Koloktos

Koloktos

Title	Ancient Automaton
Game(s)	Skyward Sword
Dungeon(s)	Ancient Cistern
Weakness(es)	Red cores
Theme Music

Koloktos is a Boss in Skyward Sword.^[1] It is an enormous automation created to defend the Ancient Cistern from intruders.

Characteristics

Fi's Comment

Koloktos

This “Ancient Automaton" defends the Ancient Cistern and eliminates intruders. The cursed energy supply Ghirahim provided to this contraption has given it power far beyond its conventional limits. The red, orb-shaped cores embedded in its torso and arms provide it limited stability and prevent it from falling to pieces.

It is highly probable that if the red cores in its arms were to be ejected, the unit would lose integrity and the limbs would sever from the body. However, during normal operation the cores are likely hidden below the forearm plating.

Results from my analysis show that the red cores in Koloktos's arms will only be revealed when the arms are stretched out to full length. Fast and timely counterattacks after Koloktos swings its arms down have the best chance of success.

I estimate a high probability that the red cores can be removed using your whip.

When Koloktos's arms lower, there will be a brief moment when you can attack the chest core.

However, when targeting the chest core, there is nowhere to hook on to with your whip. Therefore, removing the core will not be possible.

As Link enters the final room of the Ancient Cistern, he immediately encounters Ghirahim inside. Ghirahim supplies the dormant Koloktos with cursed energy, giving it the mobility and the power to battle Link.

Koloktos is held together by the red cores in its arms and torso. Aware of its weakness, Koloktos covers its torso with its bottom two hands. The uppermost arms carry sharpened blades that it occasionally throws at the young hero, which he can dodge or block with his Shield. When Link is near the automaton, it tries to crush him with its giant arms. By dodging this attack and using his Whip to grab the arms' joints, Link can break off the cores from its arms. After breaking off the first two arms, Koloktos will eventually use its lower hands to attack, giving the hero a chance to break them off as well and attack its chest core. Koloktos will reanimate and reattach its missing arms afterward and attack Link again.

After the boss has suffered enough damage, it pulls itself out of the floor and reveals its legs, giving it the ability to chase Link around the room. It also pulls out six cutlasses and cages its chest core to prevent Link from attacking it. The contraption will occasionally try to attack the hero with a barrage of slashes, which he can dodge by running away. This attack can destroy the stone pillars in the room, revealing Hearts inside. It can also summon three Cursed Bokoblins which will pursue Link. After dodging an attempted strike, Link can pull the cores out of its arms as he did with its first form. He can then pick up the boss' cutlass and use it to destroy its various parts, including its legs. Link must then slice its cage apart with the cutlass, exposing the core to attack. As before, Koloktos will eventually reanimate its broken parts and reattach them.

After defeating Koloktos, its cursed energy will combust. Link can then proceed to power up the Goddess Sword with Farore's Flame, turning it into the Goddess Longsword.

Trivia

In alignment with the Ancient Cistern's apparently Buddhist theme, Koloktos's overall design seems to take inspiration from the deity Asura.
At the beginning of the battle, Koloktos's facial expression is neutral. The more it is attacked, the more its face seems to twist into a mischievous smile. Furthermore, when Koloktos is defeated, it seems to laugh like a child before exploding.
Even though it has a cage to cover its weak spot, it only uses it once Link has damaged it considerably.
Koloktos can be damaged with Link's regular Sword even during the second phase of the fight, but it will not be defeated until its core is struck at least once with its own cutlass, even if its health is at zero.^{[verification needed]}
If Link returns to the boss room, he will still be able to use Koloktos's cutlasses, but he will not be able to exit the room with them.

Nomenclature

Koloktos may be derived from "koło ktoś", a Polish phrase meaning "Round One". This can refer to its round torso and orb-like red cores. Its Japanese title 魔蝕神器ダ・イルオーマ (Ma Shoku Shinki Da Iruōma), meaning "Demon-tainted Sacred Instrument: Dah Iruouma", reflects its state as being possessed by Ghirahim's demonic energy, while also being a sacred vessel or tool (i.e. an instrument) of the Goddess, used to protect the Sacred Flame of Farore hidden within the Ancient Cistern. This is also reflected in the localizations of other regions, who refer to it as a "golem" — an artificially created human being out of Hebrew legend, which is blessed with life; as a "guardian" (it was built to guard the Sacred Flame); and an "artefact" (i.e. artifact), defined as "an object (such as a tool or ornament) showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object."^[2]

Names in Other Regions
Language		Name	Meaning
	Japanese	魔蝕神器ダ・イルオーマ (Ma Shoku Shinki Da Iruōma)	Demon-tainted Sacred Instrument: Da Iruōma
	French^CA	Gardien aux mille bras, Koloktos	Thousand-armed Guardian, Koloktos
	French^EU	Gardien aux Mille Bras, Da Ihloma	Thousand-armed Guardian, Da Ihloma
	German	Artefakt der Finsternis, Da Ilohm	Artefact of Darkness, Da Ilohm
	Italian	Demone dalle Mille Lame, Malgare	Thousand-armed Demon, Malgare
	Korean	마촉신기 다일로와마 (Machok Shingi Da Illowama)	Demon-possessed Sacred Machine: Da Ilowama
	Spanish^EU	Gólem de las Tinieblas, Iruoma	Golem of the Darkness, Iruoma
	Spanish^LA	Gólem de las Tinieblas, Koloktos	Golem of the Darkness, Koloktos