Emperor Bulblax
| Emperor Bulblax | |
|---|---|
| File:Emperorbulblaxroaring.jpg | |
| Appears in | Pikmin, Pikmin 2 |
| Scientific name | Oculus supremus |
| Family | Grub-dog |
| Areas | The Final Trial |
| Caves | Bulblax Kingdom Cavern of Chaos Hole of Heroes |
| Challenge Mode stages | Emperor's Realm |
| 2-Player Battle stages | None |
| Attacks |  : Eats/squashes Pikmin  : Eats/squashes PikminCauses Panic |
The Emperor Bulblax (ダイオウデメマダラ) is the second largest known species of the Grub-dog family right after the Empress Bulblax. It serves as the final boss in the original Pikmin game, dropping the last Ship Part needed to complete the game.
The Emperor Bulblax is different than most members of the Grub-dog family as it has a sludgy, melted appearance, smaller eyes, and a more flexible tongue. Moss grows on its thick hide in both games, giving its body a greenish color and serving as camouflage. In Pikmin, it also has what appears to be small fungi and ferns growing within its sludgy hide. Although these growths are missing in Pikmin 2, they are replaced by what appears to be rocks imbedded in its back.
This beast usually hides in the ground to ambush prey, catching it with its long, sticky tongue. Its soft face is its only weak point to attack, but since it doesn't discriminate much when eating things, it can be led to swallow something a bit less tasteful than Pikmin.
In Pikmin 2 it is significantly weaker than in the first game, but don't underestimate it long tongue. Oddly enough, in Pikmin 2, it actually has less health than the Fiery Bulblax.
Despite being the final boss in Pikmin, some players consider the Smoky Progg to be harder. This is because this boss can only be fought before Day 15, and you will have less experience at this point.
Notes
Ship's Log
"My radar indicates that a gigantic member of the bulborb species has swallowed the Dolphin's final part. Yet, how am I to attack this gargantuan beast? Testing the explosive power of the bomb-rocks the yellow Pikmin unearth may prove valuable..."
Reel notes
"This massive grub-dog buries itself when hunting."
Olimar's Notes
"The largest member of the grub-dog family is normally found buried in the ground, with only the stalks of its eyes exposed. This camouflage allows the predator to surprise smaller creatures and use its long, adhesive tongue to capture prey. The thick hide and angular hump give the organism a distinct rocklike quality. During the rainy season, moss grows freely on its hump, making it nearly impossible to distinguish this lethal predator from a stone."
Louie's Notes
"To prep the tongue for cooking, marinate in olive oil and chop into cubes. Stir in a pot with carrots, potatoes, and chives, cover, and simmer over low heat for several hours. Accompany this mouthwatering, rustic stew with a hearty roll."
Nintendo Player's Guide
"The Emperor Bulblax's most distinguishing feature is its huge purple tongue. If your Pikmin are anywhere near the boss's mouth when it unleashes the tongue, they'll be devoured. In some cases, you'll be able to entice the large creatures into consuming bomb-rocks, which will stun them."
Pikmin
The Emperor Bulblax is the final boss in Pikmin. It lies buried in the ground at The Final Trial in the center of the sandy arena north of the landing site, visible only by the mossy growth on its back protruding from the ground. When approached, the Bulblax will rear up and roar, knocking Olimar and the Pikmin back, and will then proceed to attack by licking Pikmin into its mouth with a large purple tongue. If Pikmimn are latched onto it or located under it, it will jump in order to shake off any Pikmin on it, and crush any Pikmin underneath. Once it reaches beneath 50% of it's maximum health, it will begin using another attack, jumping high up into the air, and eventually dropping onto your army of Pikmin.
Battle Strategy
When you enter the sandy arena, it is best to sneak around the patch of "moss", and take down the bramble gate behind it. Once destroyed, there will be many bomb rocks available to use found inside the strange pipe structures. Give them to your Yellow Pikmin, and dismiss them in an open area, where you can easily select one from the group. Bring your large army of Red Pikmin along with you as well, since they are the most powerful Pikmin. Awaken the beast by throwing a Pikmin onto the "moss" patch, and wait for it to ready its tongue for an attack. With proper timing, throw a bomb rock carrying Pikmin in front of it so that it will throw the rock into its mouth, stunning the Bulblax for a period of time. If the Pikmin gets consumed with the bomb rock, the stun will not last as long, so be careful.
Once stunned, throw your group of Red Pikmin onto the Emperor Bulblax's cheeks. Throwing Pikmin onto its back will bounce them right back off. When the Bulblax gets back up, it will hop into the air to shake off Pikmin. If there are no Pikmin under it, wait until it is in the air before your call your Pikmin back to maximize damage, otherwise, call them back before he jumps so that no Pikmin are lost. Keep repeating this process until the final boss has reached half health, where it will begin using its high-jumping attack.
Now you will have to be a little more cautious. You can tell whether or not the Emperor Bulbax will jump into the air if it is not drooling when it sees your Pikmin. If you see its eyes go wide open, flee from the arena, as that is an indicator that it is about to jump into the sky. If the Bulblax is drooling, proceed to use the strategy used before, and eventually the Emperor Bulblax will be defeated, regurgitating the Secret Safe from its mouth, and retreating into the ground, rewarding you with five 5 pellets of any color.
The Secret Safe is the final piece to the S.S. Dolphin, and required 40 Pikmin to carry, so come prepared!
Pikmin 2
In Pikmin 2, these beasts have the least amount of health of any boss in the game. They are much smaller in the sequel and are found only underground. Additionally, their hide is not very mossy, but the backside of the beast is still green and slimy, as well as invulnerable. This means that they are most likely juvenile. Unlike in the first game, their eyes are exposed as a form of camouflage, but emerge in the same manner, just without knocking back the lead captain.
