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How Does the Triforce Work When It Comes to Mortality?

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It would appear that those who are dead cannot possess the Triforce within themselves, but can wish upon it.

Let's look at Ganon, for example; he holds onto his piece of the Triforce at the end of Ocarina of Time and the backstory of A Link Between Worlds, as he's sealed--not killed--in both instances. However, in The Legend of Zelda and Twilight Princess, he loses it at the end, as he dies in both of THOSE instances.

Daphnes is dead in The Wind Waker(he's a spirit, as heavily implied ingame and confrmed in either HH or the Encyclopedia), but he's able to WISH upon the Triforce, even if he doesn't actually have a piece within him.

Does anyone have any information to add that I may have missed?
 

Dio

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You could be right. As far as I'm aware no spirit of a dead person has ever possessed a whole piece of the triforce. Still, without an official statement or anything in game to say that it's impossible we won't know for certain if a spirit could hold a triforce piece within themselves or not.

I'm not sure Ganons passing away in TP gives any real insight to help answer this question. Hyrule Historia says that the power of the triforce has been exhausted within Ganondorf. It doesn't actually leave him because he's dead. It leaves him and then he dies.

Ganondorf appears to be able to use the triforce of power to become immortal without showing any signs of aging even after hundreds of years. This is likely a conscious act however with him using the power of the triforce to grant this gift deliberately. Even with Gerudo genes he would be white haired by WW or TP yet he retains a middle aged appearance. It's likely those who possess the other parts, wisdom and courage probably age normally as they are not skilled enough in sorcery to harness the power of their pieces for the purpose of eternal youth otherwise Link and Zelda from OOT would never get older, and we know OOT link continues growing until he's 7ft tall and ends up as the hero's shade.
 
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You could be right. As far as I'm aware no spirit of a dead person has ever possessed a whole piece of the triforce. Still, without an official statement or anything in game to say that it's impossible we won't know for certain if a spirit could hold a triforce piece within themselves or not

True, but we can still use in game information available to us to come to a tentative conclusion until more evidence is revealed.

I'm not sure Ganons passing away in TP gives any real insight to help answer this question. Hyrule Historia says that the power of the triforce has been exhausted within Ganondorf. It doesn't actually leave him because he's dead. It leaves him and then he dies.

Can you provide the quote, please? Glitterberri's site isn't working, and I don't have access to my copy of HH right now. Also, he loses the ToP upon death in Zelda 1 too, so it makes sense that he would also lose it in TP upon death either way.

Besides, Yuga loses the ToP and ToW upon his death in ALBW.

Ganondorf appears to be able to use the triforce of power to become immortal without showing any signs of aging even after hundreds of years. This is likely a conscious act however with him using the power of the triforce to grant this gift deliberately. Even with Gerudo genes he would be white haired by WW or TP yet he retains a middle aged appearance. It's likely those who possess the other parts, wisdom and courage probably age normally as they are not skilled enough in sorcery to harness the power of their pieces for the purpose of eternal youth otherwise Link and Zelda from OOT would never get older, and we know OOT link continues growing until he's 7ft tall and ends up as the hero's shade

This makes sense, but it could also be chalked up to him becoming the Demon King after initially touching the Triforce in OoT.
 
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Uwu_Oocoo2

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I'm not sure if King Daphnes is dead in ww. It never says that he died, but that he was sealed away along with Hyrule. It might be something similar to how Ganondorf is sealed, in a state where he doesn't really age or anything and he can still affects certain things in the outside world when his seal weakens. In that same way King Daphnes doesn't die, and he's able to exert his power over the King of the Red Lions. I don't have any confirmation on that though, it's just an idea.
 
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So, some insights, all wielders of the Triforce (those with the Triforce within their body) have been alive, except possibly Zelda from Twilight Princess. When Zelda transferred her power to Midna, it is highly likely that part of the Triforce of Wisdom transferred as well. However, if this is not the case, when Zelda was possessed by Ganondorf, being in a half-alive or fully dead state, she wielded the Triforce of Wisdom while dead.

I would also argue that ALBW Ganon's corpse still wields the Triforce of Power because it makes the ending of OoX leading to the beginning of ALBW work better (the Room of Rites being in Lorule, thus explaining why Ganon was sealed in Lorule, even though we saw him literally explode at the end of that game (but maybe he survived that???)), however, that's pretty tangential.

