Posted 27 January 2005 - 06:43 AM
I would like to acknowledge Marty for coming up with an interesting post, as the Triforce is something I feel is rarely talked about on the board, especially defining the three individual pieces and what their properties are.
According to the Japanese manual of A link to the Past, the individual pieces of the Triforce all represent something, much like the America version had said, but the American version has the definition wrong, claiming it is Forger of Strength, Keeper of Knowledge, and Juror of Courage. Nonetheless, we will look at what the Japanese had intended it to be.
For the Triforce of Power it is said to bestow the bearer the innate ability to become a Ruler or Conquerer of Power. This could be interpreted either way, meaning that either a person of good or evil could be bestowed with this title.
I assume that a Ruler of Power would be one such as the King in his ability to rule his kingdom with peace, yet also be firm and strong to make sure those in his kingdom abide by his rules and regulations. A Conquerer of Power could be described as someone who is corrupt and wanting to control citizens through tyranny and evil ambitions.
The Triforce of Wisdom is known to bestow the bearer the innate ability to become an Administrator or Governer of Wisdom. Though we have only seen this piece used as a benevolent tool considering it in just its singularity, that is not to assume that it could not be conjunctured with a corrupt individual perhaps wanting to know all the secrets in life and existence for example.
The Triforce of Courage is known to bestow the bearer the innate ability to become a Forger or Temperer of Courage. Once again this piece has only been seen to be used in the measures of peace and clarity in just its singularity, but just like the Triforce of Wisdom one cannot assume that it could not also be used for a more malignant cause. For if misused the Triforce can bear many evils.
After a bit of description on the titles of what these pieces are said to bestow I think the next thing we need is actual presentations of what these pieces can actually do.
The first four games of the Legend of Zelda series are pretty much inconclusive in our research, so we will start with the Ocarina of Time in deciding what each piece can do.
Triforce of Power:
When we first meet Ganondorf in the Ocarina of Time or hear about him at least, we know that he is the King of the Gerudos, but also a competent, yet vile sorcerer. He infected the Deku Tree with a parasitic arachnoid, he most likely closed off the entrance to the Dodongo Cavern, and he plagued the water deity known as Jabu-Jabu with a bio-electric anemone. While all of this is indeed impressive we still can tell that Ganondorf was trying to use cunning and deciet to try and push other races in giving him the Spiritual Stones because he had not aquired the means to take them out by sheer force. He even payed servitude towards the King of Hyrule and tried to learn more of its secrets, which could be one reason as to why he chased Princess Zelda and Impa out of the castle trying desperately to garner the Ocarina of Time. So it seems quite evident that while Ganondorf was no mere conjurer of cheap tricks, he was also not some fabled wizard of unexplainable magic either.
However when he harnessed the might of the Triforce of Power things dramatically changed. He conquered Hyrule Castle and replaced it with a dark tower of his own floating over a pool of lava. This would also go along with what the title of what this piece represents as he was shown to be a conquerer and a ruler of this land for seven long years. He infested the forest and its sacred meadows with monsters, ghosts, and other evils so frightening that the children of the forest were too scared to go outside and play. He revived an ancient dragon from the past and threw an entire race of living rock inhabitants in its domain, imprisoning them in cages until the dragon would get ready to feast on their rocky flesh. He completely froze over another entire race of an aquatic species. Their domain, their kingdom was nothing but a large sheet of ice, and their king was frozen in a red form of ice that could only be melted by a strange blue fire. He broke an ancient shiekah sealing that was on a phantom shadow beast in the depths of the well. He brought forth an undead army to be rekindled within the terribly frightful domain of the Shadow Temple. And by his own race he was considered to be a god. Even after his defeat the Triforce of Power gave him the strength to send his castle to nothing but a crumbling waste, even in death. And even after his death he revitalized in mere moments later. In a last effort he used the piece of Power to grant himself a new body, one that reflected his twisted actions and greedy demeanor, one that would make him become a demon of almost unstoppable rage and chaos. For with this he was no longer a mere king of thieves, he was now the King of all Evil, and thus being granted a bearer of the Triforce of Power which would grant him the title as the Conquerer/Ruler of Power.
