Talk:Pikmin family

Page talk

Are the different colours sub-species or separate species of the same family? I would have thought separate species which mean an article title like Pikmin (family) or preferably just Pikmin would be more suited to the page. Discordance 01:54, 30 December 2006 (UTC)

any1 got a pic of the purple & white pikmin like the red yellow and blue are(leaf,bud,flower stages in one pic?)

I second that. I think this page should go the way of the Breadbug Family. —Jimbo Jambo

I never really thought of this like a family of creatures before, but I suppose it is. I think it should be moved to Pikmin Family too.GP

I might not have either were it not for the Bulbmin's notes. By the way, sorry about the Red Pikmin thing. I didn't read your revision and I thought "Above Average" was another result of two years of the page being edited by the general public that was just copied into the template. Weird things can get written under those circumstances. —Jimbo Jambo

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2004/10/22

The other species article (since deleted) had things added from the above page. Those were competition entries DO NOT add them here. I've only posed the link here because it's fun to read. Discordance 18:43, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

I don't think the species names of the Pikmin are entirely accurate. I checked both games' in-game text, both manuals, the official Pikmin site, and never found scientific names listed. Google searches just came up with encyclopedia pages similar to this, just with somewhat less credibility. Whoever came up with the names probably just took the scientific names of Candypop Buds and changed the genus name to Pikminicus. I hate to be a spoil sport, but if the names don't come from an official source, they probably shouldn't be listed on the pages... —Jimbo Jambo

No, your right. These are made-up names. I rather ignored it, since they would most likely be the name given to the Pikmin if they would have them. Momentarily, I see no reason to keep this.--Prezintenden

Actually, the scientific name for a Bulbmin is Pariteus Pikminicus, but I don't know if I spelled Parasiteus or whatever right.Pikdude 00:24, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Actually what? We know the scientific name of Bulbmin already, but it doesn't tell us anything about the names of the colored Pikmin. —Jimbo Jambo

It tells us that the last part of their scientific name in Pikminicus.Pikdude 02:08, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

A scientific name is a combontation of something's genus name (generic name) followed by its species name (specific name). Pariciticus is the Bulbmin's generic name, where pikminicus is its specific name. Scientific classification works kind of like a tree, where the species would be the tip of the branch. To put it into perspective, humans (Homo sapiens) are in the same family as orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus and P. abelii), gorillas (Gorilla gorilla and G. beringei), and our closest relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes and P. paniscus), but of course have different scientific names, since we don't belong to the same genus. You're right, though, it's very possible that the colored Pikmin have "pikminicus" in their scientific names (they could all even have the same specific name if they belonged to different genuses), but we can't say anything of the sort until they're named by an official source. —Jimbo Jambo (By the way, be sure to click the link. You sound like you're into this kind of stuff, and where better to start than scientific classification?)

First of all, I don't beleive in evolution from apes. That kind of offended me. Second, oh, I just got them mixed up. Big deal, MARIO ROCKS! LUIGI ROCKS! MARIO, LUIGI, AND PIKMIN ROCK MORE! That was an entirely personal quote.Pikdude 12:19, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

since we don't belong to the same genus

Yeah... He (I assume from the name?) never said we evolved from apes. However, it is most likely that both apes and humans have the same ancestors from which we and they descend from.

Also, I am most certain that it is Parasiticus. Unlike Pariteus, it really is a Latin word.

What's up with your "personal comments/quotes" anyway? I'd find it best if you would show your, uh, passion on your own page.--Prezintenden

Once again, I don't think that i'm allowed to state what I beleive in in case it offends other users, but let's just say that I don't beleive in us being even close to monkeys, apes, ect. Also, that was the first personal quote i've made here.Pikdude 21:02, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

What, are you a creationist or something? Why on earth would stating so offend someone? I'm actually amazed that what I said offended you as if it were racist or something. You don't have to believe in common ancestors, but it's a bit surprising that you're trying to argue anything on this page when the entire classification system being used is based on common ancestry. Even if you don't like the idea of us being related to other animals, humans are still classified as being a part of the same family, so it's a valid example. ...And Prez wasn't scolding you or anything, talk pages are for personal comments, but what you said wasn't related at all. I could say "I LIKE GARLIC ON PASTA," but that doesn't contribute to the discussion. It's just kind of...weird. —Jimbo Jambo

That depends, is a Creationist a person who beleives in one God who rules the world with truth and grace and sent Jesus down to die for us and made the world and-Pikdude 21:56, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Look it up. Creationists believe, in a nutshell, that God created all life-forms in the beginning exactly as they are today, whereas evolutionists believe that life changed and adapted to different environments over time. You can believe in God and evolution, and you can believe in creationism without God. It has nothing to do with Jesus or grace, just with genesis. —Jimbo Jambo

Okay, that's me.(but i'm a Lutheran)Pikdude 22:13, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

hey people, not trying to be picky but isnt pikmin both singular and plurle? i mean when you say "pikmins", dose it realy sound right?Rocky0718 00:55, 17 April 2008 (UTC)rocky0718Rocky0718 00:55, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

It is, but in that case it was both plural and possessive. I dunno though, you're still right. —Jimbo Jambo

I was looking back at this page, and I now have the knowhow to get into a theological argument with Jimbo Jambo. It is not possible to believe in both evolution and creation, evolution directly contradicts creation. That kind of compromise is the thing that the ELCA churches are doing, who by the way, now allow woman and gay pastors.Pikdude 16:41, 29 September 2010 (EDT)

To be fair, I said it was possible to believe in God and evolution, not necessarily creationism. But you're right, creationism is at odds with evolution. As usual though, the argument isn't always black and white. There are people who believe that God only created the first life and allowed evolution to shape it, taking creationism out of its classical sense to explain how we got here but not why we look as we do. —Jimbo Jambo 16:59, 29 September 2010 (EDT)

