History Characters / TheLastGuardian

* PleaseWakeUp: [[spoiler:A memorable and heartbreaking scene mid-into the game. After the second time Trico gets taken over by an antenna room and "eats" the boy, a lengthy sequence plays where Trico, having escape the brainwashing, is desperately trying to get him to wake up; first by nudging him, then by taking him outside into the sunlight, before finally placing him in a small puddle. [[GameplayAndStoryIntergration All of this is done completely in-engine, with the camera still behaving in its cinematic mode when the player has control over the boy.]] Thankfully, dunking the boy in water is enough to wake him up.]]

[[folder: The Master of the Valley]]

* DisneyVillainDeath: The ''only'' way the boy can actually destroy them himself is to ram them into a BottomlessPit. [[AwesomeButImpractical This is a lot harder than it sounds]], however.

%%* OurGryphonsAreDifferent

* BerserkButton: Initially even seeing the guards is one by itself but as he and the boy grow closer to each other attacking his companion triggers him too.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: Certain mystical devices in the ruins will resonate with Trico's horns, driving it into an uncontrollable frenzy. The big creature's [[RedEyesTakeWarning eyes will glow]]. That's your cue to ''run''.

* ShowsDamage: Poor Trico will never make it through the game completely unscaved, [[spoiler:even disregarding one of the climax moments of the game]]. The Possessed Armors will inflict damage to Trico even if they can seriously harm him, and the spears they ram into Trico will cause stained splotches of blood in his feathers even after/if the boy removes them.

* WingPull: At one point, Trico is running with the boy on his back as a the walkway underneath them collapses. Finally, [[spoiler:with nowhere else to go and beginning to fall as the structure crumbles completely, Trico busts out his wings, which up until this point had been stunted and missing most of their feathers. Sharp-eyed players may notice that at the beginning of this section, Trico's wings look a bit fuller and longer than they did previously]].
* WingsDoNothing: Based on his behavior, they're supposed to work, but are too damaged. [[spoiler:This is because they lost most of their skeleton and flight feathers after Trico was struck by lightning. They heal over the course of the game, resulting in a WingPull.]]

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: A possible interpretation, as the brainwashed Tricos bring to it the kidnapped children. Although, WordOfGod says that the Tricos also kidnap adults.
[[/folder]]

* PowerTattoo: Subverted. He has tattoos all over him when the story starts, but [[spoiler:they're not designed to give him abilities. They're designed to incapacitate him, as the "spells" the armored knights cast at him seem to indicate. They're also permanent, as his grown up self still retains them at the end of the game. Presumably they no longer can incapacitate him at this point with the AI's destruction]].

* HeelFaceTurn: Stops antagonizing the pair after one of its horns is broken, freeing it from the Master's signal. The last we see of it is watching helplessly as the injured Trico flies out of the Nest.

* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: To [[VideoGame/{{Ico}} the Queen]] and [[Videogame/ShadowOfTheColossus Dormin]]. While the Queen and Dormin are beings of [[DarkIsEvil shadow]], the Master of the Valley is covered in [[LightIsNotGood glowing markings]]. Also, the Queen is ([[AmbiguouslyHuman probably]]) human and Dormin is a godlike entity who [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith takes a humanoid form]], while the Master is [[EldritchAbomination a truly alien being]] that does not speak a human language or resemble an earthly being in any way.

* BilingualBonus: It's name can be taken to mean "prisoner" (虜 toriko), "baby bird" (鳥の子 tori no ko), or a portmanteau of "bird" (鳥 tori) and "cat" (猫 neko).

* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: To [[VideoGame/{{Ico}} the Queen]] and [[Videogame/ShadowOfTheColossus Dormin]]. While the Queen and Dormin are beings of [[DarkIsEvil shadow]], the Master of the Valley is covered in [[LightIsNotGood glowing markings]]. Also, the Queen is ([[AmbiguouslyHuman probably]]) human and Dormin is a demon who [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith takes human form]], while the Master is a truly alien being that does not speak a human language or resemble an earthly being in any way.

* EldritchAbomination: Nothing is explained about this entity, not even if it’s a monster, a god, or an artificial construct. All that’s known about it is that it controls the other Tricos, and it commands them to collect children.

* {{Magitek}}: The Master itself appears to be some form of [[DigitalAbomination magical AI construct]] with [[MechanicalAbomination uncanny references and resemblances to modern technology]], resembling a glowing core (with loads of TronLines resembling circuitry) surrounded by a blob of what appears to be some sort of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrofluid ferrofluid]], and all sorts of weird machinery (even a giant [[DeadlyRotaryFan cooler]]!). The Tower through which it controls Trico's race even resembles a modern radio tower, constructed out of ancient magic relics.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Having Trico brutally savaged and the end of his tail torn off by the rest of his kind gave the Boy the only means of destroying the Master.
* TheParalyzer: Casts the same spells as the armors it controls, if you aim the mirror at it long enough.
%%* SinisterGeometry:
%%* TronLines

* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: To [[VideoGame/Ico the Queen]] and [[Videogame/ShadowOfTheColossus Dormin]]. While the Queen and Dormin are beings of [[DarkIsEvil shadow]], the Master of the Valley is covered in [[LightIsNotGood glowing markings]]. Also, the Queen is ([[AmbiguouslyHuman probably]]) human and Dormin is a demon who [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith takes human form]], while the Master is a truly alien being that does not speak a human language or resemble an earthly being in any way.

* TheParalyzer: Casts the same spells as the the armors it controls, if you aim the mirror at it long enough.

* {{Magitek}}: The Master itself is some form of magical AI construct with uncanny references and resemblances to modern technology, resembling a glowing core (with loads of TronLines resembling circuitry) surrounded by a blob of what appears to be some sort of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrofluid ferrofluid]], and all sorts of weird machinery (even a giant [[DeadlyRotaryFan cooler]]!). The Tower through which it controls Trico's race even resembles a modern radio tower, constructed out of ancient magic relics.