- "The Hero's triumph on Cataclysm's Eve
Wins three symbols of virtue.
The Master Sword he shall then retrieve,
Keeping the Knights' line true." - — Inscription on the Pedestal of Time
The Pendants of Virtue are quest items from both The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. These three pendants, each representing a piece of the Triforce, are needed for the Hero of Hylian bloodline to draw the Master Sword from its pedestal. In A Link to the Past, Agahnim, realizing the threat these could pose to him, took the pendants and hid them in the three dungeons of the Light World.
The Pendants of Virtue are similar in both appearance and purpose to the three Spiritual Stones from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the three Pearls of the Goddesses from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. As such, they may have some direct or indirect connection to each other, as all three sets are needed for Link to acquire the Master Sword in the different games.
Pendants of Virtue[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Pendant of Courage[]
In A Link to the Past the first pendant is the green Pendant of Courage. This is obtained after Link defeats the Armos Knights of the Eastern Palace. After Link has obtained it, he can show it to Sahasrahla in order to receive the Pegasus Boots.
In A Link Between Worlds, Princess Zelda gives Link the Pendant of Courage when they first meet. This ends up being the right choice, as if she had not, Link would have been forever locked out of Hyrule Castle. Unlike the other two pendants, it is not found in a dungeon; rather, the first dungeon, the Eastern Palace, is completed right after Link gets the pendant.
Pendant of Power[]
In A Link to the Past the second pendant is the blue Pendant of Power. It is obtained after Link defeats the Lanmolas of the Desert Palace.
In A Link Between Worlds, the red Pendant of Power is found in the Tower of Hera upon defeating Moldorm.
Pendant of Wisdom[]
In A Link to the Past the third and final pendant, the red Pendant of Wisdom, is obtained after Link defeats the Moldorm in the Tower of Hera.
In A Link Between Worlds, the blue Pendant of Wisdom is found in the House of Gales upon defeating Margomill.
Cataclysm's Eve[]
With the three Pendants of Virtue in hand, Link travels deep into the misty Lost Woods. At the very back of the woods, he finds an open field where lies the Pedestal of Time where the Master Sword sleeps. Link puts his hand on the sacred blade, and the power of the pendants manifest themselves. Link is confirmed to be the true hero, and draws the Master Sword from its pedestal. Instantly, Princess Zelda contacts Link and tells him that she has been recaptured by the Hyrule Guards and taken to Hyrule Castle. With the sacred blade in hand, Link breaks the barrier placed on the Hyrule Castle Tower by Agahnim and ascends the tower. Link battles and defeats Agahnim, but is unsuccessful in stopping him from transporting Zelda to the Dark World.
In the Dark World, Link rescues the Seven Maidens, one of which is discovered to be Zelda, and battles Ganon inside the Pyramid. After the defeat of Ganon, Link uses the Triforce to restore the Light and Dark Worlds, and bring about peace once again. Link returns the Master Sword to its pedestal. The Pendants of Virtue were later used again in A Link Between Worlds to draw the Master Sword from it's pedestal once more.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Discrepancy[]
Contrary to later items related to the three different facets of the Triforce, the Pendant of Wisdom is represented by a red color and the Pendant of Power a blue. Typically, items related to Wisdom and Power are blue and red, respectively. It is possible that there was an error during production that caused the colors to be swapped. This color swap could also be due to Ganon being a blue character in the games before a Link to the Past, while Zelda wore a red dress. This would mean that the colors had not been distinguished as the main colors of Wisdom and Power then but were later swapped.