Parental figure

I wouldn't call that idea "flawed." There isn't really anything to suggest that Pikmin see Olimar as anything but another Pikmin, and the very fact that Pikmin imitate him seems to be proof to the contrary. No, we've never seen Pikmin in the wild play follow-the-leader, but we've only really been able to catch a tiny glimpse of wild Pikmin behavior. Maybe the Pikmin don't have leaders but follow Olimar anyway because his beacon is somehow attractive or fulfills some deeply-rooted psychological need, sort of like how s seagull chick would rather peck a large piece of red construction paper rather than the red spot on the beak of a realistic seagull head to beg for food. I'm not saying for sure it's true, but I wouldn't discount it just because Olimar doesn't look identical to Pikmin. —Jimbo Jambo

I was thinking that too but I also think they almost see him as a guardian "angel". ~Crystal_Lucario~ 21:35, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

I think because of Olimar's antenna the pikmin (mistaking it for a stalk) consider him another pikmin (maybe like an emporer or something}

An idea commonly held by fans

The introduction alone is the perfect death sentence IMO. I have to agree with Ocolor.--Prezintenden

I only wrote that to appease Hippo, but he's being too childish to acknowledge it. Admittedly there is a bit of speculation going on, but I think in this case it's backed enough to make it worth mentioning. Bulbmin: they look exactly like tiny Bulborbs, yet they're treated by Pikmin as their own. Why? The only noticeable difference is the stalk. Olimar: looks absolutely nothing like Pikmin, and there's no way his body is giving off some kind of chemical signals either, and yet Pikmin not only don't attack him, but treat him as their leader. Why? You guessed it, the antenna. It's not like I'm saying that's the only possibility, but so far the only competing idea I've heard is something along the lines of "PIKMIN AND OLIMAR IS BEST FRIENDS! ^____^" —Jimbo Jambo

No, they like bulbmin because they are pikmin. And, the theory that Pikmin like Olimar because he tricks them completely takes the magic out of the game. IAMAHIPO_ocolor 17:51, 25 July 2008 (UTC)

"Because they are Pikmin"? Um, duh? But what about them being Pikmin cues the other Pikmin into accepting them? If I somehow jumped inside the body of a cow and took a walk down the street, people wouldn't say "Oh look, there's a person inside the body of a cow," they'd say "Look! A cow!" Also, what's so magical about a swarm of barbaric plant hybrids slaughtering animals and wiping areas clean of natural resources? It's true that the game does have a certain cutesy feel, but there's nothing cute about the daily struggle for survival in this hostile world which the game portrays. —Jimbo Jambo

If I may suggest an alternate theory, so you can hear one: The Pikmin follow whoever picked them (or whoever they were ordered to follow by whoever picked them; the reason any pikmin picked by one captain doesn't rebel against the other). Captain Olimar is always a constant; they remember that they are to obey him, and Olimar is able to command the Pikmin to follow his partner. The only time where he isn't around is when Louie picks his first pikmin, in which case they'd obey Louie since Louie picked them (and later receive the command to obey Olimar when they reunite). The Pikmin could also follow whoever defeated their leader; a reason bulbmin follow Olimar but only after the big bulbmin is defeated. -71.172.64.71

If Pikmin really did exhibit that kind of behavior, animals would very quickly evolve the behavior of plucking and eating the naive Pikmin. —Jimbo Jambo

The only creatures that has the arms to pluck pikmin are the Snitchbugs (which could plant the pikmin to uproot them when it feels hungry), the Smoky Progg (which does uproot and eat pikmin), Careening Dirigibugs (which are claimed to be foreign and do not eat Pikmin anyway), and possibly Pikmin, Antenna Beetles (which can control Pikmin without plucking or stem...) or Mamutas (which feed only on seeds (or fruit), a possible reason for the ability to make the pikmin flowers instantly). Other creatures either don't have appendages, appendages too short to pluck pikmin, or the inability to grasp the Pikmin seed's stem using its appendages. -71.172.64.71

You don't need arms to uproot something, you can use your mouth just fine if you know what you're looking for. It seems to be like a lot of enemies would and should have the ability to eat Pikmin out of the ground, especially things like Sheargrubs which naturally live underground, but of course it would be frustrating for the player if they could; the only enemy that actually has that ability is the Progg, and Pikmin most definitely do not follow it around as if it were their leader. —Jimbo Jambo

Do the pikmin have the opportunity to follow the Progg? -71.172.64.71

Well, they don't die immediately. Admittedly, I've never observed them that closely since it was kind of obvious what would happen, but I imagine that Pikmin uprooted would either instantly go idle or rush to attack the Progg depending on how close they are. —Jimbo Jambo

Doesn't Olimar suggest in one of the games that he thinks the reason is the antenna? Or am I imagining? If so, that could be made the introduction to the sentence.GP

"Parental figure" is a direct quote. He doesn't say anything about his antenna, but it's so prominent that it can easily be inferred. —Jimbo Jambo

So how about... "Olimar belives the Pikmin see him as a parental figure of sorts." Errr... Forget it... I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

Says that already. —Jimbo Jambo

Right... I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

Okay, since Antenna Beetles have no similar antennae, it must be their whistles that make the Pikmin follow them; therefore, is it not reasonable to assume that the captains' whistles play a large part in this, and that touching the Pikmin to select them was only added for sake of gameplay?GP

They come to him when he whistle so yeah, it just makes sense... I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

The beetle's whistle attracts and pacifies them, but they attack as soon as it stops. Also, I think it's worth noting that Pikmin don't immediately attack Olimar as soon as he picks them out of the ground, before he can whistle at them. The whistle plays a big part, but it's not the only thing stopping them from attacking him. —Jimbo Jambo

The big bulbmin are attacked like other enemies, despite that the big bulbmin has a leaf. Shouldn't the Pikmin be unwilling to attack the big bulbmin if the leaf/orb is the reason the pikmin don't attack Olimar and the small bulbmin? -71.172.64.71

I have though about that, and I think the adult Bulbmin's size plays a roll in that. Way up above where we look down on the game from, we can clearly see that adult Bulbmin are large versions of the babies, but from a Pikmin's point of view, all you can really see giant frog mouth eating all your buddies; either that, or the urge to fight or flight brought on by the image of a hungry Bulborb simply overpowers whatever the Pikmin feel or think when they see the leaf. We also don't know how large a Pikmin's field of vision is, so even though nothing about this is for sure, it's possible that Pikmin can only see certain details at any given time and don't see the world as the "big picture" like we do. —Jimbo Jambo

Really the entire argument about parental figures brings into question how Pikmin operate in the wild independently. When Olimar first discovers the Pikmin onion it's clear that they aren't doing so hot, as the onion is deactivated and almost bereft of Pikmin. But by the end of the game, they appear to have learnt to attack and hunt fully grown bulborbs while they're awake! And this appears to have carried on into 2 where you find the blue Pikmin hunting wogpoles.

