Triforce

Description

This holy golden relic is one of the most important shapers of Hyrule's history. The Triforce, made up of three golden triangles, has the power to grant the desires of whoever touches it. The Triforce is made of three pieces, representing power, wisdom, and courage. Only when it is united can its full power be used. This has led to a long, convoluted struggle to obtain the Triforce, waged between those who would use it for good, and those who would use it for evil.

Note: The Triforce is presented somewhat differently in the Japanese and American versions of ALttP. Among those who are aware of the differences among the Japanese and American games, the prevailing opinion is that the American games are not accurate translations of the original games. Thus, when differences exist, I try to keep the two conceptions of the Triforce separate, instead of trying to harmonize them.

Origin

According to legend, Hyrule was created by three golden deities: Din, goddess of power, Nayru, goddess of wisdom, and Farore, goddess of courage. When these three gods were finished creating Hyrule out of the chaos, they left once more for the heavens. But before they left, they created three golden triangles, which they placed at the point where they left the world, a hidden place. This hidden place became sacred land, the resting place of the Triforce. "Since then," says the Deku Tree in OoT, "the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm."

The Triforce, a symbol of the goddesses' strength, was imbued with mysterious powers. According to the ALttP US manual, "a small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life on the world of Hyrule." Each part of the Triforce represents an aspect of each of the goddesses: power, wisdom, and courage. "Although it was an inanimate object," the ALttP US manual says, "the Triforce had the power to bestow three titles which gave the person who received them great powers: 'The Forger of Strength', 'The Keeper of Knowledge', and 'The Juror of Courage'. From its hiding place in the so-called Golden Land where the gods placed it, the Triforce beckoned people from the outside world to seek it in the hope that someone worthy of these titles would find it."

The Japanese ALttP manual tells a slightly different version. There is no mention of the gods leaving a portion of their essence in the Triforce. Rather, the Triforce was made only as a symbol of the gods' power. Nor was it left to "guide the intelligent life" of Hyrule. Rather, it was left to govern or rule the world.

Attributes

The Triforce has the ability to grant one's wishes. It will obey only the first person who touches it, for as long as that person lives. That person may apparently also give the Triforce up, so that it will stop obeying him. (This is apparently what Zelda did with the Triforce of Wisdom in LoZ, when she split the ToW and hid it in the Underworld.)

According to the ALttP manual, "the Triforce, being an inanimate object, cannot judge between good and evil." This seems to be true only in so far as the Triforce is an inanimate (i.e. nonliving) object that was created for a set purpose - to grant the wishes of whoever claims it. In this sense, the Triforce may be viewed as a kind of magical object. The Triforce certainly does have some properties of inanimate matter. Each piece of the Triforce can be separated from the others, and exists on its own as one single golden triangle. A Triforce piece can even be split into pieces and put back together again, which also seems to argue for its existence as inanimate, unthinking, but nevertheless magical, matter. (The Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces in LoZ, and the Triforce of Courage was split into eight pieces after OoT, when the Hero of Time left Hyrule.)

However, the Triforce is also presented as a kind of "person" who is capable of thought, judgement, and action. In ALttP, the Triforce is said to have whispered to Ganondorf when he reached the Triforce. (The Japanese version literally says that the "crest's spirit" whispered.) At the end of ALttP, the "Essence of the Triforce" talks to Link, explaining Ganon's motives. According to the ALttP intro, the Triforce was said to be omniscient and omnipotent. Mere matter cannot have knowledge or the ability to act, since inanimate matter cannot act or think on its own. As shown in the Oracle games, the Triforce can apparently act on its own, sending heroes on quests. (It is also possible that somebody was using the Triforce. But Link hears a voice telling him to accept the "quest of the Triforce," which seems to imply that the Triforce itself is speaking.) Nor should one ignore how the Triforce became the basis for Hyrule's providence.

The Japanese ALttP manual never calls the Triforce an inanimate object. It is always treated as though it is a being capable of thought. Furthermore, the Triforce being an "inanimate object" is not given as the reason why the Triforce could not judge Ganon's wishes as good or evil. Rather, the Triforce could not judge "because only the gods can do that." This seems to say that only the gods truly have the authority to judge between good and evil. The Triforce, on the other hand, is only an agent of the gods, and has not been given the authority to judge actions. It does seem to know the difference between good and evil. At the end of ALttP, the Essence of the Triforce talks about good and bad people, good and bad wishes. The Triforce sends Link on a quest against evil in the Oracle games, which implies that it is not a neutral party in the fight between good and evil. It just happens that the Triforce has a duty to grant the wishes of whoever touches it. Even if it knows it is being used for evil, it does not have the authority to judge the wishes of its holder, by refusing to obey them for example. The Triforce must obey, that is what it was made to do.

So, it seems that the Triforce is not merely tangible matter. The Triforce can be considered to have a dual nature: "inanimate, but magical, matter" and "intelligent essence or spirit," so to speak. Perhaps the goddesses choose to interact with Hyrule through the Triforce, when it is not being used. The exact nature of this essence or spirit is not made clear. Is it actually the same person as the gods, acting in the "body" of the Triforce, or is the Triforce is a separate person from the gods, who obeys them?

