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White flowerThis article was a featured article from 2nd of May 2011 to 14th of June 2011. White flower


The Waterwraith (アメボウズ, Amebouzu) is a boss that made its debut in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4 found in all of the sublevels of the Submerged Castle and Engulfed Castle, and in the Bully Den in Challenge Mode. It can only be defeated by Purple Pikmin; however, the entrance to the Submerged Castle is flooded, making them impossible to bring along.

Its appearance is generally humanoid in shape, with the suggestion of a head, body, arms and legs, but without distinct characteristics, as it has a watery, transparent body. As a matter of fact, its scientific name is Amphibio sapiens, which is similar to the human's scientific name: Homo sapiensThe Ship notes that although it can be seen, its sensors somehow detect nothing, leading to the conclusion that the Waterwraith's physical form is anchored in another dimension.

It is one of the most dangerous enemies, as it can instantly kill Pikmin, aside from Rock Pikmin, by just rolling over them, and cannot be deterred or defeated until the final floor. The only good thing is that it does not appear immediately, instead giving the player a five minute grace period before appearing. In the Bully Den, two Waterwraiths will fall when the seconds counter falls to 270, leaving you with only 30 seconds to get settled and prepare. When encountered in the Submerged Castle, but not in the Bully Den, its music will play - music that is played only then.

The Waterwraith's name is a combination of "water", given its watery appearance, and "wraith", which means ghost or phantom, befitting of the Waterwraith's translucent and ghostly look.

Notes

Ship's dialogue

"What is this?!? I can see it with my optical receptors, but my sensors cannot detect it!"

"Could its physical form be anchored in another dimension? ...Attacking it is futile!"

"If only we could force it to take on physical form... But in its current state... Krzzzt-zrrrk!"

"Danger! Danger! Danger!"

Olimar's Notes

"All that is known about this creature stems from a few sightings deep underground. All reported sightings feature the same core set of details: a giant, viscous form with a clear, hazy sheen not unlike hard candy. One theory holds that it may be the ectoplasm incarnation of a kind of psychic phenomenon, but as is usually the case with such theories, it is very difficult to prove. All witnesses report being suddenly overcome with fear upon sighting the creature, approaching a state of panic and near insanity. In fact, every report contains an inordinate amount of extremely vague details, which has led to suspicions that exhaustion and fear have caused some simple natural phenomenon to be viewed as a living creature."

Louie's Notes

"Inedible. Known to cause mass hysteria, followed by leg spasms and internal thunderings."

Dalmo's Notes

“A living thing is a living thing, even if it transcends our understanding. This unnerving creature is translucent and has no actual physical body to speak of. Yet, somehow, it clutches its rollers with zealous devotion. It's both eerie and fascinating, don't you agree?”

Collin's dialogs

“Gah! Something just dropped from above! What is that thing?! I can see it, but I'm not picking up on any signs of life. I hope this will all make sense after I check the log...” [He opens "The Nonexistent Entity"'s entry in Olimar's Voyage Log.]

The Nonexistent Entity"

"Bomb Rocks show no sign of working against this creature, never mind Pikmin attacks! Does its body not actually exist in this dimension? Maybe if I hit it with a gravitational wave, the dimensions will converge and it will show itself. But is that possible?”

“Its body might not exist in this dimension? How is that possible? So a physical attack could have no impact at all. So what do we do? Well, let me think... I suggest you go with my favorite battle strategy and just...run away while you can!

Nintendo Player's Guide

"The terrifying Waterwraith appears before the final floor of the Submerged Castle, but you won't be able to defeat it until you use Violet Candypop Buds to create purple Pikmin on the cave's lowest level. One touch from a purple will make the beast temporalily vulnerable."

