Shadows (ICO)

Talk Page

Shadows (ICO)
Information
Height	1.42m to 2.35m
Appears in	ICO The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

The Shadows (Japanese: 影 Kage, lit. "shadow"), or SmokeMen according to the credits, are mysterious beings that are the primary enemies in ICO.

Description

The shadows arise out of nests (akin to a portal) in the floor and charge Ico in an attempt to capture Yorda. While most of them have horns, their other traits can be increasingly diverse from each other: most have incredibly lean figures, some have little curved tails, a few have impossibly muscular forms, many feature prominent wings, and one variety is non-bipedal, taking on a form similar to that of a spider.

The shadows are fixated on taking Yorda into the nest from which they came, and they only attack Ico as a means to an end. All shadows can be instantly vanquished by Yorda's unlocking of an idol gate, and they all dissipate upon contact with a body of water (though opportunities to accomplish the latter removal method are extremely limited). If Yorda is left unattended in another area of the castle for too long, a single shadow creature known as the "Cleaner" appears to abduct her.

If, during an abduction, a shadow is met with a physical barrier that it cannot navigate, a circle of sickly green energy surrounds both the shadow and Yorda, allowing them to bypass any obstruction for a brief period of time. While in this state, a shadow cannot be attacked, but they must return to normal if they are to take Yorda into the nest.

Near the end of the game, shadows that mirror Ico's appearance are found at the Altar. Unlike other shadow enemies, when these child shadows are defeated, they emit a pain sound, and their smoky remains gravitate towards a specific capsule. A moment after receiving it, the capsule will light up. For these reasons, it is almost a certainty that these are the other horned children who were captured and sacrificed to the Queen. The behavior of these shadows is aberrant at best; some of them pester Ico and jump about him, while others fly in circles with each other. None of them attack, even when threatened. There are 53 total, one for each functioning capsule. Ico would have been the 54th, had he perished in his tomb.

List of Shadows

• Retail
• All

Retail

Below is a list of all Shadows present in the retail (PAL & NTSC-U) versions of the game:

[Edit]

Image	Model	Type
	9 enemy_sp_cls	Spider 蜘蛛
	Cluster of Spiders that usually spawns in groups of five, but may also spawn in less or more numbers. In their current state, they cannot attempt to capture Yorda. However, if five of them make contact with her, they merge into a either a normal or flying enemy, depending on the location. Spiders also follow a lead Shadow, only going after Yorda after it dies. In the US version it may attack the player. [Edit]
	20 enemy_boy	Child's Shadow 子供の影
	Fifty-three unique flying shadows that have a similar appearance to that of Ico. They appear at the end of the game surrounding Yorda, who at this point has turned to stone. They do not attack Ico. Once defeated, their smoky remains gravitate towards one of the fifty-three unbroken capsules. [Edit]
Gallery The shadow boy next to Ico. The shadow boy in the Official Guide Book. The shadow boy's model.
	21 enemy_umiushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "sea slug" (literal translation is "sea cow"), likely due to its insect-like appearance. It is similar to Imomushi, but has more feathers around its body, has shorter mandibles, and lacks the abdomen legs. [Edit]
Gallery Umiushi in the Official Guide Book. Umiushi's model.
	22 enemy_tori	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "bird". [Edit]
Gallery Tori in the Official Guide Book. Tori's model.
	23 enemy_imomushi	Normal 通常
	This is the first shadow that appears in the game, attempting to capture Yorda while she's talking to Ico. As a normal type, this shadow cannot fly and has the ability to sink into the ground to hide from Ico in the PAL version. Its model name means "caterpillar", derived from its resemblance to that of the insect. It has two small legs on its abdomen, a mandible, and a set of antennae. Its eyes are placed above the antennae. [Edit]
Gallery The Imomushi. Side view. Imomushi as a puddle. Imomushi in the Official Guide Book. Imomushi's model.
	24 enemy_tyou	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "蝶" (ちょう), which means means "butterfly", likely due to is winged arms and its insect-like appearance. [Edit]
Gallery Tyou in the Official Guide Book. Tyou's model.
	31 enemy_tubasa	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying grabber type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its appearance is a mix of the Inu and Hiyoko enemies. It has bird legs, a dog face, a pointed tail, and upwards horns. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "翼" (つばさ) which means "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Tubasa in the Official Guide Book. Tubasa's model.
	32 enemy_oni	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Oni has feminine traits and lacks feathers unlike most other common shadows. It has a curled tail, pointed feet, and front-facing horns. Its model name is the Japanese word for "demon", and is also the name of a yōkai. [Edit]
Gallery The Oni. Oni in the Official Guide Book. Oni's model.
	34 enemy_oni_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the Oni enemy, this shadow has feminine traits. Unique elements of it include its three sets of horns, lack of tail, and the addition of wings. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hane in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hane's model.
	35 enemy_ushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "cow", due to its resemblance to the animal. It has the same kind of tail that Oni has. [Edit]
Gallery The Ushi. Ushi in the Official Guide Book. Ushi's model.
	36 enemy_ushi_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "cow" and "wing", due to the fact this enemy is a winged version of the Ushi shadow. Two separate versions of this enemy exist, one that is more cowardly, and another that is more aggressive. The latter version only appears in the PAL version of the Arena stages. [Edit]
Gallery An aggressive Ushi_hane at the East Arena. Ushi_hane in the Official Guide Book. Ushi_hane's model.
	39 enemy_oni_hone	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the other Oni enemies, this shadow has feminine traits. However, this iteration has six featherless wings, feathers on its head and back resembling hair, an upwards horn, and a lizard tail. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "bone". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hone in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hone's model.
	43 enemy_nomal	Cleaner 掃除人
	Special type of Shadow that appears to take away Yorda when Ico is far way from her for too long. It can take Yorda away by flying, as well as hide from Ico by sinking into the ground (PAL version). This shadow resembles the ones seen in Shadow of the Colossus. At some point in development, shadows similar to this one were the only enemy in the game, appearing like the other common shadows do in the retail game. [Edit]
Gallery Nomal in the Official Guide Book. Nomal's model.

