shadow of the colossus plot

8/13/2019 Shadow of the Colossus Plot

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appear in the Shrine of Worship, and mention of Golems to the Hebrew legends section; I also think it now warrants being version 4.00June 27: Corrected the translation of "Veritas" to "Truth" and opted for "Serpent" in place of "Dragon" as the translation of "Draco," as it's more to the pointJune 4: Correcting a few small typosMay 3: Expanding a few parts of the Meta Theory and adding a little bit of information to the Parallels between large and small representations section

Adding some more folks to the Acknowledgements section; thanks for your contributions

Adding another site to the list of sites authorized to host this FAQMarch 11: Ico connection theories changed to Connections to Ico: Facts & theories

Updated information on official connections between Ico and SotC added throughout the FAQ

Mention of the Dormin's horns and some middle eastern cultures' view of horns as a sign of divinity added to the Meta Theory section and the Dormin section

Elaboration on outside knowledge of the Colossi added to the Meta Theory section

Elaboration on my (Ryu Sinclair) theory concerning Mono's connection to Wander added to the Meta Theory section, along with additional notes and/or observations added to Dave's personal notes on his theory of Wander's connection with Mono

More information added to the Acknowledgements section's sources cited

List of websites authorized to host this FAQ added to the Acknowledgements section

March 9: Added some more into the Frequently asked questionsMarch 8: Added info on "Agro" versus "Argo" in the Frequently asked questionsMarch 7: Parallels between large and small representations section addedMarch 7: More info on the "castle" added to Other possible connections sectionMarch 7: "Biblical allusions" changed to "Allusions to Hebrew legends"

March 6: Published

March 4-6: Version history section added Statement of purpose section added Theory sections added *Backstory theories -Wander & Mono's connection/Wander's motivation/Other Wander stuff

-The Dormin -The nature of the Colossi -The Forbidden Land *Ending theories *After ending theories *Meta Theory on the Dormin, the Colossi and Wander's motivation -Nature of Dormin and the Colossi -David Rodoy's theory on Wander's motivation to revive Mono -Ryu Sinclair's theory on Wander's motivation to revive Mono *Ico connection theories


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-Ico as the prequel -SotC as the prequel -Other possible connections *Biblical allusions Acknowledgements about the game and this FAQ section added

|Statement of purpose| (002)The purpose of this here document is to combine all known and documentedtheories concerning Shadow of the Colossus' storyline into one largereader-friendly FAQ, and this is the statement that states that as being thepurpose. The hope is that it will provide readers with the knowledge of whatideas have been kicked around since October of 2005 and hopefully help shedsome light on some things for them, while also leaving them plenty of room todecide for themselves what they make of the story.

Each theory presented here will be analyzed in terms of what we know aboutthe game and classified as either workable or unworkable within the context ofthe game. We'll also be presenting our own "Meta Theory" on the origins of theDormin, the nature of the Colossi, and Wander's connections to Mono and thereason for his desire to revive her after discussing all the other theories,as the Meta Theory encompasses all of the categories that will be discussedbefore its presentation.

Also, before we get into the thick of this FAQ (the theories), we'll runthrough some of the more frequently asked questions about Shadow of theColossus.

Thank you, and do enjoy this FAQ.

"Shadow of the Colossus is more than just a video game. It is a spiritualexperience, and that is very much the point. A game which is so totally aboutimmersion and atmosphere to the point where it doesn't require much ofanything to happen.

Or, more precisely, it's a work of art. In a way few games could hope to orwould want to be."

-David Rodoy

|Frequently asked questions| (003)Q: Is this a sequel or prequel to Ico?A: Officially, it's a prequel, taking place at an unspecified point in Ico'spast. Wander's Ico's ancestor. This was confirmed by lead developer FumitoUeda on March 9, 2006 in an interview with Wired News. The interview can beread here:

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70286-0.html?tw=rss.culture

Q: What about that Nico thing? Wasn't that the original version of this?A: That's what it was going to be called when Ueda and his team first startedworking on it. It was going to be a sequel to Ico back then (the "ni" in"nico" is a play on words; "ni" is "two" in Japanese), but they decided not togo the predictable route and just make a sequel to a successful game, andactually put some time and heart into making something unique yet familiar


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instead, and the end result was Shadow of the Colossus. God bless 'em.

Q: I heard this was originally called "Wanda and the Colossus" in Japanese.What's up with that?A: What's up with that is a mistranslation, I'm afraid. The Japanese name ofthe game was "Wander and the Colossus." You see, "Wander" is an English word,and while the Japanese have a fantastic language, they're not quite asproficient at making the "er" sound as us English-speaking gaijin. This ismainly because they don't HAVE any words that end in "er" in Japanese.

As a result, when they try to say a word that ends in "er" it comes outsounding like "a" or "aa" instead of "er," and since their written language isbased on their pronunciation, it looks like it would be "Wanda" instead of"Wander." Even so, they try their best to get appropriate English charactersto represent what they intend something to be when they write in romaji (whichrepresents Japanese sounds in English characters), and as a matter ofpreference, they tend to title things in romaji. That being the case, the nameon the cover of their version of the manual (and the disc too) is "Wander andthe Colossus."

Now that I've bored you to death with giving you a textbook answer to aquestion you probably only wanted answered in a single sentence or two, we'llmove onto your next question. After you wake up.

Q: So, does that mean that my PAL version of the game's wrong? Its instructionmanual says "Wanda"'s the main character's name.A: Yep, 'fraid so. It's a mistranslation, because for some reason, whoeverwrote the PAL manual decided to translate the Japanese instead of just lookingat the romaji written on the cover of the game case and its manual. That orhe did look at the game case and manual and decided he knew better what theJapanese developers were trying to say than they did.

Q: So the main character's name is "Wander" then?A: Er, not exactly. You see, he doesn't have a name that we're aware of. The

official UK website for Shadow of the Colossus says "It matters not. Hisefforts were not for the cause of creating a legend for himself" under "Whatis the wanderer's name?"

He's just called "Wander" because that's what he's doing: Wandering around tohunt the Colossi, kill them, and bring Mono back to life.

Q: Hey, while we're talking about Mono, what's Wander's connection to heranyway? Why'd he go to all this trouble to bring her back?"A: Like his name, it's one of those things that history's forgotten (orintentionally left open-ended, as the case may be). There's only theoriesabout what kind of relationship -- or lack thereof -- that they had with one

another before she died, but that's why you're here! Don't be so impatient!The theories are further on down. We'll get to 'em, I promise.

Q: How do we know her name's "Mono" anyway?A: It's in the credits.

Q: Oh, right. I don't know how I overlooked that.A: You and me both. You're not the only one that managed to miss the credits,


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though, I promise you, so don't feel bad.

Q: Is the horse's name "Agro" or "Argo"? I thought I heard him say "Argo" whenhe called him.A: The horse's name is "Agro," just like in your manual (the manuals wereright this time). I know a lot of people sometimes think it sounds like"Argo," but this isn't Xena's horse. This is Wander's horse and his name is"Agro."

Q: Okay, so there's no canon backstory or explanation for the ending oranything like that?A: Not entirely. Ueda's one of those rare gamemakers who doesn't always havean exact intention for a story per se. He's got an intention for a plot, plotelements, and plot devices, but not always an intended explanation. He usuallywants the gamers to take their own story away from experiences with his games.Obviously, there's some things that can't work in the context of the game, butwe'll get to more on that later.

Ueda's got his own interpretations for the story, but he usually calls it justthat: an interpretation. He takes his own personal analysis away from hisgames, but he doesn't always make it official. He makes a point to let that beknown when asked what something meant in one of his games. That said, it IS

his opinion -- and he has confirmed it as canon -- that Shadow of the Colossusis a prequel to Ico and that Wander will begin the line of horned boys seen inIco, making Wander Ico's ancestor.

Q: Interesting. I think I like this Ueda guy.A: Me too. He kicks ass.

Q: So, uh, what's that Dormin guy anyway?A: Jumping ahead of yourself again, I see! I told you to be patient. We'll getto THEM soon enough, and explain what we think THEY are.

Q: Well, about those Colossi. Who made them?A: Hey, patience I said! We've got a Colossi theory section further down.

Q: Those horns on Ico's head during the ending. What do they me-A: Patience, dammit!

Q: Sorry.A: S'okay.

