Waterwraith

Waterwraith
Appears in	Pikmin 2, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Amphibio sapiens
Family	Unknown
Areas	None
Caves	Submerged Castle, Engulfed Castle, Cavern for a King
Challenge Mode stages	Bully Den
Dandori Challenge stages	Trial of the Sage Leaf
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	None
Attacks	Crushes Pikmin

The Waterwraith (アメボウズ^?, lit.: "Candy/Rain Bouzu") is a boss from Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4, found in all sublevels of the Submerged Castle and Engulfed Castle, respectively.

It can only be damaged by Purple Pikmin's stomps, which are implied to emit gravitational waves in Pikmin 4; however, the entrances to both the Submerged Castle and the Engulfed Castle are flooded, making them impossible to bring along. Since Purple Pikmin are only obtainable in both caves' final floors, the Waterwraith is completely invincible and immune to attacks in the first four sublevels.

The Waterwraith is one of the few bosses introduced prior to Pikmin 4 that has its own unique background music, along with the Giant Breadbug and Vehemoth Phosbat. In the Submerged Castle, when it appears, as detailed here and here.

Stats

Game	Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1800	No
	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1800	No

Behavior

Animation of the Waterwraith standing still.

The Waterwraith is an exceptionally dangerous enemy; when active, it will roam the sublevel, relentlessly hunting down the Leaders and their Pikmin. It will crush both other enemies and Pikmin with its stone rollers for an instant kill, and typically cannot be hurt whatsoever without the assistance of Purple Pikmin or clever item use. When it appears, its rollers drop from the sky first, and then the creature proper, latching on to the rollers with its limbs. After a roar where it lifts the front roller and then slams it, it shakes itself to get ready to roll.

While active, it will wander the sublevel mostly at random, only paying particular mind to active leaders and Pikmin carrying treasure, which it will actively pursue when in sight. If a Purple Pikmin slams nearby, it becomes a tangible, solid purple and cowers in fear. After a while it will return to its intangible form, slam the front roller again, and continue moving.

When its rollers are destroyed, it will resort to walking on its own legs. When the player is close, it will immediately run away in a panic, sometimes stopping to catch its breath. When the player is at a distance from the Waterwraith, it will walk around randomly at a leisurely pace. If the player is sufficiently far enough away from the boss, it will stop walking altogether, and will instead stand in place; in this state (see right), it also occasionally turns around back and forth. In Pikmin 2, this elusive animation can only be seen by using the zoomed-out or ground-level camera settings, and by being on sublevel 5 of the Submerged Castle, since it is too dark to see that far away on the Bully Den. When attacked by Pikmin, it will eventually either shake them off or start running away. When the creature is finally dead, it starts bursting into chunks which fizzle in the air until the beast disappears entirely.

In Cavern for a King, if a Waterwraith with its rollers approaches one without, the rollerless Wraith will duck to let the other one over.

Unconventional damage

Typically, the Waterwraith cannot be hurt at all except for when a Purple Pikmin lands near it. There are however ways to cause it to become vulnerable, hurt, or even killed, but they require some setup and luck, and are likely not intended methods of damaging the beast.

In Pikmin 2, if a Waterwraith lands on top of a treasure, it will look like it's bouncing in the air. In some rare cases, it may slam onto the ground as it lands, possibly triggering its vulnerable status, making it possible to damage it before floor 5.

In Pikmin 4, it can be frozen with an ice blast or Ice Pikmin, and can be stunned with a lightning shock, but it will break free almost instantly. The player can however make use of the fact that frozen enemies instantly lose all their health if they are mid-air and fall. With careful positioning and timing, the player can prepare a mine and an ice blast, then throw another ice blast while directly in front of the creature as Oatchi. This will cause the Waterwraith to instantly freeze, and since it just started running over Oatchi's mine, it will be slightly airborne. The fall will make it lose all its health, meaning its rollers will be destroyed. After this it jolts backwards and if it lands on top of the mine and the first ice blast freezes it, it may again fall off the mine and instantly die. An easier alternative way is by breaking its rollers with an Ice Blast, but this time, relocate to a new spot to plant down the Mine(s). The Mine(s) should be placed (in a line and make sure they are close to each other) and then wait for the Waterwraith to come towards it. As it is coming, throw an Ice Blast close to the Mine(s), and provoke it to run at just the right moment so that it goes on top of the Mine(s) and gets frozen midair by the Ice Blast, dying.

