Triforce

The Triforce is a sacred relic that reappears throughout the Legend of Zelda series. These golden sacred triangles were left behind by the three Golden Goddesses &mdash; Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage &mdash; after the creation of the land of Hyrule. It was formed at the point where they ascended to the heavens, in a different dimension connected to Hyrule called the Sacred Realm, which would later be referred to as the "Golden Land." The Triforce consists of three separate sacred golden triangles: the Triforce of Power (top), the Triforce of Wisdom (left), and the Triforce of Courage (right).

The Triforce has the power to grant the wish of whoever touches it, and molds the Sacred Realm to reflect that person's heart. The Triforce does not discriminate against "good" or "evil". However, if a person without an equal balance of power, wisdom, and courage makes a wish, the Triforce will split into its three separate parts: the piece that best personifies the one who made the wish will be the only piece to remain in hand, while the other two take residence in whosoever most personifies them. Reassembly is then required for such a person's wish to be granted, but does not exclude another from making the attempt.

The Legend of Zelda
The Triforce of Wisdom and Triforce of Power are described as "Magical Golden Triangles" that grant their holders great power. Prior to the events of the game, the evil Gannon laid claim to the Triforce of Power and split the Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces hidden in the dungeons of Hyrule. Link fights his way through the eight dungeons to recover the pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. When this has been done, he must battle his way through Ganon's stronghold to defeat him and recover the Triforce of Power, as well as rescue Princess Zelda.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The Triforce of Courage is first introduced in the second installment of the Zelda series. In order to safeguard the third part of the Triforce, the King of Hyrule 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 the elderly Triforce Keeper, 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 their own shadow. Link overcomes these obstacles to complete the Triforce, and uses the power of the united relic to wake the slumbering Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Triforce is for the first time spoken of as physical manifestation of the Goddesses' power. Bestowed upon Hyrule at the moment of their departure, it lay hidden in the fabled Golden Land until the evil thief Ganondorf and his minions broke the seal and entered the hidden land. Upon murdering his companions and claiming the Triforce for his own, Ganon used its power to turn the Golden Land into the Dark World. Within the Dark World, the Triforce has the power to change the shape of anyone who enters from the outside into something that reflects his or her nature. Later in the game, the innocent and pure Link is changed into a pink rabbit. Raising an army of monsters to assault the land of Hyrule, Ganon is nearly successful in spreading his evil over all the land. However, he 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 the body of Agahnim to crack the seal between worlds by teleporting the Seven Maidens, descendants of the Wise Men, one by one into the Dark World, sealing them in crystals and creating a portal between the worlds.

After retrieving the Pendants of Virtue and the Master Sword, Link rescues the Seven Maidens. He eventually defeats Agahnim once more, and ultimately, Ganon is defeated as well. Instructed by the Triforce to take it with a wish in his heart, Link uses 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 Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The true nature of the Triforce is explained for the first time in minute detail. After its creation, the Triforce was kept in the Temple of Light in a place called the Sacred Realm, or the "Golden Land." Due to the fact that the Triforce will grant any wish of the one who finds it, many men tried and failed to enter the realm and touch the sacred triangles. Unfortunately, one man succeeded in doing so; an evil man by the name of Ganondorf, the Gerudo king from the desert in the west of Hyrule. Using the young boy Link, he was able to enter the Sacred Realm. Once Link has opened the portal by releasing the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, Ganondorf was able to seize the 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 power, wisdom, and courage were not in perfect harmony were to lay his hands on it, the Triforce would shatter into its three separate pieces. This person would keep the piece of the Triforce that represents their most developed quality, and the other two pieces would seek out a hiding place in the bodies 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, the Triforces of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, into the bodies of Ganondorf, Princess Zelda, and Link, respectively. The Six Sages, along with Princess Zelda, managed to seal Ganondorf and his Triforce of Power in the Void of the Realm.

