Editing Leader

'''Leaders''' ({{j|リーダー|Rīdā}}, lit.: "Leader"), unofficially also called '''captains''', are the characters the player controls in the {{pg}}. Leaders have the ability to lead a [[squad]] of [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]], and can command the squad through [[throw]]ing, [[whistle|whistling]], and other actions. Each of the 11 leaders in the series is an alien explorer with some role in the mission, with the exception of [[Oatchi]] and [[Moss]] who are space dogs. Some games have multiple leaders which can be switched between, allowing multiple squads to be managed at a time.

In {{p1}}, there is only one leader, [[Olimar]], an employee of [[Hocotate Freight]] who crash-landed on [[PNF-404]]. In {{p2}}, [[Louie]] is added as a second character, also controlled by the player; it is possible to switch between the two playable leaders by pressing {{button|gc|y|wii|-|switch|y}}. Louie is replaced by [[The President]] after the debt is cleared. In {{p3}} there are three new leaders: the engineer [[Alph]], the botanist [[Brittany]], and the crew's captain, [[Charlie]]. {{button|wiiu|y|wii|-|wiiu|pcy}} is used to switch in the original ''Pikmin 3'' and the [[action menu]] left and right is used to switch in {{p3d}}. {{p4}} has several playable leaders across its game modes. {{hp}} again features only Olimar as a playable character.

[[Puffstool]]s, [[Antenna Beetle]]s, mature [[Bulbmin]], the [[Scornet Maestro]], and Moss act as naturally occurring enemy leaders, in each of the four main ''Pikmin'' games, stealing the player's Pikmin or scouting with their own type of underlings.

'''Captain Olimar''', often simply called '''Olimar''', is the main character of the [[Pikmin series|''Pikmin'' series]]. He is the Hocotate Freight employee who discovered [[PNF-404]] and the [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]]. He is the captain of his personal ship, the [[S.S. Dolphin]], until it is sold to repay some of the debt at the start of ''Pikmin 2''. In ''Pikmin 3'', Captain Olimar is a non-playable character that appears later in the story. However, he is playable in [[Bingo Battle]] and certain [[Mission Mode]] stages. Olimar is also playable in the [[Side Story]] missions in {{p3d}}. In {{p4}}, he once again remains unplayable in the main story apart from a brief prologue, but is playable in [[Olimar's Shipwreck Tale]] and [[Dandori Battle#Dandori Battle mode|Dandori Battle mode]] (the latter only by the second player). He is the only playable character in {{hp}}.

[[File:P2 Louie Front View Clay Artwork.png|left|thumb|90px|Louie.]]

'''Louie''' first appears in ''Pikmin 2'' and serves as a partner to Olimar, commanding Pikmin as his sidekick. He is relatively new to the shipping business and has a ravenous appetite. He was raised by his [[Louie's grandmother|grandmother]], who made him play with bugs and eat them, from where it is assumed that his great affinity for cooking beasts in ''Pikmin 2'' comes. After gaining 10,000 [[Poko]]s, Louie is replaced by the [[President]]. In ''Pikmin 3'', Louie is salvaged a few times by the [[Koppai]] explorers. He is only a playable leader in a few [[Mission Mode]] stages, and when playing with two leaders per team in [[Bingo Battle]]. In {{p3d}}, Louie is also playable in the [[Side Story]] missions. As with Olimar, the second player can choose to play as Louie in Dandori Battle mode in ''Pikmin 4''.

'''The President''' is the owner of [[Hocotate Freight]], and is a playable character in ''[[Pikmin 2]]''. He is called "Shacho" in the Japanese [[Region|version]], which is Japanese for "President". After returning back to Hocotate after clearing the debt, the President becomes the replacement for Louie for the rest of ''Pikmin 2''{{'s}} duration. He is mentioned frequently throughout ''Pikmin 3'' and ''Pikmin 4'', such as in [[Olimar's Log (Exploration Notes)|Olimar's Log]] and [[Pikmin 4 voyage log|the voyage logs written by Olimar and Louie]]. There is a snow sculpture of him in the [[Distant Tundra]], and the Lucky Marble in Bingo Battle resembles his head. However, he is not a playable character in either game.

