Triforce: Difference between revisions

As mentioned in the [[Sheikah/Sheikah Legends#The Legend of the Sacred Triangle|Sheikah legends]], when someone with an unbalanced heart touches the Triforce, the sacred relic is split up into three pieces: Power, Wisdom and Courage.<ref name=Quote9/> However, as shown in {{TLoZ|-}} and {{TWW|-}}, a Triforce piece can be split up even further into many small pieces known as {{Plural|Series|Triforce Shard|link}}. When all three Triforce pieces are in close contact, they will begin to resonate as they attempt to combine into one again.<ref name=resonate/> This is shown towards the end of {{OoT|-}} and most prominently in {{TWW|-}}, where the Triforce ends up being whole again.<ref>{{Cite|It can only be called fate. ...That here, I would again gather the three with the crests. ...That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down...|Ganondorf|TWW}}</ref>

The Triforce of Power embodies the essence of the Goddess of Power, [[Din (Goddess)|Din]], the creator of Hyrule.<ref>{{Cite|Din, the goddess of power... [...]With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth.|Great Deku Tree|OoT}}</ref> Whoever holds the Triforce of Power is granted "true power".<ref name="ALttP Manual 3"/> This power is absolute, making the recipient of Din's blessing a god-like entity, vastly more powerful than any mortal, affording its wielder invulnerability,<ref name=sage/> vast strength and an unlimited source of mystical power. It represents the top piece of the Triforce.

The Triforce of Power is one of the two Triforce pieces initially introduced in the original {{TLoZ|-}}, where Ganondorf stole it and proceeds to search for the '''Triforce of Wisdom''' to obtain ultimate power and thus be able to conquer Hyrule.<ref name="TLoZ Manual 3">{{Cite Manual|quote= |game= TLoZ|page= 3}}</ref> In {{OoT|-}}, when [[Ganondorf]] invaded the [[Sacred Realm]] and claimed the Triforce after Link pulls the [[Master Sword]], the sacred triangles separated, leaving him with only the Triforce of Power, the aspect in which he most believed.<ref>{{Cite|Seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true.|Sheik|OoT}}</ref> Nevertheless, the Triforce of Power makes Ganondorf unimaginably powerful, granting him unlimited strength and matchless mystical power. He uses this piece of the Triforce to throw Hyrule into chaos in {{TLoZ|-}} and {{OoT|-}}. In the latter, even though the [[Sage#Ocarina of Time|Seven Sages]] ultimately send him to the [[Evil Realm]] upon his defeat, Ganondorf still retains his Triforce of Power, allowing him to reappear later and cause the goddesses to summon the [[Great Flood]], sealing him in the underwater land of Hyrule. This is spoken of in the introduction of {{TWW|-}}. <ref name=power>{{Cite|Someday... When this seal is broken.... That is when I will exterminate your descendants!! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand....|Ganondorf|OoT}}</ref><ref name=tww>{{Cite|But then...a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero... ...once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs. The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them. ...But the hero did not appear. Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods.|N/A|TWW}}</ref>

