The President

The President
Name	The President
Gender	Male
Age	Adulthood (over 50 years old)
Eye color	Black
Hair color	Black
Home planet	Hocotate
Known related characters	Wife
Height	1.9 cm (0.75 inches)
Voice actor	Kazumi Totaka (Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 Deluxe)
First game	Pikmin 2
Latest game	Pikmin 4 (mentioned)

The President (社長^?) is the owner or co-owner of Hocotate Freight, and a playable character in Pikmin 2. He also plays a minor role in Pikmin 3 Deluxe during the Olimar's Comeback side stories. In Pikmin 4, he is depicted in both Olimar and Louie's logs.

Although the President was not seen until Pikmin 2, he was alluded to by Olimar in his daily journal entries in the first game. The only known family member is his wife, who occasionally sends messages to him.

Appearance and personality

Physically, the President has a single strangely shaped black tuft of hair, a black spacesuit, and a yellow backpack. Unlike Olimar, the President is larger, and his nose is smaller.

The President is known to be immensely greedy, wanting money more than anything else. He also is quite uncaring, as he immediately sends Olimar off to repay the debt in Pikmin 2, not even giving him a chance to see his family. He also can be selfish, giving the gold-plated Hocotate Ship a plush chair and TV for himself, while Olimar's seat remains unchanged.

Despite this, he immediately chooses to go to PNF-404 to save Louie, despite the immense danger, though the idea of finding more valuable treasure likely influenced his decision. In addition, he complements Olimar and Louie greatly in the side stories of Pikmin 3 Deluxe when they complete a mission, especially with a platinum medal. The President's most caring moment is shown in the Treasure Catalog notes on the Gigaton Bag, where Olimar says that one of his first missions was to deliver a satchel full of coins to his wife, which is why Olimar remains loyal to the President and thus Hocotate Freight despite everything.

Biography

Earlier life

When he was younger, the President used to live in a small shed. If what he claims is true, he used to be an important name back when he was Louie's age.

In Pikmin, Olimar references him in various entries for ship parts and daily logs, in which he is simply referred to as "boss".

The debt

He runs into financial trouble after Louie, a new employee, shipping a supply of the very valuable Golden Pikpik carrots, is reportedly attacked by a ravenous space bunny who is said to have devoured the entire cargo of carrots. The President takes out a large loan to reimburse the loss of the golden Pikpik carrots, and has no way of repaying the enormous debt. He sells off the only company asset, Captain Olimar's ship, the S.S. Dolphin, in Olimar's absence, but it only makes a small dent in the enormous loan, as  × 10,100 are still owed.

This, occurring after the events of Pikmin, surprises Captain Olimar who just returned to Hocotate. He is so surprised by the news, in fact, that he drops a souvenir he brought back from his adventure for his son. The souvenir, a bottle cap, is collected by the ship, which then evaluates the item as a treasure and worth  × 100, reducing the debt to an even 10,000. The President then orders Olimar and Louie to recover more treasure so that the debt is repaid.

During their absence, the President sends periodic letters to the duo. He eventually discovers that the loan came from the All-Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks instead of Happy Hocotate Savings & Loan, and goes into hiding from the loan company's threats, temporarily living under a bridge, and eating grass to survive. Eventually, he gets caught, and is threatened with death.

During the events of Pikmin 2's story, it is revealed that the President is over 50 years old. Assuming The President started working at the company at least after he was 10, he's probably over 60 years old. Additionally, Hey! Pikmin reveals that The President is older than Olimar, who is somewhere in his adulthood.

In Pikmin 3

At an unknown point after the events of Pikmin 2, the President squandered his newfound fortune on a failed business venture, consequently ordering Olimar and Louie to collect more treasure from PNF-404 to pay off Hocotate Freight's debts once again. He does not appear in person, having supposedly gone on vacation.

In Pikmin 3 Deluxe

In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, the President plays a minor role in the Side Stories mode. In it, following Olimar's rescue from the Plasm Wraith, he and Louie inform the President that they abandoned the Hocotate ship. Furiously, the President demands that they go back to PNF-404 to retrieve it. While not appearing directly, his correspondence provides hints for the player in the day select and loading screens, and will also comment on the player's final score at the end of each level.

Traits and abilities

The President, determined to save Louie.

The President displays many of the same abilities of Olimar and Louie. His spacesuit consists of the suit he wore while on Hocotate (or one that looks identical), a helmet, and white gloves. His life-support backpack is also yellow, and his antenna bears the same blue light as Louie's. His whistle sounds more like a car horn than a regular whistle.

Significance

The President is the main source of mail in Pikmin 2 before the debt has been paid off, his news getting worse as he finds out that the lending agency he actually used was the All-Devouring Black Hole Loan Sharks, as opposed to Happy Hocotate Savings and Loan, and goes into hiding.