The space dog Oatchi is the second playable character in ''Pikmin 4''. Unlike the main player character, he cannot be customized, but his collar color will match the [[Rescue Corps]] suit color. He can be taught skills such as increasing his strength, allowing him to use the [[Go Here!]] function, or unlocking the ability to pluck. Just like the player character, he can call back Pikmin, but he uses a bark instead of a [[whistle]]. He can also throw Pikmin using his mouth. Instead of being able to [[charge]] or [[swarm]] Pikmin, he can dash forward in a "Rush", which damages and stuns enemies on impact while launching any Pikmin he is carrying at them.

 

 

 

 

Moss is a special enemy encountered in the [[Hero's Hideaway]] before the player has opened the entrance to [[Leafy Showdown]]. She will roam the floors of Hero's Hideaway and attempt to collect any Pikmin she finds. If she manages to whistle the player's Pikmin, they will jump on her back as she carries them off. Similar to confusion, the Pikmin will have purple clouds around their stems and cannot be whistled. To free the Pikmin, the player must damage Moss enough until she starts to run away, which will make her drop the Pikmin.

 

In [[Dandori Battle]] caves in ''Pikmin 4'', a red leafling commands Moss and his own group of Pikmin identical to how the player does: collecting [[treasure]]s, defeating enemies, and carrying those things to their own [[Onion]]. This leafling is later revealed to be [[Olimar]].

===Louie===

{{main|Louie}}

After the Rescue Corps defeats Olimar in [[Leafy Showdown]] and cures him, Louie finds the abandoned Moss and takes over Olimar's role as a Dandori Battle opponent.

However, in ''Pikmin 2'', Louie and the President are actually slightly taller than Olimar, which has a very slight impact in the gameplay. Clipping through the bridge near the [[Geographic Projection]] using the [[Napsack]]{{cite youtube|SafoGOWLIg8|showing how to clip through the bridge with the Napsack|m=9|s=7}} is considerably easier with Louie and the President, compared to Olimar. It can also be noted that in this game, the [[music]] switches from straight eight notes when controlling Captain Olimar to swing time when controlling Louie or the President.

In ''Pikmin 4'', [[Oatchi|Oatchi's]] capabilities are vastly different from that of the [[Pikmin 4 player character|player character]]. Oatchi can jump, rush, dig, carry objects, and follow scents. Pikmin in Oatchi's squad will ride on his back rather than trailing behind him, allowing Oatchi to transport Pikmin safely across water, cold areas, and [[sizzling floor|sizzling floors]]. However, Oatchi cannot [[charge]] or [[swarm]], and can only cross water and pluck Pikmin after being trained to do so. Oatchi also cannot use climbing walls, nor can he pass through iron bars or narrow tunnels.

When a leader loses all of their [[health]], they become unconscious. In ''[[Pikmin (game)|Pikmin]]'', the day ends and all [[Pikmin family|Pikmin]] that aren't in an [[Onion]] die. In the main stories of ''[[Pikmin 2]]'' and ''[[Pikmin 3]]'', this only occurs if all leaders faint; otherwise, the Pikmin that were with the fallen leader become idle, and the leader is moved to the [[Hocotate ship]] or the [[S.S. Drake]], where they stay until the end of the [[day]]. If a leader faints in ''Pikmin 2''{{'s}} [[Challenge Mode (Pikmin 2)|Challenge Mode]], [[Mission Mode]], and the [[Side Stories]], the mission or day will be aborted even if other leaders are still standing. If a player loses all of their health in [[2-Player Battle]] and [[Bingo Battle]], their opponent wins.

In ''Pikmin 4'' if a leader runs out of health, they will be teleported to the [[S.S. Beagle]] (or the [[Onion]] during [[Dandori Battle]]s), where they will slowly regain health. The other leader can stop the health regeneration and bring the leader back to life by pressing {{button|switch|a}} next to the knocked-out leader.

P2 Louie With White Pikmin Artwork.jpg|Clay art of Louie.

Oatchirender.png|Oatchi in ''Pikmin 4''.

*Leaders are on occasion referred to as captains by players. This might be because the term is often used to refer to certain leaders in the games. In reality, [[Olimar]], [[Charlie]], and [[Shepherd]] are the only known individuals to officially hold the title of Captain, and are referred to as such. Shepherd is notably too afraid of Pikmin to command them, making her a captain but not a leader outside the non-canon [[Dandori Battle]] mode.