Appearance

Its appearance is generally humanoid in shape, with the suggestion of a head, body, arms, and legs, but without distinct characteristics, and with 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 sapiens. When hit with Purple Pikmin, it instead changes to a solid, somewhat shiny purple color. Its rollers are cylinders made of stone, with small holes on the sides for the Waterwraith's limbs to go into. These holes are in the center, except for the back roller's holes in Pikmin 4, which are positioned closer to the rims. This is because in both games, the Waterwraith moves its legs around the roller to make it look like it's pedaling a bicycle.

The Hocotate 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. This is implied further in Pikmin 4, where both Olimar and Dalmo describe the creature's watery form as "nonexistent".

Locations

As stated before, the Waterwraith appears in all 5 sublevels of the Submerged Castle in Pikmin 2 and the Engulfed Castle in Pikmin 4. In the first 4 sublevels, it will drop from the ceiling after a five minute period. In the 5th and final sublevel, it will only fall when in range of its spawning point, similar to other bosses.

Once defeated in the Engulfed Castle, it will not respawn in any sublevel of the cave, and on revisits will replaced on the final floor with a swarm of Mitites.

The Waterwraith only appears a few time outside of its caves. In Pikmin 2's Challenge Mode, two Waterwraiths will spawn in the Bully Den when the seconds counter falls to 270, leaving only 30 seconds for preparation. In Pikmin 4, one can be found in the final story of the Trial of the Sage Leaf, The Purple Key. And, much like Bully Den, two will spawn immediately in sublevel 16 of Cavern for a King. These are, however, intended to be fought with Purple Pikmin.

Strategy

The Waterwraith in the Piklopedia.

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

While wandering

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 helpful with learning the layout of a sublevel and in undoing heavy losses.
• A cloud of dust is visible behind the Waterwraith, allowing you to keep better track of it.
• Pikmin 4's Pikmin are significantly faster than their Pikmin 2 counterparts, making it significantly easier to complete tasks while avoiding the wraith.
• 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.
• In Pikmin 2, the Waterwraith can be petrified just as any other creature can, 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. 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 while it's petrified.

The following tips can also be used for its appearances in the Story Modes of the games it appears in:

• You should collect treasures as quickly as possible and avoid spending time to collect 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 allows leaders to more easily outmaneuver the Waterwraith. In Pikmin 2, the Solar System also helps to illuminate distant areas, allowing easier tracking of the wraith.
• In Pikmin 4, due to the Engulfed Castle's Waterwraith never respawning after being killed, you can ignore all the cave's treasures and rush to the final floor to kill the wraith, making collecting the cave's treasures easier, allowing you to take as much time as you want due to the lack of any Waterwraith.

Battle

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 could stun any other beast, it turns a deep shade of purple, that in Pikmin 2 is colored not too differently to that of the Purple Pikmin themselves. In this state, it is vulnerable to all Pikmin attacks. When the Waterwraith's health in this form 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, when it is killed.

In Pikmin 2, the Waterwraith's rollers can be both damaged and swarmed when it is stunned, allowing a very speedy dispatch of the Waterwraith's first phase. In Pikmin 4, despite the Waterwraith's rollers completely crumbling upon the end of its first phase, nothing can damage its rollers while it's stunned, making attacking the wraith's body the only option of attack.

With good timing, you can keep the Waterwraith stunned by continuously pelting the creature with Purple Pikmin, all the while making sure to whistle them back to your side soon after they land to prevent from getting shaken off and knocked down.

Notes

Ship's dialogs

“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 ectoplasmic 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?”

Olimar's notes (Pikmin 4)

“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 ectoplasmic 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 (Pikmin 4)

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

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!”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“The anxious 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.”

Pikmin Garden

Text

“透明な飴状の粘体で、ヒトのような姿をしている。2つの円筒形の岩を両手両足で転がし、執拗に獲物を追い回す。目撃例が少なく、捕獲されたこともないため不明な点が多い。

特徴 その1 透明な体

液体でも固体でもなく、あらゆる生体反応を計測できない。

(Image text: 強い衝撃を与えると、不透明の紫色になる)

特徴 その2 ローラーのような石

玄武岩質で、ニッケルやコバルトなどのレアメタルがわずかに含まれている。

(Image text: 手足をひっかける穴が開いている)

特徴 その3 二足歩行

二足で立って歩くこともある。”

Translation

“It looks like a human with a transparent, candy-like viscous body. It relentlessly pursues its prey by rolling two cylindrical rocks with its hands and feet. Since there have been few sightings and it has never been captured, there are many unknowns.

Feature #1: Transparent body

Neither liquid nor solid, and no biological reactions can be measured.

(Image text: "It turns an opaque purple color upon strong impact.")

Feature #2: Roller-like stones

Basaltic, containing small amounts of rare metals such as nickel and cobalt.

(Image text: "They have holes for attaching the hands and feet")

Feature #3: Walking on two legs

It may also stand and walk on two legs.”

Glitches

The Waterwraith while sitting on petrified rollers.

The following article or section is in need of assistance from someone who plays Pikmin 2. Particularly: Confirm these and add them to the glitches page.

The Waterwraith is the cause of a few glitches in Pikmin 2.

• Struggling Waterwraith: by petrifying the creature on the Piklopedia just as its archive is opened, and then petrifying it again just as the rollers break free will result in only the rollers getting petrified, but not the boss.
• Sliding Waterwraith: By switching between a leader close to a vulnerable Waterwraith and to a leader far away from it, the creature will be seen stuck in the same pose, but moving around like normal.
• 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.
• In Bully Den, the Waterwraiths will never pay attention to Louie, when playing in 2-player mode. This can result in a rollerless Waterwraith to casually walk or even stand still near Louie, instead of panicking. It can still be attacked by Louie, though.
• In Pikmin 2's Piklopedia, it is possible for the Waterwraith to roll out-of-bounds.

Technical information

Creature

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			blackman
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	1500
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	50
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.2
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.25
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.01
fp06	速度	Move speed	80
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.04
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	300
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	10
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	50
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	700
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	250
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	0
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	250
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	0
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	50
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	30
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	15
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	30
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	15
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	0
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	100
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	3
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	0
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	0
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	70
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	50
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	30
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	10
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0 (0%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	60
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Shake mode 1 – hit count	10
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	5
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	13
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	6
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	16
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	9
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	20
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	ポッド移動速度	Unknown (roller speed?)	20
fp02	逃げ速度	Unknown (running speed?)	250
fp03	逃げ回転速度率	Unknown (rotation speed rate while walking?)	0.2
fp04	逃げ回転最大速度	Unknown (max rotation speed while walking?)	30
fp05	2段階速度	Unknown (second stage speed?)	120
fp06	2段階回転速度率	Unknown (second stage rotation speed?)	0.04
fp07	2段階回転最大速度	Unknown (second stage max rotation speed?)	3
fp11	歩き速度	Unknown (walking speed?)	50
ip01	2段階へのタイマー	Unknown (time until second stage?)	0
ip03	ドシン停止タイマー	Unknown	200
ip04	逃げ停止タイマー	Unknown (walk time?)	200
ip05	連続逃げタイマー	Unknown (running time?)	200
ip06	つかれ停止タイマー	Unknown (rest time?)	200

Rollers

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			tyre
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	1800
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	50
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.2
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.25
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.01
fp06	速度	Move speed	30
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.1
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	300
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	30
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	50
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	700
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	0
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	0
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	150
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	0
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	50
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	30
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	15
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	30
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	15
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	0
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	100
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	10
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	0
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	0
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	120
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	50
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	10
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	10
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.05 (5%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	60
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Shake mode 1 – hit count	1
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	1
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	2
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	2
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	5
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	3
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	10
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	回転スピード	Rotation speed	25

Other information

• Size: Roller width: 112mm, as per the e-card
• Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #78
• Pikmin 4 Piklopedia number: #107
• Musical theme:
  • Pikmin 2: Waterwraith
  • Pikmin 4: Waterwraith

Naming

• Common name: Waterwraith. The name is a portmanteau of "water" and "wraith", where a "wraith" is a spirit, or a ghost.
• Japanese nickname: アメボウズ^?. ボウズ^? translates to "Buddhist Monk", however this is in fact alluding to the Umibōzu, a water spirit that sinks ships, resembling the silhouette of a monk. アメ^? translates to "candy", referring to the creature's hard candy appearance, per Olimar's notes, and also the fact that the majority of the treasures in the cave are candies. To note is that 雨^? means "rain". Though it is not used to describe a texture in the same way "candy" is being used, it may be referencing the Waterwraith's habit of falling from the sky.
• Japanese name: ヤマトアメビト^?, lit.: "Yamato Candy/Rain Person".
• Scientific name: Amphibio sapiens. Amphibio is similar to the English word "amphibious", and sapiens references the scientific name for humans, Homo sapiens. This can be construed as both a reference to its humanoid shape, as well as it being essentially "living water".
• Internal names: Its internal name in Pikmin 2 is blackman. The "man" part is naturally because of its human-like frame, and "black" is presumably due to the fact that it can turn purple when attacked by Purple Pikmin – during development, Purple Pikmin were much darker and given the name "black". Interestingly, the names of the creature's animations inside the game's files refer to it as "Kagebōzu" (かげボウズ^?), which means "Shadow Bouzu". This indicates that, during development, the Waterwraith's Japanese name was meant to be different. Interestingly, there exists another type of yokai known as Oonyuudou, described as an unclear shadow or a giant rather than a monk, if it was originally called shadow, it may be in reference to this other yokai. Pikmin 3's Plasm Wraith is named after this other yokai in the Japanese version, アメニュウドウ^?, lit.: "Candy Nyuudou". In Pikmin 4 its internal name was changed to AMEBOZU.
• Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	アメボウズ? Ame Bouzu	Candy/Rain Bouzu
Chinese (traditional)	膠雨小子	Plastic Rain Guy
Dutch	Fantoomwals	Phantom (Steam)roller
French (NoE)	Spectreau	Portmanteau of "spectre" (specter) and "eau" (water).
German	Wassergespenst	Waterwraith
Italian	Spettro d'Acqua	Water Specter
Korean	비유령	Rain Ghost
Portuguese (NoA)	Hidrospectro	Hydrospecter
Spanish	Espectro acuático	Aquatic specter

