Editing Empress Bulblax

|image      = Pikmin Garden Empress Bulblax render.png

|namecustom  = ''Oculus matriarcha'' (''Pikmin 2'')<br>''Oculus kageyamii matriarchia'' (hypertrophic, gravid) (''Pikmin 4'')

The '''Empress Bulblax''' ({{j|クイーンチャッピー|Kuīn Chappī|Queen Chappy}}) is a [[boss]] in ''[[Pikmin 2]]'' and ''[[Pikmin 4]]''. Its markings and general features are similar to those of the [[Bulborb]], but its body is much larger and composed of five distinct segments; the comparatively tiny legs dangle above the ground.

Unlike most [[boss]]es, its behavior is different each time it is encountered. In the [[Hole of Beasts]], it must be woken up before battling, rolling from side to side to crush any [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] under its weight. In the [[Frontier Cavern]] (as well as the [[Emperor's Realm]] in [[Challenge Mode (Pikmin 2)|Challenge Mode]]), it will already be awake and giving birth to [[Bulborb Larva]]e. In the [[Hole of Heroes]], it does the same while also causing [[boulder]]s to fall when it hits a wall.

|seeds4 = 50<ref group="note">This enemy cannot be delivered to Onions in-game. This information is obtained from the in-game [[Piklopedia (Pikmin 4)|Piklopedia]].</ref>

=== Dalmo's notes ===

{{transcript|The striking polka dots along that expansive hide provide the very image of royal splendor. While that regal presence essential for queenly quality might throw you off your guard, her grand, lumpy figure has more than just visual impact. When provoked, this charmer will roly-poly over and squash any threats! Approach with the utmost caution!|block=y}}

=== Olimar's notes (''Pikmin 4'') ===

{{transcript|Initial observations placed doubt on the capability of the Grub-Dog family to support a strong ant-or beelike social structure, but recent studies show the family is capable of such complexity for brief periods when certain external parameters are met.

 

The egg sac of the largest female Grub-Dog within a given range swells to dramatic proportions in response to environmental changes, such as the sudden depletion of prey species. These females temporarily take on the role of pack matriarch.

=== Louie's notes (''Pikmin 4'') ===

{{transcript|For a sophisticated delicacy, make a pâté de foie gras from this massively obese creature's liver and spread it over a sesame cracker.|block=y}}

=== ''Pikmin 2'' Nintendo Player's Guide ===

===''Pikmin 2''===

To defeat the Empress Bulblax, [[throw]] (preferably [[Purple Pikmin|Purple]]) [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] onto its face and call them back before it throws them off. After shaking Pikmin off, the boss rolls from side to side across the chamber in an attempt to [[Crushing|crush]] its aggressors, smashing into walls, and making rocks fall from the ceiling in most encounters in the game. Although risky, the Bulblax can be [[ultra-bitter spray|petrified]] if the spray is released on the middle of its elongated torso.

When going for the quickest kill possible, (using a captain to bait the Bulborb Larvae away if necessary) swarm all Pikmin against the side. For a safer strategy, c-stick throw the Pikmin at the head and wait for the beast to roll completely. Repeat 3-5 times to win the battle with no losses.

===''Pikmin 4''===

The strategy for the Empress Bulblax are largely the same in ''Pikmin 4'', but it should be noted that [[Rock Pikmin]] are near-flawlessly effective against the beast, as they are immune to crushing and cannot latch onto the boss, which makes it impossible for the Empress Bulblax to throw them off. Rock Pikmin are reccomended for both their appearances in [[Kingdom of Beasts]] and [[Cradle of the Beast]]. Rock Pikmin come at the disadvantage of dealing only half the damage they typically do against the Empress during their regular headbutts, it is more efficient to leave Rock Pikmin to rack up risk-free chip damage while more damaging types like [[Red Pikmin]] or [[Purple Pikmin]] focus on beating the beast. A [[rush]] from a large number of Rock Pikmin also makes for an excellent opener to the fight, but be warned the Empress will begin rolling immediately if you do this. Rock Pikmin are also surprisingly effective against the Empress' [[Bulborb Larva|children]] due to their ability to deal damage immediately on contact instead of having to latch on and attack.

 

It should also be noted that Pikmin thrown off of the empress when she rolls will typically almost always be thrown forward to safety if thrown onto her face, this (combined with the existence of Rock Pikmin) makes it possible to maximise damage output by attacking the empress during her roll, instead of sitting idle during her only attack. If the player deals enough damage while she is rolling, the Empress will more quickly begin rolling again after stopping, making this strategy extra risky (but coming with the benefit of giving her no time to spawn more larvae). Using a combination of Rock Pikmin and Purple Pikmin will help take advantage of the small windows where the Empress stops rolling using their heavy contact damage, particularly Purple Pikmin deal quite a lot of damage to the beast.

