Where is the Triforce?

[KoiFox]

I know the Triforce isn't the only thing about LoZ, but it's been a staple in many of the games I've played most.
So I really wonder where it is during BoTW and ToTK, why is it no longer majorly important? Is there a large reason lorewise, or did it just not fit the themes of these games?
And to tack on, a lot of the other games in the franchise deal heavily with the Sacred Realm and the gods, these two iterations seem fairly devoid of spirituality, especially coming straight from SS. Did anyone else feel this way?
Maybe its just because this game is supposed to be about the wilds and the land of hyrule instead of a large plot.

 

[DarthCreeper10]

Well, there is some "Scared realm" and gods talk because there are Hylia statues all over Hyrule. In any case, I think after the Great Calamity and the 10,000 years of peace, people really just forgot about the Triforce.

 

[KoiFox]

Agreed, there are statues, and some even seem to hold a place of honor in the villages, but the springs and the Mother Hylia statue are all mostly forgotten by everyone outside of the royal family. The small statues seem mostly vestigial, left over from older worship and paid honor because, well thats just what you do.
Also abso, the normal people could have just forgotten, there isn't really any reason to think about the triforce during times of peace, but its not even mentioned by Zelda or the Sheikah as a possible solution to the problems they are facing with Ganon. Personally that would have been my first stop like, pure magic that may be able to completely stop him? where do I find it!

 

[DarthCreeper10]

Agreed, there are statues, and some even seem to hold a place of honor in the villages, but the springs and the Mother Hylia statue are all mostly forgotten by everyone outside of the royal family. The small statues seem mostly vestigial, left over from older worship and paid honor because, well thats just what you do.
Also abso, the normal people could have just forgotten, there isn't really any reason to think about the triforce during times of peace, but its not even mentioned by Zelda or the Sheikah as a possible solution to the problems they are facing with Ganon. Personally that would have been my first stop like, pure magic that may be able to completely stop him? where do I find it!

in the Creating a Champion book, it says people don't know anything about the Triforce outside of it appeared on Zelda's hand. That's all we know ig

 

[Azure Sage]

Zelda has it. The Triforce is her sealing power. BotW, AoC, and TotK make that abundantly clear.

 

[KoiFox]

I don't think I would agree with abundantly clear, we get 2 frames of her using it in BoTW. I was led to believe AoC isn't canon, and Rauru also has sealing powers. But I think I see what you are saying. It still leads me to the question, why is it so unimportant to the whole of the story in these particular games. In others it has literal world changing powers, but Zelda can barely use it, doesn't really know much about it, and only references it as her spiritual power.
It just seems a far cry from games like WW where it can grant an entire wish to basically start the world anew. And the fact that she possibly has the whole thing but it seems so weak. Why?

 

[Mima_sama]

I heve this theory that a little more than 10,000 years before BotW/TotK, the kingdom of Hyrule was completely destroyed, but then was re-founded later by Rauru and Sonia (importantly, she is referred to as being a Hyrulean before she married Rauru, so the name of the land clearly lived on). Since the kingdom had been almost utterly obliterated, and had to live on through legends, it makes sense that they might have forgotten what the Triforce actually was-- they just think it's a symbol; clearly an important one, but they have no longer have the knowledge that it is a divine artifact that actually exists.
Of course, that's just one plausible explanation. Even if the kingdom wasn't destroyed and refounded, 10,000 years is a long tme, and people probably just forgot about the Triforce- especially since its existence was likely kept secret after all the wars that were fought over it.

 

[KoiFox]

i really like a lot about your theory!
Her being a Hyrulean priestess and covered in symbols relating to the eye of truth and the triforce. Maybe it lost significance and was much better hidden, in both lore and religious practices. Especially because it doesn't necessarily take up a place of importance on her tattoos, unlike the eye, which I believe is in 4 different places?
I do still find it a little odd that Ganon was after the stones power instead of the Triforce, but if something like your theory has happened, and even he has no knowledge of it. What a doozy.
I do think the placement of this game, or at least Rauru's kingdom, would help us to make sense of a lot of these mysteries and inconsistencies. Because his kingdom being right after SS would, to me, help make a little sense of the missing weight of the triforce.
Whereas if its after WW or something, it's a little less understandable. Then again, it could be a whole seperate new timeline like you theorize, in which case, all bets off with lore, they can do a LOT of wiggling to make things whatever they need.

 

[Uwu_Oocoo2]

Zelda has it. The Triforce is her sealing power. BotW, AoC, and TotK make that abundantly clear.

It does seem as though Zelda holds the entire triforce, although why she doesn't wish Ganon away is beyond me. As further evidence, we know from OoT that when someone with an unbalanced heart touches the Triforce, the pieces will be split up. Since neither Link nor Ganon have their respective pieces it means Zelda wouldn't have just the Triforce of Wisdom.

This makes me wonder if Link is the chosen hero at all or if, like in Wind Waker, he simply stepped up to the task. He was able to draw the Master Sword though, but whether that or the Triforce are what marks him as the hero I'm not sure.

