Nintendo once sent Cody Rhodes a cease and desist over Zelda Triforce boots

WWE champion Cody Rhodes has revealed a very Nintendo-flavored piece of wrestling history: the company once sent him a cease and desist over Triforce boots. During his first WWE run in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Rhodes sometimes wore boots featuring the Triforce symbol from The Legend of Zelda. On his podcast, he explained that he liked the Triforce’s connection to power, wisdom and courage and felt those ideas fit competitive sports entertainment. Eventually, Nintendo asked him to stop. Rhodes says the message was polite and that Nintendo was not aggressively coming after anyone, but it still ended the visible Zelda reference. This is not a game-release story, but it is a neat gaming-culture moment because it shows how deeply Nintendo iconography travels outside games. The Triforce is simple, recognizable and personal to fans, which is exactly why a wrestler might want it on his gear and exactly why Nintendo would protect it. Zelda fans can add this to the long list of strange places Hyrule has appeared.