Is the Triforce really "equal" or "balanced"?

It does beg to be asked, if I'm honest; is the Triforce really "even"? Is it fair? Why aren't all three pieces equal in their potential? And does this represent some sort of hierarchy or inequality in the Goddesses that created them, with one possibly being more powerful than the others?

I first started thinking about this when I was playing Zelda I, and it hit me that there was no ToC, or even a mention of it, until Zelda II had come along. Then it hit me again - Power, Wisdom, Courage - they're not really equal at all.

Power grants you semi-immortality, immunity to all but the finest weapons in the hero's artillery, and immense power - or "absolute power" as Zeldawiki puts it. That's pretty great, isn't it? That's everything you could want from a divine artifact. The owners of the other pieces of the Triforce live and die, and leave their pieces to a successor, but the Triforce Of Power has been consistently with the same owner, granting him the ability to outlive all of his enemies, which is a tad godmode in my opinion. Plus the Triforce Of Power sits on the top of the completed Triforce, which I think just restates it's importance in comparison to the other pieces.

Then there's Wisdom. This piece of the Triforce represents Law, and it grants it's user refined magical abilities, healing powers, great wisdom, and telepathy among other things. The ToP and the ToW are almost like Yin and Yang with their powers, and with the powers of both, you'd be borderline unstoppable. It's interesting to note that nearly every NPC character or object in the original LOZ has either a red colour scheme or a blue colour sheme, excluding Aquamentus and Gleeok.

Lastly there's the Triforce Of Courage. Created by Farore, the Goddess who had the last part to play in Hyrule's birth, the Triforce Of Courage doesn't really DO much. It doesn't grant courage or bravery, but merely rewards it, like some sort of fancy medal. It does have it's uses, but those uses are mainly just used as a counteract for the other Triforce pieces and their owners, should they fall into the wrong hands - it doesn't really have any standalone This is seen in games where Link retains his ToC but leaves Hyrule (Oracles, Phantom Hourglass, etc.). In these games, it doesn't have any sort of use, since it seems purely focused on combat against a Triforce Of Power owner. Heck, there wasn't even a Triforce Of Courage to speak of in the first Zelda.

We can also see some of the inequalities in the Goddesses themselves and how they're represented in Hyrule itself, or in marketing. An important one here is how there was a game based on Din (the Oracle, embodiment of the Goddess) and Nayru, but green-haired Farore, embodiment of the Goddess of Courage/life/whatever, is set back to a lowly "Oracle Of Secrets". We can also see that the races that are attributed with Farore, like the Kokiri, or the Korok, seem to be secluded from Hyrule proper. This doesn't just apply to races either; in Twilight Princess, one of the provinces attributed to Farore isn't even considered a province of Hyrule.

So is there a clear inequality between Triforce pieces, their owners, and their corresponding Goddesses? I certainly think so. The supposed equality and balance that Hylians percieve the pieces to have is a farce, as far as I'm aware. But why is this? Did the developers intend to show the ToC owner as an underdog of sorts, having less divine power than the other two wielders? Or is it the simple fact that the Triforce Of Courage was introduced after the other two that has caused this inequality?

But then, maybe the Triforce Of Courage (and Farore) isn't as weak as I suspect it to be. After all, the king had it hidden away in Zelda II so it wouldn't go into the wrong hands, so it could very well be that the Triforce Of Courage has powers that Link, a humble boy of normal descent, cannot fully utilise. I mean, didn't Phantom Hourglass establish some minute link between Courage and Time via Ciela? And in Twilight Princess, Farore was the only Goddess who got two provinces, despite one of them not being considered "Hyrule proper".

I'm of the opinion that there is a definate divide between the three pieces and that they are in no sense equal, but that's just me. What do you think? Why is the ToC percieved to be nothing but a glorified trophy for your adventures, in comparison to the ToP's proven ability to grant semi-immortality and immense power?

The Triforce is perfectly balanced. It represents the human (or Hylian) race's ability to do things it.

Before you do anything, you need to be smart enough to do it (Wisdom), Strong enough to do it (Power), and willing to do it. (Courage)

Remove one piece and nothing can happen.

Originally Posted by Mr Mander

The Triforce is perfectly balanced. It represents the human (or Hylian) race's ability to do things it.

Before you do anything, you need to be smart enough to do it (Wisdom), Strong enough to do it (Power), and willing to do it. (Courage)

Remove one piece and nothing can happen.