All

Below is a list of all known Shadows models that were created for the game, in order of their number in game's data. The Shadows whose model names are unknown are listed at the bottom.

Aside from Spider, the shadow enemy models start at number 20, with previous numbers being for other unrelated models from the game. Model numbers 20 to 52 are reserved for Shadows in PAL.

[Edit]

Image	Model	Type
	6 (enemy_sp) 7 (thigh) 8 (leg)	??
	Alternate model of the Spider enemy that lacks the "wings", and is overall more detailed. The body, thigh, and leg models are separate, and all are "p2o" (object), instead of "p2c" (character) models like every other enemy. It also lacks a skeleton, so it's unknown how or if it moved. It is included in the retail version's files and is loaded in COMMON.DF. Despite this, it does not physically appear in-game. [Edit]
Gallery Comparison of the two spider models (lacking the thigh and leg of spider_sp). The thigh and leg models.
	9 enemy_sp_cls	Spider 蜘蛛
	Cluster of Spiders that usually spawns in groups of five, but may also spawn in less or more numbers. In their current state, they cannot attempt to capture Yorda. However, if five of them make contact with her, they merge into a either a normal or flying enemy, depending on the location. Spiders also follow a lead Shadow, only going after Yorda after it dies. In the US version it may attack the player. [Edit]
	20 enemy_boy	Child's Shadow 子供の影
	Fifty-three unique flying shadows that have a similar appearance to that of Ico. They appear at the end of the game surrounding Yorda, who at this point has turned to stone. They do not attack Ico. Once defeated, their smoky remains gravitate towards one of the fifty-three unbroken capsules. [Edit]
Gallery The shadow boy next to Ico. The shadow boy in the Official Guide Book. The shadow boy's model.
	21 enemy_umiushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "sea slug" (literal translation is "sea cow"), likely due to its insect-like appearance. It is similar to Imomushi, but has more feathers around its body, has shorter mandibles, and lacks the abdomen legs. [Edit]
Gallery Umiushi in the Official Guide Book. Umiushi's model.
	22 enemy_tori	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "bird". [Edit]
Gallery Tori in the Official Guide Book. Tori's model.
	23 enemy_imomushi	Normal 通常
	This is the first shadow that appears in the game, attempting to capture Yorda while she's talking to Ico. As a normal type, this shadow cannot fly and has the ability to sink into the ground to hide from Ico in the PAL version. Its model name means "caterpillar", derived from its resemblance to that of the insect. It has two small legs on its abdomen, a mandible, and a set of antennae. Its eyes are placed above the antennae. [Edit]
Gallery The Imomushi. Side view. Imomushi as a puddle. Imomushi in the Official Guide Book. Imomushi's model.
	24 enemy_tyou	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "蝶" (ちょう), which means means "butterfly", likely due to is winged arms and its insect-like appearance. [Edit]
Gallery Tyou in the Official Guide Book. Tyou's model.
	25 enemy_tuno	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the third shadow in the Oni_hand10 spawning set. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "角" (つの) which means "horn". [Edit]
Gallery Tuno in the Official Guide Book. Tuno's model.
	26 enemy_hiyoko	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the second shadow in the Yakitori spawning set. Its model name is the Japanese word for "chick". Its legs were also used for Tubasa. [Edit]
Gallery Hiyoko in the Official Guide Book. Hiyoko's body.
	27 enemy_toge	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game. A unique Shadow in appearance with some reptile-lke elements. Its model name is the Japanese word for "thorn". [Edit]
Gallery Toge's model.
	28 enemy_bighand	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game as the second shadow of the Toge spawning set. It has an overall goat-like appearance, and its hands aren't attached to its arms. [Edit]
Gallery Bighand's model.
	29 enemy_inu	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game. Its model name is the Japanese word for "dog", reflecting its appearance. Most of its body was used for Tubasa. [Edit]
Gallery Inu's model.
	30 enemy_yakitori	Flying 飛び
	Flying enemy that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in the demo versions of the game. Its model name translates to "grilled chicken". Its featherless wings were also used for Oni_hone. [Edit]
Gallery Yakitori in the Official Guide Book. Yakitori's model.
	31 enemy_tubasa	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying grabber type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its appearance is a mix of the Inu and Hiyoko enemies. It has bird legs, a dog face, a pointed tail, and upwards horns. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "翼" (つばさ) which means "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Tubasa in the Official Guide Book. Tubasa's model.
	32 enemy_oni	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Oni has feminine traits and lacks feathers unlike most other common shadows. It has a curled tail, pointed feet, and front-facing horns. Its model name is the Japanese word for "demon", and is also the name of a yōkai. [Edit]
Gallery The Oni. Oni in the Official Guide Book. Oni's model.
?	33 enemy_oni_skirt	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni and before oni_hane. The name suggests that this is another variation of the oni enemy, only this time with a skirt; presumably the one that oni_hand10 and oni_hand0 would later use. [Edit]
	34 enemy_oni_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the Oni enemy, this shadow has feminine traits. Unique elements of it include its three sets of horns, lack of tail, and the addition of wings. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hane in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hane's model.
	35 enemy_ushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "cow", due to its resemblance to the animal. It has the same kind of tail that Oni has. [Edit]
Gallery The Ushi. Ushi in the Official Guide Book. Ushi's model.
	36 enemy_ushi_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "cow" and "wing", due to the fact this enemy is a winged version of the Ushi shadow. Two separate versions of this enemy exist, one that is more cowardly, and another that is more aggressive. The latter version only appears in the PAL version of the Arena stages. [Edit]
Gallery An aggressive Ushi_hane at the East Arena. Ushi_hane in the Official Guide Book. Ushi_hane's model.
	37 enemy_oni_hand10	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game. Its model name consists of the Japanese word for "demon", as well as the English word "hand" and the number 10, referring to the fact that it has ten hands. As it is another Oni enemy, it has feminine proportions. It has the same horns as the normal Oni, but in addition to the arms, also has feathers on the back of its head acting as hair, and a long skirt. [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hand10 in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hand10's model.