Before the boss fight

The Waterwraith will come on any sublevel of the Submerged Castle and Engulfed Castle, usually after about 5 minutes. However, before the final sublevels, there is no way at all to harm it; not even Bomb Rocks will have any effect. With that in mind, there are a few things to remember:

  • The player should collect treasures as quickly as possible and avoid collecting corpses. Doing so could allow the player to escape without having the Waterwraith spawn. ^
  • The Waterwraith can kill other enemies and disable traps. This should be used to an advantage.*^
  • It follows the active captain. This can be used to the player's advantage, similar to the fight with the Ranging Bloyster.*
  • It is advised to at least have the Rush Boots power-up, which can allow you to quickly escape the Waterwraith. The Stellar Orb/Head Lamp also helps to illuminate the area, giving the player a good view of where the Waterwraith is. 
  • The Waterwraith does not go into small corners, crevices, and dead-ends, making these places safe to hide in.*^
  • The Captains must quickly collect as many treasures as they can. If they forget to get a treasure, they can always go back and get it later.^
  • If the player has a very difficult time with the Waterwraith, they can always reset in attempt to get an easier layout for the floor.^
  • The Waterwraith crushes Pikmin instantly, so it is best to keep all Pikmin with the Captains while it is active.^
  • Your Pikmin will be safe on the short raised up areas.^

These tips mostly apply only to the Submerged Castle. Items marked with an * can be used in the Bully Den as well.  Items marked with ^ can be used in Pikmin 4.

Strategy

While wandering

Waterwraithcutscene

Waterwraith appears.

The Waterwraith will come on any sublevel of the Submerged Castle or Engulfed Castle after 5 minutes. When encountered, the beast falls from the sky. Once it lands, it lifts up its front roller and smashes it on the ground, crushing any Pikmin underneath. It then commences moving around on its stone rollers. However, before sublevel 5, there is virtually no way at all to harm it; not even bomb rocks or attacking with Pikmin after using an ultra-bitter spray will have any effect. With that in mind, there are a few things to remember:

  • The Waterwraith can kill other enemies and disable traps. This can be used to your advantage.
  • It follows the active leader. This can be used to your advantage, similar to the fight with the Ranging Bloyster.
  • The Waterwraith does not go into small corners, crevices, and dead-ends, making these places safe to hide in. In Pikmin 4, there are specially marked crevices with grass and metal archways that the Waterwraith will be unable to access.
  • In Pikmin 2, if you're having a difficult time avoiding the Waterwraith, you can always reset in an attempt to get an easier or more exploitable floor layout. Similarly, in Pikmin 4, the rewind mechanic can be essential to making more efficient movements around the sublevels or making up for heavy losses.
  • A cloud of dust is visible behind the Waterwraith, allowing you to keep better track of it.
  • In Pikmin 4, the Waterwraith is slow, so running away is easy unless it pins you.
  • In Pikmin 4, The Waterwraith presents very little issue to Oatchi due to his compactness and precise handling, making him ideal for Pikmin transportation instead of letting the Pikmin squad roam free.

The following tips can also be used for Story Mode:

  • You should collect treasures as quickly as possible and avoid collecting corpses. If you're fast enough, you can avoid facing the Waterwraith entirely. Remember that you can return to the cave and collect anything you missed the first time around.
  • It is advised to at least have the Rush Boots power up, which can allow leaders to quickly escape the Waterwraith. The Stellar Orb also helps to illuminate the area, giving you a good view of where the beast is.

Battle

Waterwraith stunned

A stunned Waterwraith, vulnerable to attacks.

Since it can only be conventionally damaged by Purple Pikmin, the only way to combat it in the Submerged Castle and Engulfed Castle is to survive until the final sublevel, where you can get Purple Pikmin via Violet Candypop Buds.

When a Purple Pikmin lands on or near the Waterwraith in a fashion that would stun any other beast, it turns a deep shade of purple not too different to that of the Purple Pikmin themselves. In this state, it is vulnerable to all Pikmin attacks. When the Waterwraith's health has been fully depleted, the rollers crumble and the creature starts running aimlessly around the cave, no longer a threat to your Pikmin. Attack with more Purple Pikmin and then you can easily attack it with other Pikmin. When defeated, it will vanish into nothing, and you will be troubled no more. In Pikmin 2, it drops the Professional Noisemaker, a useful addition to the Exploration Kit, the first time you beat it in the Submerged Castle.

The Waterwraith can be petrified, which is useful to stop it if it is coming towards you, but while in this state, it cannot be damaged with normal attacks – Pikmin that attack will just cause an effect similar to attacking a reinforced wall in other games. Purple Pikmin that land with a thud on the petrified creature have a different behavior, however. When the boss has its rollers, a thud can cause the health wheel to appear, if it hasn't already. In the state without rollers, these thuds will actually cause a small amount of damage, and make it possible to kill the creature when petrified.