The stem theory is precarious though, because if the Pikmin followed Olimar merely because of his identification beacon then there'd be no way for him to order them to attack, carry objects, dismiss them into groups, etc. As far as I can tell the Pikmin must have some kind of rudimentary psyche that can recieve and interpret orders from certain frequencies, and the stem serves as an antenna. This is both why the Pikmin will follow the Antenna Beetle (disrupts Olimar's frequency) and the Puffstool (Spore covers stem and sends false orders). I'm wary to use bulbmin as an example, as their following the parent may just be bulborb instinct overriding the pikmin behaviour as their hunger does. - Spastico

Olimar commands the Pikmin with his whistle, we can see that. The problem with Olimar commanding the Pikmin via radio signals is, besides the obvious unlikelyhood of any animal evolving the ability to pick up super low-freq radio waves, that unless the Pikmin had some way of interpreting complex commands, the orders he gives them could be no more complex than those he could with his whistle. I think the fact that Pikmin sing when in a swarm indicates that Pikmin use sound (in addition to visual and possibly chemical signals) to communicate with one another and keep the swarm organized. As for the antenna beetle, well, it fits pretty perfectly into both ideas, but Olimar's notes do mention its roar. —Jimbo Jambo

Or maybe, Crazy as this sounds. They follow him for the sake of gameplay and there is no REAL reason... I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

Or maybe the mention of 'frequency' has nothing to do with radio frequency; but rather, audible sound. And if you listen to the whistle upon different commands - X, B, C - they sound different. Though, Olimar's pretty lucky to have just chosen the right sounds that the Pikmin react to when ordering them to do something...GP 12:36, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

Wait, Spastico, are you talking about the radio or what? —Jimbo Jambo

Well yes, when I meant frequencies I was talking about Olimar's whistle, as that's how he gives the bulk of his orders, but then again it's possible his whistle is a subset of his radio which is why it can only be "heard" by his pikmin and other crewman. No other creature reacts to his whistle asides from Pikmin, and when he blows it, his identification beacon emits electrical sparks. -Spastico:

So unnnoticed... <.< I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

I would imagine that the sparks are just a neat visual effect, like the ring of lights the whistle creates on the ground, and as for why non of the enemies are bother by the whistle....well, I can't actually think of a reason other than the programmers did that intentionally so the player wouldn't attract the attention of every vicious beast on the map while trying to collect things. —Jimbo Jambo

And that brings us back to my theroy I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message.

It applies to some things, but the game has so much depth that I think it would be silly to assume that everything which can't be immediately explained must not have any real reason. —Jimbo Jambo

I see... I'm ~CrystalLucario~ And I approve this message. 10:59, 4 September 2008 (UTC)

I just think that the pikmin see Olimar as a parental figure and that they are attracted to him and/or Anntenna Beetle because of the sound frequency,and that they attack enemies and carry things simply by instinct. also, on their own, the pikmin were found hunting minor enemies, and the only reason they can kill boss-type enemies when they are controlled by a captain is because that would be an organized attack. as a reason the whistle doesn't bother enemies, maybe pikmin have some sort of frequency-detecting organ that enemies dont. As to why pikmin do certain other things,I'm with GP on that one. -random creepy guy

Okay, time for my intrusion in this debate. While random creepy guy does bring up some good points, I must point out that 1. The pikmin were found attacking minor enemies AFTER Olimar's first visit to the pikmin planet, a vital difference. I think that the pikmin are smarter than we give them credit for, and that they aren't acting solely on instinct. Olimar certainly represents something more than a leader to the pikmin; it is certainly possible that he is a parental figure to each and every one of them; it is also possible that once the player reaches a population of several thousand pikmin that Olimar becomes a much exaggerated and awed figure in their society, obtaining godlike status among the pikmin.Pikdude 16:13, 25 December 2010 (EST)

Onion theories

I for one are verey interested is the multi coloer onins at the end of pikmin1.Have any opinyos on them?--Last Onion 02:33, 7 December 2007 (UTC)

At the beging of pikmin1 the red yellow and blue onions were dormant But at the good ending the player would see many active multi coloer onions in the atmospher, so what dose this say about wild pikmin.

also thoughs Onions,where did they come from.And what realy are they? If you distroy the onion you distroy there sorce of repodution.If pikmin come from onions whar do onions come from?

Could it be that its the onion that is the true speaces and the pikmin are just its mind les apndeges?Think about it: the pikmin dont seam to sleep ,eat,and might get an energy reacharge inside the onion.All the nuterance gets stuffed into the onion,ther by feeding it.How else would it know to make a singe pikmin sprout.And lift on at night.

Butt that brings up onion reprodution of wich im cluless. --Last Onion 14:30, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

I suppose it's possible that the Onions are the same species as their respective Pikmin, but have different genes activated. How a living thing will look and behave doesn't just depend on what's written in its genetic code, but also on which genes are "turned on" or "turned off." It's possible that hormonal changes early in a seed's development could cause it to grow into a new Onion instead of a Pikmin. Heck, Candypops are supposed to be related to Pikmin. Suppose the Candypops were stray Pikmin seeds that tried to propagate in areas with abnormal light levels or soil conditions, and through some ancient evolutionary adaption, changed their growth accordingly.

