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Bulborb
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure
Scientific name	Oculus kageyamii russus Oculus kageyamii (Pikmin Player's Guide)
Family	Grub-dog
Size	Body length: 90mm

This article is about the red grub-dog. For other uses, see Bulborb (disambiguation).

The Bulborb (チャッピー^?, lit.: "Chappy"), known as the Spotty Bulborb in Pikmin and the Red Bulborb (アカチャッピー^?, lit.: "Red Chappy") in Pikmin 2, is a common enemy found throughout the Pikmin series. The Bulborb is one of the most prominent enemies in the franchise and appear in all 4 numbered Pikmin games. It also has apperances in Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure, Pikmin Short Movies, has several pieces of merchandise based on it, and is the focus of the first game's North American boxart. The Bulborb is the most commonly encountered member of the particularly extensive and diverse Grub-dog family.

The Bulborb has a pointed snout, eyes on stalks, and a red back with white spots. It only has two sharp fangs on either side of its mouth. It is a largely nocturnal creature and spends much of its time sleeping, only waking up when detecting potential prey, or during the night. It is often found sleeping near Dwarf Bulborbs, which are actually members of the breadbug family.

Pikmin

Spotty Bulborb
Technical Name	Greater Grub-Dog
Areas	The Forest of Hope
Challenge Mode stages	The Forest of Hope, The Distant Spring
Attacks	Eat Pikmin
Weight	10
Max. carriers	20
Seeds	12
Health	1100
Regen.	Unknown

Behavior

The Spotty Bulborb is a nocturnal creature, and sleeps in open locations during the day. This exposes it to being attacked by Pikmin, as it won't wake up until it is attacked. However, Dwarf Bulborbs and Dwarf Bulbears will let out a screech when agitated, awakening any nearby Spotty Bulborbs. An object being carried adjacent to a Spotty Bulborb can also wake it up.

Once awake, it becomes aggressive, and will run towards nearby Pikmin and lunge at them to try and eat them. If it manages to catch any Pikmin, it will stand up and eat them; otherwise it will trip then try again.

Locations

See: Bulborb/Locations#Pikmin

Strategy

Swarming a large group of 50 or so Pikmin onto a Spotty Bulborb, preferably Red Pikmin due to their increased attack power, proves quite effective most of the time. If only a few Pikmin are available, they should be thrown onto the Spotty Bulborb's back repeatedly while retreating if the enemy starts charging at them. Waiting until it goes back to sleep takes longer, but is a lot safer. Bomb-rocks can also be used to attack a Spotty Bulborb, and it takes two blasts to kill it this way. If you attack its back it will usually do a quarter-turn right, hiding some of its back from your current position.

Notes

Olimar's Voyage Log

“The most plentiful species on the planet, they are quite ferocious despite their appearance, using their massive jaws to swallow Pikmin whole. Frontal assaults result in disaster; attacks from behind are more successful. Attacking their legs is also effective.”

Creature Montage notes

“This nocturnal hunter feeds mostly on small animals returning to their nests at night.”

Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide

“This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grab-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, its cranium comprises half of the organism's length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Juvenile greater grub-dogs live in treetops until developing spots, then fall to the ground to begin a similar predatory behavior.”

“Throw Pikmin at the adult spotty bulborb's back while marching the rest of your troop into its feet. Steer clear of the bulborb's mouth.”

Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet

“These nocturnal creatures are very common. Capable of surviving in a variety of habitats, bulborbs spend nearly all of their time searching for food. Their favorite meal? Raw Pikmin, of course.”

New Play Control! Pikmin European website

“Can anything polka-dotted be dangerous? If it’s a hungry Bulborb, you bet. Its big eyes on the top of its head are as big as its stomach. But the eyes can’t see what’s going on behind it. From the back is the perfect place to strike and swarm this beast.”

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name	swallow
HP	1100

Pikmin 2

Red Bulborb
Piklopedia entry #1
Areas	Valley of Repose, Awakening Wood
Caves	Hole of Beasts, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den
Challenge Mode stages	Explorer's Cave, Lost Toy Box, Red Chasm, Collector's Room, Breeding Ground, Emperor's Realm
2-Player Battle stages	Angle Maze
Attacks	Eat Pikmin
Weight	10
Max. carriers	20
Seeds	750
Value	× 7
Health	750
Regen.	No

Locations

See: Bulborb/Locations#Pikmin 2

Strategy

Rather than swarming the Red Bulborb, continuously tossing Pikmin onto its back is preferable when the army is at least 30 Pikmin strong, even if some are shaken off. A few Purple Pikmin can cause serious damage, especially if they stun the Red Bulborb. If it is accidentally awakened before being attacked by Pikmin, you should run away until it turns around, then make a new pass at it.

