King Triton uses a trident as his signature weapon in Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid.
The trident symbolizes Triton’s authority as ruler of Atlantica. He carries it during major confrontations, including the scenes involving Ariel’s grotto and Ursula’s lair. The weapon also visually distinguishes Triton from the other merfolk and reinforces his status as the sea kingdom’s monarch.
In the film’s climax, Ursula obtains the trident during her battle with Triton and uses its power against Ariel and Eric. The conflict ends when Eric destroys Ursula with the broken bowsprit of a ship, rather than by defeating her with the trident himself.
The trident also connects Disney’s character to older sea-king imagery, especially Poseidon and Neptune in classical mythology. However, Disney’s trident is a fictional magical object within the film’s story and should not be confused with a specific artifact from Andersen’s original tale.