But that's merely a symbolic thing. In the canon of Zelda, there appears to be almost a prejudice in the abilities of Triforce owners. From a purely technical standpoint, Power and Wisdom appear to be able to "do" more than the ToC.

I see the ToC being merely like Harry Potter's scar with potential of being saved from what would be otherwise disastrous without. In TP we see it saved Link from becoming a spirit in the Twilight, and Potter's scar made him immune to some instant-death spell. I like your observations on ToC being the lesser possessed piece of the other two.

Well..the probolem with all this is that we do not actually know what powers come from the Triforceparts. Ganondorf always was a powerfull black warlock mage thing, and he was brought up by twinrova, who lived for roughly 400 and showed no signes of hitting the bucket soon.

Same with Zelda, you list "magic powers", healing, great wisdom and thelephaty.
Zelda and several other characters can use thelephaty without the ToW (in ALttP for instance), she has displayed magic powers in games where the ToW is not even mentioned (FSA). And she is always displayed as a wise person with precognitions and stuff, once again even before she got the ToW...heck she got the ToW because she represented wisdom the most.

Link on the other hand is noithing but a humbkle boy with the ability to carr unusual many items.

I propose that the Triforce parts at least partially base the powers they give on the person they are fused to. The don't grant powers so to speak, they enhance existing ones. TP also shows that they ill intervene for protection of their chrest bearer (Ganondorf saved from execution, Link turned into a wolf instead of a twilight shadow/ghost.

Another explanation could be that Link simply is not as adept in magic as Zelda and Ganondorf. In TP both Zelda and Ganondorf knew about the Triforce and were magic users. Link on the other hand didn't have a clue much and can't even use magic items this time. In other games he usualy relies on items and artifacts to cast magic (with the excetion of AoL where he could actually learn and use spells). While Zelda and Ganondorf seem to create their magic out of thin air.
So simply put Link might not use the full potential of the ToC while Ganondorf and Zelda are beter at using their granted power.

Originally Posted by GamenerdAdvance

It does beg to be asked, if I'm honest; is the Triforce really "even"? Is it fair? Why aren't all three pieces equal in their potential? And does this represent some sort of hierarchy or inequality in the Goddesses that created them, with one possibly being more powerful than the others?

I can't say that it begs to be asked, but it does pose a fair question, and in turn deserves an accurate response.

My take on it is that the pieces are indeed different, but their differences are equally balanced. For instance, you can't say that Courage is weaker than Power because Link always seems to win out over Ganondorf in the end anyway.

As for the equality of the three Goddesses, I think there's no question that they are considered one another's equal. In the creation story, they each merely had their own part to play, and no part was lesser nor greater than the other. They were each equally important to bringing about the world of Hyrule.

I first started thinking about this when I was playing Zelda I, and it hit me that there was no ToC, or even a mention of it, until Zelda II had come along. Then it hit me again - Power, Wisdom, Courage - they're not really equal at all.

Well, the third piece of the Triforce was merely hidden during the events of Zelda 1, so of course there's no need to mention it in game because it was insignificant to the storyline. I'm not surprised you thought the pieces weren't equal, but that's just the assumption that Power > Wisdom > Courage. I think each piece upholds and edifies the other. That's why they're at their greatest strength when combined. That's why not even Power alone could awaken the sleeping princess. Only the god-like power of the entire Triforce combined could break the sleeping curse.

Power grants you semi-immortality

We don't know this for certain.

immunity to all but the finest weapons in the hero's artillery

Or Ganon was just so surrounded by evil magic that only Silver/Light arrows could pierce his darkness

and immense power - or "absolute power" as Zeldawiki puts it.

Don't believe everything you see on Zeldawiki. I have quite a bit of beef with a few articles on there. Anyway, the ToP may be powerful, but it's obviously not "absolute power". The only thing that can grant absolute power would be the entire Triforce itself. Zeldawiki can suck it.

Plus the Triforce Of Power sits on the top of the completed Triforce, which I think just restates it's importance in comparison to the other pieces.

Turn it around, and you see that Power needs Wisdom and Courage to uphold it, to keep it aloft. Without the other two, base Power is meaningless and can't be used properly (example: Ganondorf trying to rule with just the ToP, then the hero comes along and kicks his bum for being so presumptuous).

Then there's Wisdom. This piece of the Triforce represents Law, and it grants it's user refined magical abilities, healing powers, great wisdom, and telepathy among other things.

It might enhance these powers, but I don't see any evidence to show that it grants them. If you're referring to those campy Zelda cartoons of the 80s for your evidence...well...that just brings a smile to my lips. But I can't take your claim seriously.