	38 enemy_oni_hand0	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the second shadow of the Oni_hand10 spawning set. Its model name consists of the Japanese word for "demon", as well as the English word "hand" and the number 0, likely because none of its hands are visible. Its design uses the three sets of horns from Oni_hane, and the feathered "hair" also used on Oni_hone. Additionally, it wears what appears to be a dress with long sleeves, and has the same hooves/paws as Inu. [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hand0 in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hand0's body.
	39 enemy_oni_hone	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the other Oni enemies, this shadow has feminine traits. However, this iteration has six featherless wings, feathers on its head and back resembling hair, an upwards horn, and a lizard tail. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "bone". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hone in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hone's model.
?	40 enemy_oni_ashi6	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_hone. Another iteration of the oni enemy, its name includes "ashi" meaning foot and the number 6.[Edit]
?	41 enemy_oni_te_ashi	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_ashi6. Another iteration of the oni enemy, its name includes "te" meaning hand and "ashi" meaning foot.[Edit]
?	42 enemy_hone_ashi	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_te_ashi and before nomal. Its model name includes the Japanese words for bone (hone) and foot (ashi).[Edit]
	43 enemy_nomal	Cleaner 掃除人
	Special type of Shadow that appears to take away Yorda when Ico is far way from her for too long. It can take Yorda away by flying, as well as hide from Ico by sinking into the ground (PAL version). This shadow resembles the ones seen in Shadow of the Colossus. At some point in development, shadows similar to this one were the only enemy in the game, appearing like the other common shadows do in the retail game. [Edit]
Gallery Nomal in the Official Guide Book. Nomal's model.
?	44 enemy_hone	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after nomal. Its model name means bone. [Edit]
?	45 enemy_hit00	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build.[Edit]
?	46 enemy_hit01	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
	47 enemymodel_deja	N/A
	Its model is a shadowy version of the cut soldier enemies from the PS1 iteration of ICO. Exclusive to the PAL version, it is loaded in the deja stage, despite never appearing. It is not listed in the enemyKind, and it's unknown what purpose it serves, if any. [Edit]
	48 enemy_hit07	Flying 飛び
	Its model is the exact same as that of the Umiushi enemy, just higher poly. It was the only Shadow present in the June 8th 2001 demo, but its model is still in the files of the final game and is loaded in all stages for unknown reasons. The version of the Shadow from the PAL version has 4.0 body scale and has particle effects around it, having a resemblance to the cut bosses that were featured on the Altar stage. [Edit]
Gallery The Hit07 from the PAL version.
	49 enemy_hit08	??
	Its model is the same as that of the Tori enemy, just higher poly. Hit08 is loaded in the Drawbridge stage in the retail game's data despite never appearing, likely a leftover from when they used to appear in this stage in older builds. This is seen in the video for beating the demos (e3_end.pss), which shows a bunch of Hit08 enemies chasing Ico and Yorda at Drawbridge. [Edit]
Gallery Clip featuring the Hit08 shadows.
?	50 enemy_hit09	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
?	51 enemy_hit10	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
?	52 enemy_hit11	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
	??	Tiny (EN2)
	Small shadows that somewhat resemble the Tori enemies. They were briefly glimpsed in the E3 2001 ICO stock footage on East Arena. In it, they can be seen jumping on Yorda and clinging onto her with their spiked arms. Possible animations for their jump and cling animations were found in the files: The cling is named "EN1 CLING_LOOP"; and the jump is "EN2 JUMP". The latter only exists in the June 8th 2001 build (Jampack Summer 2001), and is the only animation with the label "EN2". Both animations are connected by the motion orient named "JUMP_FOR_CLING", and both are also the only animations with the letter "t" in their file names (hnac138t and hnac136t respectively).[Edit]
Gallery The clip of the little shadows.
	??	Normal 通常
	Normal-sized Shadows that resemble the little ones above, also seen in the E3 2001 ICO stock footage. They had long arms, and possibly had antennas and mandibles similar to Imomushi. It is likely one of the "hit" shadows.[Edit]
Gallery Clip showing the shadow.
?	??	Large (EN3)
	Large enemies that likely existed at some point in development from June 2001 to earlier. Unique animations for these Shadows (placed inside a folder named "enemy_l", presumably short for "enemy_large") were found in the June 8th demo. The folder contains animations labelled as "EN3", as well as animations labelled "BOSS". The EN3 animation files are loaded in stages where enemies appear, thus can be played. As expected, they seem to depict a larger enemy who walks slowly, is able to pick up objects, and performs attacks aimed at the ground. It was also able to pick up Yorda and carry her to a nest. It's unknown what model(s) used these animations, but they were likely one of the models with the label "hit", as the others still did not exist by June 8th. [Edit]
Gallery EN3_STAND1. EN3_WALKLOOP1. EN3_LIFT. EN3_LIFT_WALK. EN3_LIFT_THROW. EN3 ATTACK1. EN3 ATTACK2.
	??	Boss ボス
	Boss enemies that were going to be fought in the Altar in place of the boy shadows, who were seen in a PlayStation Underground interview. Animations for these Shadows are listed in the debug menu from the June 8th 2001 demo, but cannot be played as they aren't loaded in any stage. Most of its animations also come from the "enemy_l" folder like EN3, but some also reuse animations from normal shadows. Various animations existed for grabbing and throwing Ico, as confirmed by the Japanese names of the "BOSS THROW_FAIL" animations: 敵ボス少年放し (Enemy Boss released the boy). There were also animations for damaging the bosses' heads. Cutscene animations for the fight also existed and are listed in the debug, but just like the animations above, they cannot be played. They were divided into "D10A", "D10B" and "D10C". D10A was a scene that focused on Ico and Yorda (likely still turned to stone); the second scene included Ico, Yorda and both bosses in the first cut, and only the boss to the right in the second cut; and the third was another scene focusing on Ico and Yorda on the first cut, and another only for Yorda in the second cut. Also found within the June 8th build was the music that used to play for this battle before it was replaced by the shadow boys', being the int file titled '29a': The enemyKind sheet found within the files also has an enemy listed wih 4.0 body scale, and with a particle effect that creates some fuzzyness around the shadow like in the clip. [Edit]
Gallery Clip featuring the large shadows. EN3_STAND1 animation. Uses the same file as BOSS_STAND1 (hnac0l4.mob). List of the BOSS animations.

