Tridents are recurring Objects in The Legend of Zelda series. It is the signature weapon of Ganon in most games he appears in as his standard humanoid pig shape.
Mainline appearances
The Legend of Zelda
Although Ganon himself never uses the Trident in the original game of the franchise, an artwork from the A Link to the Past - Nintendo Player's Guide referring to The Legend of Zelda shows the monster wielding it as he battles Link.
A Link to the Past
The Trident makes its first appearance in A Link to the Past, where Ganon uses it in the first stage of his Final Boss battle. He will spin it and toss it at Link while sending Blazing Bats after him. After a certain point, Ganon will abandon this tactic and use his secret technique of Darkness in lieu of the Trident.[1]
Link's Awakening
Although a Trident-wielding Ganon does not actually appear in Link's Awakening, the final boss will take Ganon's form and attack Link by throwing a Trident at him in a similar fashion to how Ganon attacked in A Link to the Past. Unlike most instances, he wields a double-bladed Trident.
Ocarina of Time
The Trident reappears in Ocarina of Time, wielded by Phantom Ganon, who uses it to summon energy balls and throw them at Link, the Hero of Time. Ganon himself does not use this weapon in the final battle, as he instead wields two gigantic golden swords.
Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages
When Ganon is revived in the Linked Game ending for either Oracle of Ages or Oracle of Seasons, he uses the Trident to battle Link. He either attacks with a vicious direct swipe or a flurry of energy balls. Most of these attacks can be dodged using the Roc's Feather or Roc's Cape.
Four Swords Adventures
In Four Swords Adventures, Ganondorf found the Trident when he broke Gerudo law and entered the Pyramid across the Desert of Doubt.[2] Inside, he found it underneath an inscription that promised its wielder the power to become his true form, the King of Darkness.[3] Ganon uses this Trident during the final battle, where his attacks include throwing the Trident with a trail of blue fire, and shooting a flurry of lightning bolts that send the Links into the Dark World.
Ganon believes that his Trident will grant him the power to destroy the four Links, threatening to skewer them on it.[4] Princess Zelda recognizes the Trident and refers to Ganon as the "ancient demon reborn" because he wields it.[5] A Knight of Hyrule mentions that Ganon used the Trident to defeat the Knights and send them into the Dark World.[6]
A Link Between Worlds
When Ganon and Yuga join together to become Yuga Ganon, they wield a golden weapon that is a combination of Ganon's Trident, and Yuga's magical paintbrush staff. Yuga Ganon uses this Trident in order to combat Link at the end of the game until he absorbs the Triforce of Wisdom from Princess Hilda and begins using magic instead. The Trident is infused with dark power and is also used as a throwing weapon once more, but also retains Yuga's paintbrush staffs ability to transform other beings into paintings. After Yuga Ganon is defeated, the Trident is destroyed along with him.
Breath of the Wild
Echoes of Wisdom
Ganon, or rather, an echo of him created by Null, utilized a Trident during his fight with Link. However, after he was defeated, his Trident caused a rift to appear, sucking Link in, although not before the latter freed Zelda from her crystal prison with his bow and arrow. It is to be noted that the trident Ganon is using is a double-bladed one similar to the one his Shadow Nightmare incarnation used in Link's Awakening. The echo would later use the trident again when fighting Zelda in Hyrule Castle.
Spinoff appearances
BS The Legend of Zelda
In BS The Legend of Zelda, Ganon fights similarly to how he fought in the original The Legend of Zelda, by turning invisible and shooting fireballs. As such, the Trident is merely cosmetic and not actually used in combat.
Ancient Stone Tablets
In Ancient Stone Tablets, he uses it just as he does in A Link to the Past.
Zelda's Adventure
Gannon wields a Trident in Zelda's Adventure. Using this Trident, he is able to summon shock waves of electricity to fight Princess Zelda.
Hyrule Warriors
Ganon wields the Trident in Ganon's Fury in Hyrule Warriors. Ganon uses his Trident when activating his Focus Spirit to expose enemies' Weak Point Gauges, as well as when performing a Weak Point Smash.
Yuga can also summon the King of Evil Trident to attack enemies as part of the moveset for his Picture Frame Weapon.
The Trident is also a class of Weapon used by Ganondorf. It is associated with Lightning. As with the five Warriors from the base game of Hyrule Warriors Legends, it can be transferred to Hyrule Warriors via a code, or purchased through the Legends Character DLC Pack. In Hyrule Warriors Legends and Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, the Trident is unlocked as Rewards for completing certain Battles in the Adventure Map in Adventure Mode.[which?]