Q: Well, how about the Colossi's names? They have official names, don't they?A: Indeed, they do:

#1- (The minotaur)Designation: Minotaur ColossusProper name: ValusLatin name: Minotaurus Colossus

#2- (The bull)Designation: Taurus Major


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Proper name: QuadratusLatin name: Taurus Magnus

#3- (The knight)Designation: Earth TruthProper name: GaiusLatin name: Terrestris Veritas

#4- (The horse)Designation: Elite War HorseProper name: PhaedraLatin name: Equus Bellator Apex

#5- (The bird)Designation: Bird of PreyProper name: AvionLatin name: Avis Praeda

#6- (The bearded giant)Designation: Great BeastProper name: BarbaLatin name: Belua Maximus

#7- (The electric eel)

Designation: Sea SerpentProper name: HydrusLatin name: Draco Marinus

#8- (The lizard)Designation: Wall ShadowProper name: KuromoriLatin name: Parietinae Umbra

#9- (The tortoise)Designation: Storm EchoProper name: BasaranLatin name: Nimbus Recanto

#10- (The sand worm)Designation: Sand TigerProper name: DirgeLatin name: Harena Tigris

#11- (The tiger)Designation: Flame GuardianProper name: CelosiaLatin name: Ignis Excubitor

#12- (The sea monster)Designation: Great Sea Monster

Proper name: PelagiaLatin name: Permagnus Pistrix

#13- (The flying serpent)Designation: Air SailerProper name: PhalanxLatin name: Aeris Velivolus

#14- (The lion)Designation: Destruction Luster


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Proper name: CenobiaLatin name: Cladeds Candor

#15- (The warrior)Designation: Vigilant SentinelProper name: ArgusLatin name: Praesidium Vigilo

#16- (The sorcerer)Designation: Grand SuperiorProper name: MalusLatin name: Grandis Supernus

Q: Cool! How do you know all these are correct anyway?A: People who pre-ordered the Japanese version of the game got a bonus DVDthat had some info from when the game was going to be Nico. Supposedlyincluded in its liner notes were the names of the Colossi.

Q: Is there a 17th Colossus?A: NO! Stop asking, goddammit!

Q: Sorry.A: S'okay.

Q: What about an alternate ending?A: ...

Q: See above?A: Correct.

Q: So there isn't one?

A: That's correct. There's no alternate ending. You can't kill Emon and hismen as Dormin, you can't escape the pool as Wander, and you can't make Emon'smen kill Dormin either. Their arrows can only take a certain percentage of hishealth. Reducing your health with fruit from the Secret Garden before youfight Malus and then trying to get Dormin killed isn't going to work.

Q: Hey, what's the language spoken in the game?A: It's some kind of backwards Japanese mixed with Latin or something likethat. Don't bother trying' to understand it.

Q: Huh. So there's no English at all? I thought I might have heard Mono

speaking in English at one point after Wander passed out when killing aColossus. That is Mono, right?A: Yep, that's Mono, but she's not speaking in English. You're mistaken, I'mafraid. Trying too hard to hear something you recognize, I imagine. No, shespeaks in the same backwards Japanese/Latin combo as everyone else in thegame.

Q: What are all the unlockable items in the game and how do you get them?A: This is a storyline FAQ! Take that gameplay b.s. somewhere else!


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Okay, fine. But just this once. And only because it lets you hear the Dormintalk some more. And because I'm a nice guy. And because you owe me money now.

There are two sets of 8 unlockable items. After beating the game for the firsttime, you unlock Hard Mode and Normal Time Attack Mode. To get the new items,you have to play both Normal Time Attack Mode and Hard Time Attack Mode(accessible after beating Hard Mode), both with their own sets of items.

To access a Time Attack Mode, you just save your game after beating it, loadthe file, and then the game will start over, but you'll keep your health andextra grip you acquired from the last playthrough. To fight the Colossi inTime Attack Mode, just go up to their corresponding idols in the Shrine ofWorship and press circle. Wander will pray in front of the idol and be giventhe opportunity to challenge that Colossi in Time Attack.

After beating two Colossi in Time Attack, you'll get an unlockable item. Itdoesn't matter what order you fight the Colossi in, by the way, but rememberto beat them all in Time Attack before venturing out to actually finish thegame. If you end the game before beating all of them in Time Attack, you'renot going to be able to have a shot at all the Time Attack unlockables againuntil your NEXT playthrough of the game. In other words, if you were to beat 6Colossi in this playthrough, and then beat the game without fighting anymorein Time Attack, you're going to have to fight and defeat 8 on your next game

in Time Attack to get the next unlockable.Also, remember that you can't carry over unlockables from Normal Mode to HardMode, and vice versa. And without further ado, here are all the unlockables:

-Normal Time Attack unlockables-1-Whistling Arrows (gets a Colossus' attention; beat 2 Colossi)2-Cloak of Force (increases the damage Wander can cause; beat 4 Colossi)3-Mask of Strength (increases the damage Wander can cause; beat 6 Colossi)4-Lizard Detection Stone (allows you to detect lizards; beat 8 Colossi)5-Fruit Tree Map (allows you to detect fruit trees; beat 10 Colossi)6-Mask of Power (increases the damage Wander can cause; beat 12 Colossi)7-Cloak of Deception (makes Wander invisible; beat 14 Colossi)

8-Flash Arrows (powerful explosive arrows; beat 16 Colossi)(Option to make Agro brown also unlocked)

-Hard Time Attack unlockables-1-Harpoon of Thunder (ranged weapon more powerful than arrows; beat 2 Colossi)2-Sword of the Sun (sword that can gather the light anywhere; beat 4 Colossi)3-Fruit Tree Map (allows you to detect fruit trees; beat 6 Colossi)4-Shaman's Cloak (inreases Wander's defense; beat 8 Colossi)5-Lizard Detection Stone (allows you to detect lizards; beat 10 Colossi)6-Shaman's Mask (increases Wander's defense; beat 12 Colossi)7-Cloth of Desperation (acts as a parachute for Wander; beat 14 Colossi)8-Queen's Sword (allows for extremly powerful attacks; beat 16 Colossi)(Option to make Agro white also unlocked)

After unlocking an item, head to the pool at the back of the Shrine of Worshipto collect it.

Q: What's the Secret Garden? How do I get there?A: Another gameplay question! Okay, fine, this one's related to importantstory stuff anyway.


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The Secret Garden is that garden from the ending of the game where Agro leadsMono. To get there, you'll need quite a bit of grip strength and somepatience. That said, if you're playing the NTSC version of the game, a graspof the Vertical Jump Glitch will get you to the top without a lot of stamina(this was edited out of the PAL version).

To start your way there, you'll need to go to the moss growing on thenortheast side of the temple and simply start climbing up. Follow its path toa ledge with a bush growing on it, and then follow this ledge as it wrapsaround to the north side of the temple. Once you follow this climbable pathto its end, it will deposit you near the door Wander and Agro entered toaccess shrine at the beginning of the game. From there, take a left to visitthe Secret Garden, or a right to walk across the long bridge that Agro andWander journeyed across in the game's opening.

There's not a lot within the Secret Garden that's actually notable aside fromthe fruit growing on the trees here. Eating these permanently reduces yourmaximum health and grip strength. If you eat enough of these fruit, yourhealth and grip strength return to their base levels.

Q: What kinds of animals are in the game?A: There's horses, doves, hawks, larger hawks, seagulls, fish, eels, lizards,tortoises, some bats, a squirrel, and a baby deer.

Q: A squirrel? Where the hell was he?A: He's in the PAL and Japanese versions' endings. He shows up in the SecretGarden with the baby deer and the birds. Some fans call him "Pal the Squirrel"because they first learned about him with regard to the PAL version, and manyof us at first believed that he was only present in the PAL version.

Q: Am I ready to move on to the theories?A: I sure hope so.

Q: Let's do it!A: Yes, let's do.

|Theories| (004)1) Backstory theories (004.10)*Wander & Mono's connection/Wander's motivation/Other Wander stuff (004.1A)-Wander and Mono were lovers and he wished to revive her because he needed her

Explanation(s): The things Wander does for Mono are things a lover would belikely to do, and promotional materials for the game asked "How far will yougo for love?" Further, the back of the NTSC game case calls the story of SotC

"a story of undying love." Also, a story of love would go along with themythical feel of this game, such tales usually concerning romantic love.

LikelihoodKAZE: One of the more likely possibilities, but there are some potential holesin it. Most notably, Mono doesn't beam with recognition when she sees Agro,which one would think she should, seeing the loyal companion of her lover.Though she may have felt disoriented after being revived, one would think thata familiar soul would spark something more spontaneous in Mono's behavior.


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Another thing to be aware of is that even taking promotional materials intoaccount, that only establishes that Wander loved HER and not necessarily theother way around. She may not have even known him very well, if at all,mustless be famililar with his horse.

DAVE: While its ironic that the word 'undying' is used to reference a gamewhere literally every main character dies or appears to at some point, thisone's fairly solid. The idea that they loved each other has the flaws Kazepoints out above working against it, plus the debatable flaw that Wanderhimself never really gets close to her. His treatment is very much worshipfuland respectful rather than loving, suggesting that their relationship was nota reciprocal one. He does touch her cheek with the back of his hand at onepoint, but that is all. The key point in both our minds is that she doesn'trecognise Agro.

OUR ANALYSIS: Perhaps he loved her, but we doubt it was a fully realisedrelationship.

-Wander was in love with Mono and she either didn't know it or didn'treciprocate his feelings

Explanation(s): As said in the above theory, the things Wander does are thingsone would be likely to do for someone they were in love with. And, again,

promotional materials asked "How far will you go for love?" and called thestory one of "undying love." Also, a story of love would go along with themythical feel of this game, such tales usually concerning romantic love.