In Pikmin 4, you can just keep hurling your Purple Pikmin at it and it will get stuck in a loop, but make sure to call back your Pikmin when they get shaken off.

Glitches

Waterwraith - Petrified

The Waterwraith while sitting on petrified rollers.

While in the Piklopedia, press the "Z" button immediately upon selecting the Waterwraith to petrify its roller. When the Waterwraith itself lands, it too will be encased in stone, but the roller will revert to its normal state before the creature itself. Petrify it again, and the Wraith is normal, but not the rollers; the Wraith will have problems lifting them. Its audio will get messed up, as it cries with each attempt to pick up the front roller. It is possible to do this in the main game (and Challenge Mode) as well, but the beast won't turn purple when Purple Pikmin are thrown at it. This is because it needs to lift its rollers first. You can also make the Waterwraith float if you have AR by doing the one hit code.

When the Waterwraith pulls the rollers up, petrify it. Then when it wears off, do it again. If your timing is correct you should only petrify its rollers. The Waterwraith's arms will be stretched backwards, grabbing the roller that is in mid-air while it sits on the other roller facing the ground, trying to pull back the roller.

It is possible to defeat the Waterwraith while petrified. First, it must be without its rollers, and the player must deplete its health as far as possible. Then, when frozen, if Purple Pikmin are thrown onto it, it should die in that state, shattering and leaving 6-7 pools of nectar and spray of any kind.

Yet another glitch can be performed by knocking it off its rollers, and frantically switching characters, will cause the Waterwraith to appear to "ice skate" instead of sprinting.

It is likely that if the Waterwraith's head comes into contact with the Research Pod after having lost its rollers, another glitch will occur. The outcome is a change in the way it moves: instead of walking, the creature glides along; and any Pikmin that touch it are thrown out-of-the-way, though unharmed. The amount of health it had previous to the glitch occurring determines whether or not it can be damaged in this state.

Another glitch may occur when the Waterwraith attempts to turn around sharp corners. Instead of successfully completing a 360 degrees turn, it may get wedged in the middle of a tight space. This could either be helpful, allowing the player to avoid the Waterwraith, but this glitch could also block crucial pathways, such as a pathway to the next floor. Unfortunately, the only solution for this is to reset.

Yet another glitch happens when the Waterwraith is hit with a Purple Pikmin while running. The Waterwraith may turn clear while in the crouching position, instead of it having a purple hue.

Another possible glitch is known to happen in the Bully Den. The cause of this glitch is unknown, but the effects are strange. When both Waterwraiths have had their rollers taken away, they will sometimes only frantically run away from Olimar, and will casually walk past Louie and even stop right in front of him, as if they do not even notice him. They can still be attacked, though. 

Gallery

Main Article: Waterwraith/Gallery.

