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This is, of course, not an easy weakpoint to take out. Malus will try to shake you off very frequently, and will often lean forward while doing so. Any slip here means a very long fall to earth. To make attacking this last weakpoint easier, you can use a clever trick. While on the colossus' shoulders, you can shoot or stab the patch of [[Fur|fur]] on its shoulder to make the colossus cover the injury with its hand again; this will leave its head perfectly still for a good few seconds. Its shoulders are a good place to recover your stamina, even when the giant does everything in its power to shake you off.
 
This is, of course, not an easy weakpoint to take out. Malus will try to shake you off very frequently, and will often lean forward while doing so. Any slip here means a very long fall to earth. To make attacking this last weakpoint easier, you can use a clever trick. While on the colossus' shoulders, you can shoot or stab the patch of [[Fur|fur]] on its shoulder to make the colossus cover the injury with its hand again; this will leave its head perfectly still for a good few seconds. Its shoulders are a good place to recover your stamina, even when the giant does everything in its power to shake you off.
   
Once the last sigil is destroyed, Malus will be no more. Your goal accomplished, and your journey over, sit back and enjoy the ending and credits. You've earned it, but do not put the controller down yet. There is still more game to play till the conclusion of the story.
+
Once the last sigil is destroyed, Malus will be no more. The final opponent defeated, your goal accomplished, and your journey over, sit back and enjoy the ending and credits. You've earned it.
   
 
:'''[[Time Attack]] times (Normal, Hard):''' 9:30, 13:00
 
:'''[[Time Attack]] times (Normal, Hard):''' 9:30, 13:00

Revision as of 08:43, 28 March 2014

Malus is the sixteenth and final colossus, found atop a great mesa on the southernmost tip of the Forbidden Lands (quadrant F8). Unlike the other fifteen colossi, Malus lies beyond an area that is inaccessible until the previous fifteen colossi are defeated.

Path to the Colossus

See also: Map for this path

This is it - the final colossus. The sword's light will point due south, just like it did at the very beginning. Your destination is much farther to the south, however. Start by going into the canyon passage just east of where the sword is pointing, as if you were going to Kuromori. Take a right when the path forks this time and you well eventually find yourself in the southern plains. Your sword will point you to a distant mountain range; specifically, to a sealed door in the middle of the cliffs.

This door can only be opened by shining all eight beams of the sword's light on the seal in the middle of the door. For obvious reasons, the door thus cannot be opened until this point in the game. Once it opens, you're free to proceed, although it is highly recommended that you save your game at the shrine a short ways down the path.

Next to the shrine is a winding staircase that leads to a bridge. The walls of the mesa where Malus awaits is just ahead. However, this bridge is highly unstable and will collapse quickly if Wander sets foot on it, sending him plummeting to his death into the deep canyon below. You will have to use Agro's speed to cross the bridge. Lead her up the stairs, position yourself as best you can, and charge.

A scene will play if you did this correctly. The bridge collapses quickly behind the pair, and it looks like they might make it across, when suddenly the final portion of the bridge gives way early. Agro, realizing she cannot make it, bucks Wander off of her to the safety of the other side, and Wander watches helplessly as his only companion throughout his entire journey falls into the river far below. Eventually, he stands up and looks up to the top of the mesa, where the wind is picking up, and storm clouds are already beginning to gather.

There's no turning back now. Start climbing the ridged walls. Make your way to the grass walls and climb up, then east. Once you're on solid ground again, find and enter the tunnel leading farther upwards.

The storm is now in full swing as you emerge outside onto a balcony. From here you can see the fifteen pillars of light where each colossus once stood. Your final opponent can, too - to head up to the top of the mesa, climb either of the two ridged pillars on the sides of the balcony. As you slowly emerge from the canyon, you gain a full view of your final opponent, the final obstacle between you and your goal. It stands there motionless, staring at you, savoring you...

