This page lists fan theories about the videogame series Pikmin.
The Umibozu Theory[]
According to this theory, from 2013, the theory suggests the Wraiths are targeting Olimar and his Pikmin for an unknown reason and intentionally causing passing ships to crash.
In Japanese mythology, umibozus are shadowy humanoid figures that live in the ocean and attack ships without warning to steal their treasure. They have shaved heads like Buddhist monks and are said to constantly pray, and in some stories are Buddhist monks who were thrown into the ocean instead of being given proper burials. It is usually believed that it will hunt down survivors of its attacks if it fails to obtain their treasure.
In Pikmin 1, the S.S. Dolphin inexplicably crashes into an asteroid and crashes onto PNF-404. I believe the asteroid itself was an umibozu, and that Olimar's ship is reasonably analogous to a boat. There is no explicit explanation for why the Dolphin's Guard Satellite failed to detect the asteroid, but it's possible that, like the waterwraith, umibozus are anchored in other dimensions and so cannot be detected by sensors.
In Pikmin 2, there is a boss called the waterwraith, which I believe is another incarnation of the umibozu, which by the events has gained more power as more pieces of it have fallen to PNF-404 (it is possible the asteroid Olimar hit was not the only/largest piece). If they are the same being, it would support the theory that the Dolphin simply couldn't detect the asteroid, as in this game Olimar's ship states that its sensors cannot detect the waterwraith. The waterwraith resembles an umibozu, being humanoid and watery, and, when attacked with purple pikmin, it kneels as if it was praying. Later, Louie is accidentally abandoned on the planet and forced to survive off its creatures. After he is rescued, the player can read his notes on every enemy in the game. They say that the waterwraith is inedible and causes spasms and insanity when eaten. The only possible way that he could know this is if he attempted to eat it. If the umibozu can indeed be split, this means that Louie possess part of its soul inside him.