To go back to why the Triforce is never brought up in the game, I think it could go back to Din Nayru and Farore. They're also never mentioned, their names probably lost to Legend. And since they were the ones who made the Triforce it's likely their creation was forgotten along with them. Not knowing about the Triforce's power could be what prompted the people of 10,000 years ago to build the guardians/divine beasts and thus take matters into their own hands.

 

[KoiFox]

Whether Link has the soul/spirit of the hero was something I wondered too about these games. I think the Master Sword simply picks those worthy, I don't believe that has to mean they have the soul of the hero.
And I suppose that is why she uses the springs, even though she doesn't understand the significance of them, in order to maintain a sort of balance and piety to the gods.
It still brings up the question of how the triforce is passed to her? How does a bloodline hold onto a magic like that WITHOUT using it accidentallt or on purpose?

 

[GZ Zelda]

It still leads me to the question, why is it so unimportant to the whole of the story in these particular games. In others it has literal world changing powers, but Zelda can barely use it, doesn't really know much about it, and only references it as her spiritual power.
It just seems a far cry from games like WW where it can grant an entire wish to basically start the world anew. And the fact that she possibly has the whole thing but it seems so weak. Why?

So there are two forms of the Triforce: the "on my hand" form and the "in the world" form.

In Z1, ALttP/ALBW, SS, the Oracle Games, WW, the Triforce is the "in the world" form. When Daphnes wishes on the Triforce, he literally touches the three pieces of the Triforce (same with Link at the end of ALttP).

In OoT, TP, and BotW/TotK, the Triforce is the "on my hand" form. When Ganondorf "loses" the Triforce in TP, nobody else "gets" it like Link did in ALttP or Daphnes did in WW.

What is utterly unique, however, is that the entire Triforce is the "on my hand" form in BotW and TotK. At the end of WW, the Triforce has flown back to, presumably, the Sacred Realm; at the end of TP, the Triforce is ???; at the end of Z2, the Royal Family is in full possession of the Triforce. I think it's totally possible that the Royal Family figured out how to Minish-Cap-Light-Force the Triforce into the royal bloodline after they had consistent possession of it following Zelda 2.

 

[KoiFox]

So there are two forms of the Triforce: the "on my hand" form and the "in the world" form.

In Z1, ALttP/ALBW, SS, the Oracle Games, WW, the Triforce is the "in the world" form. When Daphnes wishes on the Triforce, he literally touches the three pieces of the Triforce (same with Link at the end of ALttP).

In OoT, TP, and BotW/TotK, the Triforce is the "on my hand" form. When Ganondorf "loses" the Triforce in TP, nobody else "gets" it like Link did in ALttP or Daphnes did in WW.

What is utterly unique, however, is that the entire Triforce is the "on my hand" form in BotW and TotK. At the end of WW, the Triforce has flown back to, presumably, the Sacred Realm; at the end of TP, the Triforce is ???; at the end of Z2, the Royal Family is in full possession of the Triforce. I think it's totally possible that the Royal Family figured out how to Minish-Cap-Light-Force the Triforce into the royal bloodline after they had consistent possession of it following Zelda 2.

I haven't played Minish Cap yet, what does "minish-cap-light-force" mean?

 

[Mima_sama]

I haven't played Minish Cap yet, what does "minish-cap-light-force" mean?

Hmmm, that may be a bit spoiler-y to answer, but if you don't mind spoilers for a pretty big plot point in Minish Cap (though honestly it's pretty easy to figure out after just a little while into the story), then basically, the Light Force is a kind of divine power that the Minish gave to the Hylians when they were fighting against demons (as is the custom). The Light Force itself had apparently somehow been directly integrated into the bloodline of the Hyrulean Royal Family, and got passed down for a few generations.
Basically, the premise is that this happened to the whole Triforce itself after the events of Zelda II... which would also point to BotW/TotK being in the Downfall Timeline, come to think of it.

 

[DarthCreeper10]

which would also point to BotW/TotK being in the Downfall Timeline, come to think of it.

I still think Hyrule Warriors is canon. MatPat rules supreme

 

[KoiFox]

Hmmm, that may be a bit spoiler-y to answer, but if you don't mind spoilers for a pretty big plot point in Minish Cap (though honestly it's pretty easy to figure out after just a little while into the story), then basically, the Light Force is a kind of divine power that the Minish gave to the Hylians when they were fighting against demons (as is the custom). The Light Force itself had apparently somehow been directly integrated into the bloodline of the Hyrulean Royal Family, and got passed down for a few generations.
Basically, the premise is that this happened to the whole Triforce itself after the events of Zelda II... which would also point to BotW/TotK being in the Downfall Timeline, come to think of it.

That raises a lot of questions! Like who would do this. And how they did it ( in the canon of BOTW and TOTK), first and foremost. but also how that might possibly affect the potency of the Triforce. Maybe this is what happened and because of it, it still has its power over darkness/ evil but can no longer be split and no longer grants universe changing wishes. Honestly this is a really interesting theory. Thank you for bringing this up!
I so need to go play Minish now so I can theory craft better about lore.