Winged Pikmin

Winged Pikmin are a Pikmin type that appear in, , , and , with the special ability of flight. They are pink with large blue eyes, their bodies are striped in darker pink, and they have lavender buds and flowers like Rock Pikmin. Their name comes from the transparent wings on their backs, which allow them to be airborne most of the time. This is particularly useful in combat and while carrying. Like other main Pikmin types, they are produced in an Onion and appear in all of the game's modes.

Traits and abilities
As their name implies, Winged Pikmin are capable of flight, and are constantly airborne. Winged Pikmin can also carry objects into the air, enabling them to take shortcuts, but they carry objects slower than other Pikmin types. Winged Pikmin behave differently when they carry objects alongside other Pikmin.

Due to their constant airborne status, they can follow leaders more smoothly, as they can fly over obtrusions on the terrain, over water, or over pits. There are a few disadvantages, however. It's harder for them to take down small Pellet Posies (but still possible, with careful aim or by throwing from below), and if their leader is underwater they cannot be thrown at all. They are also weaker than other Pikmin types in terms of attack power, but the fact that they can fly makes fighting airborne enemies and targeting specific weak points in larger enemies more convenient. Contrary to popular belief, Winged Pikmin do not cause more damage to flying enemies.

Interestingly, Winged Pikmin cannot be crushed, except by the crystal cubes released from the final boss. Whenever they get hit by an attack that would crush regular Pikmin, Winged Pikmin are merely thrown backward.

It's possible for a Winged Pikmin to walk on the ground like any other Pikmin instead of flying. This can happen while building a bridge, digging, drinking nectar, going back to the Onion, pushing an obstacle such as an iron ball, attacking a gate, after being thrown away by an attack (if they are not called back and can't find an enemy to attack), after being inked or set ablaze (they will either fly or run), or when rescued from drowning (if the player whistles the Pikmin, it will fly, but if the Pikmin manages to escape alone, it will set foot on ground). They will also set foot on the ground after sliding or using a geyser (in which case they will stay on the ground until their leader moves).

In, Winged Pikmin behave similarly to but have the new ability to carry Olimar until he hits the ground if he falls from a certain distance, similar to gliding. Whilst Olimar is being carried, holding down on allows him to descend faster, and upwards will make him perform a short hop, increasing the amount of air time. The left and right walking commands are the same while gliding and don't have any perks. Certain areas have a "wind effect" which pushes Olimar in the direction the wind is blowing; using a short hop allows the player to get slightly more height depending on which direction the wind blows. Notably Winged Pikmin also fly straight to the point the player taps on the screen without arching like other Pikmin.

In, Winged Pikmin appear with a visibly unchanged behavior from. However, they are now more vulnerable to crushing hazards.

Discovery
Winged Pikmin are discovered in the Twilight River. Across a river from where the leaders land is an Arachnode web, with a Winged Onion trapped in it. Scattered across the area are blue fragments for a large blue bridge, which leads to the opposite shore. Destroying the Arachnode that owns the trap will free the Winged Onion from its grasp. After doing so, it will release a single Winged Pikmin seed, allowing more Pikmin to be propagated. The ideal way to do this is with the flukeweeds in the Onion's site, and through Pellet Posies on the other sides of small ponds, which both demonstrate the Pikmin's ability to fly. The Winged Pikmin are later used in the area to allow lily pads to flow to the second half of the area. As with other Onions, the Winged Onion merges with the main Onion at the end of the day.

Required uses
The following tasks require Winged Pikmin to complete, and there are no glitches or exploits that allow other Pikmin types to do so.
 * Fruits
 * (Distant Tundra): A bamboo gate blocks the room containing this fruit.
 * (Garden of Hope): This fruit is under a flukeweed which requires Winged Pikmin to lift.
 * (Twilight River): This fruit is under a flukeweed.
 * (Twilight River): This fruit is underneath a flukeweed.
 * (Garden of Hope): This fruit is located under a clipboard which requires Winged Pikmin to lift.
 * (Tropical Wilds): This fruit is under a flukeweed.
 * Obstacles
 * 10 Winged Pikmin are required to lift a bamboo gate.
 * The dam that blocks lily pads from flowing down a river in the Twilight River must be opened by lifting flukeweeds. (This technically makes all 6 fruits in the second half of the area require Winged Pikmin, but this step won't be counted in these lists.)
 * 8 Winged Pikmin are required to lift clipboards.
 * 1-5 Winged Pikmin are required to uproot flukeweeds.
 * Other
 * Blue Onion: The Onion is attached to a flukeweed that needs to be pulled out of the ground.

