Grub-dog family
The Grub-dog family contains true Bulborbs as well as several other species in the Pikmin games. The most well-known member of this family is the Red Bulborb. It was previously believed that Dwarf Bulborbs were immature Bulborbs, but it was later discovered that they are a species of their own and actually belong to the Breadbug family.
It is uncertain exactly where the family's name comes from, though some people have suggested it could be that Grub-dogs actually resemble grubs.
Red Bulborb
- Main article: Red Bulborb.
The Red Bulborbs is probably the most famous enemy in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, and is often just as much a staple for the games as the Pikmin themselves. They were originally called Spotty Bulborbs, but as other Bulborb variations were discovered, all with spots, they were renamed.
Red Bulborbs, like most Bulborbs, are largely nocturnal creatures and prefer to spend the daytime sleeping. They have a notably slow reaction time and can be overwhelmed by a large enough force, but caution should always be observed, as these gluttonous predators can swallow as many as five Pikmin at once. Attacking from behind will usually yield the best results, though the safest method is often just to toss heavy Purple Pikmin onto its back. Bulborbs are also surprisingly apathetic creatures, and won't wake from their sleep if one of their own is under attack.
Hairy Bulborb
- Main article: Hairy Bulborb.
Hairy Bulborbs are enemies exclusive to Pikmin 2. A Bulborb variant which shares many traits with the Red Bulborb, Hairy Bulborbs are mostly white, with a brown nose and blue spots. The most notable characteristic of this particular subspecies is a plume of fluffy white hair on the creature's back, which insulates its body as an adaption to a colder habitat.
Hairy Bulborbs behave similarly to Red Bulborbs, but are slightly more aggressive and more resilient to attack. They can still be overpowered with a large army of Pikmin, but the safest way to take down one of these furry beasts would be to use one of these tactics.
Orange Bulborb
- Main article: Orange Bulborb.
The Orange Bulborb is an enemy in Pikmin 2. Its appearance closely resembles that of other Bulborbs, but this particular variant sports an orange rump with black spots and a black face. Its yellow, bloodshot eyes are an indicator of this dangerous creature's vicious temperament.
As with other Bulborbs, you will usually find this animal snoozing. It does not have any particular resistances or special attacks, and can't stuff any more Pikmin into its maw than its relatives, but approach with caution: as experience may tell you, Orange Bulborbs are especially easy to wake from a nap, and can often be extremely difficult to defeat without losing any Pikmin, even when using traditional Bulborb-fighting tactics.
Spotty Bulbear
- Main article: Spotty Bulbear.
Spotty Bulbears are creatures in both Pikmin games which resemble Bulborbs, but are not identical. They are a bit shorter, with rounded snouts, large lips, and a wide mouth which allows them to gobble up many more Pikmin. From a distance, they are easily distinguishable by their tan faces and black bodies with red spots. You will often see a Spotty Bulbear being followed by a group of Dwarf Bulbears.
These beasts slept most of the time in Pikmin 1, but still posed a realistic threat, as they were a good deal tougher than Red Bulborbs. In Pikmin 2, they are wide-awake during daytime hours. Sometimes, a Spotty Bulbear might be followed by numerous Dwarf Bulbears. They follow this parent/guardian since they are juveniles and they obviously would need help finding nourishment. This creature also has the ability to move literally anywhere in the field/cave that you are in, they may even enter the vicinity of your base. It is best to try using sprays, or using the simple Bulborb killing strategy (purple Pikmin) to defeat them. The juveniles may also hinder you when you ambush the Bulbear so be cautious. If you do defeat the creature, and its body is still there, it will try to revitalize itself. After what may be minutes, it may come back to conciousness, and you will have to go to the menial task of beating it again, so try to put it in an Onion/the Ship's pod if you can. The only on-land area where they are found is the Perplexing Pool. (Pikmin 2)
Dwarf Bulbear
- Main article: Dwarf Bulbear.
Like the Spotty Bulbear, the Dwarf Bulbear appears in both Pikmin games. They resemble miniature Spotty Bulbears, but unlike Dwarf Bulborbs, are actually juvenile Bulbears. Bulbears in particular are known for hunting along set patrol routes in search for prey, but these larval grub-dogs do not yet have established routes, and thus rely on their parent to guide them towards food.
