The Last Guardian - Story Explanation and Analysis

[@wizards-themagicalconcert5048]

For me the real Master of that Valley died long long time ago. His Tomb was where the boy found that magic mirror near his sarcophagus at the beginning. The mirror was his control unit, his key. With the Master gone the AI or Computer or what ever you want to call that thing in the tower, was without a guide and just followed his programming and it became corrupted over time. Couldn't differentiated between right or wrong, just did his thing. Probably got rid of all humans who lived in the nest and turned them into those shadow like soldiers in armor to defend his evil plans. Same to the Tricos, they were not evil but corrupted and controlled by it. Trico woke up thanks to circumstances and he and the boy bonded and saved each other and the lost Souls of the forgotten city.

[@aadipie]

I love this theory, makes a lot of sense

[@wizards-themagicalconcert5048]

@@aadipie Thank you !

[@Tychonious]

Nah

[@joaosoares-rr5mj]

this game literaly made me cry

[@johnrose411]

I cried one tear That's a lot for me

[@kristianj.8798]

@Sarah Meyn To the point of a mild headache and red eyes as well? - it was really that bad for myself... I think the moment, where you stand with Trico on top of the Master's tower (the few minutes before the Armored Trico's arrive and attack), just being quietly together with her in perfect serenity, gazing the incredible scenery, is honestly the only moment of any game I've ever played that I legitimately consider so beautiful that it's actually downright overwhelming. I love the game so much, so that I sometimes even feel a kind of regret, when I think about how I'll never be able to personally thank the people most directly responsible for the game's creation, for how much of an incredible experience it was.

[@verlisifiancesatire6344]

Lame

[@titosfilippotis7039]

I cried a tear when I had to send trico away

[@qphid]

Same. Ugly crying. Once I calmed down and thought it was over the credits ended and I cried even uglier

[@morrisalanisette9067]

It kind of annoys me how little lauded the incredible technical feats are in this, never mind the story and relationships. Trico is the most lifelike creature I've ever seen in a game, and I've genuinely bonded with him. The amount of time and effort put into it is astounding. The game does not get the credit it deserves.

[@lanceparker1231]

Frame rates: understandable Camera: also understandable Commands for trico? Really? People have to remember that trico would've been a wild animal so they aren't going to obey every command when it's given.

[@KamakazeTaco]

Molly Parker Okay. Then why not just have Trico choose to just lay there for several real world hours and disobey? He's a wild animal right? Why not have Trico do the exact opposite of what's asked, or just wander off on its own for hours at a time if it's a wild animal? Because that would make for shitty gameplay. Just having it disobey sometimes would be just as stupid. And when you play it's not like Trico purposefully disobeys, the AI is just so bad it can't distinguish what you want to have happen from the other choices it has.

[@atinyfrog2426]

KamakazeTaco oh my god. Trico eventually listened because he had a bond with the boy. you don’t see your dog constantly disobeying you? The barrels also provided a “treat” for Trico in reward for his actions. As you would a pet. Trico is a wild animal, he never listened to the boy in the beginning but once he realized they needed each other, he soon caught on to the boys needs and commands. The AI was just realistic lmfaooo what kind of fun challenging game would make a fucking wild animal easy to control? Not to mention Trico is used to getting controlled all the time in order for a reward. He grew a bond with the boy because they saved each other. Animals have souls too bruh

[@KamakazeTaco]

Except he's just as annoying to control during the last half of the game as he is during the first half. He doesn't get more bonded with the boy and obey better, it's just bad AI. This is a video game, not real life. There's no magic line of code that gives Trico a soul. Or do you not know the difference between video games and reality?

[@Saveord]

KamakazeTaco Okay I’m just going to intrude in this argument but I agree with Sagesvt. Reason is, the developers want Trico to be realistic but still be able to get commands and such. It would be stupid to just let Trico lay there for several hours. And also bonding isn’t like leveling up. It’s not like if your bond gets stronger Trico will do every command perfectly.

[@KamakazeTaco]

Starry Constellations This would be a perfectly fine argument, if it weren't for how dumb Trico acts. It's not just a matter of disobeying. There's been several times we're moving along a fixed path with no choices on where to go, and he'll just take a step backwards at some point instead of moving on. Or at the bit where you're stuck on the branch. Ive seen videos where Trico immediately moves where he should and lowers his tail. I had to watch those because I sat there a good 10 minutes, already pressing the same buttons as the dude in the video, and Trico just did nothing and I wasn't sure if I needed to hit a different button. But I reset the game, did exactly the same steps and got Trio's tail almost immediately. Now, if he's supposed to behave like a wild animal then why would a reset have any effect on his behavior? It's especially noticeable when you try to feed him a barrel and he just won't eat it. Not like we're mid fight, or he'd been injured or anything like that. Right in the middle of doing nothing, you toss him a barrel and his head makes the motion toward to snap it up and misses, then he just stares at it on the floor. That's not animal behavior, that's bad AI not knowing what to do when a scripted event failed. People give screw ups in games like this a pass because they love the devs or the game. This would be no different than if you're playing Skyrim and your horse just decides to turn left sometimes, or just ignore you and go eat some grass. Or the monster you're chasing in Monster Hunter decides it's bored of you and just flies around for 10 minutes without ever landing. It's a wild animal right? Why shouldn't it do that? People don't like to admit a thing they like has big flaws. "That weapon isn't OP, just because other people can't connect doesn't mean the servers are bad" The bad AI doesn't take away from the story being good, or the game still being fun.

[@kcgames2279]

This games is a Masterpiece! You don't really care about the graphics or the textures or the many technical problems. The story and the relationship between the boy and Trico is amazing. The end of the Last Guardian was so amazig and so sad at the same time. All the emotions that this game gave you. It was about 12 hours of an amazing gaming trip for me. I finished the game and for about 10 minuites I stayed speechless , watching the monitor screen. It is surely in my top 10 of the games that I have ever played.

[@samy29987]

A lot of people that played this game view it as a masterpiece, myself included. People can voice out their own opinions, you are free to discord with it if you like. A lot of people recognise the flaws, but the good parts about it just trump everything else. When The Last Guardian works, it's a masterpiece. And there is no external opinion that can change that.

[@samy29987]

If you are trying to convince me the game is a letdown, a disappointment, an over-hyped sub-par mess of a game and forcing me to look at its flaws while doing it, well nice try but you are wasting your time. You have your own opinion, I have mine. I think it's a masterpiece and whatever you say won't change that. I have my reasons. Have a good day.

[@jaellyons4625]

KC Games what bugs me about the game is how the humans in the game are kinda cell shaded compared to literally everything else. They look so out of place

[@samy29987]

No they don't, it is supposed to be a magical world. Nothing within the valley looks real nor can be associated with the real world. The only thing would be trees and plant life. Humans don't have to look real for the sake of looking real.

[@FelixS.]

Ewolf5150 "This is the general consensus about this game from almost everyone." 1) That is just not true :D E.g. the metacritic score for the last guardian is 82 which is far above average. 2) You confuse objective with intersubjective. Even consoliderated opinions are just a matter of intersujective, which does not lead to "facts". If a game is a master piece or not is absolutely subjective. It is ok if you did not like the game but don´t think too high and mighty of your own opinion, kiddo ;) Btw your opinion sucks balls as far as I am concerned, but that is just my subjective opinion ;)

[@nzovae]

You have to admit it, most of us cried at the ending

[@GK-lo4yd]

totally

[@Krillinish2]

Just finished playing for the first time. I did not cry. But I liked the game.

