How Tears of the Kingdom Hid the Triforce in Plain Sight | Tears of the Kingdom Theory

[@NovaBlue242]

I recently read a theory that states that Zelda's sealing power IS the Triforce. BOTW took place in the distant future - so long that the name had been lost to time, but its existence still known. When Zelda prayed at the three springs, she was actually bestowed each piece of the Triforce. It actually shows up twice in BOTW. At the end, and in the final memory, right there on the back of Zelda's hand when her power activates for the first time. I'm not sure how many times Zelda "tried" to use her sealing power, or whether she never did at all because she didn't think she had it. Thing is though, if you follow the order of events, the activation is the first time she tried to use it after visiting all three springs. It checks out.

[@javiervasquez625]

There is a little "wrench" in that theory which is the fact that both her grandmother and her predecessor from the Calamity 10.000 years ago both knew how to wield the "Sealing Power" yet no information regarding either woman explicitly confirms they could only wield it by praying before the 3 springs. If praying before the springs is all it takes her grandmother would have made it clear to her grandaughter and yet it's clear it takes far more than simple prayer for the Sealing Power/Triforce to activate if Zelda's arc in Breath of the Wild is anything to go by. Personally i'm of the belief that the Triforce is in fact lying dormant within the _bloodline_ of the Royal Family of Hyrule and whenever a new descendant of Hylia is born the Triforce is magically passed down into the newest descendant to ensure it's power remains in one of pure heart who won't be tempted to use it's power for selfish gain.

[@LikeADerp99]

Also it has granted her wishes. In botw we see her activate it in the final memory and she wishes to save link and protect her friends. So simultaneously at the same time of her sealing power activating terrako becomes sentient and Carrie’s out her wish to save them via alternate timeline. And I’m ToTK when you get the master sword, her hand is glowing as she holds onto the broken master sword and makes the same noise as when the sealing power activates. She wishes that the sword will reach him in the future. And it does.

[@javiervasquez625]

@@LikeADerp99 Age of Calamity is non canon as confirmed by the official japanese Zelda page ignoring Age of Calamity from the official timeline. Just letting you know.

[@LikeADerp99]

@@javiervasquez625 it’s not canon to BOTW, as it doesn’t impact the story beyond the 100 years prior to botw. It is an alternate timeline with its own set of events. Terrako is gone by the moment Zelda activated her sealing power. It can still be canon to its own branch without effecting botw’s timeline

[@LikeADerp99]

@@javiervasquez625 You also comment this on literally every video

[@GeneralOlde]

I love how TOTK has the three core characters, Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, exemplify their respective pieces of the Triforce through their actions. Zelda in particular manages to exemplifies all three aspects (the Wisdom to formulate her long-term plan to save Hyrule, the Power to master her time abilities she uses in the Imprisoning War, and the Courage to give up herself to restore the Master Sword).

[@christianbaker3564]

Its awesome youre diving into the lore instead of writing the game off like so many fans are, just because they missed things and are mad everything didnt go the way they wanted it to

[@hchatnation]

I appreciate this comment on many levels

[@christianbaker3564]

Ya got a sub as well man. Keep up the good work and happy Thanksgiving!

[@krazykikivii]

I love the theory that Rauru is the one with the apirit of the hero - it lines up with his wearing the charged set (for courage) and the fact that the final shrine reward shows [SPOILER] the her does not have to be a hylian.

[@hchatnation]

Yes! It really opens then door for possibilities in the next Zelda titles!

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

I think Sacred Realm is a dream like that of the Wind Fish. And Triforce is an EFFECT, the effect of making that dream true. But that doesn't mean it makes dreams REALITY. It just changes the nature of dream WITHIN dream, to be ANOTHER reality, and that is the foundation of parallel timelines. Triforce sort of happens when godly power, enhanced by Secret stone or rituals, sends space-time travelers across the boundary of that dream. It's the prism where universe fractures, and white Light power becomes Red, Blue and Green. The world already existed when Ocarina of Time brought together the three goddesses and created another world in such a dream. Ocarina of time, like all instruments, are a resonance chamber, they ARE a ritual and Secret Stone combined into crude technology. Notice how OoT isn't actually explained or justified. They only explain the Triforce but leave the MORE crucial McGuffin unexplained. They just happen to possess a convenient time machine TO USE while getting at the Triforce, instead of just telling a story about getting at the Triforce. Why? Why can it open a Door of TIME and have access to the SACRED realm housing the Triforce? Because, it's the original key. It's a Secret Stone. And OoT Hyrule was created as a dream with that Secret Stone. Nobody founded it. But when the three Goddesses from original Hyrule created that world and left, it was inevitable that a Triforce would be left behind, and be the backdoor to CHANGE that world. Ocarina of Time was willed into existence to be the interface, the noclip hack to ACCESS that unstable fissure point of the world. In THEIR view, the chamber where that is housed is the Sacred Realm. And there is the man, Rauru. He manifests as a spirit just like King Rhoam, bcause he is entering that Hyrule like Link shipwrecked onto Koholint Island, carrying the spirit of the hero. I believe Sonia created King Rauru. She can hear the dreams of gods and bring a character like Rauru to keep her company, similar to Marin in Link's Awakening. The Spirit of Rauru, where ever he came from and Mineru even before him, did not drop off onto Hyrule, they were made flesh by Sonia's rituals. And Rauru, carrying the spirit of a hero, is ignorant of his spiritual history lieka new player taing on the mantle of Link. Mineru on the other hand has functional knowledge gathered from the spirit realm, which I suggest would probably be some of the other timelines in her perspective. Mineru was a Sheikah from the original world, and inspires both the Yiga and the Sheikah to mimic that cultue and recreate it. Triforce will not appear unless sufficiant fracture is created and something is sent back through the boundary of dreams. Such as banishing somebody beyond the dream you're currently in, or altering its foundations in it in sucha a way as Triforce "can fulfill any wish".

[@ninjafisher03]

The aspect of the hero really makes me think that the armor set is just link assuming Rauru's spirit through him, and therefore the hero referenced in the armor set text is Rauru himself who saved hyrule. Link's arm becomes a complete body of Rauru's will

[@mr.awesome6011]

​@ninjafisher03 I thought it was the hero who originally fought the Calamity 10,000 years prior to the events of BOTW. There were enough Zonai references in that game to imply that few of them still had to be around after Rauru's sacrifice, and one emerged as the original hero that fought alongside the Divine Beasts and Guardians.

[@KryyssTV]

However, the Spirit of the Hero is intricately connected with both the Triforce and Hylia and not simply something that manifests without purpose. Much as Fi is the Guardian Spirit of the Master Sword the Spirit of the Hero appears to be the Guardian Spirit of the Triforce. This was first alluded to in Skyward Sword where Link will see the Triforce within the Silent Realm when he looks at his reflection in the water. Likewise the Triforce was never within Skyloft but was actually within him all along. We're told that Hylia hid the Triforce within Skyloft but Link is too young to have had the Triforce put within him so clearly he somehow inherited it without knowing. We've seen this passing of the Spirit of the Hero before in Twilight Princess where it was transferred from the Hero of Time to the Hero of Twilight. The pattern established is that if either the incarnation of Hylia or the Triforce is endangered then sonehow the Spirit of the Hero manifests. With TotK and TTP we've seen that it also doesn't have to manifest within a Hylian as we see it belonging to a Zonai and Stalfos respectively. So while Raura could be imbued with the Spirit of the Hero, this is unlikely during TotK as he clearly had abilities long before Sonia was in danger and we saw him lose to Ganondorf which is never something the Guardian of the Triforce has failed to defeat in the past.