Even if you're just assuming this because Zelda has been known to have these powers, it doesn't mean they're granted by the ToW. These powers are probably an effect of the Light Force that's passed from Princess to Princess down the line of Hyrule's Royal family since the days of the Hero of Men.

The ToP and the ToW are almost like Yin and Yang with their powers, and with the powers of both, you'd be borderline unstoppable.

The Zelda cartoon and the Valiant comics come to mind when you say this. So would Courage be the flow of the forces between the balanced Yin and Yang, keeping the two in check?

It's interesting to note that nearly every NPC character or object in the original LOZ has either a red colour scheme or a blue colour sheme, excluding Aquamentus and Gleeok.

Or it could be a result of the NES's meager color palette.

Lastly there's the Triforce Of Courage. Created by Farore, the Goddess who had the last part to play in Hyrule's birth, the Triforce Of Courage doesn't really DO much. It doesn't grant courage or bravery, but merely rewards it, like some sort of fancy medal. It does have it's uses, but those uses are mainly just used as a counteract for the other Triforce pieces and their owners, should they fall into the wrong hands - it doesn't really have any standalone

I'm going to have to refute this statement. To say that an artifact created by a Goddess doesn't do anything is kind of a bold statement, and one that won't stand the test of time, especially since it's pretty obvious that the ToC does indeed have its own special attributes.

A fancy medal? Fancy is an understatement, to be sure. And it does have its uses, but it's not only to counteract the other two Triforce pieces. To be more precise, it's to empower them. It's to give them depth and meaning, to complete them. It's not like the ToC was built as an anti-ToP/ToW. That would be silly and the Goddesses wouldn't be so perfect in their design then.

Of course, you say it doesn't stand alone. Of this, I will say the ToC does great on its own. According to AoL, the King hid the ToC to keep people from misusing it. Obviously it held some great power comparable to the ToW and ToP to warrant being hidden away.

The next time we see the ToC is in OoT, and though we don't see it really do anything there, we can't base what we know of the ToC solely upon the events of just that game. The ToW doesn't seem to do anything either in that game, but we know that it's definitely more than just a fancy piece of jewelry.

This is seen in games where Link retains his ToC but leaves Hyrule (Oracles, Phantom Hourglass, etc.).

Hold on. What? Link doesn't retain the ToC in PH. Nobody has the Triforce in PH. At the end of WW the King of Red Lions made a wish on it and it dispersed from view. Link and Tetra did not retain their pieces. As for Oracles, Link does not have the ToC in that game. It's sitting in Hyrule Castle the entire time with the other two Triforce pieces.

In these games, it doesn't have any sort of use, since it seems purely focused on combat against a Triforce Of Power owner.

Again...what? How is Link battling the Triforce of Power using the Triforce of Courage in Oracles and PH? He's not. Simple as that.

We can also see some of the inequalities in the Goddesses themselves and how they're represented in Hyrule itself, or in marketing. An important one here is how there was a game based on Din (the Oracle, embodiment of the Goddess) and Nayru, but green-haired Farore, embodiment of the Goddess of Courage/life/whatever, is set back to a lowly "Oracle Of Secrets".

There were actually supposed to be three Oracle games, and the Oracle of Secrets was to be the third Oracle. However, Nintendo thought three games intertwined might be a bit too complicated or something like that, so it was reduced to two games, with the Oracle of Secrets serving a seperate function, but present just the same. She wasn't ever meant to be lowly, and the fact that she is also an Oracle points to the fact that she's obviously on par with the other two Oracles but never became the center of attention as Nayru and Din did.

We can also see that the races that are attributed with Farore, like the Kokiri, or the Korok, seem to be secluded from Hyrule proper. This doesn't just apply to races either; in Twilight Princess, one of the provinces attributed to Farore isn't even considered a province of Hyrule.

So that makes them unimportant? That makes Farore less powerful? It just means she deals in many simple aspects of life, such as nature. Yet, nature can arguably be one of the most devastating and destructive forces in the world. So to downplay that is to disregard its awesome might.

So is there a clear inequality between Triforce pieces, their owners, and their corresponding Goddesses? I certainly think so.

I know you do, but I'm telling you this is just not the case.

The supposed equality and balance that Hylians percieve the pieces to have is a farce, as far as I'm aware. But why is this? Did the developers intend to show the ToC owner as an underdog of sorts, having less divine power than the other two wielders? Or is it the simple fact that the Triforce Of Courage was introduced after the other two that has caused this inequality?