[@JohnnyFromVirginia]

Bro straight up. I was playing this game with my then 6 year old daughter and she 100% caught me crying and said “that ending was weird” - I had to try and explain it to her but maaaaan hahahaha

[@BigMeals5215]

I cried twice🥲

[@notmephisto1375]

I cried at the end and at the part Trico got hurt by the other Trico and wouldn't get up.

[@Sage_Of_Thyme_]

I personally am inclined to agree with many of the ideas you propose in this theory. However, I don't think the Tricos were created out of rock and clay, as you suggest was the case with the Colossi from SOTC. I think they are living breathing creatures in this world. I think the Valley was home to these Tricos, who were once revered and worshiped by the ancient civilization that lived along side them and who built the towering structures in honor of their grander. There's even evidence to suggest that the ancient civilization may have even helped raise these Tricos and their young in the many instances where we come across abandoned rail tracks that one could surmised were used to deliver food to the Tricos. There are even wide open stretches of grassy meadows that seem to have been deliberately designed and constructed with the intent of providing the Tricos with room to frolic and play. But back to the point at hand. The Tricos themselves don't seem to have been created out of rock and clay like the Colossi were. The greatest proof of this is evidenced by the fact that the Tricos bleed red blood when their bodies are injured, while the colossi spew black liquid energy when their weak points are pierced; further suggesting that the Tricos are less magically possessed creatures and more living breathing creatures capable of having a will of their own. That is, until The Master figured out a way to impose its control over the Tricos through emitting its dark energy into the horns of the Tricos and driving them wild into submission- forcing them to do its bidding by kidnaping children as human sacrifice to sustain its life force. It is only when their horns have been broken or severed, that the Tricos are able to regain some semblance of awareness for their sense of self and are then capable of acting beyond the Master's control in order to help those they care for and have established a bond with- as is in the case with Trico's relationship with the boy. In my view, the game is about overcoming ones personal fear in order to help those we care for; it is about friendship and our willingness to go against our very own nature to survive in order to ensure the survival of those more deserving and virtuous than we can ever hope to be. As a last note, I believe there IS a connection between The Last Guardian and Shadow of the Colossus. The connection being the weapons that the protagonists use in each game. I believe the sword from SOTC and the mirror/shield from TLG were both created to be used in combination for a very important reason. The sword and shield may have been the very weapons used by the Guardian and his/her Trico to defeat Dormin and seal him away before the events of SOTC, thus making TLG a predecessor to SOTC. But, these are just my interpretations of the story, I'd love to hear what you guys think.

[@VuTran-rb2pu]

It's definitely possible that the Tricos who lived along side them helped aid the ancient civilization in battle against Dormin. The Nest might have even served as a safe haven for warriors who were deemed as Guardians- as they lived and trained along side the Tricos before being called into battle against Dormin. It would explain why the remnants of the suits of armor share a resemblance to the Tricos in the horns that are adorn on their helmets. Maybe the suits of armor once belonged to the warriors known as the Guardians, but who have now all perished- their armor left behind to be repurposed by the master.

[@Sage_Of_Thyme_]

I love the idea of the Nest acting as a warrior's safe haven. It might even add to the idea that there was a divide between the people that ensued into civil conflict when they learned about the Master's sacrificial demands. There's a spot in the game where you can see the littered remains of a couple of suits of armor scattered among a pile of ruble as though they were discarded corpses; maybe this was what came of the demise of those who defied the Master''s wishes.

[@samy29987]

If the valley was home to the ancient civilation warriors in the fight and war against dormin, then how do you explain the unique tower and how was the master of the valley created if the people inside it were fighting against him? Did the shadow spirits of the soldiers build it? I don't get why the ancient civilization would build that tower...

[@Sage_Of_Thyme_]

I'll admit that it can be a bit of a stretch, but I've personally always viewed the MOTV as a type of metaphysical recreation of Dormin's soul or spirit- that found its way into the Nest of the people who vanquished it in order to manipulate the civilization into building a tower that would serve as its resurrection site. Again, I myself find it to be a bit farfetched at first, but just stay with me. The way I see it, Dormin was once a colossal god that threatened to destroy the world. It's calamitous power forced mankind into a desperate search for survival. They sought, tamed, and trained the Tricos in order to command an elite group of warriors known as the Guardians to fly into battle against Dormin. Although few in numbers, these warriors wielded magical implements like swords and shields that gave off light in order to guide their Tricos in battle and destroy Dormin's colossal form. And although the battle was eventually won by the Guardians, their fates were irreversibly sealed. Upon the destruction of his physical form, Dormin's soul was absorb by the few Guardians that were closest to it in proximity (similar to how Wandar would be penetrated by the dark tendrils of the Colossi when they were slain). And instead of trying to fight their curse fate, these unlucky Guardians- along with their Tricos, decided to accept their fate and die at the site of the battle; their bodies lost to the lands they had fallen to and cursed to serve as vessels to contain Dormin's soul. However, one unsuspecting Guardian managed to survive the fallout of Dormin's demise, as he was able to elude most but not all of Dormin’s dark energy tendrils. He then returned to the valley along with what little remained of the Guardians who were unaffected by the battle. Hoping to resume his life of protecting his people, the last Guardian lived out the remainder of his years, unaware of the afflictions he recieved from the battle against Dormin. His body was hosting the remnants of the entity’s dark powers; a parasite that laid dormant and feed from within slowly consumed him. Overwhelmed by the uncontrollable force of Dormin’s power, he succumbed to being a vessel for the entity's bidding. He forced his people to harvest the horns of the Tricos (knowing that they would grow back) in order craft implements that would spread and enforce his control as The Master. Knowing that his host’s mortal body would not subsist for much longer. Dormin's emaciated self sought to resurrect its physical form by constructing a tower to serve his purpose. When the last Guardian finally perished, his people commemorated his death by placing his tomb at the base of the tower where his mirror was buried along side him as a lasting relic of his heroic deeds. However, at that point, Dormin had already achieved his plan of constructing the tower and setting in motion his sadistic ritual of human sacrifices.

[@samy29987]

Remember that at the end of TLG when the boy, as a grown adult, put up the shield and aimed it towards the sky it still emanated this type of magic-like power from it and tried to summon a power to control or gain access to the Tricos, or at least it is still connected to them, but not in a good way. In my mind, if the shield isn't destroyed, Dormin's soul isn't entirely obliterated (like when Sauron was defeated but the ring was still there in The Lord of The Rings). As long as the shield exists, Dormin's essence/soul will never die.

[@pastelminie]

I am laughing at all the people who are saying that Trico doesnt listen to them and the AI is broken or something like that. I didnt have any problems. I always pet him. I give him all the barrels, wait till he eats them, let him play if he wants to and just watch him. You need to treat him like a real animal. He is a wild animal so of course he wouldnt listen from the beginning to you. He doesnt understand you. Dont come at me with: "why would he follow you if he is a wild animal?" because this question is dumb. You still want to know? Ist easy. He realises that he needs you and you need him. Thats why he follows you and reacts zu your calls. Do you even notice that in the beginning, when you are too far away he wont come? I don't think this is a mistake. I think it is on purpose happening. He starts to listen to you better if you pet him and give him the barrels. You need to be calm and just let the atmosphere of the game get you. Maybe just standing for a while in front of Trico. He/She will let his/her head down an want to cuddle with you. Try it. This game is a masterpiece.

[@thistleserbel2214]

Trico is a he. You can tell their sexs by their ears. Males have a purple-indigo like color while the females have brown, much like the rest of their body. They were designed to have bird and cat like attributes and the color thing is seen all the time with birds.

