Triforce

The Triforce is a sacred golden relic left within the Sacred Realm by the Golden Goddesses, Din, Farore, and Nayru, once they finished creating the realm of Hyrule. It was formed at the point where the Goddesses departed, and that area became the Sacred Realm, a realm parralell to Hyrule itself. The Triforce consists of three seperate triangles: the Triforce of Power on top, the Triforce of Courage on the right and the Triforce of Wisdom on the left.

The Triforce will grant the wishes of whoever touches it, and give them virtual omnipotence. The Triforce does not distinguish between those who are good or evil. If a good person claims the Triforce, his wishes will be granted; if an evil person claims it, his wishes will also be granted. But, if the person does not possess an equal balance of Courage, Wisdom and Power, the Triforce will split into its three separate parts, each piece taking residence in the person that most personifies that particular piece. Ganondorf makes a wish to rule the world, but as he is corrupt and seeks only power, the Triforce splits apart and the Sacred Realm becomes the Dark World, with the only the Triforce of Power remaining in Ganondorf's hand. For example, because Ganondorf was unable to reunite the three in Ocarina Of Time that, upon being sealed in the Dark World, he is unable to use the Triforce to simply wish himself back to Hyrule. However, when you are battling Ganon in A Link To The Past he says, "I shall destroy you, and use my wish to rule both worlds forever!". There is evidence in the Wind Waker that it is required to make a wish out loud to the goddesses. Perhaps it could be both, and perhaps the Triforce gives you power to speak to the gods and show them your wish.

There is an argument about whether the Triforce is inanimate. On one hand, it seems that it doesn't know good from evil and merely grants wishes. However, it also speaks to Link at the end of A Link to the Past, in a voice that identifies itself as the essence of the Triforce.

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda
In the original game, the Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Power are described as "Magical Golden Triangles" that grant their holders great power. The game begins with Ganon in possession of the Triforce of Power, and with the Triforce of Wisdom split into eight pieces hidden in the dungeons beneath Hyrule. Link must fight his way through the eight dungeons to recover the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, and then battle his way through Ganon's stronghold to defeat him and recover the Triforce of Power.

The Triforce in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The Triforce of Courage is first introduced in the second installment of the Zelda series. A historic King of Hyrule who had mastered the complete Triforce (the only character in the series known to have done so) placed it in the Great Palace, where it could only be obtained by one who could fight his way through six other palaces to break the magical seal left by the king. Guarded by a wizened sage, the Triforce could only be recovered by a hero capable of defeating not only the soldiers and monsters set to guard the Great Palace, but also his very shadow. Link overcame these obstacles to achieve the third Triforce, and used the power of the united relic to wake the slumbering Princess Zelda.

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Triforce is first revealed as a divine manifestation of the Goddesses' power in A Link to the Past. Bestowed upon Hyrule upon their departure, it lay hidden in the fabled Golden Land until the evil thief Ganondorf and his minions broke the seal into the hidden land. Within the Golden Land, the Triforce has the power to change the shape of anyone who enters from the outside. The cruel and evil Ganon was transformed into a hideous pig-like creature, while later in the game the innocent and pure Link was changed into a pink rabbit. Upon murdering his companions and claiming the Triforce for his own, Ganon used its power to turn the Golden Land into the Dark World. Raising an army of monsters to assault the land of Hyrule, Ganon was nearly successful in spreading his evil over all the land, but was stopped when the Knights of Hyrule and the Seven Wise Men sealed him in the Dark World. Still in possession of the Triforce, Ganon used Agahnim to crack the seal between worlds by teleporting the seven maidens, who were descended from the Wise Men, one by one into the Dark World, sealing them in crystals and creating a portal between the worlds. After obtaining the Master Sword and rescuing the seven maidens, Link defeated Ganon and recovered the complete Triforce. Instructed by the Triforce to take it with a wish in his heart, Link used its power to cleanse the evil that had been done by Ganon; healing those who had been wounded by his evil, restoring the Dark World to the Golden Land, and restoring peace to Hyrule.