In terms of those who've wished on the Triforce, Beast Ganon from ALttP (well, technically OoT Ganondorf wished on the full Triforce while he was alive), Link from SS, and King Daphnes have all wished on the full Triforce. Beast Ganon and King Castor were both alive but Daphnes at least doesn't have his soul anymore (it's in the boat). This means that spirits can wish on the Triforce, presumably, even though how is that possible? They don't have bodies to actually touch the Triforce with. Maybe he's like Rhoma in that he can interact with the world?

Another thing I don't understand is...did Daphnes even wish on the Triforce? I mean, the first time Hyrule was flooded, it wasn't because of a Triforce wish, so who's to say that the second time it was flooded it was because of a Triforce wish. Maybe the Triforce actually doesn't grant wishes, as it has so far been pretty unsuccessful at its job, considering that Ganon's wish from ALttP was not granted, and Link's wish from SS to "destroy Demise" was initially granted until Ghirahim kidnapped Zelda and went back in time and revived Demise anyway, and Daphne's wish to "Erase Hyrule" was initially granted until Link and Tetra founded a new Hyrule with a new Demon King. Like, why didn't the Golden Goddesses (or, I guess, Hylia) drop the Isle of the Goddess on Demise sooner? They were waiting for Link to give them permission by beating the test they knew he was going to beat because Fi had already predicted everything that was going to happen. It was just about the journey of him getting there? Or why did they leave the book open for the Deku Tree Theory of post-Wind Waker Hyrule? Or why did they let Ganon lose? Did he wish to lose? Was he like, "I'm ok with losing, don't actually grant my wish to win, you triangles you." Like, that's 3 for 3 of half-assed wish granting.

Maybe the Golden Goddesses just made up the story about "Triforce wishes" cuz they were lonely and bored, and eternal conflict is fun to watch, and play through.
 
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I'm not sure if King Daphnes is dead in ww. It never says that he died, but that he was sealed away along with Hyrule. It might be something similar to how Ganondorf is sealed, in a state where he doesn't really age or anything and he can still affects certain things in the outside world when his seal weakens. In that same way King Daphnes doesn't die, and he's able to exert his power over the King of the Red Lions. I don't have any confirmation on that though, it's just an idea.

''King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, ordered by the gods to put an end to Ganondorf's ambitions, awoke from his slumber. His spirit took up residence in a small red boat known as the King of Red Lions, and he began searching for the new Hero and the descendent of the royal family. --Hyrule Historia (Dark Horse Books), pg. 124''

The bold makes it clear that he's in the same state as Rhoam as in BotW; dead, but his spirit remains so that he can help the hero. Both Daphnes and Rhoam also have similar characteristics(like appearing out of nowhere, like how Daphnes does when Ganon is about to claim the Triforce or how Rhoam does when he appears on the GP Tower to Link's surprise). I doubt his body would be able to survive the sealing for hundreds of years as he's a human man, not to mention that he should appear in the flesh instead of a spirit that possesses inanimate objects and appears out of nowhere in TWW if that's the case.

As for Ganon, I mean, yes, he was born as a human man, but:

1. He became the Demon King in OoT.

2. He is in possession of the ToP.

3. Magic wielding Gerudo seem to have a long lifespan if Twinrova is to be believed; Ganondorf was capable of using magic even before becoming the Demon King in OoT(as demonstrated by him cursing the Deku Tree and shooting at Link with an energy orb after Jabu Jabu's Belly as examples).

So those factors combined give us a perfectly understandable explanation as to why Ganon wouldn't age. Daphnes doesn't have anything like that going for him.

I would also argue that ALBW Ganon's corpse still wields the Triforce of Power because it makes the ending of OoX leading to the beginning of ALBW work better (the Room of Rites being in Lorule, thus explaining why Ganon was sealed in Lorule, even though we saw him literally explode at the end of that game (but maybe he survived that???)), however, that's pretty tangential.
Ganon dies at the end of the Oracle games, and is sealed in the beginning of ALBW.

Something happened between the Oracles and ALBW. This is made clear by the fact that the story of the hero fighting Ganon in the backstory of ALBW doesn't match up with any other known event that has happened in the DT so far.

1. Ganon is sealed with the ToP in his possession. In the DT ending of OoT, he's sealed with the COMPLETE Triforce, and he dies at the end of both ALttP and the Oracles.

2. Seven Sages are awakened by the hero, not Seven Maidens like in ALttP, and unlike those and the Awakened Sages, an incarnation of Princess Zelda is not a member of them.

