Does the Triforce of Power Always Go to a Villain (or Can the Triforce Change Allegiances?)

[Pokémaniac13]

I dunno is this is really relevant to the discussion, perhaps on a tangent, but something I've always wondered/thought about that never seems to be addressed is that the Triforce seems to have two modes? Because theoretically if someone with an unbalanced heart touching the Triforce makes it split, then that person would never be able to touch the Triforce to make a wish because it always would split. Reforming the Triforce to make a wish seems to somehow nullify this process of splitting?

Another thing to consider with the above is that, does Link have an imbalanced heart that leans most toward courage or is his heart balanced, while also happening to be the most representative of courage at the same time, and his alignment for wisdom and power matches his courage? Does his ability to wish on the Triforce in A Link to the Past indicate anything of the balance of his heart, or why he was able to wield the Triforce of Wisdom in Zelda I?

Just kind of rambling but I find it interesting that the Triforce splitting seems very circumstantial. In the Wind Waker you could say that perhaps it doesn't split upon being reformed because it isn't in the Sacred Realm, but that doesn't explain A Link to the Past nor A Link Between Worlds. Are all people who have wished upon the Triforce in known Zelda lore, those with balanced hearts? Why was Ganon able to wish upon the Triforce in A Link to the Past? What is the criteria that would prevent the Triforce from splitting upon being touched by Ganon a second time, unless it is somehow sentient or records how many times it's been touched by an individual?

Anyway, uh, I think there's a lot more to the Triforce that has never really been examined, and I think this particular aspect of the Triforce's "behavior" should be understood before really saying whether or not it chooses the same people by design.

Cool…

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

I dunno is this is really relevant to the discussion, perhaps on a tangent, but something I've always wondered/thought about that never seems to be addressed is that the Triforce seems to have two modes? Because theoretically if someone with an unbalanced heart touching the Triforce makes it split, then that person would never be able to touch the Triforce to make a wish because it always would split. Reforming the Triforce to make a wish seems to somehow nullify this process of splitting?

Another thing to consider with the above is that, does Link have an imbalanced heart that leans most toward courage or is his heart balanced, while also happening to be the most representative of courage at the same time, and his alignment for wisdom and power matches his courage? Does his ability to wish on the Triforce in A Link to the Past indicate anything of the balance of his heart, or why he was able to wield the Triforce of Wisdom in Zelda I?

Just kind of rambling but I find it interesting that the Triforce splitting seems very circumstantial. In the Wind Waker you could say that perhaps it doesn't split upon being reformed because it isn't in the Sacred Realm, but that doesn't explain A Link to the Past nor A Link Between Worlds. Are all people who have wished upon the Triforce in known Zelda lore, those with balanced hearts? Why was Ganon able to wish upon the Triforce in A Link to the Past? What is the criteria that would prevent the Triforce from splitting upon being touched by Ganon a second time, unless it is somehow sentient or records how many times it's been touched by an individual?

Anyway, uh, I think there's a lot more to the Triforce that has never really been examined, and I think this particular aspect of the Triforce's "behavior" should be understood before really saying whether or not it chooses the same people by design.

This is actually a really excellent question that I never thought about but it made me wonder. Like maybe Ganondorf didn't make a wish? All he wanted to do was aggressively poke the triforce and it was like "urm wut no now I gotta explode" and all the main characters get a piece. And so, I did a little digging! Here's an excerpt from The Zelda Encyclopedia page 13-

The Triforce does not discriminate between good and evil desires, but a balance of power, wisdom, and courage is required to unlock its full force, and one must demonstrate these qualities through sacred trials. If someone unworthy touches it, the three parts will separate, with only the piece best representing the one who touched it remaining. The remaining two pieces will reside in those chosen by the goddesses, and a triangular mark will appear on the back of their hand.

So basically you're right Frax, just like Mjolnir the triforce will only really work correctly if the person who uses it is worthy. Why it decided Ganon in ALttP finally passed their little quiz I don't know, maybe he underwent some of those "sacred trials" in the time between games. So if a random unworthy guy touches it he gets a part, and the goddesses pick whoever gets the other parts and leave them to figure out the rest. They also still make that chosen one have to "earn it", which seems a little unfair but whatever. This also kind of answers your question OP, with it saying how it doesn't judge good or evil. The biggest correlation is probably that evil people try to steal the triforce a lot, and evil people are usually powerful so in touching it they'd end up with that piece. Let's all just hope we get a villian one day who is exceptionally wise or something.

 

[Fraxinus]

Unless the trial of gathering the pieces and reassembling the completed Triforce somehow 'tunes' the heart of the person who gathered them. But then Link wishing on the Triforce after defeating Ganon in ALttP probably shoulda made the Triforce split again cuz Link didn't do that trial.