Few have ever possessed the Triforce, or any fraction thereof. Usually within the franchise, the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage, are held by Ganon, Zelda, and Link respectively.<ref name=wisdom>{{Cite|And the other, who holds the Triforce of Wisdom...is the seventh Sage, who is destined to be the leader of them all... It is I, the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda.|Princess Zelda|OoT}}</ref><ref name=sign>{{Cite|It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you...and that they are awakening. Look at your awakened form... The green tunic that is your garb once belonged to the ancient hero chosen by the gods... His power is yours. His is the true power that slept within you. Your name is [Link]. You are the hero chosen by the gods.|Faron (Spirit)|TP}}</ref><ref name=sage>{{Cite|In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was he exposed, subdued, and brought to justice. Yet... By some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods. His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice...|Sage|TP}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|[Link]... Hero sent by the goddesses... Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses...|Princess Zelda|TP}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|You have controlled the wind and crossed the seas, and here, near the end of your quest, the power of the gods has been bestowed upon you... Surely, from this moment on, you shall be known as the Hero of Winds...|King of Red Lions|TWW}}</ref><ref name=bloodline>{{Cite|This necklace you wear is part of a sacred treasure called the Triforce of Wisdom, which has been passed down for many ages within the royal family of Hyrule. Your mother passed this down to you and instructed you to treasure it...and to guard it with your life. [...] You are the true heir of the royal family of Hyrule...the last link in the bloodline. You are Princess Zelda.|Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule|TWW}}</ref><ref name=resonating>{{Cite|My Triforce of Power is resonating! Ha! At long last, I have found you... Princess Zelda!|Ganondorf|TWW}}</ref> However, there have been other Triforce possessors in the past, possessing the Triforce in its entirety. The prologue of {{TAoL|-}} reveals that the [[King of Hyrule|King of Hyrule]] used the Triforce to keep peace in the kingdom.<ref>{{Cite Manual|quote= |game= TAoL|page= 6}}</ref> In {{ALttP|-}}, Ganon did acquire the complete Triforce, yet he was trapped within the Sacred Realm by the Seal of the [[Sage]]s, and as such, was unable to fully exploit the Golden Power, and Link ultimately takes the full Triforce to wish peace to Hyrule after defeating him.<ref name="ALttP Manual 5">{{Cite Manual|quote= |game= ALttP|page= 5}}</ref><ref name="ALttP Manual 5-6">{{Cite Manual|quote= |game= ALttP|page= 5-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|The person who rediscovered the Golden Land was Ganondorf the evil thief. Luckily, he couldn't figure out how to return to the Light World...|Maiden|ALttP}}</ref> In {{TWW|-}}, Ganon was able to reform the complete Triforce, yet before he was able to harness its power, the [[Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule|King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]] stepped in before him, claimed the Triforce, and entreated the Goddesses to flood Hyrule and save the realm from Ganon’s evil.<ref>{{Cite|It can only be called fate. ...That here, I would again gather the three with the crests. ...That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down...|Ganondorf|TWW}}</ref><ref name=Quote13>{{Cite|He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted... That is what you said, is it not, Ganondorf? Gods of the Triforce! Hear that which I desire! Hope! I desire hope for these children! Give them a future! Wash away this ancient land of Hyrule!|Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule|TWW}}</ref> In {{TP}}, Ganon possess Zelda's body, as it is unconfirmed whether or not Midna had been given the Triforce of Wisdom. It was possible that during the battle Ganondorf briefly held both the Triforces of Power and Wisdom. In {{SS}}, Link gathered all three pieces of the Triforce in the [[Sky Keep]], a dungeon in [[Skyloft]] placed there by [[Hylia]] to hide the precious relic until the time her chosen hero arose. He then prayed to it for the eradication of [[Demise]].<ref>{{Cite|Master, I believe at this juncture that a prayer is required. The ultimate goal we have traveled so far for is now within reach. Focus now, and wish with all your might for the destruction of Demise.|Fi|SS}}</ref>  

Aside from the three known Triforce holders, to date, three to four other people have possessed a part of the Triforce: prior to {{TLoZ|-}} and {{TAoL|-}}, the [[Prince of Hyrule]] possessed the Triforces of Wisdom and Power, though the crest did not appear on his hand<ref>{{Cite Book|quote= |book= HH |publisher= |page= 91}}</ref>, in {{TP|-}}, Princess Zelda conferred her soul (and presumably the Triforce of Wisdom with it) to [[Midna]] allowing her to exist in the [[Light World|World of Light]].<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lYK_8GpHFE</ref><ref name=heal>{{Cite|Accept this now, Midna, I pass it to you.|Princess Zelda|TP}}</ref> In ''A  Link Between Worlds'', [[Yuga]] comes into possession of the Triforce of Power after he merges with Ganon, and later steals the Triforce of Wisdom from Hilda, who had taken it from Zelda shortly before. Though [[Zant]] never actually possessed any part of the Triforce, he received his power from Ganon, thus indirectly receiving power from the Triforce of Power.<ref>{{Cite|I shall house my power in you... If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it, too.|Ganondorf|TP}}</ref>  