Ganon had to have been revived prior to ALBW, so he could be sealed; not only are there groups and people like Twinrova, the Eyes of Ganon, and the Yiga that want to revive him throughout the DT, but there is also the fact that we know that demons can eventually revive by themselves through their own malice. Ganon does it in BotW, Cursed Bokobliins are said to do this in Fi's description in SS, etc. so no matter how he is revived, we know it's inevitable, especially when you consider how big a theme it is for Ganon to revive over and over on the DT.

They don't have bodies to actually touch the Triforce with. Maybe he's like Rhoma in that he can interact with the world?

Yeah, pretty much; the fact that they both possess many of the same or similar behaviours and abilities would suggest this.

Or why did they leave the book open for the Deku Tree Theory of post-Wind Waker Hyrule?

Spirit Tracks pretty much jossed that theory, although it didn't have much going for it in the first place(a new land created by the GDT wouldn't necessarily be a New Hyrule, for one, not to mention the fact that trees expanding the land would bury everything beneath them, not somehow pull Old Hyrule up)
 
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1. Ganon is sealed with the ToP in his possession. In the DT ending of OoT, he's sealed with the COMPLETE Triforce, and he dies at the end of both ALttP and the Oracles.
ALBW backstory: "[The hero] joined with the descendants of the Seven Sages to seal the Demon King in darkness. The Triforce was divided into three -- its tempting power out of any one person's reach. One part stayed with the royal family, while another slipped into Ganon's possession."

The first part is describing the events of ALttP, not the DT ending of OoT, because a. DT OoT wasn't the descendants of the Seven Sages, it was the Seven Sages and b. Link wasn't with them. However, this retcons what we know happened at the end of ALttP, as we know Silver Arrows kill Ganon. But it also keeps the division of the Triforce at the end of the Oracle games. Or maybe it doesn't retcon ALttP, and its describing another event?

2. Seven Sages are awakened by the hero, not Seven Maidens like in ALttP, and unlike those and the Awakened Sages, an incarnation of Princess Zelda is not a member of them.
Seven Sages in ALBW or int the backstory described? Because "the descendants of the Seven Sages" are the ones who helped Link. And one of them would have been Princess Zelda, in any case (Gulley or Seres is probably her descendant in ALBW).

Spirit Tracks pretty much jossed that theory, although it didn't have much going for it in the first place(a new land created by the GDT wouldn't necessarily be a New Hyrule, for one, not to mention the fact that trees expanding the land would bury everything beneath them, not somehow pull Old Hyrule up)
Trees generally reduce flooding. Also just because there is a plateau on which New Hyrule is able to sit, that doesn't joss the theory that the Great Deku Tree, an incredibly powerful being, could reverse the flood over centuries. And underwater cities are shockingly well-preserved.

I also don't want to have wasted all that time shuttling Koroks around the Great Sea just to have it not pay off at all.
 
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ALBW backstory: "[The hero] joined with the descendants of the Seven Sages to seal the Demon King in darkness. The Triforce was divided into three -- its tempting power out of any one person's reach. One part stayed with the royal family, while another slipped into Ganon's possession."

The first part is describing the events of ALttP, not the DT ending of OoT, because a. DT OoT wasn't the descendants of the Seven Sages, it was the Seven Sages.

The JP version of ALBW doesn't refer to them as the seven sage descendants; just as the seven sages. And I'm not arguing that the hero and sages sealing Ganon is referring to OoT, either.

Or maybe it doesn't retcon ALttP, and its describing another event?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That way, you don't have to come up with retcons that have no evidence to support them.

Seven Sages in ALBW or int the backstory described? Because "the descendants of the Seven Sages" are the ones who helped Link. And one of them would have been Princess Zelda, in any case (Gulley or Seres is probably her descendant in ALBW).

In the final painting, the sages are watching over the hero and Princess Zelda. This doesn't make sense if Zelda is one of the sages from the backstory.

Trees generally reduce flooding. Also just because there is a plateau on which New Hyrule is able to sit, that doesn't joss the theory that the Great Deku Tree, an incredibly powerful being, could reverse the flood over centuries. And underwater cities are shockingly well-preserved

Even the ones that are erased due to a Triforce wish?
 
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To be honest, the more information, and theories about that information, I gather about the triforce, the more I am seeing the relic as an insanely powerful super computer that's wired into reality in fundamental ways. The wish may be the defeat of an enemy, but the wisher must immagine a way for it to happen. I don't see it as the triforce choosing a method, but the execution how the wisher imagined it playing out. Kind of like the supper specific genie, but not particularly evil or good.
 

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