plot events. At the end of the game, he succeeds in bringing Princess Zelda and the new Link to his castle, and unites the pieces into the completed Triforce; however, before he can touch it and make his wish to rule Hyrule, King Daphnes of Hyrule touches it and wishes for Hyrule to be completely destroyed, and for Zelda and Link to be given a prosperous future.

In Hyrule Warriors, it is revealed that the Guardian of Time is an overseer that watches over the Triforce, observing the various eras and battles over the Triforce. Over time, the Guardian of Time fell in love with the soul of the Hero, Link who appeared when ever Hyrule was in need of a hero to defend it and the Triforce from the forces of evil. Sensing the darkness in the Guardian of Time's soul a fragment of Ganondorf's possesses the Guardian, removing the light from her soul transforming her into the Dark Sorceress, Cia who then uses the Triforce of Power to summon monsters from throughout history and uses her magic to take control of Dark Wizard, Wizzro and the Dragon Knight, Volga to be her generals. Manipulated by Ganondorf, Cia's love for the Hero Link was transformed into an obsession to obtain both the Triforce and ultimately Link's heart and soul for herself, though Ganondorf intended on betraying her and taking the Triforce for himself. However the light portion of the Guardian's soul that Ganondorf had expelled became Cia's good twin, the White Sorceress Lana who like Cia was in love with Link, though unlike Cia, Lana accepted Link's destiny as the Hero of Hyrule and opposes Cia's plans. Cia eventually manages to obtain the complete Triforce by stealing the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda while she is disguised Sheik and Triforce of Courage from Link, then uses its power to summon the different eras where the pieces of Ganondorf's soul are sealed in order to increase her power and strengthen her army. It is later revealed to Cia that she was being manipulated by Ganondorf who is able to partially resurrect himself. Having no further use for her, Ganondorf tries to seize the complete Triforce from her, only for Cia to send Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Courage back to their original bearers in order to keep Ganondorf from obtaining the complete Triforce. She then manages to briefly reseal Ganondorf and claim his Triforce of Power for herself, though is weakened by the loss of the other two pieces of the Triforce. Cia is eventually defeated and Lana claims her Triforce of Power from her dying evil twin. The current Triforce Bearers Lana, Zelda, and Link use the complete Triforce to restore Hyrule and return the various eras back to normal. The three Triforce pieces are then separated among them, with Lana holding the Triforce of Power. However Ganondorf manages to fully revive himself and then reclaims his Triforce of Power from Lana and sets his sights on seize the other two Triforce pieces. Eventually Ganondorf manages to steal the remaining pieces of the Triforce from Link and Zelda. Ganondorf then uses the power of the complete Triforce to strengthen his army and take over Hyrule Castle, transforming it once again into Ganon's Tower. However Lana uses her power to summon heroes from Hyrule's history (Darunia, Ruto, Midna, Agitha, and Fi). Together with Zelda, Impa, and Link the heroes defeat Ganondorf's generals, Ghirahim and Zant in order to reach Ganon's Tower. Link manages to defeat Ganondorf with the Master Sword, but Ganondorf uses the Triforce to transform himself into Beast Ganon. Eventually Beast Ganon is defeated and the heroes use the Triforce to seal Ganon away once more. Link & Zelda returns the Master Sword to its pedestal and Lana takes on the Guardian of Time's role as overseer of the Triforce.

In A Link Between Worlds, set after A Link to the Past, Princess Hilda of the kingdom of Lorule engineers a scheme to steal Hyrule's Triforce. This is because Lorule is crumbling away since its Triforce was destroyed by Hilda's ancestors to end the various conflicts that arose in Lorule over its Triforce, unaware of the Triforce's role as the foundation of their world. In Lorule's Sacred Realm, Hilda's servant Yuga found a crack on a stone slate which led to the pair discovering the existence of Hyrule and its Triforce. Using the descendants of the Seven Sages, Hilda's partner-in-crime Yuga resurrects Ganon to fuse with him, as the only means of obtaining his Triforce of Power. Obscuring her role in Yuga's plot, Hilda instructs Link to find the Triforce of Courage for himself, and Hilda steals the Triforce of Wisdom from Zelda. After Link recovers the Seven Sages and the Triforce of Courage, Hilda reveals her role in Yuga's plot and summons Yuga-Ganon to seize the Triforce of Courage from Link. Link defeats Yuga-Ganon and Hilda demands Yuga give her the Triforce of Power but Yuga reveals he has no intention of saving Lorule and Yuga turns Hilda into a painting and absorbs her along with the Triforce of Wisdom. Armed with two thirds of the Triforce, Yuga-Ganon attempts to steal the remaining third from Link. After Yuga-Ganon is defeated, Link acquires the remaining pieces. Desperate Hilda tries to seize the Triforce from Link and Zelda, but she is stopped by the intervention of Link's ally Ravio, who is reveals himself to be Link's Lorulean counterpart. Ravio reveals he lacked the courage to confront Hilda over her plot to steal Hyrule's Triforce, realizing that seeking the Triforce for one's own greed, was exactly what her ancestors hoped to avoid by destroying Lorule's Triforce and helps Hilda to see the light and realize that stealing Hyrule's Triforce was wrong. To make amends Hilda uses Ravio's Bracelet to transport Zelda, Link, and Hyrule's Triforce back to Hyrule's Sacred Realm. Link and Zelda decide to use Hyrule's Triforce to wish for a new dawn for Lorule: the consequence of this is the reconstitution of Lorule's Triforce. Grateful Princess Hilda thanks Princess Zelda and Link for restoring Lorule and its Triforce. Lorule's Triforce looks like an upside-down version of Hyrule's Triforce, and like Hyrule's each triangle represents the virtues of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Lorule's Triforce can also grant the desire of anyone who touches it.

