Yorda

Yorda is one of the two main heroes appeared in 2001 PlayStation 2 video game, Ico.

Story
Yorda is a mysterious and ethereal girl found inside the castle. Ico first sees her in a dream when he is unconsciously knocked in the process of escaping from the coffin. In the dream, Ico is seen discovering a shadow figure locked in the cage. After that, Ico exactly finds what he had shown in his own dream, with the exception the girl in the cage is the antithesis of a shadow creature. Ico decides to save Yorda from the cage by unlocking it for her escape, but quickly finds that there are some shadow creatures in the castle waiting for her to capture her back to captivity. Ico resolves to help and accompany Yorda in their teamwork to absolutely free from the castle.

Later in the events of the game, it is revealed that Yorda is now a damsel in distress who has been apprehended inside the cage by the Queen, her mother who became the malicious and shadowy monarch of the Castle long ago and intends to use her as a spiritual vessel. The Queen's own body is dying, so she will continue to live on by taking Yorda's. After Ico succeeds in liberating Yorda from the cage and leading her to the main gates of the castle, the Queen appears before them. In truth, she tells Ico that Yorda is her daughter and reminds her that she cannot survive in the outside world. At this point the Queen withdraws, and the main partners continue trying to escape from the Queen's castle.

When they are finally on the verge of freedom, the Queen appears once again, this time petrifying Yorda. Ico returns to the tower where he was to be sacrificed and confronts the Queen. She states that Yorda cannot leave no matter what, and tells him to leave. Instead, Ico fights the Queen, and manages to kill her. Yorda is brought back to life, still herself in mind, but in body she has become the shadowy form seen in Ico's dream. In this form, she seems more assertive and is significantly physically stronger. She quickly figures out what has happened, and as the castle crumbles around them, she carries the unconscious Ico down to the dock and releases him to the waters beyond. However, Yorda herself stays behind in the collapsing castle.

After the credits are finished there is a scene in which Ico finds Yorda washed up on the beach; she has returned to her white in human form, but now with color blooming on her once-pale cheeks.