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The protagonist of The Last Guardian, only known as The Boy, is a human child from a tribal village somewhere in the world of The Last Guardian's universe.

In the Boy's debut appearance in The Last Guardian he is pursued by many enemies; he must work together with Trico--a huge, hybridized beast--to escape the beautiful world in which they awake so as to return to his home village. 

The Boy is most notable for being the first, known individual to befriend a Trico-beast, as well as for ending the Master of the Valley's control over the other Trico-beasts within and outside of the the Nest.

Appearance[]

Looking to be a boy of approximately ten years old, he stands at a typical height for that age (around 1.12 meters/3.67 feet) and has dark hair, dark eyes, and olive skin. He wears a white and black robe with an orange shoulder piece. One of his most distinct features are the intricate tattoos all over his arms, torso, and neck, with a few markings on his face. The Boy did not have these marks before being taken from the village; rather, these tattoos first appeared when he was regurgitated by Trico, and they increased in complexity every time he was regurgitated.

History[]

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The boy hanging from a chain.

The Boy wakes up in a strange cave next to an enormous, injured beast named Trico. After the Boy compassionately treats the beast and feeds it, the two set out together to find a way out of the catacombs, only to emerge into the world above, a massive, inescapable valley called "the Nest," filled with rotting castles, temples, and dizzying bridges.

It is revealed that the Boy, along with countless other children, were kidnapped from his village far away from the Nest by Trico itself and its armored companions. It was meant that he be brought back to the Nest to be consumed by Trico's evil master, a being known as the Master of the Valley. However, the control was fortunately broken over Trico, allowing the beast to bond with the Boy and become his guardian.

Combating enemies along the way, the Boy and Trico find their way to the Citadel, the tallest tower in the Nest where the Master resides, and destroy it. Trico returns the boy to his home village and the two part ways. The Boy, now grown into a man, concludes the telling of their "extraordinary story".

Personality[]

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The rune-like tattoos on the boy's skin glow when regurgitated by Trico.

The Boy, while prone to fear like any human, is very courageous, curious, and compassionate. He bravely battles his way through the challenges, even without Trico to help him in some cases, he cleverly solves the many puzzles, and he always cares for his giant, feathered friend. This comes in the form of finding food when Trico is hungry, removing spears from its hide, and calming it after a battle, or even just pampering his ally with affection.

Powers and Abilities[]

  • Trico's support: Being a mere boy, it is largely up to Trico to use its strength, talons, and ferocity to combat enemies like Knights and Armored Tricos. However, the Boy can assist Trico in a fight, whether by releasing the beast when its tail gets stuck under a gate or driving away an Armored Trico by dropping heavy objects on it. He can also headbutt and knock over talisman-wielding Knights as well as pulling off the knights' helmets after they are knocked down by Trico.
  • Small size: Trico often has trouble traversing the tight tunnels and corridors in and under the Nest, but the Boy has no such encumberment. This allows him to open doors and solve puzzles that allow the two to progress.
  • Cleverness: Trico seems to have basic intelligence, and it can even give the Boy hints, but it is up to the Boy to solve puzzles so the two can move through the world.
  • Talisman immunity: For all its size and ferocity, Trico cannot approach these strange apparatuses, but the Boy can remove these obstacles for it by knocking them over, breaking them, or cutting their supports, making them fall and shatter.
  • Healing/Feeding: Trico seems unable or unwilling to hunt for food or remove spears from its hide after a fight. Going hungry or being injured often leaves Trico unable to progress. However, the Boy can find barrels to feed it or climb up to remove spears.
  • Lightning attack targeting: While it is Trico's tail that can summon powerful lightning to destroy objects, it cannot happen unless the Boy directs the Mirror's light at the desired target. This puts a lot of firepower in the Boy's hands.

Development[]

Of particular interest are the many tribal tattoos covering most of his body, including the back of his hands and fingertips. These tattoos, which resemble the tattoos of the Māori and Samoan people, suggest the Boy may have come from a similarly tribal village.

Trivia[]

  • While this character is known as "the boy", a 5-part interview with genDESIGN indicates that he actually has a name. When asked what it is, the team mentioned that while it is in the game's script, it is not present in any subtitles. Masanobu Tanaka, the lead animator of The Last Guardian and an animator of the original Shadow of the Colossus commented, "It's actually in the dialogue, so isn't it more fun to play again and pay close attention to that part? (laughs)"

Gallery[]



TLGtemplatelogo Walkthrough
Characters The Boy  · Trico  · Armored Tricos  · Soldiers (Yoroi)  · Master of the Valley
Locations The World  · Sentinel Tower
Items The Mirror  · Talismans  · Barrels  · Unlockable Items
Gameplay Easter Egg
Media The Last Guardian (OST)  · Official Art and Guide Book  · Interview Archive
Releases PS3 development  · PS4 final release  · Credits
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