When Shadow of the Colossus was first released for the PlayStation 2, it was one of the first times many asked if video games can be considered art.

The world created in Shadow of the Colossus is both beautiful and unsettling. You spend most of the game in your own company, traveling through empty fields, forests, and deserts looking for lizards or the next colossi you must conquer. 

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Each colossus in the game offers an entirely unique experience as they all vary in size, shape, and habitat. While they are all a sight to behold, some stand out more than others. To take a look back at the creatures you slay to save a mysterious fallen girl, here are 10 of the best colossi in the game.  

10 Valus

While Valus isn’t a particularly interesting fight, it is the first colossi introduced and when first playing Shadow of the Colossus nearly 15 years ago, the sight of these beasts that could stand taller than three of the game screens combined made it clear that video games had reached a new level. 

As Valus is the first boss in the game, fighting him is rather simple. You can shoot arrows at him to get its attention, shooting arrows at the back of his leg to make him stumble when he gets close. From there you can climb him all the way to the head where you stab him a few times before he falls to the ground. 

9 Phaedra

Phaedra is found in a large lush field filled where a series of tunnels line the entirety of the area. Phaedra is a very odd quadruped creature that looks like an elk or a giraffe. Shoot arrows at its head to get its attention then make your way to one of the tunnels that jut out and make small hills. When it comes to inspecting the tunnel, you exit out of a different tunnel and sneak up behind it. You can then grab onto its tail and make your way up to its back. Its weak spot is located on its neck, stab that and it will lower its head where its final weak spot is. 

8 Kuromori

What starts off as a horse ride through planes covered in mountains ends with the sight of a large looking temple. The temple is much larger once actually entered and looks as if an ancient society once called it home. 

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You finally find Kuromori at the bottom of a massive coliseum that has many openings facing the bottom as if it was once a pit for entertainment. One of the smaller colossi, Kuromori climbs up the walls of the coliseum until you shoot arrows at his legs to bring him down. Climb down to where he landed and you will find him on his back with his weak point exposed - do this a few times and you win.  

7 Dirge

You start off by riding through a long stretch of fields until you find yourself between two cliffs where you find a large tunnel that looks man-made. Inside is a large open cave with an opening in the top and large pillar-like boulders scattered around. 

After making your way to the center of the cave, Dirge appears. He is a large serpent-like creature who comes out from underneath the sand. You must have him chase you and he will expose his eyes, shoot them with your arrows and he will be blind. From there you guide him into a wall and he will be stunned and his weak spot will be shown.

6 Pelagia

You start by crossing the same chasm you’ve crossed many times before but on a different bridge that leads into an enclosure of trees. This is the most densely vegetated area in Shadow of the Colossus, with the trees being so thick you are consumed by shadow. You find an opening where a large waterfall sits, you slowly crawl around a pillar and enter a body of water where Pelagia waits. 

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After swimming behind Pelagia you can climb on its back then slash the tooth-like protrusions on his head to guide him to one of the islands. Once on one of the islands, Pelagia will lift himself on it and expose the weak point on his stomach. 

5 Hydrus

After crossing a large field filled with sand, you find an old, dilapidated bridge that sits atop a body of water. After jumping in, you are overcome with a sense of dread as you fear that there is a massive creature just below where you are swimming; the silence of the game and its overall sense of loneliness heightens this fear. 

After swimming around a bit, Hydrus appears. He is an eel-like creature with large electric conducting spikes on his back. As he swims by you, you must grab on to him and make your way to his head, where you’ll find his weak spot. 

4 Phalanx

After making your way through a large forest with towering trees, you find an opening that is covered in sand and ancient structures that looked like they crumbled beyond use hundreds of years prior. Strong winds blow through this sand-covered valley, creating a storm that compromises your vision. 

After finding a platform that sits in the center of the valley, Phalanx appears and flies high above. He is a very long creature with long wings and yellow balloon-like sacks coming out of his stomach. First fire arrows at the sacks on his stomach and he will lower in altitude. Ride Argo alongside him and jump on to one of his wings. Climb up to his body and you will find his weak points along his back.  

3 Malus

Throughout Shadow of the Colossus Dormin is guiding you from colossi to colossi and though it only speaks when in the Shrine of Worship, its presence is felt in each part of the game, as if it is constantly watching you as you make your way through the forbidden land. This is especially true to the lead up for Malus than any other part of the game.

Malus is the largest of all of the colossi. He shoots large beams of lightning at you and you must dodge them while there is a chaotic storm happening in the background. Making your way to him isn’t easy, but once you do, you can climb him where you will sit in the palm of his hand. 

2 Gaius

As with many other colossi in the game, the journey that leads up to finding them is just as memorable as the fight itself. Before finding Gaius, you come up to a large platform suspended by pillars and sitting in water. There is a winding platform that goes up to the aforementioned platform which once climbed looks as if it is levitating in the air. 

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Gaius awakens and begins to attack you with his large piece of stone that is shaped like a sword. There is a stone platform that if Gaius hits, it will break part of his armor. After his armor is broken, have him swing his sword again into the grass where it will be stuck. You can then climb his sword and begin to search for his weak spot.

1 Avion

Avion is located in a large body of water that looks like it used to have a sprawling city built just on top of it. There are tall pillars scattered everywhere with Avion sitting atop the tallest of them all. You must shoot him with arrows to have him fly towards you. If you time your jump correctly you can grab onto his wings and he will fly high above the water. The sense of speed and height is felt as the wind blows hard and you must hang on. Avion’s weak points are located on its wings and tail but getting to them while it flaps its wings and flips in the air will not be easy.

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