Variations
The default form of the Trident is the Thief's Trident. The second from of the Trident is the King of Evil Trident, which is identical to the Trident that Ganon uses in Ganon's Fury. The third form is the Trident of Demise.
| Weapon | Number of Stars | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier | Icon | Element(s) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Lv.1 |  Thief's Trident |
 Lightning
|
80 | 88 | 96 | 104 | 112 | 120 |
| Lv.2 |  King of Evil Trident |
Lightning
|
150 | 165 | 180 | 195 | 210 | 225 |
| Lv.3 |  Trident of Demise |
Lightning
|
280 | 308 | 336 | 364 | 392 | 420 |
| Lv.4 (HWL) | Trident of Demise + |
Lightning
|
500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 700 | 750 |
| Lv.4+ (HWL) | Burning Trident |
Lightning Fire
|
500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 700 | 750 |
Attack Combinations
| Attack Pattern | Effect |
|---|---|
| Y Y Y Y Y Y | |
| Y Y Y Y X | |
| Y Y Y Y Y Y Y | |
| Y Y Y Y Y X |
Special Attack
Ganondorf throws his Trident forward, striking the group of enemies directly in front of him and dragging them along. He then hovers, taking altitude while charging a ball of lightning in his hand, which he then throws into the Trident, causing a huge explosion. This attack hits enemies immediately in front of Ganondorf, and also those caught in the explosion.
In other media
A Link to the Past (Ishinomori)
In the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori, Ganon is seen wielding his Trident in the final battle. At first, Ganon's trident easily overpowers Link, and the young hero even gets stuck in between it, rendering him incapable of moving. After Link and Zelda defeat Ganon, Link is seen holding the Trident in his hand as the Triforce asks him to make his wish.
Trivia
- According to the English translation of the Trident inscription in Four Swords Adventures, the Trident houses an "evil spirit". This quote seems to be mistranslated, however, instead simply being known as a "malicious trident of demons" in Japanese.[7][8][9]
- Because of Ganon's basis on development from Zhu Bajie from Journey to the West,[10] his usage of the trident was most likely a reference to Zhu's war rake.
- Although Ganondorf himself never wielded a trident in Tears of the Kingdom, the teaser announcement showed a bas relief of him wielding one at one point. It's also to be noted that concept art for the game showed Ganondorf in his Demon King form wielding a trident while on horseback.
Gallery
-
Ganon using his trident to summon Blazing Bats in A Link to the Past -
Artwork of Ganon holding his Trident in A Link to the Past -
The Shadow of Ganon in Link's Awakening, using a double-bladed Trident -
Phantom Ganon holding the Trident in Ocarina of Time -
Ganon with the Trident from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages -
Artwork of Ganon holding the Trident from Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages -
Ganon with the Trident in Four Swords Adventures -
Yuga Ganon with the Trident in A Link Between Worlds -
The Trident wielded by Yuga Ganon in A Link Between Worlds -
Artwork of Ganon holding the Trident from A Link to the Past (Barcode Battler II) -
Ganon with the Trident in BS The Legend of Zelda -
Ganon with his Trident in the A Link to the Past comic -
Ganon with his Trident in the A Link to the Past manga -
Artwork of Thief's Trident from the Hyrule Warriors -
Artwork of King of Evil Trident from the Hyrule Warriors -
Artwork of Trident of Demise from the Hyrule Warriors -
Ganondorf wielding the Trident of Demise from Hyrule Warriors -
Trident Adventure Mode icon from the Hyrule Warriors -
Ganon wielding the King of Evil Trident in Hyrule Warriors -
Yuga summoning the King of Evil Trident in Hyrule Warriors -
Yuga wielding the King of Evil Trident in Hyrule Warriors -
Thief's Trident in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -
King of Evil Trident in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -
Trident of Demise in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -
Burning Trident in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition -
Ganondorf wielding the Burning Trident in Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
Video Gallery
| Ganondorf Trident trailer from Hyrule Warriors Legends |
References
- ↑ "You are doing well, lad. But can you break through this secret technique of Darkness? En garde!" — Ganon (A Link to the Past)
- ↑ "Curse that Ganondorf! He broke our laws and left for the pyramid...I don't know what he plans, but I am worried..." — Gerudo (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "We grant you power to ruin the world. The power of darkness. Evil spirit of magic trident. You are the King of Darkness." — Inscription (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "Gwah haa haaaa! Weaklings! Incompetent fools! You so-called heroes do not stand even a gnat's chance of harming me! Even if you worms attack in a group, I will skewer the lot of you on my mighty trident!!" — Ganon (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "King of Darkness, ancient demon reborn. The wielder of the trident!!" — Princess Zelda (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "Hear now the doom of the knights. We were bested by a foe with a mighty weapon. He cast us into the Dark World, where we and the jewels were lost in shadow." — Red Knight (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "The Trident: An evil weapon born of darkness that slumbers within the pyramid. It is said that no one who enters the pyramid returns alive. [...] "Does your soul cry for destruction and conquest? We grant you the power to ruin the world."" (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 119)
- ↑ "Evil spirit of magic trident." — Trident inscription (Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ "アンコク カラ ウミオトサレシ マ ノ ジャキ トライデント (Born from darkness, the malicious trident of demons.)" — Trident inscription (Four Swords Adventures, Japanese version)
- ↑ https://archive.today/20120629063241/http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/iwata/iwata_asks_-_zelda_handheld_history_15603_15604.html