// Introducing the Pikmin
Pikmin have always been one of the most appealing designs in all gaming. They’re simple, colourful, and cute. They are designed in a such a way that their colour and form indicate their use. This also ensures that they are very identifiable when there are 100 of them swarming around. But not all Pikmin are created equal. Although I think their designs have been consistently good, they haven’t all been flawless. Couple this with their in-game use, some of which are not as viable as others, and you have a gosh darn opportunity. Join me in ranking all the Pikmin.
// 10 – Winged Pikmin
I don’t like the winged Pikmin very much. Their strange proportions are unsettling, killing the usual charm that the little guys have.
They definitely have some practical benefits from flying. Going airborne is a game changer from the land-based Pikmin you’re working with up until this point.
I have to be honest, I don’t think it’s natural. Pikmin shouldn’t fly. It’s weird.
Evolution went too far with these ones. Being pink is their only saving grace.
// 9 – Ice Pikmin
These frosty fellas have some interesting pros, but more cons.
Tossing them into a body of water will freeze it, which is a very interesting ability. It allows you to transform the level around you and change the way you engage with it. They can also freeze baddies when they are eaten, or deal damage. As you might expect, they are immune to ice-type damage.
Flipping the coin, they deal less damage and are more susceptible to fire damage.
Their visual design has some appeal, but giving them a torso and head separately loses a lot of the charm you see in the rock Pikmin who are just one large chunk.
The cons here make them basically a straight downgrade from any more typical Pikmin. They only come out when I need their specific abilities.
// 8 – Blubmin
The Bulbmin are interesting. They are Pikmin that have parasitically taken over Bolborbs and live in caves. If you kill the parent, you can rally all the juvenile Bulbmin to follow you.
They do average damage and are immune to water, fire, electricity, and poison. This makes them a very powerful ally and a no-brainer to add to the squad.
This is of course balanced out by the fact that you cannot take them out of their caves.
Their extremely limited use keeps them pretty low on the list.
// 7 – Glow Pikmin
These Pikmin are bioluminescent, nocturnal creatures. They float and have ghostly bodies.
They only come out for night expeditions, which are effectively a minigame in Pikmin 4. For all the Glow Pikmin you manage to create in the minigame, you will get glow seeds to take with you (at a rate of 10 to 1).
Then you can summon Glow Pikmin on your own, as long as you are in a cave or on a night expedition.
They can fly to attack aerial enemies, are immune to all types of elemental damage, and can be grouped up into a glowmob and launched at enemies. This will explode and stun enemies, leaving them vulnerable.
Similar to the Bulbmin, they are very powerful but with limited use. They come in a spot ahead because their minigame is fun, and they look cool as heck.
// 6 – White Pikmin
White Pikmin are fun, and their vibe carries them a long way.
I love their tiny white bodies and bright red eyes. Of all the Pikmin, they might be the most striking.
Functionally, they can walk through poison without being harmed. They are FAST little guys too, sprinting along behind you at a faster clip than the other types. They also damage baddies when they are eaten because of their poisonous bodies.
This isn’t enough to earn them a regular spot in the party, though. They rank higher than those lower on this list just because I think their design is rad.
// 5 – Rock Pikmin
These guys take the specific use cases of some of the previous Pikmin, but add in a combat viability aspect.
Being hard as rocks, they can be thrown to shatter different glass-like materials.
They are immune to certain crushing and stabbing attacks, which can be beneficial at times. The crushing immunity was nerfed in Pikmin 4, however.
They also deal increased damage. This is balanced by their lower attack speed. From a damage-over-time perspective, it’s about the same as a regular Pikmin. But the higher damage can often take out smaller enemies on the first shot.
They’re little cute rock guys, and I find their chunky shape and texture oh so satisfying.
// 4 – Yellow Pikmin
You knew the original three would be high on this list, they had to be. All three are universally helpful.
Yellow Pikmin round out the bottom of the original three. Their immunity to electricity is probably the least helpful of the three. You just don’t see it as much as you do fire and water.
Their increased throw distance is very handy for grabbing treasure on high ledges. It also *can* be helpful when attacking from further away, but if you have a mixed party, it just adds a bit of chaos as some Pikmin will randomly be flung further away. Not to mention swarm attacks are unaffected.
I’m not sure if this is a hot take or not, but I also am not crazy about the ears.
// 3 – Red Pikmin
There they are, the original Pikmin. I still remember plucking the first Red Pikmin from the ground as a kid and being enamoured with the little fella. Such a satisfying shape and bright, vivid colour.
Functionally, the Red Pikmin resist fire. This is a pretty common hazard, so it’s a very useful resistance. But their main benefit comes from their offence, not their defence.
They do above average damage (a value of 15 instead of 10) because of their pointy noses. The 1.5 times damage output can be massive. If you’re just angling for killing creatures, load up on reds.
Note: that Red Pikmin rendering was done by Jordan Yen.
// 2 – Blue Pikmin
The blue boys top off the original three.
Their damage is average, and their throw distance is average. Overall they are very average. However, they have one massive advantage: water immunity.
I always found water to simply be the biggest threat in Pikmin games. An accidental spin or a bad twitch of the stick and your whole army has run off the cliff into a body of water.
Loading up on Blues means you have complete freedom to explore. It changes essentially every level of every game when you can traverse through the vast seas (small puddles).
They are the definition of dependable, and my go-to choice more often than not.
Their funny little mouths are also really nice. They have an attitude about them that I find appealing.
// 1 – Purple Pikmin
Now THESE big boys are the something special. They top off the Pikmin list for a number of reasons. We’ll start with form, and finish with function.
Just look at ‘em. They’re units, which scores them bonus points. They have cute little hairs on their head, and their buds/flowers are a nice pink colour.
Beyond their looks, they have some of the best abilities of any Pikmin. They are so strong that they can carry the equivalent of 10 normal-sized Pikmin. Just one of these little heavyweights can carry a Bulborb back to base all by itself!
When thrown, they come crashing down to the ground with an earth-shattering thwomp, crushing everything below them. This deals massive damage and stuns the enemy, making them one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the series.
Furthermore, they are so plump and dense that they resist wind and roar abilities that typically send Pikmin scattered all around.
Purple Pikmin are simply a marvel of the Pikmin world. The Apex of the species.
Speaking of fan-favourite Nintendo games, do you like Paper Mario? Check out our review of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door while you’re here.