After the debt is erased, Louie is left behind on the planet, and the President goes to help Olimar find him (albeit with the intent of collecting the planet's remaining treasure). When switching to him while playing after that, he calls himself "Chachō", from ル・チャチョー^?, which is said to be his real name in Japanese materials, and is a play on 社長^? (lit.: "company president"). He becomes a playable character from then on, and permanently takes Louie's place as a Pikmin leader. His wife says in some pieces of mail that she is "the REAL boss" of the company, which is confirmed by the President's bio on the Pikmin Garden website.

In Pikmin 3, he is seen in various different Data Files that explain controls and other mechanics. Oddly, he has a yellow suit in the files, where he has a black suit with a yellow backpack in Pikmin 2. He is also referenced in some of Olimar's logs, such as comparing a similar looking snowman in the Distant Tundra, in which the nose is an Iron Ball which can be pushed out of place. Likewise, in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, he is referenced in Olimar's Log Vol. 2, with one actually being a message sent by him complaining about Olimar's lack of updates. He also cameos in Bingo Battle as the "Lucky Marble".

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The President appears as a trophy and a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

	Description: “The president of Hocotate Freight. After venturing into space in his youth, he made a shipping company. When it almost collapses after Louie's incident, and Olimar comes back from the Pikmin planet, the president discovers the outstanding value of Olimar's souvenir. He then sends his employees back to collect valuable treasures. His treatment of employees is questionable. Pikmin 2”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Fighter Related

Profiles

e-card

• Text: “ホコタテ運送の社長。経営センスはゼロだが、社員のケツをたたく馬力は宇宙一。無駄で非効率な計画でも、はたらくのは社員だからへっちゃら。でもダメなヤツほどにくめない。きっと長生きするタイプ。”
• Translation: “The president of Hocotate Freight. He has zero management sense, but the most horsepower in the universe to encourage his employees to work hard. Although his plans are pointless and inefficient, he is not bothered because his employees are the ones who do the work. But as hopeless as he is, he is hard to dislike. He is the type that will probably live a long life.”

Pikmin personality test

Text

“あなたの性格は…

社長です。

自分の気持ちに素直なのがあなたの長所。他人をグイグイ引っ張っていくエネルギーは誰にも負けません。

でも、もう少しだけ、他人の気持ちを考えたほうがいいかも。”

Translation

“Your personality is…

the president.

Your strength is that you are honest about your feelings. Your energy in leading others is second to none.

However, maybe you should think a little more about other people's feelings.”

Pikmin Garden bio

Text

“ホコタテ運送社長

ル・チャチョー

出身星 ホコタテ星

ホコタテ運送の社長。お金に目がなく人使いが荒いが、どことなく憎めない性格。若い頃は宇宙をまたにかける大冒険家だった。

関係者 妻（ホコタテ運送の大社長）

趣味 お金もうけ

夢 ホコタテ運送を宇宙一の会社にすること”

Translation

“President of Hocotate Freight

Ru Chachō

Home planet: Hocotate

The president of Hocotate Freight. He loves money and works his employees hard, but he somehow has a hard to dislike personality. In his youth, he was a great adventurer who traveled throughout the universe.

Related persons: wife (grand president of Hocotate Freight)

Hobbies: making money

Dreams: making Hocotate Freight the greatest company in the universe”

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	社長? Shachō	President
Italian	Il presidente	The president
Spanish	Le président	The president

Real name

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ル・チャチョー? Ru Chachō	From 社長? (lit.: "president")
Chinese (traditional)	路‧查綽 Lù Cháchuò	From Japanese name	Used in the Pikmin Garden website.
Korean	싸장님 (Pikmin 3 Deluxe) Ssajangnim 사사장 (Pikmin Garden) Sasajang	Mr. Ssajang Sasajang	From 사장 (president)

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of the President in his spacesuit.

• 

  Ditto, side view.

• 

  Ditto, diagonal view.

• 

  Render of the President in his spacesuit.

• 

  Side artwork.

• 

  Artwork of the President squinting.

• 

  The President and Louie in the intro cutscene of Pikmin 2.

• 

  The President in the intro cutscene of Pikmin 2.

• 

  An upset president from the intro cutscene of Pikmin 2.

• 

  The President saying he will go with Olimar to find Louie.

• 

  The President in a cave.

• 

  The President's cameo on the Distant Tundra, from an early version of the game.

• 

  The President as seen on the Exploration Notes. Note that this is the only depiction of him where he is colored yellow.

Trivia

• According to the official Nintendo website, the real name of the president is "Ru Chachō". He also signs his name as "Chachō" in the Japanese version of Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
• The President is one of three leaders with facial hair, the others being Captain Charlie, and the rookie Rescue Officer if the player chooses to give them a moustache.
• If the player takes a long time to repay the last part of the debt in Pikmin 2, the President will get caught by debt collectors, though this does not cause anything else to happen.
• When switching to him in Pikmin 2, The President will say his name, like Olimar and Louie. However, unlike them, his Japanese name is not the same as his English name.
• In Olimar's voyage log, he mentions his boss was in charge of the Pilot Union. It is not known if he is referring to the President.

Name call after switching leaders, in Pikmin 2.

See also

• Hocotate Freight
• Side Stories
• Poko
• Olimar
• Louie