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You're a nuisance, boy. Do you want to die that much?

–Queen, after Ico unsuccesfully attacks her

The Queen (クイーン Kuīn) is the ruler of the castle in ICO, and the game's antagonist. Because of her old age and failing body, she intends to cheat death by using her daughter Yorda as a spiritual vessel. Her plan goes awry when Ico (the game's protagonist, and last component of the sacrifice required for the ritual) escapes, frees Yorda, and sets off to find a way out of the castle.

Story[]

The Queen herself appears only a few times throughout the game, relying instead on her minions. The Queen herself makes three appearances throughout the game: the first time she introduces herself with a revelation that Yorda is her daughter and a warning, shutting the gates leading to the mainland. By the second time, Ico has managed to unlock the gates, but halfway across the bridge the Queen intervenes, turning Yorda into stone and causing Ico to fall to his apparent death.

After Ico has slain the shadowy children with horns, he confronts her in her throne room and does battle with her. This is the Queen's lengthiest appearance and her second spoken appearance, for once engaging in dialogue with Ico (finally exposing and detailing much of the story's plot). The two fight each other and Ico manages to slay her by wearing off her force field and impaling her with his sword. Near death, the Queen warns Ico that Yorda will never escape the castle before she finally dies in a powerful blast which flings Ico to the far side of the room and sets off the destruction of the castle.

Appearance[]

TheQueen

The Queen's first appearance in the game.

The Queen is said to be old and aging, nearing death. She is physically imposing, towering well over Ico and Yorda. Her body is shaped by shadows and dark fumes, which also form her garments. She is all black but for her face and chest area, which are snow white. She is able to speak both her daughter's language and Ico's.

Powers and abilities[]

The Queen has a number of powers, beginning with her ability to use other bodies (as she intends to use Yorda's) as "spirit vessels". In cutscenes, she is shown to be able to materialize out of thin air. She has the ability to command the creatures chasing after Ico and Yorda, which also materialize out of portals from time to time. Should Yorda be dragged into one of these portals, an expanding wave of dark matter would instantly turn Ico into stone. This is the same power with which the Queen turns her daughter into a statue later on, and her one attack against Ico during the final battle. It is here that she also dons a force field, which Ico must disable before finally being able to kill her.

It is likely that the Queen's powers are in some way connected to the castle, as her demise brings about the destruction of the island.

Trivia[]

  • The Queen's Sword (that which Ico uses to slay her) is an unlockable weapon in Shadow of the Colossus.
  • The ICO guidebook mentions that the scenes in which the queen is met were initially prepared for the idol stairs and the arena on the east and west sides of the building. In the final version, the queen appears in only two places, between the gate and the queen's room, and the producer commented that as a result, it was good that the story no longer smelled of exposition.

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
Ico TemplateLogo Walkthrough
Characters Ico  · Yorda  · The Queen  · Shadows  · Guards
Locations The Castle in the Mist
Items Stick  · Sword  · Mace  · Light Saber  · Queen's Sword
Gameplay Idol Gates  · Save points  · Runic Language  · Watermelon
Media ICO ~Melody in the Mist~ (OST)  · Official Art and Guide Book  · ICO: Castle in the Mist (Book)  · Interview Archive
Releases Demo  · PS2 original  · PS3 remaster  · Credits
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