 

[Pokémaniac13]

This is actually a really excellent question that I never thought about but it made me wonder. Like maybe Ganondorf didn't make a wish? All he wanted to do was aggressively poke the triforce and it was like "urm wut no now I gotta explode" and all the main characters get a piece. And so, I did a little digging! Here's an excerpt from The Zelda Encyclopedia page 13-



So basically you're right Frax, just like Mjolnir the triforce will only really work correctly if the person who uses it is worthy. Why it decided Ganon in ALttP finally passed their little quiz I don't know, maybe he underwent some of those "sacred trials" in the time between games. So if a random unworthy guy touches it he gets a part, and the goddesses pick whoever gets the other parts and leave them to figure out the rest. They also still make that chosen one have to "earn it", which seems a little unfair but whatever. This also kind of answers your question OP, with it saying how it doesn't judge good or evil. The biggest correlation is probably that evil people try to steal the triforce a lot, and evil people are usually powerful so in touching it they'd end up with that piece. Let's all just hope we get a villian one day who is exceptionally wise or something.

That quote is what I based this whole thing on. I wanted some other opinions on the matter, but for the most part, I was thinking the same thing. Especially the Mjolnir part.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Unless the trial of gathering the pieces and reassembling the completed Triforce somehow 'tunes' the heart of the person who gathered them. But then Link wishing on the Triforce after defeating Ganon in ALttP probably shoulda made the Triforce split again cuz Link didn't do that trial.

I think this is what is implied in OoT. When Ganondorf touched the Triforce originally all he was gravitating to was power, so that imbalance caused the split and gave him the Triforce of Power. Anyway, with time, because he began seeking the other pieces, I guess the Triforce recognizes that the individual no longer has a limited view on the 3 virtues, so considering all 3 to be equal in relevancy makes the second attempt successful if the person can get it.

 

[Fierce Deity Link]

I feel the goddesses try to keep a balance of the Triforce, so Liknk gets Courage to balance out Ganon’s Power, and Zelda joins Link to help him outsmart The Gerudo Lord with Wisdom.

However, Ganondorf’s words are telling:

“Do not think that this ends here... the history of light and shadow will be written in blood!" -Ganondorf, Twilight Princess

This sentence on the surface bloodshed, but blood could be bloodlines, that this conflict will keep playing out generation after generation.

 

[RamboBambiBambo]

Oddly enough, this was likely to be the plot of the cancelled Twilight Princess sequel.

We see at the end of Twilight Princess that the Triforce of Power abandons Ganondorf as he dies. It doesn't appear suddenly for Link or Zelda to acquire, nor does it automatically appear within either of them and cause a new triangle on their hands to glow. Instead, it fades away and vanishes.

So more than likely we were going to have a game where Link ventures off to another kingdom within the world in order to secure the Triforce of Power and return it to Hyrule, with the villain of that game of course being in possession of it and causing destruction to a part of the world until Link comes around to oppose said villain. The game would of course end with Link obtaining the missing piece of the Triforce, defeating the BBEG, and returning home to Hyrule after saving this other country from ruin.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

It doesn't feel very fleshed out whether it does or not. Theoretically, the Triforce fragments should drift to people who represent those aspects, be they good or be they evil. None of the Triforce characteristics are inherently good or evil. There is nothing inherently evil about power and nothing inherently good about courage.

I don't think the Triforce does actually change users or shift to someone that represents the characteristic. Why does Link get the Triforce of Courage in Twilight Princess when there are four Hylian resistance members who have been fighting much longer than him? Why does Ganon keep getting the Triforce of Power when there are plenty of villains whose actions are just as baseline evil as his? Majora is the only Zelda villain whose actions create any sort of meaningful body-count (at least during a game over), but Ganon gets the Triforce of Power instead?

Heck, why does Zelda get the Triforce of Wisdom? She's pretty consistently a useless character who rarely dispenses any valuable wisdom. Tetra is an actual pirate, and while she isn't shown murdering and pillaging on screen that label is enough to call into doubt any worthiness supposedly conveyed by the Triforce. She isn't a renowned scholar or a mystical sage or a font of magical wisdom, so why does she keep being given the Triforce of Wisdom?

In my mind the Triforce should be a neutral font of power, be it for good or evil, but it apparently has some weird internal standards for what it considers brave or wise.

 

[Fierce Deity Link]

Except, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
We have only seen Ganon, an evil Gerudo Sorceror, Pig Demon, and Tyrant wield Din’s Power.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Except, “power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
We have only seen Ganon, an evil Gerudo Sorceror, Pig Demon, and Tyrant wield Din’s Power.

I mean, it doesn't seem like it corrupts. Link, Midna, and (allegedly) Zelda all wield vast magical power without suffering any ill effects.

 

[Fierce Deity Link]

I mean, it doesn't seem like it corrupts. Link, Midna, and (allegedly) Zelda all wield vast magical power without suffering any ill effects.

Did they use the Triforce of Power?

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Did they use the Triforce of Power?

Link used the Triforce, an incredibly powerful magical artifact capable of warping reality. Midna used the Fused Shadows, whose initial transformation caused her to tear Hyrule Castle down in what amount to a tactical airstrike. That's power if I've ever seen it.

 

[Mikey the Moblin]

The fused shadows definitely seem to have a corrupting influence beyond just the moral temptation of dominion over equals

 

[Fierce Deity Link]

In the case of power, not all gods are benevolent. Often there is the good and bad ones, and Din maybe a force for darkness because there is no light without darkness.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

In the case of power, not all gods are benevolent. Often there is the good and bad ones, and Din maybe a force for darkness because there is no light without darkness.

I'd still contend that there's nothing evil about power. Power is just a thing that you have. How you use it is what determines who you are.