Dodge

Alph and some Red Pikmin dodging a Whiptongue Bulborb in the Tropical Wilds.

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Dodging is a mechanic in Pikmin 3 that allows leaders and Pikmin to dodge attacks. This gameplay feature is not available from the start of the game – players must first retrieve the Dodge Whistle in the Distant Tundra to unlock the mechanic. To use it, the player must press the left or right directional buttons to make the squad dodge in the desired direction. It is not possible to dodge when playing with a sideways Joy-Con in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

Functionality

Alph dodges an attack from a Swooping Snitchbug.

When  /  / (Pikmin 3) or  / (Pikmin 3 Deluxe) is pressed, the leader will quickly roll sideways in the direction pressed. Normally, the actual direction depends on the way the camera is facing: the dodge happens either to the left or right side of the screen. If the player is locked-on to an object in the original Pikmin 3, however, the roll happens clockwise or anti-clockwise around the object (left and right dodges, respectively), while keeping the same distance from it. Dodges in Pikmin 3 Deluxe are always in a straight line based on the camera's orientation.

All leaders and Pikmin in the squad will roll in the same direction. While dodging, a leader rolls on the ground twice – this covers a distance of about slightly less than the span of the Onion's legs on the ground. Every character and Pikmin in the party will roll the same distance, from the spot they were on at the start of the command. Squad members that are too far away will not perform any roll. There is a small delay until the dodge order can be issued again, but regardless, if done too frequently, dodging can cause some party members to ignore the order altogether; the main leader will always dodge, however.

This move is the only spacesuit upgrade to be active in Mission Mode and Bingo Battle. In Mission Mode, it is possible to use it when fighting the Armored Mawdad, which is not possible in Story Mode as the Dodge Whistle cannot be found until after this battle.

Oddities

While rolling, leaders and Pikmin are not affected by gravity. Only after the rolling animation stops are they affected by the forces of gravity again. This makes it possible to skip over gaps, provided the distance between them isn't too great, and that the destination edge isn't higher than the starting one. This has a few uses in speedrunning. For instance, by throwing a leader at the boundaries around the clipboard hiding the Velvety Dreamdrop on the Garden of Hope, and then having some Pikmin lift the board while a leader is on top, it is possible to use the rolling mechanic to go into the path leading to the Quaggled Mireclops' arena; the leader must be moving before initiating the dodge in order for it to work.

Another exploit is the ability to control Pikmin farther away than normal. By throwing Pikmin at a ledge, whistling them, and dodging repeatedly so that the leader doesn't move from their lower ground but the Pikmin roll into a target far away, it is possible to dismiss them near the target and get them to interact with it. In order to get the leader to not move, the player must make the leader roll into a wall.

If a leader rolls into a lightweight fruit (i.e. one that requires only 1 Pikmin to carry), they can slightly nudge the object. By doing this repeatedly, it's possible to push the object somewhere else. This can be used, for instance, to push the Cupid's Grenade in the Tropical Wilds off its island. It is also possible to move pellets, crystal nodules, or unconscious leaders (Captain Olimar in Story Mode or Louie in Mission Mode) with this trick.

Sounds

The Dodge Whistle is given its name due to the fact that when the leader rolls, they whistle a specific sound, to order their group to do the same. There are two sounds for this move: one for the Koppaite leaders, and another one for the Hocotatian leaders.

Koppaites

Hocotatians

Gallery

• 

  The Dodge Whistle being analyzed by the S.S. Drake.

• 

  A data file explaining how to use the Dodge Whistle.

• 

  Brittany and some Pikmin dodging.

• 

  Brittany and some Pikmin dodging while locking-on to an enemy.

• 

  Screenshot showing how leaders and Pikmin aren't affected by gravity while dodging.

Trivia

• Pikmin holding Bomb Rocks will not roll, but will walk faster to keep up with the dodge.
• Plants stop almost all rolling momentum. If a roll starts on top of a plant, it will barely go anywhere, and if a leader dodges into a plant, they will stop moving once they touch it.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	よける? Yokeru	Dodge
Spanish (NoA)	Esquivar	Dodge

Dodge Whistle

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ヨク笛? Yoku fue	Dodge Whistle
Chinese (traditional)	閃避笛	Dodge flute
Chinese (simplified)	闪避笛	Dodge flute
Dutch	Ontwijkfluitje	Dodge flute	Taken from the manual of Pikmin 3.
French	Flûte à galipettes	Somersaults flute
German	Ausweichflöte	Dodge flute
Italian	Fischietto rotolante	Rolling whistle
Korean	휘피 피리 Hwipi pili	Whiffy flute
Portuguese	Assobio de evasão	Evasion whistle	Taken from the manual of Pikmin 3.
Spanish	Silbato de evasión	Dodge whistle

See also

• Shortcut Settings – the feature using the directional buttons in Pikmin 4.