Four Sword

The Four Sword is a recurring sword in the Legend of Zelda series. The Four Sword has the power to split its wielder's soul into four completely replicas of himself, that can only be told apart by the color of their clothing.

The Minish Cap Backstory
The Four Sword began its existence as the Picori Blade. The Picori Blade was a shimmering sword, glowing with the power to repel evil. The blade featured a green crystal on the middle and the end of the hilt. The hilt of the sword itself was purple and shaped not unlike that of the Master Sword. Unlike the Master Sword however, the Picori Blade was given to the race of men as a gift from the Minish in their time of distress. According to legend, when evil threatened Hyrule's existence during the War of the Bound Chest, the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow.

Then, when all hope seemed lost against the Army of Evil, the tiny Minish race appeared from the sky, bringing the Hero of Men a sword known as the Picori Blade and a golden light known as the Light Force. Using these weapons the hero sealed the monsters inside a bound chest held closed by the sword itself. In remembrance of this historic event there is a large fair and sword contest thrown every year in Hyrule to honor the Minish (now called the Picori by the Hylians). The winner of the sword contest gets to touch the magical Picori Blade.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
During the beginning of the game, Princess Zelda and Link are going to the Picori Festival that is being held in Hyrule Town. Link's grandfather, Smith, blacksmith to the Royal Family, asks of Link to deliver a sword to the Royal Family after they are done with the festival. At Hyrule Castle, they arrive as the winner of the swordsman tournament, a mysterious stranger by the name of Vaati, is about to be granted the sacred honor of touching the Picori Blade. However Vaati then shatters the blade and defeats any Hylian Knights that try to stop him. Hopeing to find the mysterious Light Force inside, Vaati opens the chest and releases the evil monsters sealed inside. However, he does not find any sign of the Light Force. With his true intent now revealed, Vaati turns Zelda to stone and escapes to search for the Light Force.

The King asks of Link to repair the broken Picori Sword and use its power to break the curse placed on Zelda. Whith the help of Ezlo and the Minish the sword is reforged as the White Sword. However to break the curse on Zelda the sword must be infused with the four Elements at the Elemental Sanctuary. Once this has been done, the sword allows Link to create replicas of himself for a short while if the sword is charged. The more elements Link has infused the sword with, the more replicas of himself appear when the sword is charged. When Link can make four clones of himself the sword is finally powered up, and is renamed the Four Sword in honor of its abilities. The Four Sword's use is essential at the end of the game as it is needed to find the true location of the Light Force, break the cures on Zelda, and defeat Vaati before he becomes all powerful from the Light Force.

Four Swords Backstory
However while Vaati was defeated at the end of the Minish Cap, he was not killed. Having somehow survived, Vaati descended upon Hyrule in his one-eyed Wind Mage form. He raided numerous villages throughout the country and took to kidnapping any maidens he fancied. A number of heroes set out to defeat Vaati at his palace, but they all failed against him. This was until a young boy appeared from the deep forests of Hyrule and brought an end to Vaati's reign.

When asked how a boy as small as this could defeat such a horrible creature, the people turned to the rescued maidens for an answer. The maidens responded that the boys cursed sword had allowed him to split into four copies of himself. Using there combined power, the four fought as one and sealed up Vaati within the blade. Although the people did not believe the girls they became intrigued by the story of this so called "Four Sword". While the boy had disappeared into the depths of Hyrule, the blade became legendary among people. Eventually a large sanctuary was built around the Four Sword to protect the blade and keep the evil sealed within it.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
At the outset of the game, Princess Zelda and the Seven Maidens sense a disturbance in the Four Sword, upon closer inspection of the sword, by Zelda, it is revealed that the seal has been broken, and Vaati who had been sealed inside has been unleashed. Vaati promptly absconds with the Princess and knocks Link out cold. As Link comes to he is confronted by three faeries, one blue, one red, and one green, perhaps respresenting the three Hylian goddesses. They instruct Link to draw out the blade, and after doing so Link is split into four copies of himself, and together, they confront Vaati and defeat him, subsequently returning the Four Sword to its pedestal.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
The seven maidens are trapped by Ganon with help from a mysterious clone of Link, known as Shadow Link. When Link pulls the Four Sword from the pedestal, Vaati is released again. This time, the four Links save the seven maidens, defeat Vaati, and escape from the tower only to find Ganon, whose power has been restored by the Dark Trident. The four Links defeat Ganon and their story becomes a myth.

Every time one of the Links collects over two thousand force gems, the Four Sword powers up, turning into the Ultimate Four Sword.

Four Swords Adventures manga
The Four Sword does not only split its wielder into four, but divides the wielder's personality aspects into the four beings as well with one of them possessing a persona similar to that of their original state. The green Link is the original Link (referred to as Green); the blue Link (referred to as Blue) is overconfident and hotheaded; the purple Link (referred to as Vio, as in "violet") is calm, but self-possessed and a loner; and the red Link (referred to as Red) who is extremely childish and often optimistic. Because of the four Links' conflicting personalities, they have a very hard time working together (Green and Blue especially) until their experiences makes them realize what they have to do.

Espada Cuádruple