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When it comes to the divine might of the Triforce, we immediately think of Link, Zelda, and Ganon as bearers of each piece. Whether it is by the will of the goddesses or destiny itself, it is quite clear why Link and Zelda are deserving of their respective pieces. Zelda has the shining wisdom of the Goddess Hylia, and Link possess the unyielding courage of the Hero. Yet Ganon’s connection to the Triforce is nothing short of an enigma. Even though the Triforce is a neutral entity that favors neither good or evil, it is a balance of the three major forces. If an unbalanced heart touches the relic, it splits into three pieces, and always becomes connected to the Princess, the Hero, and the Thief. In essence, the Goddesses, or rather, the Goddess Hylia chose Zelda and Link to be guardians of the sacred triangle, and to protect it from the thief, Ganon.
It is possible that destiny never intended for Ganon to possess the Triforce of Power. As far as I remember, the events of A Link to the Past was the only moment where Ganon succeeded in seizing the whole Triforce, and transformed the Sacred Realm into a world of darkness. All other times he stole Power, and was in a relentless pursuit of the remaining fragments. The goddesses may have created the Triforce as an impartial relic retaining nearly limitless power, but they knew of mankind’s selfish lust for omnipotence. They knew of the dark forces that sought domination of their creation. Which is why they created it in such a way that not just one individual can use the relic for their own desires. Without going too far into the lore, the Goddess Hylia was the one who made it possible for the Triforce to be used by one person. After sending an outcropping of land into the sky to protect her people and the relic from Demise, she successfully sealed him away, but not without sustaining grave injuries from the battle. In her last effort to safeguard the Triforce, she renounced her divinity, and placed her soul within the body of a mortal, namely Zelda. In doing this, Hylia had made it possible for one individual to touch the golden relic. The Triforce was essentially accessible to mortal kind of intentions both good and ill, hence why Hylia appointed the incarnations of Zelda and Link to guard it.
So where exactly am I going with this totally awesome and in no way boring as a staff meeting history lesson? Well there is another familiar character that has a connection to Hyrule, the Royal Family, and the Goddess Hylia herself. She not only comes from a powerful tribe shrouded in mystery, but is also, and has always been the steward of Zelda, the Goddess incarnate. I am of course referring to none other than, Impa of the Sheikah Tribe. With the tasks given to her, who is to say she is not destined for the Triforce of Power? In fact, Mr. Miyamoto made a small statement in Hyrule Historia that Zelda, Link, and Impa were the guardians of the Triforce. Fate had never blessed Impa with a piece of the Triforce, but being chosen by Hylia to protect her mortal incarnation, and aiding Link on his adventures it isn’t too farfetched for the possibility of destiny favoring her over Ganon. Impa is neither that far off from holding similar qualities to that of the Hero. Most notably, she possess a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that is essential to help Link combat Ganon and his forces. She proves to be a formidable warrior when it comes to Zelda’s safety. Impa certainly put up a good fight against the likes of Ghirahim in Skyward Sword, and let’s not forget that she trained Zelda in the secretive ways of the Sheikah in Ocarina of Time. Heck, she’s even a force to be reckoned with in Hyrule Warriors… but then again, you can dominate battlefields as Agitha or a giant Cucco, so maybe that game isn’t the best credible source for the sake of this argument.
Between Link and Zelda, Impa stands to be one of the few characters with a heart in balance. Much like the Hero and the Princess, she shows little to no desire to claim the Triforce for her own, but only to safeguard it from those with evil intentions. If it weren’t for Ganon punching destiny in the face and stealing the Triforce of Power with every chance he got, it is likely Impa could have inherited the piece. It is also possible that Impa may already possess grains of divine substance. Power is not limited to physical strength alone, but the power one’s body has that can withstand the flow of time. Impa is no stranger when it comes to living beyond her prime yet still proving to be incredibly reliable. In Skyward Sword, she is tasked by Hylia to go forward in time to protect the mortal whose soul the Goddess manifests, and to help her (Zelda) remember who she once was. She then returns to her own time to watch over a sleeping Zelda in order to keep the seal that holds Demise. Impa does this until she ages into a frail, old woman. Knowing that Impa and Hylia originated in the same time period when the Goddess relinquished her divinity, its plausible that Impa could very well be hundreds of years old by the time Zelda awakens and is reunited with Link. The very same could be said in Breath of the Wild. We know Impa was associated with Zelda and the five Champions long before the Calamity struck, and remained the leader of the Sheikah Tribe one hundred years after Hyrule’s fall. So either Impa eats her vegetables, or by the grace of the Goddess, or perhaps a shred of power from the Golden Relic blesses her with longevity. Whatever the case may be; Impa does share a unique bond with Hylia and the Triforce. The strength of her physical prowess and will to protect Princess Zelda at all costs may be all that it takes for Power to shine in her heart.
Thank you kindly for reading! I love to tinker with the Zelda lore to spark new ideas and conversations. As always, it is my hope you enjoyed this piece as much as I enjoyed writing it. What are your thoughts and ideas on the subject? Please comment below to start the conversation, and discover where it ends! Or will it end? That is for you to decide. Cheers!
