^{Art by cellar-fcp}

In celebration of The Last Guardian’s official re-unveiling, let’s treat ourselves to a closer examination of the game designer Fumito Ueda’s acclaimed first release!

One of the primary hallmarks of Ueda’s creations thus far is the simplicity in their storytelling. In both ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, Ueda showcased his ability to express a sweeping story with a minimal amount of dialogue and exposition, allowing players to fill in the narrative backgrounds of his expansive game worlds with their own imaginations.

“How do you make a statue of an elephant? Get the biggest granite block you can find and chip away everything that doesn’t look like an elephant.” – Source Unknown

ICO, the director’s first game, was originally conceived in 1997. Its design process was similar to that of the elephant sculptor quoted above. Rather than constantly striving to add new content to their title, the development team instead concentrated on subtracting elements that distracted from the game’s focus and reduced the players’ sense of realism. It is for this reason that ICO lacks an interface, features only one class of enemy, and fixates entirely on the protagonists’ quest to escape from the castle.

However, while looking back on the game’s development during a Q & A session that followed an ICO development retrospective he participated in at the 2004 Game Developers Conference, Ueda noted that the team may have gone too far with this subtractive design process. (Accordingly, the approach was scaled back when his team began work on the game’s sequel, Shadow of the Colossus.)

Indeed, a recent examination of ICO’s script files allowed us to quantify just how minimal the game’s storytelling is. Both the Japanese and English versions of this title contain only 115 subtitle cards. Of these 115, a whopping 77 go unused – nearly seventy percent of the game’s text! These cuts eliminate vast swaths of exposition from the narrative, removing backstory, character development, and several major conflicts.

Luckily, thanks to the file extraction powers of einstein95, a member of The Cutting Room Floor wiki, we can now examine the unused dialogue and unearth its many secrets. First, however, there are a few things I should cover:

Before We Begin

The Subtitle Cards

^{Screenshot Courtesy of NomadColossus}

Firstly, it’s important to note that none of ICO’s voice acting is in English, necessitating the use of subtitle cards. One of the game’s major motifs is the fact that Ico and Yorda don’t share a common tongue, and are thus unable to communicate, except via calls and gestures. As recounted by 1UP in an article covering the 2004 GDC retrospective:

Explaining why he opted not to include subtitles for Yorda’s dialogue, [Ueda] said that it was critical to the physical contact and “holding hands” concept that [the two characters] not be able to communicate and talk to each other all the time during gameplay.

The nameless language spoken by Ico and the villagers is subtitled into English, while the language spoken by Yorda, dubbed “Runic”, is subtitled into a pictographic cypher that corresponds to letters in the English alphabet. The Queen, the third major character, switches between languages depending on who she is talking to.

Much like in Shadow of the Colossus, these subtitles are stored in the game’s files as images that are overlaid across the screen, rather than in plain text. For the purposes of this article, I’ve dubbed these image files “subtitle cards”. There are 115 unique cards in all. However, 77 of these are unused, and do not correspond to any voice acting that appears in the game.

Because they went unused, these subtitle cards never received a translation, and had their contents blanked for the North American release. Fortunately, the text in 74 of these images was left untouched in the Japanese version, allowing me to provide you with a translation. The remaining 3 cards are blank in every release.

New Game Plus & Translating Runic

^{Runic Chart From Team Ico Wiki’s Article on Runic}

ICO was released in North America on September 24, 2001, over two months earlier than its December 6th debut in Japan. Because of the rushed Western release, the North American version of the game is missing several features that were incorporated into the Japanese version, including a New Game Plus.

During this powered-up second play-through, Yorda Runic subtitles (as well as the Queen’s) are translated into English. As a result, for each line in Runic, there are two corresponding subtitle cards: an Runic copy and an English copy.

Evaluating the Official Translation

While I was translating the unused cards, I noticed that the English translation of the game was, in parts, somewhat lacking. This is a shame, for it gives foreign players an even more tenuous grasp on the game’s already-barebones story. As such, I have also retranslated the used subtitle cards. Hopefully the extra details unveiled will contribute to fans’ knowledge of ICO.