The Triforce in this game appears as a decorative element on a variety of objects such as pictures, clothing, shields and saddles.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The Triforce is never referred to by name and is only seen occasionally. The Triforce appears on the Hero's Shield and on the clothes of several people; however, this could be unintentional, as the game re-uses 3D models from Ocarina of Time. The Triforce makes a notable appearance on the carvings on the tongues of the statues leading to Ikana from Termina Field and on the blocks outside the entrance of the inverted Stone Tower Temple. It is believed it was meant to blaspheme the Goddesses.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
The Triforce plays an identical role in both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. At the beginning of the game, Link has been called by the Triforce and rides to the place it is kept. The Triforce tells Link of troubles in the lands of Labrynna and Holodrum, the lands in which Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are set, respectively. In order to aid them, Link is transported to these lands by the power of the Triforce.

Afterwards, a Mark of the Triforce appears on Link's left hand. At one point in Oracle of Ages, Link alone has the power to move a special stone emblazoned with the Mark of the Triforce, which Impa, who is under the possession of Veran, cannot touch.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
After the legendary Hero of Time left the world of Hyrule, his Triforce of Courage shattered into 8 pieces, and these pieces were sealed away in in chests which were placed at the bottom of the Great Sea. Eight special Triforce Charts were drawn and hidden, to stop anyone without a courageous heart from assembling it. Link eventually assembles it, and when showing it before the Gods at the Tower of the Gods, the Triforce merges with him, showing the acceptance of the Gods, thus making him the Hero of Winds.

Later, 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 Nohansen Hyrule, the former King of Hyrule, presses his hand upon the golden symbol, and then asks the gods to cover the land of Hyrule completely in water. It is unknown what happens to the Triforce afterwards.

Many of the Fishman in the game humorously believe the Triforce is called the "Triumph Forks", as does Old Man Ho Ho and the Salvage Corp.. It may very well be that all of the people living in and around the Great Sea that know of the treasure believe this is the treasure's name, likely through some odd misinterpretation of the Hylian language. Triumph forks has the part of the word "Triforce" in it.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Triforce appears on Zelda's Dress, Link's shield and in various locations in Hyrule Castle. Another similar power called the Light Force also appears in this game but its exact relation to the triforce if any is unknown.

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 as carvings on walls. Its power is also spoken of by the Ancient Sages of Hyrule who guard the Mirror of Twilight. In the game, it is said that Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link have been blessed with the power of the Goddesses, indicating that despite the Hero of Time being sent back through time's flow, the Triforce remained split across the time paradox, leaving the three pieces of the Triforce scattered amongst their three holders in the child timeline as well. Also in a short clip (after reviving the last light spirit) it says the Triforce is protected by the light spirits from those who wish to wield its power.

The Ancient Sages also state that it was by some "divine prank" that Ganondorf obtained the Triforce of Power. This "divine prank" was the Great Cataclysm, which scattered the three pieces of the Triforce across the time paradox. The Sacred Realm was obviously still opened regardless in the child timeline since the Hero of Time returned the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and closed the Door of Time. The mere fact that he had to close the Door of Time indicates that the seal on the Sacred Realm had been broken nonetheless, and the damage done by the Great Cataclysm to the Sacred Realm could not be undone by time travel alone. The Triforce's omnipotence indicates that it is not bound by the laws of space and time. Since Ganondorf was captured in the child timeline, no one had any knowledge of the Great Cataclysm yet since Ganondorf was captured in the effort, explaining why the Sages were unable to explain how Ganondorf got his power. It also is implied that the Triforce of Wisdom was passed down from the Princess Zelda of Ocarina of Time to her successor in Twilight Princess, explaining why the Princess already possesses her piece as well in the game. This is further supported by the fact that the Triforce of Courage activates within the new Link in his time of need. (Ganondorf never died until the end of the events after the Great Flood, so he almost always had the Triforce of Power. This implies that time, and therefore age, does not pass in the Sacred Realm.) The new Link is a descendant of the Hero of Time, who unknowingly passed the piece down to his heir as well. Some believe the marks on their hands are merely marks of being "chosen by the Goddesses," but the behavior of the marks (especially the Triforce of Power's abandonment of Ganondorf at the end) seems to solidify that the actual Triforce pieces were present.