Triforce as a symbol

The Triforce is a common symbol found in various Zelda titles. Due to the Triforce's connection with the Royal Family of Hyrule, it is part of the Hyrule Royal Family's signature bird crest and the Triforce symbol is found on various objects and items such as the Ocarina of Time, Hylian Shield, and there is even a Triforce symbol etched into the blade of the Master Sword. Hyrulean Soldiers often wear armor and carry shields bearing the Triforce symbol or the Hyrule Royal Family Crest. Clothing worn by Zelda and members of the Royal Family of Hyrule often feature either Triforce symbols or the Royal Family's Crest on them. Some incarnations of Zelda have been known to wear Triforce-shaped earrings. Due to its relationship with the Golden Goddesses, Triforce symbols are commonly found in Hyrulean temples and/or other sacred sites. Some Sages like Rauru and the Ancient Sages sport Triforce symbols on their clothing as well.

In Ocarina of Time and its 3DS remake, the Triforce symbol often appears in places or dungeons where Link must play Zelda's Lullaby to open certain areas like Zora's Domain, solve puzzles, or do things such as raise or lower the water levels in the Water Temple. Other Triforce symbols appear on sacred places like the Temple of Time or objects like the Pedestal of Time though these are only for decoration, function as religious symbols, or as an indication of association to the Royal Family of Hyrule. The Triforce symbol also appears on Impa's House in Kakariko Village and on grave stones found in Kakariko Graveyard. Chandeliers in the Temple of Time also feature a Triforce-shape incorporated into their design as well.

In Majora's Mask, the Triforce mark can also be seen on various objects and on the armor worn by the Clock Town Soldiers, though some of these instances may be due to Majora's Mask reusing several character models from Ocarina of Time resulting in it appearing unintentionally on people native to the alternate dimension of Termina. However other instances such as it appearing on Link's Hero Shield may be intentionally as he obtained his original Hero's Shield at some point while in Hyrule following the events of Ocarina of Time. It is possible that some of the objects depicting Triforce markings may have been brought to Termina from Hyrule, explaining its appearances in Termina.

In A Link Between Worlds, Lorule's upside-down Triforce is depicted as a symbol as well, though with the destruction of Lorule's Triforce the Triforce has since lost much of its meaning within their culture and thus these symbols are likely from before the destruction of their world's Triforce. An upside-down Triforce made of black stone, appears on the Lorule loading screen to represent the loss of Lorule's Triforce.

Other appearances

Television appearances

In the television cartoon adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, only the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power are featured. As in The Legend of Zelda, the Triforce of Courage is neither mentioned nor seen. In these appearances, the Triforces were not golden triangles, but made instead of shimmering colored jewels. The Triforce of Wisdom was emerald green, and the Triforce of Power was ruby red. Both Triforces floated upside-down over a pedestal, and both were capable of sentient thought and speech. The Triforce of Wisdom spoke frequently, always 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. Although both Triforces possessed considerable magical ability, the Triforce of Power contains infinitely more than the Triforce of Wisdom. Its power was only showcased once in the entire series (when it exhibited the ability to destroy an otherwise indestructible magic bubble), where as the power of the Triforce of Wisdom was depicted in several episodes. the Force Gems featured in Four Swords Adventures and multiplayer mode of "Phantom Hourglass" bear a striking resemblance to the Triforce as depicted here.

In the cartoon television series Captain N, characters from The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link appeared four times, but the Triforce appeared only 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 piece was engraved with the first letter of its name.

