Phalanx (Shadow of the Colossus)

"Thy next foe is...The vast desert lands...A giant trail drifts through the sky...Thou art not alone."

- Dormin

The Thirteenth Colossus, nicknamed Phalanx, is a major antagonist from the video game Shadow of the Colossus. It is the thirteenth boss encountered in the game and a vessel for the essence of Dormin.

Past
Phalanx, along with the other sixteen Colossi, were created by Lord Emon to contain the fragmented essence of the defeated evil Dormin. He set them all to wander the Forbidden Lands, destroying anyone that comes their way, so that Dormin could never be resurrected.

Shadow of the Colossus
When a young man named Wander trespasses in the Forbidden Lands and asks the disembodied spirit of Dormin to resurrect his deceased lover Mono, Dormin agrees under the condition that Wander kill all sixteen colossi (tricking Wander into releasing his essence so he may be reborn). Wander agrees, and sets off.

Phalanx is the thirteenth colossus he encounters, emerging from underneath the sands of the desert and taking flight above the ruins. Wander must follow Phalanx on his horse Agro, and must shoot the Phalanx's air sacs with arrows. Hitting all three will cause the colossus to drop from the sky, skimming just over the ground. It will lower its wings to keep itself up, and it is then the Wnder must jump from Agro onto one of the wings and work his way up to the beast's back. He must then run to each of Phalanx's sigils and stab them, which Phalanx will try to cover with flaps. After dealing enough damage, Phalanx will dive back down into the sand, burrowing underneath until it surfaces again. Wander must repeat the process to bring Phalanx down, mount its wings, and climb onto its back to finish sytabbing its sigils. After all of the sigils are stabbed, Phalanx will fall onto the desert below and die, releasing the fragmented essence of Dormin contained within its body.

This fragmental part of Dormin will bring Wander back to the Shrine of Worship, where he will be prepared to face his next foe. It will later combine with the other fifteen parts to form Dormin, who will posses Wander and later be banished by Lord Emon.

Phalanx's corpse can be seen as the credits roll.

Trivia

 * Phalanx is the largest colossus in the game; measuring over 557 feet long and having a wingspan of over 200 feet.
 * Phalanx is considered one of the most passive of the colossi, as it does not attack as much as defend, and its only real means of damage are ramming Wander or burying itself.