It is interesting to note that the Triforce pieces do not seem to have a fixed size. The Triforce pieces are a lot bigger when the Triforce is united. Compare these screenshots:

This effect can also sort of be seen at the end of ALttP. The united Triforce is huge as it floats in the air. At the end of its speech, it shrinks in size as it descends.

An interesting fact about the Triforce is told only in the Japanese ALttP manual. According to this source, the Triforce contains three "crests," (literally symbols or pictures of the Triforce, like those you see on the ground in OoT). Apparently, each part of the Triforce has a crest. Furthermore, these crests have "spirits" or perhaps share one spirit. (This spirit whispered to Ganondorf when he approached the Triforce, and presumably talked to Link at the end of ALttP.) The point is that the crests, in so far as they are symbols with spirits, might be completely separable from their corresponding physical golden triangles. This becomes important in certain theories about how the Triforce is used.

Another interesting property of the Triforce is resonance. In the context of the Triforce, this is defined as a strong, usually visible reaction when two Triforce pieces come close together, and try to recombine. When Link faces Ganondorf in his Tower in OoT, Ganondorf observes: "The Triforce parts are resonating... They are combining into one again." The Triforce has an inherent ability to recombine, so when the pieces come close to each other they "resonate," coming out of hiding. This naturally causes the appropriate Triforce crest to display, assuming nobody is holding it back. (Presumably Zelda prevented her ToW from resonating while she was disguised as Sheik. Otherwise Ganondorf could have easily sensed the resonance and found her.) Resonance can also be seen in TWW. When Ganondorf grabs Tetra, her piece of the Triforce of Wisdom glows, and the ToP symbol appears on Ganondorf's hand. Ganondorf exclaims, "My Triforce of Power is resonating!" There is also Triforce resonance in the final battle of TWW.

Using the Triforce

At the end of ALttP, the Essence of the Triforce says that "the Triforce will grant the wishes in the heart and mind of the person who touches it. If a person with a good heart touches it, it will make his good wishes come true... If an evil-hearted person touches it, it grants his evil wishes. The stronger the wish, the more powerful the Triforce's expression of that wish." It is evident that the Triforce somehow "reads" what is in your mind, finding out what your greatest desire is. It will grant your most fervent wish, be it good or evil.

Several rules govern what happens when somebody tries to claim the united Triforce. As told by Sheik in OoT:

 "The Triforce...the sacred triangle... it is a balance that weighs 
 the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage. If the heart of the one
 who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that
 one will gain the True Force to govern all. But, if that one's heart
 is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power,
 Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched
 the Triforce...the part representing the force that one most believes
 in. If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two
 lost parts. Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny,
 who will bear the Triforce mark on the backs of their hands."

The Triforce shows its maximum power when the three pieces of the Triforce are brought together. To gain the True Force to govern all, all one must do is obtain the Triforce of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. While it is not clear exactly what powers are granted by each Triforce piece individually, it would make sense that each piece only grants the force it represents. For example, the Triforce of Wisdom grants only the wisdom necessary to carry out one's wish, not the power or the courage. Having two pieces will give you two forces. Only when you have all three pieces can you fully carry out your wish. Hyrule's history shows that it is not easy for someone with an evil heart to get all three pieces. Legends, and history, show that a hero is fated to appear whenever Hyrule is threatened by evil.

OoT and TWW demonstrate that the Triforce pieces are held "within" their holders. Sheik: "Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny..." King of Red Lions: "Oh! What is this? There, on your hand--the Triforce piece now dwells within you!" Ganondorf in TWW: "Do not fear. I will not kill you... I merely have need of the power that dwells within you." This seems to imply that the physical golden triangles somehow "disappear" into the spirit or heart of that person. Ganondorf doesn't just take Link's ToC in TWW: he seems to somehow "extract" it from Link's body, perhaps by using the property of resonance. On the other hand, when Link makes his wish at the end of AoL, the golden triangles leave his body and float above his head.

According to ALttP, the Triforce obeys the first person who touches it, for as long as they live. Tree in Palace of Darkness: "It will obey only the first person who touches it." Maiden in Swamp Palace: "The Triforce will grant the wishes of whoever touches it, as long as that person lives..." We are left to wonder what happens if a Triforce holder willingly gives up the Triforce, or happens to stop touching his Triforce piece for just a moment. The lack of a specification here causes a problem in TWW. Ganondorf steals the whole Triforce, but in the process is not touching any part of it momentarily. Just as he reaches out to touch the united Triforce, he discovers that the King of Hyrule is already touching it. Furthermore, the Triforce obeys the King instead of Ganondorf, and Ganondorf seems powerless to stop the King. So, one must conclude that the Triforce does not necessarily obey only whoever touches it first. In fact, the King seems to be mocking Ganondorf's previous words: "The power of the gods... The Triforce! He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted!" The King refers to these words when he says: "He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted... That is what you said, is it not, Ganondorf?" This seems to imply that the Triforce obeys whoever happens to be touching it, not whoever touched it first, for as long as they live and as long as they touch it.