[Edit]

Image	Model	Type
	6 (enemy_sp) 7 (thigh) 8 (leg)	??
	Alternate model of the Spider enemy that lacks the "wings", and is overall more detailed. The body, thigh, and leg models are separate, and all are "p2o" (object), instead of "p2c" (character) models like every other enemy. It also lacks a skeleton, so it's unknown how or if it moved. It is included in the retail version's files and is loaded in COMMON.DF. Despite this, it does not physically appear in-game. [Edit]
Gallery Comparison of the two spider models (lacking the thigh and leg of spider_sp). The thigh and leg models.
	9 enemy_sp_cls	Spider 蜘蛛
	Cluster of Spiders that usually spawns in groups of five, but may also spawn in less or more numbers. In their current state, they cannot attempt to capture Yorda. However, if five of them make contact with her, they merge into a either a normal or flying enemy, depending on the location. Spiders also follow a lead Shadow, only going after Yorda after it dies. In the US version it may attack the player. [Edit]
	20 enemy_boy	Child's Shadow 子供の影
	Fifty-three unique flying shadows that have a similar appearance to that of Ico. They appear at the end of the game surrounding Yorda, who at this point has turned to stone. They do not attack Ico. Once defeated, their smoky remains gravitate towards one of the fifty-three unbroken capsules. [Edit]
Gallery The shadow boy next to Ico. The shadow boy in the Official Guide Book. The shadow boy's model.
	21 enemy_umiushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "sea slug" (literal translation is "sea cow"), likely due to its insect-like appearance. It is similar to Imomushi, but has more feathers around its body, has shorter mandibles, and lacks the abdomen legs. [Edit]
Gallery Umiushi in the Official Guide Book. Umiushi's model.
	22 enemy_tori	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "bird". [Edit]
Gallery Tori in the Official Guide Book. Tori's model.
	23 enemy_imomushi	Normal 通常
	This is the first shadow that appears in the game, attempting to capture Yorda while she's talking to Ico. As a normal type, this shadow cannot fly and has the ability to sink into the ground to hide from Ico in the PAL version. Its model name means "caterpillar", derived from its resemblance to that of the insect. It has two small legs on its abdomen, a mandible, and a set of antennae. Its eyes are placed above the antennae. [Edit]
Gallery The Imomushi. Side view. Imomushi as a puddle. Imomushi in the Official Guide Book. Imomushi's model.
	24 enemy_tyou	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "蝶" (ちょう), which means means "butterfly", likely due to is winged arms and its insect-like appearance. [Edit]
Gallery Tyou in the Official Guide Book. Tyou's model.
	25 enemy_tuno	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the third shadow in the Oni_hand10 spawning set. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "角" (つの) which means "horn". [Edit]
Gallery Tuno in the Official Guide Book. Tuno's model.
	26 enemy_hiyoko	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the second shadow in the Yakitori spawning set. Its model name is the Japanese word for "chick". Its legs were also used for Tubasa. [Edit]
Gallery Hiyoko in the Official Guide Book. Hiyoko's body.
	27 enemy_toge	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game. A unique Shadow in appearance with some reptile-lke elements. Its model name is the Japanese word for "thorn". [Edit]
Gallery Toge's model.
	28 enemy_bighand	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game as the second shadow of the Toge spawning set. It has an overall goat-like appearance, and its hands aren't attached to its arms. [Edit]
Gallery Bighand's model.
	29 enemy_inu	Flying 飛び
	Unused enemy that wasn't included in the Official Game Guide, who only appears in the June 26th Demo of the game. Its model name is the Japanese word for "dog", reflecting its appearance. Most of its body was used for Tubasa. [Edit]
Gallery Inu's model.
	30 enemy_yakitori	Flying 飛び
	Flying enemy that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in the demo versions of the game. Its model name translates to "grilled chicken". Its featherless wings were also used for Oni_hone. [Edit]
Gallery Yakitori in the Official Guide Book. Yakitori's model.
	31 enemy_tubasa	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying grabber type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its appearance is a mix of the Inu and Hiyoko enemies. It has bird legs, a dog face, a pointed tail, and upwards horns. Its model name is a Kunrei-shiki romanization of "翼" (つばさ) which means "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Tubasa in the Official Guide Book. Tubasa's model.
	32 enemy_oni	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Oni has feminine traits and lacks feathers unlike most other common shadows. It has a curled tail, pointed feet, and front-facing horns. Its model name is the Japanese word for "demon", and is also the name of a yōkai. [Edit]
Gallery The Oni. Oni in the Official Guide Book. Oni's model.
?	33 enemy_oni_skirt	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni and before oni_hane. The name suggests that this is another variation of the oni enemy, only this time with a skirt; presumably the one that oni_hand10 and oni_hand0 would later use. [Edit]
	34 enemy_oni_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the Oni enemy, this shadow has feminine traits. Unique elements of it include its three sets of horns, lack of tail, and the addition of wings. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "wing". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hane in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hane's model.
	35 enemy_ushi	Normal 通常
	Normal enemy that cannot fly and is able to hide by sinking into the ground in the PAL version. Its model name is the Japanese word for "cow", due to its resemblance to the animal. It has the same kind of tail that Oni has. [Edit]
Gallery The Ushi. Ushi in the Official Guide Book. Ushi's model.
	36 enemy_ushi_hane	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that can carry Yorda away while flying. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "cow" and "wing", due to the fact this enemy is a winged version of the Ushi shadow. Two separate versions of this enemy exist, one that is more cowardly, and another that is more aggressive. The latter version only appears in the PAL version of the Arena stages. [Edit]
Gallery An aggressive Ushi_hane at the East Arena. Ushi_hane in the Official Guide Book. Ushi_hane's model.
	37 enemy_oni_hand10	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game. Its model name consists of the Japanese word for "demon", as well as the English word "hand" and the number 10, referring to the fact that it has ten hands. As it is another Oni enemy, it has feminine proportions. It has the same horns as the normal Oni, but in addition to the arms, also has feathers on the back of its head acting as hair, and a long skirt. [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hand10 in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hand10's model.
	38 enemy_oni_hand0	Flying 飛び