The Fused Shadow, however, is not nearly as powerful as the Triforce, capable of being destroyed solely by the Triforce of Power. This is easily explained as the Triforce being the power of the gods themselves, while the Fused Shadow is merely powerful sorcery wielded by mortals.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
The Triforce symbol is seen on the wall of the hut of the blacksmith Zauz. The symbol is used to access the Sacred Crest Chamber and the final six floors of the Temple of the Ocean King. Though the actual Triforce isn't mentioned, this symbol could mean that the Temple and Zauz could have something to do with the Triforce even though they come from the World of the Ocean King. This has not been verified by Nintendo. The Triforce symbol also appears above a sea lobster on a wooden shield bought in the game. In the Temple of the Ocean King, Link must reunite the three Force Gems to their pedestals, which are in the shape of Triforce pieces.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The Triforce does not appear much in this game. Its previous use as a logo for Hyrule seems to be replaced with a symbol of the Spirits of Good. It does however appear on Princess Zelda's dress and on the Ancient Gold Piece. Like in The Minish Cap a force similar to the triforce called the Sacred Power of the Spirits which like the Triforce was passed down through the generations of Hyrule’s Royal Family. Its exact origins remain unknown.

Pieces of the Triforce
The Triforce can be split up into three pieces, which can then be split up even further, as shown in the original Legend of Zelda game, where the Triforce of Wisdom was split into eight pieces, as in The Wind Waker, where the Triforce of Courage was split into eight pieces. When two people with a Triforce piece come in close contact, the Triforce symbol on their hand will glow and when all three are together (as seen again in both The Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time), it is possible that the Triforce will be summoned. The pieces can also glow on their own.

Triforce of Courage
The Triforce of Courage was never referenced in the original Legend of Zelda game, and it never appears or is mentioned in the television adaptation of the series (although it IS shown in the Captain N series and comics by Valiant). This Triforce Piece is associated with green and the goddess Farore. This piece is the lower right triangle. Whenever a Chosen/guardian to the Triforce of Courage is specified, it is always a Link, whose crest usually appears on his left hand.

This portion of the Triforce first appears in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, where it was held in the Great Palace and had to be recovered by Link, who first had to clear six temples and place a crystal in each, to gain entrance to the last temple and obtain the Triforce piece, to awaken the sleeping Princess Zelda.

In Ocarina of Time, the Triforce of Courage is hidden within Link when the Triforce splits into three after Ganondorf, who is an unbalanced individual, touches the sacred relic. In The Wind Waker, it is stated that when the Hero of Time left Hyrule (possibly when Zelda returns Link to his childhood), the Triforce of Courage was broken into eight pieces and scattered, to be recovered one day by another Hero deserving of its power. After restoring the power to the Master Sword in The Wind Waker, Link discovers and gathers all eight shards of the Triforce of Courage that had been stored at the bottom of the Great Sea, and enters Hyrule, submerged in a magic air chamber on the sea floor.

The Triforce of Courage seems to grant its holder certain abilities, though this is never canonically confirmed. In Twilight Princess, Link, the holder of the Triforce of Courage, appears immune to certain kinds of dark magic; when Link was exposed to the Twilight, he became a "sacred beast", Wolf Link, rather than a trapped spirit. It is possible that this piece of the Triforce gives the wielder an instinctive mastery of any item or weapon, as implied in how Link is always proficient with an item the second he gets it, regardless of how difficult it may be to use.

In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, for some reason, King Harkinian has the Triforce of Courage.