Recommended uses
Winged Pikmin are recommended for the following tasks, but are not strictly required.
 * Fruits
 * (Garden of Hope): The elevator platforms are meant to be used, but it is easier to have Winged Pikmin fly up and obtain the fruit.
 * (Twilight River): The fruit is too high up for Yellow Pikmin to adequately reach until the second half of the area is discovered. Winged Pikmin can easily collect it beforehand.
 * (Garden of Hope): This fruit normally requires a seesaw block puzzle to be properly collected, a puzzle that Winged Pikmin can bypass entirely.
 * (Twilight River): This fruit is more convenient to obtain with Winged Pikmin, as the paths Blue Pikmin must take are slower.
 * (Distant Tundra): This fruit is more convenient to obtain with Winged Pikmin, as the paths Blue Pikmin must take are slower.
 * This fruit is held by a Burrowing Snagret, and Winged Pikmin are very good for fighting the mini-boss.
 * (Twilight River): The safest method of obtaining this requires that a bamboo gate be lifted. Alternatively, three Orange Bulborbs can be fought.
 * (Tropical Wilds): After defeating the Calcified Crushblat that holds this fruit, either Winged or Blue Pikmin must be present to carry the fruit back.
 * (Distant Tundra): The Shaggy Long Legs that holds this fruit often steps over water, making charging it with Winged Pikmin a safer way to defeat it. In addition, a bamboo gate blocks the faster route to its arena.
 * (Tropical Wilds): This fruit can be obtained using Yellow Pikmin and the scales in the Tropical Wilds, but it is much easier to obtain by manipulating the camera and charging Winged Pikmin at it.
 * Enemies
 * Although any Pikmin type can be used to defeat Burrowing Snagrets, Winged Pikmin are the only type that can charge at its head, and by charging at it with a large number of Winged Pikmin, it can be defeated in a few seconds.
 * When airborne, charging Winged Pikmin at it will send it crashing to the ground.
 * Winged Pikmin can most easily reach a swarm and take each Scornet out, sometimes before the swarm can even attack.
 * Winged Pikmin are needed to ground the creature, although it can be defeated by Rock Pikmin, as they can damage it while it's airborne, whereas all other Pikmin types get shaken off.

Carrying properties
Because carrier Winged Pikmin are in constant flight, they have unique carrying properties that differ from the other Pikmin types.

When carrying an object, Winged Pikmin will fly with it through the air, making it difficult to call them back with the ground whistle. Instead, they must be called by holding, which will eventually summon a cylindrical beam of light that will call the Winged Pikmin, or by simpling whistling while aiming at the object they are carrying. As stated, Winged Pikmin are capable of flying over obstacles, but are considerably slow whilst carrying. This can cause traffic in groups of Pikmin trying to return spoils to base, as Winged Pikmin slowly carrying an object in the front of the line will cause the rest of the Pikmin to get held up behind them.

If multiple types of Pikmin are carrying something that a Winged Pikmin is also carrying, the Winged Pikmin will carry it closer to the ground and will not fly with it. However, if the number of Winged Pikmin carrying is the number of Pikmin required to lift the object, they will lift it into the air, causing any ground-based Pikmin trying to carry the object to let go or to cling on for a few seconds before falling off.

Due to this behavior, and combined with the fact that idle Pikmin are prone to assisting nearby Pikmin who are carrying an item, idle Winged Pikmin are known to "steal" spoils from other types of Pikmin by unintentionally snatching them away from the other Pikmin as they try to fly with it.

In Hey! Pikmin
Winged Pikmin are first encountered in Fragrant Forest. During exploration, their flying ability allows them to follow Olimar in places that only he can reach with a jetpack, and in Pikmin Park, they can remove rubble that the other types cannot reach.

In Pikmin Bloom
In, Winged Pikmin are the sixth Pikmin type unlocked, at level 10. Their seedlings require a minimum of 5 carrying strength to be retrieved, along with 5000 steps to grow. In expeditions, they have a carrying strength of 1 and a time modifier of 0.2 when only Winged Pikmin are used and 1 otherwise. In mushroom battles, they have a base attack power of 2.

In Pikmin 4
In, Winged Pikmin can be found as early as the Below-Grade Discotheque in Serene Shores. Their onion, however, is found far within the final area: The Primordial Thicket.

Recommended uses
While no treasure or obstacle require Winged Pikmin, there are several uses they are highly recommended for, as they can only be bypassed through glitches and exploits without them.
 * (Ultimate Testing Range): On a lower ledge, there is no path grounded Pikmin types can use to carry it out. Oatchi also cannot carry it back without using exploits in his pathing.
 * : As it is in a dead end guarded by a gate, Winged Pikmin are the only type that can carry it (through normal means) to the S.S. Beagle.

In the Super Smash Bros. series
Winged Pikmin appear in Smash 4 and Ultimate as part of Olimar's up special, Winged Pikmin. This is Olimar's main recovery method, and when used, two Winged Pikmin instantly spawn and grab Olimar, carrying him upwards. Olimar will also carry any Pikmin that were in his party prior to the start of the move, but the more Pikmin that are being carried, the harder the Winged Pikmin have to fly, and the less distance they cover before giving up. Winged Pikmin also appear in both versions of Smash 4 as a trophy.


 * 3DS trophy:


 * Wii U trophy:

Trivia

 * Winged Pikmin have dark stripes on their bodies which make them resemble bees. This color pattern makes their bodies non-monochromatic, a trait uncommon in most Pikmin types.
 * Winged Pikmin are internally labeled . This heavily implies Winged Pikmin were originally planned to be orange. Something similar can be seen with Pikmin 2 and the early Bulborbs.
 * If Winged Pikmin are dismissed over an abyss, they raise up a bit before finally becoming idle. They can be whistled back and re-dismissed to raise continuously higher, to the point where the whistle cannot reach them any more.
 * It's actually possible for a Sputtlefish to ink a Winged Pikmin in the Garden of Hope. This is unlikely to occur in normal gameplay, though it's not a glitch.
 * Using a sequence break, it's possible to unlock Winged Pikmin without building the bridge to their Onion. If, however, Winged Pikmin are told to construct this bridge, they will not take a path in the air, but instead will take the same path as the other Pikmin types, and so they will walk instead of flying. Finally, this can also happen if the main bridges in the Distant Tundra were skipped.
 * To help advertise, Nintendo of Canada participated in the 2013 event, with some representatives dressed in Pikmin and leader suits riding a Winged Pikmin aircraft. The aircraft didn't hover much and dipped right away, awarding the participants a total score of 16.24.