If the Pikmin army is very small, another strategy is to wake up the Red Bulborb and make it chase the leader until it goes far enough away from its starting location, at which point it will turn around and return to its original sleeping spot. Once it returns there, attacking at the moment it starts sleeping can provide the player with a few crucial seconds in which the Red Bulborb is entirely immobilized and harmless.

In some metal-themed caves, Red Bulborbs can be led off of the stage by awakening it and quickly running around a hole in the sublevel, causing it to fall off.

Notes

Olimar's Notes

“Red Bulborb
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the red bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”

Louie's Notes

“Plump specimens are best spit-roasted whole, stuffed with a lime and a slab of bacon. Baste frequently to ensure a magnificently moist haunch.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“The weakest of the larger Bulborbs, the Red Bulborb can still hold its own against a good-sized Pikmin squad. Since it is a nocturnal species, most of the Red Bulborbs that you encounter in the daytime will be asleep to start. Sneak up on them from behind and hit them with a stream of flying Pikmin.”

Technical information

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			chappy
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	750
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	40
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.3
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.3
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.35
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.1
fp06	速度	Move speed	100
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.4
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	400
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	15
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	500
fp13	視界角度	FOV	90
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	500
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	90
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	120
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	40
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	75
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	25
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	80
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	35
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	50
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	90
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	4
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	7
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	30
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	40
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	50
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	30
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	50
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.3 (30%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	5
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Shake mode 1 – hit count	6
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	5
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	12
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	10
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	17
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	20
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	22
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	足元範囲	Determines rotation speed while standing (lower values give faster rotations)	30
fp02	白ピクミン毒	White Pikmin poison damage	750

Pikmin 3

Bulborb
Areas	Garden of Hope, Tropical Wilds, Formidable Oak
Side Stories days	Inside Forest, Pikmin Reunion, Creature Hunting, Big Fruit Carnival
Collect Treasure! stages	Tropical Forest, Twilight Hollow, Shaded Garden, Tropical Forest Remix, Twilight Hollow Remix, Beastly Caverns
Battle Enemies! stages	Tropical Forest, Silver Lake, Thirsty Desert, Shaded Garden, Garden of Hope Remix, Formidable Oak Remix
Bingo Battle stages	Shaded Terrace, Stagnant Sea, Twisted Cavern, Arid Metropolis, Rusted Labyrinth, Jigsaw Fortress, Blooming Terrace, Parched Brook, Buried Pond, Sandbox Kingdom, Corroded Maze, Jigsaw Colosseum
Attacks	Eat Pikmin
Weight	10
Max. carriers	20
Seeds	10
Value	× 50  × 50
Health	1000
Regen.	No

Locations

See: Bulborb/Locations#Pikmin 3

Strategy

Charging a Bulborb from behind is the most reliable way to defeat the enemy. As few as 20 Red Pikmin can be enough to defeat the enemy before it has the chance to eat any, though this will not always work. If approaching the Bulborb from the front, throwing Pikmin directly at the eye stalks is an effective strategy, as this will cause it to spend a couple of seconds flinching before it can attack again. If the Bulborb shakes Pikmin off, make sure to whistle them before they are eaten. You can also escape from a Bulborb by hiding under a tall plant.

Comments

Alph's Comments

American English

“Structural flaws: eyestalks, back
Weight: 10
Only a very confident designer would waive through issues like bright-red warning coloration and a tendency to sleep in broad daylight. There's no way a frontal assault on this thing will work, so we have to get creative. I'm thinking we should hit its back hard while it sleeps, or maybe target those thin-looking eyestalks.”

British English

“Structural flaws: eyestalks, back
Weight: 10
Only a very confident designer would waive through issues like bright red warning colouration and a tendency to sleep in broad daylight. There's no way a frontal assault on this thing will work, so we have to get creative. I'm thinking we should hit its back hard while it sleeps, or maybe targeting those thin-looking eyestalks.”

Brittany's Comments

“The white polka dots on red is quite a look. Something about it is familiar, but where— Ah. Right. It reminds me of the captain. Not the polka dots—I mean the way it snores as it naps in the sun.”

Charlie's Comments

“This red bruiser gobbles up Pikmin like candy. The standard approach is to attack from behind while it's still asleep. That may seem callous, but it would do the same to you if it could. Stow those feelings and strike!”

Louie's Comments

“Plump specimens are best spit-roasted whole, stuffed with a lime and a slab of bacon. Baste frequently to ensure a magnificently moist haunch.”