In the short-lived Legend of Zelda comic series, by Valiant, the Triforce of Courage, held by Link, also extended protection against certain attacks, creating a golden, pyramidal force field around him. In this interpretation of the post-game story, it is also possible for the hero to become UN-worthy of the Triforce. At one point, Link becomes tainted by greed and anger, after he snatches the Triforce of Power from Ganon and allows it to warp him mentally and physically. The Triforce of Courage, Link later learns, has left him and chosen Princess Zelda as its host. However, when Link repents of his misdeeds and sacrifices his life for the good of Hyrule, Courage returns to him and restores his life.

Although the Triforce of Courage doesn't appear in the original cartoon series, it is shown briefly in Captain N: The Game Master. There, it is a BLUE triangular prism encased in a golden frame/cage-like structure with a stylized "C", for "Courage", at the center of each face.

Triforce of Wisdom
The Triforce of Wisdom is first mentioned in the original Legend of Zelda game, and finding its scattered pieces is the primary objective of the game, along with defeating Ganon and saving Princess Zelda.

Ganon/Ganondorf's primary goal, in nearly every game that features him, is to capture the remaining parts of the Triforce, including Wisdom, which will supposedly grant him limitless power to rule the land of Hyrule.

The Triforce of Wisdom is usually associated with Princess Zelda, who is traditionally Wisdom's Chosen guardian, whether it be simply guarding the physical shell of the Triforce -- such as in the original game, or The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker -- or being a living host to its power -- such as in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This Triforce piece is associated with blue and the goddess Nayru. Its placement within the Triforce is at the lower left. Usually, the crest appears on the back of Zelda's right hand.

Throughout the series, the Triforce of Wisdom has been depicted in several ways, though it is always a variation of an equilateral triangle. The original in-game design for the Triforce of Wisdom was a simple triangle which alternated between flashing blue and gold. In the cartoons by D.i.C. (both in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Captain N: The Game Master), it was a green, glowing, gem-like pyramid or triangular prism. In the Captain N redesign, the green prism is encased within a golden frame/cage-like structure with the stylized letter "W", for "Wisdom", at the center of each side. In the Legend of Zelda comics by Valiant, Wisdom is a glowing, pale gold triangular prism. After The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the Triforce of Wisdom ceased having an individual design and became simply one of three golden triangular wedges which, combined with the other two pieces, make up the complete Triforce. It is only once Ocarina of Time was developed that the Triforce of Wisdom became associated with the color blue, and its corresponding deity, Nayru, was named.

Like the Triforce of Courage, this piece seems to give the user (in almost all cases, Princess Zelda) special abilities, such as healing. In Twilight Princess, Zelda is shown to heal Midna from her injuries after being exposed to light. The Triforce of Wisdom also seems to grant some extrasensory abilities, as in A Link to the Past, where Link is awoken one night by Princess Zelda's telepathic summons, or Ocarina of Time, where Zelda has prophetic dreams. This could, however, simply be a unique trait of the Royal Family of Hyrule, or a product of ALttP Zelda being one of the Seven Maidens, or a descendant of the Seven Sages, or, in the case of OoT Zelda, being a Sage. Further speculation is that the Triforce of Wisdom simply enhances existing magical ability. For example, to hide from Ganondorf in Ocarina of Time, Zelda assumes an alter ego, Sheik, by magically disguising herself as a Sheikah (or, as explained in the Ocarina of Time manga, having her consciousness sealed away by Impa inside the physical body of a Sheikah boy); it is speculated that she used the power of the Triforce of Wisdom to do so. Also, in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the Triforce of Wisdom allows Zelda to perform telekinesis, or moving objects with her mind, as demonstrated by her lifting heavy iron gates in Ganon's Tower without physically touching them.

In Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, for some reason, Impa has the Triforce of Wisdom; it behaves in an oracular fashion, and a few cutscenes show her looking into it rather like a crystal ball.