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


The Triforce is kept in the Temple of Light in a place called the Sacred Realm, or 'Golden Land', where it is kept safe. It is said that the Triforce has the power to grant any wish its holder desires, and because of this many men have tried to gain access to the Sacred Realm to claim it for themselves. Unfortunately one man suceeded in doing so, an evil man by the name of Ganondorf, a male Gerudo from the desert in the west of Hyrule. Using the young boy Link, he was able to enter the Sacred Realm once Link had opened the portal by releasing the Master Sword from the Pedestal Of Time. In that instant Ganondorf seized his opportunity and made his wish to the Triforce. However, there was another tale told about the Triforce, one that stated that if a person whose Wisdom, Power and Courage were out of balance with each other should lay their hand upon it, the Triforce would shatter into its three seperate pieces. The person would keep the Piece of Triforce that represents the thing one most believes in, and the other two pieces would seek out a hiding place in the body of those chosen by destiny. When Ganondorf laid his hand upon the Triforce this prophecy came true, and the Triforce shattered, sending the three pieces into the bodies of Ganondorf (Power), Princess Zelda (Wisdom) and Link (Courage). The Six Sages, along with Princess Zelda, managed to trap Ganon and his Triforce of Power in the Golden Land. However, Ganon used the Triforce's power to eventually turn the Golden Land into the Dark World. Some fans believe that the Triforce can be found in Ocarina of Time, often because of a faked screenshot, but up to this day, there is no real method to physically obtain it in the game (Link gets the Triforce of Courage when shattered, but only in storyline).

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Triforce does not play any direct role in the storyline of Ocarina's sequel. It is, however, depicted throughout the Stone Tower Temple. Fans who support the the idea tht the Temple was meant to insult Hyrule's Godesses cite the irreverent display in their arguments.

The Triforce in Oracle of Ages & Oracle of Seasons
The Triforce plays an identical role in these games. At the introduction, it calls to Link from its place in Hyrule castle, telling him "Accept our quest, Hero." It then sends him to Holodrum (in Seasons) or Labrynna (in Ages).

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
The Triforce of Courage, left in Hyrule after the legendary Hero that appeared in Ocarina of Time left Hyrule (Original Japanese suggests the Triforce split when the Hero "journeyed the flows of time" at OOT's end), shattered into 8 pieces, and was locked in chests in the sea. Eight special Treasure Charts were drawn and hidden, to stop anyone without a courageous heart from assembling it. Link assembled it, and when showing it before the Gods at the Tower of Gods, the Triforce fused with him, showing the acceptance of the Gods, thus making him the Hero of Winds.

Also, Ganondorf unites all three triforce pieces on top of his tower at long last and tries to make a wish, but he is stopped as Daphnes presses his hands upon the golden symbol, and then asks the gods to cover the land of Hyrule completely.


 * It is also refered to as the Triumph Forks by the Fishmen.

The Triforce in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The word Triforce is not used anywhere in the game. However the Triforce is obviously well known since markings of it exist on the Hylian Shield and on various walls. Its power is also spoken of by the ancient Sages of Hyrule who guarded the Mirror of Twilight. In this episode the wielders of the three parts of the Triforce (Power, Wisdom, Courage) are obviously Link, Zelda and Ganondorf, the same as OoT. Each of them can be seen using their piece of the Triforce at various points in the game. Also, the wielders of the Triforce are called the "chosen by the goddesses".


 * Note: You can see the Triforce symbol on Link's hand from the begining of the game, signifying he holds the Triforce of Courage. Also, Zelda, Link and possibly Ganondorf are not turned to spirits by the twilight, signifying that their Triforce pieces protect them.

The Tetraforce
Some fans believe there is a final piece to the Triforce that fits into the center. This theory is called the Tetraforce. The only evidence for this theory, however, is the design on the Hylian Shield in Ocarina of Time, showing a symbol of the Triforce, a red eagle-like figure, and another golden triangle upside-down (the fourth triangle appeared only in the shield of Ocarina of Time, being removed from the Hylian Shield, even in Super Smash Bros and Soul Calibur II, which Link is the same as the one on Ocarina of Time). As well as the four spikes on Majora's Mask, three with the colors of the goddesses and one more that is yellow.

The Tetraforce theory doesn't hold water for many reasons. One, it has never been mentioned at any point in the entire series, even briefly. Two, the Triforce was created by the three goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. There is no fourth goddess and in order for someone to create a fourth piece, they would have to presumably have equivalent power. The few individuals who have any where near this ability have shown no capability or interest in creating another piece. However, in Twilight Princess, Midna mentions the gods of Twilight, after Link gets the Master Sword infused with light. They may have created their own Triforce, residing in their own equivalent of the Sacred Realm. And also, in many fanfictions, the Fierce Deity has a lot to do with the Goddesses, and therefore, could have put, perhaps, a Triforce of Shadow, to fill in the center.