Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has such an obsession with The Legend of Zelda that Nintendo's legal team had to step in. During an episode of his podcast "What Do You Wanna Talk About?", Rhodes told fellow wrestler Kit Wilson that he once decorated his wrestling boots with the iconic Triforce symbol before the company sent him packing.
"I got a cease and desist from Nintendo," Rhodes said on the show. He was quick to clarify that the interaction remained cordial. "It was very kind. They weren't coming after anybody. I'm not the first guy to have the Triforce."
Rather than abandon his passion for the franchise, Rhodes found a permanent solution. He got the Triforce tattooed on his finger, a decision he stands by completely. "I live that s**t, dog," he told Wilson.
The champion then walked through his philosophy behind the symbol. The Triforce represents three concepts: power, courage, and wisdom. In Zelda lore, Zelda embodies wisdom, Link carries courage, and Ganon represents power. Rhodes explained how those principles apply to his career in professional wrestling.
"I just like the idea of thinking and leaning towards your own wisdom, or what you've learned and applying it, of being ambitious and wanting to be powerful, if you can, in a world that's competitive, of sports and sports entertainment, and then having the courage to do it," he said. Rhodes tied the concept directly to the physical toll of wrestling, noting how wrestlers take punishment night after night and return to the ring despite injuries.
Rhodes extended his video game analysis beyond Zelda, comparing fan passion across gaming and wrestling communities. He drew a parallel between how players reacted to Wind Waker's cel-shaded art style and how wrestling audiences shape the direction of the industry.
"People don't realise it's wrestling," Rhodes said, suggesting that games like Twilight Princess share narrative DNA with professional wrestling storytelling. He credited fans with shifting the entire trajectory of his career. "Fans like what they like, and when they get vocal enough, the whole world can change, and I know this first-hand, my whole world changed because of fans being vocal enough."
On Wind Waker specifically, Rhodes acknowledged that players at the time weren't ready for the stylistic shift. "They just weren't ready for how it looked. They wanted: 'Where's our edgy Zelda? Where's Link?' So here comes Twilight Princess."
Rhodes' gaming interests extend beyond Nintendo. He's set to play Guile in an upcoming Street Fighter movie arriving in 2026, continuing his presence in the video game adaptation space.
Author Emily Chen: "A cease and desist from Nintendo is basically a rite of passage for passionate superfans, and the fact that Rhodes turned it into a permanent tattoo and deeper philosophical statement shows how seriously he takes this stuff."
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