[@melol7249]

The cuddling is the best part

[@emilyfleming8137]

@Ryan Stewart casually restarts my entire save to dedicate my gameplay to literally coddling him

[@samuelgerber1196]

@Inês Batista its a joke ugh....

[@lucasgill7819]

@@samuelgerber1196 not a joke. I' ve seen him take a dump. A glowy gooey dump

[@Paradox66199]

are they dumb??? the last guardian intentionally has Trico not listen to your commands immediately not only to make it seem like a symbiotic relationship but to also capitalize on the point that Trico is still an animal and doesn't understand a lot of things. 2 YEAR LATER EDIT: Doesn't listen as well at first, you have to take care of it like an actual animal

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

And he does gets better at listening as the game goes on.

[@TaiNguyen-wq5gw]

Yeah I used to press O many times to pet and get Trico listen. At the end of game I didn't have to.

[@skaterdude7277]

Gotta agree with wiggles, their follow through with trico being real hindered the gameplay, and my frustration rose so high at points that i got in a bad mood for later points. That being said, it was unlike any game ive ever played, with epic moments that had me invested and surprised! Trico only one time at the very end game saved my lil boy with his tail when i missed a hole, and the cinematic moments of trico catching you with his beak, or the empowerment of the tail and trico getting good enough to leap past entire buildings, giving good progress to counteract the loss of progress from the enemy trico knocking you down both times or getting warded off the white tower at the end. TLDR the more i critique the game the more i realize its a problem with me, not the game. Maybe it could be smoother with a bigger budget but the AAA companies would never fund this shit

[@ahmedkitovaheer5402]

They don’t respond because they know there retarded

[@harrietr.5073]

@@ahmedkitovaheer5402 come on, man.

[@guthetanuki256]

Frame drops are only because of all of the effects that Trico has on his character model. Each individual feather/fur strand is separate, blows in the wind, and even gets wet differently depending on which part of his body is wet. As for controls, it's just a staple of the team Ico games. People forget that SotC had a pretty strange control scheme and that framerate was abysmal on PS2 yet that game was critically acclaimed (I mean for good reason). I'm not sure that it's archaic design just more of the way the team does things.

[@solidsnake9898]

This game is such a masterpiece.

[@maxderrat]

Dude! I got Solid Snake up in my channel?! The legendary Solid Snake?! YOU?!

[@solidsnake9898]

Some people call me that... But the reality is no match for the legend I'm afraid.

[@maxderrat]

Solid Snake I don't know about that.

[@solidsnake9898]

Max Derrat The only time I feel trully alive is when I'm staring death in the face.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Solid Snake > Big Boss/Naked Snake

[@Rogerioapsandrade]

Seriously....all those whiners about graphics and controls and lack of combat should just stick to their FPS's and ignore everything. The Last Guardian may have some minor flaws but its storytelling and the way it envolves emotionally the player makes this game a masterpiece. I loved every minute of it and its story and puzzles were enough to make me forget any technical problems the game had. People must enjoy the games for the good things they offer.

[@jafar4297]

Rogerio Andrade u r absolutely correct

[@ElvenRaptor]

Honestly, I'll never understand why graphics are such a sticking point with some people. It's so stupid, especially when many of these whiners will then turn right around and pop something like the original Super Mario Bros in and play the hell out of it.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Couldn't agree more. The only legitimate issue is the camera. The controls are absolutely fine and commanding trico only takes a few tips before you can get him to listen everytime.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

@Elven especially when the graphics are so fucking good. The Last Guardian has amazing graphics. It's only the textures that don't look totally modern, but they still have that Ueda art style that I love so it really doesn't matter.

[@emilystoebe4777]

Rogerio Andrade Me too bro. I loved this game so much, it's my favorite.

[@kami4242]

Nice video! A couple things I'd like to point out - The boy's shield resembles the master of the valley. Therefore is the shield some sort of tool/relic of their 'god'. This might explain why the stone soldiers almost bow to it when you shine light upon them? - The blue mist that distracts Trico looks similar to the barrels that he eats. It might explain his infatuation with it. The blue mist also resembles the mist when you kill the stone soldiers. Is this blue mist some sort of life giving sustenance?

[@fidmarcano5841]

I have a theory and I wanna know what you think. I believe that the nest was the military centre of an ancient civilization and a decadent empire. I came to this conclusion as everything has some ancient warfare equipment as armors, even the Tricos. Said empire was powerful and advanced, had great technology and learned how to tame Tricos and how to use them to wage war. We can see how aggressive they can be when they're controlled by the master. This military centre needed a commander, someone to look for everything to be right, this one would be the guardian, and they would use the mirror to control everything, since we can see in the game it is used as a key, to control the tricos (I know they only shoot in the game, but they kid was inexperienced with it, just imagine what an experienced user would do). something happened and the empire's population started to decrease, and so did the armies, so someone came with the idea of creating an army of automats, but in need of doing so they needed souls and started to collect people from small tribes unable to defend themselves. The population kept shrinking and there were no more guardians available, so the one in charge created the master of the valley to keep everything working until there was another guardian, after his/her death the mirror was placed above their sarcophagus for the next guardian to have it, there's where the kid finds it. The empire fell but the master kept everything working for centuries. Then when the events of the game occur, the kid gets the mirror and ends everything, becoming the last guardian himself.

[@johnrose411]

I think that this is my new explanation of that room

[@AureliaMelania]

Fid Marcano this completes my theory but I would add that it's like warning us to not give too many tasks to technology to avoid it to take full power. I think that the ancient civilization was killed by its own technology (the soldiers and the Master of the valley). And that at the very end of the game, the real guardians are the Trico family :)

[@tofufregit]

That's a good theory, really enjoyed reading it. It complements my theory as well (I also thought of the meaning of the title "The Last Guardian" referring to the kid, who scaped his own destiny as one of the guardians of the Nest and became the very last one). I always thought of The Last Guardian's ending as a prequel to Shadow of the Colossus (which is a prequel to ICO as you all know ;)) explaining the origins of Dormin. When the boy destroys the everlasting system / machinery of the Nest, the souls (or their dark counterpart as stated in this video), enslaved as guardians of the old fortress, became free and formed the Cult to Dormin / shadow people. As stated in SOTC, Dormin are many people (said at the game intro "we are the ones known as Dormin", you can hear both male and female voices, and you can even see some shadows fusing with the body of Dormin at the end of SOTC -the cutscene when Wander becomes Dormin.

[@brnaqo]

tofufregit what do you mean that it was a prequel

[@frozenfan3092]

The feakin music to this game is just amazing, it kicks my ass every time. the story is quite easy to see over all once you finish the game but they give you little hints here and there such as Trico and the armor knights having a set of green horns. They are on the same team but Trico is no longer under mind control since the kid got the armor off trico. Trico is the only one (bar the one that managed to get the mask off after the fight) that breaks away from the system and joins the other team. The ending is so sad but I can totally understand why they would be freaked at a Trico being in the village after what they must have experienced. It is up to the boy to get him out before they kill him. God it was hard to let go, I cried my ass off when he flew away from me. I also cried when they ripped the boy away from Trico.

[@timmadone8930]

It was a very emotional game that's for sure. Probably the most emotional game I have ever played. I got attached to Agro in "Shadow Of The Colossus", but nowhere near on as grand a scale as I got attached to Trico. That was the developers intention for those who played the game. And it certainly worked. At least for the majority of us that played the game. I'm on my 4th play through & I have a feeling I have yet to discover everything. I will try to earn all 24 trophy's. Something I still haven't done in the PS3 versions of the previous games. lol

[@DeMarcusBolds]

Frozen Fan Every damn time I hear that ending theme, my eyes glaze over. Ugh. Lol.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

The music is incredible. It's not the armor that took away the masters control, it's the horns being broken.