Mono not being intimately acquainted and/or familiar with Wander would explainher lack of rejoiceful recognition to the appearance of Agro.

LikelihoodKAZE: Among the most likely of explanations. This is especially true if oneregards the promotional materials of the game as putting forth canoninformation.(Note: More on this theory in the "Meta Theory" section further down.)

DAVE: I don't personally agree with it, for reasons explained later, butthere's no doubt it's a solid explanation and I personally think it is the onemost players will accept when playing.

OUR ANALYSIS: This looks fairly believable.

-Wander was a templar under Emon's tutelage who sacrificed Mono and felt guiltas a result, then desired to redeem himself by reviving Mono

Explanation(s): Wander being a templar explains his connection to Emon, why hewears a similar cloak, his exceptional horseriding skills, his skills with asword and his skill with bows and arrows. It also explains how Wander could

have had access to the sword to be able to steal it in the first place.

Finally, it explains Mono's apparent lack of familiarity with Agro.

LikelihoodKAZE: Among the most likely of explanations, though he's a bit clumsy with asword in my opinion. He swings it kind of wildly. He certainly has skill inthose other areas, though, and this would explain how he had access to theblade.(Note: More on this theory in the "Meta Theory" section further down.)


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DAVE: This was my big thing, and is explained in detail later.

OUR ANALYSIS: There's nothing in the promotional materials or the game to saywe've got this one wrong. Hence it's probably fair to go with it. It at leastexplains an awful lot about our hero. The guilt part is debatably contradictedby the promotional materials that say the story is about love, but there'snothing to say he wasn't forced to sacrifice her regardless of his feelings,and was in the end motivated by guilt AND love. In short, even if challengedfrom the other solid standpoint, it only requires a little twisting to makethis believable.

-Wander was Mono's brother

Explanation(s): -Not applicable-

LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but there's no reason to believe so.

DAVE: Deeply, deeply unlikely. Wander is a redhead, for one thing. While thatdoes not guarantee that Mono would be as well, it's unlikely that they wouldhave such striking differences. On top of which, Mono looks nothing like him.We see both of them face on at various points. He has a long, angular face,

while hers is far more rounded and traditionally Japanese. While thesearguments could be discounted, the fact that they're valid and there isn't asingle bit of evidence to support their relation suggests its a fairly shakyground to work from.

OUR ANALYSIS: Probably not.

-Wander was Mono's son


Likelihood

KAZE: Extremely unlikely. Both look to be about the same age and bothare described as "young souls" on the official UK website.

DAVE: This has frightening implications in the context of the ending. Asidefrom that Mono would have to be the youngest looking thirty-odd year old inthe history of anywhere. Not likely.

OUR ANALYSIS: As close to certainly not as you can get.

-Wander and Mono were just friends

Explanation(s): -Not applicable

LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, though not very likely due to Mono's apparent lack offamiliarity with Agro.

DAVE: You'd need to be incredibly close friends to consider going to suchinsane lengths to return them to life. Ironically here more than in the caseof them loving each other her lack of familiarity with Agro is damning. Ican't see it.


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OUR ANALYSIS: They were probably more than friends, or he cared about her onsome deep level as more than a friend.

-Wander had stolen Agro recently


LikelihoodKAZE: Highly unlikely. Agro's a horse much too tall for someone ofWander's stature to logically steal. For Wander to even have such a largehorse suggests a bond with him and desire to have that particular horse as hiscompanion.

Further, Agro responds to Wander's calls quickly and displays constant loyaltyto him, not only because he bears him at all, but because he's willing to rideinto battle against Colossi with him and throws him to safety near the endwhen the bridge beneath them was collapsing.

DAVE: Additionally, Agro would KILL Wander if he tried. Without anyexaggeration I can say a horse of Agro's size could destroy a modern car witha back kick. He's built like a warhorse. Horses like Agro don't get stolen.

Agro and Wander are a well oiled fighting machine. Do you think it's likely

that just any horse would ride so cleanly for Wander when he wanted to standon its back? Even allowing for gaming conventions of 'cool', horseback archeryis not easy. Add to that Wander's genuine reaction of grief when he thinksAgro is dead, and I think that this theory is comfortably deep sixed.

OUR ANALYSIS: Very, very unlikely.

-Agro was originally Mono's horse


Likelihood

KAZE: Not suggested or indicated at all, and hardly makes sense with Mono notcalling out his name or otherwise showing instant recognition when she awakensto meet him.

DAVE: If Agro took one step with Mono on him she'd be launched into thestratosphere! She weighs about fifty pounds soaking wet. I don't think thistheory is supported at all or even makes much sense. For one thing, if it'sMono's horse it again raises all the issues of why he comes so willingly whenWander, who is NOT his master, calls for him, not to mention how he's clearlybeen trained for horseback archery.

Brief aside: Horseback archery was a big part of feudal Japanese warfare, andboth horse and rider needed to train extensively to have any degree of

accuracy with the discipline. Wander 'inheriting' Agro would not account forhis skill on the horse's back.

OUR ANALYSIS: Nah.

*The Dormin (004.1B)-The Dormin were the old gods of the Forbidden Land

Explanation(s): The temple where Wander meets Dormin is called "the Shrine of


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Worship" and bears many idols. Further, the circular opening above the altarin the shrine and above the pool at the back was possibly designed for Dorminto speak to their priests through. Also, in some middle eastern cultures(which the game may have drawn on), horns are a sign of divinity, and Dormin'scorporeal form bears horns.

LikelhoodKAZE: Certainly possible and fits without any apparent contradictions.(Note: More on this theory in the "Meta Theory" section further down.)

DAVE: The Forbidden Land is packed with temples either fallen down or intact,and the Shrine of Worship is clearly decked out like a pagan temple. I'veseen pictures very much like it (on a much smaller scale) in history books andwhatnot. More on this later, however.

OUR ANALYSIS: There's nothing working against it, and it explains why theycongregate in a place called 'the shrine of worship'. Maybe.

-The Dormin were a group of evil demons sealed away by Emon's people

Explanation(s): They turn into a big demon looking thing and had been sealed.

Likelihood

KAZE: Not so likely based on context and circumstancial evidence. Further,Dormin's behavior isn't consistent with that of a sterotypical treacherousevil being: They openly warned Wander that there may be a high price to pay tobring back Mono, said that they had borrowed his his body rather thanpossessed, stolen, or even taken it, and after being reunited, honored theiragreement with Wander by bringing Mono back to life.

Further, it seems possible that they may have returned Wander's life to him inthe pool at the back of the shrine (more on this honoring of their bargain inthe "Ending theories" and the "Meta Theory" sections to follow).

DAVE: I am with Kaze on disagreeing with it, however there is more thanenough reason to believe in it. If one determines that Wander's life is

restored by accident as a side effect of Emon's sealing spell, then the restof their actions become far more explicable. Any D & D player understands theconcept of 'lawful evil' the creature of cruelty and violence that will stillhonour any bargain it makes to the absolute letter. We all know about theideas behind trickster genies and the like.

However, overall I think more evidence stands against than for it.

OUR ANALYSIS: Split. We both personally go against it, but as mentioned above,it's certainly believable if looked at from one angle.

-Dormin's power is represented by the light of the land

Explanation(s): Beams of light rise into the air from the locations of fallencolossi, removing clouds from the map, and light shines through the holes inthe temple that Dormin speaks through.

Further, there's no night shown to us in the Forbidden Land aside from thestorm that erupts during the battle with Malus, and there doesn't seem to beany definite location of a sun either. Moreover, in the game's openingnarration, it's said that the Dormin have the power to control beings made oflight.


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LikelihoodKAZE: Entirely possible. There's no reason to believe that this may not be so.

DAVE: I consider it more likely that a certain facet of Dormin's power isrepresented by the light of the land. Logically, after all, if they are sealedaway the Land should be dark, going by this theory. However it's not. In factit doesn't go dark until the very end, after they've been resealed. Ipersonally doubt that Emon's little spell is a firmer seal than the idol spell,so there must be another explanation.

OUR ANALYSIS: Split. The bone of contention comes from the inherent statementthat at the end of the game Dormin's power is broken. It seems odd that theworld was bright while Dormin was so heavily sealed with the idol spell, andyet Emon's ten second incantation and throwing of the ancient sword seals themeven more firmly.

-The Forbidden Land's 'day' is provided by the presence of Dormin

Explanation(s): Emon declares 'begone, foul beast', when he performs thesealing spell at the end, and after Dormin are sucked into the pool the stormcontinues unabated. Throughout the game it has been bright lights all the way.Perhaps we finally see the Forbidden Land without Dormin's presence, providing

an eternal light.LikelihoodKAZE: Seems to work fine to me.