I read somewhere that pikmin are from the family Pikminicus or something. And Olimar wonders about something I wonder too- where do pikmin get their energy? And about the talk about the Onions, I think that they're like the queens(and maybe kings) of a pikmin coloney, like ants and bees. (It would be kind of stupid to make those links, although the Secret Insects at the Wistful Wild could use one- wait, just made it.) My theroy is that certain pikmin seeds are produced by an Onion close to death. These seeds are the ones that will grow into Onions. If this was the case in the game, the Onion would only produce one. And about the Candypop Buds, the pikmin probably have some sort of symbiosis with them.Pikdude 20:23, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Oh, and, do any of you think that pikmin might get a recharge inside the onion?Pikdude 20:25, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Idea! Seince the pikmin are so close to flowers, is it possible that a Candypop Bud is actually a fully matured pikmin? I mean, the only growth stages that a pikmin goes through is the leaf-bud-flower cycle, and that couldn't be a complete life cycle(you can make them skip the bud stage with Nectar).Pikdude 20:32, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Yes, but what would be below the flower? I mean, you can't have a giant pikmin. Although, that would be kind of cool.Mariomaster 21:02, 2 January 2008 (UTC) [Bowser: "Butterfly, butterfly, how I want to crush you into pulp between my jaws and massacrate you." That was an entirely personal comment.

The pikmin, except it's arms and legs would have turned into some kind of root thing. Similar to Bulbmin.Pikdude 21:22, 2 January 2008 (UTC)[Oh, so "I'll stomp you into space bits!" wasn't good enough for you?]

Yes, very similar to Bulbmin. And, it might be possible that Pikmin use Photosynthesis.Mariomaster 21:38, 2 January 2008 (UTC)[Yes, "I'll stomp you into space bits!" didn't actually seem very good.]

Ah, yes, photosynthesis! Very good, Mariomaster.Pikdude 21:51, 2 January 2008 (UTC)[I detect a Super Mario Galaxy player. Welcome to the club, mate. See you on my talk page.]

Hmmm... Lets say candy pops are some sortof advast stage of a pikmins life cycle. A pikmin would plant its self, its limbs would then become roots, and its flower canges to mach the pikmins color and grows to massive size. Then whar would Qween candy pops come from, Bulbmin perhaps? Last Onion

I don't doubt that Pikmin photosynthesize, but photosynthesis itself doesn't produce a whole lot of energy. The reason plants are able to pull it off so well is because most of them lead completely sedentary lives. Of course it's just a video game, but realistically, creatures as tiny and as active as Pikmin would need to eat quite a bit every day just to survive, and not to mention the water they would require. I think it's likely that most of their food comes from the Onion, which probably puts aside a certain amount from every kill the Pikmin bring back to it (while the rest goes to making new seeds).

Ah, but what if the Onions used photosynthesis? That big of a flower should be able to produce enough energy, plus, it leads a totally(well, almost, they fly away with you but that's a defense mechanism) sedentary life. Plus, when they're up in space the sun can still reach them, so they would have quite some energy stored up. That and the Pikmin useing photosynthesis should chock up about-if I have to use a storage unit-90 pikins(estimateing that an Onion produces 5 pikins per hour) and I haven't even calculated the Pikmin in there. Let's see... A Pikmin should be able to produce 1 Pikin per hour, and Pikmin in the wild would probably keep about 100 Pikmin out, so for 1 Onion and all it's Pikmin it has about 190 Pikins. But estimateing that an active Pikmin requires 1 Pikin per day, so the wild Pikmin's Pikin stock will go like this:↑190, ↓100, ↑190, ↓100, and so on. And considering the enemies the Pikmin bring- wow, I think we need another page for this. Prezintenden, please don't tell me off that "Pikmin is a game, we don't need to figure out how much an...." or anything like that. If I have time, I might figure out how many Pikins(Prezintenden, don't comment on that either) each enemy is worth, so until then, 24.63.92.5, keep checking my user page(click here to go there).Pikdude 00:26, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Okay, so a Pikmin coloney's supplies(Pikins) will only increase by 90 every day? And before you figure out how many "Pikins"(this is definetley questionable) each beast is worth, take into account that Hairy Bulborbs and Dwarf Snow Bulborbs live in colder areas, so they would have less "Pikins".Mariomaster 00:32, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Wait...what? Is a pikin supposed to be a unit of energy? And where are these numbers coming from? Putting that aside though, about the Onion: Yeah, like I said about Pikmin, I suppose it's possible that it photosynthesizes some, but it can't be very good at it. It has no leaves, and the petals are not only tiny, but seem to be too white to have much chlorophyll. Plus, even though it's stationary during the day, it has to hover in the low atmosphere all night, and nanny all the Pikmin inside it (assuming they don't just go dormant during the night, which, actually, is starting to seem more and more likely). If it uses photosynthesis at all, it probably gets most of its energy from other sources anyway, like pellets and beasts.

About the Onion: Yeah, like I said about Pikmin, I suppose it's possible that it photosynthesizes some, but it can't be very good at it. It has no leaves, and the petals are not only tiny... Are you kidding? They're nearly 5x the size of a Pikmin. And yes, a "Pikin" is an energy unit, although I would like to hear from Pikdude first..... The Onion is an alien species from another planet(possibly), so it probably has different chlorophyl, but apparently Pikdude is the expert on this paticular theroy, so I guess I have to wait fo him. My theroy about the Pikmin in the Onion is that they enter a state of hibernation, but my other one is that(warning:stupid and personal comment up ahead) they stay up and play DDR all night.Mariomaster 04:54, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

I can tell that that was Mariomaster's post. You forgot to sign your name, and when you were talking about- well, I can't really describe it, but Are you kidding? They're nearly 5x the size of a Pikmin. when you said that, he was talking about actual Pikmin. Yes, a Pikin is an energy unit, and it is very tiny, about the size of Pikmin? And it doesn't matter how low in the atmosphere you go, there's always sunlight, it's just that you can't see it, because at night, it isn't actually sunLIGHT, it's just.....sun.Pikdude 05:03, 3 January 2008 (UTC)(P.S.- I moved your link. It was at the top of the page if you couldn't find it.)

