Shadow of the Colossus guide: The 16th colossus

Last of the Colossus

By Jeffrey Parkin Feb 11, 2018, 12:29pm EST

Each of the 16 colossi you fight during Shadow of the Colossus is a puzzle to solve. You have to find where they’re hiding. Then you have to figure out how to get close. And finally you have to figure out how to reach their magic sigil weak points and kill them.

This guide will take you from the Shrine of Worship through defeating the 16th colossus. We’ll also point out any shrines, lizards or fruit trees along the way.

How to find the 16th colossus

The final colossus is all the way to the south of your map. Ride for the canyon to the left (east) of the first colossus.
You’ll have to loop around the first mesa you come to. You can go either direction, but right is a little more direct.
Cross the open plain heading south. Watch for the gap in the cliffs far to the south — that’s your destination.
You’ll have to weave around some ridges as you ride, so stick to the paths if you want to take the easy way, or just swerve and jump a lot.
When you get to the gap, go down the stairs and stand in the middle of the disc. You’ll be in front of some huge, closed doors.
Make sure you’re standing in the light and point your sword’s beam into the swirling window in the middle of the doors.
Head through the now-open doors. There’s a shrine on your right (that you should visit so you don’t have to ride all the way back down here if you die) and some stairs on your left.
When you’re ready, start heading up the stairs on your left.
At the top of the stairs, you’ll find a gap you can’t quite jump across. Call to Agro. Back up a little bit and urge her forward so she can carry you across the gap.
This line is intentionally left blank.
Climb the ledges on the wall behind you, then run to the right.
Climb up the rocks until you come to the ivy-covered wall. Climb up the ivy to the top, then cross to the left.
Follow the path and climb over the ledges and obstacles until you come to a hallway on your right.
Take the hallway around to the left and up the stairs. At the end, you’ll find yourself on a balcony with a large pillar on either side of you.
Jump onto one of the pillars and shimmy around until you’re facing straight back the way you came.
Climb up the pillar to the top, then head for the ramp to trigger the colossus’ cutscene.

Collectibles along the way

There three shining lizard tails, two shrines and two fruit trees on the way from the Shrine of Worship to the 16th colossus. (There are many more than three lizards in the area. More on this in a second.) These are all optional things to do, but they’ll each help you out a little. Lizards will increase your stamina, fruit will increase your heath and shrines will restore your health and act as a quicksave point.

Too many shining lizard tails

Shining-tailed lizards in the southern region.

There are 13 or more shining lizard tails around the southern end of the map. We’re only going to point out three below. We’re choosing these three because they’re the easiest to find and they’re closest to the main path to the colossus.

Use the map above if you feel like tracking down more lizards. Many require a lot of climbing on rocks and wandering around to find, which makes them less appealing than the more obvious ones.

Fruit trees

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

When you first emerge from the canyon — about even with the 8th colossus on the map — look a little to the right of the path you’re following south. You’ll see the first fruit tree you’re heading to. As you get closer, you’ll be able to see the second fruit tree a little further to the right. The fruit tree on the left has the large yellow, round fruits. The tree on the right has the brown banana-shaped ones.

Shining lizard tail

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

From the fruit trees, turn toward the cliff to your northwest. Follow the cliff southward until you see some rocks jutting out like in the gallery above. Climb onto the rocks and then keep climbing a little further up the cliff. Watch for a flat and open area. The lizard will be running around on the walls nearby.

Shrine and shining lizard tail

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Head back to the main path toward the colossus. You’ll pass a shrine on your right. Go visit it and find the lizard that hangs out there.

Shrine and shining lizard tail

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Once you get through the huge doors, there’s another shrine just inside. Take the first right and visit the shrine. Look around for one more lizard to pick up before you tackle the final colossus.

Approaching the 16th colossus

There are two phases to the approach for the final colossus. To survive the first phase, you’ll need to run across the open courtyard between you and the colossus while dodging fireballs. The second phase involves climbing up the colossus’ armor from its feet to its waist.

Phase 1: The courtyard and fireballs

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

As soon as you’re able, run up the ramp and to the right. There’s a fallen pillar here that you can hide behind for protection from the colossus’ fireballs.
Run straight to the right — parallel to the fallen pillar — and you’ll find an opening that you can drop through. This will put you in a tunnel under the courtyard.
Follow the tunnel to the other end. You’ll exit the tunnel into a small pit.
Run forward, then climb up onto the block. You’re going to climb out of the pit to your right, but pause at the top.
Between fireball blasts from the colossus, run forward to the wall.
Continue to the right along the line of walls until you find another hole (and tunnel) to drop into.
Follow the next tunnel to the end as well. You’ll come out onto a cliff.
Run to your left and down the steps.
Run out around the pillar, then jump up to the ledge above you when the ground beneath your feet runs out.
Jump across the gap to the walkway, then follow the cliff around to the left and into another tunnel.
Climb the ledges on the wall when the tunnel dead ends, then get behind the pillar at the top.
Climb up the steps that lead toward the colossus. Be careful at the top again to avoid fireballs.
Once again, run forward to the wall. Use the rest of the walls to your right to run around the colossus and drop into one more tunnel.
When you climb the stairs out of this tunnel, you’ll be between the colossus’ feet.

Phase 2: Climbing the colossus

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

There are multiple ways to climb up to the colossus’ waist, so don’t worry about following our steps precisely. Your goal is just to get to the weak point on its lower back.
From between its feet, run straight forward toward the inside of the back of its skirt-thing. Climb up the ledges there.
Turn left or right at the top and jump across to the next section of armor. You can also use the ledge to climb across.
Use one of the sections that sticks out to climb up to the next level.
Double back the way you came and jump across to the next section.
Climb up the ledges on the wall to the next level.
Loop around the colossus until you come to one of the ornately decorated panels. Climb up that to the top, then keep climbing until you hit a fence.
Shimmy to the left or right until you get to the outside of another jutting-out section. Climb up to the next section.
Keep climbing the steps until you’re blocked by an overhang.
Head to either the colossus’ front or back where you can climb up.
Climb the rest of the way up to the colossus’ midriff. If you have to, run around to the colossus’ back where you can see its (first) weak point.

Defeating the 16th colossus

Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Jump up and grab onto the fur covering the colossus’ back. Stab into the weak point there.
The colossus will swing its left hand around to its back, but it won’t hit you. Lean out and jump across to the colossus’ hand.
As it swings its hand up, try to climb to the pinky finger side (this isn’t necessary, but it makes the next step easier). When it’s done swinging you around, it’ll pause with its palm facing out.
Let go and run along its forearm. You’re heading for another weak point on its left bicep.
Climb and jump over its arm armor until you reach that weak point. Stab that weak point, and it’ll bring its left hand over and hover over you.
Jump across onto its palm. While its swinging you around this time, make your way to the back of its hand.
There’s no weak point to target, but stab into the back of its hand. It’ll hold its hand level for a minute.
When it stops moving and gives you this platform, stand up and draw your bow.
There’s another weak point on its left shoulder. Hit that weak point with an arrow and it’ll swing its right hand — the one you’re standing on — across to cover it.
Jump off of its hand and onto its shoulder. Climb up on top and head for its head.
You can jump and climb onto the top of its head from the back of its neck.
Climb up to the top of its head to find its magic sigil, and start stabbing. You can retreat to its shoulders any time you need to recharge your stamina.
This is the only magic sigil, so just keep at it. It’ll try very hard to shake you off, but you should have enough time to land some fully charged stabs.

Shadow of the Colossus guide: The 16th colossus

How to find the 16th colossus