 

In the final cave of the game, [[Cavern for a King]], an Empress Bulblax is encountered on one of the deeper floors, and is fought in a square arena exactly as large as the Bulblax, necessitating the constant use of [[geyser]]s to dodge its attacks, as well as having to contend with falling [[boulder]]s and [[Bulborb Larva]]e. This is the trickiest and toughest fight against it in the entire franchise if played as expected, particularly since it is unlikely that the player will have access to Rock Pikmin during the encounter. It should be noted that there is an exit located at the rear-end of the arena, which can allow for an easy escape without having to deal with the typically tricky geyser timing. The player can attack it from the rear with a rush while mounted on [[Oatchi]], recall their Pikmin before it rolls, and simply exit the arena. This can take some time, but is considerably more reliable than other strategies.

The quickest way to defeat it without items is as-intended, tackling it head-on (or side-on) by constantly swapping sides of the arena to dodge the attacks. [[Rush Boots]] are heavily reccomended as otherwise the window for dodging the attacks is very slim, be wary of Bulborb Larvae also as they can easily pick Pikmin off of Oatchi's back. When it comes to attack the boss when it stands still, hitting it with a rush of all your Pikmin will leave a dent in the Empress's HP. Alternatively, throwing Purple Pikmin can be a less risky, more precise method to piling on lots of damage at once. Another quick way is to simply use items, stunning the boss or chipping its HP a little with bombs before sending in an entire squad of Ultra-spicy sprayed Pikmin will typically be enough to beat it before it can even react.

 

If the player is struggling especially hard with the Cavern for a King variation of this boss, or brought [[Winged Pikmin]] with them to quickly beat several other bosses, the player can simply attack the boss from behind since Winged Pikmin do not mind the ledge. Ultra-Spicy Spray makes this strategy even more reliable. The player should take care, however, as falling boulders can still hit them from below.

 

 

In the [[Pikmin comic]] strip "Too Stuck to Pluck", an Empress Bulblax tries to pull a [[Red Pikmin]] into its underground nest while the [[Pikmin 4 player character|new Rescue Officer]] pulls it in the opposite direction.

The Empress Bulblax appears as a trophy in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.  

}}  

The Empress Bulblax appears as a Primary Spirit in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' after enhancing a [[Bulborb|Red Bulborb]] spirit. Its unique trait allows fighters to gain a large boost to their overall stats upon eating a food item.

|piklopedia = 70

|piklopedia4 = 14

|music2     = ''[[Music in Pikmin 2#Common boss battle|Common boss battle]]''

|music4      = ''[[Music in Pikmin 4#Boss battle (cave)|Boss battle (cave)]]''

|size       = Body length: {{mm|480}}

|scientific = ''Oculus kageyamii matriarchia'' (hypertrophic, gravid). ''Oculus kageyamii'' is the scientific name of the Bulborb species, and ''matriarchia'' being similar to the English word "matriarch", which is the female leader of a community. 'Hypertrophic' relates to {{w|hypertrophy}}, but since there is no mention of the Empress Bulblax suffering from hypertrophy it could simply be in reference to its size, such the [[Titan Blowhog]] and [[Blizzarding Blowhog]]. 'Gravid' simply means pregnant. Before ''Pikmin 4'', the scientific name was simply ''Oculus matriarcha''.

|prerelease = In the [[Unused content in Pikmin 2|unused early English script]] inside ''Pikmin 2''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s files, Olimar refers to the Empress Bulblax as "Queen Bulborb", a straightfoward translation of the Japanese nickname, and the species name is misspelled as ''matriarhca''.{{cite web|https://tcrf.net/Pikmin_2/Early_English_Script#Empress_Bulblax|Pikmin 2/Early English Script|The Cutting Room Floor}}

* The creature resembles a real-world {{w|Termite#Caste system|pregnant queen termite}}.

* In ''Pikmin 2'', the Empress Bulblax's specific epithet, ''matriarcha'', indicates that it is considered a different species from its offspring, the Bulborb Larvae (''bambinii''), which is a biological impossibility. ''Pikmin 4'' corrects this by updating the specific epithets of both the Empress Bulblax and the Bulborb Larvae to that of the Bulborb (''kageyamii''), establishing that they are all different forms of the same species.