Olimar's Comments

American English

“Bulborb
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”

British English

“Bulborb
Oculus kageyamii russus
Grub-dog family
This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the grub-dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most grub-dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests. Originally classified as the spotty bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic bulborb. Subspecies of varied colours have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”

Pikmin 3 website

“It's considered one of the weakest of the Bulborbs, but can still hold its own against a good-sized Pikmin squad. Attack from behind to gain the advantage. Weakest point: eyeballs.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“These large creatures use their jaws to gobble up several Pikmin with each bite. Whenever possible, use a large squad of Pikmin to charge the creature from the rear. If brute force isn’t an option, throw Red Pikmin and Rock Pikmin onto the creature’s back. During an extended battle, it’s important to retrieve your Pikmin as the Bulborb shakes them off.”

Technical information

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	chappy
HP	1000
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	25
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	5
Bomb rock explosions to kill	1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	1
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	20
Territory radius	300
Mission Mode value	50

Pikmin 4

Bulborb
File:P4 Bulborb Render.png
Areas	Sun-Speckled Terrace (Story Mode, Olimar's Shipwreck Tale and night)
Caves	Hectic Hollows, Kingdom of Beasts, Engulfed Castle, Cavern for a King
Dandori Challenge stages	Dandori Day Care, Hotshock Canyon, Trial of the Sage Leaf
Dandori Battle stages	Battle in a Box
Attacks	Eat Pikmin
Weight	10
Max. carriers	20
Seeds	10 (5 glow pellets)
Value	× 10
Health	1000
Regen.	No
Active during	Day/Night

Locations

See: Bulborb/Locations#Pikmin 4

Behavior

In Pikmin 4's night expeditions, the Bulborb doesn’t sleep and is instead always awake. It will roam about and attempt to attack any nearby Pikmin and eat them. During the night expeditions, after a certain amount of time its eyes will glow bright red and will head directly towards a Lumiknoll or a Tricknoll instead of walking around a set space to attack it, making it act more aggressive than normal.

Strategy

If the Bulborb is sleeping, it is wiser to hop on Oatchi's back in order to use his Rush ability combined with a squad of at least 30 Pikmin; even with no upgrades, the Rush will launch Pikmin forward when Oatchi hits the Bulborb, making this a simple and effective tactic. If Oatchi has the Mega Chomp and Stun skills, you can also take down a Bulborb with only Oatchi on his own.

If the Bulborb is currently awake and chasing you, it's better to let it sleep to try again. If you have no way of escaping it, you should circle around the Bulborb and throw Pikmin on its back, and call them before they get shaken off, as the Bulborb will instantly start eating any Pikmin shaken off by it. Bulborbs in this game don't flinch when Pikmin are thrown directly at their eyes, so aiming at the back is safest. Even with a squad of less than 10 Pikmin, the tactic stated above should work if done successfully, though it is risky.

Notes

Dalmo's notes

“It has wide, googly eyes on protruding stalks, a mouth meant to swallow prey in one large gulp, and powerful, red and white polka-dotted hindquarters. It's fierce, and yet it's somehow quite endearing. Be wary of getting lured in by its disarming mien!”

Olimar's notes

“This large organism has the familiar mandibles and cranial morphology of the Grub-Dog family, as well as the characteristic bulging eyes. As with most Grub-Dogs, the creature's cranium comprises half of its total length and girth. Showing a scarlet abdomen with white spots, this creature is primarily nocturnal, choosing to prey upon smaller creatures returning to their nests.

Originally classified as the Spotty Bulborb, further research has reclassified this species as the basic Bulborb. Subspecies of varied colors have recently been discovered, but academics are divided into two rival camps over how to handle their classification.”

Louie's notes

“Plump specimens are best spit-roasted whole, stuffed with a lime and a slab of bacon. Baste frequently to ensure a magnificently moist haunch.”

Pikmin Garden

Text

“紅色の腹部に白い斑紋が色鮮やかな、デメマダラ。夜行性のため昼間は寝ているが、獰猛で目にしたものは何でも丸飲みにしてしまう。イヌムシ科に属する生物は、生態ピラミッドの上位に位置している。

○イヌムシ科とは？

宇宙犬のように二足歩行をする様子から、イヌムシと命名された。

特徴 その1 夜行性

昼間は眠っていて、縄張りに入らない限り起きることはないが、日が沈む頃に活発になって獲物を探し回る。

(Image text:

• （昼）眠っている
• （夜）目が赤く光る)

特徴 その2 仲間の見分け方

成長するにつれて体色が濃くなっていき、腹部に浮き上がる斑紋で仲間と認識する。

(Image text: 斑紋がない幼虫は餌食されてしまうこともある)

特徴 その3 大きな眼

夜間のかすかな明かりを捉えるために眼球が大きくなっている。その影響でまぶたを完全に閉じることはできず、発達した虹彩を伸縮させて瞬きする。”

Translation

“A colorful Bulborb with white spots on a red abdomen. Being nocturnal, it sleeps during the day, but it is ferocious and will swallow whole anything it sees. The creatures in the Grub-Dog family are at the top of the food pyramid.