[@tristanneal9552]

Rauru summoning the Triforce blew my mind. But isn't it interesting that the triangles all appear to be pointing down, rather than aligned like with the full Triforce? Maybe that suggests he only has one piece, or that it's a different but similar power (his light power is the same type of power as the Triforce, but not the same)? Or maybe... the tetraforce is back?? Lmao

[@graenovember]

I hope this gets pinned!! ❤ I was wondering what you were talking about so I rewatched that part and you’re right! Along with the upright triangles, there are another 3 triangles in the same place facing down. The whole thing isn’t even a triangle anymore. Could that be the reason why the Triforce reference on Zonai clothes look like 3 triangles within each other? I wonder what it all means.

[@dummyyogurt5375]

or maybe the zonai are from lorule

[@Daluckyplays]

@@dummyyogurt5375 the game says they are believed to be descendants of the Gods, and that they descended from the sky, bringing with them the Zonai devices.

[@minxnoraen6943]

@@dummyyogurt5375 Lorule's Triforce is the exact mirror image. What we can see here is the same positions as the standard Triforce, just the individual triangles are upside down, so not quite the same. I get what you were going for though. 😜

[@duck_o_web]

It appears that the tri-force pieces are rotating. A final form of the light before the laser vaguely looks like the normal tri-force.

[@forehead3k]

This is one of the first coherent theories I've stumbled across. And kudos for catching some of the less obvious Trioforce references from the game.

[@DaimonAnimations]

There's some issues here. 2:44 Sonia confirms that Zelda indeed is a descendant of her and Rauru by not only blood but also possessing Sonia's time power and Rauru's light power. The first hint that Rauru and Sonia had already their own children that we as players don't see. Second hint is when Ganondorf is swearing loyaly to Rauru, Rauru tells Ganondorf that even if he was to be gone or and Sonia, the Kingdom would not suffer their loss. (The hint is most likely that they have already the next line, their children that again been kept off screen) The very fact that Zelda is a direct blood descendant already confirms Rauru and Sonia already had children. Sonia's behavior also is closer to a mother like woman, in contrast to Zelda. Take in consideration, even if Zelda was 17 before the events of the Calamity and we ignore she kept the Calamity in frozen stasis with her for a 100 years and this somehow didn't affect her personality growth, still after the end of BOTW and TOTK 7 years have passed so Zelda should be in her's 22 years old plus the 100 year frozen prison with the Calamity 122 years old she still behaves child like in contrast with Sonia. Some people said before "Well Rauru passed his powers to Link" Yes but only because he attached his own arm to Link. With out this arm, Link wouldn't have had the capacity to don this powers. At the end when Link recovers his arm, all of Rauru's powers are gone along with his arm, confirming that his powers are not transferable to someone who isn't blood related. Fujibayashi did mentioned that Rauru's and Sonia's timeline could be way after all the Zelda timelines, he said that something happened and the three timelines reunited, this could have been something related to the Triforce or the Goddesses destroying all knowledge of the Zelda franchise we know and as to why Rauru says he and Sonia are the founders of Hyrule and the why Rauru has the Triforce. I'm guessing Nintendo is gonna expand this in future games.

[@Makkaru112]

Zonae yet she doesn’t look like a furry?

[@Makkaru112]

Still don’t know why she’d not sense ganondorf coming and avoid his stab. If anything gif have liked to see her foil him a few times throughout the game and show him taking clever clever measures to knock her off the board so to speak.

[@DaimonAnimations]

@@Makkaru112 Because they stated Rauru was one of the last few Zonai, most likely is, Zelda's descendants mixed mostly with other Hylians with the absence of Zonai genetics presence.

[@JJAB91]

I'm going to be blunt with you but Nintendo is never going to address this or any such theory. Nintendo doesn't care about their own lore.

[@Spoonishpls]

This is why I think treating BOTW and Totk as its own completely separate timeline with just other game Easter eggs instead of trying to hamfist it into the other timelines

[@braydenbanks4228]

Quick clarification comment for the less Zelda inclined viewers: the Triforce of Courage comes from Farore, Not Farosh. Farosh is the Dragon Spirit Guardian of the Spring of Courage, and is a servant to Farore. There are two others who also share a tweaked name following their goddess: Naydra the DSG of the Spring of Wisdom, and servant to Nayru, as well as Dinrhaal, the DSG of the Spring of Power, and servant to Din.

[@sipinthatbub]

Thank you. The moment he said Farosh I felt the urge to slap someone.

[@alijoc]

@@sipinthatbub he probably misspoke but your reaction is hilarious 😆

[@braydenbanks4228]

​@@alijocoh, yeah definitely a misspeak considering he says Farore multiple times in the correct context for the rest of the video. Also, this misspeak and misspeaking on Naydra vs Nayru is very easy to do.

[@jacobsims8307]

Din in oracle of seasons 😍😂

[@rez2405]

Nayru..... or Lanayru

[@EdgyPuer]

Isn't the tri-force a lot more powerful. I mean when it is fused back into one piece it can grant wishes that can completely change the world, revive the dead, etc, and seems to have very little limits on it's power. So if Rauruu and Zelda have the tri-force than Ganondorf should have gotten folded, both in the past and shortly after he woke up after his little nap. I don't think they have the tri-force but rather have some vague access to it, or it's just lending them power or it's just the symbol used to represent light force now.

[@williamvalorious4403]

my thoughts place the triforce...as well a 'power' likely desynced from a set form, in sort no one can 'own' the triforce now for some reason, it merely grants its effects to those that carry some 'right' to use it

[@carlosdgutierrez6570]

The issue is that in order for the triforce to grant wishes the user must be aware of the true nature of the triforce, otherwise it won't grant any wishes, at least not beyond what attributes the user thinks the triforce has and given the tens of thousands of years that have happened since the era of myth, the true nature of the triforce has been lost to the sands of time to the point that the current civilization thinks that it is only a power to oppose and seal darkness so the triforce will only behave in this way, the own belief of the users limiting the scope of the triforce's power.

[@EdgyPuer]

@@carlosdgutierrez6570 It still grants wishes when it's fused, but if the person's heart is impure or unbalanced it shatters after the wish i.e. in ocarina and link to the past. Ganondorf in either didn't know it's true nature and his wish was granted. In present era it might just be a symbol, that has lost it's meaning and has come to mean to people that it is a divine force that destroys evil, but it's form and function is probably still the same, just how the Hylians have viewed have changed.