[@watashiwamosura]

@Ryan Stewart That's what I was thinking. The first ending made me cry like a baby, but the second ending lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders and made me so happy!

[@yderga8707]

The fact that Trico didn't automatically listen to everything you said actually added to the immersion of the game. I mean do you think that a 20 foot tall dog eagle monster would automatically listen to and understand the little boy jumping and flailing his arms?

[@HolyCross9]

ACtually, Ueda has confirmed that magical goo ISN'T composed of chosen children.

[@yabo_san]

source?

[@burlapjack1464]

@@yabo_san probably Twitter try looking it up

[@invaderaries7364]

And the official art book for this game confirms that the Master of the Valley uses the tricos horns to control them

[@talonnewton5486]

I just bought played and finished this game, I’m genuinely surprised at the emotion it squeezed out of me. I’m typically one to keep my cool in intense situations but by the end Trico felt like my dog, and that ending was just one heavy beat after another. Had me crying for a solid 30 minutes from the end to the end credits.. I’d love to see it’s technical kinks ironed out in a distant future rerelease ala Shadow of the Colossus PS4. This game needs more eyes on it. Instantly one of my favorites

[@ThreeDaysOfDan]

Why does every one ignore the fact the Trico has a STONE mask . The mask has power over them , the colosi are golems while the tricos are real creatures with a golem mask

[@horridgamur8931]

ThreeDaysOfDan ikr that mask controls them sooooo many people ingnores that fact

[@mrreyes5004]

I'm pretty sure the masks have nothing to do with control; we see near the end that the Master of the Valley's antennae-signal thing directly commands Tricos from miles around, the more likely purpose for those masks is that they're simply armor for the Tricos (Jacksepticeye even pointed out in his gameplay series that the masks looked more like armor than anything else).

[@MithunPJohn]

@@mrreyes5004 Remember the fight with bad Trico? (Not the fight with many Tricos in the end). The bad Trico left hurting our Trico when the kid pushed that wagon on top of him and his mask got ripped off.

[@dreadfairy6963]

@@MithunPJohn perhaps the mask allows the Master to control the Trico since your trico doesnt get controlled anymore and his mask has been removed. Just like, as you said, the other trico snapped out of the trance and ran away after his mask was destroyed as well.

[@hillarymj2426]

Like when you knock off the other tricos mask when you push the cart on its head the mask comes off and it's free

[@ashtonjackfanny]

anyone who says something about the graphics is crazy as hell, this game is one of the greatest visual masterpieces of all time. trico is without a doubt the greatest character model ever created . he is 50 k texture resolution who is over 2 million polygons. with over 30000 animations per frame and 20 thousand bone rigging and joints infused into the character model. not even the mightiest gaming pc could hope to run this game. i'm not evenn touching on the attention to detail and amazing physics work of both the boy and trico

[@asifmetal666]

ashtonjackfanny this game made me cry. This game made me feel up with incredible emotion which I adore.

[@TheGreatHotDogConsumer]

If a PS4 pro could run this, the mightiest pc would be able to run it easier that an Olympic runner walks.

[@WishfortheStarsCx]

The damage to our Trico and the second Trico's horns is what breaks the control that the master of the valley has on them. When our Trico fell from the sky, the fall busted his while we damaged the second Trico's horns with the falling cart. I believe that the armor is merely a symbol of how all the Tricos are the same, and lack personality. As for the creation of these beasts, I believe they were worshipped as if you look around throughout the game you see statues of the beasts everywhere. The master was the one that managed to use them as slaves even though they are playful and loving creatures.

[@NomadColossus]

Nice work, your explanations make a lot of sense, although I had issue with some of things you said... namely, that the 'Nest' was a crater - it's more like an extinct volcano. I mean have you ever seen a crater on Earth like this? And why would this 'so called' crater have a God living in it? How did this God get there? It's more likely that a tribe of people made their way into this extinct volcano and evolved into a society that build these enormous structures. Over the centuries they became an advanced culture based around mining the 'turquoise/black' goop as an energy source to power their civilisation. You can see a lot of mining equipment and rails in the lower levels of the game, suggesting they were based on a mining culture... like the Dwarves in the Lord of the Rings. The Master of the Valley was most likely an advanced computer/machine that regulated and controlled the mining operations. But as we are now seeing in our civilisation, we are running out of resources as our population swells beyond our ability to cope. This has happened many times before in our history, such as the Egyptians and the Maya for example... So when they ran out of the turquoise energy source they had to find something else... I don't go into this part of the story in my latest blog post, but you still might find it interesting in any case. nomads-sotc-blog.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/the-last-guardian-thoughts-comparions.html

[@maxderrat]

NOMAD! W00T! Yeah, you're right. It is more like a volcano. If it were a crater, that would give off the impression that the Master was some sort of alien technology which I don't think is the case. It's more likely... like you said... that they found the power within the extinct volcano and built around it. And I read through your blog post about a week ago! Been following it for a few years. Excellent observations, including some things I would have never thought about. Thanks for your comment! :D

[@KnutKniffte]

Nice theory. I love these Ueda games. They let you imagine :)

[@multimediaproductionz]

A crater sounds more plausible. An asteroid housing the green goop hit the earth causing a crater. Foreign materials from outer space, foreign technology. Hence the monolithic alien white tower.

[@sluashie9592]

Well it wouldn’t explain how the “god”basically has self awareness

[@sluashie9592]

You can get a picture of how everything runs in there through the cutscenes so I doubt it has anything to do with a ancient cult making the “god”

[@dearnemaree8355]

Very good points. I cried so much at the ending.

[@fennec13]

Last Guardian is an absolute Masterpiece. Fumito Ueda and team Ico deserve all respect for this amazing, emotional, heartfelt and beautiful game.

[@danielbeatty9871]

I have finished playing this game and it was incredible. I’m left with a gaping hole now because it ended so open ended. I do believe that the barrels of goo are the energy you discuss being extracted from the chosen children whilst the shadow is used to infuse the knights. That helps me deal with that shocking revelation anyway. Also, I don’t know if anybody is saying this, but I like to believe that Trico went back to the nest and found the other Trico (now free of mind control) and they kept each other company. Let’s hope they had a ton of loving baby Tricos and they all flew to the boys village after shining his mirror 🥺🥺🥺

[@Bill-ns4sp]

I like your explanation of this game. Mine was a bit different. The Master of the Valley was a byproduct of harnessing a type of magical energy from certain people who naturally had it. All of the barriers around the tower were meant to keep the forming intelligence contained, efforts which proved futile. The dark entity was able to reach out, corrupting the technology and using it to command the Trico. As the dark entity grew, so did its hunger, and it forced the Trico to harvest more and more people. Thus the survivors fled. Then the events of The Last Guardian happen. After the boy is returned to his tribe he eventually discovers that the Master of the Valley had relocated to another Temple, and taken the name, "Dormin". He sends a team, armed with a magical sword who accomplish the task of rending Dormin's power and binding the fragments to various parts of the land, creating the Forbidden land. At some point, for fear of Dormin again coming and destroying the fledgling civilization they were re-building, they began sacrificing anyone who showed signs of having the power Dormin was composed of. After one such sacrifice, a boy steals the body, and the magical sword used to seal Dormin, and deliberately goes to the Forbidden Lands to demand Dormin restore her to life. That's where the events of the Shadows of the Colossus happen. The Wanderer is turned into a baby with horns, and over the course of his life has children, and randomly scattered through his genetic line, some of his descendants are born with horns, and like before this is seen as a tie to Dormin, and the children are taken for sacrifice, but to prevent the outrage, the children are taken away first to an anciant castle where the queen said she'd do it. However, she'd already made a deal with Dormin, and the very sacrifices intended to prevent Dormin from returning to power, were actually feeding its power.