○ What is the Grub-Dog family?

They were named Grub-Dogs because of the way they walk on two legs like space dogs.

Feature #1: Nocturnality

It sleeps during the day and does not wake up unless its territory is entered, but it becomes active and searches for prey around sunset.

(Image text:

• "(Day) Sleeping"
• "(Night) Eyes glow red")

Feature #2: How it recognizes other members of the same clade

As it grows, the body color becomes darker, and it is recognized by the spots that appear on its abdomen.

(Image text: "Larvae without spots are sometimes preyed upon")

Feature #3: Large eyes

The eyeballs become large in order to catch faint light at night. Because of this, the eyelids cannot close completely, and it blinks by stretching and contracting the well-developed iris.”

Hey! Pikmin

Bulborb
Areas	The Shadow in the Brush
Attacks	Eat Pikmin
Value	× 0
Health	Unknown
Regen.	Unknown

Locations

See: Bulborb/Locations#Hey! Pikmin

Behavior

The Bulborb behaves very differently in Hey! Pikmin, as it takes on the role of the boss of the Brilliant Garden. In this game it is larger, more aggressive, slower, and not nocturnal. When defeated, the Bulborb drops the Flashy Monument.

Strategy

In Hey! Pikmin, the Bulborb is a boss, and is fought in a standalone battle at The Shadow in the Brush. Olimar starts the fight with 20 Red Pikmin. The objective is to deplete the Bulborb's health by throwing Pikmin at its backside. If the Bulborb is facing towards Olimar, then wait for it to bend over and throw a Pikmin at its eye. This will stun it and give you time to run under it to the other side. Once on the other side, proceed to throw the Pikmin onto its vulnerable backside until it shakes them off. The Bulborb will periodically jump into the blades of grass in the backdrop and shuffle around in them until eventually popping back out at the last place Olimar was standing. The player can tell when it will jump out because right before it does it will rustle in a single place. If the Bulborb is attacked once it has shaken off any attacking Pikmin, then it'll slowly turn around to face the group, snarling aggressively, before swooping around once in a circle, attempting to snatch up any Pikmin. After it does this, it'll proceed to do its attack from the grass. While it is bending over, if Olimar or a Pikmin are in its line of sight it will run forward and attempt to eat them.

Creature Log notes

“The S.S. Dolphin II said it sleeps during the day, but the one I met was awake. I pointed this out and the ship said, "I meant during the day on Hocotate." After defeating it, we found an object rich in Sparklium. It's possible that the creature considers such objects a delicacy.”

Pikmin Adventure

Bulborb
Standard Challenges	Bulborb Forest, Boss of the Beebs, Five Seconds to Takeoff, Cannon Smash, King Beeb is Back, Through the Darkness, Lord of a Barren Land, Burst the Giant Balloon, Back-Garden Escape, Shining Eyes, Icy Arena, Out of the Darkness, Bulborb Baths,
Advanced Challenges	The Green Menace, Desperate Dash, The Tyrant Arrives, Cage of Terror, Breaking Boundaries, Good-Bye, Pikmin
Versus Mode Arenas
Attacks	Charge, eat player
Health	Unknown
Regen.	Unknown

Behavior

The Bulborb can be found either sleeping or being sent into the area by a gashapon capsule before it starts walking towards a player. It has two walking speeds, a slow walk and a slightly faster walk that is replaced by an attack once the Bulborb is close to the players. Alongside this is a small hop that it can do to avoid attacks and quickly get close to players. Once the Bulborb is close enough to a player, it will either charge a dash in a straight line or try to eat a player depending on how far they are to the Bulborb. If the Bublorb is able to catch a player, it will toss them up, eat them, and turn them into a Bulborb Dropping, making it impossible for them to be properly whistled at or attack enemies. In this state, the player must be broken out either by Olimar or other Pikmin damaging the Bulborb Dropping or by entering a body of water. If the Bulborb is defeated while a player is bring eaten, the player will be sent flying out of its mouth.

Strategy

The only weak spot the Bulborb has is on its back, making it easy to throw Pikmin at or directly attack it. The Bulborb will try to shake off all of the Pikmin that are on its weak spot, causing them to be knocked over for a little bit. There are ways to circumvent the Bulborb's movement and shaking, however, either by waiting for it to slowly walk around, move out of its sight to make it look for a player in sight, or wait for it to start panting. These are the ideal times to attack the Bulborb since it won't be able to shake off the Pikmin on its back until after it starts trying to move.