Once again, I'll point to AoL. The King of Hyrule in AoL's backstory knew better than to downplay the power of the ToC, which is why he hid it away and only told a select few of its location, i.e. Princess Zelda. The ToC could, because of this evidence, arguably be the strongest of the two pieces, even if its power is very subtle.

But then, maybe the Triforce Of Courage (and Farore) isn't as weak as I suspect it to be. After all, the king had it hidden away in Zelda II so it wouldn't go into the wrong hands, so it could very well be that the Triforce Of Courage has powers that Link, a humble boy of normal descent, cannot fully utilise.

Yep, this is what I'm saying, and I think you're right that Link just doesn't know everything there is to know about handling his ancient relic.

I mean, didn't Phantom Hourglass establish some minute link between Courage and Time via Ciela?

You'll have to cite references for this. However, the ToC doesn't play a part in PH anyway. The only Triforce reference is in the different powers of the Fairies: Power, Wisdom, and Courage.

And in Twilight Princess, Farore was the only Goddess who got two provinces, despite one of them not being considered "Hyrule proper".

How does the name Ordon connect to the Goddesses? We see the similarities in Lanayru, Eldin, and Faron, but Ordon escapes me. Until you explain this, I won't think Ordon has anything to do with Farore as you surmise.

I'm of the opinion that there is a definate divide between the three pieces and that they are in no sense equal, but that's just me. What do you think? Why is the ToC percieved to be nothing but a glorified trophy for your adventures, in comparison to the ToP's proven ability to grant semi-immortality and immense power?

It's just you.

ToP hasn't been proven to grant immortality, but it does give immense power. Likewise, so does Wisdom and Courage. I mean, in TP, it's their powers that keep Zelda and Link from the harmful effects of the Twilight Realm.

The ToC is arguably what sets Link apart in WW as a Hero...before then, he was just a plucky boy from a small island. It gives Link many powers in TP. It's considered a great power in AoL, one worthy of being locked away. It's definitely on par with the other two pieces. Guaranteed.

The way I see it:

Triforce of Power = Berserker

Triforce of Wisdom = Cleric

Triforce of Courage = Rogue

The other two are certainly more flashy and appear more powerful, but the Rogue has the ability to get into places and get things done under the radar. Not to mention he has a scoundrel's luck and a lot of raw skill.

I haven't got much to say about this, nor do I theorize much at all, but:

I'd say Balanced.
1. It's sounds right.
2. It can't be equal, because Good and Evil are not the same (or) It can't be equal, because Courge, Wisdom and Power are different.
3. Good and Evil are different, but balanced.
4. Courage, Wisdom and Power are different, but balanced.

TIP: Don't think too hard guys.

While I may Disagree with your theory, I believe that you did a good job of arguing your point. Seeing as how this is the first theory I've been able to read through, and felt like responding to, in over a year.
I believe that the way the triforce works is that it doesn't automatically grant any of the 3 bearers any exclusive powers. It grants them all the same powers meanwhile enhancing the bearers attributes based on which piece they get.

I think that we can conclude that the bearers triforce acts in times of crises for each of the bearers. (Ex: Ganondorf's execution, and Link being dragged into the twilight realm.) However, the immortality and infallibilty aspect of Ganondorf when he has the triforce of power are enhancements of his own power. Since only 1 male is born to the Gerudo tribe every 100 years, they must have extremely long lives. (Long enough to wait for the next child to be born, and then for him to come of age, in order to rule the tribe.) Since Ganondorf already has long life and is powerful it enhances his power, and long life. Also, his long life could be attributed to the fact that he is stuck in a different realm half the time, and we're not positive of the effects of those other realms on aging.

I also propose that the triforce of wisdom and courage amplify their owners wisdom and courage respectively. However, which can you physically see; Strength, Intelligence, or Bravery? Since Strength is the only visible quality, it's obviously going to be the most noticable of a change. While the triforce of wisdom, amplifies Zelda's already formidable amount of knowledge, we don't see it having any effect, because we dont see Zelda do anything before she gets the ToW, in most games. (In fact we don't see her do much of anything period, do we?)

As for the triforce of courage, I think you are underestimating what true power unwavering courage is. Never once do we see Link waver in his quest. Not once. Every one has doubts and imperfections. Which, in situations like Link's, would almost certainly get in the way, or keep them from completing their task. Never once does Link get down on himself for helping Ganondorf get the triforce in OoT. Never once does he stop and take a vacation because he gets tired or scared. Nor does he let the troubles of others get in the way of his ultimate task. When Ilia is not present with the other children in Kakariko at the beginning of TP, I know that I would drop everything and go find her first. Screw the twilight realm and all the rest of it. I don't care, my friend/love interest is missing! But he doesn't do that, he keeps truckin' along in his quest and eventually bumps into Ilia when he's in the middle of doing something else.

