Valus
Real Name	The Minotaur
Latin Name	Minotaurus Colossus
Form	Minotaur
Temperament	Ignorant
Attacks	Stomp, Club

Valus, also known as Minotaur, is the first of the sixteen Colossi which the protagonist, Wander, must slay in Shadow of the Colossus. It is the Colossus featured on the cover of the game's box.

LocationEdit

To find Valus, you should head directly south of the Shrine of Worship. There is a large cliff face made out of small ruins. You must climb up the various patches of ivy and follow the directions. This part of the Forbidden Land works well to familiarize you with the game's more basic controls, which you must use in order to effectively slay the Colossus you're about to face.

Valus' height is 70 feet, which means that he is 21 meters.

BattleEdit

Valus' upper body is covered with thick fur, which Wander can climb on. Like many of the Colossi, stone structures are present on its body, and some of the most notables instances of such are on its face, giving it what resembles a large nose. It is bipedal, walking on two hoofed feet, and wields a large mace in its right hand. This Colossus seems to ignore Wander until he gets close, upon which it will begin to swing its club. You must make it to the back of Valus' legs and climb up onto its body from there.

Before he notices you, you have a few options. If you either whistle or shoot at him, and he will turn around and attack you. If you don't whistle and run up to him before he notices you, you can grab onto his leg without incident. A more exciting way, however, it waiting for him to try to hit you with his club, and then running away, and running back towards it after it has smashed into the ground, and grabbing onto it. If you choose to climb on his leg, you must stab the part that is bleeding a few times to make him fall in pain. This is when you climb up his leg, and onto the shelf on his back. If you like, you can rest here for a few seconds to recharge your grip meter. Once you're ready again, climb up the next platform, and up his back. His only weakpoint is his head, which is easily reached once on his back.

On Hard mode, he has another weakpoint in his right tricep.

Meaning of NameEdit

Valus comes from the Latin root val, which means "strong" or "powerful". It is used in many Latin words, including vallum, which means to strengthen a position via a palisade or rampart, particularly a earthen wall. All sides of Valus' arena - aside from the small cliff that Wander must climb - are surrounded by sheer earthen walls.

Minotaurus Colossus means "Giant Minotaur" or "Giant Bull."

Minotaurus is a faux latinization of the greek word Minotaur, which is itself formed of the roots Minos, the name of a mythical king of Crete, and taurus, the Greek word for "bull". The "Bull of Minos" - or "Minotaur" - was a beast that the cruel tyrant sacrificed Athenian children to. It was born from Minos' wife after Poseidon caused her to bear a child of the Cretan Bull. The child had the head of a bull and the body of a man.

Colossus is the name of a large statue. It is formed of the same roots from which we get the word "colossal." It can also be used in place of the word "giant."

TriviaEdit

• There is a stack of platforms on the southeast of the arena. It is impossible to reach higher platforms by normal means. There is also a structure that bears a slight resemblance to a small archway that is only viewable from atop Valus's head.
• Valus's name contrasts with Malus's, the last colossus. Valus's name means strength, which can by extension mean good, while Malus's name means evil.
• Valus has two hawks circling his head

Battle VideoEdit

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