Monita's notes

American English

“These grub-dog predators tend to sleep during the day and attack aggressively if woken from a nap. Bulborbs come in a wide variety of colors--now on sale at our gift shop!”

Britsh English

“These Grub-dog predators tend to sleep during the day and attack aggressively if woken. ◆ Bulborbs come in a variety of colours and are now on sale at our souvenir shop.”

Biology

The Bulborb is among the creatures with the most diverse physiology in the Pikmin series. It possesses traits similar to those of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. It has large bulbous eyes set in stalks, as opposed to the compound eyes of most insects. These eyes are purple in Pikmin and Pikmin 2, but appear more detailed starting in Pikmin 3, with large black pupils and blue irises.

Olimar mentions the Bulborbs having a set of mandibles. Mandibles are a pair of appendages near an insect's mouth, used for grinding and chewing food. The so-called mandibles Olimar mentions in his notes look nothing like normal mandibles and are instead most likely saber-teeth, used for breaking exoskeletons of prey insects and digging through the soil for roots. (That being said, "mandible" is also a technical term for the jaws, in which case its use is unremarkable.) Their diet is, however, quite the mystery, as they are equipped with eating both animal and vegetable life, but they are known to fully ignore Spectralids.

It seems that the juvenile Bulborb is the favored host of the parasitic Pikmin type known as Bulbmin. This type of Pikmin appears to control its host, causing the animal to behave less like a Bulborb and much more like a Pikmin, following a leader (which is naturally an older Bulbmin) and hunting in packs. The Bulborb is not observed at the two stages of development displayed by Bulbmin anywhere else in-game (unlike the Spotty Bulbear), so it is unknown whether Bulbmin are a common stage in Bulborb initial development or not, as symbiotic cooperation from the parasite would give this slightly weaker form of Grub-Dog an advantage in the subterranean environment that all stages of the Bulborb species are found in. The growth stages of Bulborb Larva seems to suggest that the size of Bulbmin comes from the parasitic Pikmin within. As Bulbmin are mentioned to not use an Onion, it is possible that adults give birth to the small Bulbmin that can be used by the leaders.

The Bulborbs' relationship with Grub-Dog young is complicated. They are very protective towards Dwarf Bulborbs, however this is likely a result of thinking not that they are children, but fully grown, albeit small, Bulborbs. Evidence to support this comes from the Pikmin Garden website for Pikmin 4, where the Bulborb is said to feed on growing Bulborb Larvae. Further complicating the matter is their tendency to eat Bulbmin, which have spots.

According to Olimar, when certain environmental changes occur, a female Bulborb can transform into an Empress Bulblax, taking on the role of a pack matriarch and giving birth to large amounts of larva. Any males not involved in reproduction also undergo sex changes within these packs. This behavior has never been observed directly, though the large amount of Grub-Dogs encountered in the 9th sublevel of the Hole of Heroes may be a result of this behavior. Bulborbs can give birth without transforming however, as stated in the Players Guide for Pikmin, Bulborbs give birth to their young high up in trees, where they jump down to the ground below when they develop spots. This was removed from the Pikmin 2 notes however, which are otherwise taken directly from the guide, so it is possible this has been retconned.

Development history

The Bulborb was created before the concept for Pikmin was established. When a game called Adam and Eve was being worked on, the Bulborb had been created to serve as a mammoth-like beast. When the concept for the game was scrapped, the Bulborb was reused for Pikmin. The "mammoth" properties of the beast, as mentioned by Shigeru Miyamoto, suggest that the first "Bulborb" creature to be developed was large, and hence, the Spotty Bulborb was likely the original, with the Dwarf Bulborb conceptually developed later as a smaller derivative.

The scientific name of the Bulborb is Oculus kageyamii russus. One of the character designers in Pikmin's credits is Daisuke Kageyama. This name similarity may mean that Daisuke Kageyama designed the Bulborb.

Their name in Pikmin is "Spotty Bulborb", and at this point, only one type of Bulborb exists in the game (besides the false variations of Bulborb, the Dwarf Bulborbs). For Pikmin 2, additional types of Bulborbs were introduced, but because they would all be Bulborbs and have spots on their backs, the original one needed a rename. Due to it being red while the others are orange and hairy, the name "Red Bulborb" was given to this enemy.