In the cartoon series by D.i.C. (both in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show and Captain N: The Game Master) and in the short-lived comics by Valiant, the Triforce of Wisdom is also used by Zelda to create protective force fields and even to generate attack spells, such as fireballs. The Triforce shown in these publications also speaks, typically with the voice of a wise woman, offering advice which is usually delivered as a snippet of cryptic poetry. In the Captain N interpretation, it also has a very strong telepathic and perhaps even empathic bond with Zelda, who at one point faints and is temporarily possessed by the Triforce of Wisdom when the other two pieces, Power and Courage, are stolen by the Brain's henchmen, King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard. While journeying to find the stolen parts, the Triforce repeatedly speaks through Zelda to offer Link and Captain N clues and status updates.

In the original game, the Triforce of Wisdom was split by Princess Zelda into eight parts, which were then hidden inside puzzle and enemy -filled dungeons, in order to hide it from Ganon, who kidnapped Zelda and sent his minions after her nursemaid, Impa, who alone knew where the pieces had gone. Link had to find and clear each dungeon in order to reunite the pieces and face Ganon.

In the cartoons and comics, Ganon devised all manner of schemes to attempt to claim the Triforce of Wisdom which, when united with the Triforce of Power that he already possessed, would supposedly make him an unstoppable tyrant.

While the physical piece of Wisdom is not shown in Twilight Princess, it is speculated to have been briefly given to Midna by Zelda, in order to save Midna's life after the villainous Zant exposes Midna to the Light Spirit Lanayru's pure light, in an attempt to kill her. It revives Midna, giving her the ability to take on her physical form in the Realm of Hyrule. However, by giving it up, Zelda is made vulnerable to attack, herself (whether the Triforce was somehow protecting her, until this point, or Ganondorf simply decided she was no longer worth the trouble of keeping around, is not clear). By giving her part of the Triforce to Midna, Zelda allows Midna and Link to continue their quest to defeat Zant, as well as keeping the Triforce of Wisdom away from Ganondorf, who takes over Hyrule Castle shortly after Midna and Wolf Link set off in search of the Master Sword. Also Midna examines her hand briefly after leaving the Castle after being healed, a common gesture when looking at the Triforce piece on the back of the hand, so it is possible that Zelda did indeed transplant the Triforce of Wisdom to Midna temporarily.

In The Wind Waker, Tetra the pirate bears a necklace made from a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom; the King of Hyrule carried the other half. When put together, Tetra is revealed to be Princess Zelda.

Triforce of Power
In the original game, the Triforce of Power was being held by Ganon. One of the goals of the game was to defeat Ganon, thus saving Zelda and reuniting the Triforce of Power with the Triforce of Wisdom. This Triforce Piece is associated with Ganondorf/Ganon, the color red, and, after the debut of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, with the goddess Din. This piece is the top part of the Triforce, according to the crest on Ganon's right hand.

In Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf heard 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 true power of the Triforce, one must have all the three energies associated with the Triforce - Power, Wisdom, and Courage - in perfect balance. Ganondorf sought the Triforce only for its power, thus, the sacred relic was broken into three pieces. The Triforce of Power was given to Ganondorf, and Link and Zelda received the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom, respectively.

Ganondorf used the power of the Triforce of Power to throw the land of Hyrule into chaos, and eventually sought to gather all three pieces of the Triforce. However, after kidnapping Zelda and facing off against Link, Ganondorf was defeated. Zelda used the power of the Sages to seal Ganon away within the Sacred Realm. However, Ganondorf still held the Triforce of Power.

Presumably through possession of the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf gains near invulnerability and astonishing magical powers, even allowing transformation into various beastly forms and apparently, granting immortality (he can be defeated, but he never seems to die for good -- in fact, he is seen to apparently come back to life despite having a sword embedded in his stomach, during the course of flashback sequences in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess).

In the Legend of Zelda comics, by Valiant, it is hinted that the Triforce of Power actually contributed to Ganondorf's dehumanization. At once point in the story, Link manages to take the Triforce of Power from Ganon and gains incredible magical ability. As a result, many of Ganon's minions forsake him and begin to follow Link. However, he soon begins to act less and less like himself, becoming cruel, greedy, and bent on revenge against Ganon. As a result, the Triforce of Courage disowns Link, and it is soon after revealed that Link has physically transformed into something resembling Ganon's pig-man form. Most disturbing of all is the spiritual dependency which Link has now formed, and which Ganon is shown to already have, with the Triforce of Power. If Link gives up the Triforce of Power, he will die, whereas Ganon is already dying without the Triforce to preserve his life.