[@mr.awesome6011]

They likely only use it in an absolute "break glass in case of emergency situation." Zelda and Rauru are noble beings and would probably not want to use the Triforce to just do whatever they want. They believe in a natural order in the world that contains both good and evil but only when that order is truly imbalanced by evil will they call upon the power.

[@MuljoStpho]

I forget the exact wording that came up but I saw something a while back that was showing direct literal translations of texts (both in the game and in the manual) from LttP (and maybe also OoT?) and comparing them to the official localization. There was something in there about the Triforce containing symbols that mark users and allow them access to the Triforce's power. Like they never actually hold the real Triforce in their possession, they just use the symbol to tap into its power remotely. That idea is how the "divine prank" from TP is rationalized, actually. When Link from the end of the game was sent back to before it all happened (or back to before he first pulled the sword at least) he was still carrying within him a symbolic connection to the Triforce. This symbol resonated with the real Triforce in the newly forming timeline branch and triggered it to mark that timeline's Ganon and Zelda as well. When the mark reached Ganon during his trial he was quick to realize that he could tap into a lot of power through it.

[@fatimaismail9941]

The power Sonia was using in the memory of the molduga attack is the power of wisdom, which is why she is on the left side of Rauru. Zelda has the power of courage which is why she is on the right side. Rauru is power because he is in the front.

[@Rafaelrgm]

Being closer to the gods show actually make it harder to wield the triforce since it can't be used by gods, wence why Hylia made herself mortal in SS.

[@tristanneal9552]

Maybe that actually supports the theory. Would explain why Rauru lost to Ganondorf despite possibly having the Triforce; he can't use it fully.

[@mtamer2943]

I do think it's surprising everyone is unaware about the triforce references. I still feel saying they come from the same source as the Triforce is a bit of a stretch mostly because we lack an entire context on their origins or more information on them that we know about, but there's indeed a connection. Heck; the boar, dragon and owl motifs on high Zonai attires like Rauru and Link's hero aspect avatar reward are a direct reference to the trinity animals of each triforce piece.

[@aster4jaden]

I've barely found any TOTK Videos looking into the Lore of the Game and some are now coming out basically calling it a bad Game, it's refreshing to see a Player actually giving it a go.

[@howabtjoe8]

Because the game doesn’t offer much lore. Any secrets you find while exploring like journals or tablets only allude to the events shown in the flashbacks or the four identical cutscenes from each temple. all the temples are zonai, the depths are zonai, the sky is zonai, yet we essentially learn nothing more about them than we did in BotW. Even when Zelda venture 10 thousand years in the past we learn virtually nothing since there are only two zonai left of the entire race. The new games are also so far into the future and so separated from the past games, there’s essentially no point in looking for lore that relates to the past games as the developers seem to want to be free of the lore at least in these last two installments. Theres no videos because there’s no lore. Only vague small hints to things like a faint image of the triforce. They said they wanted people to make their own stories and have the freedom to do so, and the result is a really hollow story

[@masonmcfarlane9991]

I’m SO excited that I’ve found someone on KZbin that actually looks into TOTK’s lore and doesn’t call it bad, huge props to you

[@sykune]

I originally took the power that repels evil that Rauru weilds to be the light force which is spoken of in the minish cap. But after this video i believe that the reason Rauru could summon that beam is because both Zelda and Sonia are of the bloodline of the goddess so if he weilded the triforce they just channeled thier power through him, had ganondorf not killed sonia they could have beat him.

[@travischance5332]

I like to imagine the Zonai were the result of a desperate wish made on the Triforce. When the wish was granted and the Zonai arrived, the Triforce "traded places" until the Zonai disappeared, when the spirits of Hylia and Link suddenly re-appear.

[@BlackKnightsCommander]

Funny thing about the triforce on the back of Zelda's hand in TotK, it's actually way easier to see the triforce on her hand on the amiibo than it is in game. Also, Rauru's attack might actually just be Advanced Geometry

[@thomashicks3785]

Is it possible that Queen Sonia had the triforce, and not Rauru? You said Rauru had a balance of wisdom and courage, but Rauru himself said that he was naive when Sonia died. I remember reading about the first royals of hurtle in a side quest that mentioned Rauru liking to spend his time “irresponsibly” and that Sonia was the one to get him back on task. Doesn’t that’s make her more likely to have wisdom? To reach a bit further, is her confront with the fake Zelda qualify her for courage, and her wielding of the secret stone for power? That would give her a balance. It would also support the bloodline theory that existed in previous games as well (before BotW).

[@dargossss]

I like the idea that the Triforce was forgotten because it merged with the Royal bloodline, and that's why it's the royal symbol. I can't agree with the idea that Rauru has it, the math doesn't add.

[@Pimpgamer101]

0:51 it was formed at the beginning of creation. Farore, Din, and Nayru made the world and populated it then left the Triforce as a manifestation of their power while they went back to the sacred realm. If I’m remembering the creation myth from OoT correctly.

[@ShaunRF]

Its funny to see this after hearing all the talk among Zelda-tubers that this game might have killed Zelda lore discussion. Great video!

[@Elite02k]

the one big plot hole in this theory of rauru having the triforce, is that if that were the case that he carried the full triforce, along with the secret stone, ganondorf would have had zero possibility of fighting him solo let alone with the 5 sages and zelda. most likely, he may carry a piece of the triforce.

[@cnf465]

This is by far one of the best and most complete theory related to TotK and the Triforce during these two games Your research was amazing! Incredible video! :D

[@hchatnation]

Thank you!

[@1darksoul786]

So we could say that the Zonai created the secret stones to have faster and easier access to the power of the Triforce (or sacred power) without the need to go through countless rituals like Zelda did in BOTW.

[@javiervasquez625]

Rather ironic considering that all happened in the long past only for future descendants to continue to rely on prayer in order to use it.

[@iLLiCiT_XL]

I appreciate this theory because I’ve been seeing other creators complain about the absence of the Triforce without looking at what’s in display more critically to see what if it was presented.

[@IMD918]

This makes a ton of sense. I didn't notice until now that Rauru's hands actually form the shape of the triforce with his fingers. Even before it flashes light, he is holding up the triforce shape. And if the triforce seals away darkness, then the triforce quite literally is the power of light, which is Rauru's power. I think Rauru loses the triforce though. When he doesn't heed Zelda's warning about Ganondorf, he loses the triforce of wisdom. When Ganondorf steals the secret stone, he becomes more powerful than Rauru, and Rauru loses the triforce of power. Left with only the triforce of courage, Rauru sacrifices himself to save the kingdom. He seals away Ganondorf, who possesses the triforce of power, and himself, with the triforce of courage. Zelda should possess the triforce of wisdom at this point, and so by becoming a dragon, she seals herself along with the triforce of wisdom away to the spirit realm. All three of them are in spirit form from then on. Ganondorf's spirit form is Calamity Ganon. Rauru's spirit form is the one that guides us through the tutorial, and Zelda's is the Light Dragon. So during this time, you could argue that the full triforce was sealed in a spirit realm by the gods.