Ever since Pikmin 3, perhaps with the purpose to simplify things, its name became known simply as "Bulborb", despite two other types of Bulborb existing in the game: the Orange Bulborb and the Whiptongue Bulborb. In an attempt to flesh out this iconic enemy, its behavior was made slightly more complex in this game, in the form of it reacting to Pikmin thrown at its eyes with a flinch, and by looking at Pikmin while it chases them. These behaviors also happen with the other Bulborbs. In Pikmin 4, the Bulborb became a bright orange when compared to the yellow of Pikmin 3 and Hey! Pikmin, though nothing else changed in their appearance.

Other Games

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Bulborbs appear as enemies on the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS exclusive game mode Smash Run.

This article or section is a short summary on the enemy in the Super Smash Bros. series. SmashWiki features more in-depth content.

A Bulborb is the main stage hazard on the Distant Planet stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It is considerably larger than a Bulborb in the Pikmin series, and will periodically appear on the right side of the stage. It occasionally opens its mouth, and any fighters that fall in will be eaten and taken away, resulting in a KO.

There is a sticker for a Bulborb in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where it uses the final name "Bulborb".

In the Smash Run mode of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, a Bulborb appears as one of many enemies featured in the mode. It is one of the largest enemies in the game and has a comparable amount of knockback resistance. Its attacks are also deadly, KOing fighters with minimal effort.

A Bulborb appears in the background of the Garden of Hope stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Ultimate, but its purpose is merely cosmetic.

A Bulborb appears as a Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Spirits Mode. It can be evolved into the Empress Bulblax Spirit at level 99. It can be obtained from the World of Light, the Spirit Board or from the Shop.

Brawl trophy

	Description: “A creature whose Japanese name translates as "spotted crimson bug-eye." These bulky nocturnal animals have white-and-red-flecked rumps that resemble strawberries. Red bulborbs sleep in the day and wake in the evening to feed on small animals. Several colors of bulborb subspecies have been discovered—their classification is a hot subject for scholars. Pikmin 2”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Stage

Smash 4 trophy

3DS

	US description: “These creatures from the Pikmin series have snail-like protruding eyes, huge mouths, and really bad tempers. They're known for snapping at fighters and trying to trample them underfoot. If you see one in a group of enemies, you should try to take it out fast—it'll shoot off and bounce around, hitting other enemies as it goes!”
	EU description: “These creatures from the Pikmin series have snail-like protruding eyes, huge mouths and really bad tempers. They're known for snapping at fighters and trying to trample them underfoot. If you see one in a group of enemies, you should try to take it out first – it'll shoot off and bounce around, hitting other enemies as it goes!”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Enemy

Wii U

	US description: “These creatures from the Pikmin series have snaillike protruding eyes, huge mouths, and really bad tempers. Despite their cute appearance, they'll happily gobble up Pikmin! In Smash Bros., they appear on the Garden of Hope stage, wandering around or chasing the poor Pikmin. Thankfully, they don't seem interested in the fighters duking it out. Appears in: Pikmin (12/2001) Pikmin 2 (08/2004)”
	EU description: “With their spotted backs and big round eyes, Bulborbs are almost cute. But don't be fooled! They have a voracious appetite, and will gladly eat as many Pikmin as they can get their tongues on. In this game, you might spot one in the Garden of Hope stage, getting in the Pikmin's way. Luckily, the Bulborbs won't bother you. Phew! Related Games Pikmin (06/2002) Pikmin 2 (10/2004)”
How to obtain: Random appearance.		Type: Stage	Trophy Box: 61. Distant Planet & Indigenous Creatures

Smash Ultimate spirit

Spirit info				Augmented Fighter info
Name	Type	Class	Slots	Fighter(s)	Stage	Music	Rules/Hazards	Conditions	Image
Bulborb	Shield	★★	2	Giant Yoshi	Distant Planet	Main Theme - Pikmin (Original)	• Attack Power ↑	• Timed stamina battle • The enemy has increased attack power • The enemy favors neutral specials