	Flying type that cannot carry Yorda away while flying, who only appears in demo versions of the game as the second shadow of the Oni_hand10 spawning set. Its model name consists of the Japanese word for "demon", as well as the English word "hand" and the number 0, likely because none of its hands are visible. Its design uses the three sets of horns from Oni_hane, and the feathered "hair" also used on Oni_hone. Additionally, it wears what appears to be a dress with long sleeves, and has the same hooves/paws as Inu. [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hand0 in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hand0's body.
	39 enemy_oni_hone	Flying Grabber 飛び連続
	Flying type that carry Yorda away while flying. Similar to the other Oni enemies, this shadow has feminine traits. However, this iteration has six featherless wings, feathers on its head and back resembling hair, an upwards horn, and a lizard tail. Its model name consists of the Japanese words for "demon" and "bone". [Edit]
Gallery Oni_hone in the Official Guide Book. Oni_hone's model.
?	40 enemy_oni_ashi6	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_hone. Another iteration of the oni enemy, its name includes "ashi" meaning foot and the number 6.[Edit]
?	41 enemy_oni_te_ashi	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_ashi6. Another iteration of the oni enemy, its name includes "te" meaning hand and "ashi" meaning foot.[Edit]
?	42 enemy_hone_ashi	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after oni_te_ashi and before nomal. Its model name includes the Japanese words for bone (hone) and foot (ashi).[Edit]
	43 enemy_nomal	Cleaner 掃除人
	Special type of Shadow that appears to take away Yorda when Ico is far way from her for too long. It can take Yorda away by flying, as well as hide from Ico by sinking into the ground (PAL version). This shadow resembles the ones seen in Shadow of the Colossus. At some point in development, shadows similar to this one were the only enemy in the game, appearing like the other common shadows do in the retail game. [Edit]
Gallery Nomal in the Official Guide Book. Nomal's model.
?	44 enemy_hone	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data after nomal. Its model name means bone. [Edit]
?	45 enemy_hit00	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build.[Edit]
?	46 enemy_hit01	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
	47 enemymodel_deja	N/A
	Its model is a shadowy version of the cut soldier enemies from the PS1 iteration of ICO. Exclusive to the PAL version, it is loaded in the deja stage, despite never appearing. It is not listed in the enemyKind, and it's unknown what purpose it serves, if any. [Edit]
	48 enemy_hit07	Flying 飛び
	Its model is the exact same as that of the Umiushi enemy, just higher poly. It was the only Shadow present in the June 8th 2001 demo, but its model is still in the files of the final game and is loaded in all stages for unknown reasons. The version of the Shadow from the PAL version has 4.0 body scale and has particle effects around it, having a resemblance to the cut bosses that were featured on the Altar stage. [Edit]
Gallery The Hit07 from the PAL version.
	49 enemy_hit08	??
	Its model is the same as that of the Tori enemy, just higher poly. Hit08 is loaded in the Drawbridge stage in the retail game's data despite never appearing, likely a leftover from when they used to appear in this stage in older builds. This is seen in the video for beating the demos (e3_end.pss), which shows a bunch of Hit08 enemies chasing Ico and Yorda at Drawbridge. [Edit]
Gallery Clip featuring the Hit08 shadows.
?	50 enemy_hit09	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
?	51 enemy_hit10	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
?	52 enemy_hit11	??
	Unused enemy that is currently unseen. It is only known due to it being listed in the game's data. This is one of the oldest enemies in the game, with it and the other "Hit" enemies being the only ones listed in the data from the June 8th 2001 build. [Edit]
	??	Tiny (EN2)
	Small shadows that somewhat resemble the Tori enemies. They were briefly glimpsed in the E3 2001 ICO stock footage on East Arena. In it, they can be seen jumping on Yorda and clinging onto her with their spiked arms. Possible animations for their jump and cling animations were found in the files: The cling is named "EN1 CLING_LOOP"; and the jump is "EN2 JUMP". The latter only exists in the June 8th 2001 build (Jampack Summer 2001), and is the only animation with the label "EN2". Both animations are connected by the motion orient named "JUMP_FOR_CLING", and both are also the only animations with the letter "t" in their file names (hnac138t and hnac136t respectively).[Edit]
Gallery The clip of the little shadows.
	??	Normal 通常
	Normal-sized Shadows that resemble the little ones above, also seen in the E3 2001 ICO stock footage. They had long arms, and possibly had antennas and mandibles similar to Imomushi. It is likely one of the "hit" shadows.[Edit]
Gallery Clip showing the shadow.
?	??	Large (EN3)
	Large enemies that likely existed at some point in development from June 2001 to earlier. Unique animations for these Shadows (placed inside a folder named "enemy_l", presumably short for "enemy_large") were found in the June 8th demo. The folder contains animations labelled as "EN3", as well as animations labelled "BOSS". The EN3 animation files are loaded in stages where enemies appear, thus can be played. As expected, they seem to depict a larger enemy who walks slowly, is able to pick up objects, and performs attacks aimed at the ground. It was also able to pick up Yorda and carry her to a nest. It's unknown what model(s) used these animations, but they were likely one of the models with the label "hit", as the others still did not exist by June 8th. [Edit]
Gallery EN3_STAND1. EN3_WALKLOOP1. EN3_LIFT. EN3_LIFT_WALK. EN3_LIFT_THROW. EN3 ATTACK1. EN3 ATTACK2.
	??	Boss ボス
	Boss enemies that were going to be fought in the Altar in place of the boy shadows, who were seen in a PlayStation Underground interview. Animations for these Shadows are listed in the debug menu from the June 8th 2001 demo, but cannot be played as they aren't loaded in any stage. Most of its animations also come from the "enemy_l" folder like EN3, but some also reuse animations from normal shadows. Various animations existed for grabbing and throwing Ico, as confirmed by the Japanese names of the "BOSS THROW_FAIL" animations: 敵ボス少年放し (Enemy Boss released the boy). There were also animations for damaging the bosses' heads. Cutscene animations for the fight also existed and are listed in the debug, but just like the animations above, they cannot be played. They were divided into "D10A", "D10B" and "D10C". D10A was a scene that focused on Ico and Yorda (likely still turned to stone); the second scene included Ico, Yorda and both bosses in the first cut, and only the boss to the right in the second cut; and the third was another scene focusing on Ico and Yorda on the first cut, and another only for Yorda in the second cut. Also found within the June 8th build was the music that used to play for this battle before it was replaced by the shadow boys', being the int file titled '29a': The enemyKind sheet found within the files also has an enemy listed wih 4.0 body scale, and with a particle effect that creates some fuzzyness around the shadow like in the clip. [Edit]
Gallery Clip featuring the large shadows. EN3_STAND1 animation. Uses the same file as BOSS_STAND1 (hnac0l4.mob). List of the BOSS animations.