Onion's petals are small compared to the Onion itself. Actual size doesn't matter, everything's relative. Oak leaves are tens of times bigger than Pikmin leaves, but that doesn't mean a tree will thrive if you strip it of all but one leaf (Pikmin leaves are probably really only useful when a Pikmin is in the ground, where is isn't constantly using up energy). Leaves are designed to have large surface areas so they can get the most light possible. The very shape of the Onions should suggest that it's not the case with them. Compare the five little petals on a Pikmin Onion to an actual onion stalk and tell me honestly that you think they're equally efficient at catching light.

And Pikdude, I remember reading somewhere that the Onions flew up to the "low atmosphere" during the night. "Low atmosphere" is certainly not space. You'd have to fly pretty far out before you could actually get out of Earth's shadow, and several days would have whizzed past by the time you got there. Besides that, the Onions would have to be completely air-tight and heavily reinforced just to stop themselves from exploding in the vacuum. Not to mention the frigid near-absolute zero temperature and absolutely lethal solar radiation they would be exposed to. Any compressed fluid in exposed parts such as the petals would instantly boil away due to the pressure, and anything left would freeze solid. I realize that we see Onions flying about in space at the end of Pikmin 1, but it's silly to realistically suggest that anything born on this planet could survive for an entire night in space without going into complete metabolic shutdown and then be able to function normally the day after. I mean, either way, it seems like a huge leap to make just to prove that Onions photosynthesize as a main means of obtaining energy.

Also, you can't really compare the size of a Pikmin to that of an energy unit...It's a unit of energy, not size. It's like saying that inches have a temperature.

Yes, energy is an ifanite element.... By the way, do you actually own Pikmin or Pikmin 2? The Onion's petals are huge. And about solar radiation... Please don't project earth's problems onto a planet in a video game. (Yes, it might actually be earth, but let's wait until that's released) The Onion is an organic unit, it obviousley has a lot of body heat, and then there's all the Pikmin inside it, so there's your answer to the cold. ::Also, you can't really compare the size of a Pikmin to that of an energy unit...It's a unit of energy, not size. It's like saying that inches have a temperature. Inches do have a temperature. If something is this many inches long, we can tell almost exactly what it's temperature will be. But, as I said before, energy is an infanite element... Energy and size do have one connection. Something this size or that size can only have this much energy. Plus, the Onion could extend it's brown stick things and soak up water. That plus the photosynthesis would equal a whole lot of energy.Pikdude 16:03, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Where to start?... The Onion's petals are probably only a few centimeters long, but like I said, what really matters is the relative size. There's no way you'd get me to believe that those petals are actual useful in photosynthesis unless they were much larger. Say, three to five times their current size, at least? And that would be just assuming that the Onion didn't have to use any more energy than an actual onion would, which is clearly does, considering that it houses thousands of Pikmin and can fly. Not only that, the the whole concept behind petals and leaves is different. Leaves are designed to absorb light energy to use in a chemical reaction, whereas petals reflect light, particularly ultra-violet light, to attract animals like bees and butterflies which are sensitive to it.

Solar radiation is not Earth's problem, it's a problem that any animal on any planet anywhere in the universe would have to face, especially if it wanted to fly around in space. Radiation doesn't come from holes in the ozone layer, it comes from trillions of tons of hydrogen and helium atoms undergoing nuclear fusion. I'd sooner swallow a nugget of uranium than expose myself to direct sunlight without ant sort of atmosphere or other means of protection. Even if your DNA weren't completely scrambled by X-rays, cosmic rays, and other nasty things, it would absolutely cook you if you tried to soak the light up.

About the temperature, you're assuming that Pikmin and their Onions are warm-blooded, if they even have blood. That's possible, but either way, it wouldn't really matter how much heat you produced if you tried to survive in the shade out there, unless you had fantastic insulation, which, granted, isn't awfully unlikely. The petals themselves don't seem to have any sort of protection, though.

And no, inches absolutely do not have a temperature. It's not really something that can be debated, it's just...not true. Inches are a measure of one-dimensional size, nothing more. Things that have size also have temperature (which could potentially vary from near absolute zero to so hot that atoms just fall apart, no matter how many inches in length it is), but you can't guess the temperature of something without knowing if it's alive, if it's active, what its metabolism is like, whether it produces its own body heat or whether it's cold-blooded, and of course, what the surrounding temperature is. It's just kind of tough to guess how much energy a Pikmin produces and uses within a given time frame without knowing a whole bunch of factors first, which we very unfortunately cannot find out.

The petals rotating at high speeds would produce heat. Bu that would take energy, as well as make it. (Don't ask how, I don't want to listen to a whole bunch more scientific jargon.)Pikdude 17:05, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

O.K., should you decide to continue, then note this:

• It's "theory"
• "colony"
• and "infinite"

Sorry, but I can't continue watching that.--Prezintenden

I have a better idea, maybe the onion and the pikmin are different species, you know, the onion releases the pikmin before Olimar because maybe it knew that he would breed pikmin. The nutrients from enemies and pellets feed the onion, the onion keeps a fraction of the nutrients, while it releases pikmin due to mutualism. Both the pikmin and the onion benifit from a mutualism relation; pikmin get a safe place to go everynight and a source of where more pikmin can be released, the onion gets nutrients from the chrystalized pellets and from fallen prey that the pikmin bring and with the onion in control of the nutrients, it should absorb some fraction of the nutrients, and with differently colored pellets, their compisition differ with colors in materialistic structures that ditermine the pikin the onion releases. Each certain color of the pellets have different composite structures but while attached to the stem of the plant, the attached location has a special material that can determine whether it is a single color, or a special color changing pattern. It would make the most sense. Many creatures of this alian plannet exibit symbiotic relations with other species. Wow, that sounds like something Olimar would say. BTW, What song does it sound like the Pikmin hum, (Not the song they hum when you have 20 of all pikmin, the other pikmin song) I think that is sounds simular to Luigi's Mansion[1] (click ← To go to a Wikipedia search on Luigi's Mansion) Luigi as noted CLEARLY in the game, hums, a lot, and yet the pikmin song that they hum, sounds like a modified version of the song, you can hear the resemblance, and yet, you hear the differences that are so different, that you think it isn't even the same song. Yet something sounds simular.