Naming

• Common name: Bulborb. Its name is simplified to this as it's the most "basic" bulborb, compared to other ones; in fact, it is even referred to as the "basic bulborb" in Olimar's notes. See here for details on the word "Bulborb". The term "Spotty Bulborb" was initially used to refer to this enemy in Pikmin, which is a translation of its Japanese name. The "Spotty" in this name is due to the spots it has on its back, while "Bulborb" refers to its big, round eyes. In Pikmin 2, it was called "Red Bulborb", referring to its primarily red coloration.
• Japanese nickname: チャッピー^? (lit.: "Chappy"), or アカチャッピー^? (lit.: "Red Chappy"). See here for details on the word "Chappy".
• Japanese name: ベニデメマダラ^?. It translates to "Spotted Crimson Bug-eye", as pointed out by the Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy. In Pikmin, its Japanese name was simply デメマダラ^? (lit.: "Spotted Bug-eye").
• Scientific name: Oculus kageyamii russus. Russus is Latin for "red". See here for details on the genus and species. In the Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide, the scientific name was simply Oculus kageyamii, as other subspecies hadn't been introduced.
• Internal names: Its internal name in Pikmin is swallow, given that the name chappy is already used by the Dwarf Bulborb. The internal name in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3 is also chappy, the same as the Japanese name for Bulborb. In Hey! Pikmin, the enemy's internal and generator names are both boss_chappy, the same as before, but now acknowledging that it is a boss.
• Prerelease: In an early script left inside Pikmin 2, the creature used to have the technical name Oculus kageyamii ssp RED. The "ssp RED" means "subspecies RED" and is presumably a placeholder used until a proper word for "red" was found.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	チャッピー Chappī アカチャッピー (Pikmin 2) Aka Chappī (Pikmin 2) ?	Chappy Red Chappy (Pikmin 2)
Chinese (traditional)	恰比 Qiàbǐ	Chappy
Chinese (simplified)	恰比 Qiàbǐ	Chappy
Dutch	Bulborb	Bulborb
French	Bulborbe à pois (Pikmin) Bulborbe rouge (Pikmin 2) Bulborbe (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)	Spotty bulborb (Pikmin) Red bulborb (Pikmin 2) Bulborb (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)	From "Bulb" (Protubering) and "orbe" (Orb). "Bulborbe" is the French name for Bulborb.
German	Roter Punktkäfer (Pikmin 2) Punktkäfer (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)	Red Dot Beetle (Pikmin 2) Dot Beetle (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)
Italian	Coleto Rosso (Pikmin 2) Coleto (Pikmin 4, Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin Adventure)	Red Coleto (Pikmin 2) Coleto (Hey! Pikmin, Pikmin 4)	"Coleto" may come from "boletus" (Latin for mushroom), as a bulborb's spots resemble those found on certain mushrooms "Coleto" is the Italian name for both Bulborb and Bulbear
Korean	차피 Chapi	Chappy
Portuguese	Bulbolho	Bulbeye	The name is a portmanteau of "bulbo" (bulb) and "olho" (eye)
Portuguese (NoE)	Olborbo Orbolbo (Pikmin Adventure)	Eyeborb	The name is a portmanteau of "Bulborb", the masculine suffix "-o", and possibly "bolbo" (bulb) or "olho" (eye) Name taken from a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Spanish	Bulbo Moteado (Pikmin) Bulbo rojo (Pikmin 2) Bulbo (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)	Spotted Bulb (Pikmin) Red bulb (Pikmin 2) Bulb (Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Pikmin Adventure)
Russian	Клубнеголов Klubnegolov		The name is a portmanteau of клубника "klubnika" (strawberry) and голова "golova" (head) Name taken from a Nintendo Land plaza statue and a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gallery

Pikmin

• 

  Olimar and his Pikmin fighting a Spotty Bulborb.

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  GIF showing the dots on a Spotty Bulborb's back oscillating in size.

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  The Spotty Bulborb in the enemy reel.

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  Sketches of the Spotty Bulborb from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.

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  The corpse of a Spotty Bulborb.

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  A dead Spotty Bulborb being carried off in an early version of Pikmin. Note how it is upside-down, unlike the final game, where it is simply slumped over.

Pikmin 2

• 

  Clay artwork of a Red Bulborb fighting some Pikmin.

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  A Red Bulborb in the Piklopedia.

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  The Red Bulborb in the title screen.

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  A Red Bulborb's corpse.

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  A sleeping Red Bulborb.

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  A Red Bulborb eating Pikmin.

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  The Piklopedia icon of the Red Bulborb in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 3

• 

  Artwork of the Bulborb.

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  Artwork of the Bulborb fighting Pikmin.

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  Artwork of the Bulborb for the Official Nintendo Magazine. Notice how the spots on its back appear to stick out.

• 

  Close-up screenshot of a Bulborb.

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  KopPad photo of a Bulborb. The eyeshine effect can be seen.

• 

  A Bulborb sleeping.

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  A Bulborb's snot bubble.

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  A Bulborb being locked onto.

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  A Bulborb waking up after getting Alph tossed onto it.

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  A Bulborb about to bite Alph.

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  A Bulborb eating some Red Pikmin.

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  A Bulborb burping after a meal.

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  The corpse of a Bulborb.

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  A Bulborb (on the left) burping after eating some Pikmin in Bingo Battle.

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  A Bulborb in Pikmin 3, hit on the eye in a prerelease version.

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  Pikmin attacking a Red Bulborb in the E3 2012 trailer for Pikmin 3.

Pikmin 4

• 

  Artwork of Pikmin fighting a Bulborb.

