Summary

Cody Rhodes said he once received a cease-and-desist notice from Nintendo after using the Triforce symbol on his wrestling boots.

While speaking with Kit Wilson on the *What Do You Wanna Talk About?* podcast, Rhodes said the design choice came from *The Legend of Zelda* series and the meaning he attached to the Triforce. He said the symbol's ideas of power, courage, and wisdom felt relevant to both wrestling and sports entertainment.

That kind of symbolism has long been part of Rhodes' presentation, including how he builds meaning into his gear and character work. It is also why even smaller details around his look still draw attention from fans, much like other Cody Rhodes updates that continue to keep him in the conversation, including Ricky Saints arriving on SmackDown to challenge Cody Rhodes.

Quote from Cody Rhodes

"I thought the principles of the Triforce, which are power, courage, and wisdom."

Rhodes continued by explaining how he connected each part of the symbol to the game and to his own mindset as a performer:

"And for those who don't know, Princess Zelda is the wise one, obviously Link is the one who's got the courage, and power is Ganon. They make up the three parts of the Triforce. That's the whole deal.

And I just liked the idea of thinking and leaning toward your own wisdom, or what you've learned, and applying it, of being ambitious and wanting to seek or be powerful, if you can, in a world that's competitive, of sports and sports entertainment, and then having the courage to do it.

Here you are, you're taking a dive, you bust your elbow, you're gonna decide to take the dive the next night, and you bust your elbow even further. I thought it was just applicable.

I also got a cease and desist from Nintendo.

It was very kind. They weren't, they weren't coming after anybody. I'm not the first guy to have the Triforce."

What it says about Cody Rhodes' presentation

Cody Rhodes' comments make it clear that the Triforce was not a random visual choice, it was part of how he framed his identity as a wrestler. That matters because Rhodes has built much of his appeal around details that fans can immediately connect to his larger character.

His story also explains why a gaming-inspired design like that can get attention well beyond the ring. In this case, even a small boot detail was memorable enough to lead to contact from Nintendo, which turned a piece of gear trivia into a revealing look at how carefully Rhodes thought about his presentation.

Sources

Cody Rhodes while speaking on the What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast