Barba is the nickname given to the sixth colossus. This bearded giant is found in a remote temple in quadrant D6 of the Forbidden Lands.
Path to the Colossus
- See also: Map for this path
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The path to this colossus is easily the most involved and complex one yet. There are several ways to get there, but the most direct path is through the Autumn Forest. Finding the forest is easy enough - the sword's light will direct you there from the Shrine of Worship - but finding a way out of the woods can be tricky. The northwestern corner of the woods is where you want to go; there, you will find a path leading out into the sunlight of the Blasted Lands. Refer to the video if you are having trouble finding the exit.Your sword will direct you south now. The temple where Barba resides is past the Blasted Lands save shrine - a good spot to rest if you need to. Agro cannot follow you into the temple, as you must climb several obstacles in the ruined halls that she cannot get past. Proceed into the main hall of the temple and a cutscene will play. You must find a safe way down to the floor now. Head straight forward to the edge of the floor and look at the wall below your feet; you can climb down the ridges. Once you reach the bottom, the ground shakes, and the wall disappears into the ground...
Walkthrough
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Barba will be right next to you as the battle begins (unless you found another way down to the floor), but it is not likely aware of you yet. Take the advantage and get a head start. Your goal is to reach the far end of the temple hall. Three walls stand in your way, and you must climb them quickly; the colossus will follow you and smash them apart as it walks through them (a cutscene will play the first time it does this).
Once you're at the far end, seek cover in the small alcove built into the wall, and get out of sight behind a pillar. Get Barba's attention if necessary (whistling is recommended, as you can remain hidden), and eventually Barba will look for you by putting its left hand down on the ground and lowering its beard. Jump out of hiding quickly and onto the beard (Hard Mode players will want to go for the hand as well). Barba has a weakspot on its lower left back as well as its head. It will try to throw you off plenty of times when you go for the head, but the spot on its back is even more dangerous, as it's harder to get to a place where you can recover your stamina.
- Time Attack times (Normal, Hard): 3:30, 6:30
Weakspots
Location | Percentage of health | |
---|---|---|
Normal | Hard | |
On its head | 50% | 33% |
The lower-left side of its back | 50% | 33% |
The back of its left hand | N/A | 33% |
Tips and tricks
- It is advised to get to the battle by climbing down the wall. You can jump down from one of the extended ledges on the left or right to get a head start on the colossus, but if you die from the fall you will have to start over from where you last saved (since the battle hasn't technically begun yet).
- Barba has an attack where it will try to pound Wander with its fist if he gets too close. This gives very skilled or lucky players a brief window of oppurtunity to leap on its hand and use the momentum to propel themselves up to Barba's upper-body. Sadly, this generally doesn't help players on Hard Mode, since Barba will mostly try to smash Wander with its right arm, and the sigil is located on the back of its left hand.
- If timed just right, while standing on one of the walls, the player can actually jump onto Barba's arms, allowing Hard Mode players to take out the major sigil on the back of its left hand. At this point, it is also possible to use the momentum of Barba's arm to propel Wander up to its upper-body.
- When Wander is attacking Barba's head weakpoint, the colossus will often try to throw its head backwards in an attempt to buck him off. Before it does this, however, its head will lower slightly. Stabbing the sigil during this time, with whatever charge Wander has got built up in his stab, will often cancel the animation and leave him ready for another attempt.
Music
- Upon entering the chamber in which Barba resides, Sign of the Colossus begins.
- Once Barba emerges, Grotesque Figures starts to play.
- After Wander has grabbed onto Barba and the colossus stands upright, Revived Power plays until the end of the battle.
Trivia
- Barba is the first of only two colossi that are fought underground; the other is Dirge.
- Barba is the only colossus to use their fists as their primary weapon; Argus does use its hands to attack, but only after it has been disarmed.
- Dormin uses the line "It lusts for destruction..." to describe both Cenobia and Barba.