DAVE: It seems strange to me that Dormin could be sealed more powerfully byEmon's spell than by the idol spell. In acceptance of that, perhaps Emon'sspell is designed to suck Dormin away 'somewhere else'. This is contradicted,however, by the statement that they need to place a seal on the whole temple.Perhaps they are buried so deep in the temple that none of their essence can,for a time, be felt beyond it, thrusting the land into darkness. This is notcontradicted by in-game evidence, and it does offer an alternative view ofDormin's relation to the light. Their power is not broken at the end, its

simply hidden away somewhere. For a time, it can't be seen. Regardless, Iactually consider Dormin's relation to the light to be one of the moredifficult issues this game raises.

OUR ANALYSIS: Could work under the right circumstances. Not a lot within thegame itself to really peg it down either way.

-Emon himself sealed the Dormin originally


Likelihood

KAZE: Extremely unlikely. The Dormin state that they've been sealed for "aneternity," as they put it. Assuming it to be in the neighborhood of hundredsof years, or even just a few score, Emon was likely not yet even alive at thetime of the Dormin originally being sealed.

DAVE: Doubt it. Emon's an old man, not immortal. If Dormin were sealed by him,surely their comments would have been much more directed if Emon waspersonally responsible for their sealing. It is likely that they've beensealed for longer than hundreds of years, too.


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OUR ANALYSIS: Probably not.

-The sword Wander stole was utilized in the spell that originally sealed theDormin

Explanation(s): The Dormin recognize the sword and know that with it, Wandermay be able to defeat the Colossi and free them from the spell.

LikelihoodKAZE: Extremely likely.

DAVE: Almost a guarantee. It has too much affinity with Dormin for it to beotherwise. It catches the light, which is obviously connected to their power,it is the only thing that can free them... it only makes sense.

OUR ANALYSIS: Nigh certain.

-The shadow beings that appear at the Shrine of Worship in the beginning arethe Dormin's followers who remained loyal to them after the religiousreformation that came over the people. Most likely killed and their bodiesmutilated or destroyed, the Dormin fashioned for their souls spiritual bodiesmade with their own energy, and they are the beings made of light which the

game's opening narration says that they can controlExplanation(s): On the official PAL website, if one clicks on the question"Who are those shadowy figures?" they receive a video response that shows theshadow beings from the opening sequence of the game, and includes thisstatement: "Everything casts a shadow. When an entity exists beyond the mortalrealm, a shadow is all men can see." This means that the beings are probablydead, and since they cast the shadows of humans, they most likely WERE humanswhen they were alive.

Also, the opening narration's reference to beings made of light that can becontrolled by the Dormin could only apply to these beings, and since -- as thePAL website says -- "Myths speak of their [the Dormin's] ability to control

the souls of the dead", this all fits.LikelihoodKAZE: An interesting theory that is both plausible and contradicted by nothingwithin the game.

DAVE: -Not applicable-

OUR ANALYSIS: Only my input so far, but I'd say it works pretty darn well andmakes the most sense of anything.

-The Colossi contain the dark half of each severed part of the Dormin, while

the idols contain the light half

Explanation(s): After a Colossus is defeated, black energy erupts from thefallen creature and enters Wander. This is what is then represented by ashadow-like figure standing beside him when he has been returned to the Shrineof Worship. At that point, the idol corresponding to the dead Colossusemanates bright light and explodes. Subsequently, a dove made of light appearsaround Mono.

Likelihood


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KAZE: It's certainly an interesting theory. The only real problems with itare that the Dormin refer to themselves being seperated into sixteen partsinstead of thirty-two (though it's possible that the seperated halves couldstill be counted as one since their bondage is shared) and that it doesn'treally seem to make sense that all aspects of the Dormin's essence wouldn'tenter Wander. The Dormin's objective would seem to have been to become wholeonce again. That said, the theory WOULD fit with the Dormin's duality. TheDormin have both male and female voices, are repesented with both light anddark (complete with bright light and black light), and the appearance of theshadow figures could be symbolic of the dark light that has entered Wander (amale), while the doves made of bright light surround Mono (the female).

Despite a couple of problems, it seems like a good theory. I can't say howlikely it is, but it's a good theory. However, it's also possible that theshadows that appear around Wander and the doves of light that surround Monomay just be symbolic.

Dave: -Not applicable-

OUR ANALYSIS: It's only me so far, but it seems like a fairly decent theorywith a couple of possible flaws. I can't say that they definitely are flaws,though, because it might be more a misunderstanding based on what limitedknowledge we have of the Dormin. In any case, it's a great observation.

*The nature of the Colossi (004.1C)-They were created by a fusion of the land and the seperated essences of theDormin

Explanations(s): Each bit of rhe Dormin's essences acted of its own accordrather than under the influence of the Dormin once they were sealed. EAch wasbound within the confines of an area of the Forbidden Land, with the conduitfor the spell that so bound them being the idols within the temple.

This fusion of the essences of the Dormin with the part of the land to whichto which each was bound not only created the Colossi as unguided, instinctualcreatures, but confused the spell on Dormin as well, such that when the

Colossi were destroyed, the spell misinterpreted the essence of Dormin itselfas being destroyed, destroying the associated idol and releasing the seal onthat bit of the Dormin's essence.

LikelihoodKAZE: Extremely likely in light of what little we know for certain.(Note: More on this theory in the "Meta Theory" section further down.)

DAVE: Fairly likely.

OUR ANALYSIS: It's a solid explanation, for certain, and it doesn't have anyglaring holes in it. That's usually a good sign.

-The Colossi are all physically trapped in their respective areas

Explanation(s): Several seem to be in areas that they may be unable to leave,such as Gaius being on that large platform that's surrouned by water, orMalus' feet being secured to the ground, even such that his body doesn'tcollapse to the ground once he's been killed.

LikelihoodKAZE: Quite unlikely. While #s 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 14, and 16 are all certianly


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physically trapped, they are not the majority. #s 1, 5, 8, 9, 13, and 15should be able to leave their areas at any time they wished unless a magicalrestriction was upon them. #2 may also be able to ascend the nearby ramp tothe upper areas of the Forbidden Land if it so wished, and #s 7 and 10 --being designed after an aquatic creature and a sand worm in the first place --are simply in what passes for areas they have to be within in orderto move about.

DAVE: I'll be more firm than Kaze and say that this is frankly wrong. Neitherof the flying colossi are even close to being trapped. Some certainly are, butthere's more to it than mere physicality.

OUR ANALYSIS: Aside from differences in vehemence, we agree that this isprobably incorrect.

-They weren't evil and were more like animals than anything else

Explanation(s): Their behavior is consistent with that of animalisticcreatures following their instincts rather than perceptive beings likehumans.

LikelihoodKAZE: Very likely.

DAVE: Well, they're certainly not as intelligent as the creature they'reserving as host to. I support this as well.

OUR ANALYSIS: Very likely.

-They were evil entities under the influence of the evil Dormin


LikelihoodKAZE: Not only does it seem unlikely that the Dormin were evil in the

traditional sense, and not only do the Colossi behave more like animals thananything else, but were the Dormin controlling these creatures or influencingthem at all, they most certainly would have wanted Wander to succeed indestroying them and would not have had them attack him.

DAVE: Neither of the flying colossi show any interest in Wander whatsoevereven once they've spotted him. The second of them never attacks him, evenwhen Wander is stabbing it to death. This doesn't suggest evil to me.

OUR ANALYSIS: Almost certainly not.

-They were created by the same people who seperated Dormin to contain the

essences of Dormin and guard them, and the areas they're found in weredesigned as needed such that they could be used to overpower the Colossi andkill them if the need to do so ever arose

Explanation(s): They contain the Dormin's essences, and many of the areaswhere the Colossi are found are designed such that they can be used to get onthe Colossi and kill them.

LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but not really indicated. While many of the locations can be


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used in Wander's favor, it seems to be more out of luck -- and Wander knowinghow to use the environment around him to his advantage -- than anything else,as is the case with #s 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, and 15. Malus' area is theonly one that seems intentionally designed for approaching the Colossus inthat location, and is hardly an indication of the majority.

For that matter, whoever contained the Dormin obviously wanted them to remaincontained. It wouldn't make sense for them to have intentionally designed away for someone to free them.

DAVE: Many if not most of the colossi are housed in areas that resemble thecentral shrine of worship in some ways. It is highly possible that in the caseof others the shrines merely broke down over time. In short, most of theenvironmental factors are explicable providing you accept that they were builtto contain the colossi in the first place. Wander simply turned these prisonsor shrines to his own advantage. For one thing, if they were designed toactually kill the colossi, why don't they include some in-built weaponry of ascale to achieve it? The fact is that the colossi are functionally invincible,and it makes no sense that anybody would consider how they might be killed ifthey were building them. Assuming that Dormin are evil, the consequences ofkilling the Colossi would be too dire to consider their slaying.

OUR ANALYSIS: Unlikely.

-The spell that seperated and sealed the essences of Dormin created theColossi -- possibly out of the land -- intentionally, and for the purpose ofhousing the essences of Dormin


LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but not indicated.

DAVE: I sort of agree with this, but I doubt it was intentional on a personalbasis. However, its significant that the only person who ever mentions theColossi is Dormin themselves. The suggestion is nobody else really knew about

them, if you look at the in-game material. Wander certainly didn't know aboutthem, which is very peculiar. All this suggests that the spell didn't createthe colossi, in my opinion. Far more likely that the spell's purpose was toseal them into the idols.