WWE Raw Superstar Cody Rhodes features the Triforce symbol on his boots (Rhodes admitted to re-playing A Link to the Past yearly).^[4]

Appearances in other Nintendo games

The Triforce is Link's symbol in Super Smash Bros. It returns as his symbol in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and is also used as the symbol for Zelda, Sheik, Young Link, Toon Link, and Ganondorf. There are three structures in Zelda/Sheik's Target Test that look like the Triforce. The Triforce is also the goal in the second side-scrolling level in Adventure mode, the Underground Maze. In the third and fourth games in the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the "Triforce Slash" appears as Link's "Final Smash" attack, as he traps the enemy between two Triforce symbols and relentlessly slashes at them.^[5] The Triforce crest also appears on Link's hand during the opening prologue for Brawl. Another character in Brawl, 3DS, and Wii U, Toon Link (modeled after Link in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass and also in Spirit Tracks) also uses the Triforce as his symbol and Final Smash, albeit in a cartoony, cel-shaded style.

In Animal Crossing: Wild World and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, 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 Kirby: Canvas Curse, a minigame involving joining dots to form images features a Triforce-shaped image.^[6]

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, there is a Triforce-shaped item known as the Great Force given to Mario & Luigi by Professor E. Gadd at Starbeans Café. Originally during the game's development, Link was to make a cameo at the Café (along with several other Nintendo characters like Wario, Fox McCloud, & Samus Aran) and give Mario Bros. the Triforce as an equipment item, but the idea was scrapped and all the intended character cameos where replaced with E. Gadd and the equipment items based on items from the characters' respective games where renamed, resulting in the Triforce item being renamed Great Force.

In the 3DS StreetPass Mii Plaza, the Triforce appears as one of the unlockable outfit for the player's Mii appearing on top of the Mii's head when worn.

In Nintendo Land, there is a mini-game based on the Legend of Zelda in which the player's Mii can play in the role of Link through various stages. The goal of the mini-game is to use the players selected weapon (Bow or Sword & Shield) to defeat enemies and reach the Triforce at the end of each stage.

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Triforce is an unlockable bumper sticker image. It shows on the top of your ship if your Wii console has The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess save data. This must be purchased using friend vouchers sent by registered Wii friends.

In Sonic Lost World, in the DLC stage based on The Legend of Zelda, the Triforce appears at the end when Sonic the Hedgehog clears the level.

In the Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 expansion pack for Mario Kart 8, one of the new grand prix cups is known as the "Triforce Cup." It also appears on some new vehicle parts in the expansion pack.

Although it's unlikely the Triforce, a similar shape appears in a dome-like area in the official trailer for Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem. Oddly, the triangles are also depicted spread further apart in another shot.^[7]

Usage outside of video games

The emblem of the Hōjō clan.

The Triforce symbol has a long history outside The Legend of Zelda series. The Austrian ski maker Fischer Sports, the power equipment corporation Delta Machinery,^[8] British Army division 3rd Division and the Japanese Energy company Mitsuuroko (三つ鱗, three scales) use the logo, as did the Late Hōjō clan for its emblem (mon). The American Academy of Actuaries' logo is also a triforce.

Many say the inspiration for the idea of using the Triforce in the Zelda series came from the Hōjō clan, and the incorporation of the symbol was similar to how Western games used crossed swords.^[9] Another theory holds that the Triforce was based on Gunpei Yokoi's family crest.^[10] Another conspicuous use (in equilateral form) is as the symbol for Zeni-arai Benten (銭洗弁天, coin-washing Benzaiten), which has about a dozen shrines in Kantō (Eastern Japan), notably at Kamakura (head shrine) and Inokashira Park in western Tokyo.

Also, some Google logos, or doodles have a hidden triforce.^[11]

See also

• Master Sword
• Sierpinski triangle

References

The Legend of Zelda series
Main series	Console games The Legend of Zelda The Adventure of Link A Link to the Past Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask The Wind Waker HD Four Swords Adventures Twilight Princess HD Skyward Sword Breath of the Wild Handheld games Link's Awakening Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages Four Swords The Minish Cap Phantom Hourglass Spirit Tracks Ocarina of Time 3D A Link Between Worlds Majora's Mask 3D Tri Force Heroes
Spin-offs	LCD games CD-i games Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon Zelda's Adventure Satellaview games Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland Link's Crossbow Training Irozuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip Hyrule Warriors
Universe	Characters Link Princess Zelda Ganon Navi Epona Tingle Midna Recurring enemies Triforce I am Error It's dangerous to go alone!
Media	Cartoon Comics Gamebooks Hyrule Historia Symphony of the Goddesses
People	Eiji Aonuma Hidemaro Fujibayashi Yoshiaki Koizumi Koji Kondo Yōichi Kotabe Toru Minegishi Shigeru Miyamoto Tadashi Sugiyama Kensuke Tanabe Takashi Tezuka
Companies	Nintendo Animation Magic Capcom DIC Entertainment Flagship Grezzo Tantalus Media Team Ninja Vanpool
Book Category Portal