- Barba is the only colossus to emerge from behind a wall that opens upon Wanders arrival by itself. Quadratus is behind a wall initially, but rather than it opening as it does for Barba, Quadratus breaks it down. This door will remain open during the duration of the fight (although it remains too high for Wander to climb over, meaning that Wander cannot enter the chamber that Barba emerges from) which means that Wander cannot escape the chamber once the fight begins. However, it will close after Barba has been defeated, allowing Wander access to Barba's body on the lowest floor in order to enter Reminiscence mode and exit the chamber afterwards.
- Barba stands at a rough height of 80ft/24.4m and shares physical similarities with both Valus and Argus. Barba, however, is the largest of the three.
- Barba makes sounds very much like that of a bellowing, roaring bear.
- The major sigil on Barba's head is off center, and directioned incorrectly; it's more on the left side of its head, and vertically points slightly to the left as well. This may have been done on purpose as Dormin says, "But a fool, it is not." The left side of the brain is responsible for logical thought.
- From the location in which it is fought, Barba is one of three colossi that cannot see the Pillars of light that the fallen bodies of other colossi emit, with the other two being Kuromori and Dirge.
- The fight against Barba is similar to the fight against Phaedra; in both instances, Wander must lead the colossus to the entrance of some ruins which it must then hide within. It then has to wait for the colossus to bend/kneel down and peer into the entrance of the ruins in an attempt to find him. By leaning down to search for Wander, Barba lowers its head, making its long beard accessible (in the fight against Phaedra, the two rock columns dangling from either side of its head act as Barba's beard), allowing Wander to climb up it and onto the colossus.
- Barba is unique in that it is the only colossus which Wander doesn't have to weaken, disable, provoke, hit or attack in a weak spot in order for him to gain access to its weakpoint sigils. Barba will simply follow Wander, kneel down once he is inside the ruins and Wander can then climb up its beard, which leads directly to its sigils.
- Barba's walking speed is faster than Wander's running speed.
- If Wander doesn't do anything while Barba is kneeling down, Barba will eventually smack the area above Wander to draw him out.
- Barba is the bulkiest out of all the bipedals; having huge biceps, a heavily-built upper body and chunky legs.
- Barba has some small horns on its head. Strangely, they appear to be sculpted.
- Barba is the only bipedal colossus that has no weapon.
Gallery
The game | ICO ( Demo · Revisions from U.S. version · Ico HD ) | |
Characters | Ico · Yorda · The Queen · Shadows · Shinkan | |
The Castle | Idol Gates · Yorda's language · Saving Benches Altar • Warehouse • Spiral Stairs • Old Bridge • Stairs • Trolley 1 • Trolley 2 • Crane • Chandelier • Drawbridge • Main Gate • Graveyard • Dark Room • Sunbeams • Stone Pillar • East Crag • East Arena • East Idol Stairs • East Reflector • Waterfall • Sluice • Cogwheel • Gondola • Water Tower • West Crag • West Arena • West Idol Stairs • West Reflector • Cage • Pipe • Elevator • Wharf • Queen's Room • Sandy Beach | |
Other Media | Ico ~Melody in the Mist~ · Official Game Guide · Ico: Castle in the Mist |
Characters | Wander · Mono · Agro · Dormin · Lord Emon · Guards · Shadows |
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Colossi | I · II · III · IV · V · VI · VII · VIII · IX · X · XI · XII · XIII · XIV · XV · XVI |
Locations | The Forbidden Lands · Shrine of Worship · Colossus Arenas |
Main Items | Power-ups (Lizards · Fruit) · Weapons (Ancient Sword · Sword of the Sun · Queen’s Sword · Sword of Dormin · Bow & Arrow · Ancient Bow · Harpoon of Thunder · Life Sword) · Collectibles (Relics) |
Gameplay | Hard Mode · Save shrines · Time Attack · Reminiscence Mode · Watermellon · Barrel |
Media | Roar of the Earth (OST) · Official Art and Guide Book · Nico Bonus DVD · Film · Interview Archive |
Releases | OPM Demo · PS2 original · PS3 remaster · PS4 remake · Credits |
Early Builds | Preview version · PSU Preview version · E3 Demo |
Unused Content | Unused Colossi · Colossus Test Stages · Unused Locations · Beta Mountains · Development Timeline of Shadow of the Colossus |