Trivia

  • The Waterwraith's species name, Amphibio sapiens (which translates to Wise Amphibian), is similar to the human species name of Homo sapiens (Wise Man).
  • There is a glitch where in the Piklopedia, it is possible that the Waterwraith will roll out-of-bounds.
  • When an Ultra Bitter Spray is used on the Waterwraith, only its rollers will petrify, leaving it vulnerable to being stunned by Purple Pikmin.
  • The Waterwraith is one of two enemies outside of the Wistful Wild to not appear in the Hole of Heroes, the other being the Giant Breadbug. They both reside in caves within the same area, the Perplexing Pool.
  • The Waterwraith's Japanese name is "Amebouzu", which can be a portmanteau of "amoeba" (written in katakana like "ameba"), a unicellular organism usually found in water, and "umibōzu", which is, in Japanese folklore, a watery creature, with a bald head similar to a Monk.
  • Aside from the Titan Dweevil, the Waterwraith is the only boss in Pikmin 2 to have a theme that changes during the battle. This change occurs after the rollers are destroyed.
  • There are various similarities between the Waterwraith and the final boss of Pikmin 3, the Plasm Wraith.
    • The first form of the Plasm Wraith shares its Japanese name with the Waterwraith, as they are both called "Amebouzu". If they are, in fact, related, this would make them the first related "unknown family" creatures.
    • Both wraiths have humanoid bodies made of liquid-like substances.
    • Also, just like the Plasm Wraith, which has a unique, golden life meter, the Waterwraith has a unique life meter; it has 2 separate life meters. one being its own health and the other being for the health of its rollers. Interestingly, both these creatures have the "Wraith" suffix in their names.
    • The Waterwraith is often encountered early on in Submerged Castle, where it chases the captains and the Pikmin around the sublevel, and then later on in the final sublevel, where the player can use Purple Pikmin to battle it. These encounters are similar to the "chase phase" and "battle phase" of the Plasm Wraith.
    • The Waterwraith, like the Plasm Wraith, cannot be harmed whilst the body is translucent.
    • They will both follow the player around.
  • Searching through the files of Pikmin 2 reveals that "BlackMan" is the internal code name given to the Waterwraith.
  • A common theory is that the Waterwraith is another form of the Goolix. For years, this theory was thought to be true, however with the release of Pikmin 4 it is likely that this theory is inaccurate as Foolix and the Waterwraith are in Pikmin 4.
  • In Pikmin 4, the hole that the back legs of the Waterwraith go through is shifted closer to the edge, making it clearer how the waterwraith rolls on the ground.
  • Despite the transparent body showing no organs, the species is implied to have lungs, as they are shown running out of breath if they run away from the team.
Enemies and plants
Pikmin
Armored Cannon Beetle | Beady Long Legs | Breadbug | Burrowing Snagret | Candypop Bud | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Emperor Bulblax | Fiery Blowhog | Female Sheargrub | Goolix | Honeywisp | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Mamuta | Pearly Clamclamp | Pellet Posy | Puffstool | Puffy Blowhog | Male Sheargrub | Shearwig | Smoky Progg | Spotty Bulbear | Swooping Snitchbug | Red Bulborb | Water Dumple | Wolpole | Wollyhop | Yellow Wollyhop
Pikmin 2
Red Bulborb | Hairy Bulborb | Orange Bulborb | Dwarf Bulbear | Spotty Bulbear | Fiery Bulblax | Emperor Bulblax | Empress Bulblax | Bulborb Larva | Water Dumple | Bulbmin | Breadbug | Giant Breadbug | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Dwarf Orange Bulborb | Snow Bulborb | Fiery Blowhog | Watery Blowhog | Puffy Blowhog | Withering Blowhog | Fiery Dweevil | Anode Dweevil | Caustic Dweevil | Munge Dweevil | Volatile Dweevil | Titan Dweevil | Beady Long Legs | Man-at-Legs | Raging Long Legs | Burrowing Snagret | Pileated Snagret | Armored Cannon Beetle Larva | Decorated Cannon Beetle | Segmented Crawbster | Hermit Crawmad | Male Sheargrub | Female Sheargrub | Shearwig | Doodlebug | Iridescent Glint Beetle | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Cloaking Burrow-nit | Ravenous Whiskerpillar | Skitter Leaf | Careening Dirigibug | Swooping Snitchbug | Bumbling Snitchbug | Antenna Beetle | Anode Beetle | Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat | Greater Spotted Jellyfloat | Toady Bloyster | Ranging Bloyster | Wolpole | Yellow Wollyhop | Wollyhop | Creeping Chrysanthemum | Unmarked Spectralid | Honeywisp | Mitite | Gatling Groink | Mamuta | Waterwraith | Crimson Candypop Bud | Golden Candypop Bud | Lapis Lazuli Candypop Bud | Violet Candypop Bud | Ivory Candypop Bud | Queen Candypop Bud | Pellet Posy | Common Glowcap | Glowstem | Clover | Figwort | Dandelion | Seeding Dandelion | Horsetail | Foxtail | Margaret | Fiddlehead | Shoot | Burgeoning Spiderwort
Pikmin 3
Arachnode | Arctic Cannon Larva | Armored Cannon Larva | Armored Mawdad | Bearded Amprat | Bug-Eyed Crawmad | Bulborb | Burrowing Snagret | Calcified Crushblat | Desiccated Skitter Leaf | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Red Bulborb | Dwarf Orange Bulborb | Female Sheargrub | Fiery Blowhog | Flighty Joustmite | Hermit Crawmad | Iridescent Flint Beetle | Joustmite | Male Sheargrub | Medusal Slurker | Necterous Dandelfly | Orange Bulborb | Peckish Aristocrab | Pellet Posy | Phosbat | Plasm Wraith | Puckering Blinnow | Puffy Blowhog | Pyroclasmic Slooch | Quaggled Mireclops | Red Spectralid | Sandbelching Meerslug | Scornet | Scornet Maestro | Shaggy Long Legs | Shearwig | Skeeterskate | Skitter Leaf | Skutterchuck | Spotty Bulbear | Sputtlefish | Swarming Sheargrub | Swooping Snitchbug | Toady Bloyster | Vehemoth Phosbat | Waddlepus | Water Dumple | Watery Blowhog | Whiptongue Bulborb | White Spectralid | Wolpole | Yellow Spectralid | Yellow Wollyhop
Pikmin 4
Albino Dwarf Bulborb | Ancient Sirehound | Anode Beetle | Arctic Cannon Beetle | Arctic Cannon Larva | Aristocrab Offspring | Armored Cannon Larva | Baldy Long Legs | Bearded Amprat | Blizzarding Blowhog | Bloomcap Bloyster | Bogswallow | Breadbug | Bug-Eyed Crawmad | Bulborb | Burrowing Snagret | Chillyhop | Creeping Chrysanthemum | Crusted Rumpup | Desiccated Skitter Leaf | Doodlebug | Downy Snagret | Dwarf Bulbear | Dwarf Bulborb | Dwarf Frosty Bulborb | Dweevil | Emperor Bulblax | Enemy | Fiery Blowhog | Fiery Bulblax | Foolix | Freezecake | Frosty Bulborb | Giant Breadbug | Gildemander | Gildemandwee | Groovy Long Legs | Grubchucker | Hermit Crawmad | Horned Cannon Beetle | Hydro Dweevil | Iceblown Dweevil | Icy Blowhog | Joustmite | Jumbo Bulborb | Mama Sheargrub | Mammoth Snootwhacker | Mamuta | Man-at-Legs | Miniature Snootwhacker | Mitite | Moldy Dwarf Bulborb | Moldy Slooch | Moss | Muckerskate | Pearly Clamclamp | Porquillion | Puckering Blinnow | Puffy Blowhog | Pyroclasmic Slooch | Red Spectralid | Scorchcake | Shearflea | Shearwig | Shockcake | Skutterchuck | Smoky Progg | Snavian | Snowfake Fluttertail | Snowy Blowhog | Sovereign Bulblax | Spotty Bulbear | Startle Spore | Sunsquish | Titan Blowhog | Toady Bloyster | Toxstool | Tusked Blowhog | Venom Dweevil | Waddlepus | Waddlequaff | Waterwraith | Watery Blowhog | Wollyhop | Wolpole | Yellow Wollyhop
Hey! Pikmin
Adult Centipare | Armurk | Berserk Leech Hydroe | Blubbug | Bulborb | Centipare | Clicking Slurker | Coppeller | Crammed Wraith | Crested Mockiwi | Crumbug | Crystalline Crushblat | Electric Cottonade | Electric Spectralid | Electripede | Elongated Crushblat | Emperor Bulblax | Eye-Stalker Bulbeel | Fiery Blowhog | Fiery Blowlet | Fiery Dwarf Bulblax | Fiery Young Yellow Wollywog | Fireflap Bulborb | Fireflinger Groink | Firesnout Beetle | Flatterchuck | Flying Spotted Jellyfloat | Grabbit | Large Splurchin | Long Water Dumple | Luring Slurker | Male Sheargrub | Mockiwi | Muggonfly | Puckering Blinnow | Puffstalk | Puffy Blubbug | Queen Shearwig | Red Bubblimp | Seedbagger | Shearblug | Shearwig | Shooting Spiner (Female) | Shooting Spiner (Male) | Skutterchuck | Sparrowhead | Speargrub | Spiny Coppeller | Sporegrub | Spornet | Starnacle | Stony Flint Beetle | Stuffed Bellbloom | Swooping Snitchbug | Widemouthed Anode Beetle | Yellow Wollyhop | Young Yellow Wollywog
Families
Amphituber | Arachnorb | Breadbug family | Blowhog | Candypop Bud | Chrysanthemum family | Dweevil | Glowcap family | Grub-dog | Jellyfloat | Lithopod | Mandiblard | Mollusking | Snavian | Unknown Family



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