The 14th Colossus, resembling a cross between a lion and a guard dog, is one of sixteen bosses fought in Shadow of the Colossus. Found in the ruins of a city in quadrant C2 of the Forbidden Lands, it is the smallest colossus, being only slightly shorter than the similar 11th colossus.
Description[]
The smallest of its brethren, the 14th colossus was set to guard over an ancient city. Even as its territory crumbled away due to the passage of time, it appears to be one of the most pristine colossi, with its heavily-armored body mostly intact. The few parts of the body that remain exposed are bare stone, thus making the colossus virtually impenetrable.
Just like the very similar 11th colossus, its appearance, sounds, and behavior are based on the combined traits of both lions and dogs. The face, body, tail, legs, and feet are feline in design, yet also share the compact proportions of a bulldog. The upper half of its head bears eight recurved, corrugated strips of stone that form a lion's mane, behind which is a collar of stone protecting the neck, followed by two overlapping layers, each formed by five strips identical to those that make up its mane, shielding its nape. The face of the colossus has of a pair of protruding, parallel bands of rock with corrugated textures consisting of arrowhead-like lines that point inwards towards the center. The top band bears a ridged crown resembling a city wall surrounding its smooth, rounded forehead. Between the two corrugated bands is a pair of large eyes and, mounted on the lower band, a cube-shaped nose with two semi-oval vertical slits for nostrils. The bottom band also bears two parallel ridges on each side, possibly representing teeth. Below the face is an immovable lower jaw consisting of four thick tusks that curve upwards, forming a toothed grill in front of its face, making it a devastating battering ram.
The shoulder blades and thigh plates of the colossus consist of four flared-out stone rings that overlap with its flanks (with the front legs also bearing stone rings behind the shoulder blades). The middle of the back has four overlapping, corrugated plates that protect its sole vulnerability, a fleshy, furry back, while the back end has a pair of overlapping plates that resemble ribcages, as well as a long, cat-like tail with four stone segments, including a pointed tip resembling the tuft on the end of a lion's tail. Its legs are bare stone (though there is also a small strip of reinforced stone under the back of each knee), and it has three-toed paws, possessing claws merely sculpted in their retracted state rather than fashioned into proper protrusions.
While active, the colossus makes lion roars. However, in the PS4 remake, its bellows are more like those of a rabid dog (though still partly like a lion's roar). While it prefers to charge at enemies quickly and toss them like a bull, at close range, it attacks just like a cat, using its paws to swipe at opponents or reach into narrow openings.
Walkthrough[]
Path to the Colossus[]
- See also: Map for this path
The ancient city is northwest of the Shrine of Worship, and there are a few ways to get there, but the quickest way is through the gorge at D2. Cross either the north or west land bridges in quadrant F4 and let the Ancient Sword point northwest. Check the map once in the narrow passages to make sure Wander is headed in the right direction. Once at the northwest area of the Forbidden Lands, be on the lookout for a path marked by many sets of small pillars on either side. This is the entrance to the city. Unfortunately, the connecting passage contains a body of water to deep for Agro to pass through. A cutscene will play as the player walks on a stone canopy, revealing that they are on the eastern entrance of a ruined city, with structures resembling Greco-Roman and Aztec architecture. The colossus sits atop a temple to the southwest (shown at the very end of the scene), but take some time to explore the environment first if one is new - the upcoming battle will cover nearly every ledge, bridge, column, and tower. Approach the colossus' temple in the western end of the city. Once close enough, a cutscene starts, showing the 14th colossus shaking itself, ready for battle, before running and leaping down from its base, already rushing once it hits the ground. This is a warning sign that, like with the 11th colossus, the player should be ready to run for cover the second the fight starts.
Battle[]
The colossus is fully-armored, and there does not appear to be a clear method to expose any fur. The goal for now, however, is to simply get away and find high ground. The 14th colossus is extremely aggressive and will ram the bottom of whatever structure Wander happens to be on in an attempt to dislodge him. When the battle begins, quickly get on top of the overturned pillar to the left. At the other end of the pillar, there is a ledge Wander can jump onto. Jump up and run across to the next two walkways. After this, the player will have to climb a ridged pillar (a jump charged at least halfway will let Wander skip a ridge, but it is important not to tire him out).