Shadow Spawning Sets

An Ushi switching with an Oni.

Each individual shadow spawns with a set of three different models, with only one appearing first, and the other two acting as reserves. The model is switched to the next one whenever a shadow retreats into a nest while attempting to capture Yorda; or when it is killed and is able to respawn.

Depending on the set, the enemies may vary in behavior and stats; some are more aggressive, some have more health, and their size can differ. Once the initial Shadow of the set enters a nest and the next one appears, the newcomer inherits all the attributes of its predecessor.

• PAL
• NTSC-U

PAL

Below is a list of all Shadow sets according to information from the data in the PAL version (including the PAL demo). This list also includes unused sets whose information is still lacking.

Expand to view

[Edit]

Index	Spawn Set (hover to view)	Particle	Life		Carry Accel eration	Body Scale	Dodge Range	Hides	Flyable	Battle Type	Locations
			NG	NG+
0 Imomushi • Ushi • Oni		✘	100	150	1	1	700	✔	✘	Negative (High)	Spiral Stairs Stairs Dark Room
1 Tori • Tyou • Oni		✘	200	300	1	1	350	✔	✘	Negative (High)	Dark Room (demo)
2 Umiushi • Oni • Tori		✘	200	300	1	0.9	350	✔	✘	Negative (High)	Stairs (Spider) Dark Room Stone Pillar
3 Tyou • Tori • Umiushi		✘	200	300	1	0.9	400	✔	✘	Positive (High)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar
4 Oni • Umiushi • Tori		✘	200	300	1	1	400	✔	✘	Positive (High)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar
5 Ushi • Imomushi • Tori		✘	300	450	1	1.1	400	✔	✘	Positive (High)	Dark Room
6 Yakitori • Hiyoko • Oni_hand10		✘	200	300	1	1	350	✘	✔	Negative (High)	Spiral Stairs (demo) Dark Room (demo)
7 Oni_hand10 • Oni_hand0 • Tuno		✘	200	300	1	1	350	✘	✔	Negative (High)	Spiral Stairs (demo)
8 Tuno • ?? • ??		✘	200	300	1	1	350	?	✔	Negative (High)	N/A
9 Oni_hand0 • ?? • ??		✘	200	300	1	1.1	400	?	✔	Positive (High)	N/A
10 Hiyoko • ?? • ??		✘	250	375	1	1.2	400	✘	✔	Positive (High)	N/A
11 Tubasa • Oni_hone • Oni_hane or Tubasa • Ushi_hane • Oni_hone		✘	200	300	0.8	1	350	✘	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Negative (High)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Graveyard Sunbeams Stone Pillar (Spider) East Crag East Idol Stairs Waterfall West Idol Stairs
12 Ushi_hane • Ushi_hane • Tubasa		✘	300	450	0.8	1.2	350	✘	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Negative (High)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Stone Pillar East Crag Waterfall Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
13 Oni_hane • Tubasa • Ushi_hane		✘	200	300	0.8	1	350	✘	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Negative (High)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams (Spider) Stone Pillar East Crag East Idol Stairs Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
14 Ushi_hane • Oni_hone • Ushi_hane		✘	300	450	0.9	1.2	400	✘	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Positive (High)	East Arena West Arena
15 Oni_hone • Oni_hane • Ushi_hane		✘	200	300	0.9	1.1	400	✘	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Positive (High)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams East Crag Gondola Water Tower West Arena
16 Nomal		✘	100	150	0.8	1.1	450	✔	✔ (Takes Yorda)	Negative (High)	Any stage Yorda can occupy
17 No Model		✔	100	150	1	1	200	✔	✘	Positive (High)	Deja (dream sequence)
18 Hit07		✔	100	150	1	4	200	✔	✘	Negative (High)	Loaded on all stages (does not appear)
19 Boy		✘	100	150	1	1	1000	✘	✔	Negative (Low)	Altar
20 to 43 is a list of all Shadow models in order, with the same stats		✘	400	600	1	1	200	✔	✘	Negative (High)	N/A
44 No Model		✔	100	150	1	4	0	?	✘	Negative (High)	N/A
N/A Spider_cls		✘	1	1	N/A	1	Spider Type				Stairs Trolley 1 Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Dark Room Sunbeams Stone Pillar East Arena East Idol Stairs

