Plasm Wraith
File:Pikmin3 AmenyuudouNeedleAttack.jpeg
Appears in Pikmin 3
Scientific name Unknown
Family Unknown
Areas None
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages None
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages None
Side Story days None
Bingo Battle stages None
Attacks Spew gold liquid
Crush Pikmin
Electrocute Pikmin
Drown Pikmin
Burn Pikmin
Eat Pikmin

The Amenyuudou (Japanese name) is the final boss of Pikmin 3, and is responsible for capturing Captain Olimar although it is still unknown why it captured him. It resembles an amorphous, ominous, golem-like being made completely out of a liquid golden substance (presumably stolen from the helm of The Ship). It is virtually featureless aside from a torso, two stumpy legs, short, asymmetrical arm-like structures that can stretch, and a hole in the middle of where its "face" would be, which seems to act as both an eye and mouth.

As with most final bosses, the path leading up to it, as well as the boss fight itself, requires knowledge and the utilization of every Pikmin type. 

First Encounter and the Chase

Just like in the first Pikmin game, the level the Amenyuudou is fought in (translated from japanese as "The Tower Of The Sorrowful Beast") is entirely devoted to its battle. Upon walking up the termitemound-like structure by the landing site, the player and their Pikmin will proceed to attack the small Amenyuudou in order to save the unconcious Olimar. The being will collapse into a lifeless puddle and the player can escape down into the nearby cave with Olimar. However, entering the game causes the being to shapeshift into a massive Goolix-like creature called the Amebouzu, which will chase the player down the chasm. The player must stay ahead of it while overcoming the various obstacles present within the chasm in order to safely escape. There are a few notes that the player should take at this point...

  1.  The Amebouzu is impossible to defeat or get around, so the player must always move forward.
  2. There are multiple paths the player can take, so take whichever is easier to overcome.
  3. Every enemy in the chasm are illusions created by the Amebouzu; when killed, they disintegrate into gold.
  4. The Amebouzu and the Pikmin carrying Olimar will always follow Brittany; this can be utilized to buy time.

After the player successfully escapes the chasm, they will appear in an arena outside. After the Amebouzu gets to the exit as well, it transforms into the Amenyuudou, inhales Olimar, and the final battle begins.

Strategy

When Amebouzu transforms into Amenyuudou and recaptures Olimar, it is best to call all your Pikmin and end the day, coming back the next so that you have more time for the battle. All types of Pikmin can be utilised for specific parts of the fight, although none are specifically required. You can take 20 of each Pikmin for the battle, although it may be better to bring 25 Reds, Yellows, Blues and Rocks, as Winged Pikmin will be the least useful.

Upon entering the arena, the Amenyuudou will begin slowly walking toward the player and their Pikmin. When close enough, it will extend thin, needle-like arms from its "shoulders" to skewer Pikmin and kill them. Rock Pikmin are immune to this attack. Throwing any Pikmin at its body will do damage to it. However, its health meter differs from all other creatures in the Pikmin world in that it is a beveled-gold color, rendering it more difficult to tell exactly how much health the boss has lost.

It will not actively attack Pikmin, instead, he will follow the captains and attack when they are close. You can seperate the captains as a distraction, with one captain handling all the Pikmin. It is unwise to attack it head-on, as he will not be phased by attacks, and can easily kill the Pikmin. Instead, throw just a few Pikmin at it, preferably it's backside, until it tries to shake Pikmin off by twisting it's body. This will cause gold liquid to fly off of its body. Throw Pikmin at the liquid, or free your Pikmin inside the goo, the latter  is not recommended however, as the Amenyuudou follows captains specifically, and Pikmin in range will be killed. The Pikmin will destroy the liquid, which will hurt it. As the Pikmin attack the gold liquid, throw a few Pikmin at it, repeating the process.

After a quarter of health is depleted, the boss will attack by spewing large masses of liquid gold onto the arena, then spitting out a solid cube of gold. The mass will form around this solid cube and take on the form of an element to guard it. If the boss spits out a cube, quickly call all Pikmin away from it. It has many forms, each of which can only be killed with certain Pikmin types...

  1. The gold will protect the cube in a bubble of water. Only Blue Pikmin can break it.
  2. The gold will turn molten and surround the floor with fire. Only Red Pikmin can break it.
  3. The gold will form a spike underneath the cube, setting it high up in the air. The cube will them generate an electric barrier around it and the gold. Only Yellow Pikmin can break it.
  4. The gold will turn into a glass cube that slowly tumbles around the stage, crushing Pikmin. Only Rock Pikmin can break it.
  5. The boss itself can also become airborne, a state during which only Winged Pikmin can reach it.

Once the elemental hazard has been destroyed, any type of Pikmin can be used to destroy the bits of gold matter still left on the floor. The more gold the boss uses, the smaller and faster it becomes. At this time, the boss will also be cabable of bringing gold liquid that is on the ground back to it. This does not affect the cubes. After a while, it is able to drop multiple cubes. Attack one at a time, and make sure there are no idle Pikmin near them.

After its health depletes by 3/4, the boss can become airborne. It can only be reached by Winged Pikmin in this state, but the boss usually stays airborne for 5-15 seconds. When airborne, it will not move from its spot, so as long as no Pikmin are near it, they will not be killed. However, it can turn around, even when attacking. It also cannot kill Pikmin directly under it. If the boss is hit with Winged Pikmin, it may fall down and struggle to get up, which can give you an opening for attack.

Once its health is down to red, you can give your Pikmin a Super-Spicy Spray and send all your Pikmin to attack It. Since the Onion is right beside the battlefield, you may go and deposit all your Pikmin, and pull out all your Red Pikmin and 5 winged Pikmin first, as Red Pikmin do more damage, and Winged Pikmin will knock it down from the air. When near death, it becomes very small in stature, and will hardly be able to attack your Pikmin. Once at its smallest size, it expells a gold cube, which dissolves to reveal Olimar inside, and the remaining gold on the floor crawls away and retreats back into the cave.

Videos

These videos are parts 1, 2, and 3 of the final battle.

Trivia

  • Even though the Amenyuudou is defeated, it is revealed to still be alive in the final cutscene. One can notice this because the small trail of gold-like remains after its defeat slowly moves away from the site.
  • The Amenyuudou and its previous form, the Amebouzu, may have been inspired by the Umibouzu, a Japanese cryptid that snatches treasures and captains from their ships, and then crashes the ships. Both creatures are described with similar appearances.
  • The Amenyuudou is the first final boss in the Pikmin series to have multiple phases.
  • The Amenyuudou bears a resemblance to the Waterwraith, a boss from Pikmin 2. It also takes the form of a Goolix, a boss from the first Pikmin game, at one point.
  • When idle, the Amenyuudou's right "shoulder" is longer than the left, making it the second abormaly-asymetic creature in the Pikmin series, the first being the Mamuta.

Gallery