At first, it seems like there is nowhere to go after this. Notice, however, that the pillar Wander is on looks a lot like the fallen one he jumped off of before. The colossus would ram the pillar Wander is on once, but would not attack it again unless Wander falls to the ground, or provokes it in another way; by shooting it with an arrow or two (use the "look at the colossus" button - by default - to help with aiming), the colossus would ram the pillar again, causing its base to give way as a cutscene shows the pillar falling down. Be extremely careful not to fall off here. This first column is particularly dangerous, as the top of the pillar falls right over a deep canal. Falling in there means the player has got a long and very dangerous run back to the first pillar. To avoid falling, hang off the edge of the pillar that will face up when it hits the ground.
Following the walkways from here will bring the player to an open area with three consecutive pillars, a walkway with a fourth pillar to its left, a second walkway, a square-shaped ridged tower with a fifth pillar to its right, clearly showing that the process from before must be repeated. Continue provoking the colossus and going from column to column, until the square tower has been reached. For this structure, Wander will need to move alongside one of the ledges to get to a side where he can reach the top. Since this tower is too sturdy for the colossus to destroy (though it will still attempt to jostle Wander off by ramming it), the player must jump onto the pillar to its right to anger the colossus again. Once this tower breaks, a cutscene will play, showing the pillar smashing into a wall near where Wander first entered the city.
From here, the player must quickly get to the top of the canopy where they first set foot on, and the only way up is a ridged wall on the other side of the room Wander just crashed into. Wait for the colossus to get as far away as possible, then make a run for it. Notice that the door arch here is too narrow for the colossus to pass, and it has to go around the whole area to the other side of the arch; use this to lure it away and buy some valuable time. Once on top of the roof, shoot at it again. The colossus will run into the central pillar holding the roof up, and everything will come crashing down. The colossus, after a few seconds, pulls itself out of the rubble, the armor of its face and back crumbling to pieces, revealing the major sigil on its back. The next time the colossus rams something, the shock of the impact will stun it for several seconds, allowing Wander to stab its weakpoint a few times. Be careful when the colossus recovers, as it will continue its vicious attacks and desperate struggling to the last.
Time Attack Times[]
- In the Original and PS3 versions (both difficulties): 9:00
- In the PS4 Remake (Normal, Hard): 9:00, 8:15
Tips and Tricks[]
- Avoid being too close to walls, as it makes it easier for the 14th colossus to corner and continue attacking Wander. A glitch may even occur where, on rare occasions, when running against a wall, the 14th colossus may knock Wander through the mountain and cause him to fall through the scenery.
- It is actually not necessary to have the colossus knock down every pillar, as only the last one is essential to defeating it (since, upon being knocked down, it destroys the wall that leads to the entrance of the city, where the player must trick the colossus into bringing a canopy down on itself). Through a perfectly-executed run, the player can significantly shorten the battle, first by escaping into a nearby canal, then, upon reaching the end of the canal, running towards the last pillar.
- It is possible to jump on the colossus and not get injured; the player can leap onto it (as seen in the example provided in the previous tip) before quickly jumping off of it onto the pillar one wants to grab on.
- It is possible to launch oneself from the base of a pillar using a glitch in the PS4 version. Such a trick saves a lot of time in time attack if done right.
- As the colossus knocks down each pillar, it is relatively easy to just jump from the top of one pillar to another. This may buy players a few extra seconds on Time Attack.
- After the colossus' armor has been shattered, it will collapse onto the ground for a few seconds every time it attempts to ram a stone structure. Henceforth, by this point, it is advised to bait the colossus from atop any stone structure (e.g. the fallen stone pillars, or one of the raised walkways), then jumping on it every time it stuns itself.
- On Hard Mode, after the colossus' armor is broken, the player can also use the Harpoon of Thunder to weaken it from a distance before delivering the killing blow with the sword. This is a safe and sure way to defeat it without having to risk getting near it too much.
Colossus Attacks[]
Dormin's Hints[]
"Thy next foe is... A guardian set loose... A closed-off city beyond the channel... It lusts for destruction..."
In the Shrine of Worship, Dormin tells Wander to prepare for yet another opponent, a guardian (implying that the next colossus is like the 11th, which, up to that point, is the only colossus described in such a manner) that lusts for destruction (implying that, like the 6th, it may destroy parts of the arena). Dormin also hints that the setting of the upcoming battle is kept remote from the rest of the lands, for the city is accessed by crossing a small body of water (what Dormin refers to as a channel). The Japanese version of the hint is slightly different, with Dormin stating that the setting is "A closed-off city lies beyond the aqueducts...", further describing the city's features, irrigation canals, walls, and arches that resemble ancient Roman aqueducts like the Pont du Gard in southern France and the Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain.
"Climb the tower to draw the colossus' anger..."