[@emilywelch9704]

The Last Guardian has to be my all time favorite game with Shadow of The Colossus coming in close second

[@HugoStiglitz88]

It's definitely my all time favorite and SoTC used to be my second. Now it's more like 3rd behind the last guardian and the Last of Us. You should play the Last of Us if you haven't.

[@timmadone8930]

Wow, that's quite a theory. I might even agree with a good portion of it. However.....I think the statues of the Trico's were not once live beasts. I believe the civilization that helped build the ancient city most likely worshiped these ancient creatures & that is why they built so many statues of them. I counted around 30 during all my extended exploring. Some will never be seen unless you remember to constantly be moving your camera all over the place, as well as take some chances & try jumping to areas that seem unreachable. I've discovered quite a few hidden areas by doing this. No barrels were in these hidden areas, but there was statues. Perhaps another reason these statues are all around is because these animals helped with the construction of the ancient city. I believe all of this took place long before the "Master Of The Valley" existed. Is the "Master Of The Valley" a type of God? Is it some type of alien intelligence with no physical, material form ( like the alien force in "The Beast With A Million Eyes" ) that at some point came to earth & just happened to choose this valley as a place of conquest? We may never know the answer. Fumito Ueda has yet to give us the answers we've wanted on his previous games. But perhaps that will all change in February when the new book "An Extra Ordinary Story" comes out. This hardcover book will be part history of Fumito Ueda & Team ICO, & also part strategy guide for "The Last Guardian". Maybe some of the answers to our questions over all these years will finally be answered......maybe. lol

[@maxderrat]

I don't think the statues were once live beasts. I think that some were born from the statues and some weren't. No doubt were they worshiped by the remaining civilization. As for the Master of the Valley, I believe it is a sort of god and that it is linked to Dormin from SOTC. I'll be explaining my theory about that in a new video which will be coming out in a couple of days.

[@timmadone8930]

Max Derrat I'm on my 4th play through. I just earned the trophy for feeding Trico every barrel. lol

[@VuTran-rb2pu]

Tim Madone. At first I thought you were kidding when you said you found 30 statues, but now I'm pretty sure there might even be more than that. If you look closely at the rim of the Valley's surrounding wall when you're at the top of the tower, you can spot a statue in just about every direction. I can't believe I missed this until my 6th play through of the game recently.

[@timmadone8930]

Vu Tran I'm still on my 4th play through. It looks like I won't win the 15 hour trophy this time either. I'm just having too much fun exploring around. I'm still finding new places to try to get to even on my 4th go around. I found a new place just right before Trico jumps onto the bridge that falls down. But you have to be very quick & jump off Trico before he makes it to the bridge. I also found a new area to the right of the tree that you hang from after you & Trico fall through the roof. Once again, you have to be ready to jump off of Trico at just the right moment or you can't access this hidden area. Sadly, there are no barrels hidden in either of these new areas that I discovered. But it would have been a perfect spot to hide a barrel. As for the statues, I agree. I think there are more than 30. Even at the bottom of the lake you can find some statues. But you have to dive down & be looking at the right spot in order to see them. lol

[@johnrose411]

Tim Madone hey I just realized that the valley does look like a astroid crater think about it. That just doesn't form naturally

[@mightymurph550]

I just beat this and had a lot of questions. Thanks for clearing up loose ends

[@maxderrat]

My pleasure! Thank you for watching. :)

[@asifmetal666]

I cried at the end of the game. This game is so freaking awesome. I have a blast playing this game.

[@enby_kensei]

Honestly, I think that Dormin is the Master of the Valley. And that the boy in this game is somehow linked to Wander and Ico. Maybe he's an ancestor, or even the shaman in SotC.

[@micanikko]

I honestly doubt that the boy is the shaman. The Shaman didnt have any tattoos. You can see what the boy looks like after several years, and he still has it. Plus their stature and voice. And the stories they tell are both different. So i dunno. Being the anscestor is more plausible.

[@enby_kensei]

micanikko Okay, yeah, I didn't notice that Emon didn't have tattoos.

[@Excalibur-Sonic]

Maybe Master of the Valley is the light and Dormin is the dark halves of a god?

[@solesurvivor5]

@@Excalibur-Sonic Good point, a Ying Yang thing going on.

[@solesurvivor5]

It has been theorized before that Wander is the first of the horned ones, since when he was reborn he had the same horns as Ico, the theory goes as far as to claim that the witch in Ico is the Beloved of Wander, who also became corrupted by Dormian. There is even a youtube video where a player claims he found the Beach where Ico and Yorda's adventure ends. The shaman Emon also appears in the Last Guardian.

[@MikrosBeethoven]

I am saying it to whoever wants to hear me. This game is for all of us that have loved deeply an animal. That have befriended a creature of another realm. We communicated in our own made up language and we separated brutally. No other game has ever copied this relationship. I loved Trico like my own pets. It's the same trust that builds over time. The same relationship that deepens if you put work into it. I adore this game and I hated the end, because the boy didn't love Trico as I did, I would have treated Trico better, I would honour him at least, if not keeping him with me. And that I cannot forgive, they had me playing a character less loving than me, couldn't relate at the end.

[@resya2669]

My bigest question is: why did Trico wanted to go to the tower? Trico didn't want to turn the boy into a magic turqoish slime thing,so what did he want? Obviously he didn't want to just look at the sky. Is it his nest? His home? There wasnt any nest on the top altho, but my theory was Trico trying to help his "friends" and break free from the "god"'s curse.

[@etermena96]

oh my god i just finished this game and truly loved it. so so so much better than most shoot em up games. the story was so good, and the bond with trico was so strong. the sound design was incredible. i stopped to give my dog a hug about 25 items while playing it!

[@Steveisnothereanymore]

I still wonder what the big sarcophagus in the beginning if the game, where you gain the shield, could be. Cause the shield is some kind of key, is the Sarkophag the dead master of the valley?

[@maxderrat]

Same. :/ No freaking clue.

[@greatcthulhusbeard4132]

Ste Ro My interpretation of the sarcophagus was that it was encasing the body of The Master of the Valley. I think this is why you witness this object so early in the game, why it held the powerful mirror/shield artifact and why it is shown again as The Master is destroyed and the exterior of the tower crumbles. I don't think The Master was a deity at all but rather a powerful, yet mortal, sorcerer. I agree with much of the theory presented in this video concerning the relationship between this being and the ancient civilization which surrounded it but I believe it was this being's fear of death that led to more erratic behavior, driving his people from him. The Master was so obsessed with his need to be immortal that he convinced his last remaining followers to essentially plug him into the system that we discover him in during the game. He once had the ability to advance a civilization and wield incredible power over light and dark and is now reduced to a "brain in a vat" state with only beasts of burden and suits of armor under his direct control, all for the simple purpose of sustaining himself. -tl;dr- Master's body was in sarcophagus, he was a mortal sorcerer who sought immortality and succeed in this until the boy and Trico end him.