[@s.e.n3264]

There is ALOT that I take issue with, because there's no way it's true. 1. The secret stones are not on the same level as the triforce. If that was the case then Ganon would've been defeated by Rauru and the ancient sages. Even more so if he also has the triforce, which he most definitely, does not have it. 2. Rauru having the spirit of the hero, doesn't make sense either. Every incarnation of the hero that we see is always named Link. Zelda is always named Zelda due to royal decree from the age of myth. Most likely when the spirit of the hero is bestowed upon them, that supernatural phenomenon always impells the parents to name their son Link. 3. The name "Rauru" could also be a title, not just a name. That's given to the sage of light. 4. Rauru definitely doesn't have the triforce, Sonia is the one with the Triforce. She is a hylian. The royal family from the age of myth definitely survived the apocalypse of their kingdom. But so much time passed in an age of destruction and isolation, that the naming convention was lost, but later reinstated after the imprisoning in ToTK. 5. We never see any descendants of Sonia or Rauru in game. But they definitely had children. Together. (I'll elaborate on that at the end.) 6. The secret stones are technically, magatama. Special beads used in ceremonies. Said ceremonies are what likely gives them their power. They only enhance your natural abilities, and seem to only effect your magical affinity. Even if an individual has more than one magical affinty, only one is enhanceed. Not sure if one is picked at random or of it enhances the strongest affinty. I'm leaning toward the later since it enhanced Zelda's time power. In which case, Zelda has been a sage before, the sage of time in OoT. 7. I deduce that the only reason Rauru and Sonia were able to bring back Zelda at from her dragon form. Is because she's the holder of the Triforce, and has Hylia's blood in her veins. And we've all seen how strong bloodlines, especially legendary bloodlines are in this series. (I will also explain why ToTK ancient hylians look different, at the end.) In Dragon form, Zelda's soul is still intact but she's mentally not there. Rauru and Sonia simply returned her spirit to her, and that's how the draconification was reversed. Spirit and soul and often used interchangeably, but they're not the same thing. Your soul is your actutal supernatural power/being. Spirit is the psyche (mind/personality). Basically ID vs EGO. It looks likes the mind and body and used by the secret stone to create the draconification. That also explains why all the dragons are mindless except when it comes to their role for being. Which is why The Light Dragon helps Link in the finale. Zelda became a Dragon in order to help Link defeat Ganondorf. 8. Over time the hylians, living in centuries of collapse. Became more primative, the Hylian bloodlines became tainted or less pure. We've seen another surprise race that came from "the heavens". And they are closer to the gods than Hylians are. The Oocca! They only appeared once, and only when they were needed to save the kingdom. Same with the Zonai. Which explains why they mysteriously vanished, just as fast as they appeared. 9. (Theory) It's entirely possible that the Zonai were sent down from the heavens, in order to restore and purify the tainted Hylian bloodlines. Since they are closer to the Gods, they would naturally have more "light" within them. That could be achieved thru breeding, or... ceremonies using sacred magatama that were given to them by the gods. It very much looks like they were sent to restore most of what was lost to the ages. Key word there is most, hence why some things appear to still be missing or shrouded in secrecy. That's why in the Wilds era (modern hyrule in BoTw and TotK) Hylians look like we've always known them. 10. The Lomei race is a lesser race of the zonai. That's the ancient hero's appearance, in the ancient hero's aspect. They were known to be subterranean, and more aggressive due to being a lesser form of Zonai. But they were still reasonably civil. Hence why one of them became an incarnation of Link. 11. As far timelines go, which is the final loose end here. I previously thought the Wilds Era, took place in the downfall tineline. Due to lost knowledge and Lynels existing here. But now im positive there is a timelines convergence. The proof is in the existence of clothing items like the Lobster shirt existing in the game naturally, instead of thru amibos like BoTW. And the existence of more than one Zora's domain and the Rito. The Rito only exist in the Adult Timeline due to The Great Flood. The 2nd Zora's domain is where Sidon's fiancee is from. Hyrulian Zora use Silver jewelry, the foreign Zora use Gold jewelry. There was video of someone explaining that, but I forgot who it was. 😅 Okay, I believe that's everything I wanted to say. No disrespect bro. It's all fun and games. Tell me what you think of all of this. I'm very interested in hearing from you!

[@bubblehead4270]

We’ve had other games with no Master Sword or Ganon, those were never considered lazy writing or rushed.

[@kingworm7168]

Finally!! Thank you for giving the lore a chance. Great video, new sub 👍🏽

[@mikethehunter5212]

It's a shame so many Zelda fans are turning on TOTK and its lore so early on. As a long-time Zelda fan who only just started playing BOTW/TOTK a couple years ago, I'm excited to see what this era of games has in store. Some aspects of the older games will likely be retold to fit future installments better, but that's just part of the process of evolving. Not really part of this video's topic, but I just wanted to put my opinion out there.

[@Crowebar-fe9ln]

I get what you’re saying but I don’t think it’s as many people turning as it seems like tbh. The internet is just naturally drawn to drama and people are going to jump in whether they agree or not.

[@davidlowery2294]

Yeah I remember the last time fans got crazy about a zelda game. If I'm not mistaking that game is considered one of the best the series has to offer.

[@tristanneal9552]

I really loved this theory and I'm like 90% confident in it, definitely subbed. My only issue is if Rauru and Zelda both have the Triforce, how in the heck do we justify them both getting smacked down by Ganondorf? Even if his Secret Stone is amplifying the power of Demise, I get the impression that the Triforce is more powerful than that.

[@Pyro_UH]

Finally, someone else realized that Sonia is the Goddess incarnation and Rauru has the Spirit of the Hero, so there was no Zelda and Link at their time. Nintendo hinted at this by making Rauru's music theme be Link's theme but with some missing notes. In the scene where Ganondorf is sealed Rauru's theme transitions into Link's theme when he mentions that Link will be there in the future to defeat Ganondorf.

[@tristanneal9552]

Would also explain why Rauru's power is green. Green = courage = the hero.

[@izenheimreborn6390]

If you look carefully at the back of Zelda's hand on her Amiibo statue that was released earlier, this year, she does 100% have the full Triforce on the back of her hand, which can only mean one thing to me: she has inherited and wields the triforce

[@Kspice9000]

Wrong. In previous games Zelda link and ganondorf all had all pieces of the triforce on their hands. However only their respective triangle would shine when it's power was activated. It's been like that since Oot.

[@izenheimreborn6390]

@Kspice9000 This is about the Tears amiibo, not the franchise. Everyone and their dog knows the three triangles from the games, except in Breath and Tears, where only subtle hints of the triforce exist (such as the Hylian crest), so the fact Zelda has the full triforce on her Tears of the Kingdom amiibo, means that she specifically has the full triforce. Unless it's just... wrong for some reason, which it's not. Maybe read the comment before replying something unrelated

[@Makkaru112]

Should have been a group of people before hylians existed and showed more of their cultures and histories with the other races which would form the original triforce including the spirit temple in the middle which should be a missing triforce! we better see a next installment that actually isn’t copy paste from the BOTW all the way down to the drop items etc…. We want OOT connections. Similar to how TOTK or BOTW connected the shrine or fountain thing in such a way that was mind blowing. We need MORE of that.

