Complex Parasite

The Complex Parasite, known alternatively as the Sinister Incinerator, is the final boss of Pikmin: Sinister Incinerator, and is found on the final floor of the Worlds Beyond. The Complex Parasite was created by an evil being, but most else about it is unknown. Because the parasite is rooted to a spot in the depths of an isolated abyss, it cannot easily obtain its energy source, dark spores, and without it, the creature can not continue to consume the roots of the great tree which grows above it. This tree is not the same tree seen in the Portal, and is a completely different tree referred to as the Spire of Being which holds everything together. Because it cannot obtain dark spores directly, the Complex Parasite relies on other creatures to pass on its own spores to the world above in order to spread its influence. The spores of the Complex Parasite manifest themselves in the form of Puffstools, which can, in turn, pass their own spores onto other creatures such as Pikmin. In this way, the Complex Parasite controls its own army to seek out dark spores throughout the universe and bring them back to obtain more energy and burn further into the Spire of Being.

The Complex Parasite is inspired by three different antagonistic figures in pop culture. The first is the Nidhogg, a beast of Norse mythology that consumes the roots of the World Tree, the tree that holds the universe together. In the myths, its hateful speech is carried to the rest of the world by a red squirrel. The Complex Parasite needs carriers to spread its spores in a similar fashion. The second is Giygas of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game EarthBound. The Complex Parasite could be thought of as the Devil's Machine from the game, whereas the being within that has lost its mind is not unlike the actual Giygas. The relation to Giygas also ties in with the Pikmin: Sinister Incinerator's abbreviation, PSI, which, in the MOTHER series, are psychokinetic abilities possesses by some characters. Lastly, the fight against the Complex Parasite is similar to the fight against the Meteor Parasite from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

The Complex Parasite's physical appearance is not the creature's true form, merely being a structure that contains its true essence. Before it developed its parasitic covering, the being itself was not dangerous at all. However, endless ages of being trapped within the parasite have made it grow tremendously powerful off the power of the dark spores it consumed. The parasite and the being within should be thought of as two different minds; the parasite focuses on consuming while the being has no mind left at all. The evil being made sure the parasite would focus on consuming. Without the Complex Parasite knowing, the evil being leeched every bit of power it held. At the time Olimar and Louie fought it, the Complex Parasite had only half of its highest obtained power. Olimar would not have been able to kill the parasite if its true power was still within it.

Reaching the Complex Parasite is a long and arduous journey, but fighting it is an even bigger challenge. The battle is anything but simple, explaining the creature's name. Note that the boss has more than one form. After you defeat a form, you can hop on the geyser and save, escaping the dungeon and return later to fight the next form with more Pikmin and supplies.

Immediately upon landing in a small chamber on the thirtieth sublevel of Worlds Beyond, the Research Pod warns the leaders that there is something extremely dangerous up ahead and that it might be wise to flee. However, it is too late to turn back now. After passing through the tunnel ahead, a massive tremor will knock Olimar, Louie, and their Pikmin down it, and a rockslide strands them from the Research Pod. With the tunnel now sealed, they press forward to face an enormous growth that occupies the entire central portion of the chamber they approach. A large root dangles from the chamber's ceiling into the mouth of the Complex Parasite, slowly burning it away from the bottom up. A strange appendage then emerges from inside its mouth, which ends in what appears to be a red eye, and serves as the creature's weakpoint. Upon spotting Olimar, Louie, and their Pikmin, the Complex Parasite will raise four tentacles from the ground. It slams these tentacles down onto Pikmin to crush them, but they may be attacked, which is necessary to advance in the fight. After a tentacle slams down, throwing Purple Pikmin directly on top of it will prevent it from rising and, after taking sufficient damage, cause it to disintegrate into several small bomb rocks. While taking down these tentacles, the parasite belches poison gas from its mouth which should be avoided. After all four tentacles are destroyed, the appendage will show itself once more and try to snatch Pikmin and pull them into the parasite's mouth. Coax the appendage into grabbing the bomb rocks that the tentacles disintegrated into. Once it pulls them inside its mouth, the boss will take severe damage and the tentacles will come alive again. The cycle repeats, but now the parasite belches adhesive in addition to poison gas, although Black Pikmin may be used to keep the adhesive at bay. Repeat the process a third time, and the Complex Parasite now belches deadly acid as well poison gas and adhesive. Coaxing it into swallowing bombs a fourth time will put an end to its first form.

In phase two, the appendage recedes into the Complex Parasite's mouth, and the creature itself starts causing tremors using the upper portions of what is left of its tentacles. Eventually, the ground crumbles and falls apart, causing Olimar, Louie, and their Pikmin to fall down and revealing the Complex Parasite's midsection. The ground is now littered with rocks and debris, which provides cover from the creature's attacks. The midsection of the Complex Parasite features countless skin flaps each housing appendages that emerge from them and have a crystal-like object at their tip. Throwing a Pikmin at a crystal when it swings by will detach it and cause it to fall to the ground. The Complex Parasite's main attack in this phase is to shock Pikmin and leaders with electrical lasers, which it fires with extreme efficiency and accuracy. As such, the recommended strategy is to split up Pikmin forces, having one leader take every available Yellow Pikmin to battle the Complex Parasite with and the other leader hiding behind cover alongside every other Pikmin type. Any laser that hits a crystal will be deflected at the Complex Parasite's skin, damaging the creature. The more crystals that are detached, the easier it will be to damage the Complex Parasite. Once the creature reaches one-fourth health, it begins to release from its midsection spores that turn Pikmin to Mushroom Pikmin, and when it does so a large portion of skin opens up at the area it will launch the spores from. Continue to coax the Complex Parasite into harming itself, and the creature's second form will die.

In the third and final phase of the battle, the Complex Parasite's midsection rumbles and then unleashes a blinding, high-intensity laser that destroys the ground and reveals the creature's base. The Complex Parasite should not be immediately focused on, however, as there are several tendrils that resemble nozzles and are attached to the creature, and they may spray water in such high volumes that it covers the ground and poses a drowning hazard to all but Blue Pikmin. Destroying the clogs present in the chamber will uncover holes in the ground into which water may drain. Evenly spaced around the Complex Parasite's base are four openings from which the eye appendage emerges. Attacking the eye will harm the Complex Parasite, but any Pikmin that are latched onto the eye when it turns blue and retracts will be devoured. The openings the eye emerges from are dangerous themselves, as fire often vents out of them. The eye has only a one in five chance to emerge from an active opening. After reaching three-fifths health, the Complex Parasite begins to fire explosive pellets from its openings at a rapid pace. These pellets flip around for half a second before detonating, and Pikmin cannot survive direct exposure to the blast. However, instead of firing a pellet, the Complex Parasite will fire a swarm of harmless Scatter Shrooms, which run around in confusion and fear before disappearing. Once the Complex Parasite reaches fifteen percent of its health, it uses its most dangerous attack, which is summoning Puffstools to aid it in battle. These Puffstools are openly hostile and willing to corrupt Pikmin and are dangerous to fight because of the mere presence of the Complex Parasite. Luring them towards an explosive pellet is an effective tactic that kills them quickly. Damaging the eye enough effectively paralyzes the Complex Parasite and causes the geyser to activate, allowing escape. However, the eye detaches and tunnels into the ground, leading to the Point of No Return.