They still eat Bomb Rocks in this game, but must be coaxed into doing so instead, since Yellow Pikmin no longer have the ability to handle those explosive objects. All other abilities are retained, except the jump, and the jumping phase. It is replaced by a roaring phase when the Emperor Bulblax is about a quarter until death, which causes other Emperor Bulblaxes to join the fight. The roar scatters the Pikmin as though there are Mitites, and draws existing Mitites out of the ground.
Battle Strategy
Strategy 1
By far, the quickest and best method of defeat is using Purple Pikmin: Lob them at the eyes, not whistling them, quick enough so the beast becomes defeated before it can retaliate. Only ten Pikmin are required for this quick and easy defeat. However, if Olimar or Louie go too close to the Emperor Bulblax, Olimar or Louie will get stunned by its jump, and will be unable to throw the Purple Pikmin. If the Emperor Bulblax has already emerged, Olimar and Louie can wait until it retreats back into its state of camouflage, or can throw Purples at it then, being sure that they hit the ground or the beast with an impact, stunning it and dealing massive damage. When it dies, the Emperor Bulblax spins around and roars, whipping gobs of saliva everywhere until it shrinks down to about half its original size for easier carrying.
Video
File:Pikmin 2 emperor bulblax
Strategy 2
Note: This works only on levels where there is water.
Strategy 2, which is specialized for levels where there are water, is the bomb-rock method. Take a the entire squadron of Blue Pikmin available with you to fight the Bulblax. Guide the Bulblax to a bomb-rock, and while he's eating it, spray your Blue Pikmin with the Ultra-Spicy Spray. Next, the Bulblax will be stunned, giving your blues the opportunity to utilize their increased power and deal massive damage on the Bulblax. Since the bomb-rock also deals damage, the Bulblax is capable of dying in one shot. If he's still alive after one attempt, use a second or third bomb-rock.
Strategy 3
Note: This solution can work only if you have Ultra-Spicy Spray and Ultra-Bitter Spray.
Use an Ultra-Spicy Spray on your Pikmin and use an Ultra-Bitter Spray on the Emperor Bulblax. So, you can easily attack the Emperor Bulblax.
Strategy 4
Possibly one of the safest, if most time-consuming, methods for defeating the Emperor Bulblax is to get one or two Pikmin and dash-throw them onto its face while it is still far enough from you so as to not pose an immediate threat and call them back when the Bulblax prepares to knock them off.
Locations
This creature is found on the last Sublevel of the Bulblax Kingdom, where the only larger specimen is; two are found on Sublevel 4 of the Cavern of Chaos and Sublevel 10 of the Hole of Heroes; and three are in the Emperor's Realm in Challenge Mode.
Gallery
Calling Pikmin back to safety.
Stunning the Bulblax with a Bomb Rock.
- Stunned Bulblax.jpg
The Emperor Bulblax being stunned and attacked in Pikmin.
The Emperor Bulblax in the Piklopedia from Pikmin 2.
An Emperor Bulblax being defeated in the last sublevel of the Bulblax Kingdom.
An Emperor Bulblax in Sublevel 4 of the Cavern of Chaos.
Emperor Bulblax hiding itself in Pikmin.
An Emperor Bulblax in Pikmin 2. Note the smaller size compared to the Emperor Bulblax from Pikmin 1.
The Emperor Bulblax hiding in the ground.
The Emperor Bulblax lashing out its tongue.
The Emperor Bulblax when defeated.
Emperor Bulblax in the enemy reel from Pikmin.
Trivia
- Captain Olimar's notes for the Emperor Bulblax say that moss and plants grow on its back in rainy seasons. In Pikmin 2, these beasts only appear in caves, which, added with the presumably younger age, might explain why so much moss is absent on the beast's back, as the moss only has the cave's moisture to grow with.
- The Emperor Bulblax's attacks and appearance may be based on the real-life frog. They both bury or immerse themselves with only their eyes and backs exposed while hunting, use their long sticky tongues to catch small things passing by (in this case, the Pikmin), they can both jump really high, and both make loud croaking noises.
- Its scientific name, Oculus supremus, translates to 'Supreme Eye': Oculus translates into eye, and supremus is similar to supreme. It is somewhat ironic considering Emporer Bulblaxes have the smallest eye of any grub-dog, tied with Fiery Bulblaxes' small eyes.
- 'Supreme Eye' could be intentional because of it sounding similar to 'I, Supreme.'
- Interestingly enough, the Emperor Bulblax is the final boss in Pikmin, but is among one of the easiest bosses in Pikmin 2.
- In New Play Control! Pikmin, the Yellow Pikmin don't drop Bomb Rocks when you call them, thus rendering a strategy obsolete. However, throwing a Yellow Pikmin directly at its nose will provoke them to throw the Bomb Rock into its mouth, stunning him longer.
- The Emperor Bulblax is one of the two creatures in the whole Pikmin series to have plant-life growing on the beast, the other being the Quaggled Mireclops.
- The Emperor Bulblax's tongue is shorter in Pikmin 2.
- In the Cavern of Chaos, there is a sublevel with a pool with 2 Emperor Bulblaxes. Go onto the smallest island after waking one up. It will attempt to use the tongue, only it will not wave, just poke out and go back in its mouth. Walk away and it freezes but if you go back on the island it keeps playing the walking animation but does not go anywhere.
- Olimar states that the creature reminds him of his boss. This creature ate the Secret Safe, which can also be seen as a similarity, as his boss tends to be extremely greedy.