Ready to Go?

Well, that about covers it. The rest of this article is chalk full of spoilers, so avoid reading further if you’d still like to play through the game yourself. If you don’t have access or doubt that you’ll ever get around to finishing your play-through, you can experience the entire narrative of the game by watching the HD remaster’s cutscenes here.

The Villagers Part the Statues

The game opens with Ico being transported in chains by a group of villagers to the foot of a mist-cloaked castle. Their leader uses a pulsating sword to gain access to a chamber in the interior.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
000	Man	Get the sword.	剣を	Bring me the sword.

Ico Imprisoned

Ico is then locked inside a sarcophagus, left to an uncertain fate. Alas, his captors’ parting words offer little in the way of comfort.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
001	Man	Do not be angry with us. This is for the good of the village.	我々を恨むでない すべては村の為なのだ	Do not think ill of us. This is all for the good of the village.

Ico Discovers Yorda

After escaping from his sarcophagus, our horned protagonist begins wandering around the castle, and soon encounters a mysterious girl in a cage.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
002	Ico	Is anybody there? Who are you?	だれ？だれかそこにいるの？	Who is it? Is someone there?
003	Ico	Unused	おーい	Oi–!
004	Ico	What are you doing in there?	なにしてるの？そんなところで	What are you doing up there?
005	Ico	Hold on. I will get you down.	ちょっとまってて いま　下ろしてあげる	Hang on a minute. I’ll get you down!

Ico once had an additional line in which he called out to Yorda.

Yorda Is Freed

After employing some acrobatics, the boy succeeds in freeing the mysterious caged girl from her imprisonment. However, in the conversation that follows, it’s established that neither of the protagonists can speak each other’s language. A vexing turn of events!

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
009	Yorda	Who are you? How did you get in here?	あなた　だれ？ どこから入ってきたの？	Who are you? How did you get in here?
010	Ico	??	？？	??
006	Ico	They… They tried to sacrifice me because I have horns.	ぼ　ぼく　イケニエなんだ ツノがはえたから	I, I’m a sacrifice. Because I have horns, see?
007	Ico	Kids with horns are brought here.	ツノのはえたこどもは ここに連れてこられるんだ	Children who grow horns get taken to this place.
008	Ico	Were they trying to sacrifice you too?	きみもイケニエなの？	Are you a sacrifice, too?

The subtitle cards in this article are presented in the order in which they appear during the game. However, there are a handful of occasions where the subtitle cards’ file numbers do not match their chronological order, such as the scene above.

In this instance, reading the cards in the order of their file numbers results in a nonsensical conversation, with Ico answering Yorda’s question before she even asks. This may suggest that the dialogue for this scene was rewritten. (Indeed, we’ll soon see more evidence of script revisions in the unused lines.)

Ico Rescues Yorda From the Shadow

The duo’s first meeting takes a sudden turn for the worse when introductions are interrupted by a horned and shadowy monster. Popping out of a portal in the floor, it scoops up Yorda, apparently aiming to depart with the damsel. Ico, however, is not so keen on this idea. Wielding a wooden stick, he fends off the beast and rescues his new friend.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
011	Ico	What was that creature that came after you?	今のなに？ きみを狙ってた？	What was that just now? Was it after you?
012	Ico	It’s too dangerous for us to be here!	きみも　こんなところにいると あぶないよ	It’s dangerous for you to be here, too.
013	Ico	We need to get out of here.	とにかく　ここから出ようよ	Anyhow, let’s get out of here!
014	Ico	Unused	あ　きみのなまえは？	Oh yeah, what’s your name?
015	Ico	Unused	きみのなまえは？	What’s your name?
016	Yorda	Unused	ヨルダ…	Yorda…
017	Ico	Unused	よろしく　ヨルダ	Nice to meet you, Yorda!
018	Ico	Unused	また　さっきのがでてくるかも 急ごう	That thing might come back again, so let’s hurry.

Due to the developers scrapping Yorda’s introduction scene, Ico only learns her name secondhand, when the Queen addresses her later in the game.

Yorda Parts the Statues

Yorda uses a crackling power to part the four statues that bar the way out of the tower.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
019	Ico	How did you do that?	どうやったの？	How did you do that?
020	Yorda	Unused	わたしは　ここを はなれられないの…	I can’t leave this place…
021	Yorda	Unused	あなた　ひとりでいって	You go on alone.
022	Ico	Unused	だいじょうぶ　さっきみたいな やつなら　ぼくがやっつけるから	It’s OK! If it’s those things you’re worried about, I’ll take care of them.
023	Ico	Unused	だから安心して…ね？	So, don’t be afraid… alright?
024	Ico	Unused	だいじょうぶだって ぼくにまかせて	It’s fine, I told you! Just leave it to me.

It seems that Yorda originally hesitated to accompany the horned boy on his quest to escape from the castle. Her unused dialogue would have provided an earlier hint towards the fact that it wasn’t only the iron bars of the cage that prevented her from leaving. Ico, as usual, is sweetly reassuring.

Ico & Yorda Make a Run For It

In this scene, Yorda and Ico employ the least ninja-like strategy ever in an attempt to bail out the front gate.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
025	Ico	Look, the gate is open! Now we can get out of here!	みて　門があいてる！ そとに出られるよ！	Look! The gate’s open! We can get out!
026	Ico	Let’s go!	いこう！	Let’s go!

Caught by the Queen

Unfortunately, this mad dash for the exit is blocked by the castle’s ruler, who is unimpressed by the children’s plan to abscond from the fortress. Despite her sinister appearance, however, the Queen is surprisingly merciful towards the pair. She chides them for their antics, but ultimately allows Yorda to stay with Ico, and even encourages the boy to leave the castle himself, albeit this time without her daughter in tow.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
031	Queen	Come back, Yorda.	さぁ　帰っておいでヨルダ	It’s time for you to come home, Yorda.
032	Queen	Unused	ヨルダ なぜ　だまっているのだ？	Yorda… Why do you say nothing?
033	Ico	Unused	オマエはだれだ！	Who’re you?!
034	Queen	So, you’re the one aimlessly leading my Yorda around.	おまえだね　わたしのかわいい ヨルダを連れまわしているのは	So, you’re the one who’s been leading my little Yorda around.
035	Queen	Do you know who this girl is?	その娘が誰か わかっているのかい？	Do you have any idea who she is?
036	Queen	That girl you’re with is my one and only beloved daughter.	おまえと一緒にいるのは わたしのたったひとりの愛娘――	The girl who stands beside you is my beloved daughter and sole heir.
037	Queen	Stop wasting your time with her.	――いずれはこの城を継ぐもの	Someday, she will inherit this castle.
038	Queen	She lives in a different world than some boy with horns!	あたまにツノのはえたおまえとは すむ世界がちがうのだ	You and my daughter inhabit different worlds, horned boy.
039	Queen	Unused	すむ世界がちがうのだ	You and my daughter inhabit different worlds.
040	Queen	Unused	おまえは　崇高なるわれわれに ただ仕えていればよい	To give your life in service to nobility such as we…
041	Queen	Unused	その　命を賭けてな	Such is your lot.
042	Queen	Unused	だからこそ　この城に 連れてこられたのではないのか？	That is why you were brought to this castle, is it not?
043	Queen	Now, know your place and leave here.	さぁ　身のほどをわきまえて ここから　立ち去るがよい	Now, remember your place, and begone from here.
044	Queen	Unused	さぁ　身のほどをわきまえて その娘のことは　あきらめろ	Now, remember your place, and give up your designs on my daughter.
045	Queen	Unused	さぁ　おいで　ヨルダ	Come along, now, Yorda.
046	Yorda	Unused	あなたなんか わたしの母さんじゃないわ	You are not my mother!
047	Queen	Unused	ききわけのない子だ…	Disobedient child…

This scene’s unused dialogue reveals the first of several plot points that are either omitted, or deviate from, the story as it appears in the final game.

Firstly, the Queen discloses that Ico was brought to the castle to serve its masters with his life. Secondly, an outspoken Yorda actively objects to the Queen calling her “daughter”, bringing the true nature of their relationship into question. Is Yorda’s denial of her parentage simply an act of rebellion? Or is it evidence that, like Ico, Yorda may herself have once been brought to the castle unwillingly? Sadly, the issue is never revisited.

We also see more evidence of script rewrites:

There are two similar messages in which the Queen dismisses Ico. In the first message, which was used in the game, she tells the boy to go away. In the second, unused message, she orders him to leave her daughter alone.

^{Art by unhai}

Once again, the subtitle cards’ file numbers do not match their chronological order. During the game, the scene where the monarch makes her first appearance, which I’ve dubbed Caught by the Queen, directly follows the scene in which Ico and Yorda attempt to escape through the castle gate, referred to in this article as Ico & Yorda Make a Run For It. As such, you’d expect their dialogue to be ordered accordingly.

In reality, however, there is a small gap in numbering from the last subtitle card of Ico & Yorda Make a Run For It (card 26) to the first card in Caught by the Queen (card 31). The missing cards, 27 to 30, instead comprise the scene that follows Caught by the Queen: a sequence I’ve dubbed The Queen Disappears.

As it stands, the dialogue in The Queen Disappears only makes sense if it follows the dialogue in Caught by the Queen. However, the numbering of the cards in The Queen Disappears suggests that they originally appeared between the previous two scenes.

^{Artist Unknown; Retrieved From 2ch}

On the topic of the used cards, the game’s official English translation completely omits the Queen’s description of Yorda as her heir. There’s no way the original Japanese text could be interpreted as “Stop wasting your time with her,” which makes me wonder whether the change in meaning was a deliberate decision on the localization team’s part, or whether it was simply the result of a translator phoning it in at 4:59 pm on a Friday, and then never going back to recheck their work.

The Queen Disappears

Once the Queen has taken her leave, Ico rushes over to help Yorda up.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
027	Ico	Are you okay?	だいじょうぶ？	Are you alright?
028	Ico	Unused	いまの…だれ？	Who… was that?
029	Yorda	I have angered her…	あの人を 怒らせてしまったわ…	I’ve gone and made her angry…
030	Ico	Unused	だいじょうぶ　きっと出られるさ もう少しがんばってみようよ	Don’t worry. I know we can escape. Let’s keep going a little longer.

In the omitted lines, Ico inquires as to the angry Queen’s identity. He also offers Yorda some encouragement.

As mentioned in the previous section, the card numbers for this sequence place it between Ico & Yorda Make a Run For It and Caught by the Queen, which no longer makes sense chronologically.

The Queen’s Voice Echoes

Ico helps Yorda up from the ground. Meanwhile, ever the helicopter parent, the Queen employs the handy skill of telepathy to wonder aloud why her daughter is going along with the horned boy’s harebrained schemes.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
048	Queen	Yorda, why can’t you understand?	なぜわからぬ	Why do you not understand?
049	Queen	You cannot survive in the outside world.	おまえは外の世界では 生きていけないのだよ	You cannot survive in the outside world.

This scene contains the first of three lines that suggest Yorda would not be able to survive in the world beyond the castle walls. How literally this is meant is unclear.

Following the Confrontation (Deleted Scene)

^{Artist Unknown; Retrieved From 2ch}

Despite being able to understand only a portion of the Queen’s admonishments, Yorda sweetly apologizes to Ico for his tongue-lashing by the woman who claims to be her mother.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
050	Yorda	Unused	きっとひどいことをいわれたのね わたしの所為でごめんなさい…	I’m sure she said horrible things to you. And it’s all my fault… I’m sorry.
051	Ico	Unused	ぼくなら　だいじょうぶ さぁ　行こう	Don’t worry about me. Come on, let’s go.

Luckily, Ico doesn’t seem to hold it against her, and the two set off on their way.

Yorda’s Rebellion (Deleted Scene)

^{Art by sammy-art}

What follows is an entirely unused confrontation between the Queen and Yorda. In it, the Queen attempts to appeal to Yorda’s emotions, while the latter stands her ground. In an attempt to neutralize what she sees as the catalyst for the troubling changes in her daughter, the monarch doles out a harsher punishment to Ico than the sharp words of their last encounter.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
052	Queen	Unused	ずいぶんと　待ちくたびれたよ	I have had enough of waiting.
053	Queen	Unused	ヨルダ　わたしの気持ちも わかっておくれ	Yorda, please try to understand.
054	Queen	Unused	おまえを　苦しめたくないんだよ	I do not wish to hurt you.
055	Queen	Unused	こんなにおまえのことを 想っているのに	You have always been at the forefront of my thoughts, and yet…
056	Queen	Unused	そんなわたしをおいて どこへ行こうというのだい？	You say you intend to leave me and run off to who-knows-where?
057	Queen	Unused	おまえはここでしか 生きられないのだよ	You cannot live outside these walls.
058	Yorda	Unused	わかってるわ…	I know that…
059	Queen	Unused	では　なぜ　わたしのそばにいない	Then why aren’t you here by my side?
060	Yorda	Unused	わたしは戻らない	I’m not coming back.
061	Yorda	Unused	母さん あなたは　間違ってるわ	You’ve got it all wrong, Mother.
062	Yorda	Unused	わたしは　自分の 生きたいように生きる	I’m going to live the way I want to.
063	Yorda	Unused	その代償として　わたしの 命が失われようとも	Even if I have to pay for it with my life.
064	Yorda	Unused	罪のない種族の犠牲のうえに 生きながらえるよりずっとマシだわ	It’s far better than surviving on the sacrifices of an innocent people.
065	Queen	Unused	なにをいいだすのだ？　ヨルダ	What are you saying, Yorda?
066	Queen	Unused	あれほど素直だったおまえが…	You have always been so obedient…
067	Queen	Unused	これだけいっても わからないのかい？	Do you still not understand?
068	Yorda	Unused	ええ わたしの気持ちはかわらない…	That’s right. I’m not going to back down.
069	Queen	Unused	おまえをそこまでかえたのは そのツノの　はえた子供かい？	Is it the horned boy who has caused you to change so?
070	Yorda	Unused	この子は関係ないわ！	He has nothing to do with this!
071	Queen	Unused	いずれにせよ　その子には すこしお仕置きをしないとね	In any case, I shall have to issue him a little punishment.
072	Queen	Unused	おのれの種族の 立場をわからせるためにも	It will also serve to put his people in their place.
073	Queen	Unused	ハハ おまえのそのツノは飾りかい	Ohoho. Are those horns of yours mere ornament?
074	Queen	Unused	さぁ　邪悪者はいなくなった いっしょに帰ろう　ヨルダ	There, the wicked one is gone. Now, let’s go home, Yorda.

In this deleted scene, Yorda receives some significant character development, outlining her reasons and motivations for wanting to be free of the castle.

Had the unused lines not been axed, the seed of defiance Yorda planted by denying her parentage and refusing to go with her mother in Caught by the Queen would have bloomed into a full-scale rejection of her mother’s way of life, gradually building up to her outright rebellion in the game’s final act.

Yorda’s dialogue also suggests that the ruler of the castle is prolonging her life by feeding off the life force of the sacrificed horned children, who continue to serve under her as shadows.

The nature of the punishment inflicted upon Ico is lost to time.

Unknown (Deleted Scene)

^{Artist Unknown; Retrieved From 2ch}

From this little snippet, it appears something ill was to befall Yorda, too.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
075	Ico	Unused	おや　まだ息があるみたいだね いま楽にしてあげよう	Whew. Looks like she’s still breathing. I’ll let her rest for now.