Walkthrough

The last colossus is absolutely immense, even from the other side of the mesa where you begin. This is the only colossus that does not move, but what it lacks in mobility it makes up for in firepower. As soon as you walk up the steps leading to the battlefield, Malus will shoot deadly high-speed projectiles at you from across the mesa, preventing you from approaching it directly. These make a distinct hissing sound when they are shot, but sometimes they can be hard to hear over the storm. Find cover quickly, or prepare to lose a huge amount of health.

You must make your way to the colossus using whatever cover you can find, and a series of underground tunnels. Malus will know where you are at all times, and will shoot at you any time an opportunity arises. The dodge-roll move is useful here, but only to close the distance from cover to cover - it cannot evade the projectiles on its own. Start by quickly going underground in the hole to your right. You may take a small amount of fall damage, but it's certainly preferable to getting hit with a fiery bolt. Continue down the hallway and hug the right wall. Climb the boxes when you get to them.

EarlyMalusBattleConcept

A concept version of this battle had Malus at the center of the arena. Wander had to reach the colossus through a maze of tunnels, with the occasional opening where Malus could shoot through. The design was ultimately scrapped in favor of a linear approach, but several elements of this early design can still be seen in the final game.

The next part is challenging. You must make your way up the ledge and behind the nearby cover without getting hit. Malus will shoot at you if you are hanging onto the ledge, but the projectile will miss. Use the opportunity to pull yourself up quickly and dive next to the wall. You should get there right as another fireball hits. From here, you have to quickly move west from cover to cover; any mistake will knock you back into the trenches and damage your health significantly. Your health naturally regenerates slowly on its own, but if you crouch, it will regenerate faster. Dive into the hole at the end.

This tunnel leads out onto the western edge of the mesa, where you must make your way across some narrow ledges. You must also jump from a ledge you're hanging on to. Hope you practiced the move if you ever had trouble; miss the jump and it's game over. Quickly run to the next tunnel entrance. At the end is a broken staircase leading to another series of walls. These are farther apart than the previous set (and you're much closer to the colossus), so you must run from and into cover very quickly. Using the dive roll just before you get there is highly recommended.

The tunnel here will take you directly underneath the colossus. Time for a very long climb to the top. The bottom half of the colossus is climbed easily enough; just make your way from ledge to ledge, stopping to rest when you need to. When you finally reach the colossus's midsection, however, things get tricky. Your sword will indicate a point on the colossus' back where you can stab. Do so, and the colossus will try and reach its backside with its left hand. You must now jump from the fur on the colossus's backside to the fur on its left palm. Once you've done this, the colossus will bring its hand back to where it was before - that is, with you hanging on for dear life over a hundred feet above the ground. Surprisingly, if you fall, you won't die, but you lose a ton of life. Make your way to the back of the colossus' hand and lightly stab it - this will make Malus hold out its hand with the palm side facing down.

Your next goal is a minor sigil on Malus' upper left arm (again, your sword will show you where). Stab this and Malus will try and cover this with its right hand. Jump off of its left arm and onto its right hand; make your way to the back of this hand and attack it to make the colossus hold it flat. From here, shoot an arrow onto the patch of fur on its shoulder, and Malus will cover this spot with the hand you're on. You are, finally, at the top of the colossus; the final weakpoint is on the very top of its head.

This is, of course, not an easy weakpoint to take out. Malus will try to shake you off very frequently, and will often lean forward while doing so. Any slip here means a very long fall to earth. To make attacking this last weakpoint easier, you can use a clever trick. While on the colossus' shoulders, you can shoot or stab the patch of fur on its shoulder to make the colossus cover the injury with its hand again; this will leave its head perfectly still for a good few seconds. Its shoulders are a good place to recover your stamina, even when the giant does everything in its power to shake you off.

Once the last sigil is destroyed, Malus will be no more. The final opponent defeated, your goal accomplished, and your journey over, sit back and enjoy the ending and credits. You've earned it.

