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 13th colossus. We’ll also point out any shrines, shining lizard tails or fruit trees along the way.
How to find the 13th colossus
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
- The 13th colossus is in the desert to the southwest. You’re going to retrace your steps most of the way to the sixth colossus.
- Start riding southwest and watch for the spires in the distance. Find the canyon at the base of those spires and follow it west.
- After the canyon, navigate your way through the forest — try to follow the paths to make the trip easier for Agro, or climb off and let her catch up on the other side.
- Ride along the cliff on the other side then pass through the tunnel.
- When you exit the tunnel and enter the desert, you’ll finally diverge from the path to the sixth colossus. Instead of turning right, turn a little to your left. Keep your sword out and check your direction often — it’s easy to get lost in the sandstorm.
- Your destination is a round stone disc surrounded by crumbling pillars. It’s not too far from the tunnel, so keep checking your direction with your sword to make sure you’re not lost.
- Ride Agro onto the disc to trigger the colossus.
Collectibles along the way
There is one shining lizard tail, no shrines and two fruit trees on the way from the Shrine of Worship to the 13th 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 quick save point. The trip to the 13th colossus follows the same path as the trip to the sixth, so if you haven’t grabbed those lizards, shrines and fruit trees, you can follow that guide.
Shining lizard tail and fruit trees
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
When you exit the woods and head into the desert, don’t turn left. Instead, go straight ahead. You’re aiming just a little to the left of the ruins for the sixth colossus. Ride straight across the desert until you see a very tall tree standing on its own — that’s your first stop. Watch around the roots of the tall tree and in the rocks nearby for the shining tail lizard. Once you spot it, turn your attention to the tree and collect your fruit.
A little further to the southwest, there’s another, shorter fruit tree. Go collect those as well. Now you can head east to the colossus.
Approaching the 13th colossus
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Stay on Agro. You don’t actually need to avoid any attacks from this colossus. Instead, you’re going to use Agro to chase down and keep up with colossus as it flies around the arena.
- There are three blue-white sacs on the colossus’ underside. These are your targets.
- Follow the colossus until you have a shot at any of the sacs, then fire an arrow into it.
- Once you’ve punctured all three, the colossus will descend and skim along the sand for a couple minutes.
- Its front fins (wings?) will be dragging in the sand. Ride Agro up alongside one of the fins and jump on. Grab onto the ridges, which will allow you to climb the rest of the way up to the colossus’ body.
Defeating the 13th colossus
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
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Bluepoint Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Keep climbing up the fin until you get near the top. Around that time, the colossus should lift its fins back up, allowing you to jump across to its body.
- Its two magic sigil weak points are behind those sail-like structures on its back. Run around the first one you see, grab onto its back and start stabbing. It won’t be moving much, so you can wait for fully charged attacks. You should have enough time to destroy one sigil before the colossus plunges into the sand.
- You’ll get knocked off its back and have to start over again.
- Call for Agro and start the process over again.
- Head for the second and third sail-like fins and magic sigils, which are are further back along the colossus’ body.
