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Four Sword

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Four Sword
The Four Sword resting in its pedestal
The Four Sword resting in its pedestal
First appearance Four Swords (2002)
Appearances Four Swords
Four Sword Adventures
The Minish Cap
Found (Four Swords)
Four Sword Sanctuary
(Four Swords Adventures)
Four Sword Sanctuary
(The Minish Cap)
Elemental Sanctuary
Use Banishes evil, creates clones of its user, break curses

The Four Sword, also known as the Picori Blade, is a recurring sword in the Legend of Zelda series. The Four Sword has the power to split its wielder's soul into four identical replicas of himself. The only difference between these replicas is the color of their clothing and the deepness of their voices.

Contents

[edit] Design

The Four Sword is a double-edged spear-point blade with a small fuller near the hilt. The hilt is gold and engraved with what appears to be the symbol of an eye (likely representing Vaati). On the pommel (or counterweight at the top of the handle) is a round jewel. When not in use the jewel is a dull black color. Once the blade has been drawn, however, the jewel changes to match the color of the clone using it. For example, the Red Link's Four Sword has a red jewel on it, while Green Link has a green jewel on the sword.

In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, the sword looks quite different while it is the Picori Blade. As stated below, the Picori Blade resembles the Master Sword more than anything, but it is later shattered by Vaati. When reforged as the White Sword, it takes on the same shape as the Four Sword, but with a green colored hilt. When infused with each of the Four Elements it changes its color, first to red, then blue, and finally to the gold seen in later games.

[edit] Abilities

Once drawn from its pedestal, the sword splits the user’s body and soul into four separate copies, one of which is the original. These three replicas are almost completely identical to the original. The only two differences that can be told is the clothing of the four are all different colors (although the design is the same), and the varying deepness that can be made out from their voices. The four can choose to separate from each other and work on their own, or they can stick together in different formations.

When in formation, the four generally stay close to one another and attack in unison. There are four different formations. The first is the box where the four Links are arranged side to side, back to back. Closely related is the long and wide Formations, where everyone is located side to side in a single line. The diamond formation is done when all four are lined up back to back facing away from each other, and is useful for when surrounded. Finally there is one unnamed formation where one Link is in the front attacking, while the others merely follow in his footsteps.

In The Minish Cap, the Four Sword has a similar use. When charged, Link can walk over special tiles to create the four copies of himself. However, the three copies only last a short while before disappearing, and have no different colored clothing. Why the sword acts so different between games has yet to fully be explained, although the changes may simply be due to gameplay constraints. Also, when charged, the sword can let out a beam that can lift curses, such as the one that turns Princess Zelda to stone.

In either game, the sword can fire sword beams when Link is in full health. However, this can only be done in Four Swords Adventures after the power to repel evil has been restored by the Force Gems. Only when the power to repel evil has returned can the Four Sword be used to break Vaati Barriers. One of the most surprising abilities of the Four Sword is the ability to take Link back in time to the beginning of a level if he does not have enough Force Gems at the end. In Four Swords, the Four Sword cannot fire beams until Link has obtained the Master Sword in A Link to the Past.

[edit] History

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] War of the Bound Chest

The Picori Blade is given to the Hero of Men

The Four Sword began its existence as the Picori Blade. The Picori Blade was a shimmering sword, glowing with the power to repel evil. The blade featured a green crystal on the middle and the end of the hilt. The hilt of the sword itself was purple and shaped not unlike that of the Master Sword. Unlike the Master Sword, however, the Picori Blade was given to the race of men as a gift from the Minish in their time of distress. According to legend, when evil threatened Hyrule's existence during the War of the Bound Chest, the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow.

Then, when all hope seemed lost against the Army of Evil, the tiny Minish race appeared from the sky, bringing the Hero of Men a sword known as the Picori Blade and a golden light known as the Light Force. Using these weapons the hero sealed the monsters inside a Bound Chest held closed by the sword itself. In remembrance of this historic event, there is a large fair and sword contest that occurs every year in Hyrule to honor the Minish (now called the Picori by the Hylians). The winner of the sword contest gets to touch the magical Picori Blade.

[edit] Four Swords Backstory

Having survived a previous defeat, Vaati descended upon Hyrule in his one-eyed Wind Mage form. He raided numerous villages throughout the country and took to kidnapping any maidens he fancied. Vaati then took the captured maidens to the Palace of Winds where he transformed it into his own palace. A number of heroes set out to defeat Vaati and save the girls, but they all failed against him. This was until a young boy appeared from the deep forests of Hyrule and brought an end to Vaati's reign.

When asked how a boy as small as this could defeat such a horrible creature, the people turned to the rescued maidens for an answer. The maidens responded that the boy's cursed sword had allowed him to split into four copies of himself. Using their combined power, the four fought as one and sealed Vaati within the blade. Although the people did not believe the girls, they became intrigued by the story of this so called "Four Sword". While the boy had disappeared into the depths of Hyrule, the blade became legendary among people. Eventually a large sanctuary was built around the Four Sword to protect the blade and keep the evil sealed within it.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Link and his three clones wielding the Four Sword
The Four Sword from Four Swords

At the outset of the game, Princess Zelda senses a disturbance in the Four Sword, and Princess Zelda invites Link to come with her to investigate. As they enter the room Zelda tells Link not to touch the blade as he might "shatter to pieces" from touching the legendary blade. Just as Zelda goes to check the seal the Four Sword leans out of its pedestal and the room goes dark. Vaati is then unleashed and promptly absconds with the Princess. Boasting about his return to power he takes Zelda to his Palace of Winds and knocks Link out cold before leaving.