Ah, but wouldn't that be called Symboiosis(I spelled it wrong, didn't I)? And, yeah it sounds very close to Luigi's Mansion music, I saw that right from the start(when I did the trick). And I came up with the theroy that maybe if Nintendo makes Pikmin 3 they will explain that.Pikdude 16:23, 17 February 2008 (EST)

Streangth?

You can't really account for Pikmin streangth, when they are in the water, because that holds up most of the weight. I now pikmin don't weigh one tenth that of an average paper clip. I think that they can lift only their own weight, of which is much higher, fo purple pikmin.BrandonRC 17:03, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

It's true that the water would hold up some of the weight, but don't forget that Blues are able to throw Purple Pikmin all the way to shore. Saying that Pikmin can carry their own weight it suggesting that Purple Pikmin weigh as much as a Bulborb and three times as much as a Dwarf Bulborb, and that other Pikmin weigh as much as a solid glass marble. There's no way we can really measure the exact weight of Pikmin, but I think saying they weigh one unit is being a little too generous. —Jimbo Jambo

I have to admit, that makes sense, but I think we can safely say that pikmin weigh somewhere between one and ten grams. Not much...BrandonRC 18:49, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

Another thought on my Candypop theroy. It's possible that Pikmin have the ability to draw in moisture and nutrients through their arms. Or, they wrap themselves up in a Flower Petal cocoon while they change form, like caterpillars. Their arms would grow like roots, and then they would emerge, bury themselves, and grow into a Candypop. They would then begin a gradual decline of awareness until they're caught up in nature, awakening only when a pikmin is tossed into one of it's flowers. For Candypop Pikmin would be eternally growing, getting new flowers, thus explaining the many candypop flowers.

Pikdude 23:38, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

If you go to the Pikmin Fanon and check the user Scruffy and then click his Pikmin Forever Gallery, THEN click on a picture with Lunar Long Legs THEN go to Lunar Long legses Page THEN go to Unused content, you should read the story till the end to understand onions and stuff.

Skeletons

Yeah, they do have them. Can I get an appropriately disturbing image?GP 11:04, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

They have skeletons? Like when they die? Creepy. ~CrystalLucario~ 11:06, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, but it's basically just a stickfigure Pikmin. Should you somehow fail to get an image, there's one at the "Pikmin lost", etc. screen.--Prezintenden 16:26, 16 April 2008 (UTC)

Heehee.GP 11:12, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

Wow that is odd looking...HEEHEE!~CrystalLucario~ 11:15, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

...Are we planning to use this baby?--Prezintenden 14:47, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

Your choice...GP 16:23, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

Nu-uh.

Should I take away where it says,"no mouths (except Blue Pikmin)" because on the Blue Pikmin page it even says those are gills.I eat Pikmin!!! Bulborb POWER! 11:22, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

Yes.~CrystalLucario~ 11:42, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

People, hemolyph is used by insects and moluskes and lithpods. what relivance do pikmin have to those, and, bulborbpower, HOW DARE YOU!Rocky0718 23:31, 4 June 2008 (UTC)rocky0718Rocky0718 23:31, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

Pikmin have about as much relation to arthropods and mollusks as they do to vertebrates. Really the only difference between blood and hemolymph is that blood is contained within blood vessels, whereas hemolymph is just pumped around the bodies of smaller creatures which don't really have the need for a complex circulatory system. Let's face it, Pikmin are pretty small, and it never says that they're actually descended from creatures like us, so unless Pikmin 3 has a dissect-a-Pikmin feature, we really can't know what the innards of Pikmin are like. —Jimbo Jambo

Nice idea...*e-mails Nintendo*GP 09:09, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

I'm confused... ~CrystalLucario~ 11:14, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

...Is it wrong that I actually want that feature to be incorporated?--Prezintenden 13:03, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

Human nature, my friend; human nature.GP 18:02, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

withdrawn... :( Rocky0718 00:02, 6 June 2008 (UTC)rocky0718Rocky0718 00:02, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

"purple onion"

the "purple" onion looks more like a dark blue onion to me

So? ~CrystalLucario~ 21:27, 16 June 2008 (UTC)

or or mabye its just a game stop being sineteficsele Rpwyb 18:17, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

? ~CrystalLucario~ 18:42, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

why does it say "purple onion" if it's a dark blue onion?

It's a bit hard to tell because of the poor resolution, but it looks kind of indigo to me. —Jimbo Jambo

... ~CrystalLucario~ 13:28, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Poor? That's the best I could get, pretty much no lower quality than in-game. Also, indigo = purple = violet...GP

I didn't say it was your fault, it's a miracle you could get a picture that good. It's not a very big image to begin with though. Also, indigo is not purple. You Englishmen have no sense of color, as evidenced by your crazy spelling of the word. —Jimbo Jambo

...I'm sure there are some crazy classifications of colour, but it's far too qualitative. In my mind, purple is purple; other shades are just other shades of purple, and should be referred to in that way. Same for any colour. If I had my way, purple would be known as 'blue-red', and yellow as 'red-green'...GP

Indigo is between blue and purple. I know what you're saying, but it's one of my favorite colors, so I'm kind of obliged to defend it. —Jimbo Jambo

I like black... (Anyone calls me emo I ) (OR GOTH) But the u in color is just messed up... no offense Green...~CrystalLucario~ 20:36, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

This is the only page on the internet that has the word "sineteficsele" Jayfeather^Talk 21:39, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

It isn't a word... ~CrystalLucario~ 22:19, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

Yeah,I know,But still.NO!Dumb Memory Card.My data is erased. -_- --Jayfeather^Talk 22:22, 4 July 2008 (UTC)

HeHe ~CrystalLucario~ 11:49, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

Memory Cards are evil.I learned that the hard way 3 times.X_XStupid Memory Cards...eating up all the data then erasing it..... --Jayfeather^Talk 14:03, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

<Quote> HeHe </Unquote> ~CrystalLucario~ 16:52, 5 July 2008 (UTC)