[@Makkaru112]

Look at how whatshisname from the Nintendo team said the sheika technology up and disappeared and nobody knows about it when not long before it was around so it’s a major lazy plot hole. Does the team and devs even care about us anymore or the continuity of its previous games anymore?

[@prestonrcasey]

In Minish Cap, the backstory explains how the Minish provided Zelda with the Light force. I believe Rauru is using a form of this "Light force" as he is the king of Light, but it has no relation to the Triforce as it is its own separate thing.

[@blueblurz9498]

That is a ton of new theory thinking I haven’t necessarily thought of before. But that’s arguably the best explanation as to how the Triforce is present in TotK

[@josephjackson4312]

I believe Nintendo is slowly working us toward something they wanted to do during the creation of the first Zelda. In the first game, the triforce was supposed to be some kind of super computer with the pieces of triforce being computer chips take out of it, and the first game was going to have a time traveling mechanic, but they did not have enough space on the nes cartridge so they kept the whole game in the past like. From all the futuristic stuff they have shown from Skyward Sword to no with TotK, I would not be at all surprised if a Zelda game is to come out with them showing off one of the high tech civilizations at the height of its power using the triforce as some kind of super computer that kept the whole civilization working in order.

[@javiervasquez625]

That would both reinvent and destroy the Lore by practically dismissing all the fantasy Lore which they have been expanding since the original game in order to turn the Golden Goddesses into space aliens and rewrite the franchise into hard science fiction devoid of the core eastern religious themes we've seen across the entire franchise.

[@ad9388]

I believe that the triforce pieces are the secret stones but when you have them together they make the tri force. The strongest secret stones could be within the three dragon guardians floating around hyrule, dinraal, naydra, and farosh.

[@whatwhat98]

​​@@javiervasquez625there are western themes as well. Hyrule and it's structures are western inspired. Medieval if I'm not mistaken. And yeah, rewriting everything from medieval fantasy to space scifi is something I would not like. All these years of lore and storytelling undone. There is no need to change what has been established. One of the things I like about Zelda games is the medieval fantasy.

[@juice2307]

We already have the Xeno games filling the role of “high tech ancient metaphysical super computer that influences reality itself.”

[@Makkaru112]

Ratatoskr did a great two part video relating to this game. It’s got many fair points to it as well.

[@RaggedVentures]

9:35 It's obviously the Kikoho/Tribeam. He even has a third eye like Tien. Now that I think of it, I'm surprised I haven't seen Ruaru re-dubbed with TFS dialogue.

[@IanCombs1337]

I appreciate this so much. So many people who do lore videos gave up because they thought Nintendo made the Triforce irrelevant.

[@RucaSouza]

Zelda's new amiibo from TOTK holding the Mastersword has the Tryforce on her hand :)

[@Radien]

Only slightly more than what I thought they had given us, but still, I like it. You didn't go out on a limb with this theory, and that means it's easier to conceive of it being intentional and true. When someone uses magical power and it coalesces into the shape of a Triforce, it only stands to reason that they're drawing upon the power of the Triforce... because as far as I know, the Zelda franchise has never done anything to contradict this so far.

[@mr.awesome6011]

Dude, your theories were fantastic. Especially the one about both Rauru and Zelda possessing all three traits that match the full Triforce giving them the full power. Since the end of Breath of the Wild, I always thought that the Triforce just remained with Zelda or whoever else inherits the spirit of the goddess because if you recall since A Link to the Past, stories have been told about people fighting in wars in order to obtain the Triforce for themselves. Between this and the never ending battle between Link and Zelda against Ganondorf over the Triforce, it would make sense for Hylia or her incarnations to want to hide such an incredible power away from evil and only call upon it's power when absolutely necessary such as sealing the Calamity or using the power to repair the Master Sword.

[@danielcgallagher]

It was so that I could start watching videos like this that I finally bit the bullet and killed Ganondorf despite not yet finishing my to-do list of side quests.

[@sipinthatbub]

Oh, i think the Zonai just have a thing for triangles. And fabulously impractical clothing that defines gravity.

[@Moon-Vixen]

I disagree, if Rauru had the Triforce when battling Ganondorf, it would still be with his arm when he sealed him (and also, you'd think they'd have won. both his light power and the Triforce, plus 6 sages? come on) and so Zelda would not have been able to inherit it. if it was passed down her bloodline, it would have to be with Rauru and Sonia's child (who has to exist already for Zelda to have a blood connection to both of them). I think the reason it appears when Rauru attacks the molduga is because Zelda is boosting him and that's what's allowing him to call on the power of the Triforce. that's why her aura is so much bigger than Sonia's. it's not just that Zelda has more power than Sonia, but she's being double boosted by both the secret stone AND the Triforce. personally, though I haven't worked out all the details, I think TOTK's past exists in the middle of Skyward Sword. ie, while the Triforce is in Skyloft with *some* Hylians and the Master Sword has not yet been forged. this is why Hylia exists in the Zonai temple as a known figure and why the Hylians would have cultural Triforce motifs, but why no one thinks to get it and why no one recognizes Link's name or thinks to find the sword. (although why Zelda doesn't think to find it and ask about it I don't know). it's a messy theory, but one I think is worth polishing. imo, certainly feels less messy than "Rauru has an almost all powerful ability to banish all evil that's boosted by a secret stone+the Triforce, the most powerful artifact in the world+6 sages also boosted with stones, and *still* lost and had to resort to essentially suicide to seal Ganondorf so the legendary twink in the future could poke him in the head with a magic toothpick" lmao

[@michelleo8499]

Rauru’s triforce looks inverted. The triangles are pointed in the opposite direction than the triforce we know. Interesting.

[@jiographic]

i like to think that maybe the 3 sources of energy could be the sacred flames or at least similar. we mostly see the blue flame being used by the sheikah, but both the zonai energy and ganondorf's gloom are seen in that state as well. there are green flames around shrine entrances and red flames around mummy ganondorf in the beginning of the final boss cutscene. so it makes me wonder if similar to the way the sheikah utilized the blue flame to operate their technology, perhaps all 3 can be used as energy sources that are extracted from the ground. or maybe they can just be tapped into by those born with an ability to do so (to some extent)

[@katherinelutz8535]

I was kind of annoyed that they made no mention of the triforce in the actual story. I’m glad someone is talking about it

[@mahfuzrahman4720]

Now that I think of it, Rauru does show all 3 traits. Power, courage and wisdom. Maybe, he actually qualifies to hold the entire triforce.

