Crystal



Crystals are obstacles that appear in Pikmin 3 and ''Hey! Pikmin''. Although there are several objects made of crystal-like materials in the game, the standard crystal obstacle is a see-through rock. Crystals can contain objects inside, like fragments, pellets, and also fruits, but their main purpose is to serve as blockades. Despite there being different types of crystal-related objects, all of them need Rock Pikmin or bomb-rocks to be broken – other Pikmin types will just tap away, only to give up after a bit.

Large crystal
In, large crystals are relatively big crystals. This the most common type of crystal; it appears in every area, except the Tropical Wilds. By throwing 10 Rock Pikmin at them, they will break. They can contain fruit, fragments, data files, and even blobs of ultra-spicy spray in Mission Mode. In addition, the Rock Onion is found in a large crystal.

In Pikmin 3

 * Garden of Hope
 * There are 3 large crystals in the cave with the Rock Pikmin. One holds a data file, another holds some pellets, and the final holds the Rock Pikmin's Onion.
 * One large crystal is near the red bridge and holds the remaining 20 fragments to the bridge.
 * There are two crystals before both the Armored Mawdad and Quaggled Mireclops, each containing 20 fragments for their respective blue bridges.
 * A large crystal can be found near the Burgeoning Spiderwort in the second half of the area, and it holds a Searing Acidshock.
 * Distant Tundra
 * A large crystal is present in the room where the Yellow Onion is discovered and contains a Disguised Delicacy.
 * Two large crystals are found in the area with the 2 Joustmites and the flower pot. Both are used to create paths to and from the fragments to avoid the Joustmites.
 * The Zest Bomb is encased in a large crystal, and is guarded by an Arctic Cannon Larva on a high ledge.
 * A large crystal is located near the Fiery Blowhog, and holds a data file.
 * There is a large crystal in the area where Charlie crashed. It simply acts as a roadblock so Charlie cannot escape that area, and must be broken if the player wants to take anything in that area back to the Drake.
 * Twilight River
 * A pile of 20 fragments is encased in a large crystal, near an electric gate.
 * The Dapper Blob is found across a small pond with a Yellow Wollywog in it. It also is encased in a large crystal.
 * The Blonde Impostor is found in a large crystal on a high area accessible via Bouncy Mushroom.
 * Formidable Oak
 * A large crystal blocks off a small area with a pile of 30 red fragments, causing the Pikmin to go around.
 * Another large crystal blocks off the path to the area with the reinforced wall.

In Hey! Pikmin
In, large crystals are the most common type of crystals, and can block paths, fall on the player or serve as a slide for Olimar and his Pikmin.
 * Sparkling Labyrinth:
 * Crystal Tunnels
 * Echo Cavern
 * Springpetal Cave
 * The Hollow Sky
 * Snowfall Field
 * Below the Ice
 * Secret Spots:
 * Secret Spot 20
 * Secret Spot 26

Small crystal
Small crystals are crystals that only need 3 hits from a Rock Pikmin to break. These crystals don't contain major objects, usually just pellets, but they can block geysers.

Locations
Garden of Hope Distant Tundra
 * There is a small crystal in the cave where the Rock Pikmin are found, and it contains a gray pellet.
 * There is a small crystal near two Crimson Candypop Buds and two Pyroclasmic Slooches. It blocks a geyser.
 * There are two small crystals which block a geyser near the two Arctic Cannon Larvae.
 * There are five small crystals in front of three Desiccated Skitter Leaves. They are the first small crystals found in the Story mode. Three of them contain a pellet: one red, another gray, and the final yellow.

Crystal nodule


Crystal nodules aren't like other crystals: they don't block paths, contains objects or block geysers, but are the main weapon of Skutterchucks. Crystal nodules are very small, white crystals, and only need one single hit from a Rock Pikmin to break. In Pikmin 3, these objects are thrown by Skutterchucks, while in ''Hey! Pikmin'', they are dropped. In ''Hey! Pikmin'', they also aren't found lying around, and are rather obtained when Skutterchucks walk through certain crystals. According to the Piklopedia, they are the cast-off shells of juvenile Calcified Crushblats.

Pikmin 3

 * Tropical Wilds:There are 4 crystal nodules alongside two Skutterchucks, next to the two areas where the Shaggy Long Legs is found.
 * Garden of Hope: There are 5 crystal nodules near the two Skutterchucks in front of the red bridge that connects the S.S. Drake and the area where Brittany is found.
 * Formidable Oak: There are 6 crystal nodules near the two Skutterchucks in the part where the Nectarous Dandelfly is found.

Hey! Pikmin

 * Sparkling Labyrinth
 * Springpetal Cave: This is the only area that they are found in in Hey! Pikmin. They are obtained and dropped by several pairs of Skutterchucks that walk around platforms.

Icicle crystal
In, icicle crystals are crystals that look like icicles. When Olimar and/or his Pikmin approach one of these, the crystals will fall on them, killing or harming the crew. In order to avoid this, the player must trick the crystal into falling and then getting out of its way. This obstacle isn't mentioned by the characters in any way, so its name is conjectural.

Locations

 * Verdant Waterfront:
 * The Shallow End
 * Sparkling Labyrinth:
 * Crystal Tunnels
 * Springpetal Cave
 * The Hollow Sky
 * Secret Spots:
 * Secret Spot 20
 * Secret Spot 26

Crystal nest
In, Skutterchucks can take crystal nodules in certain crystals. Those crystals are united together, making some kind of crystal nests. Like all other crystals, they can be destroyed by Rock Pikmin. They're one and a half times taller than Olimar, and he can walk on them, but not through them. Unlike any other crystals in the series, the nest actually displays a health bar when attacked, similar to enemies.

Locations

 * Sparkling Labyrinth:
 * Springpetal Cave: This is the only location in the game where Skutterchucks, and thus crystal nests, are found. They are often found on platforms where the Skutterchucks takes a crystal, drops it on the player, and repeats. They do this until the crystal is destroyed.

Other types
The crystal on the Quaggled Mireclops is referred to as a "Mireclops Crystal" specifically and needs 40 hits from thrown Rock Pikmin to take down. Crystal walls block the way with a crystalline wall. While not given any specific names, the Peckish Aristocrab's claw as well as the shells covering the bodies of the Calcified Crushblat, the Armored Mawdad and the Crystalline Crushblat are all made of a crystal-like material. Finally, the Plasm Wraith can spit out an Elemental Plasm that transforms into a huge crystal cube, which must be broken down bit by bit until it collapses into a pool of plasm.

Trivia

 * In the E3 2012 demo of Pikmin 3, all crystals were referred to as crystal nodules. In addition, large crystals in that version were translucent, while the ones in the final version are roughly opaque.
 * In Silver Lake Remix, there are two abnormally big large crystals – their size is due to them storing 50 nuggets, which would be too much for a "normal" large crystal. However, it still takes 10 hits from a Rock Pikmin to break, regardless of size.
 * In the Battle enemies! version of Twilight Hollow, a large crystal blocks a geyser; this is the only large crystal in the game to do this, which normally, only small crystals do.

Names in other languages
Large crystal

Small crystal

Crystal nodule