Many years after the events of {{SS|-}}, there was an [[Zelda Timeline#The Era of Chaos|era of chaos]] with wars and fighting over the Triforce that was located in the [[Sacred Realm]]. To put an end to these wars, an ancient sage, [[Rauru]], built over the remains of the [[Sealed Temple]] a new Temple of Time, which contained the only entrance to the Sacred Realm.<ref name="E 77"/> Using the [[Master Sword]] and the three [[Spiritual Stones]] as keys to the Sacred Realm, this new temple was the sanctified gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, and its purpose was to protect that gateway, and thus the Triforce, from evildoers who would seek to misuse it.<ref>{{Cite|The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world.|Princess Zelda|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|Ages ago, we ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the entrance to the Sacred Realm...|Rauru|OoT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|So, the ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce from evil ones.|Princess Zelda|OoT}}</ref> Inside the Temple of Time is a chamber that is home to the [[Master Sword]] and the [[Pedestal of Time]]; however, the entrance to this chamber is sealed by the Door of Time.<ref>{{Cite|But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. And, in order to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones.|Princess Zelda|OoT}}</ref> When the Master Sword was infused into the Pedestal of Time, it sealed that gateway in the hopes of preventing all but the most worthy to reach the Sacred Realm, where the sacred Triforce lies within the [[Temple of Light]].

It is mentioned in the game that [[Tetra]]'s [[Tetra's Mother|mother]] passed down a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom to her daughter and asked her to "guard it with her life."<ref name=ancestor/><ref name=necklace/> Tetra keeps it in a necklace until [[King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]] shows her the other half of the Triforce of Wisdom and uses it to reveal Tetra's true identity as Princess Zelda.<ref name=bloodline/> Since Ganondorf had been looking for Zelda in order to obtain the Triforce of Wisdom from her, the King asks that she stay in the basement of the ancient [[Hyrule Castle]].<ref>{{Cite|Ganon will be searching frantically for this child in an attempt to get the power of the gods that she possesses. He will not rest until he has found her.|King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule|TWW}}</ref> However, Ganondorf eventually finds her and steals her Triforce, taking the princess to [[Ganon's Tower|his tower]].<ref name=triforce>{{Cite|It can only be called fate. ...That here, I would again gather the three with the crests. ...That I should lay my hand on that which grants the wishes of the beholder... That when power, wisdom, and courage come together, the gods would have no choice but to come down... The power of the gods... The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted! Already, the crest of wisdom is mine... All that remains... Do not fear. I will not kill you... I merely have need of the power that dwells within you.|Ganondorf|TWW}}</ref> When Link reaches Ganondorf atop his tower, the King of Evil easily takes the Triforce of Courage that the young hero managed to assemble.<ref name=triforce/> He unites all three Triforce pieces on top of his tower at long last and tries to make a wish, but he is stopped as King [[Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]] presses his hands upon the iconic golden symbol, and then asks the gods to cover the land of Hyrule completely.<ref name=Quote13/> Upon closer observation, after the king's wish, each piece of the Triforce is seen flying off in opposite directions, possibly implying that the Triforce returns to the [[Sacred Realm]] after it is used.

The Triforce is not mentioned at all in {{PH}} except for an instance in the [[Temple of the Ocean King]]. Link is told that in order to pass through a door in the Temple, the "sacred crest" must be drawn on it.<ref>{{Cite|In a single stroke, draw the sacred crest to reveal a new path.|N/A|PH}}</ref> There are two valid symbols that open this door, and the one [[Zauz]] shows Link is the Triforce. In addition, the three triangular pedestals that Link must place [[Force Gems]] on to continue in various rooms are in shape of the Triforce, albeit each piece not touching.

In {{ST}}, the Triforce is also not mentioned throughout the whole game. It appears on Princess Zelda's dress, on the [[Ancient Gold Piece]] and in the [[Shield of Antiquity]], which is the shield that belonged to the [[Link#The Wind Waker|Hero of Winds]]. It should be noted that while the Triforce, which is considered to be the famous emblem of Hyrule and its [[Hyrule Royal Family]], is nowhere to be seen, the[[Spirits of Good#Symbol of the Spirits| symbol of the Spirits]] appears throughout many places of the "[[new Hyrule]]."

In addition to the various design appearances returning from {{BotW|-}}, the Triforce symbol also appears as a tattoo on {{Term|TotK|Sonia|link|display=Sonia's}} arm and as a stylized stained glass window in {{Term|TotK|Rauru|link}} and Sonia's castle. When {{Term|TotK|Link|link}} retrieves the {{Term|TotK|Master Sword|link}}, the Triforce can be seen glowing on the back of Zelda's hand.