Bearers of the Triforce
When the Triforce is split and possessed by the three destined individuals, the pieces' influences can be felt by the holders. This can have multiple effects. Ganondorf, in particular, was corrupted even further by his Triforce's power. The Wisdom piece seems to be able to conceal a person's identity or restore it, such as Zelda's alter egos Sheik and Tetra. The Courage piece is not shown as having many powers, but may alter the bearer's chances of survival or victory (as shown by Link winning over seemingly impossible odds). The pieces of the Triforce have actually shown to have effects on the bearer's mind, corresponding to which one it is. Ganondorf grew a lust for power when he found the Triforce of Power. Zelda's wisdom comes from the Triforce of Wisdom, and Link gained courage from his fragment. It is apparent that not only do they give the user the strengths from their certain powers, but they also lower the user's attributes of the other pieces, most notably with Link, who is shown to act without thinking, and without wish to have authority. Ganondorf is also arrogant, without need for courage. Zelda does not wish to rule with an iron fist, nor does she have the courage to stand up to Ganondorf, and only fights when Link is doing the main work in the battles against Ganondorf. On the other hand, the Triforce parts may increase other abilities such as a boosted physical strength and agility along with their respective force. Link is notable for this, as he can be seen stopping rolling Gorons with his bare hands, outpowering Ganondorf, the bearer of the Triforce of Power, in a one-on-one duel or jumping off high cliffs without even flinching where most Hylians would likely be killed from the fall.

The Triforce carriers can also sense each other's presence, but not at a great distance (otherwise, Ganondorf would not have to search for Zelda very long in Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker, though the latter can easily be explained as Ganon not being at his full potential, as the vast majority of his power was sealed up within the Pedestal of Time in the case of The Wind Waker). The three bearers are Princess Zelda (wisdom), Ganondorf (power), and Link (courage). The King of Hyrule also held a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom in The Wind Waker, Link found the Wisdom piece in the original game, and it is thought that Midna held the Wisdom piece for a short time. It is also possible for one person to hold the entire Triforce, such as Link in the Oracle games. According to the backstory for Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, the entire Triforce was held by a long-ago King of Hyrule.

Reuniting the Triforce
If the The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker scenario is typical of a Triforce rejoinment, it appears that all three of the possessors must be alive, in close proximity, and two incapacitated in order to bodily extract the Triforce. It is possible that Ganondorf kept Princess Zelda alive in both instances because she was needed alive for said unification to occur.

Alive or Inanimate
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, a voice claiming that it is the essence of the Triforce speaks to Link at the end of A Link to the Past and at the beginning of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. What could be said is that the Triforce holds the conscious thoughts of the Goddesses, and while it is an inanimate object in the sense that it doesn't have total free will, the Triforce still holds the memories and "voice" of its creator and uses it to "talk" to its wielders.

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, which displays a symbol of the Triforce, a red eagle-like figure. This is also suggested in Phantom Hourglass. There is one spirit representative of each piece of the Triforce (Power, Wisdom, and Courage), but the Spirit of Courage is also the Spirit of Time. It may be that (as in other Zelda games) the Triforce of Time was split into eight pieces and scattered across time and only leaving a few of those pieces inside of the Spirit of Courage and time. And in another game, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, a Goddess of Time is mentioned by Princess Zelda, and there is a Temple of Time. This could be an indication of a last piece, called the Triforce of Time.