OUR ANALYSIS: Not likely, but it is still possible. The big bone of contentionis the 'why' of the thing. Why make the Colossi? If you have an answer thenthere's no reason why this theory can't fly.

-They've made the areas they chose to inhabit or were forced to inhabit intosomething of a natural habitat, each according to its nature

Explanation(s): They're not only able to defend themselves in these locations,but seem to naturally fit in these locations in some cases, such as Hydrus.

LikelihoodKAZE: Possibly, but in the cases of some, the locations they reside in seem tobe requirements for their movement at all (Dirge and Hydrus), and in the casesof many others, how they defend themselves doesn't seem to be so much theresult of their areas being akin to natural environments (exceptions being #s7, 10, and 12) as it is that they simply have become familiar with theirenvironments.


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DAVE: I think this suggests too much activity on the Colossi's part. Let'snot forget that the majority of them are clearly inactive when Wander gets tothem, and if they had been active beforehand the signs would be everywheresuch as with the Colossus in the mausoleum who knocks all the walls down.Also, the environments actively make it harder for them to defend themselveson some occasions. Take the wall-crawling gecko-like Colossus. He would benearly impossible to attack if not for the fact you can harass him from allangles.

OUR ANALYSIS: A double 'kinda' in this case. It's a feasible theory, so longas you can explain why there's no evidence of their prior activity when meremoments of battle with Wander sometimes cause massive destruction.

-They were created by the people who originally inhabited the Forbidden Landto be servants until they rebelled against their masters


LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but not indicated.

DAVE: Unlikely. For one thing they don't look like man-made creations, several

of them are useless outside of their environment, and others are utterlytrapped. As far as servants go, the colossi would make for a frustratingbunch.

OUR ANALYSIS: Overall, not likely.

-The metal armor that some of them wore was built for them by humans who hadbuilt the Colossi too


Likelihood

KAZE: Rather unlikely. When the Colossi die, they seemingly instantlyturn to stone and are covered with moss in some cases, the materials they'recomposed of returning to the earth, including the metal armor that some ofthem wear.

DAVE: As Kaze says, everything they're made of returns to stone when theydie. The secondary issue is 'why bother'? If these things were built, it'sblatantly obvious they were built to be indestructible. Most of these Colossiare nearly so, and they have no need of further enhancement. Also, assumingthat the Colossi were built by the people, why didn't they put those metalplates right over their weak points? The theory raises hard to answerquestions, and that always sets off warning alarms in my mind.

OUR ANALYSIS: Unlikely.

-The sword points to the essences of Dormin, specifically areas where it'strying to get out of the Colossi

Explanation(s): The essences of Dormin emerge from the vitals of the fallenColossi. Also, when the Colossi "bleed," they violently spray, as thoughsomething is forcing its way out.


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LikelihoodKAZE: This is highly possible, and there's nothing that really suggestsotherwise. It's somewhat curious that the essences of the Dormin do not seemto move to other areas within the Colossi, but there may be limitations onthem.

DAVE: This is a theory I agree with one hundred per cent.

OUR ANALYSIS: A mutual highly likely.

UPDATE: On second thought, this theory isn't very strong in light of the factthat the light points to the Colossi in a particular order (an order providedby the Dormin), as well as the fact that it sometimes points to Colossi thatare further away than those that are closer (example: it points to #7 beforeit points to #11). Additionally, it never points to Wander himself (whoaccumulates essences of the Colossi within himself).

-The sword points to the minds of the Colossi


LikelihoodKAZE: Highly unlikely due to there being multiple "vitals" on the Colossi.

DAVE: I mirror Kaze's statement. It's all that needs to be said.


-The sword points to what the Dormin want it to, and it is the Dormin'smanipulation of light in the Forbidden Land that guides Wander

Explanation(s): Given that the sword guides Wander to the Colossi in aparticular order given to him by the Dormin, never points to himself, oftenpoints to Colossi that are further away than others, and given the inferenceof the Dormin's connection to light in the Forbidden Land (it is even said in

the game's opening narration that the Dormin had the power to control beingsmade of light), the Dormin choose which Colossi to guide Wander to, and thenpoints him to the Colossi's vitals which may be either where theiressences entered the Colossi or just where they're located at that time.Additionally, the glyph that appears at the Colossi's vitals is utilized as itis a sign that Wander will recognize, or may have even been a symbol used inthe religion that worshipped the Dormin.

Additionally, the Dormin may have intended to guide Wander to the Colossi ina particular order so that he would battle easier ones first. For example, thefirst three Colossi are fought on wide flat, open terrain, and the objectiveis fairly straightforward in that the player is simply trying to get on theColossi and destroy its vitals that are usually in plain sight. On many of the

following Colossi, the environment must be utilized to some degree, oftenextensively, just in order to uncover a Colossus' vitals or in order to get onthe creature.

KAZE: The most likely of all explanations.

DAVE: -Not applicable- (though I'm sure he'd love it)

OUR ANALYSIS: Well, it's only my input so far, but I'd say it's prettydarn likely, if not definite.


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-The vitals of the Colossi are where the essences of Dormin entered thematerial the Colossi are made from

Explanation(s): The vitals are where the entry points for the essences ofDormin are sealed, and the majority of the essences lie at these points, thisbeing why "blood" sprays much more violently from these points when stabbedthan they do anywhere else.

LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, with no obvious contradictions.

DAVE: Certainly possible. There's nothing that really works against thistheory.

OUR ANALYSIS: It's possible, and there's not really anything that says it'snot.

-The Colossi attack Wander because of his "sins" and/or because he is alliedwith Dormin


LikelihoodKAZE: Highly unlikely. Not all of the Colossi are aggressive, and while manyare, attacking Wander on sight, Avion doesn't attack Wander until he'sattacked first, and Phalanx won't attack him at all.

DAVE: Very unlikely. It's more likely they attack him because they know on aninstinctual level he's there to kill them.

OUR ANALYSIS: Not likely at all.

-The Colossi often fought one another

Explanation(s): There are damaged areas on Gaius, the Knight.

LikelihoodKAZE: Gaius was designed after a knight. It rather makes sense for his designto reflect that he's been in battles. Aside from this one case, there's noindication of there having been combat amongst the Colossi, and this one isn'treally an indication of that on its own.

DAVE: Most of them couldn't get to each other for a fight even if they wantedto. Plus, if they DID fight, there would be evidence of it. Seriously, a fightbetween any of the larger Colossi would completely reshape the landscape.Especially since they have no way of killing each other, so once a fight began

there would be no reason for it to ever end.


*The Forbidden Land (004.1D)-The Forbidden Land could possibly result in someone dying if they touched theground before crossing the bridge and touching the temple first

Explanation(s): Emon felt that the bridge collapsing would prevent anyone from


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ever entering the Forbidden Land again.

LikelihoodKAZE: Emon probably thought that because there was a drop of several hundredfeet at the entrance to the Forbidden Land without the bridge in place. Theindication offered by the game and the official UK website is that the placewas labeled forbidden so as to prevent anyone from going there and possiblyreleasing the Dormin: "It is forbidden for the good of all men. This landcontains mighty power, and this power... must be contained."

DAVE: Well, there is little evidence to suggest that this is true. Whytouching the shrine would preserve someone's life I have no idea. The simplefact is you can't get in without using the bridge. Geographics makes itinaccessible. For that matter, why would the Forbidden Land kill anyone whotouched it? It seems like a verdant enough place to me. There are lizards andthings on the ground, and they're unaffected by any death touch, so really Idon't even see where this thought comes from.

OUR ANALYSIS: A large "unlikely."

2) Ending theories (004.2)Many theories have arisen concerning SotC's brilliantly executed ending, a

conclusion that for many left the story sitting wide open, but for others,brought a beautiful sense of closure. Here they are:

-Wander is revived by the Dormin

Explanation(s): Wander was quite dead by then already. Emon's spell toneutralize the Dormin's power shouldn't bring the dead back to life even if itwas purifying them of negative energy. Wander may have been reverted toinfancy by the purification aspect of the spell, infancy being the only pointin a human's life when they are truly pure, but returning to life itself wasa result of Dormin's influence.

Likelihood

KAZE: Extremely likely, and a most logical conclusion.DAVE: I hold to this belief personally, so obviously I support it. I can'tfind many problems with it, either, or evidence to suggest it's wrong.

OUR ANALYSIS: Looks good.

-Wander is reverted to infancy by Emon's purification spell and restored tolife, as well

Explanation(s): Wander could only be purified by becoming an infant once more,and being pure made him live again.

LikelihoodKAZE: Not very likely. It doesn't seem to logically work that simply beingpurified would return Wander to life. Even infants can die, after all.

DAVE: If it did happen it was an unexpected side effect. Emon was clearlyunsure of what had happened to the people in the temple. I personally find itunlikely, however.

OUR ANALYSIS: Probably not. The primary bone of contention is the game's clear


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statement that it's the Dormin who have power over resurrection.

