by Shane Kelley
With the Triforce, there are, of course, the elements known as the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage that accompany Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link, respectively, but what if the characters received a different one of these gifts instead of their usual one? Let’s speculate on how this would affect The Legend of Zelda lore.
Let’s start with the Triforce of Power and address the evil it can inherently bring the user who is wielding it. Ganondorf uses this gift to amass an army full of hate and malice to ultimately snuff out his enemies. We see what a corrupt mind can inflict upon innocent people when wielding such power, but how would Princess Zelda and Link use this piece of the Sacred Triangle?
Each character basically has two paths he or she can choose: one is the path Ganondorf takes into shadow, and the other is the path into light. From here, you can see many possibilities for each path with each gift for each character.
If Ganondorf and Zelda faced a power-hungry Link, could Zelda and Ganondorf join their kingdoms’ forces to take on the rogue warrior? If I took it a step forward and said Ganondorf and Zelda would marry and unite their kingdoms’ assets to join as one in both matrimony and keeping their lands and people safe, Link could enslave those in the forest, mountains, desert, and Lake Hylia to take on the wise and courageous couple.
If Ganondorf and Link joined forces to take on an evil princess, how would this work? If Ganondorf or Link possessed wisdom and the other courage, what would we encounter from them? I see both having the potential to be wise leaders who would have unique stances on taking on a corrupt princess. I think Ganondorf would be better suited to play the wise leader while Link would use his unmatched courage to lead Ganondorf's army against that of the Kingdom of Hyrule. An evil princess would make quite a twist to the Zelda series and would lead to some interesting timeline theories. The Legend of Zelda would encompass a whole new meaning if the namesake of the game were the embodiment of pure and corrupt malevolence, rewriting that of what we currently know as the history of Hyrule.
If there were no evil attached to power, that would make for a dull story, but say the evil were attached to wisdom… could we see a more tactical-based game of puzzles and wit? Could this become more of a Zelda/Myst mashup? What could each character, bestowed with wisdom, bring as a villain? The story would be more logical and precise to compliment this change in the typical scenario.
The last gift provides the hardest scenario to picture for a story based on a villain with courage. Though Link is the vessel of courage in all current Zelda games, could this be the scenario in which evil could possibly triumph? If one has the courage to constantly challenge good, regardless of the other main characters’ having heightened wisdom and power, would that sheer will to thrive be what would set the one with courage apart? What about this scenario: by wielding courage and being inherently evil, does that give the possessor a disadvantage? If this person would continue to fight, could the hosts of power and wisdom keep developing new, more powerful plans that would ultimately wear on the holder of courage, burning him or her out entirely? Something to think about, for sure.
Ultimately, you expect all scenarios to end with the ones who have light on their side enjoying triumph. However, we also need to consider the official timeline where Link is defeated by Ganon, which places some of the series’ titles within the downfall timeline. This, perhaps, is another discussion.
Of course, since this is speculation and opinion, there can be infinite amounts of different scenarios amongst all these combinations. What combination do you find the most interesting? What do you find the most compelling? Could you come up with your own theory or story with this formula? Tell us what you think, and feel free to message or follow me on Twitter @Stillsaneshane.
Thank you for your input and time, my friends.
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