[@thegargoylecumeth7932]

Okay, so, I like the "Zelda has the Triforce" theory here. Just one issue I have with it: Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra, the three dragons around the skies of Hyrule in botw/totk, are interactable finally in TOTK. Walking along their backs, one would find each dragon has a perfectly triangle-shaped scale on their back. I finally got around to checking them all out the other day. They each glow like the cracks in the dragons skin/scales, stops glowing after you strike the dragon for a resource Thing is: Zelda doesn't have a triangle on her back, just the dragon scales from tail to head. I tried getting a look at her dragon hands, but it was too tricky to see for sure. Still, I have a feeling we won't find a Triforce there I just don't see enough people talk about these triangles on the dragons, and think it's a neat detail that could explain a lot about where the Triforce is in game

[@jasonbell8515]

This is fine on the surface, but I see a few issues. Firstly, the incarnations aren’t of power, wisdom, and courage, as the Hero of the Sky held all three: the first person to do so. The incarnations are the blood of the goddess, the spirit of the hero, and one of hatred and malice. Secondly, the Triforce doesn’t have to be held by any incarnations. The Hero of the Minish didn’t carry courage, that Zelda never had wisdom, and Vaati, while strong, didn’t possess power. The Triforce was in the Sacred Realm then. Finally, the Triforce would have been enough to end Ganon forever, without needing any seal. This goes double for a Ganon without any piece of it. The last time someone had the full Triforce and lost, it took a week straight of constant fighting from the Hero of Legend, who had a vastly upgraded Master Sword, bow, and an army’s worth of weapons, armor, and magic. Ganon might be able to survive that long, given his might, but none of the sages would. The fight lasted a half hour at most, so if anyone had the Triforce, it was Ganon, and he definitely didn’t have it. No, this isn’t where the Triforce went, but I definitely would like to know, and you put more thought and effort into this question than any other KZbinr. You’ve earned a sub, and a follow up video would definitely be appreciated. The more we work, the closer we get, so let’s find the Triforce!

[@unconditionallove3820]

We're missing what happened between the sealing war and Zeldas transformation. Perhaps at that point the hylians looked to her as the ruler since she is afterall the ruler in the future. Her sacrifice was proof to the people no doubt that the kingdom and the people were first and willing to sacrifice herself for their benefit. A true leader and ruler worthy of admiration and loyalty

[@orestespena3262]

This video deserves so much attention from the ToTK community I believe as well when Rauru "seals" Ganon he calls upon the Tri-Force to drain Ganon of his magic. This is explains why Ganon drains Hyrule of life.

[@Makkaru112]

Because Zonai…. Never much explanation given to the players. BanditGames did a great video recently

[@Ardi_0]

I like that Raru is the hero of that time, that was clever. Tad weird he didn't seek out the Master Sword though. The Hylians probably knows about it, and there for sure are stories and texts about it.

[@Fra8_]

Interesting theory, thanks for the video.

[@TwelveApostlesOfPizza]

Excellent video. I wonder if Rauru has a different triforce? Isn’t there more triforces like in Lorule? Raurus triforce seems to be upside down

[@willardwood8028]

I agree that Zelda had the Triforce in BotW, but TotK gives no indication that Rauru ever had it. In the memory you mentioned, he does NOT make a triangle with his hands, but a chevron. His thumbs are parallel to his fingers, not perpendicular. Plus, the Secret Stones only amplify what's already there. They don't give powers.

[@keithlangevin6149]

Another theory that could work and maybe make for a great game is to have an event in which the Tri-force is used to fuse the timelines back into one. This event could explain two of the biggest questions from BOTW and TOTK. The fussing would explain why there are distinct elements of each timeline in the games that shouldn't be able to mingle for one and three lack of Tri-force in the games. Could simply be that the sheer power of would take to bring all three lines together depleted the Tri-force to the point where it wasn't as epically powerful anymore and was possibly sidelined and forgotten and possibly only and to be tapped into by family line or Zelda, this being the same power that was still enough to keep Gannon in check and can be seen when she gonna the fight at the end of BOTW (which i still think was awesome the way it showed just how potentially badass Zelda can be). That's just something i came up with because i hated the whole "they all eventually end up the same mess" that felt like a cop out to me. Parts of both of theories together could make for an even better one. I also figured the use of the Tri-force symbol by the Hylians might have been just carried along as a symbol of Hyrule with the meaning of it was lost to time. I love how many of the Zoni symbols, designs and tech closely resemble versions of those used by Hyrule and more importantly the Sheika (witch leads into my timey-wimey explanation of the odd changes saying Hyrule been games, but that's a whole different sack of potatoes lol). I have a few more thoughts. What do you think?

[@channingpappe2876]

I always thought Breath of the Wild full Triforce was inside of Zelda when she awakened her power to seal Ganon.

[@truekurayami]

There is one point from the era of "Myth and Legend" that was overlooked, the Piccori and the Light Force. The Light Force while acting as the stand in for the Tri-force in minish cap seemed to have a similar nature as the Secret stones, then you take the fact that King Rauru wields the power of light of evil's bane, and is named after the Sage of light from OoT there starts to make some strong connections. Note I am not saying Piccori became Zonai at some point, but it does help explain the Zonai's "tri-force" depictions if it actually was the Light Force and can also give an explination of how the Piccori had the Light Force to grant to the Hylians, as well as give some evidence that the Secret Stones hold a higher point of divine power than some of the other artifacts like the Silver Arrows, being lesser Light Arrows, and the Sacred sword being a lesser replica of the Master Sword they way the Four Sword could be seen.

[@Makkaru112]

Love your content truly. ❤

[@hikingglint9648]

A lack of a tangible triforce didn't set me off at all I LOOOVE totk, but I hope they give it more attention in the next title. It's THE symbol of TLOZ. Rauru quickly became my favorite, and I loved that he had a connection to it.

[@Makkaru112]

They should have leaned into just making the golden goddess even more ancient Zonae and showing memories including them or something. It’d make sense also for the dragons which also are Zonae given they have dog goat facial features.

[@christophernash8166]

Great investigation and analysis!

[@PaftDunk7]

I always assumed link has a piece because he's super human, with the flurry rush, parry, and mountain scaling.

[@thegreenthunder5416]

I have this theory that the reason the Triforce is missing is because the Triforce regressed back into the Light Force from Minish Cap, and that Zelda is some sort of mini gateway to the sacred realm. Normally when we refer to Ganon being “sealed again,” it usually refers to the Sacred Realm. Zelda being able to use a sealing power without other sages would have to be accomplished with the Triforce. In Minish Cap, the Golden Light or Light Force resides within Princess Zelda and has potentially limitless power, and I think that they are simply referring to the Triforce being hidden away within Zelda. And with the Master Sword moving around over the years, using it as a seal to the Sacred Realm got too unreliable and risky. So my theory goes that at some undisclosed point in the past (but I theorize somewhere at the end of the downfall timeline), someone with extreme clairvoyance of the Zelda timeline collected the Triforce and made a wish: to join the timeline together and give Hyrule a fresh start, a place where all things in every timeline were canon. The Triforce is all powerful, it’s the only thing powerful enough to converge the timeline. Who made the wish? Probably Zelda herself, as she also perhaps the only person that I could see gaining clairvoyant powers of that magnitude. And once the wish was made, the Triforce faded back into the Sacred Realm, and somehow Zelda just became that lock and key, and the Triforce essentially operated like the Light Force once again

[@TheProphet49]

And yet, even with the Triforce AND a secret stone, Raru is unable to square up with Ganondorf after the Garudo obtains a secret stone.

