| Waterwraith | |
|---|---|
| File:Waterwraith.jpg | |
| Appears in | N/A |
| Scientific name | Amphibio sapiens |
| Family | Unknown |
| Areas | None |
| Attacks | Crushes Pikmin |
The Waterwraith, writes Olimar, "may be the ectoplasmic incarnation of a kind of psychic phenomenon". It is found only in Submerged Castle (all sublevels), and in Bully Den in Challenge Mode. 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. The ship notes that although he could see it, his sensors said nothing was there, leading him to the conclusion that the Waterwraith's physical form is anchored in another dimension. When encountered in the Submerged Castle, but not in the Bully Den, its music will play - music that is played only then. The following is a sample.
The Waterwraith's name is a combination of water, given its watery appearance, and wraith, which means ghost or phantom.
Strategy
When encountered, the beast falls from the sky and moves around on its stone 'rollers'. It will chase Olimar and any Pikmin nearby, with greater focus on crushing the active Captain. It is invincible to any Pikmin assault, even if petrified, except that of Purple Pikmin. When a Purple lands on or near the Waterwraith in a fashion that would stun any other beast, it turns a deep shade of purple not dissimilar to that of the Pikmin that cause this state to come about, perhaps as a result of it being forced to become tangible. Like this, it is vulnerable to all Pikmin attacks. When the Wraith's health has been fully depleted, the rollers crumble and the Waterwraith will scoot all around the cave, no longer a threat to your Pikmin. Attack with more purples and then you can easily attack it with other Pikmin. When defeated, it will vanish into nothing, and you will be troubled no more. It drops the Professional Noisemaker, a useful addition to the Exploration Kit the first time you beat it in the Submerged Castle.
Strangely, petrifying the Waterwraith makes it less vulnerable to Purple Pikmin, in which case the Pikmin must be thrown in a perfect arch for enough impact to make the creature susceptible to attack. In other words, Purples make a certain "squashing" sound when they hit an enemy or a plant; when this sound is performed, a creature may also be stunned. These effects can only occur when the Purples have a straight fall downward after their throw (the distance in which they fall vertically is irrelevant, as long as it exists). Finally, when all these circumstances are achieved, the Waterwraith may gain damage; this will not happen when Purples are thrown on it without the drop.
Note: In the Submerged Castle, you will only be able to get purples on the last sublevel (5) via the Violet Candypop Buds.
In the Bully Den, you will already have 25 purples, but no other color of Pikmin. Here, there are two Waterwraiths and a variety of other bugs.
The Waterwraith is one of the few enemies in Pikmin 2 which has its own background music, along with the Titan Dweevil and the Giant Breadbug. In Sublevels 1-4, when it appears, its own music track plays. When it has no rollers, a different piece of music plays, which has a more positive mood.
“{{notes:enemy/{{{2}}}|block=y}}”
Petrification glitch
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.
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.
Movement glitch
Another glitch will occur. It is likely that this is caused by the Waterwraith's head coming into contact with the Research Pod after having lost its rollers. 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 previously to the glitch occurring determines whether or not it can be damaged once in this state.
Another Movement Glitch
Another glitch is known to occur when the Waterwraith just stays in one place, randomly switching directions. It can be seen in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGZ3OQ6h6qo