PART IV: A SHADOW STRETCHING ON |
"Now, no man shall ever trespass upon this place again."
Wander cast a shadow on the world when he unleashed Dormin, one that stretches on for what may be centuries or millennia. We're tricked into thinking Dormin has been outdone, but this is clearly not the case; because in ICO, we see him again. Whether this is the Dormin we know or it is simply his legacy -- a mimicry -- the crux is the same.
By inhabiting Wander's body, Dormin gives him life again. When Emon activates the pool, it seems to siphon everything Dormin, in a metaphysical sense. Inside that pool, we can guess that all of the impurities within Wander's being, from Dormin's essence to his own sins, are washed away. All of his memories must be purged, because one cannot know innocence and yet remember guilt. Perhaps by some unpronounced natural law, this reduces Wander to his purest possible physical state as well: an infant, a tabula rasa. But Dormin still leaves his mark, his curse.
A pair of horns crown Wander's head, even as an infant. ICO, to some, implies that there is something about these horns, or maybe specifically within those who are born with them, that is important to restoring this dark power resembling Dormin.
It's very difficult to find a definitive reason why these horned boys are important. Do they house very tiny fragments of the pieces of Dormin's essence that were a part of Wander? Or are they imprints of that power? Blueprints, schematics? When Dormin possesses a person, must he fuse himself with them, and in a sense become them? Are these boys, in a way, incarnations of Dormin? The exact function of Dormin's horns can only be speculated, but it's clear that they serve as some means of restoration, some reflection of his own horns.
One frightening thought is this: were even the horns part of Dormin's plan? Let's briefly look back at Dormin's plight one more time and consider this possibility, and perhaps we can see a broader picture that doesn't just stop at Shadow of the Colossus's ending, but continues on to ICO's.
The following is based off of evidence I have already presented, though it is still fully speculative in nature. If anything is unclear, please ask me to clarify.
Dormin has had plenty of time to formulate a plan, assuming that someone would one day arrive with the Ancient Sword, and maybe he's thought up an answer to almost any such contingency. Had it been a lone warrior, perhaps Dormin could have tricked him into slaying the colossi. However, Wander's arrival likely creates an ideal situation for Dormin. He has a warrior with the will, if not also the skill, to slay the colossi, and Dormin also has two potential hosts -- either the boy or the girl.
Even if Dormin hasn't already predicted Emon's arrival, the extra host gives him an opportunity to improvise -- an insurance policy, if you will. He manipulates the situation to increase Wander's chances of success, by keeping Wander ignorant and helping him to defeat the colossi.
Upon the death of the sixteenth colossus, Dormin transports Wander's horned body back to the Shrine. One interesting idea is that here, Dormin deliberately causes the sword to land some distance away, catching the attention of Emon and his men, whereas previously, it has always been kept in Wander's hand. Nevertheless, this isn't crucial.
Dormin then allows them to escape with the sword, displaying artificial monstrous anger and force to create the illusion of authenticity. As Dormin has by now predicted, Emon casts the sword into the pool. Dormin knowingly lets himself get pulled into the pool, where he would be washed away, but also knowing that the horns he left behind would contain some part -- some shadow -- of himself.
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Once the sequence ends and all is quiet, Mono awakens, possessed by a hidden fragment of Dormin. She walks to the empty pool and takes the horned infant into her arms, perhaps knowing that those horns hold the key to restoring Dormin to full power, or at least prolonging her own. Was this a part of the plan? Impossible to say with certainty, but maybe Dormin made his sacrifice believing it would only be temporary.
On a separate note, we must question why the precursors of the Forbidden Lands didn't just use Emon's final method of sealing Dormin right away, instead of using the colossi. It seems to be more absolute and consummate than the "colossi method", so what would keep them from using it?
It could be that they had already opportunistically sealed Dormin inside the idols, which then channeled his energy into the colossi. Having betrayed him, it may have been too great a risk to let him out and attempt to seal him via the "pool method". It could also be that they saw the colossi as invincible, that slaying them was an inconceivable feat, and perhaps that mitigated their worries.
I was initially inclined to speculate that the pool method did not fully seal Dormin away, that maybe it was only temporary. But someone (Joku) posed a brilliant idea: the pool method requires a human sacrifice. Dormin must take hold of a body -- he must take on a physical form -- before the pool will even draw him in. Speculation, but extremely compelling, and it suggests a reason the colossi were used instead.
Really, it could be a combination of all these things, or even something we're yet to dream up.
Regardless, by sacrificing the greater part of himself, Dormin has assured his survival and created a way of restoring his own power, even if it takes a considerable amount of time. Imaginably, survival in the smallest degree is better than no survival at all. Dormin has reversed his fortunes and set a long plan into motion.
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Thus, perhaps we have our powerful Queen.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO PART V
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