9. The Colossi - Shadow Of The Colossus
Didn't think about this one, did you? The game was designed as an open World Series of boss battles. This was all beautifully rendered and told through a story of love and sacrifice. You play as a boy (or young man) trying to save the life of his true love. You are tasked with killing these enormous mythic creatures known as the Colossi. The game hits home hard as these creatures are truly stunning to behold and majestic in their design. Killing them is heart breaking and it almost makes you feel bad for ending their lives. There is more to the story however and I'll not spoil it here if you haven't played the game. Shadow of the Colossus is an astounding achievement of the medium and should be experienced first hand. The Colossi make the list because they are easily the most powerful creatures in the entire game but are nothing more than pawns in something bigger than they, something cosmic. If you haven't made it through the entire game, first, you're missing out and second, you're missing one of the great video game twists. A twist that renders these giant beasts servants to something else entirely and labeling them, how unfortunate it is to do so, henchmen.