The Tetraforce theory does not seem plausible for various reasons:


 * It has never been mentioned at any point in the entire series, even briefly.
 * 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 have equivalent power to the goddesses. Moreover, the few individuals who have any where near this ability have shown no capability or interest in creating another piece.
 * The Triforce was always referred to as the Triforce, and never the tetraforce or quadraforce. If the prefix "tri-" is not being used to number the pieces, as in The Legend of Zelda there were only two, than it may be describing the shape that is made when the pieces are joined, which would remain a triangle if the fourth piece filled in the center.
 * Interestingly, in Twilight Princess, three of the provinces of Hyrule seem to be named after a goddess: Lanayru Province for Nayru, Eldin Province for Din, and Faron Province for Farore. However, there is no such correlation for Ordona Province. There is speculation on whether or not this may have been named for the fourth goddess of the "Tetraforce." However, it seems more likely that the "Or" in Ordona Province is the last part of Farore's name.

Nevertheless, 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.

The Light Force from The Minish Cap has also been called the true Tetraforce.

Light Force
The Light Force has only appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap thus far. In the game, the main villain, Vaati searches for this powerful and mystical force in order to ascend to Godhood.

It is unknown if the Triforce and the light force are one and the same. The light force's portrayal on a stained glass window is of a single golden triangle, similar to the Triforce, which is composed of three golden triangles. Also, both can make the user omnipotent. However, the light force doesn't fit the description of the Triforce in any other aspect. While the Triforce is made out of three smaller triangles (and therefore has a gap in the center), the light force is represented by a full triangle and seemingly not made out of smaller parts.

Some have suggested the Light Force may be another name for the Triforce of Wisdom, since Zelda is its carrier. There's controversy here too, since Zelda's life never depended on her Triforce part; while it is claimed she would die in the extraction process, it doesn't mean she cannot live without it. Also, the Triforce of Wisdom alone cannot grant someone powers similar to the whole Triforce.

What is possible is that it is the light force that gave Zelda her telepathic powers. Vaati claims it ran through her bloodline, and in Ocarina of Time, Zelda had those powers as a child, which means it is not the Triforce of Wisdom that gave her these powers but the Triforce of time gave her them.

In an interview, Eiji Aonuma stated that it is not the same thing.

Due to the fact that the Light Force is shown as a complete triangle, many have stated that it is the true Tetraforce. In support of this argument, many point to the fact that Vaati absorbed part of the Light Force, but was unable to get it all. Then once Vaati is defeated, Zelda is shown emitting the Triforce as it is known commonly (with three triangles) from her body. This has been thought to be the end of the Tetraforce and the creation of the actual Triforce.

Official Stand
On a few occasions, the suggestions of a "fourth Triforce" has been met with complete opposition. Aonuma and Miyamoto have both officially said that there is no fourth piece, and even went as far as to redesign the shield in Twilight Princess for this reason. The shield was kept largely the same as the Ocarina of Time except without the upside-down triangle below the bird. Even with the mention of the "Goddess of Time", official word is that there are a number of gods in the Hyrulean pantheon, many yet to be introduced. Some have even been minor characters, such as Zephos and Cyclos in The Wind Waker. As far as has been mentioned, only the three goddessess who created Hyrule have a Triforce piece associated with them.

Ocarina of Time rumors
The Triforce appears before Link in an early promotional video of Ocarina of Time. Though the Triforce makes appearances throughout Ocarina of Time, there is no way to physically obtain it within the game. However, it is rumored that at some point in the game's development, it was possible for the player to obtain the Triforce. This theory is backed up by an early promotional video released before the game was completed, which appears to show Link discovering the Triforce itself. Many video game hackers have attempted to reverse engineer the game, but there does not seem to be any way to successfully obtain the Triforce as an actual item.

There have been attempts to create faked screenshots using image-editing programs and hacked versions of the game including the famed "Overture of Sages" hoax, but these have either been proven to be false, or revealed to be April Fools' jokes.

