Throughout Pikmin 3 there are hidden murals – these are fifteen small abstract drawings of Pikmin doing various tasks. They are normally found in dark or not-so-obvious locations, and most of the time are too small to see clearly, so to view them with detail, the KopPad's camera feature is necessary. The origin of these murals is currently unknown, and it is not clear if these are rock paintings or if they are engravings, known as petroglyphs. Each area in story mode has three drawings. Each area contains drawings of only one Pikmin type, usually the Pikmin type found in that area, and each of the markings there represents that Pikmin in a different maturity.
In Pikmin 3, these drawings are simply Easter eggs with no in-game reward for finding them, but in Pikmin 3 Deluxe, their existence is acknowledged by Olimar,[1] and taking photos of the murals with the KopPad's camera earns the player badges.
List
Tropical Wilds
| Leaf | Bud | Flower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 
|
|
|
| Depiction | A Red Pikmin being chased by a Bulborb. | A Red Pikmin carrying a 1 pellet. | A Red Pikmin near fire. |
| Location | On the walls of the tunnel under the waterfall where the Mock Bottom is, to the east of the landing site. The leader must face east. | On a wall under the bridge built on the first day, to the southeast of the map. The leader must face south. | Inside the hollow tree stump that can be accessed by the seesaw block on the beach at the north. The leader must face east. |
Garden of Hope
| Leaf | Bud | Flower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 
|
|
|
| Depiction | Rock Pikmin breaking a crystal. | A Rock Pikmin tumbling over. | A Rock Pikmin and a broken crystal. |
| Location | Inside the room to the east of the landing site, where Brittany is trapped. It is on one of the northernmost wooden boards that make up the walls. | Inside the bucket to the southwest of the landing site, that serves as a walkway to the Quaggled Mireclops's arena. The leader must face northeast. | Inside the pipe near where the Blue Onion is found, on the ceiling, with the leader facing northeast. |
Distant Tundra
| Leaf | Bud | Flower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 
|
|
|
| Depiction | The process of a Yellow Pikmin coming to life. | A Yellow Pikmin digging through a tunnel. | Yellow Pikmin conducting electricity. |
| Location | On the tin can near a Bearded Amprat and a Bouncy Mushroom, to the west of the Onion. It is on the southwestern side. | Inside the tunnel on the landing site to the east of the Onion, once it has been dug. The leader must face east. | On one of the metal sheets that surround the Bloominous Stemples, inside the cave at the northwest of the map, with a bamboo gate and Pyroclasmic Slooches inside. One must walk on the westernmost Stemple and face north to see it. |
Twilight River
| Leaf | Bud | Flower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 
|
|
|
| Depiction | The front and back of a Winged Pikmin. | A Winged Pikmin flying above some Flukeweeds. | A Winged Pikmin carrying a Cupid's Grenade. |
| Location | On the large pillar holding the fragments and a Secret File, in the second half of the area next to where a Skeeterskate spawns. The mural can be found on the southern side of this pillar while the leader is under the water. | On the large green pipe that splits both halves of the area. By taking a lily pad into the pipe, and before the scene changes, the drawing can be seen on the pipe's northern wall. | On the curved corridor that leads up to the Scornet Maestro. Near the top of the path, there is a patch of green on the ground, and right near it is the drawing on the tree's bark, a bit below and to the left of the mushrooms. |
Besides these drawings, there is also a hidden carving of sorts in this area.
Formidable Oak
| Leaf | Bud | Flower | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawing | 
|
|
|
| Depiction | Two Blue Pikmin carrying a 1 pellet. | A Blue Pikmin swimming. | A Blue Pikmin standing in water. |
| Location | On the eastern pillar of the reinforced wall at the beginning of the cave. It is on the northern side of the reinforced wall. | In the Plasm Wraith's arena, on the large rock to the west of the cave's exit. The leader must face west. | Before the entrance to the cave, there is a root and a rock protruding from the wall, to the east of the geyser. The drawing is on that rock. |
Badges
In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, there are two badges the player can gain from taking photos of the hidden murals:
- Archaeology Hobbyist: Taking photos of five hidden murals.
- Legendary Archaeologist: Taking photos of all fifteen hidden murals.
Archaeology Hobbyist. The badge shows the bud Red Pikmin mural from the Tropical Wilds, the first one accessible.
Legendary Archaeologist. The badge shows the bud Blue Pikmin mural from the Formidable Oak, the last one accessible.
Other drawings
In the Twilight River, there is a carving of sorts of three Yellow Pikmin holding hands, not unlike the drawing at the Distant Tundra. It can be found at the base of the light-bulb in the Twilight River's cave, facing the water. This does not count as a hidden mural, despite the similarities.
In addition, in Pikmin 3 Deluxe most gates have some feature on them to help distinguish between them. Dirt walls have simple line designs drawn on them, and reinforced walls have drawings in a similar style to the hidden murals.
Gallery
Tropical Wilds leaf drawing.
Tropical Wilds bud drawing.
Tropical Wilds flower drawing.
Garden of Hope leaf drawing.
Garden of Hope bud drawing.
Garden of Hope flower drawing.
Distant Tundra leaf drawing.
Distant Tundra bud drawing.
Distant Tundra flower drawing.
Twilight River leaf drawing.
Twilight River bud drawing.
Twilight River flower drawing.
Formidable Oak leaf drawing.
Formidable Oak bud drawing.
Formidable Oak flower drawing.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 French |
Fresque cachée | Hidden fresco |
 Spanish (NoA) |
Pintura rupestre | Rock painting |
See also
References
- ^ “While exploring this planet, I often see what appear to be murals. Did the Pikmin draw these? Because they capture each Pikmin's essence perfectly-much more artistically that I would be capable of. I must remember to take photographic documentation.” – Captain Olimar in Olimar's Log Vol. 2, file 3
