Each of the 16 colossi you fight during Shadow of the Colossus is a puzzle to solve. You have to find where it’s hiding in the world. Then you have to figure out how to get close to it. And finally you have to figure out how to reach its magic sigil weak points and kill it.
This guide will take you from the Shrine of Worship through defeating the eighth colossus. We’ll also point out any shrines, lizards or fruit trees along the way.
How to find the 8th 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
-
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
- Your sword will point you roughly southeast. There’s a canyon in the cliff just a little to the left of where you met the 1st colossus.
- Ride Agro toward and through the canyon.
- Once you’re through the canyon, you’ll hit an intersection. Take the left branch.
- You’ll pass through another gap. On the other side, raise your sword again. There’s a huge cave right ahead of you.
- Ride through the winding tunnel until you come to a cliff. Turn to the right, follow the narrow ledge around and cross the natural bridge.
- Head through the gap on the other side of the bridge to find some waterlogged ruins.
- Turn right at the edge of the water and head to the other side of the lake. There’s a narrow spit of land that leads straight out to the ruins. (This just saves you from having to swim all the way.)
- Head inside the building and follow the long hallway down until you hit a dead end.
- Hop up onto either of the pillars on your right or left, then climb up the ledges to the top.
- Shuffle your way around to the back, then jump across the gap to the platform.
- Follow the next hallway down, and you’ll see a cutscene introducing the colossus.
Collectibles along the way
There is one shining lizard tail, one shrine and no fruit trees on the way from the Shrine of Worship to the eighth colossus. 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 health and shrines will restore your health and act as a quicksave point.
Shining lizard tail and shrine
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
At the first intersection after the canyon, instead of turning left, turn right. Follow the canyon around (you’re really just going around a small butte, so either direction will get you there). When you exit the canyon, there will be a shrine on your left. The lizard will be somewhere on or around it.
Approaching the 8th colossus
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
-
Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
- You’ll face this monster in a huge pit surrounded by several floors, which are connected by stairs. There are windows ringing each floor. There are also a couple of huge chunks missing from the walls.
- Find the nearest stairs and start making your way all the way down until you’re only one or two floors up — it’s a long trip. On the way down, familiarize yourself with the layout of the pit. You’re going to be using the environment a lot during this fight.
Defeating the 8th 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
- If the colossus hasn’t noticed you yet, find a window or one of the big gaps and fire an arrow or two at it.
- When you’ve gotten the colossus’ attention, it’ll do two things. First, it’ll start spitting poison at you. This will create a temporary cloud that drains your health. Any time it spits at you, just relocate to another window, gap or stairwell. It’ll start climbing the walls, too.
- When the colossus starts climbing, run around the ring and find a window where you can see its legs. Fire an arrow into two of its legs on one side — either both right legs or both left legs. This will make it fall to the bottom of the pit and land on its back.
- Quickly get to the bottom of the pit. You could take the stairs, but that’s playing it a little too safe (and it’s boring). If you’re at a gap, you can just jump out into space. If you’re at one of the grated windows, you can dodge-roll under the bars. Depending on how high up you are, you might take some damage, but we’d argue it’s worth it to get the fight over faster.
- Once you’re on the ground, climb up onto the colossus’ tail and then onto its belly.
- There are two magic sigils on its stomach. It won’t be able to throw you off, so make sure you’re only hitting with fully charged stabs.
- When it rolls back over, head for the nearest stairs and start the process over again.
- Keep repeating this until you defeat the colossus.