Television appearances
In the original D.i.C. cartoon The Legend of Zelda, which aired each Friday as a portion of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show show, only the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power appear. The Triforce of Courage is never mentioned or seen. The Triforces were not golden triangles, but tetrahedrons made of colored jewel-like materials, emerald-green for the Triforce of Wisdom, and ruby-red for the Triforce of Power. Both Triforces floated over a pedestal and occasionally talked in rhyme to the other characters, giving information about the current situation. The Triforce of Wisdom had a female voice and the Triforce of Power had a male voice.

In the cartoon television series Captain N: The Game Master, the characters from Zelda appeared four times and the Triforce appeared in one episode. The Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage were stolen at the beginning of the show but were returned by the end of the episode. Interestingly, Zelda grew steadily weaker during the course of the episode and it was heavily implied that if the missing Triforce sections were not found, she would die. The Triforce of Wisdom remained with Zelda and occasionally gave advice by talking through Zelda. The Triforces were made of some sort of jewel-like material, with gold bordering and decorations at the center of each section, which was made up of the stylized letter for the beginning of their names: P for Power, C for Courage, W for Wisdom.

Comics
In the The Legend of Zelda comic books produced by Valiant Comics in the early 1990's, the three Triforces are often mentioned. The clearest explanation of the Triforces is in issue #3, "The Power and the Price," where Zelda possesses the Triforce of Wisdom, Ganon keeps the Triforce of Power, and Link possesses the Triforce of Courage within his heart. In the story arc, Link accidentally succeeds in raiding Ganon's chambers and taking the Triforce of Power, empowering him with all of the Triforce's magic. Unfortunately, the same corruption which overtook Ganon and deformed him begins to happen to Link, as he is misusing the Triforce of Power by using it without the wisdom of the Triforce of Wisdom. The comic book adds an additional twist; those who use the Triforce of Power become dependent on it, and because Ganon no longer possesses it, he begins to die, a fate that will now befall Link should he be severed from it. The Triforce of Courage leaves Link due to this misuse and changes to Zelda, until Link realizes the gravity of the situation and the impending loss of his soul by keeping the Triforce of Power. In the end, he throws the Triforce of Power down a bottomless chasm with Ganon trailing after it. The selfless sacrifice causes the Triforce of Courage to return to Link, restoring his life.

Appearances in other Nintendo games
The Triforce is Link's symbol in Super Smash Bros. It returns as his symbol, Young Link, Princess Zelda, Sheik, and Ganondorf's symbol in the respective sequels as well. There are three structures in Zelda/Sheik's Target Test in Melee 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 third game in the series, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Triforce appears Link and Toon Link's final smash, as he traps the enemy between two Triforce symbols and relentlessly slashes at them.

In 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 fortune teller, has the Triforce symbol emblazoned in the far back of her tent. However, it is barely visible in Wild World with her recently discarded crystal ball in front of it. It can also be found in Animal Crossing: City Folk.

In Kirby Super Star (along with its remake Kirby Super Star Ultra), The Great Cave Offensive requires Kirby to collect treasures while escaping a vast cave. The final treasure is the Triforce. In the more recent Kirby: Canvas Curse, a mini-game involving joining dots to form images features a Triforce-shaped image.

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the Triforce is an unlockable bumper sticker image. It shows on the top of your ship if your Wii console has The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess save data. This must be purchased using friend vouchers sent by registered Wii friends.

In Mario & Luigi, Superstar Saga, there is an item called the Great Force, which resembles a Triforce.

Trivia

 * A man legally changed his middle name to "Triforce" in honor of the Legend of Zelda series.
 * In 2008, WWE superstar Cody Rhodes featured a Triforce symbol on his wrestling boots.
 * In the online RPG Dragonfable, there is a quest item called the Quadforce, a reference to the Triforce.
 * The three spirits in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass share the same "names" as the Triforce pieces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage.
 * In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the word "Triforce" is never actually said, it is only referred to as "the power given by the gods".
 * Usually, the Triforce of Power is shown on Ganondorf's right hand, but in The Wind Waker, when Ganondorf reunites the three pieces, it emerges from his left hand.

Gallery
Trifuerza Triforce