[@Steveisnothereanymore]

Great Cthulhu's Beard! Great theory!

[@VuTran-rb2pu]

You make a compelling argument that the sarcophagus could very well house the body of the MOTV. But I'm still not completely sold. Why would the MOTV leave a mirror on their tomb that's capable of turning their creation against them? Not to mention that the light the mirror emanates has an adverse effect on the dark energy membrane that surrounds the Master. Would someone who was trying to sustain their mortality leave such a glaring hole in their plan? I think the mirror belonged to someone who once vanquished the MOTV's mortal form, but knew that they would try to resurrect themselves and therefore left the mirror on the sarcophagus with the hopes that it would one day be used to destroy the remains of the Master.

[@greatcthulhusbeard4132]

Vu Tran I really do like the idea of there being some sort of rival or hero who defeated the MOTV's mortal form. Your suggestion would help to close that hole in the theory pretty well. As an alternate idea, perhaps the entire system for his survival and all related infrastructure was built before his death and he personally wielded the mirror as part of his early control over light and eventually made it his "key to the city" of sorts. He then could have been buried with the mirror either by his choice, as he thought his kingdom was sealed sufficiently by his plan or by accident with his remaining followers fearing it's power and thinking it only fitting that it remain with him, unaware of its potential to be used against their master.

[@MagnumBoy50cal]

Mr. Ueda in few days before release of the game said shortly, that I'll give you one small but very important promt - butterflies. He added that big amount of butterflies in the very first cave with Trico has it's own big meaning. Later I discovered that butterflies always float nearby barrels so loved by Trico. I wonder if anyone can add something in this topic.

[@goldenwonderland]

Thank you! I feel like I have some closure with all the games unanswered questions now

[@asog]

I think you got it backwards, the civilization that built the city came before the "Master" arrived. All the buildings are older, more dilapidated and their style of architecture is different than the frozen tower. If the Master taught the people to build, the architecture style would be the same and in the same condition as the frozen tower. All the wooden structures also seem to be after the main city was built, possibly for the zombie guards to get around and place the eye thingies to contain the Tricos. Another thing that leads me to believe the Master came after is the Trico statues around the city, they don't seem to have armor on them. Just an opinion, do with it what you will.

[@cozmickid80]

Excellent video. I just beat the game last week and I'm still thinking about it/processing it.

[@jafar4297]

cozmickid absolutely me to going thru the same thing as well

[@ScottStevenErickson]

I've been a big fan of your work with the badgers for some time now, but I didn't realize you did gaming videos too! I just finished this game and appreciated your explanations.

[@CKing97]

Honestly, I loved The Last Guardian despite my grievances with it. Hell, this'll probably go down as one of my favorite games ever.

[@fyrechild2491]

I cried at the end of it out of happy, and sadness

[@rtmoody4427]

My favorite game series. I like action and violence as much as the next gamer, but in a market saturated with it, I find myself fascinated by games that can evoke a genuine empathic response. It's much more rare, and I think, a more gratifying experience than the majority hack and slash. I hope Guardian is not the last of the series. It would be a shame.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

I completely fucking agree. I love mainstream games but I care so much more about a game like the Last Guardian, SoTC or Journey. They not only blow my mind with amazing stories but get emotional responses that almost nothing in life get from me. I'm not at all an emotional person except when it comes to loss of family, or a pet, and the Last Guardian tapped into that like nothing else ever good. To me the Last Guardian is the perfect example of storytelling in the video game medium. It's minimalistic but also intensely powerful and personal. Its story really could only be told this way through a video game.

[@dqixsoss7436]

@@HugoStiglitz88 literally my favourite 3 games :DD

[@Aya-xj1xo]

Last guardian was my first game 2 and i love it so much when i was 9 years old i play that game over and over and i love it so much the last guardian is my favorite game:)

[@satellite964]

I'd say the master of the valley was an advanced AI from space. Advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic plus SotC and ICO were influenced by Dune and Another World according to the creators.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

Really? That's interesting.

[@ThreeDaysOfDan]

yeah it litteraly looks like a fucking space ship and is around a HUGE crater .. its hella obvious

[@Jamesthe1]

I believe you have good points, but once you include Ico, you get some more things. Some of us know that Ico and SotC are in a story loop, where both Mono and the main character are constantly meeting eachother. In Ico, the main character has horns growing out of his head. It may be a stretch, but the armored soldiers and Tricos both have horns in TLG. So, human souls possibly possess these.

[@exdarkforce9845]

This is one of the best explanations of this game I've ever heard

[@pearlchoi5734]

I felt like I was being told an ancient story watching this. Great video!

[@Artmigu]

Christ, that music always gives me goosebumps

[@drana150]

my own interpretation. the whole first part is very much like you said, although, i think that maybe the ancient humans worshiped the tricos before the master of the valley disrupted the peace and harmony of the valley, having empty suites of armor put helmets on them and create devices that resonate with there horns to control them. the next part is as you said with no alterations. when trico picks you up and flies home and is struck by lightning, that destroys his horn and helmet, thus breaking the magical device. later in the game, when you meet the other trico and the two tricos fight, then you break the helmet and the horn of the other trico, thus breaking control again. the reason i think this is that later, on the battle on the tower, when you destroy the master of the valley *all of the helmeted tricos die*. but, as you fly down to the bottom of the cliff, you see the other trico, still alive and well. after the credits, you can also see that the tricos have had a baby, thus further supporting this theory.

[@abdullahirfan9991]

"what do you wanna make the ending" Team ico: the usual ☕ (I consider the god/AI in this game to be somehow related to Dormin from SotC)

[@lettywinsa]

I believe the sacrifice has to be a child tho, I haven't seen them snatching a full grown adult at all. The main character is a child, and both kids we see in the cutscene being put inside the eagle were children too.

[@shanelynott8332]

The eyes they're afraid of are more simple I believe, birds are afraid of eyes and trico is partly a bird

[@junglebroogie6191]

I literally just finished this game. I went in blind and as frustrating as it was at times, I loved this so much. I’ll be crying for the rest of my life now

[@GeneralGlockasiah]

I just completed this game 19 minutes before replying to your comment 😎

[@iiCrimson-]

The lore in this trilogy are like a puzzle except you only have half the pieces and they don’t have an image on them

[@eirlysie]

I agree with most of the theory and some on some parts the previous commenters have already pointed it out, but I don't think the dieties lose control over the tricos with lighting. It's their horns that force them to be controlled and once broken, they become free. It is hinted throughout the game: (the biggest clue) when you fight a trico with armor inside of a tower and you make a trolley fall ontop of their head, their horns break and the color of their eyes become black (normal state) / every time you see tricos being controlled, their always their horns that glow and emit a signal.

[@jacksepticeyenot9066]

Trico is supposed to be a wild creature that has its own interest. You shouldn't expect Trico to follow your orders immediately

[@tattoodrdoke]

Never played either game but i subbed in your ability to tell a story and your intellectualism.