Glossary

Below are details on the parameters from the list above:

• Particle: A smoky effect which surrounds the shadow. In the final game, this effect is not used for any fightable enemy, instead only being seen briefly during Ico's nightmare at the start of the game.
• Carry Acceleration: Set by the parameter "xzacceleration", it determines the speed multiplier for when shadows carry Yorda while flying.
• Body Scale: Sets the size of the model. "1" means it's the default size.
• Dodge Range: Determines the distance required for the shadows to back away, or fly over Ico. Essentially "dodging" him.
• Hides: Some shadows are capable of sinking into the ground to hide from Ico and slide away. It's currently unknown what determines this function.
• Flyable: Determines if the shadow is capable of flight. Three functions exist: NO_FLY, FLY, and TAKE. "TAKE" is for the shadows that are capable of carrying Yorda while flying.
• Battle Type: Changes the behavior of a shadow during a fight. Negative means they're non-confrontational, and will try to avoid Ico; Positive means they're confrontational, and will try to push through Ico to get to Yorda; High means they're capable of attacking; and Low means they aren't capable of attacking. The only enemies with a "Low" behavior are the shadow boys.

Expand to view

Index	Models			Particle	Life		Body Scale	Dodge Range	Type	Locations
	1 (Initial)	2	3		NG	NG+
0	Imomushi	Ushi	Oni	No	100	150	1	700	Normal (Shy)	Spiral Stairs Stairs Dark Room
1	Tori	Tyou	Oni	No	200	300	1	350	Normal (Shy)	Dark Room (demo)
2	Umiushi	Oni	Tori	No	200	300	0.9	350	Normal (Shy)	Stairs (Spider) Dark Room Stone Pillar
3	Tyou	Tori	Umiushi	No	200	300	0.9	400	Normal (Pushy)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar
4	Oni	Umiushi	Tori	No	200	300	1	400	Normal (Pushy)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar
5	Ushi	Imomushi	Tori	No	300	450	1.1	400	Normal (Pushy)	Dark Room
6	Yakitori	Hiyoko	Oni_hand10	No	200	300	1	350	Flying (Shy)	Spiral Stairs (demo) Dark Room (demo)
7	Oni_hand10	Oni_hand0	Tuno	No	200	300	1	350	Flying (Shy)	Spiral Stairs (demo)
8	Tuno	??		No	200	300	1	350	Unknown 1	N/A
9	Oni_hand0	??		No	200	300	1.1	400	Unknown 1	N/A
10	Hiyoko	??		No	250	375	1.2	400	Flying (Shy)	N/A
11	Tubasa	Oni_hone	Oni_hane	No	200	300	1	350	Flying Grabber (Shy)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Graveyard Sunbeams Stone Pillar (Spider) East Crag East Idol Stairs Waterfall West Idol Stairs
		Ushi_hane	Oni_hone
12	Ushi_hane	Ushi_hane	Tubasa	No	300	450	1.2	350	Flying Grabber (Shy)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Stone Pillar East Crag Waterfall Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
13	Oni_hane	Tubasa	Ushi_hane	No	200	300	1	350	Flying Grabber (Shy)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams (Spider) Stone Pillar East Crag East Idol Stairs Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
14	Ushi_hane	Oni_hone	Ushi_hane	No	300	450	1.2	400	Flying Grabber (Pushy)	East Arena West Arena
15	Oni_hone	Oni_hane	Ushi_hane	No	200	300	1.1	400	Flying Grabber (Pushy)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams East Crag Gondola Water Tower West Arena
16	Nomal			No	100	150	1.1	450	Cleaner	Any stage Yorda can occupy
17	No Model			Yes	100	150	1	200	Normal (Shy)	Deja (dream sequence)
18	Hit07			Yes	100	150	4	200	Normal (Shy)	Loaded on all stages (does not appear)
19	Boy			No	100	150	1	1000	Child's Shadow	Altar
20 to 43 is a list of all Shadow models in order, with the same stats				No	400	600	1	200	Normal (Shy)	N/A
44	No Model			Yes	100	150	4	0	Unknown 2	N/A

EnemyKind Notes

NTSC-U

Below is a list of all Shadow sets that can be encountered during gameplay in the US version of the game. Since this list was gathered via observation, it is subject to change.