-Wander and Dormin fuse into one being


LikelihoodKAZE: Nothing working against it.

DAVE: Perfectly fine. Makes sense.

OUR ANALYSIS: Double thumbs up.

-Wander remains dead, but Dormin is reincarnated in his body


LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but it may not fit in with the Dormin's line of honor to leaveWander -- whom they owed for being free to begin with -- dead whilepermanently taking his body from him.

DAVE: This I find more unlikely than the former theory. For one thing we'vealready seen what happens when Dormin inhabit a Human body: It doesn't work.They're too powerful for such a fragile shell to deal. An infant's body wouldlikely be flatly annihilated. On top of which, to be reincarnated Dormin wouldhave to die. I think part of the problem is that Dormin are simply unkillablein any literal sense. Also, if the baby was really Dormin, why does it actlike a normal baby? Did Dormin forget everything of its Godhood or whateveryou want to call it? While it works in one way, it makes no sense whatsoeverin another. You'd have thought the baby would show marks more significant thanmere horns.

OUR ANALYSIS: Split. It does make sense, but we find severe personaldisagreements with the idea, and it does raise some serious issues.

-Mono's lifeless body was possessed by the "female" aspect of Dormin

Explanation(s): The female voice of Dormin grew ever more faint toward the endof the game, while Mono's voice grew stronger.

LikelihoodKAZE: Doesn't seem very likely. The Dormin were more than just two entities,anyway, described as "many" on the official UK website. While the Dorminclearly possessed something of a dual nature, the increase in the presence ofone over the other could be a result of any number of possibilities of whichwe are not aware, including the obvious factor that Dormin's essences were

reuniting within Wander's body.

DAVE: There is never any point where any Dormin essence enters Mono'sbody. While it is certain that Wander is unconscious for a long time wheneverhe comes back from killing a colossus, it does make Dormin's statement at theend that they have 'risen anew' somewhat incorrect. The whole point of theirgamble is reuniting. Surely this is flatly prevented if one of them entersMono's body instead? Additionally, Mono shows no sign of infection. Even afterthe first battle there are signs Wander is changing if you can get the cameraclose enough to him.


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OUR ANALYSIS: This doesn't seem likely, for numerous reasons.

-Agro actually died when he fell into the canyon below Malus' lair, and theDormin revived both him and Mono


LikelihoodKAZE: Extremely unlikely. Mono's revived without whatever damage that had beentaken to her body being present, and Wander's infant body bears no damage, yetAgro comes limping into the Shrine of Worship with a broken leg. The onlyrevival(s) that took place involved the complete healing of whatever woundswere rendered to cause death in the first place. Agro should not have a brokenleg if revived by the power of Dormin.

DAVE: I'll be honest, I found this hilarious the first time I heard it. It'ssimply riddled with logic holes. On top of what Kaze's said already, Dorminnever made a deal to bring Agro back to life, so why would they even if thesituation came up? It requires far too much additional explanation to getsomewhere close to making this make sense for me to buy it.

This whole theory arose from the fact that Agro shouldn't have survived the

fall, even onto water. This is true. However, Agro also should have all of hislegs broken when he gets hit by the sand worm Collossus, and he shouldn'tget back up after being shot by the turtle-like one in the geyser area. We'llhave to accept that the director wanted Agro to survive and so it happened.Call it a one in a million chance, whatever's required. The very fact that hecomes back with a sprained or broken leg is the ample proof that we aresupposed to believe he survived the fall through some means. Who knows, maybeAgro really is the seventeenth Collossus.

OUR ANALYSIS: There's simply nothing to support it, and it makes little senseto boot.

-Mono actually wakes up in Heaven, and this is why she finds Wander and Agrothere, them having also died


LikelihoodKAZE: As with the idea that Agro was revived by Dormin, it doesn't work due toAgro having a broken leg. Dead horses that go to Heaven shouldn't have brokenlegs (not that I've been there; it just doesn't logically make sense). Forthat matter, why would Mono just then be waking up in Heaven, having been deadfor quite some time, yet just getting there at the same time as the recentlydeceased?

Further still, why would Wander be an infant in Heaven while Mono and Agro hadthe bodies they had at the time of death? And why would Heaven look like theForbidden Land?

All that aside, Mono's eyelids are moving even before Emon and his menevacuate the Shrine of Worship. This one's pretty much impossible.

DAVE: Don't think I can add much to Kaze's explanation. Everything from thepromotional material through to Emon's words all contradict this theory.


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OUR ANALYSIS: A huge "NO."

UPDATE: Rendered impossible by the nature of SotC's official prequel status.Wander begins the lined of horned boys and Ico is among his descendants.

-Emon's spell to defeat the Dormin was only temporary

Explanation(s): This is why he needed to destroy the bridge too.

LikelihoodKAZE: Certainly possible. Though it leaves the question of why the bridge wasallowed to remain standing as long as it was, this question is technicallyappropriate anyway.

DAVE: I consider it a certainty. If Dormin could be sealed so easily, why didthey really care if they got free? Let's face it, Emon makes it look easy. Theidol approach seems excessively complex if Dormin was so easy to contain.After all, why go to such an extent in the first place if a spell like thatwould have worked then? The question of why the bridge was allowed to remainstanding applies to every possible theory. Why DID they keep that bridge up?Perhaps they thought they would come back for conversation at some points. Intruth it's a hanging plot hole that can't be resolved.

OUR ANALYSIS: Valid theory. Makes sense depending on your angle of approach.

-The horns on baby Wander's head are simply a result of him having been theDormin's vessel for a time, and having been on his head when he died. As such,they don't necessarily symbolize anything, even so much as some of Dormin'spower remaining within Wander, though it's possible.


LikelihoodKAZE: Nothing to contradict it based on the context of just SotC, though ifone is assuming Wander to be the ancestor of a certain other famous horned

boy, this theory could be called into question.DAVE: Alternatively, the horned boys have nothing genetically to do withWander. After all, I doubt he'd be well received upon entering a new town, andromance would be positively awkward. Perhaps the boys with horns are simply aresult of Dormin being existant in the world, a sign of its 'taint'.Nonetheless, this theory doesn't work if you assume Wander is responsible forICO. Otherwise, it's fundamentally sound.

OUR ANALYSIS: It can work, but certain approaches necessitate its fallacy.

UPDATE: In light of official confirmation that Wander begins the line ofhorned boys, it's most likely that something of the Dormin's power remained

within Wander and was passed to his descendants.

3) After ending theories (004.3)The ending of SotC has also inspired many to conceive theories of what mayfollow after the events of the game. Many of them relate to now confirmedconnections with SotC's "spiritual precursor," Ico, while others involveconnections that have yet to be confirmed, so be sure to check out the"Connections to Ico: Facts & theories" section further down in this FAQ.


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-Mono, Wander and Agro all die soon after the game ends

Explanation(s): Agro dies because he's now a limp horse and will get aninfection or be unable to move around much, and Mono and baby Wander will beunable to eat.

LikelihoodKAZE: Doesn't even make sense. Agro's walking around just fine and hardlyseems concerned about his limp, which Mono should be able to help him healanyway. As for herself and Wander, there's plenty of food in the ForbiddenLand (lizards and fruit, most obviously), and that baby deer in the SecretGarden sure didn't look like he was underfed.

DAVE: If Agro's leg was broken, then yes he will be crippled. However his legis not clearly broken, it could only be severely sprained, an injury a horseis more than capable of recovering from. I personally take that long,looooooong panning shot where we see that they're less than half way up thatenormous tower that in fact the 'habitable' portions of it start with theSecret Garden. I'm aware that there's no obvious way inside if you get intoit, no way further into the building, but I think it's fairly obvious that therest of it isn't completely empty. I'll agree that baby Wander might be introuble, though, as he's not at the point, from the look of things, where hecan live on tough lizard meat and (probably) soft fruit. However, I think it's

safe to say that the trio will be just fine.OUR ANALYSIS: It's very negative, definitely goes against the spirit of thegame, and isn't very likely given the minute facts offered in the last part ofthe ending.

UPDATE: Rendered impossible by the nature of SotC's official prequel status.Wander begins the lined of horned boys and Ico is among his descendants. WhileMono and Agro don't necessarily survive, there's no reason to think that theywouldn't when an infant in Mono's care is confirmed as doing so.

-Mono raises Wander back to adolescence and the two have children together;

they may or may not ever find a way out of the Forbidden Land, but theirchildren may


LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, if not the most likely possibility.

DAVE: All but required for several theories concerning inter-relations withICO. It makes sense, although I still consider it to be at least slightlytwisted since Mono will be about sixteen years older than him (physically)when they have children. At least.

OUR ANALYSIS: Fairly likely and a very logical follow on from the ending.

-Mono raises Wander to adolescence and he eventually finds a way out of theForbidden Land and has children with someone else


LikelihoodKAZE: Possible, but not really any reason to believe he won't be doing the


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baby-makin' dance with Mono if he does it with anyone. There's not really anyreason to believe he'd leave Mono behind anyway if she was still alive.