As further proof the the Triforce is in a state of absolute balance absolutely. I'll provide you with these examples.

Ganondorf has Power, but he never succeeds in taking over the world because he's an idiot and lacks the Wisdom to use it properly.

Zelda is always the damsel in distress because she lacks any Courage to use her Wisdom in the fight against Power (Ganondorf).

And Link, always has to go on quest to get other powers (Ex:The Master Sword, Silver/Light Arrows, and the Ocarina of Time Melodies) to back up his Courage because Courage alone is not enough to take down the awesome might that is Power (Ganondorf).

In conclusion, yes the triforce is completely balanced, but "Wisdom" and "Courage" are "Powerful" in more subtle ways then "Power" is.

I'm not going to get crazy in-depth here, but here's my two cents:

-The Triforce is not meant to be separated. It is meant to be together.
-From its very creation it was meant to "maintain order" (The Japanese here essentially meaning that it was to hold together the very fabrics of existence that the goddesses created).
-From OoT/WW, we can clearly see that the pieces want to be together, in that they resonate, and willingly recombine when coming close together

The Triforce only becomes separated when an imbalanced person touches it. Then the godesses choose new holders. I believe the essence of the holders themselves determines the way the individual pieces respond, more than than the pieces themselves do.

My point exactly, all of the triforce pieces have the same powers, but how they act and what abilities they grant all depends on the bearer

Originally Posted by GamenerdAdvance

Power grants you semi-immortality, immunity to all but the finest weapons in the hero's artillery, and immense power - or "absolute power" as Zeldawiki puts it.

If I remember correctly, the ToP gave Ganondorf those things because he specifically wished for them. (I'm not 100% sure, so I could be wrong.)

Originally Posted by MetaLinkA

If I remember correctly, the ToP gave Ganondorf those things because he specifically wished for them.

When did he wish for said things?

The Triforce of Power doesn't grant wishes. In OoT, he may have been able to make his wish to rule Hyrule after first touching the Triforce, but when he tried to claim it as his own it only let him keep a portion of it: the Triforce of Power. The ToP itself didn't grant him any wishes, but it did allow him to become more powerful in his conquest to fulfill his wish to overtake Hyrule.

Note: Since we're not sure nowadays whether or not OoT is the SW, we can't even be certain if this is the point at which Ganondorf made his wish upon the Triforce. In fact, the only thing we learn about Ganondorf is that he wants to use the Triforce to take over Hyrule, not necessarily make a wish on it (though, we can infer that he did because that's what you do when you come upon the full Triforce i.e. ALttP, WW). The BS of ALttP concerning Ganondorf coming upon the Triforce states he made a wish. The OoT tale of Ganondorf does not...as for the wish for immortality, we know that was not one of the concerns of his wish.

The Triforce is completely balanced. The reason Link doesnt appear to have any power using the ToC is because he normally appears to have almost no knowledge of magic, legends, etc. (which is why everything is explained to him throughout the games).
The ToC could really just be an un-utalized resource that Link has but doesn't know how to use. Even in OoT, he didn't know he had it until Zelda as Sheik told him that he did have it. It could've had some influence over Link without anyone knowing it.
If it was just a trophy, then why did Link have it since he came out of the sacred realm in OoT and already have it in TP?

Personally, I think that the Triforce represents a moral: that wisdom and courage are more valuable than power. Which is why Ganon, the wielder of the Triforce of Power, is always defeated by the owners of the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Courage.

In that sense, no, I don't think that the Triforce pieces are equal, because the Triforce of Power is shown to be less valuable.

---

I don't think they are belittling power, I just think they want to emphasize that power (without
wisdom and courage) leads to corruption.

EDIT:

Was Daphnes 'balanced'? Or did the Triforce recognize him since he used to own part of the ToW?

Maybe Daphnes is the Great Ruler of the AoL backstory and is able to use the Triforce fully to properly govern the land.

^ Popular idea. But I'm not a believer *is shunned*

in my opinion "first generation Zelda" has always been set in stone before OoT
I know why I think this, and I know why ZU users disagree... lol

The AoL BS certainly accounts for every Princess being named Zelda, but nothing seems to account for the fact that every hero goes by the name Link. Good grief, Nintendo.