Of the three aspects of the Triforce that are granted to certain individuals in the Legend of Zelda series, the Triforce of Courage is the most mysterious. While the Triforce of Power grants the wielder immense strength and resistance to damage and the Triforce of Wisdom grants the wielder powerful magical abilities, very little is known about what the Triforce of Courage does for Link while he is in possession of it.

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This mystery has led many fans to speculate on just how necessary the Triforce of Courage is to Link's ability to defeat Ganon over and over again, as he isn't always in possession of this piece of the Triforce and doesn't seem to gain any significant advantage over his enemies while he wields it.

5 Weapon Mastery

link in botw shooting an arrow

The most common fan theory surrounding what the Triforce of Courage is capable of concerns combat. Some believe his piece of the Triforce is giving him the ability to effectively wield whatever weapon or gadget he finds to help in his battles.

While Link finds many useful items and weapons in his travels, such as the Bow, Hookshot, Bombs, and various swords, he is very rarely shown needing to practice or train in using these items, with notable exceptions being in some games (Wind Waker, Twilight Princess), where he is taught to use a sword from a swordmaster. This power would also explain how Link as a child or young teenager is able to fight toe to toe with much more experienced and adult fighters across the series, as in any other scenario this would surely end with Link's death fairly quickly.

4 Enhanced Strength and Endurance

Link using the Gauntlet weapons in Hyrule Warriors

Another theory surrounding the Triforce of Courage is that it grants Link similar improvements to his strength and endurance that the Triforce of Power grants Ganon/Ganondorf.

In the 3D titles, particularly the titles before Breath of the Wild, Link is able to fall from great heights with little impact to his body, with some heights even resulting in him taking no damage at all so long as he is able to roll once he hits the ground.

In terms of his strength, this would also explain how he is able to move large blocks and seemingly climb forever without having the Power Gloves. Should this theory prove true, it would also explain how Link is able to take blows from powerful enemies such as the Darknuts and Lynels without being turned into Hylian flavored paste.

3 Resistance to Magic

link in OoT fighting ganondorf
via zeldadungeon.net

While this fan theory has since been proven true thanks to the events of Twilight Princess and the confirmation that the Triforce of Courage prevented Link from being turned into a lost soul, the extent of this power is hotly debated among fans of the series. Some fans believe that this Triforce of Courage is also why Link wasn't outright killed by Skull Kid in the opening sequence of Majora's Mask and was instead turned into a Deku Scrub, since Skull Kid appeared surprised by this new form before brushing it off and flying away with Tael.

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This inherent resistance to magic may also be how Link is able to turn back time in Majora's Mask without the negative side effects of forgetting all of the events of the previous three days, as well as granting him the ability to carry Masks and other key items back in time with him, unlike consumable items such as Rupees and Arrows.

2 Purge Dark Magic

link fighting Ganondorf in the wind waker
via zeldadungeon.net

Throughout the series, there are multiple instances where Link has only been able to defeat evil after having obtained the Triforce of Courage, indicating that it may have had some involvement in the process. A noteworthy instance of this happened was during the events of The Wind Waker, where Link was forced to put the broken pieces of the Triforce of Courage back together before facing off against Ganondorf and was only then able to best him in battle.

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In Hyrule Warriors, although it's not a canon story, the Triforce of Courage is also shown to repel Volga's magic fire when defending Impa from his attacks, indicating that this ability to repel dark magic may also extend to all forms of magic under the right circumstances.

dark link

One of the more outlandish fan theories surrounding the Triforce of Courage, though not one without merits, is that the classic Zelda enemy Dark Link was born from the powers of the Triforce of Courage itself.

Ocarina of Time, Adventure of Link, Twilight Princess, and Hyrule Warriors — these titles all have the distinction of being games where Link has wielded the Triforce of Courage at the time of their interaction.  This has lead some fans to speculate that it was born from the piece of the Triforce purging the darkness from Link into a corporeal form.

Dark Link also appeared in the GameBoy Advance port of A Link to the Past, though this was in an optional dungeon that tied into Four Swords Adventures and may not be canon, as well as Oracle of Ages where Link was sent to Labryna by the will of the Triforce. However, whether or not this was the result of just one piece of the Triforce, or the entire artifact, is unknown.

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