Expand to view

[Edit]

Index	Spawn Set (hover to view)	Life		Body Scale	Flyable	Battle Type	Locations
		NG	NG+
Imomushi • Ushi • Oni		200	300	1	✘	Negative (High)	Spiral Stairs Stairs Dark Room
Tori • Tyou • Oni		400	600	1	✘	Negative (High)	Waterfall
Umiushi • Oni • Tori		400	600	0.9	✘	Negative (High)	Stairs (Spider) Dark Room Stone Pillar Waterfall
Tyou • Tori • Umiushi		400	600	0.9	✘	Positive (High)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar Waterfall
Oni • Umiushi • Tori		400	600	1	✘	Positive (High)	Trolley 1 Dark Room Stone Pillar
Ushi • Imomushi • Tori		400	600	1.1	✘	Positive (High)	Dark Room
Tubasa • Oni_hone • Oni_hane or Tubasa • Ushi_hane • Oni_hone		400	600	1	✔	Negative (High)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Graveyard Sunbeams Stone Pillar (Spider) East Crag East Arena East Idol Stairs Waterfall West Arena West Idol Stairs
Ushi_hane • Ushi_hane • Tubasa		400	600	1.2	✔	Negative (High)	Trolley 2 Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Stone Pillar East Crag Waterfall Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
Oni_hane • Tubasa • Ushi_hane		400	600	1	✔	Negative (High)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams (Spider) Stone Pillar East Crag East Idol Stairs Gondola West Arena West Idol Stairs
Oni_hone • Oni_hane • Ushi_hane		400	600	1.1	✔	Positive (High)	Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Sunbeams East Crag Gondola Water Tower West Arena
Nomal		100	150	1.1	✔	Negative (High)	Any stage Yorda can occupy
Boy		100	150	1	✔	Negative (Low)	Altar
Spider_cls		1	1	1	Spider Type		Stairs Trolley 1 Chandelier Drawbridge Graveyard Dark Room Sunbeams Stone Pillar East Arena East Idol Stairs

Glossary

Below are details on the parameters from the list above:

• Body Scale: Sets the size of the model. "1" means it's the default size.
• Flyable: Determines if the shadow is capable of flight. Three functions exist: NO_FLY, FLY, and TAKE. "TAKE" is for the shadows that are capable of carrying Yorda while flying.
• Battle Type: Changes the behavior of a shadow during a fight. Negative means they're non-confrontational, and will try to avoid Ico; Positive means they're confrontational, and will try to push through Ico to get to Yorda; High means they're capable of attacking; and Low means they aren't capable of attacking. The only enemies with a "Low" behavior are the shadow boys.

Development History

The shadows were created after the game was converted for the PlayStation 2. They replaced the previous enemies, the Castle Soldiers, due to their shadowy forms allowing them to appear and disappear anywhere, thus being easier to add to stages.

Ico fighting shadows next to the entrance to Chandelier (2000/05/17).

As seen on E3 2000, the initial forms of the shadows resembled that of what would eventually become the Nomal model (a.k.a. the "Cleaner"); simple humanoid forms made of black smoke. The player was able to destroy different parts of their body, leaving an empty space where the part used to be. As an example, it was possible to leave out only the shadows' legs moving around. However, the shadows were still able to hit the player, despite not having hands.

Shadows in the Play-Pre 2 Volume 1 video.

At some point in development, the separate limbs idea was discarded. Although those simplistic humanoid designs remained as only enemies in the game until at least April 2001, as seen in a video from Play-Pre 2 Volume 1. These shadows had a "light cone" effect for their eyes somewhat resembling searchlights. The model for this light cone still exists in the files of the retail game; named "eye_glow.p2o". This light cone would then be removed and replaced with blue after-images. The footstep effects were also white instead of black.

Hit07 shadows in the Making Of.

Around the time of May 2001 as shown on E3, the shadows had a lot more complex forms. Examples include an earlier version of the Umiushi shadow (who used to be simply named "Hit07"), small shadows that used to jump and cling onto Yorda, a long-armed shadow who appeared on Spiral Stairs in place of Imomushi, and giant shadows who were featured in a boss battle at the Altar. The E3 2001 stock footage showed that during a short period of time, they had a white glow effect that went through their bodies. Another thing seen was a strange quirk they used to have: after Ico knocked them down, their body would rotate unnaturally so their head would face Yorda. This quirk still could occur in the June 8th build.

As can be gathered by looking into the data (ELF) of the earliest public demo available (June 8th 2001), most of the shadows used to have the "Hit" naming scheme. The models referenced were: Hit00, Hit01, Hit07, Hit08, Hit09, Hit10, Hit11, and the spiders. From these, only Hit07 and the spiders are seen in the demo.

By June 26th, a great number of shadows were made, and the "Hit" enemy naming scheme was essentially abandoned. The boy shadows were created, replacing the boss fight at the Altar, and lower poly versions of Hit07 (Umiushi) and Hit08 (Tori) were created. The data of this demo reveals that the shadows who were created between June 8 and this build were: Boy, Umiushi, Tori, Imomushi, Tyou, Tuno, Hiyoko, Toge, Bighand, Inu, Yakitori, Tubasa, Oni, Oni_skirt, and Oni_hane.

By August 2nd, all of the shadows models had already been made (as seen in the data from the US Demo). The added shadows were: Ushi, Ushi_hane, Oni_hand10, Oni_hand0, Oni_hone, Oni_ashi6, Oni_te_ashi, Hone_ashi, Nomal, and Hone.

Even though so many unique models were created, most of them would never see the light of day. One example are the normal flying type enemies who cannot carry Yorda. These were predominantly featured in the demos, but were all left out of the main game, aside from the boy shadows.

Gallery

The shadow nest.

Sketch of Ico running after Yorda who is being taken away by shadows.

Sketch of Ico pulling Yorda from the shadows' nest.

Sketch of shadows chasing Ico and Yorda.

Concept art of a cut shadow mini-boss.

Navigation

External Links

• ICO Shrine - Shadows