The Triforce Symbol

The Triforce symbol will appear on one's hand under certain circumstances. If one obtains one or more parts of the Triforce, the Triforce symbol will appear on that person's hand under special circumstances. The symbol is dimmed, while the part of the Triforce that the person holds glows bright. For example, in OoT the Triforce of Power symbol appeared on Ganondorf's hand, the Triforce of Wisdom on Zelda's, and the Triforce of Courage on Link's. However, the symbols did not display all of the time, only under rare circumstances. The ToW symbol appeared on Zelda's hand in the Temple of Time when she took off her disguise, on the hands of all the Triforce piece holders when they were together in Ganon's Tower, and on Link's (and perhaps Zelda's) hand in the child ending of OoT, when Link goes to see Zelda. (Don't take my word for it, watch the game carefully and you'll see this is true.) In other words, the symbol only appears when other holders come close to each other, and are not trying to keep the symbol a secret. Ganondorf attributes this to resonance (as discussed above).

The symbols also appear at various times during the final battle of TWW. This also can be attributed to resonance. In fact, if you watch the final battle closely, you will notice that the Triforce symbol remains on the hands of Ganondorf and Zelda even after the Triforce pieces have been taken from them. Even when the King has touched the Triforce and made his wish, the symbols are still there. (Again, don't take my word for it. Watch the final battle sequence very carefully and you'll see that this is true.)

This leads back to the interesting conundrum of whether the Triforce is obeying two masters. If the Triforce is obeying someone else, shouldn't the crest transfer to them? One possible solution is that the Triforce symbol on one's hand indicates that this person ought to have control over that Triforce piece. In other words, the "crest spirit" resides with them, and shows itself on their hand. However, the crest's spirit will only obey whoever holds the entire physical golden triangle, regardless of who the crest resides with. ALttP says that the Triforce obeys the first person who touches it, as long as they live. This may be reinterpreted to mean that the crest resides in the heart of whoever touched that piece of the Triforce first, for as long as they live. But it obeys them only while they hold that Triforce piece. This would explain why the crests remain with Zelda, Ganondorf, and Link, yet obey the King, who touches the whole Triforce.

This may also explain why, in AoL, the Triforce symbol appears on Link's hand as he approaches his sixteenth birthday. Long ago, somebody cast a spell on Hyrule, to make the crest of the kingdom appear on a certain person's hand. Even though Link does not yet have the ToC piece, the ToC's crest nevertheless resides in Link's heart. Whoever cast the spell on Hyrule made sure that the ToC spirit would transfer to whoever was fated to use the ToC.

In the Oracle games, the Triforce symbol appears on Link's hand, but none of the pieces are lit. We are told that the Triforce symbol is there because Link is the legendary hero who was fated to appear. Din says, "That is a sacred mark in Hyrule. If it's the true symbol, then you are a hero with a special fate, Link." The Spirit of Summer says, "Ancient Hyrulean legends say the hero destined to overthrow evil has a [Triforce symbol] on his left hand." Perhaps we may suppose that the Triforce itself stamped Link with this mark, so people would know who he was. None of the pieces are glowing because the crests reside in their golden triangles, not inside of Link.

Link in ALttP has no Triforce mark on his hand. Perhaps we may say this is because Ganon holds the whole Triforce, along with all the crests. There is no chance for the Triforce to give Link a mark.

Historical Notes

The Triforce may have been used sometime during Hyrule's ancient history (long before OoT). At any rate, it is clear that at some point in Hyrule's early history, the entrance to the Sacred Realm was hidden by the sages, to protect the Triforce from evil ones. The Temple of Light was built in the middle of the Sacred Realm to house the Triforce. (This temple may have already been there, but by all indications the Sacred Realm started out with nothing in it but the Triforce.) The entrance to the Sacred Realm was locked away within the Temple of Time in the kingdom of Hyrule, with a complex magical key.

The person who rediscovered the Triforce's resting place was Ganondorf, king of thieves. As told in ALttP and OoT, Ganondorf wished to rule the world. At first he could only obtain the Triforce of Power, because the Triforce split when he grasped it with blood-stained hands. But even only this part of the Triforce allowed him to conquer Hyrule. Unsatisfied, Ganondorf looked for the missing pieces, so he could conquer the world. As part of his wish, Ganondorf eventually turned himself into Ganon, but he was sealed along with his evil in the tainted Sacred Realm.

Ganon has turned up several times in Hyrule's history, attempting to take the Triforce for himself and rule the world with it. However, he has been foiled time and again by the legendary hero. This hero has always worn green clothes and carried the name of Link. At times, Link has carried the Triforce himself, using it to do many good things. The following table shows the location of the Triforce, or who has it, in each game. I show the games in the standard NOA order so it makes sense, but other orders are possible.