Time Attack times (Normal, Hard): 9:30, 13:00

Weakspots

Location Percentage of health
Normal Hard
On its head 100%
Lower back

Used in climbing

Upper left arm Used in climbing
Left shoulder

Used in climbing

Tips and tricks

  • Unbelievably, it is actually possible to perform a very specific series of runs and jumps that will allow you to run right up to the colossus, dodging over a dozen fireballs on the way there. The move is extremely difficult to pull off, but will also save you quite a bit of time in Time Attack if you're looking to break your old record by several minutes.
  • When on the fourth-largest section of Malus' garment discs, Wander is given an angle in which Malus' right shoulder can be shot from below. After shooting, Malus' right arm will extend closer to the ground and, upon climbing one level higher, the player will be able to jump directly to Malus' right hand on the return swing. This is also a great help in time attack.
  • Once the player is on Malus' left arm, it is possible to time its movement so that Wander can just jump onto its chest-plate or shoulder. It's actually far easier to perform than it sounds, and it is very helpful on time attack.
  • While on Malus' head trying to stab its weak point, it will attempt to shake the player off almost constantly. If one is careful, it is recommended to stab (or shoot) the minor sigil on its left shoulder. This will cause the colossus to react in pain, and will allow Wander to get in at least one fully-charged stab.
  • When Wander is attacking the sigil on Malus' head, the player can align him in such a way that he can repeatedly stab the sigil without losing his footing even once. To do this, Wander must be facing directly forward (the same direction Malus is facing) and charge up a powerful stab. When Malus leans forward, prepare another stab. Then, when Malus is throwing its head back in an attempt to dislodge Wander, the stab will be almost fully charged; stab it again. This pattern can be repeated multiple times until the colossus is dead.

Origin of given and Latin name

Note that both the given names and the Latin names of the colossi are fictional. They are only used by fans due to the popularity of these names and are not official.

Malus

  • Malus is a Latin word meaning either evil, ugly, or unlucky [1]. Examples of modern English words are malevolent or malice.

Grandis Supernus

  • Grandis means aged, full-grown, grand, or powerful [2].
  • Supernus means celestial, heavenly, lofty, on the surface, or something of the gods [3].

Music

  • As Wander opens the gate leading to Malus, Sanctuary plays.
  • When Agro sacrifices herself to save Wander, Resurrection plays.
  • When approaching Malus, Demise of the Ritual plays. This song plays throughout the entire battle with Malus.

