Shadow of the Colossus guide: The 7th colossus

Each of the 16 colossi you fight during Shadow of the Colossus is a puzzle to solve. You have to find where it’s hiding in the world. Then you have to figure out how to get close to it. And finally you have to figure out how to reach its magic sigil weak points and kill it.

This guide will take you from the Shrine of Worship through defeating the seventh colossus. We’ll also point out any shrines, lizards or fruit trees along the way.

How to find the 7th colossus

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

Your sword will point you northwest this time. Hop on Agro and ride around to the north side of the Shrine once again.
You can take either of the natural bridges to get where you’re going, but we recommend the north-south one (the same one you’ve taken a couple times already). It’s a slightly easier route to follow.
Take the left fork after the bridge, then hang a left after the cliff. To the northwest, you’ll find the same canyon you followed to get to the 3rd colossus, then follow it all the way to the lake.
Turn left at the lake and follow the shore. About a quarter of the way around, there’s a canyon that branches off to the left. Turn into the canyon and follow it.
Turn right when you come to a T-intersection.
Take another right at the next T.
And then take another right.
When you get out of the canyon, turn to the left and cross the desert area.
Take another left and ride up the steps to the open balcony.
Climb off Agro and head out onto the bridge. Follow it all the way to the end, where you’ll find a ramp that spirals around the pillar.
Run all the way down the ramp to the water. As soon as Wander’s foot hits the water, you’ll see the colossus.

Collectibles along the way

There are three shining lizard tails, two shrines and no fruit trees on the way from the Shrine of Worship to the seventh colossus. These are all optional things to do, but they’ll each help you out a little. Lizards will increase your stamina, fruit will increase your health and shrines will restore your health and act as a quicksave point.

Shining lizard tails and shrines

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

Follow the directions above until after the lake (where you fought the third colossus). At the second right turn, turn left instead. You’ll soon come to a shrine where you can pray and find a lizard.

Turn south from the shrine and ride Agro through the arch in the cliff. Immediately on the other side of the arch, turn right. Follow the cliff along until you come to a natural alcove. There’s another lizard hiding there.

Head back to the path to the colossus. When you get to the desert area right before you meet the colossus, turn gently (not sharply) to the left. There’s another shrine ahead of you with another lizard on it. When you’re done there, head west to the colossus.

Approaching the 7th colossus

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

Swim into the open water. Keep watching the colossus. When it notices you, its eyes will turn from blue to orange. That means its going to come at you.
Swim a little to the side to avoid the electrified spines along its back.
When the third spine passes, watch for its tail. Dive underwater (with R2) and aim for the very end of its tail.
Swim along in the same direction as the colossus, and the tail will come up to meet you.
It’ll drag you underwater, but just keep holding on. You’ll surface before you run out of stamina.

Defeating the 7th colossus

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

The first time the colossus surfaces, it’s time to get to work. Start running forward along its body. You won’t make it far before it submerges again. When it does, just crouch down and hold on.
Just keep repeating the running forward and crouching process until you get close to the rearmost electrified spine.
Pause at the rock-like thing that’s near its spine — this is a marker for a safe distance. You won’t get electrocuted here.
When the colossus surfaces again, run up to right behind the spine. There’s a weak point here. Quickly stab it, and the spine will turn off. If you don’t worry about getting a fully charged stab, you should have just enough time to get there and stab the weak point between getting dragged underwater.
Repeat this process two more times as you work your way up along its body toward its head.
When you stab the third weak point, the magic sigil will appear on its head.
Do your best to get in fully charged stabs between being dragged underwater. If you take too long to defeat the colossus, it’ll retreat underwater for longer than you can hold on, and you’ll have to start over again.
Keep stabbing until you defeat it.

Shadow of the Colossus guide

Check out the rest of Polygon’s Shadow of the Colossus guides to beat the colossi and find the shining lizard tails, shrines and fruit trees along your path.

Guide