The player cannot fight the colossus on even ground. Instead, they must take advantage of its diminutive size (compared to most colossi) and retreat up the tall pillars of the city. From there, they can enrage the colossus with arrows until it rams the tower down. In the Japanese version, this is split into three different hints, namely "Its anger will force you to retreat. Climb the towers...", "Build up the enemy's wrath and let it create a path...", and "Be patient and wait..."
"It cannot pursue thee at the top of the tower. Proceed forward..."
If Wander remains on top of a certain square-shaped tower to the left of the last pillar for too long, having the colossus ram it repeatedly, Dormin will have Wander know that the tower is too sturdy for the colossus to break, and he must therefore proceed to the pillar on its right. In the Japanese releases, Dormin instead gives a hint once Wander is atop the canopy serving as the entrance of the city on its eastern side, "The roof is just waiting to collapse... The impact will shatter even the Colossus's armor.", making it clear that tricking the enemy into ramming the foundations of the canopy will cause it to collapse on top of the colossus, breaking the stone armor of its back in the process.
Colossus Weakspots[]
Location | Percentage of health | |
---|---|---|
Normal | Hard | |
On its back | 100% | 100% |
Battle Music[]
Phase | Plays in | Music |
---|---|---|
Intro | Plays upon reaching the colossus' lair. | A Closed-off City |
Phase 1 | Plays once the colossus has seen Wander and the battle starts. | Liberated Guardian |
Phase 2 | Plays after the colossus' armor is shattered. | A Despair-filled Farewell |
Related Trophies[]
The ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection[]
Icon | Name | Description | Trophy |
Shielded Guardian | Defeat the 14th colossus |
Shadow of the Colossus (PS4)[]
Icon | Name | Description | Trophy |
Paint the Target | Use the sword to focus on a vital point | ||
Skilled Warrior | Defeat a colossus with a downward jump stab | ||
Sword of Her Majesty | Defeat any colossus with the Queen's Sword | ||
Shield of the Colossus | Defeat the 14th colossus |
Development[]
In the Shadow of the Colossus official artbook and guidebook, the 14th colossus' developer nickname is revealed to be "Cerberus", referencing its nature as an aggressive guardian as described by Dormin (with Cerberus guarding the Ancient Greek underworld, and the 14th colossus watching over a ruined city). This may also refer to the somewhat dog-like physique and movement of the 14th colossus, as while most common depictions of the Cerberus depict it with three heads, some depictions also feature it with two or even one head, making the 14th colossus even more similar to it. Even so, early concept art shows that the 14th colossus was meant to resemble a maned lion early on, though one sketch shows it without the four prominent "tusks" on its bottom jaw, leaving its narrow, corrugated chin exposed.
As revealed by the old, super low (slow) resolution texture of the 14th colossus' arena, the Ruins used to be larger, being eventually cut in half, and even then, the final version of the battle with the 14th colossus is restricted to a narrower space, with one side of the arena merely being an open area, mostly irrelevant to the battle.
In the E3 Demo, the weakpoint of the 14th colossus was crackling with electricity (merely for aesthetics, and has no real effect), like the weakpoints of the 1st and 11th colossi. Even more strangely, its eyes moved to look at Wander, its gaze following him at all times, unlike any other colossi in the game. Both of these features were removed in later versions of Shadow of the Colossus.
Trivia[]
General[]
- Despite the 14th colossus' armor being broken in the fight, its corpse has it intact. This is less apparent in the PS4 remake, however, as its facial features appear to be as broken as they were in death, if not more so due to degradation.
Earlier versions[]
- The 14th colossus' textures in the E3 Demo version were double the resolution; they went from 128x128 to 64x64 pixels in the final game.
- Furthermore, in the E3 Demo, the 14th colossus made a unique growl sound in its introduction cutscene prior to it making the usual lion noises, and its battle theme was A Messenger From Behind instead of Liberated Guardian.
- Unique growl noise from the intro:
- According to the data sheets, the 14th colossus had a unique HUD icon, which is an icon in the shape of the colossus that used to show the weakpoint locations in early builds.
Distinctions[]
- The smallest colossus, being only slightly larger than an adult African elephant. While it is about as tall as the similar 11th colossus, it is slightly shorter. Like the 11th and the 8th (the third-smallest colossus), the track "Liberated Guardian" plays when it has the advantage, and "A Despair-filled Farewell" plays once Wander has the advantage. The 14th and 11th are also distinct from the other colossi in that their track, "A Despair-filled Farewell", starts playing from the halfway point of the track rather than the start, and of the four colossi that use the track (the 5th, the 8th, the 11th, and the 14th), they are the only ones that, upon starting the track, continue to play it until their battles end, as both colossi are permanently vulnerable and disadvantaged when the track plays.