[@maxderrat]

Your comment made my day. Thank you very much! :D

[@lydiahumes6566]

This opened my eyes so much

[@dramaticdog337]

I don't think lightning is what breaks the God's influence on Trico. I think they're mainly controlled through their horns and mask. When you see the long flashback of Trico, they're wearing a mask and after being hit by lightning, their mask and horns are broken. When Trico has that fight with the other Trico and the boy drops an wagon on it to get it off "his" Trico. The other Trico's mask breaks too and it leaves. All the Tricos that land on the tower at the end are masked and they all team up against the unmasked one. You can also activate/deactivate the armor drones by either taking a helmet to them or ripping it out while they're down. So it makes sense that Trico masks would have the same function. Besides, the drone heads rarely break and it takes a LOT to break the trico masks aswell. The fact they're nearly unbreakable reinforces that belief for me. If you made a device to ensure total control over creatures, you would want it to be very hard to destroy. I think it's no coincidence their horns glow with the same color as the God, the substance and all those weird structures either. They might have even been there longer and i think it's the other way around. The civilization created the Master of the nest in order to control Tricos. Maybe even using them to create it. Tricos are worshipped aswell. There are Trico statues in multiples places throughout the nest and most of the buildings are even built so that they can go inside. They are what sustain the God with human sacrifices and in turn, are rewarded with the goo, which they crave like nothing else. But even though they are so important and respected, it is also well known that they are powerful and dangerous if not under control. So the Mirrors are scattered through the nest, especially in temples, and around important towers. The Drones are to protect the nest and take down any Trico that would break free and go "wild" again. Maybe their horns alone were not enought to control them so the masks were created, to trap their heads and make sure they don't resist the call. When the civilization collapsed, only the Tricos and the ghostly Samurais drones remained. These Drones not being fully sentient, they just kept doing the basic things to keep the place sort of alive. lighting the fires, restraining unmasked Tricos and keeping other Tricos masked. That's why when our trico shows up somewhere, unmasked, the drones activate to get the wild Trico under control.

[@thedeadlycritisisman1113]

I find it interesting that Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian all have a relation through the word "Ico." For Ico it's self explanatory, for Shadow of the Colossus it was originally called "Nico" (combining the Japanese word for two and Ico), and now in The Last Guardian the beast's name is Trico, which may or may not be coincidence.

[@albertawheat6832]

Third Ico game = Tri= three, overlapped on the I for Ico.

[@libardomm.trasimaco]

Everytime I see something related with this game I feel so sad and touched. This game must be played for everybody. Is an incredible masterpiece

[@filmanddestroy6142]

I also find it an interesting theory, which Ive read somewhere else, that Dormin creates colossus out of rocks. Like the rocks statues in SOTC which get destroyed when a colossus dies, there are also quite a few Trico statues in the Last Guardian! So the Trico's could be statues that came alive by the cyaan energy... controlled by the MOTV... who created them to grab the children who's souls get turned into the cyaan energy which gives the MOTV power. So essentially the Trico's could be colossus as well. I also think Dormin/MOTV are just names for a dark demon that roams in the lands of team Ico.

[@LiquidSnake1988]

Fav of all time you say? MGS saga and Ico series are both my favourite of all time. Shadow of colossus is by far the best game in terms of horse gameplay! Way ahead of its time! What I really love about TeamIco/GenDesign is their focus on animation, gameplay animation!

[@hodgiebabes]

Huge fan of both games. Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed it. I hope one day they make another. Like naughty dog and the company that made control, they can’t do anything wrong in my eyes

[@anaisgrace4358]

Not only lightning breaks the control, but Breaking off a Horn and helmet to. Or atleast 1 of those 2.

[@jandeiification]

the feels. it made me more appreciate this game, shadow of the colossus and ICO even more. thanks!

[@KaitlinLuksa]

Great theory. One thing to consider is the light/mirror shield that the boy wields. The shield's main purpose is to command and direct the Tricos' lightning ability and it is designed to be wielded by a human (or at least a humanoid). TMOTV seems to have no use for this lightning ability, nor does he have any way to prompt the Tricos to use it (None of the armored knights use shields like this, and not even when TMOTV is under attack does he use the Tricos' power, showing he either can't or doesn't know about it). This to me strongly implies that there were people who worked with the Tricos before TMOTV showed up who had different purposes for the beasts (perhaps they were used in battle?). I like to imagine that this past civilization treated the beasts with respect and worked alongside them, like the boy does, rather than forcefully control them, like TMOTV. Also note that the shield is needed to use the doors and elevators of the white tower and to turn off the fan around TMOTV, showing that the same people who wielded these shields were involved in building these structures somehow. Perhaps these misguided people built this tower for TMOTV, only for him to destroy them once it was completed. What is odd about the ruins inside the nest is they do not at all seem like places designed for humans to dwell. Most of the buildings inside the nest seem scaled for the creatures. Sure there are some switches and ladders made at a human scale, but it mostly seems really utilitarian. There are no bedrooms, no throne rooms, no graveyards, etc like you would expect to see if a prosperous human civilization lived here. This is also very unlike the castle in ICO or the Shrine of Worship and other structures in SOTC which seem to be places meant for people. Also because every structure in the nest except for the white tower are crumbling ruins, I believe they serve no purpose for TMOTV, so it doesn't seem likely to me that he built them. This lead me to the idea that perhaps the nest was just part of a huge beautiful civilization. The nest was where they bred and cared for the Tricos, and the rest of the city was around it. Look at the crater the nest is in. What is weirdest to me is that the edges of the crater are covered in lush trees, but the area around the crater is completely void of everything. What if upon taking over, TMOTV shielded just the portion of the city he needed and then completely decimated the rest, leaving no trace and carving out this weird crater-like landform we see the nest inside today? Also, there is great significance given to the mysterious sarcophagus where we find the shield at the beginning of the game. We are shown the sarcophagus again as the white tower is falling apart, and I do not think this is by accident. Maybe whatever/whoever is buried in that sarcophagus is the real "Last Guardian", perhaps a hero, mounted on the back of a Trico, shield in hand, who tried to save the civilization from TMOTV but unfortunately was defeated and covered in strange stone (similar to the game over in ICO?). Maybe that is the point of the story, what "the last guardian" could not accomplish was finally finished millennia later by this simple boy and his Trico friend. Other points of interest: After the credits, it's strongly hinted at that the Tricos have mated and had "pups". Since the Tricos have horns, and horns are a running theme in all three games, I definitely think this is significant. I think that the Tricos have been "corrupted" by TMOTV somehow, perhaps by the turquoise goo, and now that piece of corruption is being passed on to the pups, similar to the theoretical events after the ending of SOTC and the inherited horns of the sacrificed boys in ICO. Lastly, the pool that is found right near the sarcophagus which looks strikingly similar to the one seen in the Shrine of Worship in Shadow of the Colossus. Like seriously it looks exactly the same. I love the connection you make to the boy's glowing eyes and the glass eyes that deter Trico!

[@KingREDEADED]

Homie said MGS2 was his favorite game of all time. This is your first video I have ever seen but that comment alone has earned you a sub sir.

[@recht_voor_zijn_raap5506]

Great theory... And to add to the theory of the same world for all of Team Ico games ... I think this one is the 1st in the timeline and that the master of the valley is Dormin himself ( the main antagonist of SOTC ) He controls shadow and uses similair tactics and magics like Dormin..Not forgetting that the hyroglyphes in the tower are remarkably similair to those you see in SOTC ... I think that long after the ending of this game the soul of the Master of the valley aka Dormin is brought to the sealed of land and split in the 16 collussi you fight in SOTC... The boy aka the last guardian is the first of the new tribe that guards his eternal prison... until Wander almost releases Dormin.....The developers even said in an interview a few years back that this game indeed has ties to SOTC

[@sockmonkey6666]

I think the control of the tricos is a combination of both the horns and the helmets. Remember how the weird glowing thing in the cage was able to control trico when he was right in front of it? At a distance, the helmet is required as well to gather and focus the signal like a satellite dish. If the tricos are a naturally occurring species, they were still altered by the dark god thing because the horns and tail lightning seem unnatural additions. It seemed weird to have the lightning come from the tail, rather than the horns.That was a WTF detail that threw things off for me. The end fight could still have been done the same way by having one of the others break off a horn instead of tearing off the tail tip. Whatever power kept the place going was probably running low as even groups of the soul armors had trouble handling one little kid. Granted, he was kid with crazy upper body strength for his age, but he could still knock them around even though the empty armors had to weigh as much as he did.

