Wild Pikmin

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Wild Pikmin are occasionally encountered throughout the series as a way of obtaining Pikmin without needing to grow them through the use of an Onion. They are often found fighting an enemy, programmed such that they cannot die until they are in possession of a leader. They can also be found sitting idle or in the ground as sprouts. It is unknown how these Pikmin were propagated but several possibilities are implied, such as Olimar and/or Louie having previously visited the area and may have left them behind. There also certain events which can naturally produce a seed as well as creatures able to uproot the sprouts. Although rare in earlier games, this becomes a major gameplay mechanic in Hey! Pikmin and Pikmin 4.

Pikmin

Wild Pikmin are never encountered in Pikmin as all 3 Onions in the game initially sit dormant and must be activated before the first Pikmin seed is produced. However, the good ending of the game implies that wild Pikmin become more common as they are able to fend for themselves thanks to Olimar's leadership.

Pikmin 2

In Pikmin 2, the player will encounter 5 of each of the 3 original Pikmin types when they are first discovered.

Once again, the ending of the game and other scenes show Pikmin that might not have been grown by the game's leaders.

Pikmin 3

In Pikmin 3, some Pikmin types are first discovered as wild Pikmin. Winged Pikmin and Blue Pikmin must have their respective Onions activated first.

  • Distant Tundra: On day 1, up to 30 wild Yellow Pikmin can be found by Charlie before he is captured by an unseen creature. These Pikmin disappear afterward and never added to the game's Pikmin count. When Alph and Brittany visit the area later, there are 2 Yellow Pikmin found in a cave with their Onion as well as 3 sprouts.
  • Tropical Wilds: On day 1, there are 4 wild Red Pikmin found by Alph along with their Onion which is trapped on a branch and must be freed.
  • Garden of Hope: There are 6 Rock Pikmin trapped inside a Medusal Slurker near their Onion.

Pikmin 4

The concept of wild Pikmin in Pikmin 4 becomes an official term used in-game as it is now a major mechanic for obtaining Pikmin. Wild Pikmin are found in nearly every cave of the game either fighting enemies, as sprouts, sitting idle, or hidden within obstacles such as jars and hydro jellies. Caves can be revisited as many times as needed to increase numbers, though wild Pikmin found in obstacles will not reappear (as destroyed obstacles do not come back after a cave is completed). The number of wild Pikmin in a given cave can vary greatly between visits depending on how many of a type the player controls (the number stored in Onions does not affect this). No wild Pikmin will spawn if the player has 100 Pikmin, though Candypop Buds will often be available.

After a Pikmin type is discovered in the wild, Oatchi will learn a command that can sniff out that type if the player wishes to find it again. If there is any cave in the area containing that type, a blue scent will appear for him to follow and he will automatically walk to the cave. The game also considers the presence of Candypop Buds in a cave to mean wild Pikmin of that type are found there. Once that type's Onion is found, Oatchi loses the ability for that type as they can now be easily grown above ground.

Glow Pikmin can also be considered wild Pikmin as 10 automatically propagate from Lumiknolls at the beginning of each night expedition. This would make them the only wild Pikmin found above ground. Aside from Red Pikmin, the natural progression of the game has the player encounter each type of Pikmin in the wild before finding their respective Onions. It is possible to discover every type of Pikmin by collecting their Onion first, though some (such as the Ice Pikmin Onion) would require the player to intentionally evade wild Pikmin of that type in several locations.

Below is a chart of every cave in the game with the types of wild Pikmin that can be found there. Burrow of Beginnings is the only regular cave in the game to have no wild Pikmin, while Pikmin found in Dandori Battles, Dandori Challenges, and Trial of the Sage Leaf are not part of the game's main Pikmin count.

Cave Icon for the Red Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Yellow Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Blue Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Ice Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Rock Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Winged Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Purple Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the White Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.
Burrow of Beginnings
Last-Frost Cavern
Crackling Cauldron
Aquiferous Summit
Industrial Maze
Hectic Hollows
Drafty Gallery
Secluded Courtyard
Sightless Passage
Kingdom of Beasts
Seafloor Resort
Subzero Sauna
Below-Grade Discotheque
Engulfed Castle
Doppelgänger's Den
Frozen Inferno
Plunder Palace
Ultimate Testing Range
Dream Home
Cradle of the Beast
The Mud Pit
Subterranean Swarm
Cavern for a King

Hey! Pikmin

Growing mechanics are completely removed in Hey! Pikmin and obtaining Pikmin is done entirely by encountering them in the wild. Every area has a set number of Pikmin that can be encountered, and they are usually found in groups hidden behind objects or obtained within cutscenes. Areas can be revisited to collect more Pikmin, though many groups only appear on the first visit or if they player controls less than a certain number of that type.

Area Icon for the Red Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Yellow Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Blue Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Rock Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia. Icon for the Winged Pikmin, from Pikmin 4's Piklopedia.
First Expedition
Cavern of Confusion
Mushroom Valley
Back-and-Forth Road
The Shadow in the Brush
Cherrystone Pass
Foaming Lake
Serene Stream
Glowing Bloom Pond
The Shallow End
The Keeper of the Lake
Treacherous Currents
Crystal Tunnels
Echo Cavern
Springpetal Cave
The Burning Sky
Subterranean Tyrant
The Hollow Sky
The Lonely Tower
Steel Pipe Forest
Pollution Pool
Space of Silence
Flashes of Fear
Drenchnozzle Den
Fragrant Forest
Valley of the Breeze
Downpour Thicket
Bed of Fallen Leaves
Troop Commander
Gale-Force Glen
Scorched Earth
Lights in the Darkness
Terror Trench
Barriers of Flame
Blazing Winds
Sizzling Precipice
Freezing Wasteland
Below the Ice
Over Wintry Mountains
Frozen Hazard
Cold-Hearted Guardian
Ordeal of Flame
Scourge of the Skies
Septic Swamp
Peculiar Rockfall
Olimar's Madcap Ride
The Last Lair
Burning Bog
Fragment of Hope