My memory card erased all of my data luckly I got pikmin2 after it happened. but melee, metroid, pokemonDX, and paper mario data got erased...(sob) NIN10DUDE

Waa... What do you mean memory card is corrupted and must be formated?...stupid memory card... I will destroy you! nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! (crush!) >_< ×_× -_- NIN10DUDE

---

Umm... Underground enemies other than Mandiblards, Snagrets, and Nits. Mitites? Yeah, we know about that. But are there any others?--Prezintenden

Has any of you noticed that if you look away your Pikmin won't get deflowered? Snakeboss14}

???-- the master --MewFan128 02:40, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Uh...which game? Really? Really really? Even with Withering Blowhogs?GP

Witherings once cornerd me. And And I've looked away and still got deflowered.-- the master --MewFan128 22:21, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Well, at least Pikmin one. The easiest way to see is when getting the Automatic Gear. If you look away, the Pikmin will still have flowers after falling. I've also seen that happening with enemies. Just change the camera angle so you don't see the enemy nor the Pikmin. Still not sure if it applies in Pikmin 2. Probably not with withering as its their only way of attacking. Snakeboss14

I agree with Snakeboss14. It does work when getting the Automatic Gear and the Libra in Pikmin, but I haven't tried it with enemies. I don't know if it works in Pikmin 2.--Gamefreak75 05:56, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Do you have Pikmin 2? Why don't you try it and I try it with enemies in Pikmin 1? Snakeboss14

I do have Pikmin 2, so I'll try it with the enemies and see what happens.--Gamefreak75 17:24, 28 June 2009 (UTC)

any1 got a pic of the purple & white pikmin like the red yellow and blue are(leaf,bud,flower stages in one pic?) Ysyty 00:50, 9 July 2009 (UTC)

That image doesn' exist. Snakeboss14

The image probaly exists some where. User:RymanGaming

Now the problem is getting it. Snakeboss14

No, not really, with the careful addition of nectar it's entirely possible and easy to get.

Pikdude 23:42, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

I watched someone colorblind play Pikmin 1 and they say it it definetly a Purple Onion Also i have the picture as a desktop backround im pretty sure theres a Brown onion

Bulbmin Theories

I have a new idea on the Bulbmin. It mentions how Bulborbs are capable of a colony existance, like ants or bees. Now, logically, the ruler of the Bulborbs would be those bigger than them. Since the Pikmin have merged themselves with Bulborbs they pick up that trait and that's why they follow the big Bulbmin. [All Bulbmin theories expressed here are the express property of Pikdude.] Pikdude 18:58, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

That knife is looking mighty hungry for Speculator flesh... I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

*Calls the cops*--FREAK ~Game Freak~OUT!

*Hides* I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

Article title

I think it should be Pikmin family; 'Eduardog3000' has moved it here twice, so let's hear your reasoning and the opinions of everyone else.GP

Pikmin family as it is a group of sub-species and thusly a family. I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

I think it's entirely posible that pikmin may not even have DNA and therefore cannot be clasified scientificaly.Redradish 07:43, January 5, 2010 (UTC)

...What sort of reasoning is that? Did people know about DNA before they started classifying life-forms?

And CL, not a page you want to protect; and you moved it to the wrong capitalisation; and you left the talk behind.

Wait, didn't notice it's only protected against moves; still not the right way to go about a discussion, though.GP

I bet they did classify lifdeforms before they discovered DNA, Fixed so shut up Green >.< I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

First off, all living things have DNA. And using the Bible, Adam named all the creatures in the begginning. Did he know about DNA? Possibly, he was a perfect human.Pikdude 02:33, January 6, 2010 (UTC)

Wait, I can't tell whose side you're arguing for.GP

You can't use the bible to explain away a problem all the time... I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

Sure I can, the Bible is the Word of God on Earth. @GreenPickle: Yours.Pikdude 02:40, January 7, 2010 (UTC)

I'm sorry for "badly" moving a page I just thought it should be under "Pikmin (Species)" I read the comment where Crystal pointed out Pikmin are a sub-species (ex. Red Pikmin are a species belonging to the Pikmin Sub-Species), and a sub-species is also called a family (i think) so it should be either "Pikmin (Family)" or "Pikmin (Sub-Species)" --Eduardog3000 21:36, January 7, 2010 (UTC)

Pikmin as a whole are a species, it's just that different types of pikmin are sub-species.Pikdude 02:04, January 8, 2010 (UTC)

A family is a group of species like a species is a group of subspecies. The two relations are not interchangeable. --Yoshord 02:52, January 8, 2010 (UTC)

@Pikdude: You're talking to an aethist. @Ed: Red is a sub-species. I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

Oh, right, wanting to rename this comes from the technicalities of terms used in real-world classification? In that case, I know nothing, so sure; would enemy families be called species, then (not that articles are titled that way, but the term's often used in their opening paragraphs)? If not, what makes them families and not species like this? Aren't, say, the Wollywogs as similar to each other as the Pikmin colours?

And just a small thing, if the page gets renamed, either Pikmin (species) or Pikmin species is fine, just make sure to have a lower-case s on species.GP

I still vote on Family, [2], example ftw I'm ~LonelyTurret~ And I approve this message.

No Lowercase is wrong--Eduardog3000 14:42, January 8, 2010 (UTC)

both Wolly wogs are the same thing... the white ones are just albino. -random creepy guy

Idle Pikmin

Here is the dilema: should we have a page for idle pikmin/dismissing pikmin and its applications? Ridly ^Screech! 20:51, 28 September 2010 (EDT)

I think we should have a page explaining all of Olimar's commands and their uses in detail, if we don't already have one.