[@ivanheffner2587]

I’ve got a theory for you that, I think fits the lore as it has been revealed through games and has precedent in the timeline, as written by Nintendo. It’s similar to what you’ve talked about, but a little different. Sonia has the blood of Hylia and Rauru is The Hero of their time. The two of them were their time’s equivalent of Zelda and Link. Then, as in “The Fallen” branch of the timeline that splintered off of Ocarina of Time, they were defeated, or at least fought to a stalemate with the incarnation of evil, which was Ganondorf / The Demon King. The ancient past of Tears of the Kingdom was an iteration of Demise’s curse where neither side truly won. Hey, it makes more sense than Rito evolved from Zora.

[@sapiense-science-cerveau]

I believe that Rauru passed down the power to call upon the Triforce to Link as well through his arm. No Link before this one acquired so much knowledge and wisdom. He has incredible courage and bravery too... And on top of that he doesn't even need the Master Sword to defeat this incarnation of Demise.

[@Pimpgamer101]

I’m just now realizing that the secret stones are kind of like the medallions from OoT in a way.

[@TheTraubenstein]

9:39 I think we call it the “Nail Gun” now.

[@alanpulido3205]

Well we do know of one instance where a king of hyrule touched the triforce... The king from WW touched the entire Triforce and wished on it with a pure wish. His spirit could have taken the power he channeled with it and so future kings could have had access to the power of the triforce in the spirit realm where the zonai are possibly from.

[@DanielFrazelle]

A far easier explanation could be that Nintendo didn’t try to make all this fit together. They threw the timeline to the side, reused familiar iconography and left it to everyone else to pick up the pieces.

[@vulpes6144]

There is just one major flaw in this theory: If Rauru had the Triforce all along... how he passed to Zelda if he was sealed along with Ganondorf for thousands of years?

[@mr.awesome6011]

Likely after he died sealing Ganondorf. It then moved on to the next heir to the power until it worked its way to Zelda.

[@Kolya-chu]

Whoaaa. I didn’t notice hose triangles before Raaru does the tri-beam from Dragon Ball. Raaru can deflect Gloom but not Master Sword ☹️.

[@thetrueshadow9227]

Okay so in wind waker the king says that the full triforce can grant any wish so the king wishes the barrier surrounding hyrule to be destroyed allowing water to flood it and that link and tetra are saved so wouldn’t that apply here if Zelda had the triforce couldn’t she wish on or or couldn’t Rauru? Unless the triforce they have isn’t the full one or the real one (the triforce granting wishes isn’t just in wind waker that’s just one example)

[@willardwood8028]

She could if she knew she had the Triforce. In BotW, it's always referred to as 'Sealing Power', but when used fully manifests as the Triforce.

[@Fiorebunny]

Kinda cool to know that after Rauru deceased, the hero soul reincarnated in the hero from the first great calamity ( the ancient hero aspect basically) )

[@skyesilverwing8922]

A lot of people overestimate the power of the Triforce. Over the course of the series, we have seen it used five times (Skyward Sword, Windwaker, Link to the Past, Link Between Worlds, and Adventure of Link). And we can assume it was used twice by Ganondorf (Once at the beginning of the time skip in Ocarina of Time, and Once when he regained the Triforce at the start of the Downfall Timeline). The single greatest effect that we have seen the Triforce accomplish is Restoring a half dozen people to life in Link to the Past. Besides that and fixing its counterpart in Link Between Worlds, the Triforce only ever grants the wish by breaking magic that was already in place. And then there were Ganondorf's wishes which we can assume to have been "Power" and "To Live forever". Neither of which stopped him from getting beat down by the next iteration of the Hero.

[@frz3rbRnotaku1]

So it's not that the events from the other games didn't happen, but it was so far back in the part that mostly everyone who knows it are gone and everyone else thinks they're a myth.

[@dissect123]

I appreciate you looking up all the clues and details about the Triforce. However I doubt any of the characters possess it - at least not all of it. They simply do not display the powers that they should be able to wield if they did possess all of it. They could unmake Ganondorf without a fight. The only loophole I see is that they are not aware if they possess all of it. Maybe the stones have been created by a wish from someone who wielded the Triforce in the past and allow limited access to its powers.

[@hikingglint9648]

It would be interesting if the triforce was split like it was in OOT. Except Link inherits his piece from Rauru. Might explain Ganon's capacity to create Puppet Zelda. What power did Ganondorf have for the Secret Stone to amplify? In plain sight, but not outwardly spoken. I dunno I love it all the same.

[@IslanderDran]

I don’t know about your conclusion exactly being correct, but I do support it. I am pretty sick of people’s lazy dismissal of the story just because they wanted it to be more explicit (and apparently hate environmental storytelling, which these games are full of). Honestly though, there is no reason at all to take literally the argument that Rauru’s Hyrule is retconning the original. We know this is in the very distant future, and in real history we lose track of civilizations all the time, even when only centuries pass. No clear wish being made could also easily be answered by that fact as well. All “retcon” and “no full extent of Triforce equals no Triforce” arguments hinge on the rigid assumption that Rauru, Sonia and Zelda are intimately aware of distant ancient history and the full potential of the Triforce. Frankly, this rigid insistence is painfully irrational. So is claiming the Triforce guarantees success: if it did, LttP could never have had a happy ending. lol

[@MrShockzine]

My theory is that BotW and ToTK are the only actual historic account of hyrule. Every other game that comes before it is a retelling or a legend passed down from the past (from the Zonai era) unto the present. Kinda like the Arthurian Legends of Camelot, they differ and are conflicting with each other. This leads us to the three "timelines" of events. Those sets of stories flow well enough together and as time and distance and retellings kept occuring through word of mouth the true history was lost. In this the secret stones became the triforce and the sacred stones/goddess pearls/other dungeon mcguffins. The number of sages in the stories differed, and hylians were deifyed as reborn gods(hylia). TotK history seems to be the true story of Ocarina, mixed with the truth of Skyward sword. The sacred realm is actually the sky islands the Zonai came from. Even the images of the sacred realm from LttP's instruction manual looked like it was floating. In one story the legend of Demise was born when a hyrulian wanted to explanation of why calamity ganon keeps occuring, and he became his own entity. In another, the gerudo king obtained the sacred power and ravished the land but was defeated by the royal family, Zelda, her hero "link" ((who zelda's stories from the future made legend even if he wasn't there)), and the sages... In some stories he was defeated and imprisoned. This "Imprisoning War" is the same one from LTTP's legend. In other's he escaped and other games "legends" were created.

[@theighthsage1282]

My theory about the zonai js that they are the oocca from twilight princess. I know that sounds crazy but hear me out. The temple of time in twilight princess has an item called the dominion rod. This rod allows you to control statues, and some of those statues have the same pattern found on ocarina of time’s Rauru’s light medallion. The oocca have a connection to it, I recommend looking into it if your unfamiliar. So, my theory is that the oocca are Raurus descendants, and the zonai are the ooccas descendants. In tears of the kingdom, sage abilities seem to be passed down in the blood. The zonai were said to descend from the skies, and that would fit the oocca. The oocca were technologically advanced like the zonai. I know they are very different, but Zelda evolution is insane. The rito evolved from the zora, though, they had the help of the dragon Valoo. There are other theories which I’m fond of as well, such as the zonai being related to Vaati, or that they came from the sacred realm.

