Canon

For Pikipedia's policy involving the canon, see Pikipedia:Canon policy.

Canon is any information that is considered to be "real", "official", or "true" in a fictional universe. For the most part, it is trivial to understand what constitutes as canon and what doesn't, as one needs to simply follow the storyline of a main Pikmin game. But there are some aspects outside of the story modes that could count as either canon or not.

Levels

Pure canon

Pure canon is all information that is undoubtedly canon; events that "really happened" in the Pikmin universe. This is mostly decided by the parties that develop the games and media related to the Pikmin franchise, meaning Nintendo EAD and Shigeru Miyamoto.

Currently, only the main Pikmin games – Pikmin, Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 – are considered canon games. Anything that happens within the story mode of each main Pikmin game is canonical. Bonus content, such as the reward obtained by completing all Pikmin 2 Challenge Mode levels with a pink flower, can vary in canon, but whenever it does not contradict with – and makes sense within the context of – the main story mode, it is considered canon.

Objectionable canon

Some content in some games could be considered canon or not. This could be because there is not enough information to accept or reject it as "real", or could simply be a matter of opinion.

Trophies, stickers, and other side-content in the Super Smash Bros. series features canonical information from elements in some franchises, and occasionally, adds its own information as well. For the most part, this extra information is created and approved by Nintendo, but is never confirmed to be true or false. This, combined with the fact that the information is contained from within a non-canon media, makes the canonical value of the information questionable. In addition, there are times where the likes of trophy descriptions contain information that directly contradicts the canon in the games and are as such, considered non-canon. For a list of such cases, see Mistakes in the Pikmin series.

Some external content like the e-cards or the Pikmin Short Movies have information that matches up with the existing canon and makes sense in the Pikmin universe. However, no official word has been given on their canon, and because they do not belong to the main Pikmin series of games, their content is left as ambiguously canonical.

Prima Games has a vague relationship with the developers of games they make guides for. On top of containing walkthroughs and tips, some guides include some extra information about aspects of a franchise; in the Pikmin series' case, this could be extra descriptions of enemies, for instance. Prima Games works with all sorts of companies, making it doubtful that they can have a meaningful connection with all of them such that the extra information they write can be accepted as canon by the developers. On the other hand, it is clear that Prima Games has a strong connection with at least some departments of the development teams, seeing that their guides usually contain maps and charts that were rendered using 3D models or in-game images, resources that can only be obtained legally by agreement with the developer company.

Non-canon

Amongst other things, Bingo Battle is not canon. It would not make sense for Alph and Olimar to gather Pikmin and fight against one another by filling up a bingo card.

Some aspects in the games are not canon whatsoever. They belong to the game, but are considered to "not have happened" in the Pikmin universe.

The Super Smash Bros. series feature games that are considered non-canon for the franchises that take place in them. This is clear due to the fact that, naturally, Pikmin does not share a universe with the likes of Mario or The Legend of Zelda. Pikmin Adventure, despite being directly related to the Pikmin franchise, is not canon. It does not, in any way, relate to PNF-404 or the actual Pikmin, but rather, it is a mini-game in Nintendo Land, themed around the Pikmin franchise.

Activities that happen on an alternative game mode in a Pikmin game are not considered canon. Said game modes were created for the purpose of entertaining the player, and for the most part, they do not follow the main story mode's canon. For instance, it is canon that Captain Olimar landed on PNF-404 and had to gather his missing ship parts, not that he chose to begin a challenge where he had to cultivate the most Pikmin possible in one day.

Unused content, prerelease information, mistakes and glitches are not canon. They are content that the game developers did not intend to provide to the players in a finalized game, and should not count as such for the purpose of deciding the canon.

Gameplay

Some media, like movies, have a specifically defined canon, in which what happens in the movie is objective truth in the movie's universe, and cannot be altered. Games, however, vary according to each player's experience, so some aspects of the gameplay cannot be correctly considered canon or non-canon.

For instance, it is no truer that "Captain Olimar first recovered the UV Lamp and then the Massage Machine" as it is the other way around. For this, common sense dictates that varying truths are not accounted for in the lore. Following the previous example, it is canon that Captain Olimar recovered his ship parts, but their order of collection is not confirmed. There are times where such events are confirmed in a different game, however, normally in the form of a captain outright saying it (e.g. in his notes in Pikmin 2). Naturally, this does not change what a player might have actually done in their playthrough, but it does define the "standard", canon-wise.