Triforce of Wisdom:
When we hear of Zelda we know that she is some princess of destiny, and that she may know the answers to Link's nightmares. When we first see her, we see a child that has prophetic dreams, and seen the a beacon of light would come from the forest. She has an acute sense of oncoming dangers as she could tell that the man Ganondorf was plotting to take over Hyrule and even pinpointed out that he was afte the sacred triangles, the Triforce, even though she was only making an estimated guess. She also knew of the legend of the goddesses and knowledge over some of the Triforce, suggesting that she knew more than what normal townsfolk people did, and was roughly on par with the Great Deku Tree in terms of knowing the history of the Sacred Realm and the rest of the legend. She knew how to enter the Door of Time much like how the Sages who built the Temple of Time would know how to get in the Door of Time. The amazing thing is, is that she knows all of this and is still just a child! Though that is the downside, while she did think she was doing the right thing, she is just a child, and does not have the wisdom or knowledge to realize what events would be triggered by going through this set quest she endavored on Link.
Now when she harnessed the Triforce of Wisdom, things began to change. She realized from the repercussions of Ganondorf's onslaught that she had to shield her identity from him, preventing the Evil King to have knowledge of the whereabouts of the second piece. Her title as an Administor of Governer of Wisdom is well shown as she gives guidence to Link about his quest, and she speaks it in such poetic beauty. As given in her quotes to him below.
I've been waiting for you, Hero of Time...When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples. One in a deep forest...One on a high mountain...One under a vast lake...One within the house of the dead...One inside a goddess of the sand...Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world...This is the legend of the temples passed down by my people, the Sheikah.
I am Sheik. Survivor of the Sheikahs...As I see you standing there holding the mythical Master Sword, you really do look like the legendary Hero of Time...If you believe the legend, you have no choice. You must look for the five temples and awaken the five Sages....One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I am sure you know...Because of the evil power in the temple, she cannot hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm...Unfortunately, equipped as you currently are, you cannot even enter the temple...But, if you believe what I'm saying, you should head to Kakariko
Village...
Here it is quite evident that she knows those who will be destined to become Sages as she pointed out about Link knowing the girl in the Forest Temple, and she being the Seventh Sage and leader of them all provides Link with the location of where to find these sages. Once again Zelda acts as a guide to Link when he had destroyed the creatures that inhabitated the Forest Temple. She also mentions to Link that he can't enter the temple equipped the way he is suggesting that somehow she knew that the Hookshot would be a pivotal item needed in completely the temple.
You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temple and awakened the Sage...But there are still other Sages who need your help. In order to awaken all the other Sages, you must become even more powerful. You must travel over
mountains...under water...and even through time...As long as you hold the Ocarina
of Time and the Master Sword, you hold time itself in your hands...Link, we shall meet again!
Here not only does she tell him what he must do, but her knowledge is so vast that she even knows that the Master Sword is the key into traveling to Link's past and back again to the future, something she did not know before as a child, for if she did she would have never sent Link on the quest. To furhter cement that Zelda knew about the Master Sword and its power over time in the adult timeline we have these words from her.
If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years....The time will come when you will have to return here quickly...I will teach this to you for when that time comes...The song to return you to the Temple of Time...The Prelude of Light...
She also mentions more about time traveling when Link and Shiek met at the Desert Colossus.
Though Zelda is a kind and considerate person she can also establish herself as a stern individual, such as she told Link to get away from the well in Kakariko Village.