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  Artwork of a Bulborb enraged by a Lumiknoll's presence.

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  A sleeping Bulborb seen in the Piklopedia.

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  A defeated Bulborb in the Piklopedia.

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  Prerelease image of a Bulborb being attacked by Pikmin.

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  Prerelease image of a Bulborb with glowing red eyes during a night expedition.

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  Prerelease image of a Bulborb frozen by Ice Pikmin.

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  2D artwork of a Bulborb.

Hey! Pikmin

• 

  The Bulborb's introduction cutscene in The Shadow in the Brush.

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  Captain Olimar and his squad of Pikmin walking under the Bulborb.

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  The Bulborb in the process of dying.

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  Ditto.

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  The Bulborb encounter in a prerelease version of Hey! Pikmin.

Pikmin Adventure

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  The Bulborb statue roaring after being interacted with.

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  Two Bulborbs attacking with a bite and a charge.

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  A Bulborb rushing at a Mii Olimar player.

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  A group of sleeping Bulborbs of various sizes.

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  A large Bulborb in Lord of a Barren Land.

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  A Pikmin Adventure render featuring the Bulborb.

Other

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  The Bulborb's e-card, #01 (2^nd red card).

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  A Bulborb in the Distant Planet stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

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  The Bulborb in Pikmin 100.

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  The Bulborb's corpse in Pikmin 100.

See more: Bulborb images category.

Trivia

• On the title screen of Pikmin 2, pressing  / will summon a Bulborb onto the screen. The player can control it by using  / and can eat Pikmin using  / .
• In the North American and Japanese versions of New Play Control! Pikmin, the sample rate for the Bulborb's sounds were set incorrectly causing their distinctive cries to be sped up to the point of unreconizability. This bug has caused some players to think that the sounds of a Bulborb were replaced by mouse squeaks.
• If a Bomb Rock is planted near a Bulborb, the noise produced by the explosion will wake it up. If the bomb hits the Bulborb in Pikmin, the Bulborb will jump awake with a yelp, the yelp being a lower pitched sample of a Breadbug being hit. This also applies to the Spotty Bulbear.
• In Pikmin 4, if a Bomb Rock is thrown at the correct angle, it can land in between the eye stalks of a deceased Bulborb and remain there until it explodes. This likely works with other Bulborbs of the same shape as these.
  

  A defeated Bulborb with a bomb rock about to explode between the stalks of its eyes.
• The Brawl trophy game appearance section claims that the Red Bulborb first makes an appearance in Pikmin 2. This is incorrect, as the enemy is present in the first game as well. The only part about the trophy that debuted in Pikmin 2 is the name "Red Bulborb" – this enemy was known as "Spotty Bulborb" prior to that game.
• In the Nintendogs games, at the second-hand shop, there is a Bulborb toy on a shelf of products in a pre-rendered background shot.
• The appearance of the Bulborb somewhat resembles that of the Super Mushroom from the Mario series. Both have generally bulbous sides, backs, and tops that are red with white spots. Likewise, the red and white spotted patterns of both are broken up by beige-colored fronts with two eyes.
• The Bulborb, Hermit Crawmad, and Caustic Dweevil are the only known enemies in Pikmin 2 to have a clay figure modelled after them.
• It could be said that the Bulborb is what represents enemies in general in the Pikmin series, since it repeatedly appears as the icon whenever the game needs to refer to enemies: a stylized Bulborb icon is used to represent battle deaths in the day results menu of Pikmin 2 and the remaining enemy count in the Battle Enemies! mode of Pikmin 3, a Bulborb silhouette icon represents the Pokos earned through enemy bodies in the cave results menu of Pikmin 2 and is used to show how many enemies of a particular type have been killed in the Piklopedia of Pikmin 2, a Bulborb icon is used to represent the Piklopedias of Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, and Pikmin 4. Bulborb icons appear in the Game Hunter, Animal Annotator, and Blast Radius (silhouetted in this case) badge icons for completing tasks related to defeating enemies in Pikmin 3 Deluxe; the Bulborb and Bulborb variants appear as the most frequently seen enemy during day lift off cutscenes. The Bulborb also appears very prominently in concept art, franchise merchandise, and in crossovers involving the series (such as in the Super Smash Bros. series). This role as the standard, ubiquitous enemy, however, is instead fulfilled by the Mockiwi in Hey! Pikmin.

See also

• Bulborb Larva
• Jumbo Bulborb
• Albino Dwarf Bulborb
• Hairy Bulborb
• Orange Bulborb
• Whiptongue Bulborb
• Spotty Bulbear
• Frosty Bulborb
• Mockiwi

References

This article was a featured article from June 1st, 2023 to August 1st, 2023.