DAVE: While I find this personally more appealing, who in the hell is goingto have children with Wander? Think about it for two seconds, and imagine theresponses he'll get from 'ordinary' civilised folk. Pitch forks, burningbrands, and all that. It's actually more likely he breeds with Mono, if atall. However, short of descending deep into incest, sooner or later he or hisdescendents will either die out or escape. What happens then is allconjecture.

OUR ANALYSIS: As likely as the previous theory, depending on whether or notyou believe Wander and Mono will fall in love again, or indeed fall in love inthe first place, as he grows up.

-The title screen cutscenes where Agro is shown riding about on his own areactually set after the events of SotC, and indicate that his leg healed.

Explanation(s): One of the similar cutscenes of a hawk flying about thatbecome viewable after having beaten the game show the bridge beneath Malus'lair as gone.

Likelihood

KAZE: All that's for sure is that the hawk cutscenes take place after Malus isdefeated. Wander can be seen sleeping at save altars during these cutscenes ofAgro running about, as they simply load a location from a current save file.That said, this is apparently impossible.

DAVE: This was actually my suggestion, and I've never noticed Wander asleep atthe save point before. So... uh... I guess this one's dead, Jim.

OUR ANALYSIS: It would be nice if it were so, but it seems that this is simplywrong.

4) Meta Theory on the Dormin, the Colossi, and Wander's motivation (004.40)The Meta Theory is a large, fairly complex, near all-encompassing theory thatwas the brainchild of David Rodoy. He came up with it while playing Shadow ofthe Colossus, and it explains almost all of the plot elements of the story,leaving few plot holes. After I read it, I added some embellishments upon itand we were left with what we mutually feel is the single most solid Shadow ofthe Colossus theory conceived. It ties all the threads up into a singleconsistent package with lose ends you'd have to hunt with a microscope.

In its original form, it encompassed the nature of the Dormin and the Colossi,as well as Wander's connection to Mono, his motivation for reviving her, hisconnection to Emon, the phenomenal equestrian and archery skills he displays,and offered a take on the ending that was a stroke of brilliance. That said,

we had two different takes on the Wander aspects of the story, while we fullyagreed on the aspects concerning the Dormin and the Colossi.

As such, we've slightly dissected the Meta theory, leaving the origins of theColossi and the nature of the Dormin as its basis, but with two different"paths" branching off from there. Though we disagreed with one another quitevehemently in our initial discussion of Wander's motivations, we bothacknowledge that -- within the context of Shadow of the Colossus alone, whichmay well be how its intended to be examined -- either theory is equallyplausible.


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That said, I rather think his theory is more creative on the whole and I findit extremely interesting, but the theory I came to hold it edges it out for mein terms of satisfaction. Fortunately, we both also agree that is what thedevelopers of Shadow of the Colossus would hope for those who play the gameto take from its story: their own story, built from the base elements they'veoffered, cooked in a fire of the imagination to bond them together, seasonedwith personally preferred flavors, and devoured to a satisfying end.

In that spirit, we'll be presenting the Meta theory in its original sequentialform, our combined theory on the Dormin and the Colossi being presented first,followed then by Dave's take on Wander's motivations and backstory, and thenconcluded with my own take on the avatar of our wills as projected into theForbidden Land. As we head into the Meta Theory, I now leave you with theclosing words that David left in his original opening to this testament to thebrilliant work of art that Ueda and his development team has given us withShadow of the Colossus:

"What makes this theory so worthy is not its plausibility, believe it or not.It s the fact that it remains plausible despite flatly contradicting a fairproportion of the promotional material that surrounds this game.

It is a theory formed from one thing and one thing only: In-game experience,and it amounts to my interpretation of the events that unfolds, and in a big

way it encompasses the feelings that the game stirred within me. Even if youdo not agree with this theory in part or whole, it stands as a testament tothe success of Shadow of the Colossus. It made me think, it made me feel, andit left me with just enough information and indication from which I couldcraft this explanation for the game. As a writer, I can appreciate better thanmost the power of saying no more than you have to. In Shadow of the Colossus,defying all obvious expectation, in saying almost nothing at all the directorhas said no more than he had to.

In presenting this theory I will break it down into a logical progression ofevents and scenarios that lead into and explain the in-game events of Shadowof the Colossus. Essentially, I present to you the plot of Shadow of theColossus, re-told by me, wearing Emon s weird creepy mask."

*Nature of the Colossi and Dormin (004.4A)The Dormin, far from being evil, were once worshipped as Gods. The people ofthat land faced an entity so far above and beyond them, possessing power somuch beyond their scope of understanding and existing in a state so far beyondtheir comprehension that this was the only possible relationship. Dormin formsa dual god, light and dark, male and female, dead and alive, possessing powerover all the above in various ways. It is not to say that these times werepeaceful, however it is likely that the religion around Dormin was not anespecially violent one. Dormin themselves are enshrined in a great temple,built to their dimensions, and around the land others are erected in worshipto them. Idols are built to paganistic design, each to worship a differentaspect of this divine entity. The status quo is set for centuries.

But eventually -- one may say inevitably -- this changes.

At some point long, long ago, a new religion rose. Perhaps it started as a newthinker, perhaps it was someone angry at Dormin for some reason. These peoplebegan a new religion, birthed a new god. A new, impersonal god that could notbe seen, could not be touched. More importantly, this was a god of light, andthe darkness and the death was its enemy, the sign of its displeasure and itscurses. Thus was the battle set.


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The people were won over to this new religion. It preached of reward and ofpunishment, of enemy and of victory. Dormin was the symbol of the enemy,darkness and death. The people, once worshipful, rose up against Dormin, andthrough the use of a magic sword first sundered then bound their formergod, a god no longer amenable to the beliefs of the people, a relic of a timealready gone. Binding Dormin s soul to the idols made for its worship, eachcorresponding to a different area of the land that Dormin itself had been lordover, Dormin was left, trapped eternally, bound to the land itself and to theshrines once erected in its honour. It is sealed away, abandoned by its peoplein a land whose name would be lost, and it would be remembered only as aplace wherein none could tread: the Forbidden Land.

Dormin is left bound into the land, never able to truly come together again,the idols that bind its soul rendered indestructible by Dormin s ownimmunity to dissolution. Dormin is left an angry god, infuriated by betrayaland imprisonment, burning in the impotent desire for vengeance. Dormin wascondemend to an eternity of separation, a fate worse than the oblivion itpersonified and controlled, yet Dormin remained fundamentally a god of theland. In binding its divided essences to the various parts of the land itself,the people had given Dormin the smallest hint of power, provided a minor chinkin their own enchantment. Dormin s fractured soul permeated the land, andthose fragments began to fuse with the land itself, to those places which theywere bound. In doing so, they created secondary, more fragile prisons, prisonsthat personified the elements of Dormin s own soul that were bound to the

land; prisons that could, theoretically, be broken. The Colossi were born.The spell that divided the Dormin into 16 segments -- binding each piece toone of the Dormin's own idols, each of these idols in turn themselves bound toan aspect of the land -- was flawed in its function, ineffecient to thepurpose for which it had been cast. In binding the idols to both the dividedessences of Dormin and different parts of the land itself, the betrayers hadleft a loophole that may spell their own doom: when the divided essences ofDormin infused themselves into parts of the land to which they were bound,they confused that enchantment which left the Dormin's power inert andunrealized.

With that which was bound becoming one with that which it was bound to, should

the subsequent creations be destroyed, so too would fall those enchantedobjects of which the Colossi served as manifestations: the idols, thoseconduits through which the spell that imprisoned the essences of the Dorminwas held in place.

Time passes...

Someone from outside enters the Forbidden Land. Maybe they want to see theirold gods, or perhaps they want to make sure the spell cast to bind their oldgods is doing its work, or maybe they're just curious; who knows? What theyfind, however, are the idols changed, whether they discover the Colossiroaming those areas to which the idols correspond or not. Even if they knownothing of the Colossi or their significance, the significance of what has

taken place is realized: if the idols are destroyed, Dormin will be freed,and in Dormin being deathless, they will inevitably reform.

Dormin s memory is thus retained as a legend, its power becoming a cautionarytale, a parable perhaps. The Forbidden Land should not be trespassed upon, forit is forbidden. The idols should never fall, because they are in theForbidden Land. None would seek to enter the Forbidden Land and destroy theidols, lest they should wish to revive the dead, and it is now accepted as theway of mortals that the dead should never return to life. None would questionthis, and, thus, it should never be feared that the Dormin may arise again.


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traditions of the past with them for time beyond remembrance.

:While some of the idols resemble one another, and it would seem quiteintentional that all three serpent-bodied Colossi (Hydrus, Dirge, and Phalanx)should correspond to idols that feature a representation of a coiled creature,I believe this too may be explained by one of two possibilities:

1) Being that the game's creators were Japanese, it's quite possible thatthere would be Shinto influences present within. Shinto involves the worshipof divine entities called "kami" (typically this word can be used in both thesingular and the plural), beings which are usually inseperable from nature bytheir very concept. That in mind, it's quite possible that with the Dorminbeing an entity that consists of many entities, each could be described as akami, with the Dormin as a whole being a collective of kami. In such a case,each idol would represent a different kami, with each kami representing adifferent aspect of the land.