The Queen Punishes Ico (Deleted Scene)

^{Artist Unknown; Retrieved From 2ch}

This scene seems to take place directly after Yorda’s Rebellion. In it, Yorda entreats the Queen to stop hurting Ico, then rushes to check on her friend’s welfare.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
076	Yorda	Unused	やめて！	Stop!
077	Yorda	Unused	だいじょうぶ？	Are you alright?
078	Ico	Unused	う　うん	Y, yes…
079	Yorda	Unused	ごめんなさい わたしのせいでこんなことに	I’m sorry… It’s my fault that this happened to you.
080	Ico	Unused	アイツは！？	Where is she?!
081	Yorda	Unused	いないよ　消えちゃった… もうだいじょうぶよ	She’s not here… She vanished. Everything’s alright now.
082	Ico	Unused	いま　言葉がつうじたよね？	You understood what I said just now, didn’t you?
083	Yorda	Unused	うん…	Yes…
084	Ico	Unused	とにかく　いそがないと…	In any case, we have to hurry…

Yorda Opens the Gate

This time, Yorda uses her own power to reopen the castle’s main gate, sapping her strength in the process.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
085	Ico	Unused	ヨルダ！	Yorda!
086	Yorda	A little more.	あともう少しよ	Just a little further…
087	Ico	Unused	あともうすこしだよ　がんばろう	Just a little further! Let’s keep going!
088	Ico	Are you okay?	だいじょうぶ？	Are you alright?
089	Ico	Unused	あともうすこしだよ	Just a little further!

Contrary to the file order, Ico’s “Are you alright?” precedes Yorda’s response in-game.

Yorda’s line of encouragement has two unused revisions that were intended to be spoken by Ico.

Yorda Releases Ico’s Hand

Yorda and Ico make it out the gate and halfway across the stone bridge connecting the castle to the mainland. Suddenly, the bridge starts retracting as the Queen shows up to foil the duo’s second attempt at escape. Ico attempts to jump back across the gap to Yorda, and slips. Fortunately, he is saved from falling when the girl grabs his hand.

Our protagonist’s luck is short-lived, however: the Queen quickly exerts a dark sphere control over the castle’s heir. Sensing what is about to happen, she thanks the horned boy for trying to help her, before the Queen’s powers cause her to release her grip, and send Ico plummeting towards the dark waves below.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
090	Ico	Unused	ヨルダ！	Yorda!
091	Yorda	Thank you…	ありがとう・・・	Thank you…
092	Ico	Unused	ヨルダーー！	Yorda––!

Ico would have originally called out for Yorda; first as the Queen’s powers began to overcome her, and then a second time as he fell.

The Queen Appears on the Throne

Fortunately, Ico does not perish in his tumble towards the surf. His fall is broken by some hanging cages, across which he is able to navigate in order to re-infiltrate the castle. Unfortunately, he is too late: Yorda has been turned to stone. Ico makes his way to the Queen’s throne room, aiming to confront the antagonist. At first glance, the throne appears empty. As Ico turns to leave, however, he is brought up short by a voice.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
093	Queen	Wait.	待ちなさい	Stop right there.
094	Ico	Unused	あの子になにをした！	What did you do to her?!
095	Queen	Unused	ここからふたりで抜け出せるなどと 本気でおもっていたのか？	Did you really imagine that I would let you two slip away from here?

Though the Queen never directly answers Ico’s question, her unused response suggests that she was in control of the situation all along, and never would have suffered the pair to escape.

Ico Confronts the Queen

Stayed by the voice, Ico turns and approaches the throne once more. This time, he sees that the chair is occupied by the monarch.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
096	Ico	What did you do to her?	ヨルダをどうするつもりだ	What do you want with Yorda?
097	Queen	Silence boy. You’re too late.	あきらめろ　もう手遅れだ・・・	Give up your foolish ambitions. You are already too late…
098	Queen	My body has become too old and won’t last much longer.	わたしの　この躰も もう長くない	This body of mine will not last much longer…
099	Queen	But Yorda is going to grant me the power to be resurrected.	ヨルダにはわたしの意志をついで 城の主として復活してもらう	I shall bind my will to Yorda, and use her to reincarnate as master of this castle.
100	Queen	To be my spiritual vessel is the fulfillment of her destiny!	それがあの子の宿命　いわば ヨルダはわが”魂の器”なのだ	That is the girl’s destiny. She is the vessel for my soul.
101	Ico	Unused	そんなことはゆるさない！	I’ll never let you do it!
102	Queen	Unused	おまえがクビをつっこむ 話ではない	This is none of your affair.
103	Queen	Unused	おまえがどうあがいても　あの子は 元には戻らないのだから	No matter how hard you struggle, the girl will never return to normal.
104	Queen	The next time her body wakes, Yorda will be no more.	つぎに目覚めたそのときには もはや　おまえなど憶えてはいまい	The next time she wakes, she will remember nothing of you or your time together.
105	Queen	Now put down the sword and leave.	さぁ その剣をおいてたち去りなさい	Now… Put down the sword and leave this place.
106	Queen	That is what she would want you to do.	あの子もそれを望んでいたぞ	That is what Yorda wished you to do, too.
107	Ico	Unused	うそをつけ！	Liar!
108	Queen	Unused	運良くたすかった命は 粗末にするもんじゃない	Luck has helped you survive this long. It would be a shame to throw it all away now.

