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Within the fictional universe of the Legend of Zelda series of video games, the Triforce (sometimes called "The Golden Power" or "The Golden Triforce") is a holy relic created by three goddesses. The Triforce consists of three separate parts, each referred to also as a Triforce: the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage. The shape of the Triforce is based on the mon of the Japanese Hōjō clan, which is said to represent the three scales of a Shinto dragon. Its design is a level 1 Sierpiński gasket.
History
The Triforce pieces The Triforce can be split up into 3 pieces, which can then be split up even further, as shown in Wind Waker, where the Triforce of Courage is split into eight pieces, or in the original Legend of Zelda, where the Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces. Triforce of Courage The Triforce of Courage first appeared in Zelda II: The Adventures of Link. In , it is stated that when the Hero of Time left Hyrule (supposedly in ), the Triforce of Courage was broken into eight pieces and scattered, to be recovered one day by another Hero deserving of its power (in this case, the Link from The Wind Waker, the Hero of Winds). After restoring the power to the Master Sword, Link hauled up all 8 shards of the Triforce of Courage from the sea, and entered Hyrule, submerged in a magic air chamber on the sea floor. This Triforce piece is associated with the color green and the goddess Farore. Even though the Triforce of Courage is held by Link, no side effect is seen from obtaining it. Ganondorf mutes to Ganon with the aid of the Triforce of Power, Zelda creates her alter ego Sheik with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, but Link, doesn't change at all, doesn't obtain any special power or ability and most of the time it's just placed in the status screen as an obtained item (like in the Wind Waker) Triforce of Power This was mentioned in the original The Legend of Zelda. In , Ganondorf (A Gerudo thief and the sole male of the tribe at the time) 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 the three facets of the Triforce - power, wisdom, and courage - in perfect alignment within one's self. Ganondorf valued power far more than wisdom or courage, so he could only claim the Triforce of Power. The other two Triforces split off; the Triforce of Courage merged with Link and the Triforce of Wisdom merged with Zelda. They were chosen to house the Triforces because they represented courage and wisdom more than any other. 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 Hylian Sages, including Zelda, was used to seal him in the Sacred Realm along with the Triforce of Power. Link and Zelda retained their Triforces. This Triforce is associated with red and the goddess Din. Triforce of Wisdom This was mentioned in the original The Legend of Zelda. In the Wind Waker, Tetra the pirate carried a necklace made from a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom, the King of Hyrule carried the other half. When put together, Tetra was revealed to be Zelda. This Triforce Piece is associated with blue and the goddess Nayru. The Triforce of Wisdom is also believed for being responsible of Princess Zelda's alter ego, Sheik. Since Sheik's characteristics are very different from those of Zelda, and also it's believed he is a male form of Princess Zelda, obviously it should be the power of the Triforce, as Zelda reveals Link her hidden identity in the Temple of Time before Ganondorf kidnaps her (Ocarina of Time). The Triforce In , , and , it was revealed that one who touches the Triforce has all of their wishes come true; the Triforce reflects the heart of the one who touches it, whether good or evil. In , Ganon exploited this power to corrupt The Golden Land, turning it into the Dark World, a realm of dark skies and evil creatures. In The Wind Waker, the king of Hyrule, , touches the Triforce and wishes for Link and Zelda to have a good future and wishes for the land of Hyrule to be "washed away". The Triforce is referred to as the "Golden Power" in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and could have something to do with the Light Force mentioned in . Other appearances In Animal Crossing and Animal Crossing: Wild World, 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 fortuneteller, has the Triforce symbol emblazoned in the far back of her tent. However, in Wild World it is barely visible with her recently discarded crystal ball in front of it. The Triforce is Link's symbol in Super Smash Bros.. It returns as his symbol in the sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee, as well 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 appears as Link's "Super Smash" attack, as he traps the enemy between two triforce symbols and relentlessly slashes at them. "Triforce" is also the name of a 3 man drum & bass DJ crew from Shropshire, UK. The name was used to emphasize the fact the group are a trio, and that each of them covers a different style of the music (in the same way the Triforce in the Zelda series represents three different powers). Popular culture | ||||||||||
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