Other than Ganondorf himself, Zelda was also another person who realized that if a person's heart was not balance in all three forces, that it would split, and the one who touched it would gain that which that person believed in most, while the other two would go to those chosen by destiny. She had the power to command the Sages to her will and she was the one who ordered them to imprison him in the tainted Sacred Realm. It should also be taken into consideration that after having the Triforce of Wisdom that Zelda realized all of the tradgedy that she caused, and she takes full responsebility for her actions in claiming it was all her fault. She learned through her mistakes through great strides of perserverance and wisdom, thus is why she one gain the title as Administor/Govenrer of Wisdom.
Triforce of Courage:
When we first meet Link he was a boy who was haunted by terrible nightmares, that had disturbed and frightened the young lad. When Navi asked Link to come and meet the Great Deku Tree he may have thought that he might get some answers to these re-occuring nightmares, or he may just have been glad to have been summoned by the magnificent tree, maybe it was a combination of both. Nevertheless Mido order Link that he could not get to the Deku Tree unless he had a shield and a sword. Link knew were to purchase a shield, but he would have to use his wit and cleverness to find the whereabouts of the Kokiri Sword.
When the Deku Tree told Link of his illness, the young boy had already shown courage to enter the tree and help his somewhat father-figure out. Though while he was brave we can tell that he was not completely fearless. Things did happen to shock the young hero. We notice then when Link takes a few steps back from Gohma, or King Dodongo. We also notice that Link was scared of having to have gotten a goron hug from Darunia and his citizens. But the real sign of terror probably came when he met Ganondorf himself. He seemed a bit frightened but he didn't let that stop his goals, and he was brave enough to challenge Ganondorf even as a child. Though Ganondorf was somewhat impressed by the kid's actions, at the same time he thought the boy was foolish to challenge someone of his might. Link also might have been quite relunctant to tell Nabooru of his true intents of being in the Spirit Temple. Though things change when a person gathers an element of the Triforce, and since his was courage, he gained somethings as well.
The Triforce of Courage would enable Link to become a Forger or Temperer of Courage, and thhis seems somewhat evident in playing the game, though since he is a silent character I must use things from how I see it, though everyone might not agree. Link might even be immune to transformation spells when having the Triforce of Courage. We noticed that in Majora's Mask that the Skull Kid was able to transform Link into a Deku Scrub, but Link didn't have the Triforce of Courage in that game either. Ganondorf was able to rip a gap between dimensions and banish a phantom copy of himself, but why did he not do this to Link. Well it might be that the Triforce of Courage is a safeguard preventing that, since it is a relic of the creator gods, though that is only speculation on my part. We also notice that Link no longer takes steps back when in battle with a guardian from a dungeon/temple while holding the Triforce of Courage. In his battle with Volvagia we notice Link looking around his surroundings, but no signs of fear or fleeing was shown. I suspect the him looking around was probably due to him having a more warrior instinct, more determined to accomplish his goals, and this would go well with his title since he would be forging himself to complete a mission. Ganondorf also notes that he did not underesitmate the power of Link, but in his own arrogant ways states that he just underestimated the power of the Triforce of Courage.
When Princess Zelda was imprisoned in the crystal shard by Ganondorf we can see Link tempered with a sense of justice to free her. We know that he scales the heights of Ganon's Tower holding the blade of evil's bane and an arrow that can smite evil and bring justice to this fair kingdom. Most people would falter after seeing Ganondorf rise out of his fallen castle and transform into Ganon. And while Link did seem somewhat shocked and amazed that Ganondorf was still alive, he did not stop his mission of defeating the beast even when Ganon knocked the Master Sword out of his hand. Knowing that he was no longer in reach of the sacred blade of evil's bane would have made most people given up hope, but not Link, he did not falter none in the least. He succeeded in his mission and proved that he does have the title as Forger/Temperer of Courage.
I would like to discuss this some more going on with the events of the Wind Waker, but I am a bit tired of typing right now, so I will do that on my next post. Now I know I didn't add anything new besides that it amplifies the qualities of the force in which that person represents, but I wanted to go further into detail and give examples from the games.