- Is the third and last of the three colossi shown with the ability to jump, following the 10th and 11th colossi. Along with the 11th, it is one of only two colossi that are ever seen running, and the only colossus that exits its introductory scene charging at full speed towards Wander.
- Is one of the many colossi that destroy part of the arena temporarily or permanently, before or during the fight with them. However, the 14th colossus is unique in that it is the only one that requires the permanent destruction of at least one part of its arena during the battle with it; one pillar must be knocked down in order to destroy a wall and lead the colossus to the canopy by the city's eastern entrance, then it must be tricked into bringing that same canopy down on itself to shatter its back armor. The 6th and 15th colossi come close, but a skilled player pulling off some tricky moves can quickly climb them without executing the intended plan where they destroy parts of the arena (mostly by relying on their bent poses and the momentum of their own actions to progress further up their bodies).
- Because of their destructive behavior, both the 14th and 6th colossi are described by Dormin as "a guardian set loose". In English releases, Dormin also uses the line "It lusts for destruction..." to describe both of them, though, in the Japanese version, the wording is slightly different, with the phrase "破壊を好み" (it enjoys destruction) being used for the 6th, and "破壊を望む" (it desires destruction) being used for the 14th.
Similarities with other Colossi[]
- The 14th and 11th are of the same archetype.
- They are the smallest colossi (with the 14th being only slightly shorter, though just as tall as the 11th)
- They are among the most aggressive, fitting given their lion-based looks, roars, and behavior.
- They are fully-armored, invulnerable until they are tricked and their armor is broken.
- What sets them apart is that the 11th colossus is slightly more aggressive than the 14th, as the 11th will attack Wander indiscriminately, whereas if Wander is on a pillar, the 14th colossus will attack once, then circle the pillar or even walk away from it until provoked, or until Wander falls off the pillar. Additionally, while the 11th colossus is pyrophobic (ironic given that it is set to guard the flames of its temple), the 14th is not coded with the fear of fire. Finally, while the back armor of the 11th colossus is shattered by forcing it to retreat using its fear of fire, causing it fall from a great height, the back armor of the 14th colossus is destroyed by forcing it to charge forward using its own temper, causing a canopy to fall on top of it from a great height, leading to its bodily and facial features to get heavily damaged (as opposed to the 11th, which remained more or less intact, back armor aside, after it fell).
Gallery[]
The game | ICO ( Demo · Revisions from U.S. version · Ico HD ) | |
Characters | Ico · Yorda · The Queen · Shadows · Shinkan | |
The Castle | Idol Gates · Yorda's language · Saving Benches Altar • Warehouse • Spiral Stairs • Old Bridge • Stairs • Trolley 1 • Trolley 2 • Crane • Chandelier • Drawbridge • Main Gate • Graveyard • Dark Room • Sunbeams • Stone Pillar • East Crag • East Arena • East Idol Stairs • East Reflector • Waterfall • Sluice • Cogwheel • Gondola • Water Tower • West Crag • West Arena • West Idol Stairs • West Reflector • Cage • Pipe • Elevator • Wharf • Queen's Room • Sandy Beach | |
Other Media | Ico ~Melody in the Mist~ · Official Game Guide · Ico: Castle in the Mist |
Characters | Wander · Mono · Agro · Dormin · Lord Emon · Guards · Shadows |
---|---|
Colossi | I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI |
Locations | The Forbidden Lands · Shrine of Worship · Colossus Arenas |
Main Items | Power-ups (Lizards · Fruit) · Weapons (Ancient Sword · Sword of the Sun · Queen’s Sword · Sword of Dormin · Bow & Arrow · Ancient Bow · Harpoon of Thunder · Life Sword) · Collectibles (Relics) |
Gameplay | Hard Mode · Save shrines · Time Attack · Reminiscence Mode · Watermellon · Barrel |
Media | Roar of the Earth (OST) · Official Art and Guide Book · Nico Bonus DVD · Film · Interview Archive |
Releases | OPM Demo · PS2 original · PS3 remaster · PS4 remake · Credits |
Early Builds | Preview version · PSU Preview version · E3 Demo |
Unused Content | Unused Colossi · Colossus Test Stages · Unused Locations · Beta Mountains · Development Timeline of Shadow of the Colossus |