Pikmin 4: Pikmin Primer
The Pikmin under your command come in different types, each with their own special abilities in combat and exploration. Nintendo Treehouse’s Bill Trinen confirmed that, alongside the new Ice Pikmin, all seven previous Pikmin types will be present and accounted for in Pikmin 4, with their familiar abilities intact. Here’s what each variety brings to the (inch-high) table.
Blue Pikmin
Most Pikmin will drown if they enter a body of water, but not Blue Pikmin. They can simply walk along the bottom, behaving exactly as they would on land. That makes them helpful for retrieving sunken objects or fighting aquatic enemies.
Yellow Pikmin
Yellow Pikmin’s abilities have changed throughout the series, so it’s not clear which version will be in Pikmin 4, but something connected to electricity is a safe bet. In Pikmin 2, they were immune to electrical damage, and in Pikmin 3, they could link together to conduct electricity and power broken circuits.
Red Pikmin
With their powerful attacking ability, Red Pikmin are always useful in combat or for quickly tearing down walls in your way. They’re also entirely immune to fire, which makes them especially helpful against any fire-breathing enemies or fiery obstacles you may encounter.
Ice Pikmin
As you can probably guess, these newcomers are pretty chill. In combat, a swarm of Ice Pikmin can freeze an enemy they’re attacking. But they’re also helpful in exploration, as they can ice over the surface of water to allow your commander to walk across.
Winged Pikmin
The small and speedy Winged Pikmin are, predictably, the only variety that can fly. They can even carry objects through the air and follow your explorer into areas other Pikmin can’t reach. While they’re weak in combat, they can home in on a target when thrown, making them handy against fast-moving enemies.
White Pikmin
White Pikmin are poisonous to enemies but—at least in previous games in the series—that ability comes with a serious trade-off. They only release their poison to damage an enemy if that enemy eats them, and there’s no coming back from that!
Purple Pikmin
The Purple Pikmin are taller and heftier than the other varieties. That gives them strong attack power—helpful in combat—and it also enables them to lift 10 times more weight than the other Pikmin. But they’re also the slowest of any Pikmin type, so don’t expect quick results.
Rock Pikmin
The hard skin of Rock Pikmin makes them quite sturdy. They’re immune to being crushed or stabbed by enemies or environmental hazards. They’re also great at smashing through crystals, ice, or armor, and they do solid damage when thrown at enemies.