Vol (Talk)

So something about the captains' interactions with the Pikmin? Captain isn't too long - couldn't it go in a 'Pikmin interactions' section there? And if it gets too big, then give it its own article. GP

There are some things to be said about certain behaviors. For instance, in Pikmin 2, when you dismiss your Pikmin there's a 60% chance (or so) that one or two will still follow you. It happened to me at least twice where I needed to press X three times in a row to dismiss everyone. Other than that, we could discuss in which position every group goes to when dismissed (Bulbmin included). And that's just about dismissing. There are other stuff to say about certain behaviors. I'm in favor of a "Pikmin behavior" page. {Espyo^T} 19:01, 10 December 2010 (EST)

Purples and whites

I just saw E3 and noticed that the original three colors and Rock Pikmin, yet there were no purples or whites. Does this mean they are not in the game? 166.203.166.191 16:42, 5 June 2012 (EDT)

"(...) In addition to the five original types of Pikmin encountered in previous games, (...)" Turns out the other 2 are still in the game. — {Espyo^T} 16:52, 5 June 2012 (EDT)

This is mostly just wishful thinking, but what are the chances of Bulbmin returning? 71.251.165.65 19:17, 5 June 2012 (EDT)

As far as I know, Bulbmin are solely subterranean creatures, so they dwell underground in caves. Considering Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin are returning, that either means that there are caves and Bulbmin might return or Purple and Whites are now obtainable outside of caves. --FREAK ~Game Freak~OUT!

Another new Pikmin type?

After watching the Pikmin 3 gameplay trailer a few more times, I noticed right at the beginning there are winged pink creatures fly by. Closer inspection reveals these have Pikmin traits: white eyes with black pupils, a stem with a leaf and another one with an indigo flower. I think it's safe to say these are a new type of Pikmjn. But let's not include it yet because we have no information at the time. Pikmin1254 20:48, 5 June 2012 (EDT)

Gameplay Mechanics

This page totally doesn't mention anywhere that Pikmin pick things up to bring stuff back to the ship. I didn't look very hard, but I'm pretty sure this mundane fact is absent on the entire wiki.

See carrying. But yes, you're right, we need some kind of section on behaviour here. I just added this to Pikmin (game)#Gameplay, but maybe that whole section should be at Pikmin series instead (and linked to from there and Pikmin 2). GP 15:22, 31 August 2012 (EDT)

Learning from Olimar

The idea Los Plagas added doesn't seem that off, which is that the Pikmin have learned from Olimar how to fight; if not very well then at least enough to keep a few alive. I must point out though that it's just as possible that the Pikmin faced a horrible disaster prior to Pikmin 1 that even Olimar could not have averted. Considering the amounts in which Pikmin cooperate and how many are usually stored in the Onions (400+ for the average playthrough I'd say) having only 5 survive also doesn't speak much. There's too much implication here and too few facts to make it worth mentioning. Perhaps Pikmin 3 will add to this, but for now I think we shouldn't add this.--Prezintenden

All points you made are true besides the one where you mention that it is unlikely that there are only five Pikmin in the when you first find them in Pikmin 2, as it is possible that it is a different Onion, since there are probably more than one Onion for each Pikmin type. Besides that trivial misconception, I agree wholeheartedly to all your points, and I will not add that back into the article unless it is specifically said by the designers or revealed in Pikmin 3. -Los Plagas (talk)

There are is a Blue Onion not belonging to Olimars Original Squad in the Good ending of Pikmin 1. Also during the same cutscene Several Cyan, Black/Grey Rock, Pink Winged, Light Green, and Orange Onions appear. So does 2 Purple Onions but in the canon games, Purple Pikmin do not have Onions.

Purples and Whites

It has been added to the page that Purple and White Pikmin are only in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3. I don't believe there has been an official statement regarding that, only that they're "hidden". There are many things that this could mean, and Mission Mode doesn't seem very "hidden" to me. In fact, The Purples and Whites are quite blatantly shown with all the other Pikmin. Just because there are no pictures of them in Story Mode doesn't mean that they aren't actually in Story Mode. I know there's a screenshot of the End of Day screen where there are images of all Pikmin except them, but those are quite early in the game. Maybe they're just discovered later in the game. Until there is an official statement from Miyamoto, or Pikmin 3 is released, I propose we remove the statement that White and Purple Pikmin are only in Mission Mode. -Los Plagas (talk)

Miyamoto has before stated that 'they're in there, just hidden'... It's likely he was referring to Story Mode, and Purples and Whites have been seen in Mission mode, but no official confirmation of their appearance in Story Mode has been made. Another thing: the little boxes at the end of the day results have Pikmin boxes, but only show five (for Reds, Yellows, Blues, Rocks, and Wingeds). Again, this is just me speculating, but perhaps, just perhaps, it will be so that more boxes appear later in-game. The days that those boxes were shown were pretty early in the game anyway... Also, no reference was posted, either, so how can we be sure of that? In summary: I agree with Los Plagas; we should remove it for the time being. ~PikFan23

Removed it. GP 06:47, 10 July 2013 (EDT)

Comment by CanadianTorchic on 1st January 2014

There are 9 kinds so far. - CanadianTorchic (talk • contribs)

Mushroom pikmin aren't considered 'real' pikmin by most, since you can't control the without glitches or hacks. Bulbmin also aren't usually considered pikmin due to their status as a bulborb being controlled by a parasite. These parasite pikmin aren't counted either, as the only real things we know about them are simply that they exist and they've taken over the forms of bulborbs. Whether or not these count as pikmin remains under debate. - PingasMaster2041 (talk • contribs)

Comment by FilipeMF on 3rd May 2014

see, this page says Pikmin has averaged 2.9 cm, but the pages that talk specifically about each species, the average is 29 mm. - FilipeMF (talk • contribs)

Bro, thats the same height, just different units. - TheXpert (talk • contribs)

Comment by Burrowing Snitchbug on 4th August 2014

I really wish the White and Purple Pikmin were in the Pikmin 3 Story mode. - Burrowing Snitchbug (talk • contribs) Yea

Color Spectrum

I think that there should be a Pic of The Main seven Types on a Color scale with spaces above orange, cyan, brown, and green

TOC Right

I just moved the TOC on Pikmin family to the right, since it saves space (the giant white one that's to the right otherwise). --Raltseye prata med mej 06:47, August 30, 2019 (EDT)

Yikes... You're right, but now it looks much more cramped. We can probably split the article, limit the TOC's depth, or reorganize the first few sections instead... — {Espyo^T} 07:31, August 30, 2019 (EDT)