The term hazard in the Pikmin games refers to anything that can harm or kill Pikmin, including the creatures, non-living traps and other dangers of the Pikmin planet. All types of hazards are listed below.
Fire
Fire hazards are usually in the form of fiery geysers spouting from the ground. In the first game, they are indestructible, but in the second game, they can be destroyed by Pikmin. Pikmin caught on fire may be saved by blowing your whistle at them, although they burn much more quickly in the first game, making doing so much harder than in Pikmin 2. Fortunately, fire cannot spread between Pikmin, and Pikmin which have caught fire will not suffer any permanent injuries after being rescued. Red Pikmin and Bulbmin cannot be hurt by fire hazards. Some enemies also release/create fire, such as the Fiery Blowhog and Fiery Bulblax. Captains can be made immune to fire by obtaining the Forged Courage treasure in Pikmin 2. When a Pikmin is on fire, it will run around frantically until they die or until their flame is extinguished.
Electricity
Electricity appears as a hazard in Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 3. It usually comes in the form of broken electrical wires sticking out of the ground, between which arcs of electrical discharge jump. In Pikmin 2, if any Pikmin touches an electric current, they will be instantly fried, with no chance to save them; in Pikmin 3, they are knocked onto the ground and paralyzed, giving a chance to save them by whistling. Yellow Pikmin and Bulbmin aren't affected by the electricity, and can easily dispatch of these death traps. Special types of gates pose an electrical hazard, and certain enemies, such as Anode Beetles will also produce electrical currents. Obtaining the Dream Material treasure will make captains immune to electricity.
Water
Water hazards include all pools of water in the world of the Pikmin. Pikmin that fall into the water will start to drown, but may have a chance to survive if they are repeatedly called over. Alternatively, Blue Pikmin have small gills and cannot drown, and will even rescue nearby drowning Pikmin when idle. Some water pools can be drained by breaking a rock seal in the pool, thereby revealing a hole that will drain it. Some enemies also release streams of water, such as the Watery Blowhog and Titan Dweevil. Enemies that eject water will form small bubbles around a non-blue Pikmin's head, causing it to panic. If not called back, they will fall on the ground and die. The only enemy that does this in Pikmin is the Goolix. Captains are always immune to water because of their space suit, though water-based attacks can still knock them down.
Poison gas
Poison hazards refer mainly to small pipes sticking out of the ground which constantly emit poisonous gases that suffocate Pikmin; whistling at a choking Pikmin will save it instantly. White Pikmin are totally immune to poison gas and are one of two capable of destroying gas pipes, the other type being Bulbmin. Certain enemies, such as the Doodlebug, will also emit gas clouds in small bursts. Because the air is thoroughly filtered, captains wearing a spacesuit will not succumb to poisonous gases, though certain poison-based attacks can still knock them down.
Other hazards
The term "hazard" is often used to refer exclusively to fire, water, electricity, and poison, but those are not the only things which can potentially kill Pikmin.
Explosions
- Main article: Bomb-rock.
Bomb-rocks explode and any Pikmin caught in the blast will die instantly. In the first game, Yellow Pikmin could carry and throw the bomb-rocks at enemies. The size of the bomb-rocks and their explosion range were enlarged in the second game, and instead of being able to carry these, Yellow Pikmin were made shockproof. In the third game, however, all Pikmin are able to carry bomb-rocks. The player may find bomb-rocks scattered on the ground of caves, and they may even fall from the ceiling in certain caves. Bomb-rocks are also produced and thrown by the Careening Dirigibug. The Volatile Dweevil carries a live bomb-rock on its back as it chases Pikmin around, which will activate when the creature is startled, exploding shortly thereafter. The explosion hazard is not created by the Titan Dweevil. Any deaths caused by the attacks of a Gatling Groink or Man-at-Legs count as explosion deaths, not as deaths from an enemy.
Boulders
Boulders fall from the sky in certain caves, much like bomb-rocks do. They are also produced by Lithopods and made to fall by the Empress Bulblax (only in the Hole of Heroes) and Segmented Crawbster. Boulders kill any Pikmin in the place they land instantly, with no chance of saving the crushed Pikmin. Whether produced by an enemy or falling from the ceiling, boulders can be used to injure or defeat unlucky enemies with good timing and positioning; however, it should be noted that the boulders produced from the Armored Cannon Beetle in Pikmin are only lethal to Olimar and the Pikmin, and not to other enemies.
The abyss
This refers to the pit outside the boundaries of every sublevel of every cave, as well as the bottomless pit in The Forest Navel; if Pikmin are thrown over the edge of the level or leave its walls or floor by a glitch, they fall to their deaths. Enemies can be killed by this as well, a strategy that can be used to one's advantage, especially in the cases of the highly mobile Gatling Groink and Spotty Bulbear. In Pikmin 2, any treasure that falls out of the boundaries of the level will reappear in a collectible spot, however this is not the case in the first game, which can lead to a destructive glitch with the Libra.
Enemies
- Main article: Enemy.
As the most common hazard, enemies play a major antagonistic role in game. The vast majority of beasts can harm Pikmin in some way, be it by eating them, rolling over them, sucking them up, or crushing them. Some produce other hazards, including fire, water, electricity, poison, bomb-rocks and boulders. Some even blow Pikmin away into other hazards. Concerning the eating of Pikmin, each type of enemy takes a different amount of time to kill Pikmin it has taken into its mouth, ranging from near-instantly, in the case of Spotty Bulbears and Bulborb Larvae, to quite a number of seconds.
Enemies that are harmless to Pikmin, and even often beneficial, can be found here.
Sunset
- Main article: Sunset.
This involves the end of the day: all Pikmin not in the landing area, with either Captain, or planted in the ground, die when the day ends, whether the player ends it through the start menu or is ended due to the time limit. It is possible to tell which Pikmin colors are killed during the cutscene of the ship lifting off by the Pikmin spirits that appear. Enemies can also be killed during this cutscene by White Pikmin or other enemies.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Olimar's Final Smash is called "End of Day", and involves the enemies that come out at night on the Pikmin planet.
Trivia
- The water in Pikmin has a faint reflection of the walls and leaves on the trees. This effect is actually obtained by having the walls duplicated and inverted under the ground, as well as having a white "bowl" with the shadows of the leaves. The terrain is then made see-through. Effectively, when looking at the water, the player is not seeing the reflection of items high above, they're actually seeing through the ground, into a textured surface.
- In Pikmin 2's overworld levels, gas pipes will respawn 99 days after their destruction.