Surprisingly, the Queen is willing to give Ico one more chance for mercy. Her unused lines suggest a final offer to spare the boy’s life.

In addition, the retranslation of her used dialogue reveals a little more detail regarding her plans for her daughter.

Ico Attempts to Strike the Queen

With a yell of frustration, Ico lashes out at the Queen with her own luminescent sword, provoking the final battle.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
109	Queen	You’re a nuisance, boy. Do you want to die that much?	悪い子だね そうまでして死にたいのか	Foolish child. Do you truly wish for death so badly?

The Queen is Defeated

Ico avoids the Queen’s waves of darkness and strikes at her shield, gradually weakening her to the point where he can strike a mortal blow.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
110	Queen	Yorda will never be able to escape this castle…	あの子は　けっしてこの城から 出ることができないのだ・・・	The girl will never be able to leave the castle…
111	Queen	Even if you take… my life…	たとえ　おまえが　わたしの・・・ 命を　奪ったとしても・・・	Even if… you take my life…

Yorda’s Sendoff

Following the Queen’s death, Yorda is revived as a shadowy being. Unlike the monarch’s other shadowy servants, however, she acts with a will of her own. Gathering Ico’s limp body from the throne room floor, she carries him out of the crumbling castle to safety, and places him in a canoe. As Yorda pushes off the boat, she bids the the boy farewell.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
112	Yorda	Good-bye.	さよなら	Goodbye…

Blank Files

^{Artist Unknown; Retrieved From 2ch}

As mentioned in the notes for this article, the last three subtitle cards are blank in every version of the game.

File	Char.	EN Script	JP Script	Retranslation
113		Unused	Unused
114		Unused	Unused
115		Unused	Unused

The End?

This is not the end, however. You may have noticed that there is one word of spoken dialogue at the end of the game for which there are no subtitles.

After the credits, there is a small sequence in which Ico regains consciousness, having washed up on a beach on the mainland in Yorda’s canoe. The player regains control temporarily, allowing them to walk down the beach for a ways and happen upon a figure lying prone in the surf. This is none other than the girl from the castle! An FMV begins, panning over Yorda, who flinches slightly and opens her eyes, which eventually catch sight of Ico. Upon seeing her friend, she says something that sounds like “Say…ee…?”, the final line of the game.

^{Art by FixelCat}

True to form, Yorda is speaking her own language, nicknamed Runic. Runic is produced by writing Japanese words in the English alphabet, omitting several letters (mostly the vowels), reversing the spelling of each word, and pronouncing the result.

Well… for the most part. Runic does use one English word. It’s written “sey” and pronounced “say-ee”. Read backwards, that means Yorda’s last line translates to “Ye…s…?”

Read More

^{Art From ICO’s Chinese Fan Translation}

Runic isn’t the only language in ICO that can be translated. It turns out that the common tongue used by Ico and the Queen can also be deciphered, though it’s a more complex process than decoding the simple Runic cypher used for Yorda’s lines.

Of particular interest is the fact that the spoken dialogue occasionally differs from the subtitles, perhaps hinting that the voice acting is based on an earlier version of the script. This also holds true when it comes to translating the Runic subtitles. In my next feature, I will cover both of these anomalies.

In the meantime, if you enjoyed this article, check out my Shadow of the Colossus content!

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Till next time, folks.

GlitterBerri out.