[@bloodykun4443]

I don't think the Triforce mark on the back of characters' hands always means they are necessarily in possession of any of it, though it doesn't mean they don't, either. Link has the marking on his hand in the Oracle games, but it is never implied he did anything more than be in its presence. In Twilight Princess, I guess it's sort of up in the air whether the characters actually have it or not. It really hasn't come up enough for it to be conclusive and I think Nintendo themselves sort of want it to remain a bit vague. I think the Zonai rediscovered Hyrule many, many ages later, in which we could figure the last place the Triforce might be would be in the possession of the royal family at the end of Adventure of Link. Now, I don't recall all the details of A Link Between Worlds so I don't remember if Lorule has any relevance to the Sacred Realm, but my interpretation of what happened was that Link's wish on the Triforce destroyed the Dark World...and thus there is no longer a Sacred Realm at all. But I suppose that doesn't mean that the Triforce didn't go elsewhere, as it's been seen to go off on its own after a wish has been granted. That being said, I have to wonder about an implication Ganondorf made in this game, in the scene where he bowed to Rauru in the throne room, in regards to him and Mineru being the last of their kind...maybe just an odd translation or me looking too deeply into things, however it's made me wonder whether there was strife between the Hylian and the Zonai, maybe some muddled stuff between Rauru and the rest of his people, but either way, they seem far more powerful, and I wonder whether they abused the Triforce to become the most dominant force, and if Rauru betrayed them. I guess it would be a bit out there for a Zelda character that is presented as good. but ultimately, I think the secret stones could very well be actual, physical pieces of the Triforce broken down to be handed down to trusted individuals, that do not make any distinction between a person's nature but only amplifies their power.

[@joejester61105]

When you have a moment, please have a look at the same sort of light that flashes when the three (Sonya, Rauru, and Link) turn Zelda back from her dragon form. You may find a similar sighting there as well. 😃

[@samuelbarrett5701]

Keep in mknd this is the first time since skyward sword since zelds understands that she is the goddess Hylia. Her being aware of this could be the reason why the triforce doesnt fracture when she wields it. One thing ive been ssying on multiple theory videos when it comes to magic in zelda is that we dont know the depths of magic in this series. Its definitley a mix of hard and soft magic but there doesnt seem to be any limitations as far as what magic can do in the zelda universe. That being said, its possible that zelda's power she is calling upon is the triforce, and it makes for a god to have a connection to the sacred realm in some way, a realm not limited nor affected by time. One last thing: regarding demise's curse - though demise cursed to reincarnate and oppress link's descendants, he never specified the timing or how he would oppress them. The spirit of demise doesnt have to come at the same time when link's spirit has been reincarnated, heck for all we know the link from SS could be an old man somewhere living peacefully. Its a similar situation with OOT in that the spirit of demise is reincarnated earlier, thus giving demise the advantage. The triforce willbalways exist in the zelda universe but the knowledge and access to it differs. The important thing is always what demise's curse is up to.

[@i.r.weasel7042]

The cascading Triforce symbols look a lot like branching timelines.

[@Lillyluri]

Zelda using the power of the triforce is confirmed fact. When she uses her power to save Link in Botw, it flashes up unmistakably. I think it's memory 17. She's also wearing it as a symbol on her belt (probably royalty-related). It's also prominent on the master sword.

[@hchatnation]

You are 100% correct, missed the Triforces appearance in that memory! That’s when she finally realizes the power. Thanks!

[@fishnewt1331]

I am very late to this. But I have problems with saying Rauru had the Triforce: 1) Gods are not able to wield the Triforce. The Zonai are a sort of God Tribe. Maybe there are varying levels of gods, we aren’t exactly given any statements about how the Triforce discerns a god to say the Zonai don’t count. 2) Zelda is channeling her power into Rauru. Rauru manifesting the Triforce could very easily simply be Zelda channeling its power into Rauru. In contrast, Rauru never displays the Triforce beyond that memory, despite his hands taking the triangular shape once more in that cutscene blocking Ganondorf’s Gloom attack. 3) Zelda manifests the Triforce four different times. Once at Fort Hateno, again before being consumed by Calamity Ganon, again when destroying Calamity Ganon, and then finally when repairing the Master Sword. I think it is pretty consistent to say that only Zelda has the Triforce, inherited to her by whoever the princess of 10,000 years ago was. It still leaves another plot-hole of how the princess of 10,000 years ago has the Triforce while Zelda is the Light Dragon, but eh.

[@ltsiver]

Zelda carries the triforce. The complete triforce is shown when Zelda assists link in defeating the last form of calamity Ganon in BOTW - her hand shows all 3 triforce pieces shining. You also see it when she awakes to her "sealed power" - when the guardian is going to attack weakened link who was guarding Zelda in the flashback.

[@jslaughter95]

why does everyone ignore the fact that Zelda has the FULL TRIFORCE at the end of BOTW, it's right there on her hand when she pulls it up to stop Dark Beast Ganon

[@owencarpenter2326]

I really think Zelda only has the Triforce of Wisdom. In other games when the full triforce is used it disappears. If it is whole in BOTW and TOTK, and gets passed down to Zelda, and she gets to pocket it for multiple games, it kinda disrupts the lore and Triforce mechanics. It could be a change in the lore or an oversight by nintendo, but i think Zelda has just her piece of the triforce, something previous Zeldas could pocket and use when needed

[@AhsokaTanoEDITS4883]

I thought when I first watched that cutscene when Zelda was healing the master sword was the triforce.

[@nahte123456]

I think my main issue is that I just don't believe that's the Triforce when Zelda or Rauru use magic. We've seen the triple triangle before in this way, most prominently in SS when Link was getting the Sacred Fires. The triangles more relate to divine magic in general.

[@therealpmkk]

I think Zelda derives her power from a complete triforce. First, you can see all 3 pieces on her right hand when she uses her power. Second, I have a theory that the ancient people before the ancient Sheikah but after the ancient Zonai we see it totk had no way of fighting the first calamity, so they used the power of the triforce and wished for it to be passed down the royal blood line so the next calamity could be defeated.

[@liliumgalaxy]

Idk I think it would make sense if it was the refounding of Hyrule, that something very drastic happened even more so than the calamities to completely erase the Era of Myths’ Hyrule. Not exactly, but as an example the Gods flooding OoT’s map in Wind Waker. I think if there was so much destruction that the triforce would go back to the sacred realm. (Like we’ve seen before) Zelda’s story in BotW makes it seem like it’s an ancient tradition for Zeldas’ to unlock that power of the full triforce which is very similar to classic spiritual practices irl. So, it could be that they ‘lost’ the physical triforce. However, it could be that the secret stones are like extra Wi-Fi routers to boost the signal. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Or the triforce was in so much danger that it got taken in by the zonai and reformed into the stones or are part of the same material. Or that Nintendo finally decided to make the tetraforce a reality. I also only see one triangle with Rauru and the hand thing. But I’m sure we’ll find out eventually.