Ranking Pikmin Types

In light of beating Pikmin 4, I’ve been browsing Pikmin-related YouTube videos. One video ranked the various Pikmin. I figured I should try that myself, so I am. I’m not including Oatchi, however, as he’s a dog. Anyway, let’s begin:

10. Winged Pikmin:

Every fan of the Pikmin franchise has their least-favourite type. This one’s mine. I know what you’re thinking, “What? Those cute cherubs that fly? What’s so bad about them?” Far be it to dispute their cuteness, but there’s a reason I’m putting them so low.

See, aside from reaching high places and carrying items above water, Winged Pikmin are really weak. They’re constantly at the mercy of enemies, and they’re usually among the first casualties. They even have trouble breaking flowers that contain pellets for more Pikmin, requiring groups where other Pikmin don’t. They also struggle to pull items from the ground in Pikmin 3. If it weren’t for the fact that that becomes necessary later on, they’d be almost useless.

Pikmin 4 nerfs them further. While the previous entry had uses for them, this one doesn’t really. Most objectives that require them can be accomplished with Yellow Pikmin, so they’re now lazy fan-service. Plus, they can drown in water if dispersed by enemies, which makes no sense given their wings. So while it pains me, I have no choice but to put them this low.

9. White Pikmin:

Moving up the rung, we have White Pikmin. Had Winged Pikmin not existed, White Pikmin would’ve easily been the worst type. True, their ability to sniff out buried treasure’s an asset. Yes, their speed’s commendable. And I’ll give them their resistance to poisonous traps. But like Winged Pikmin, there’s a glaring flaw:

White Pikmin are terrible fighters. Like Winged Pikmin, they require working in groups to defeat larger enemies, making them susceptible to being eaten. This makes each one precious, and it gets annoying when they die. Thank God for the Rewind mechanic in Pikmin 4! Where was that in Pikmin 2?!

If there’s any consolation, White Pikmin are poisonous to consume. Assuming you don’t mind losing the odd one, their ability to drain enemy health is an asset. I can’t say how many times I’ve struggled with a boss, lost many White Pikmin to a surprise attack and smirked when said enemy’s health depleted. It’s cathartic! That doesn’t compensate for White Pikmin being piss-poor fighters, though!

8. Rock Pikmin:

First introduced in Pikmin 3, Rock Pikmin are agile and can break through crystals and crystal-like walls. They also can survive being hit by boulders and stomped on, making them quite useful. They can also stun enemies in a surprise attack. That’s where their strengths end, unfortunately. Essentially, they feel like missed potential.

What holds them back is that when the element of surprise is gone, Rock Pikmin aren’t efficient fighters. They’re dysfunctional ones, charging around aimlessly like linebackers without a purpose. Even once they’ve been thrown, their secondary attacks take forever to do damage. Rock Pikmin, therefore, are good for initial attacks, and bad for follow-ups. They’re also annoying to keep track of.

All this makes Rock Pikmin tedious in a fight. Sure, their initial attack rules, but that’s their initial attack. And even then, Purple Pikmin are more-effective at stunning enemies and taking damage. For the most part, you have to constantly call them back and pray they don’t get eaten or scattered. It’s not fun if you don’t know what you’re doing, and I often find myself wishing they were better fighters. But what can you do when they’re shaped like rocks?

7. Red Pikmin:

The first Pikmin type in the mainline entries, Red Pikmin are also the most-balanced. They’re strong fighters, capable transporters and immune to fire. It’s always helpful having them on hand, made easier by their Onion being available from the start. However, with that comes a downside: they’re boring. The most-balanced Pikmin type isn’t special.

I feel bad saying that! Not only are Red Pikmin handy in most circumstances, such that I can’t imagine a game without them, they’re what comes to mind when you think of Pikmin. Their fire resistance also makes them great with certain enemies and obstacles. It seems like they’d be a perfect type! And on some level, they are.

But their lack of uniqueness makes them not stand out: in a fight, Purple and Ice Pikmin are more-efficient. When it comes to treasure, Yellow and Winged Pikmin are your immediate go-to types. Even breaking down barriers is better-suited for Rock Pikmin! So while Red Pikmin are balanced, they’re not my favourites. Sorry.

6. Blue Pikmin:

Ignoring personal biases, Blue Pikmin are slightly-preferable to Red Pikmin. It’s, therefore, unfortunate that most Pikmin games don’t let you access them until later on. It’s doubly-unfortunate because Blue Pikmin can swim, making them excellent fighters underwater. That, and they can save other species from drowning, making them Pikmin lifeguards. Fancy that, huh?

I’m not kidding about their efficiency. Not only are they an asset in water, but they’re great for surprise attacks from aquatic enemies, many of whom sneak up on your Pikmin without warning. They’re also quite useful in dismantling water-related traps, and they can take down barriers in water too. Additionally, Pikmin 2 and Pikmin 4 have caves that can only be accessed with them. You know you’ve got something special when that’s the case!