With each connected to different areas of the land (the same region, no less;the Dormin's realm) it's to be expected that they would be similar, yetperhaps different at the same time. In such a case, some are inevitably goingto be more similar to others.

What's also notable about this concept is that -- by their very nature -- thekami are dualistic entities, one placid (the nigimi-tama) and the other

aggressive (the arami-tama). This served to represent the dualistic reality ofnature itself, which can be both calm and raging. This concept is representednot only in the dualistic behavior of the Dormin, but also in their apparentconnection to the light of the Forbidden Land, with beams of light rising fromthe fallen Colossi, while the sky becomes enshrouded in darkness as a furiousstorm kicks up when facing the last Colossus. Clearly, we have a dualisticrepresentation of nature there, as the weather is generally calm in theForbidden Land, yet it becomes unstable and full of rage during the finalbattle.

Another possible suggestion of the kami through the Dormin are the variousshrines scattered throughout the Forbidden Land. Many shrines were built tothe kami of Shinto, of whom an infinite number are believed to exist.

2) The other possibility is this: being that the idols are connected to theessences of Dormin and the areas of land to which those essences were bound,and being that the Colossi are the physical manifestations of the idols,either they took forms that corresponded to those idols, or the idols' formschanged to match the forms of the Colossi that were created. Both Dave and Ithink the first possibility is the most likely.

:The temple the game's events surround is called "the Shrine of Worship" andhas idols within, suggesting -- quite obviously -- that it was once used toworship a deity (or deities). Being that the Dormin are omnipresent throughoutthe land (their consciousness is present everywhere in the Forbidden Land, asmade evident by the fact that they will give Wander advice on how to deal with

a Colossus if he should spend a while in battle with it). Further still, theyare aware of the locations of all the Colossi, giving Wander hints as to wherethey may be located, even describing those areas in vague hints.

:Though the Dormin never come out and simply tell Wander where to go to findthe Colossi, or how to beat them, with a binding spell in place on the Dormin,it may well be that they simply cannot do so, restricted by the limitations ofthe spell containing their essences.

:Though Malus' lair seems to be designed in a logical fashion such that it was


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intended for one to be able to reach the Colossus under cover from Malus'attacks, at the same time, it seems rather illogical to assume that a fewstone barricades would hold up for a prolonged period of time under anonslaught of attacks from a creature that sends considerable amounts of rockdebris scattering from where ever its blasts land. That in mind, it hardlyseems to suggest that the area was specifically designed by human creators ofthe Colossi for holding Malus and allowing someone -- one who would have to bea warrior of considerable agility and speed at that -- to reach the Colossus.

For that matter, if one was going to go to the lengths of creating all thoseunderground tunnels for such a purpose, why not make it more simple in thefirst place? Why space some of the barricades a dangerous distance apart? Whynot simply create an underground tunnel that led from outside the Colossus'firing range and all the way up to its feet from the start?

-David Rodoy's personal notes on this section of the theory::"My thoughts on the prior religion: The simple reason I say it was likelypeaceful is that having God as a dualistic entity makes it impossible todefine an especial enemy. Neither man nor woman can be especially sinful,because both are Godlike. The same for light and dark, or indeed life anddeath. We know that Dormin have the power to bring the dead back to life, orperhaps to restart life altogether (reincarnation). Though Dormin clearlypossesses great physical strength, there is little evidence to suggest that

they are fundamentally violent. Also, note that while Dormin is dark wheneverincarnated, it communicates via light throughout the whole of the game.Dualistic indeed, even or perhaps especially when sub-divided so violently."

:"My presumption here is that a creature like Dormin could NOT gounworshipped. It s simply not possible. Similarly, it s quite clear thatEmon s religion is directly opposed to it. These were the thoughts, on seeingthe ending, that made this part of the world s theoretical history fall intoplace. It s notable, however, that so many elements of the world s religiondirectly oppose Dormin. We KNOW that Mono s sacrifice has nothing to do withDormin. That means that sacrifice is still a part of Emon s religion, as arecurses. Death is a final punishment, whether or not you yourself are a guiltyparty. Death is also required to free Dormin, allowing them to be reborn in

The Wanderer, who is in turn reborn himself as a result of his associationwith Dormin. This brief roll on roll of resurrections and reincarnations is inmy opinion a very good indication of how thoroughly Dormin s freedom wouldscrew things up for the new religion. Dormin is active, incarnated truly, forless than five minutes total game time. It performs three miracles in thattime. At least. Godlike? Me thinks so."

:"I never believed the colossi were natural, and at the same time I neverbought that the spell which separated Dormin created the colossi. Dormin werenever supposed to get out. Why include such an obvious get-out clause? Itdidn t quite fit until I saw the way colossus no. 2 s body basically dissolvesto rock immediately. Go check it out, if you don t believe me. It s barelyidentifiable. This convinced me absolutely of the colossi s link to the land,

and Dormin seemed very much to be Gods of the land for reasons mentionedalready. I began to think about how Dormin helps you so much in the game, howDormin eggs you on and gives indications of how to beat each colossi. They areimprisoned, yes, they have no actual control over these animalistic,simplistic interpretations of the grand creature contained within, but theyknow something of them nonetheless. Dormin has set the stage for its ownresurrection, and you re the one who is making the moves it has waited so longto be made. This makes Emon s statement that you were just being usedexquisitely accurate. After all, if they truly knew the significance of theColossi, why not warn about it? Also, this explains why the colossi are so


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simple, and so violent, and yet why each has different characteristics. Theyare formed, in the most part, out of anger, but they are a fitting prison forthe part of Dormin within. A handful are gentle, these are the meditative,quiet parts of the grand entity Dormin who quietly accept their imprisonment.Most are incredibly angry, no. 16 an absolute personification of the quiteliterally towering rage that has built up over an eon of entrapment. IT isentrapped, but it is not defenseless... much like Dormin, who have a plan, andare on the verge of seeing it completed."

[Addition from Ryu Sinclair on this point: Concerning Malus/#16, it may beworth pondering the duality of light and darkness in relation to Dormin onceagain. Dormin's essences appear as dark, as do the beings' manifestation inWander's body, yet it communicates through light, light rises from the pointswhere the fallen Colossi are located, seperating the clouds in the sky above(refer to the map after defeating Colossi to see this), and the Forbidden Landseems to always be encapsulated by light, yet the one Colossi that mostobviously represents the towering rage Dormin has come to feel calls up astorm -- obscuring the sky with darkness for the only time during the courseof the game -- when one carrying the magical sword that sealed the Dorminlong ago enters the vicinity.]

:"It s been raised that the colossi are covered in the civilisation s writing.Well... how do we know that the language has changed much? For one thing itsobvious Dormin can speak the language well enough, or else he and Wanda

wouldn t understand each other (a la ICO and Yorda). Is it inconceivable thatDormin can also write in it? The actual symbols themselves most likelyrepresent the places where Dormin has been struggling hardest to freethemselves, where the colossi are weakest through Dormin s constant strugglesfor escape. This might explain why they bleed at such an incredible pressure,as well as why Dormin burst free of these wound points."

:"It s worth noting that the new religion obviously maintains shamanisticelements. The introduction flashback has all the trappings of a

vision quest , and Emon s mask is designed on a very similar basis to theidols in the shrine of worship. The beliefs may have changed, but many of thetrappings have stayed the same. This is a very common part of a switch overbetween faiths. The new religion adopts some of the symbols and imagery of the

old until it can be abandoned. Christianity, to use the modern day example, isbelieved to have reinterpreted Easter, which was once a pagan fertility ritual(hence the use of painted eggs) into the rebirth of Jesus Christ. I say

believed because such things are always hotly debated, but there are manyreligious texts that pre-date Christianity in England and which explain thisfertility rite, which is where the assertion develops from. In Shadow of theColossus, the masks are probably a hangover from the worship of Dormin."

*David Rodoy's theory on Wander's motivation to revive Mono (004.4B)Fast forward...

Wanda, who will one day be The Wanderer, is born. He believes in God totally,

is raised in the religion, and in his village he becomes a templar, a directservant of Lord Emon, the village priest or Shaman. He is a warrior, trainedto fight on horseback from birth, and has grown up with a horse of his own,named "Agro," a horse that grows too big for his small boned rider, and yetthe bond between the two makes separation a non-issue. It cannot be done.Wanda adapts to his over-sized mount, and learns to cope.

Then one day, during a sacrifice like any other, Wanda s faith is called intoquestion. Told to sacrifice a girl who possesses a cursed fate, he ispresented with a woman unlike any other. Mono, beautiful and perfect, utterly


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without flaw. He is struck suddenly with how unfair, how cruel and uncaringhis act is. He performs the deed, and the sacrifice. He is left guilt-ridden,tormented by his act. He thinks back to the words of Emon, to the tales andparables that make up his faith. He remem

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