As Link comes to he is confronted by three Fairies, one blue, one red, and one green, perhaps representing the three Hylian goddesses. They instruct Link to draw out the blade and after doing so Link is split into four copies of himself. These clones are all indistinguishable from each other apart from different colored clothing and slight differentiations in the deepness of there voices. The different Links are colored green, red, blue and purple respectively. The fairies instruct the four links to seek out the Great Fairies so that they can gain access to Vaati's Palace and save Zelda.

After a short while of adventuring across Hyrule, the four meet the Great Fairies and are granted access to the Palace of Winds. Inside Vaati and the Links confront each other, and a large battle ensues. Eventually Vaati is weakened enough that he can be sucked back into the Four Sword and sealed up again. Zelda is then freed and the Links become one again after the blade is put back into the pedestal at the Four Sword Sanctuary.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

After an unknown time had passed, Zelda and the Maidens again become worried about the seal holding Vaati. Link is asked to come to Hyrule Castle to protect the Maidens as they open a portal to the Four Sword Sanctuary. As the portal opens, however, an evil doppelgänger of Link known as Shadow Link appears and captures the Seven Maidens and Zelda in magical crystals. Link follows him through to portal to the Sanctuary. Unarmed to fight against Shadow Link, the real Link decides to pull the Four Sword out and use it on the shadowy figure.

However, this was all a set up. With the blade drawn Vaati escapes his seal and before the Links have any time to react they are pulled into one of Vaati's whirlwinds and blown across Hyrule. The four are awakened by Kaepora Gaebora at Lake Hylia. The wise old owl tells them that the Four Sword has lost its ability by banish evil, but with the help of enough Force Gems he can return it to full strength. Every time one of the Links collects over two thousand force gems, the Four Sword powers up, turning it back into the Ultimate Four Sword. The Links then set out on another adventure to save the maidens and defeat Vaati.

As the adventure progresses, Link learns that the creation of his evil counterpart and the release of Vaati is only a small part in an insidious plot to take control of Hyrule. After freeing most of the Seven Maidens it's revealed later in the game that the true villain is none other than Ganon, King of Darkness. He stole the Dark Mirror and used it to create Shadow Link and then sent him to kidnap the shrine maidens and trick Link into releasing Vaati. With the knowledge of this, Link is able to free Zelda and recapture the Mirror, thus allowing Shadow Link to permanently be destroyed.

Finally, Link enters the Palace of Winds to confront Vaati for one last showdown. Link is triumphant in defeating Vaati and escapes the now collapsing Palace of Winds with Zelda. However infuriated by the failure of his plans Ganon appears and enters battle with Link and Zelda. In the titanic struggle that followed, Ganon was brought down thanks to the teamwork between Link, his clones, and Zelda. Ganon is then sealed in the Four Sword by help of the maidens and, to prevent anyone from further tampering with the blade, cast a magical barrier over it for protection. Link then turns back to normal as he returns the blade and Hyrule celebrates the return to peace.

[edit] The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

During the beginning of the game, Princess Zelda and Link are going to the Picori Festival that is being held in Hyrule Town. Link's grandfather, Smith, blacksmith to the Royal Family, asks of Link to deliver a sword to the Royal Family after they are done with the festival. At Hyrule Castle, they arrive as the winner of the Picori Festival Tournament, a mysterious stranger by the name of Vaati, is about to be granted the sacred honor of touching the Picori Blade. However, Vaati then shatters the blade, defeats the Hyrulean Soldiers that try to stop him and turns Zelda to stone. Hoping to find the mysterious Light Force inside, Vaati opens the chest and releases the evil monsters sealed inside. However, he does not find any sign of the Light Force. With his true intent now revealed, Vaati escapes to search for the Light Force.

The King asks of Link to repair the broken Picori Sword and use its power to break the curse placed on Zelda. With the help of Ezlo and the Minish the sword is reforged as the White Sword. However to break the curse on Zelda the sword must be infused with the four Elements at the Elemental Sanctuary. Once this has been done, the sword allows Link to create replicas of himself for a short while if the sword is charged. The more elements Link has infused the sword with, the more replicas of himself appear when the sword is charged. When Link can make four clones of himself the sword is finally powered up, and is renamed the Four Sword in honor of its abilities. The Four Sword's use is essential at the end of the game as it is needed to find the true location of the Light Force, break the curse on Zelda, and defeat Vaati before he becomes all powerful from the Light Force.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

[edit] Non-canonical appearances

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

[edit] Four Swords Adventures manga

The Four Sword does not only split its wielder into four, but divides the wielder's personality aspects into the four beings as well with one of them possessing a persona similar to that of their original state. The green Link is the original Link (referred to as Green); the blue Link (referred to as Blue) is overconfident and hotheaded; the purple Link (referred to as Vio, as in "violet") is calm, but self-possessed and a loner; and the red Link (referred to as Red) who is extremely childish and often optimistic. Because of the four Links' conflicting personalities, they have a very hard time working together (Green and Blue especially) until their experiences makes them realize what they have to do.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

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