When by themselves, Dwarf Bulbears will behave just like Dwarf Bulborbs, hungrily sniffing at the ground while waiting for Pikmin to pass by, but they have a much higher reaction time than Dwarf Bulborbs and will not return to their original position if disturbed. If an adult Bulbear happens to stroll by, these tiny creatures will bark and immediately fall into line behind the beast. Large numbers of Dwarf Bulbears can gather quickly in this way, so it's best to pick them off individually before they get the chance to clump.
Fiery Bulblax
- Main article: Fiery Bulblax.
Fiery Bulblaxes are rather odd, grotesque looking creatures. Their body parts appear to be melting away from its body's intense heat waves, and more strangely, one of their eyes is smaller than the other, possibly an eye tic(this, along with it's strange shape may be a reference to another Nintendo character, "K Rool" from the Donkey Kong series). Its fiery aura is caused by the glands and oils on this creature's body that result in a chemical reaction, which causes fire to ignite on its hide. Only Red Pikmin can withstand the blaze of this creature's body. However, if lured to water, the flame will go out, making it a prime target for Blue Pikmin, it would be wise if doing so that you would want to use a spray to avoid losing any Pikmin since this grub-dog is more aggressive. Another good, but risky, spray conserving way to kill them is killing them manually. You should get better at it if you practice. This is useful for the Cavern of Chaos's Sublevel 2 since there are three of them in there.
Emperor Bulblax
- Main article: Emperor Bulblax.
The Emperor Bulblax was the final boss in the first Pikmin game. He lies dormant in his arena at The Final Trial stage until something approached, at which he will wake up and start attacking. He resembles a flabby Bulborb with small red eyes and an incredibly mossy shell, which is the only visible part of him when he sleeps, and it is also invulnerable to attacks. His attacks include licking the ground with his tongue (with the purpose to eat any Pikmin that happen to be there), licking his face (to get rid of offending Pikmin), and jumping high into the air to crush and shake off Pikmin. The best strategy to beating him is to have yellow Pikmin grab any nearby bomb-rocks, and let him eat the bomb-rocks after calling the yellow pikmin away from the beast (Calling the pikmin off the bomb-rocks seems to cause a longer stun). He will be stunned by the explosion (the more bomb-rocks, the longer the stun), which will be a good time to toss as many Pikmin as possible onto his face. Doing this repeatedly will beat him easily.
Empress Bulblax
- Main article: Empress Bulblax.
The Empress Bulblax is a boss-class enemy in the Pikmin 2 game. It resembles the head of a Red Bulborb stuck onto a monstrous, elongated backside that is a type of egg sac. It can't eat the Pikmin due to its size, which makes its head hang a good few feet above the ground (To Olimar. To us it would be 1cm.). The only way to defeat it is to throw Pikmin at its face, but attacking on its sides is more effective, yet more dangerous. After a while, it will shake the Pikmin off and roll left and right in an attempt to crush them, usually making rocks fall in the process. It is one of the few bosses that can vary depending on where you encounter it, since later dungeons have the Empress continuously giving birth to Bulborb Larvae out of its backside. They can get killed by the Empress' rolling, so they aren't a problem when the actual face-to-face fight starts. This enemy can only be petrified if you release the spray on the middle of this monster's elongated torso.
Bulborb Larva
- Main article: Bulborb Larva.
Bulborb Larvae are enemies in the Pikmin 2 game. They are the true juvenile Bulborbs, from the discovery that Dwarf Bulborb are a completely different species. They are hard to beat in swarms, but have low health. It would be best if you kill them with your pilots, as they eat Pikmin with incredible speed. They are continuously produced from Empress Bulblaxes in the game located on Sublevel 8 of the Frontier Cavern, Sublevel 11 of the Hole of Heroes, and Sublevel 4 of the Emperor's Realm in Challenge Mode. Only a certain amount can be produced, though a great sum to comprehend, and if you destroy enough of them, the Empress Bulblax may wake up and start producing again. They are completely irrelevant, as they burst into a slimy substance upon being defeated, though they may release nectar for your Pikmin.
Water Dumple
- Main article: Water Dumple.
Water Dumples are enemies in both Pikmin games. These enemies are in the Grub-dog family, and act similar to Bulborbs. They are most commonly found in the water, but can survive on the land as well. They resemble blue shellfish with relatively large mouths. They are defeated somewhat easily as long as you take caution and swarm them. Just like Bulborbs, Purple Pikmin will work well if you can find this creature on land. This creature can be defeated easily by captains, as it has low health, the Rocket Fist will do impressive damage on its last punch.