[@jmmoore1550]

Basically this was the movie Stargate. You've got an alien ship that landed on a planet with a single supreme alien that is its pilot and sole occupant. The sarcophagus is just like the one that restored the alien in stargate and I'm sure this alien also resides in this one as well. It's likely that the villager sacrifices is what fed the master and powered his ship and minions. No idea if it was still alive or dead but the mirror was some kind of master key/tool the alien used for various purposes. Everything else from the smoke soldiers to the tricos to the crater and structures is a whole lot of guesswork.

[@mikishikishow8393]

That's an awesome theory, Max. And thank you for putting the effort to work on unravelling the mystery! I never thought of a connection between Trico's statues and the fallen collosi like that. I too have worked hard on a theory regarding the Nest and I would love it if you spared the time and check it out. I would really love to hear your thoughts on my story :)

[@ThatGuyRonnie24]

Love your easy and fair break down . Refreshing! New sub :D

[@herpderpitypurple73]

Many questions remain- why did the Master need the souls? We're given no proof it uses them to extend its lifespan. Why do the Trico cover the kids in paralysis tattoos? Why do they choose specific children? What was the shield for? How does it relate to the Ancient Sword?

[@solsoman102]

Hugely underrated channel in my opinion

[@riccardosavelli7790]

this is an awesome video.i wanted to do a video like this with your same theory before you even uploaded this video,but i didn't...

[@NotPeteRoss]

It's great how Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian is in the same universe.

[@UnseelieFaelass]

What if Dormin is that deity they worshipped? He does ask for sacrifices and gives people want they want in exchange. Dormin tells Wanderer in Shadow of the Colossus, that there would be a price to pay for killing the Colossi to save his beloved. That price was a sacrifice as well, as sacrifice of Wanderer's will and body for Dormin to use. Who's to say that Dormin isn't the deity these people worshipped. It helps that Dormin was sealed away in a forbidden land. The city in Last Guardian is sealed away too. Granted the scenery is vastly different between the two places, but erosion and the land rotting away into a desert of sorts without Dormin might explain partly how parts of the forbidden land are deserts while Last Guarding shows us a crater with ruins that are still intact, and full of plant life.

[@Truekingr6]

i just beat it, took my time and just a wonderful satisfying experience, so many amazing games on PlayStation

[@JC-hp6pk]

Nice ideas. I like the thought that the end of sotc goes into ico and with time becomes the last guardian. all in the same world you just need a time line.

[@vrg_anthrax1869]

I just now finished the game and I have a strong feeling they will be reunited again from seeing the ending ..... 5 years late but the game was great !

[@pukey82]

Wow ,awesome thinking here. Well done!

[@crunchu2361]

Holy shit! this all comes together very well!

[@oakenshadow6763]

Very interesting theory. It makes a lot of sense, and may be the best explanation I've seen!

[@maxderrat]

Thank you kindly, ma'am! Please share it up! It really helps. :)

[@ferfighter]

I finally played this game once I acquired a PS5. Probably a good thing bc I didn’t experience frame drops. Something’s were frustrating (camera, commanding Trico), but still satisfying over alll. This year Ueda’s studio suppose to announce their next game! Already looking to buy!

[@RJ-bf3bm]

Even though I can understand that it's not to everyone's taste, it's still such a pity that this game didn't gain more traction and resonance with people because I think it really didn't get the recognition it deserved. I think all the initial talk of wonky controls and frame rate issues (both overstated, imo) held it back too. I think it's a masterpiece, one of the most immersive and emotionally involving games I have ever played. I don't think it sold too well, I really hope that doesn't hold them back from continuing to support developers like Ueda who are able to create something truly unique.

[@rowanseq2]

im starting to think last guardian came before ico and shadow of the colossus

[@DDsov]

Possibly, im too

[@jafar4297]

great explanation makes sense after i just finished the last guardian im gonna give it now a second play thru deep and powerful and emotional game. best game ever created.

[@XKitsuneX666]

I just finished this game and hands down its one of my favorite of all tjme, i still can't believe the barrels sacrifice d children

[@Pixaroxys]

After watching this I have a theory of my own. I think that when the master of the valley was destroyed, the remaining shadow within it was released, scattered and became Dormin. I also think that the master of the valley may have been a powerful shaman, who maybe went under the name Dormin and became so powerful with his magic that he became that giant orb that can control the minds of any living thing. And the rest is as this video explains. I think it would explain why the animated suits of armor and the Tricos have the teal horns like the colossi do, and why the glyph that the boy finds glows like the sword (which i believe may have been created by Dormin before he became the master and it lies in his sarcophagus). But anyway that's just my interpretation of the connection between all the games.

[@LMGunslinger]

Video starts at 2:40

[@Skrtskrt1236]

So.....You were feeding Trico your dead friends?...TRICO FOOD IS PEEEEEEEEOPLLLLLLLLLLLLE

[@MrDemonseed666]

Really great video..I just completed the game for the first time..I don't care what anyone says ..that was the greatest adventure of all times..loved it.. I miss Trico all ready..

[@zaselimgamingvideos]

Thanks for the video, i just started playing yesterday. Now i won't get confused if i were gonna. For my game of all time was/is like this, [PS1] The Legend of Dragoon and 2nd best was Final Fantasy 8 [PS2] MGS3 and 2nd best Final Fantasy X - took places from above games [PS3] MGS4 and 2nd best Uncharted 2 - took places from above games [PS3] The Last of US and 2nd best MSG4 - took places from above games [PS4] God Of War and 2nd best The Last of US and Horizon Zero Dawn - took places from above games.

[@randomskittlez5994]

*God I cried so much XD*

[@Barguast]

Nice theory, enjoyed watching, though I never got the impression that the Trico creatures were anything like the unnatural golem we see in these games. I got the impression they were simply enslaved creatures. A couple of bits of evidence: - The statue on top of the tower that they deposit the 'sacrifices' into seemed a lot like a way to convince the mind-controlled Trico that they were feeding one of their young. - Trico appears to have a baby at the end of the last cutscene. A golem surely wouldn't be able to reproduce? - The enslavement of the Trico is done entirely through their helmet - the only part of them that looks fabricated.

[@alexburn4014]

i can agree with that but i think the mind control method is through the horns since they pin when the master of the valley calls to them and the armored warriors also have horns. The Tricos, before enslavement, might not have had horns but once they began feed off the green energy in the barrels the excess amount of power grew into horns and strengthen the control over them.

[@myrasamnang6064]

I finished the game in 2 days and it just a work of art

[@SongoftheLute]

I really struggled with the idea of the creature in the white tower. I guess I was kind of hoping it would be something more like the queen of Ico.

[@VuTran-rb2pu]

Very interesting theory. I really like the idea that the architecture of the surrounding ancient city was made to resemble the Master's ivory, frost embossed tower. Although I'm still not 100% convince that the Master's tower came first. There's something ominously alien about it. IDK, it's kind of like the chicken and egg debate. What came first, the city or the Master's tower?

[@maxderrat]

I think maybe the Master had the tower built for him somehow? I don't imagine it was always there. I think it was built up while the surrounding civilization was as well. Thanks for the comment!