Colossus V

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Colossus V
Thy next foe is... It casts a colossal shadow across a misty lake... as it soars through the sky...To reach it is no easy task...
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Length	140 feet (42.7 meters)
Gameplay
Time Attack goals (Normal/ Hard)	5:30/5:30 (Original, PS3) 5:00/4:15 (PS4)
Agro	No
Sigils	Normal: 3 major Hard: 3 major

Avion is the nickname given to the fifth colossus. Resembling a bird of prey, this agile colossus is found in a foggy lake in quadrant H4, perched atop one of several tall ruins jutting from the waters.

Path to the colossus

See also: Map for this path

Video - Avion (path to and battle with)

Shadow of the Colossus - 5th Colossus

Avion is directly east of the shrine, as the sword indicates. Just head east as the cliffside path becomes narrow. When it widens again, the colossus' lair is close. If one gets lost, find a sunlit spot near the cliff's edge - the sword's light will direct the player to the lake. There is also a save shrine and a fruit tree. It is highly recommended to eat the fruit and save the game because this colossus can attack suddenly and take away some life. Wander will have to leave Agro behind. The way east into the lake proper seems blocked off, but diving underwater (the same button used to grab; by default) will reveal an arch Wander can swim through. On the other side, there will be a pillar with ledges, so climb up to the top and walk towards the balcony overlooking the ruins.

Walkthrough

Initially, Avion will do nothing but watch Wander from its lofty perch. Shooting it with an arrow, however, will drastically change its disposition; a direct hit will cause the giant bird to take to the skies and eventually divebomb the player. The lake is dotted with several platforms in sets of three just barely sticking out of the water; be on the middle platform when Avion swoops down for Wander, and jump. Be sure to hold to hang on - it's a long way down if he gets shaken off, and he may not be so fortunate as to hit water.

Hang tight as the colossus soars through the air. Let Wander's stamina recharge when possible, but keep pressing . The weakpoint on its tail is somewhat easy to take out, but its wings are very dangerous; a reasonably-charged stab will usually result in Avion doing an extended barrel roll in the air, leaving Wander hanging upside-down on the tip of its wing. If his stamina runs low, quickly retreat to safety once its wings spread out.

Time Attack time in Original and PS3 versions (both difficulties): 5:30

Time Attack times in PS4 Remaster (Normal, Hard): 5:00, 4:15

Weakspots

Location	Percentage of health
	Normal	Hard
The end of its tail	60%
The end of its left wing	20%
The end of its right wing	20%

Tips and tricks

• It's possible to land on top of one of the big buildings after falling off; the Cloth of Desperation can be a great help. If the colossus is provoked with an arrow from there, it will not swoop down to attack, but will get close to Wander and flap its wings violently, creating a strong gust of wind that will likely knock him back into the lake below.
• After stabbing any sigil on Avion's wings, Avion will perform a barrel roll to try and get Wander off. If the player is careful, it is possible to let go of its wing and land right on Avion's back. This gives the player extra time to regain stamina before attacking the sigil again.

Music

• Upon sighting Avion, "Silence" plays. It also plays if Wander falls from Avion.
• Once Wander hitches onto Avion, "A Despair-filled Farewell" plays.

Trivia

• The name "Avion" is the French and Spanish word for plane. This suits very well as Avion is a flying colossus.
• Avion is one of only two colossi who has a visible, mobile mouth. Dirge also has a moving mouth located on its underside.
• Avion is arguably the second-most peaceful of all the colossi; it only retaliates after being hit itself. Incidentally, the most peaceful colossus is also the only other one that flies: Phalanx.
• Avion is the most eastern-situated of all the colossi. On the map, Avion's lair is in line with Dirge (Dirge is in B4 while Avion is in H4; there are no other colossi in-between them), although the two are at completely opposite sides of the map. Putting Avion and Dirge in such positions may have been intentional, as the two are quite different to each other in a number of ways. Avion flies, lives above a lake close to the Shrine of Worship, and is relatively peaceful until it is provoked. Dirge on the other hand lives underground in a cave within the sand far away from the Shrine of Worship and is probably one the most aggressive colossi in the game, as it is constantly trying to kill Wander.
• Avion is one of the fastest of the colossi, potentially the fastest of all 16.
• Avion is a popular colossus among fans as, the experience of clinging to its hide while circling the lake at high speed is well-accompianied by the battle theme "A Despair-Filled Farewell".
• In the PS2 and PS3 releases, Avion makes a lot of bird-like screeching calls which bear resemblance to the cries of a falcon.
• If Avion is stabbed on the part of the wing near its head, it will screech and turn its head to look at Wander.
• If the player doesn't fire an arrow at Avion and leaves it perched on the tower that it begins on, Avion will not move, regardless of how close to that tower they get. If Wander does this, Avion will watch him swim around the lake from its perch in a similar manner to how Malus follows Wander's movement (unlike Malus however, Avion is able to freely rotate through 360 degrees and won't attack on sight).
• Avion is one of only two colossi who has three major sigils in Normal Mode; Phalanx is the other. Hydrus and Malus each have three minor sigils, but not three major.
• In the 2005 E3 demo version of the game, Avion was the 4th colossus and Phaedra was the 5th, according to the statues in the shrine.
• The theme "Silence" plays during the battles with Avion, Hydrus, and Phalanx, arguably the three most peaceful colossi in the game.
• Avion has a wingspan of approximately 116 feet/35.4 meters.
• Avion had a change in behavior when an update came out for the PS4. Before the update, after Wander has shot Avion and missed its dive-bomb attack the first time, or the player fell off, Avion would just fly around the arena indefinitely and dive for Wander only when he shot it again. After the update, if a shot at Avion is missed the first time, the colossus will then turn around and immediately try to assault Wander again and will keep doing so until it either loses interest or when Wander mounts it. If he falls off, Avion will still circle the arena, but after a few rounds it will return to its perch, unless the player shoots it before it does. If Wander fires after this, Avion will leave the perch, but may then just fly around the arena instead of dive-bombing, and Wander will have to shoot Avion in the air to have it charge for him again.
• If Wander fails to jump properly and grab onto Avion's wing, he will be knocked back into the water, sustaining some level of injury. If he then lets it fly about the arena without provoking it, it will sometimes avoid landing on its perch. In this event, Avion will fly toward Wander as if to make a dive attack, but will instead hover in the air before him and give him a good look before moving on.

Gallery

Avion.jpg

Image of Avion taken from the official artbook.

Avion swooping down to attack Wander.

Wander facing off against Avion.

Wander on Avion's back mid-flight.

Close-up of Wander hanging onto Avion's wing.

The entrance to Avion's arena.

Concept sketch of Avion's lair.

Size chart for Avion.

The limited edition figurine of Avion released exclusively in Japan.

Avion as seen in the 2018 remake of Shadow of the Colossus.

Avion in Reminiscence Mode.

Wander about to stab Avion's tail.