Unfortunately, Blue Pikmin are easy sacrifices. Being slower on land, they’re not much against a non-aquatic enemy or boss. They also have a higher tendency to be separated from your group because of how they blend in with environments. Blue Pikmin are as frustrating as they are handy, and being accessible late in the game doesn’t help. But I do like them, so…

5. Yellow Pikmin:

Of the original three types, Yellow Pikmin are the best. For one, they’re fast workers. Two, they can be thrown to hard-to-reach places. Three, they’re electricity-resistant. And finally, even though this was later changed, the original game had them capable of using Bomb Rocks, making them efficient in combat.

I happen to really like this type for all the above reasons. Whenever there’s an opportunity to use them in battle, I take it. Whenever I need to get to a difficult area, I toss them first. Even with lighting places or dismantling electrical traps, I resort to them. And while they’re no longer the only ones who use Bomb Rocks, they still work the best with them.

If I have any complaints about Yellow Pikmin, it’s that it’s easy to become over-reliant on them. There are even times where I only want them because of their efficiency, at the expense of other types. It doesn’t help that I sometimes forget that I need additional types, forcing me to backtrack and collect them. But that’s a minor gripe. And if it’s my only complaint, we’re in good hands.

4. Bulbmin:

I bet you forgot about these, right? Exclusive to Pikmin 2 (so far), Bulbmin are Pikmin that’ve infected hosts. Said hosts are Bulborbs, a really common enemy. If you kill their mother, they become yours for the taking. A little morbid, but hey! Free Pikmin! Who doesn’t want those?

Bulbmin are the G.O.A.T. in caves. Not only are they excellent fighters, they’re resistant to everything. They also can be thrown far distances, making them an essential companion. The only downside? They can’t leave caves. Though, thankfully, they can be converted into regular Pikmin with Candypop Buds.

I wish we could’ve seen Bulbmin in future games. They’d have been particularly useful in Pikmin 4, as that game has caves too. Imagine what they could do to clear out enemies, making quick work of them while you collect Sparklium. But I guess they were overpowered, so Nintendo didn’t bring them back. I can dream, though…

3. Purple Pikmin:

The “Sumo” Pikmin, Purple Pikmin are incredibly overpowered. For one, they’re each worth 10 regular Pikmin. This makes carrying heavy objects and enemies less tedious, as you don’t need as many. And two, they stun enemies by either landing on them, or landing adjacent to them. In moments where you’re bombarded, having them is necessary.

I can’t overstate how valuable Purple Pikmin are. They were the best type in Pikmin 2, hands down. When they were removed in Pikmin 3, I was actually disappointed. It felt like Nintendo was scared they’d make the game too easy. Fortunately, they made their triumphant return in Pikmin 4. And I’m grateful.

If I have issues with Purple Pikmin, they’re minor. The first is that they might actually be too overpowered. The second is that, at least for Pikmin 2, they and the White Pikmin have no Onion, forcing you to traverse caves to stock up. This makes collecting one of treasures, a dumbbell, a chore, as it can only be lifted by 100 Purple Pikmin. Pikmin 4, sadly, has this same problem with a gold brick, but you now have Oatchi to compensate. That, and Purple Pikmin have an Onion now, even if acquiring it’s a nightmare.

2. Glow Pikmin:

Moving to the upper-echelons of this list, Pikmin 4 introduces two Pikmin types. One of these is Glow Pikmin, who first appear in night missions. (Yes, Pikmin 4 has night missions.) Glow Pikmin are surprisingly-crafty and make night missions less-stressful. Given how the night missions function, that’s extremely helpful. Almost enough to forgive their somewhat-tedious harvesting methods. “Almost” being the key word.

Glow Pikmin can stun nearby enemies. If you hold down the charge button on the right Joycon, the Glow Pikmin will curl up into a ball and then explode. This’ll paralyze enemies long enough for the Glow Pikmin to make easy work of them. Smooth, huh? I think so!

Glow Pikmin, assuming you’ve harvested enough, will also convert into Glow Seeds once the Sun rises. These can then either be used for further night missions, or in underground caves. I kind of wish Glow Pikmin could be used above ground during the day, but alas! I guess even ghosts need sleep, right? I can dream…

1. Ice Pikmin:

Ice Pikmin are the other Pikmin introduced in Pikmin 4. It was a tough call for my #1 spot, but Ice Pikmin won for one reason: Glow Pikmin have limited use. Ice Pikmin, however, can be used anywhere except for night missions. That not only makes them more useful, it better highlights their skills. Because they have quite a few.

Not only can Ice Pikmin freeze enemies, they can also freeze water. The latter somewhat makes Blue Pikmin redundant, since you don’t need them to traverse wet areas. They’re also the only Pikmin who can freeze Hydro Jelly, a useful feature. Ice Pikmin are, quite simply, the most-overpowered Pikmin in the Pikmin franchise. But unlike Purple Pikmin, there’s no downside to that. I’m dead serious.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times Ice Pikmin have saved me time with enemies. In some cases, freezing them even caused them to fall to the ground and shatter, leaving me nectar for Pikmin to bloom from drinking. This is especially helpful because bloomed Pikmin (Pikmin with flowers on their heads) are more-efficient workers. The Ice Pikmin are, essentially, strong and powerful, but they’re also my favourite Pikmin. They’re that good!

And there you go: my rankings of all Pikmin types (to-date). Let me know if you agree or disagree, and I’ll see you next time!