Rock Pikmin

Rock Pikmin
Resistance	Brute force (i.e. crushing or impaling)
Attack strength	Strong (varying damage when thrown, 20 on lunge)
Mobility	Average
Throw	Average
Digging speed	Unknown
Carrying capacity	1

Rock Pikmin (岩ピクミン^?) are a species of Pikmin featured in Pikmin 3. They resemble small polished rocks with Pikmin eyes, limbs, and, just like the Winged Pikmin, have lavender flowers. The main part of their body seems to be a gray texture of graphite that reflects light, while the "skin" on their arms and legs appears to be smooth and gray. When Rock Pikmin are dismissed, their sprouts glow gray. Their ghosts are also shaped like small gray rocks with eyes. Just like all other types of Pikmin in Pikmin 3, Rock Pikmin share an Onion and are reproduced through collecting nutrients from pellets and corpses. Rock Pikmin are the second type of Pikmin Alph discovers in Pikmin 3, the first being Red Pikmin. 

Traits and abilities

File:Ss (2013-05-18 at 05.51.05).jpg

The Rock Pikmin showing their resistance to crushing.

Rock Pikmin, like most Pikmin types, are immune to a specific hazard. These Pikmin, in particular, are immune to blunt force; when crushed by a large object, they are simply driven into the ground and become temporarily buried again. When a creature with a sharp proboscis tries to impale them, they are simply knocked back without taking damage.

Rock Pikmin have very hard exteriors, which allows them to smash through glass, crystals, ice, and even the armor of larger animals (like the Armored Mawdad and the Peckish Aristocrab's claw). However, they do not sink in water, revealing that they do not weigh much.

While Rock Pikmin are stronger in terms of durability, they weigh the same as a normal Pikmin, which means that, while they can be thrown normally, each one only counts for a single Pikmin while carrying items.

Despite their increased strength, they do have a setback: Rock Pikmin cannot latch onto their targets like other Pikmin, and will instead bounce off and roll back. If left unoccupied, they will repeatedly attack enemies and obstacles by charging head-on into them, doing significantly less damage per time than other Pikmin types: after hitting something, they roll back and stay lying down for a bit before rushing again, making their rate of attack atrocious. They can, however, be thrown by a leader to cause more damage than a regular strike, and can be whistled to get up from lying down faster.

Discovery

File:CrystalOnion.png

The gray Onion encased in crystal.

The Rock Pikmin are discovered in the Garden of Hope, the second area in Pikmin 3. They are found in a cave located north of the landing site. Residing in this cave is a Medusal Slurker that contains 6 Rock Pikmin. After defeating it, the player can use the newly-discovered Pikmin species to free the gray Onion from a large crystal. After propagating enough Rock Pikmin, they can be used to break down the crystal wall outside of the cave and free Brittany. At the end of the day, the gray Onion will merge with the red Onion.

Mandatory uses

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Rock Pikmin are needed for the collection of the following fruits and the completion of the following tasks:

• Fruits
  •  Searing Acidshock (Garden of Hope): One of the two in the area is inside of a crystal.
• Enemies
  •  Armored Mawdad: Rock Pikmin are needed to destroy the crystal armor.
  •  Quaggled Mireclops: The crystal on the head must be destroyed to finish the first phase of the battle.
• Other
  • Rock Pikmin Onion: As stated above, their Onion is encased in a crystal that needs to be destroyed in order to release it.

Recommended uses

Rock Pikmin are recommended for the following tasks, but are not mandatory.

• Fruits
  •  Disguised Delicacy (Distant Tundra): This fruit is encased in a crystal. It is possible to destroy the crystal with bomb rocks.
  •  Zest Bomb (Distant Tundra): Ditto.
  •  Dapper Blob (Twilight River): Ditto.
• Enemies
  •  Calcified Crushblat: Although the creature is covered in crystal, a bomb rock can destroy it. On top of that, Winged Pikmin can charge at its feet, removing the need to take out the crystal.
  •  Peckish Aristocrab: The claw can be destroyed to make it unable to eat Pikmin.
  •  Plasm Wraith: The crystal Elemental Plasms it releases can be destroyed by Rock Pikmin.
  •  Skutterchuck: The crystal nodules it uses to attack can be destroyed.
  •  Shaggy Long Legs: Rock Pikmin are extremely helpful in this fight as they are immune to being crushed and they can climb up the Shaggy Long Legs.

Notes

Mission Mode tip

"Rock Pikmin are tough and can cause some serious damage if they land on a target!"

In Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U

Rock Pikmin are not a part of Olimar's moveset in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, but they do appear as a trophy.

3DS

	US description: “These Pikmin are made of solid rock, so they can stand up to a lot of attacks and won't get hurt when they get stepped on. They specialize in body blows, dealing a lot of damage when thrown, and they can also break right through glass and crystal. They can't latch on to other creatures, though. But that's OK—nobody's perfect!”
	EU description: “These Pikmin are made of solid rock, so they can stand up to a lot of attacks and don't get hurt when they get stepped on. They specialise in body blows, dealing a lot of damage when thrown, and they can also break right through glass and crystal. They can't latch on to other creatures, though. But that's OK – nobody's perfect!”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Fighter

Wii U

	US description: “These Pikmin are made of solid rock, so they can stand up to a lot of attacks and won't get hurt when they get stepped on. They specialize in body blows, dealing a lot of damage when thrown, and they can also break right through glass and crystal. They can't latch on to other creatures, though. But that's OK—nobody's perfect! Appears in: Pikmin 3 (08/2013)”
	EU description: “These Pikmin are made of solid rock, so they can stand up to a lot of attacks and don't get hurt when they get stepped on. They specialise in body blows, dealing a lot of damage when thrown, and they can also break right through glass and crystal. They can't latch on to other creatures, though. But that's OK – nobody's perfect! Related Games Pikmin 3 (07/2013)”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Series Related	Trophy Box: 60. Pikmin

Gallery

• RockyFly.PNG

  Alph throwing Rock Pikmin at a glass wall to break it.

• Pikmin3 BetaCrystal.jpg

  Rock Pikmin breaking a large crystal.

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  The Medusal Slurker holding some Rock Pikmin.

• ZlCfzR4yh-QlUYNeZy.jpg

  A Rock Pikmin buried after being crushed.

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  Artwork of the Rock Pikmin from the Official Nintendo Magazine.

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  Early concept art of the Rock Pikmin for Pikmin 3.

• Rock-Pikmin1.jpg

  Finding the Rock Pikmin at the E3 2012 demo.

• RockPikmin2.png

  Leaf, bud, and flower Rock Pikmin.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

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  Pikmin 3 artwork.

• Rock Pikmin 3 Artwork 01.jpg

  Pikmin 3 artwork.

Trivia

• In the happy ending of the first Pikmin game, there are four black or gray Pikmin Onions flying above the planet's atmosphere. These could quite possibly be Rock Pikmin Onions, even though the Onions' appearance in Pikmin 3 has changed.
• In Pikmin Adventure, the Knuckle Seed resembles the ability of Rock Pikmin: a straight and strong impact shot.
• Rock Pikmin release "cracking" particle effects for when they hit breakable objects.
• The stem on a Rock Pikmin's head droops lower than on other Pikmin types.
• Rock Pikmin are the only main Pikmin type not to be utilized by Olimar in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U in any way.
• As seen in this trailer, Rock Pikmin originally had four skins. In the final game, all Rock Pikmin look the exact same.