Gallery

Pikmin 2

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  Artwork of the Waterwraith from Pikmin 2.

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  The Waterwraith appearing in Pikmin 2.

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  The Waterwraith in Pikmin 2 as seen from behind.

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  The Waterwraith's physical form in Pikmin 2.

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  The Waterwraith tired out after running a long distance in Pikmin 2.

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  The Waterwraith taking on its physical form in the 4^th sublevel via hacking Purple Pikmin into the level.

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  The Piklopedia icon of the Waterwraith in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 4

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  Artwork of the Waterwraith about to slam its front roller down from Pikmin 4.

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  Two Waterwraiths that have gone down the same path towards each other in Pikmin 4.

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  The player character being chased down by two Waterwraiths in Pikmin 4.

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  The Waterwraith as it appears in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.

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  The Waterwraith taking its physical form in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.

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  The Waterwraith as it appears after its rollers have been destroyed in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.

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  The Waterwraith taking its physical form after its rollers have been destroyed in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.

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  A frozen Waterwraith.

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  A frozen Waterwraith without its Rollers.

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  A Waterwraith with its rollers destroyed on sublevel 16 of Cavern for a King near the S.S. Beagle.

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  The Waterwraith in Engulfed Castle approaching the player.

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  A defeated Waterwraith falling to the ground in the Piklopedia, just before bursting into dark liquid.

Other

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  The Waterwraith's e-card, #63 (16^th red card).

Trivia

• The Waterwraith is one of three enemies to not appear in the Wistful Wild or any of its caves, the others being the Giant Breadbug and the Toady Bloyster. All three can be found in the Perplexing Pool.
• The Waterwraith seems to be related to the Plasm Wraith, in both appearance and name. In addition, a possible translation for the Japanese common name of both is "Candy Priest".
  • The Waterwraith is mentioned in Olimar's Piklopedia entry for the Plasm Wraith in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, though it just highlights how they are different.
• In the Pikmin 2's files, the Waterwraith's model contains a dummy texture that reads "fb dum". This is a dummy texture applied to the model before the framebuffer is used to texture it:
• In Pikmin 2, if Purple Pikmin are forced to appear in the cave earlier than sublevel 5 and the Waterwraith is defeated then, it will still drop the Professional Noisemaker. Despite this, the treasure will not be detected by the radar until the showdown with the wraith in the final floor; this is likely to prevent the spot where the Waterwraith falls down from on each floor from being marked to the player as a spot where treasure is.
• The helpless phase of the Waterwraith, along with the Giant Breadbug and the Titan Dweevil, are the only bosses in Pikmin 2 that have their own boss theme.
• If the player reaches the final floor of the Submerged Castle before the Waterwraith makes its first appearance, the boss battle will play out as usual, and the ship will not trigger the cutscene to declare it a danger.
  • This is not true in Engulfed Castle, however; after reading Olimar's voyage log on the creature, Collin will state there must be a way to beat it instead of telling the player to run away.
• In Pikmin 4, the Waterwraith can be frozen while still in possession of its rollers with means other than Ice Blasts - a Snowy Blowhog can freeze it if it happens to blow cold air when the Waterwraith is passing by. This is only naturally observable on the 10th sublevel of Trial of the Sage Leaf.
• According to the Pikmin Garden website, the minerals found in the Waterwraith's rollers are also found in the meteor seen in the first two games. However, as the same website states these minerals to be nickel and cobalt, this may just be coincidence.

See also

• Plasm Wraith

References

This article was a featured article from March 24th to September 23rd, 2010.