Shadow of the Colossus guide: The 9th colossus

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 ninth colossus. We’ll also point out any shrines, lizards or fruit trees along the way.

How to find the 9th colossus

Grid View

• 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

1. The ninth colossus is in the northwest.
2. Ride to the north side of the Shrine of Worship and head for the natural bridges. This time, you’re taking the east-west bridge on the left. Go between the left two pillars and ride across.
3. There’ll be a shrine ahead of you (we suggested you stop here on your way to the third colossus). From the shrine, keep heading northwest. You’ll have to wind your way around some ridges, but there are only two entrances to the colossus’ arena and the one you’re looking for is directly to the northwest of the shrine.
4. You’re looking for the geyser-filled basin. Ride down the natural ramp into it, then across the basin. There’s a cave on the far side where the colossus is waiting.

Collectibles along the way

There are several collectibles nearby, but we already recommended you pick them up on your way to the third colossus. If you didn’t, check out our guide to the third colossus for how to find them.

Approaching the 9th colossus

Grid View

• 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

1. The trick to climbing onto this colossus is leading it away from its cave until it’s standing over one of the geysers when it erupts.
2. Stay on Agro for now — you’ll need her speed to avoid the fireballs.
3. Have your bow out to make sure you keep the colossus’ attention.
4. Keep avoiding the fireballs and draw it out toward the geysers. When you see it standing over one, climb off of Agro and wait.
5. Your goal here is to keep the colossus where it is until the geyser erupts. You can give it a nudge left and right by running away from it, but just take care not to run so far that it moves off of the geyser.
6. When the geyser erupts, two of the colossus’ legs with flail. Run around it until you can see the bottoms of its feet. Fire an arrow into the glowing green spot on two of its feet (front and back on the same side) and it will roll onto its side.
7. Run around to its belly and start climbing. You have to get to the top of its belly before it rolls back to its feet.
8. When you get to the top, find a hollow to stand in so you still have something under your feet when it rolls back over.

Defeating the 9th colossus

Grid View

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

1. Run around to the tail of the colossus’ “shell” where you’ll find a pretty level path right along its spine to its head.
2. Work your way up to its head to find the magic sigil weak spot.
3. It’s going to try very hard to toss you off, so focus more on monitoring your stamina than getting in fully charged hits.
4. This is this colossus’ only magic sigil, so just stick here until you’ve defeated it.