The ending obtained in a game is also not relevant to the decision of the canon. Rather, the events that unfold in a following game decide which ending is the canon one.

Overview of the canon

While traveling through space, the S.S. Dolphin hits a meteor, which sends it plummeting to the surface of PNF-404, its parts scattering about. While on the planet, Captain Olimar discovers Red, Yellow and Blue Pikmin, in that order, and manages to retrieve all of his missing ship parts, starting with the Main Engine, and ending with the Secret Safe.

It is likely that the ending in which he gathers all ship parts is the canon one, given that in Pikmin 2, Olimar has brought a souvenir home for his son, something that only likely happened after the collection of the Secret Safe, which is even implied by Olimar himself. In addition, it's revealed that Olimar's wife eventually finds a "secret cash stash", which can only be assumed to be the Secret Safe.

With the collection of the souvenir, Olimar returns to Hocotate to find that his company had to undergo a debt to repay the loss of a cargo of golden pikpik carrots. These carrots were actually eaten by Louie, as revealed in a cutscene that is unlocked with all levels being perfected in Challenge Mode. They land on the planet using the Hocotate ship, and while there, Olimar rediscovered Red Pikmin, collects the Courage Reactor, discovers Purple and White Pikmin, and rediscovers Yelow and Blue Pikmin, in that order. Eventually, him and Louie repay the debt and return to Hocotate, but during the trip, Louie gets lost behind. They then return to the planet and recover Louie from the Titan Dweevil.

Although the player can gather all treasures in PNF-404 and get a second ending that way (the first being when the debt is repaid), it is not clear how the events of Pikmin 2 end, canonically. It is known in Pikmin 3 that Hocotate Freight, but it is not specified whether this is a new debt or the same one as the first. It is also known that the ship used by Olimar and Louie in Pikmin 3 is the Hocotate ship sans golden painting. Finally, it is known that Louie is safe and sound, as he boarded on the mission as well. As such, the Hocotatian part of the Pikmin 3 storyline could've taken place before the Pikmin 2 debt was ever repaid (and before the ship became golden and Louie was lost), it could've happened after the dept was repaid and Louie was saved from the Dream Den, meaning that there was a second debt and that the gold coating on the ship was likely sold.

At this point, Koppai sends three explorers to PNF-404 in search for food. On their way, the S.S. Drake ejects them and splits them into different areas. Captain Charlie wakes up on the Distant Tundra, finds Yellow Pikmin, and eventually loses them when he's confronted with the Vehemoth Phosbat. Alph then wakes up to find himself on the Tropical Wilds, and encounters Red Pikmin and the Drake. He then learns that the Koppaites cannot return to their home planet without the Cosmic Drive Key, which went missing during the landing. Afterwards, he makes his way to the Garden of Hope, where he gets Rock Pikmin and reunites with Brittany. After defeating the Armored Mawdad, as the two make their way to the Distant Tundra, Brittany gets knocked off the ship and lands in a cave where she discovers Yellow Pikmin. The two leaders reunite once more, take down the Vehemoth Phosbat and rescue Charlie. They then head off to the Twilight River to pursue a signal they received, and in there, they find Winged Pikmin. They finally manage to rescue Louie from the Scornet Maestro, only to have him steal all their fruit and treasure the next day. The trio chases the thief through the Garden of Hope, and along the way, find Blue Pikmin. They eventually face and defeat the Quaggled Mireclops and take Louie back with them, now tying him up. Louie reveals the location of Captain Olimar, and the explorers set out to rescue him on the Formidable Oak. The final fight happens against the Plasm Wraith, and afterwards, Olimar returns the Cosmic Drive Key, and the whole cast leaves the planet.

There are two endings to Pikmin 3, depending on how much fruit the player obtains. If they left some pieces of fruit behind, the narrator will state that it is unclear if Koppai will prosper, during the epilogue. But if the player got them all, the announcer will proclaim a bright future for the planet. At this point, neither of the two endings have been confirmed or denied to be canon.

See also

• Pikmin series
• Olimar's voyage log
• Data file