Summary
- The Triforce has been a key element in the Zelda series, but it has been absent in the recent games Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
- While the Triforce doesn't always define Zelda, its existence should still be acknowledged in the next game for series continuity.
- The next Zelda game needs to bring back the Triforce to reassure fans and add depth to the storytelling, even if it's not the main focus.
Between The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, the Triforce has failed to play a significant role in the series' most recent stories, meaning that the next Zelda game must bring back this vital part of the series' lore. Having long since been established as a key element of Zelda's overarching cyclical narrative between Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganondorf, the Triforce has been central to the Zelda series and often a driving factor in the games' stories. However, even with Ganondorf's return in Tears of the Kingdom, the Triforce was sidelined by the Secret Stones.
With Tears of the Kingdom unlikely to receive a direct sequel, it seems virtually inevitable that the next Zelda game will be starting from scratch, much like the rest of the series. But regardless of how this new game will develop the broader Zelda canon further or what direction it will take in terms of story and gameplay, it will need to see a long overdue return of the Triforce in some capacity. Whether the Triforce is restored to its central role or relegated to a plot device in the background, Zelda's next game should still acknowledge its existence for the sake of the series' continuity.
The Legend of Zelda Cannot Exist Without the Triforce
Even from the beginning of the Zelda timeline, the Triforce has played an essential role in the games that followed, either as a direct impetus behind the villain's motives or as a tangential cause of the game's events. For instance, in The Wind Waker, the player's ultimate objective is to gather and restore pieces of the Triforce to defeat Ganondorf, while on the other hand, in A Link Between Worlds, the Triforce is stolen by its villains in order to resurrect Ganon. However, after not featuring in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the Triforce has been unusually absent for many years now.
The Triforce Doesn't Always Define Zelda, But It Should Be Acknowledged
It should also be recognized that while the Triforce is just as much a key part of the broader Zelda series as Link or Ganondorf are, these games aren't required to limit themselves by the Triforce's existence. For example, Twilight Princess took a different approach by introducing things like the Twilight Realm, the Mirror of Twilight, and the Fused Shadow as just a few central components of its story. But the Triforce still made an appearance with its prominent role in the backstory of Zelda's Dark Interlopers and its Twilight Realm, meaning that Twilight Princess demonstrates how the Triforce can enhance Zelda's storytelling without overshadowing it.
The Next Zelda Game Needs To Bring Back the Triforce
Though the next Zelda game could also sideline the Triforce just as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have, it would be the third modern game to do so and would set a bad precedent for the series moving forward. Instead of leaving an uncertain Triforce for the fourth game after that, the next Zelda game should in some way at least acknowledge the Triforce during its story, even if it's only a passing reference. As seen in games like Twilight Princess or Zelda's Oracle of Ages/Seasons duology, the Triforce's involvement can add depth to a story without dominating it overall.
But given that the most recent Zelda games released for the Switch have barely featured the Triforce save for Skyward Sword HD, Nintendo would be wise to put the Triforce front and center in its next Zelda game to reassure the series' fans. Since The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor received critical acclaim, it can be easily forgotten how significantly they departed from the series formula, so the Triforce's revival could be one way Zelda can return to its roots. Ultimately, no matter how the next Zelda game compares following Tears of the Kingdom's success, it must feature the Triforce at long last.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 95 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
- Cross Save
- N/A
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
- How Long To Beat
- 59 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
