Tri Force Heroes



The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is the eighteenth installment in the The Legend of Zelda series, released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS. It is preceded by A Link Between Worlds and succeeded by Breath of the Wild. The New Hero of Hyrule is the main protagonist and Lady Maud is the main antagonist. Hytopia's monsters are the villainous faction.

It is the eighteenth game in the series, and the sixth set in the Downfall Timeline. A direct sequel to A Link Between Worlds, featuring the same Link. After saving Hyrule and Lorule and defeating Ganon, Link hides his identity and journeys to Hytopia where he discovers that Princess Styla has been cursed by a witch from the Drablands. Accompanied by two other heroes, the Links make their way through the Drablands to defeat Lady Maud and save Princess Styla.

Synopsis
''It stars the same Link as its predecessor, A Link Between Worlds, who has fled Hyrule and disguised himself in order to avoid recognition. He stumbles across the land of Hytopia, whose princess was cursed to wear ugly clothing by a villainous witch. Link teams up with two similar heroes to journey through the Drablands and stop Lady Maud to free Princess Styla.''

Summary
Tri Force Heroes takes place in the fashion-forward land, Hytopia. The kingdom's princess, Princess Styla, was adored by all except for Lady Maud, the Drablands witch, who despised the princess's cute fashion sense. The witch sent Styla a beautifully wrapped gift; however this was merely a trick, as when Styla opened it, she found herself cursed to wear an irremovable ugly jumpsuit. In her misery, the princess isolated herself as the rest of the kingdom wept for her fate. Fear began to rise among the populace of Hytopia, as people grew afraid of fashion in fear of being cursed as well. As only chosen heroes could enter the Drablands, her father, King Tuft, sent out a notification to kingdoms near and far asking for heroes to assemble, promising a great reward. A prophecy within the kingdom, however, tells of the Tri Force Heroes, who are described as having pointy ears, sideburns, and side-parted hair, who come together to form a Totem. The prophecy goes on to say that once the Tri Force Heroes have overcome all challenges, the kingdom of Hytopia will be blessed with everlasting peace and style. The king firmly believes in this legend, and believes only those who possess these Three Noble Attributes of Courage are the true Tri Force Heroes. But there is more than one person claiming to be that hero.

While passing through the land on his travels, Link notices King Tuft's sign asking for heroes to assemble. He is then spotted by the apprentice of Madame Couture, who immediately recognizes his Attributes as indicative of being a hero of legend. Pressed into helping the kingdom and its princess, Link joins the Witch-Hunting Brigade and assembles with other Links as they enter the Drablands and fight its guardians. Following this point, the exact progression of the story depends on when and if Link takes a break from the Drablands to return to the kingdom of Hytopia, and to whom of its residents he speaks.

After defeating Margoma in the Forest Temple and discovering a pair of glasses much like those worn by Lady Maud, Link is summoned to King Tuft's throne room, where the ruler makes a personal plea for him to rescue Princess Styla from her predicament and fulfill the destiny of the Tri Force Heroes. Styla, unable to contain her shame, runs from the scene and appears to lock herself in her chamber, though she later sneaks out and takes to the shadows of Hytopia's village, from which she offers Link her moral support. Link also learns that Madame Couture, a tailor of fashionable Outfits with magical properties, has designed an ultimate Outfit that would allow the wearer to undo the curse placed on Princess Styla. Convinced of Link's heroism after he presents her the Lady's Glasses, Madame reveals that Lady Maud is really her older sister, corrupted by jealously of Princess Styla's adoration and fashion sense, and that in order to craft the Outfit that would lift Styla's curse, two more of The Lady's Materials must be recovered.

Link and his companions battle their way through the Drablands, eventually reaching the Fortress and confronting Lady Maud inside her Lair. Insulted by the Links' presence, Lady Maud unleashes her three monstrous, mechanical "Pets" on the trio, but one-by-one they fall to the young heroes' teamwork and abilities. Lady Maud retreats, warning Link to never come near her again; he then finds the Lady's Collar inside a Treasure Chest. Link continues on his adventure in the Drablands, eventually following Lady Maud to the farthest reaches of the Sky Realm. In an epic battle against her three different forms, the Links finally prevail, putting a stop to Lady Maud's campaign against the princess and recovering the final Material, the Lady's Parasol. Back in Hytopia, Madame Couture can now tailor the Lady's Ensemble. Link dons the Outfit and performs a magic ritual that removes the ugly jumpsuit, restoring Princess Styla to her former beauty and bringing fashion back to all of Hytopia. The kingdom's people rejoice, as King Tuft holds a ceremony for Hytopia's newest hero.

Trivia

 * Tri Force Heroes is the only Zelda game to date where Link cannot make use of a Shield.
 * Tri Force Heroes is also the only Zelda game to date that does not allow for multiple saved games.
 * Hidden throughout the town of Hytopia and its Castle are various journals detailing the author's travels in the Drablands, collectively known as the Drablands Diary. These writings frequently make mention of scenic spots that are hidden in the Drablands' Levels.
 * Link's voice in Tri Force Heroes is based on four prior Zelda games. When the player begins a new game, Link is randomly assigned a voice from either Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks, or A Link Between Worlds. If any Links in a multiplayer game share the same voice, they will be pitch-shifted to remain distinct.

Continuity

 * Shortly after the game's reveal during E3 2015, Shikata stated that it had not yet been decided when the game would take place in the Zelda timeline, as it could easily take place in any spot. However, Julie Gagnon from Nintendo of Canada later stated during an interview that the game is not part of the timeline.
 * On October 22, 2015, a day before the game's release, Nintendo revealed that the game takes place several years after A Link Between Worlds. It was also stated that it features the same Link, who dresses to hide his heroic origins.