Trivia

  • Malus is the tallest of all the colossi by far; it stands at roughly 196.8 ft/60m, making it almost twice the height of the next tallest colossi and over 30 times taller than Wander. Malus isn't the biggest colossus; Dirge is 260 ft/79.2m long and Hydrus is 280 ft/85.3m long, and Phalanx is 557 ft/170m long, making them all longer than Malus is tall. However, it is possible that Malus is the most massive and therefore the heaviest of all 16 colossi due not only to its great height but its enormous bulk.
  • To give Malus' great height some scale, if Malus were real, then it would be tall enough to be able to look directly into the clock face of Big Ben.
  • Due to the intense rainstorm in which it takes place, Wander's exhaustion from previous battles, the loss of his long-companioned horse and the somber timbres of Malus' battle music, the battle is considered the most emotionally impacting.
  • Malus is the only stationary colossus; it seems that its feet are bolted in place. Even when Malus is thrashing to try and dislodge Wander, its lower body remains completely motionless. This idea of Malus' feet being fixed in place is further evidenced when Malus dies, as it doesn't fall over to the ground, it merely slumps and bends back as low as the stone garment will allow. If its feet weren't stuck in the ground, Malus would have definitely toppled over and fallen, much like the other colossi.
  • Of all the colossi, Malus is the most remote and is located further south than any other.
  • The fight against Malus is the only battle which occurs in the rain.
  • Malus is the last of four colossi that use long-range projectile attacks; not only is it unique in that it is the only bipedal colossus to attack in such a way, but it is also the only colossus that fires its long range attack as singular shots. The other 3 colossi that use long-range projectiles (Kuromori, Basaran and Pelagia) will fire 3 or 4 shots in one attack, whereas Malus will only ever fire one shot at a time. At the same time, its projectiles are the only ones that follow Wander. If the player can see them whilst moving, the projectiles even curve to change direction and strike Wander directly.
  • Malus is the most human in appearance of all the colossi. This is probably for irony's sake; Wander has previously killed 15 monsters, deteriorating his appearance with each kill, and, by killing Malus, the most human looking, loses the last of his aesthetic humanity.
  • As well as being the most human in appearance of all the colossi, Malus sounds the most human in its roars and bellows as well.
  • Malus is the last of 3 colossi that have their own exclusive track heard whilst fighting them. "Demise of the Ritual" is unique to Malus.
  • Malus is the only colossus where the initial scaling of it can be considered a puzzle, as the player must do different things to get on different parts of its body, until getting up to the head. While all other colossi have puzzle that involve getting on them, none of them have a puzzle that involves actually climbing them.
  • After Malus' intro movie, if Wander jumps to the lower ledges, the rain will vanish and the sky will be clear.
  • In Time Attack mode, you can jump off and land on the bridge.
  • Malus is the only colossi to not fall to the ground upon defeat, aside from the ones fought in, (or in Avion's case, above) the water.
  • After you surface from the final tunnel (the one that brings you directly under Malus) its legs are made of an odd black and yellow energy substance. Attacking these will result in one of its lightning meteor attacks being shot at you from its hand (meaning it shoots through its 'stone garment')

Gallery



SotCFullTemplate
The Game Shadow of the Colossus ( Demo  · Pal Release  · Shadow of the Colossus HD  · PS4)
Characters Wander  · Agro  · Mono  · Dormin  · Lord Emon  · Guards  · Shadows
The Colossi I  · II  · III  · IV  · V · VI  · VII  · VIII  · IX  · X  · XI  · XII  · XIII  · XIV  · XV  · XVI
Unused Colossi ( Devil  · Evis  · Griffin  · Phoenix  · Roc  · Saru  · Sirius  · Spider  · Worm  · Yamori A  · Buffalo  · Quetzalcoatl)
Magic Sigil  · Hard Mode
Colossus Arenas Temple  · Proto  · Arena  · Kirin's Hill  · Canyon · Canossa  · Lakeside  · Underground  · Geyser  · Gravewind  · Leo's Cave  · Poseidon's Lake  · Desert  · Ruins  · Parthenon  · Sanctuary
Unused Arenas ( Badlands  · Cave  · Crater  · Devil's Plain  · Dune  · Hillock  · I1  · Labyrinth  · Sluice  · Stonehenge  · Valley )
The Forbidden Lands Shadow creaturesSave shrinesFruit treesWhite-tailed lizards

The Shrine of Worship
Umbral GladeStone Arch GorgeDried MarshNorthern SpanDesert FortressMisty FallsRavine EntranceHalf-moon CanyonWestern PlainRound Stone HillLair to the WestStone Bridge CliffCliff PathLair on the MesaWestern CapeArch Bridge PlainBlasted LandsAutumn ForestEastern BluffValley PlainSouthwestern CapeSouthern PlainGreen CapeThe Broken Seal

Soundtrack Roar of the Earth
Walkthrough Time AttackGolden Coins
Other media Nico  · Official artbook/guidebook  · Collectible figurines  · Film adaptation
Giantology campaign
Hoaxes Jebal-Barez skeletonTamil Nadu tsunami giantSulu Sea eel statuePolarneft conspiracySayre family vacation
Characters Eric BelsonCasper ShillingEd GuylerArkady SimkinBoris AtlasovAndrew and Ellie Sayre
Media Giantology podcasts (FirstInterview with Arkady SimkinThirdFourth) • IPICP memo
SotC Template CoverLogov2 Walkthrough
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


Sigil divider