This article is part of a directory: Pikmin 4: Complete Guide And Walkthrough
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The Pikmin franchise is one of Nintendo’s most unique IPs to date. This sci-fi adventure takes you on a journey through a strangely familiar land, but through a macro perspective, all while introducing new and unique creatures along the way.

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Throughout the games, you play as a brave explorer, rescuer, or treasure collector, as they lead a ragtag band of plant-animal hybrid creatures called Pikmin. There are a variety of Pikmin species, denoted by their different colors and appearances, each with exclusive skills and a different part to play in achieving your goals. Each new game introduces a few more Pikmin types, so we've organized all of them for you here.

Updated on July 23, 2023, by Branden Lizardi: A first for the series, Pikmin 4 is the only game to feature every single type of Pikmin. We've gone through and collected screenshots of each variety and have updated this list with new images to match that level of quality. Enjoy!

9 Red Pikmin

Red Pikmin in Pikmin 4

Red Pikmin are your standard warriors, the first (and perhaps most iconic) species you meet in the series. A stalwart of all three games, these crimson critters bring two major assets to the table.

Firstly, they’re more powerful than most regular Pikmin, capable of dealing greater damage. They’re the hardy warriors you’ll always want on your side when tough enemies are to be fought. Secondly, they’re immune to the otherwise devastating effects of flames. As such, they’re very useful for traversing certain areas and taking on certain fire-breathing foes (the original game’s Fiery Blowhog, for instance).

8 Yellow Pikmin

Yellow Pikmin in Pikmin 4

This curious species is encountered second in the series after you've come to terms with the Red variety and their quirks. In comparison, they’re less effective in battle, dealing average damage, but they also have some important advantages over the other Pikmin species.

In Pikmin, their unique traits were the ability to reach high ledges (Olimar could throw them further, thanks to their flappy ears), resistance to electricity, and the ability to handle bomb rocks, crucial for both blowing open new paths and causing extra damage to enemies. Pikmin 3 gave them another exclusive advantage: they’re much faster diggers than other Pikmin.

7 Blue Pikmin

Blue Pikmin in Pikmin 4

The final species Captain Olimar meets in the original game, the Blue Pikmin have very average traits in all areas, perhaps being the least unique of the original trio. As you’ve probably guessed, though, they have a certain ability that no other variety of Pikmin boasts: as water-dwellers, these little watery enigmas can happily swim!

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Water is otherwise fatal to Pikmin, meaning that (as with Red Pikmin’s fire resistance) certain areas in the game are accessible only to them. They can also rescue fellow Pikmin if they fall into the water, and it’s the most adorable thing you’ll ever see in your life.

6 White Pikmin

White Pikmin from Pikmin 4

The elemental-based gameplay and combat of Pikmin come into play again with the White Pikmin, which debuted in the second game. Rarer and harder to produce than the three original colors, White Pikmin bring intriguing new strategic options to the table. They both move and attack super quickly, which can come in handy when tackling highly mobile enemies. They can even find completely hidden treasure buried underground.

You shouldn’t be careless with them in battle, though, as they’re tough to produce in large numbers. Instead of being propagated from the Onion, they are made by throwing Pikmin into Candypop Buds. They are, however, highly poisonous critters, causing big damage to foes that eat them. Valuable team members to use with great care.

5 Purple Pikmin

Purple Pikmin from Pikmin 4

Purple Pikmin, which also made their first appearance in Pikmin 2, are a kind of polar opposite to the white variety. They’re the bruisers of the Pikmin ranks, the slowest, heaviest, and most powerful of all. Their great strength is also a big help when it comes to carrying plunder back to base, but they are also difficult to produce in large numbers and shouldn’t be used carelessly. Like the White Pikmin, they are not propagated from an Onion and need to be cultivated from Candypop Buds.

Save them for moments when their brute strength and resistance to knockback (their immunity to wind was also removed in Pikmin 3) will be most effective, and remember to plan for their lack of speed: they won’t be making any quick getaways if things go awry!

4 Rock Pikmin

Rock Pikmin from Pikmin 4

The remaining Pikmin species aren’t denoted by a specific color but are distinct varieties that need to be addressed anyway. To prepare you for Pikmin 3, let’s meet the Rock Pikmin! These odd-looking, rocky creatures appear in the third game, encountered just after the Red Pikmin.

They cannot be crushed by enemies (an insta-kill for other varieties in Pikmin 3) while also being able to smash obstacles and items that their brethren can’t. Throw in the heavy damage they deal when thrown (like Purple Pikmin), and you have a unique, powerful ally. They can’t grab onto enemies and continually hit them, though, so keep this in mind in combat.

3 Winged Pikmin

Winged Pikmin from Pikmin 4

It was only a matter of time before these little guys developed wings, wasn’t it? Winged Pikmin were also added to the mix with Pikmin 3, bringing another intriguing layer of strategy to the series.

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As you may have guessed, Winged Pikmin can fly. This gives them an enormous advantage, allowing them to completely avoid dangerous terrain and certain foes. Their attacks are weak, and they’re very vulnerable in battle, so you’ll want to be careful with them. But thanks to their aerial prowess, they can fly the treasure you find back to base in one quick, straight line.

2 Ice Pikmin

Ice Pikmin in Pikmin 4

Introduced early on in Pikmin 4 (right after the Red Pikmin), these chonky little guys are arguably the most element-centric Pikmin in the entire series. Like a few of the others, you can't produce Ice Pikmin from an Onion. Instead, you need to find them in the wild, almost exclusively in underground caves.

Their ice-cold bodies prove tremendously helpful, both in and out of combat. Their bodies float in water, so while they can't carry objects through it, they won't drown either. This is good because if you throw enough of them into a pool of water, you'll freeze it solid, allowing your Pikmin to cross. In combat, they apply their freezing effect onto the enemy, freezing them in place after they take enough damage.

1 Glow Pikmin

Glow Pikmin in Pikmin 4

Possibly the most unique of all the Pikmin, these ghostly-looking green guys are the main characters of a special mode in Pikmin 4. In this game, you can participate in nighttime expeditions, where you will discover Lumiknolls, sandy towers with a glowing core. These are the homes to Glow Pikmin. You need to protect the knolls, where you will be rewarded with Glow Pikmin Seeds, allowing you to use them in caves.

They fly, are immune to almost every damage type, and when you charge them, they combine into one large sphere of light. Releasing the charge will send the orb forward, crashing into the target enemy. They only reproduce by collecting glow pellets and bringing them back to the Lumiknoll. Their abilities make for powerful allies when exploring caves, but their dark-loving nature means you can't access them above ground during the day.

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