Dwarf Bulbear

Dwarf Bulbear
File:Dwarf Bulbearz.jpg
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Oculus terribilis
Family	Grub-dog
Areas	The Distant Spring, Perplexing Pool, Distant Tundra
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Glutton's Kitchen, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	The Forest of Hope, The Final Trial, Hot House, Subterranean Lair, Emperor's Realm
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	None
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	None
Side Story days	None
2-Player Battle stages	Angle Maze
Bingo Battle stages	None
Attacks	Eats Pikmin

Dwarf Bulbears are enemies in both Pikmin games. Like the Dwarf Bulborbs, the Dwarf Bulbear is a miniature version of a larger Grub-dog, in this case a Spotty Bulbear, but this creature is unique in that it is actually the young of said large Grub-dog, whereas Dwarf Bulborbs are different animals entirely which simply mimic the appearance of their large doppelgangers. Strangely, the Dwarf Bulbear is the only dwarf member of the Grub-dog family; all others are part of the Breadbug family. Dwarf Bulbears can flip themselves and dodge Pikmin attacks. However, in spite of this, if this creature (like the Dwarf Bulborbs) is petrified in the Piklopedia, when it breaks out of the stone it runs around eating any thrown Pikpik carrots at a much greater speed than normal.

Dwarf Bulbears will return in Pikmin 3, following the same behavior as seen in Pikmin 2.

Notes

Reel notes

“A bulbear at an early stage of development in its lifecycle, this specimen appears to be nearly fully developed.”

Olimar's notes

“A grub-dog larva in its third stage of development, this creature's body structure is nearing maturation. However, unlike mature bulbears, it has yet to claim its own patrol route, and thus is dependent upon its parent for guarding direction.”

Louie's notes

“Remove innards, stuff with sage and finely aged prosciutto, and broil until golden brown. The ultimate crowd pleasers!”

Pikmin

In Pikmin, Dwarf Bulbears are essentially stronger versions of Dwarf Bulborbs. They will be "sniffing" at the air instead of the ground. This allows them to notice you earlier. They have almost 1.4 times as much health and are able to stand more than one Pikmin thrown directly on top of it. Dwarf Bulbears will shriek when aggravated to alert any Spotty Bulbears in the vicinity.

Pikmin 2

The Spotty Bulbear's behavior changes much in Pikmin 2, and so too does that of the Dwarf Bulbear. Spotty Bulbears roam the map in search of food rather than sleeping, and if they come near a pack of Dwarf Bulbears, the tiny creatures will yip and follow their parent. A group of Dwarf Bulbears can make defeating a large Bulbear especially difficult, as they will not only eat any Pikmin that fall to the ground, but may go directly for the captain and the rest of the Pikmin swarm. In order to cope with this threat, a well-timed Ultra-bitter spray can be used to petrify the entire group of Bulbears, including the parent. With a bit of luck, a barrage of Purple Pikmin can also stun all the creatures within a small radius, even if they are not hit directly, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Also, if any number of Dwarf Bulbears are sniffing the ground and a captain happens to throw a Pikmin in their way, they will attack it. However, if they happen to see Pikmin and a Spotty Bulbear at the same time, they will eat the Pikmin thrown at them, and then run to follow the Bulbear. The Dwarf Bulbears seemingly tell the captain's location too because soon after, the Bulbear (regardless of whether it was actually looking at the captain at the time) will come over to attack him.

Although Dwarf Bulbears are notably tougher in Pikmin 2, a single Pikmin thrown onto their back kills them instantly, unlike in the previous game.

There are also a number of stylistic differences between Dwarf Bulbears in the two games. In Pikmin 2, rather than doing a back-flip to shake off offending Pikmin, Dwarf Bulbears will simply shake their head like Dwarf Bulborbs do, which has the same effect. Their spots also no longer shrink and expand, and their eyes are black rather than red.

Glitch

There's a glitch in the Piklopedia for Dwarf Bulbears while eating Pikpik carrots, in which they die instantly.

Strategy

Pikmin

Olimar can easily defeat this creature by swarming it with a large group of Pikmin. If only a few are available, have Olimar throw Pikmin onto the Dwarf Bulbear's back and then call them back to avoid Pikmin deaths. This creature can cause the crushing glitch when defeated. However, in Pikmin 2, they're likely to have an adult following. In that case, Olimar can use a bitter spray to freeze them, kill the mature Bulbear first, and finish off the Dwarves.

Captains

Attacking it from behind is the most legitimate strategy.

Gallery

• Dwarf Bulbearz.jpg

  Concept Artwork of a group of Dwarf Bulbears.

• 

  Three Dwarf Bulbears

• 

  An animation demonstrating the Dwarf Bublears' pulsating dots, even with the pause menu opened.