| Player character | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Customizable |
| Gender | Not specified |
| Age | Unknown |
| Eye color | Customizable |
| Hair color | Customizable |
| Home planet | Karut |
| Known related characters | Oatchi, Rescue Corps |
| Height | Customizable |
The main character of Pikmin 4 (referred to by various nouns) is a customizable character whose name and appearance can be changed in a character creator on each save file. They are the newest recruit to the Rescue Corps, sent to rescue them from a crash landing after trying to rescue Captain Olimar for the same reason. They, along with Oatchi, are the only playable leaders in the game's Story Mode. Their ID card mentions they are from the planet Karut, which cannot be changed or customized. Their appearance can also be altered mid-story after rescuing the castaway Puddle.
Unlike previous characters, this character is silent for the majority of gameplay, only speaking with other characters via text prompts selected by the player (usually only between 2 to 3 options).
As this character is fully customizable, much of the game's promotional material as well as the game's own introduction addresses the character by addressing the viewer in second-person perspective (such as saying "you" or "you're"). Additionally, only gender-neutral pronouns and other terms are used when referring to them.
The default design of the character also appears in the Pikmin comic.
Appearance
The default design that is shown in trailers, promotional art, and in game demonstrations is obtained by choosing the first option in all of the character creator's steps. In this style, they have a full head of unkempt red hair (reddish brown in official artwork), one long eyelash atop each eye, rosy cheeks, a small spherical nose, a small circular open mouth, an orange antenna light, as well as a full red spacesuit with white gloves and boots.
Biography
The player character of Pikmin 4 is the newest recruit of the Rescue Corps, who is sent to PNF-404 to rescue them from a crash landing while they were trying to rescue Captain Olimar. They must also find the rest of the rescue corps on this planet as well as finding as much castaways they can.
Customization
These are all the options available in the character creator. The choice of available faces and haircuts depends on the chosen body type.
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Upon completing all of Puddle's side missions, the Leafling body type becomes available along with a corresponding set of faces.
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The other Rescue Corps members will wear uniforms in the same spacesuit color that the player selected. Additionally, the S.S. Shepherd , S.S. Beagle and Oatchi's collar will also share the color. Additionally, if the spacesuit color is the same as a castaway's spacesuit color, the castaway's spacesuit color will change.
| Name |
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| The leader's default name is automatically filled in from the player's Nintendo account name, but it is possible to change it. |
Naming
Being a customizable character meant to serve as the player's avatar, this character does not have a fixed name. Their name is set in the character creation screen by the player. Most of the time characters need to refer to them in-game, they will do so by this name.
The character is otherwise referred to using nouns such as:
- Player avatar or simply your avatar in the game's control menus
- Newbie Rescue Officer, Rescue Officer, or newbie in the Pikmin comic and by Rescue Corps members (notably Dingo)
- Rookie by Dingo, who also refers to them as "our star rookie". Captain Olimar also refers to the player character as "a rookie" in the prologue.
- New blood by Yonny
- Explorer on the game's North American website
- Lisa in trailers and in-game demonstrations
- Avatar internally.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
新人レスキュー隊員[1] Shinjin Resukyū-Taiin 新米レスキュー[2] Shinmai Resukyū? |
Newbie Rescue Corps member Newbie Rescue |
Gallery
The character and Oatchi.
The character and their group of Pikmin approaching a puddle, alongside Oatchi.
The group jumping on Oatchi to get ready to board.
The group crossing the lake on Oatchi's back.
Another angle of the lake being crossed.
Close-up of the character's back in their default appearance.
The character with some Blue Pikmin carrying a castaway.
The character with some Mitites.
The character with a Giant Breadbug.
The character creator's menu for skin tone selection.
The character creator's menu for body type selection.
The character creator's menu for face selection.
The character creator's menu for hairstyle selection.
Some possible combinations from the character creator.
More combinations from the character creator.
Skin tone #1.
Skin tone #2.
Skin tone #3.
Skin tone #4.
Skin tone #5.
Skin tone #6.
Skin tone #7.
Skin tone #8.
The default look's ID badge image.
Alternative artwork of the character walking.
Artwork of the character's silhouette.
Artwork of the character plucking a Blue Pikmin.
Artwork of the character whistling.
Artwork of the character with Oatchi and some Pikmin.
The character in the Pikmin comic.
Trivia
- While the game allows the player to give their character the same name as another character, nothing special happens in this situation.
- If the player customizes their character to look identical to another character, then that character will point this out in their first conversation.[3] It should be noted that this interaction can only be seen once.
- The color of the spacesuit the player chooses directly affects the coloring of character and object textures such as the Rescue Corps spacesuits and Oatchi's collar in-game and in menus and the ID Info Cards.
- When the player chooses their character's face type, a faint sound very similar to the Mii Channel option confirmation sound will play.
See also
References
- ^ Crew members coloring page on the Japanese Pikmin Garden website
- ^ Pikmin comic index page on the Japanese Pikmin Garden website
- ^ YouTube video showing the different dialog that appears when the player talks to a character when the two look identical.
| Characters | |
|---|---|
| Leaders | Captain Olimar • Louie • The President • Alph • Brittany • Charlie • Rookie Rescue Officer |
| Rescue Corps | Oatchi • Collin • Shepherd • Russ • Dingo • Yonny • Bernard |
| Ships | S.S. Dolphin • Hocotate ship • S.S. Drake • S.S. Dolphin II • SPERO • S.S. Beagle • S.S. Shepherd |
| Other | Castaway • Leafling • Minor characters • Moss • Pikmin |