Purple Pikmin

Purple Pikmin are a type of Pikmin found in, , , and non-story game modes in. They are the second type of Pikmin found in Pikmin 2, the first of which are found in the Emergence Cave. Their most noteworthy characteristics are their massive weight and carrying strength – 10 times those of a regular Pikmin. They are also slower than normal, and have a unique way of attacking enemies in Pikmin 2 through a pound. They are specifically required to obtain a number of treasures, two of which are needed to gain access to new areas, making them necessary to complete the game. Their defining physical characteristics are their purple color, as the name would imply, as well as their bulbous physique when compared to other Pikmin, in addition to the straight atop their heads.

Purple Pikmin share a number of similarities with White Pikmin. At first, they can only be harvested through their Violet Candypop Buds, and these are only found in various caves. Purple Pikmin do not have an Onion of their own, as they can only be harvested only through Violet Candypop buds, in certain underground areas. Their buds and flowers are magenta rather than white. In addition, at the end of each day in Pikmin 2, they are stored in the Hocotate ship, since they do not have an Onion of their own. In Pikmin 4, they are stored in the Onion with the rest of the Pikmin. In addition, for the first time in the series, they can be mass-produced with an Onion, unlocked by completing the final floor of the Trial of the Sage Leaf.

Traits and abilities


Purple Pikmin weigh ten times as much as a regular Pikmin, making them useful for puzzles like seesaw blocks. As a result of their weight, they are thrown at a lower arc, and are not knocked back by the windy attacks of the Puffy or Withering Blowhog. Their weight also helps them keep themselves upright, and prevents them from tripping quite as often as other Pikmin types, and in Pikmin 4, keep them from being caught by bubbles. Some airborne enemies can be weighed down with a certain number of Pikmin, and Purples count as 10 for this purpose as well. This means that enemies that fall with a weight of 10 Pikmin on them can be brought down with a single Purple Pikmin.

Their weight, however, also slows them down a lot, even as flowers. Purples cannot move as quickly as other Pikmin types, and move even slower when carrying items. This can result in a player accidentally leaving a Purple Pikmin behind, especially in the leaf stage, while crossing an area. Despite their weight, Blue Pikmin can grab them and chuck them out of water just fine in Pikmin 2

These Pikmin have the strength of 10 Pikmin, making them not only helpful to retrieve objects without using up a large number of Pikmin, but also mandatory for the collection of some treasures that require over 100 Pikmin in strength to pick up.

In Pikmin 2, when thrown, they will land with a resounding thump, stunning and seriously injuring larger beasts nearby, and fatally injuring smaller, more fragile creatures such as Shearwigs and Dwarf Bulborbs. In addition, they do not need to be precisely thrown at their target, as a small homing system will swerve the Pikmin's fall and make it land on a nearby enemy. Most enemies have a one in three chance of being stunned, and stay stunned for a full five seconds. Some bosses are harder to stun, or may not be stunned at all, whereas other enemies might be stunned more or less easily, and for different durations of time. This strong landing destroys eggs immediately, defeats Mitites in a wide radius, and can instantly deactivate fire geysers and electrical wires. This, combined with the naturally strong impact damage, makes Purple Pikmin the strongest Pikmin to use in a fight. Because the "thud" counts as an attack, it can be used to damage gas pipes and Fiery Bulblaxes, given that although the Pikmin cannot latch on or attack with its stem due to the hazards, they can still cause damage, despite being put in risk of death right after.

These Pikmin possess the strange ability to anchor extra-dimensional entities such as the Waterwraith to the current dimension for a brief period due to the gravitational waves that are emitted when they are thrown. They also do not panic when encountering Mitites or hearing the roar of Emperor Bulblaxes. Interestingly, they stay latched on to Dwarf Red Bulborbs, Dwarf Bulbears, and other similar enemies, if they are thrown on top, and only let go when the enemy's death animation is over.

In Pikmin 3, however, many of their iconic traits are no longer prevalent. They no longer deal more damage than Red Pikmin, nor do they stun enemies on impact. Despite this, they still stop to perform a pound move even though it does no extra damage. In addition, they have a slight delay when thrown to latch onto enemies after their "ground pound", as if they are waiting for a non-existent stun. They also lost their wind resistance as proven by the Puffy Blowhog in Twilight Hollow, and can no longer instantly weigh down airborne enemies as confirmed with the same creature. Also, because no enemies are able to scatter Pikmin like the Mitites, it is unknown if they are still immune to panic fits. As a result, the main use for Purple Pikmin in Pikmin 3 is purely for carrying purposes.

In Pikmin 4, Purple Pikmin behave similarly to Pikmin 3, but now retain their wind resistance from Pikmin 2, which now extends to bubbles which they'll pop sooner like Ice Pikmin. Although their attack power is kept to 1.5×, making their latched attack equal to Red Pikmin, their pound move is able to deal damage similar to Pikmin 2, dealing nearly twice the amount of damage than Rock Pikmin, meaning their pound attack does about 4× more damage than normal. However their ability to stun enemies upon pound is still removed. Purple Pikmin are also no longer immune to panic from Mitites or Emperor Bulblaxes.

Discovery
Purples are only truly "discovered" in Pikmin 2. When Olimar and Louie venture into the Emergence Cave, they see the top half of a globe, but it requires more than 100 Pikmin to lift – it needs 101. They venture further through the cave, and find a pair of Violet Candypop Buds. After throwing some Red Pikmin in them, they discover the Purple Pikmin, which they then learn are fierce fighters and can carry 10 times their weight, allowing them to retrieve the otherwise "unliftable" treasure.

Although Purple Pikmin do not appear in Pikmin 3's main story, they do occasionally appear in Mission Mode and Bingo Battle. The most notable stage with Purple Pikmin is Thirsty Desert Remix, which features nothing but Purples and some Candypop Buds.

Mandatory uses
Purple Pikmin are mandatory in collecting the following treasures and defeating the following enemies, as no other Pikmin type can take on the task, not even with exploits.
 * Treasures
 * The first "new area" treasure in the game requires 101 Pikmin to carry, meaning some Purple Pikmin will have to be used.
 * Same as the Spherical Atlas.
 * The treasure is inside the Waterwraith, which requires Purple Pikmin to defeat.
 * This treasure requires 1000 Pikmin to carry, or 100 Purple Pikmin.
 * Caves
 * None
 * Enemies
 * The creature is invulnerable, but Purple Pikmin stomps make it vulnerable to all Pikmin attacks.

Intended uses
Normally, Purple Pikmin are required to be used in these situations, but with the help of glitches and exploits, they don't have to be used.


 * Treasures
 * None
 * Caves
 * White Flower Garden: Before the entrance to the cave, there is a bag that requires 200 Pikmin in weight to be crushed. Though, it's possible to enter the cave without Purples by going out of bounds.
 * Enemies
 * None

Obtaining Purple Pikmin
Retrieval of the Doomsday Apparatus treasure in Pikmin 2 requires the use of 100 Purple Pikmin. The best place to get so many would be the Subterranean Complex. Take a single Pikmin into that cave and skip through the sublevels until you reach the eighth one, with an exit geyser, Candypop Buds and some eggs. Use the Queen Candypop Buds first and the Violet Candypop Buds after to produce 15 Purple Pikmin and 2 Red, Blue or Yellow Pikmin. Or, if you are also trying to increase your White Pikmin count, bring 21 Pikmin and throw 20 of them into the Ivory Candypop Buds on floors 3 and 4 to gain 20. When you reach the 7th floor, throw the last non-White Pikmin into the Queen Candypop Buds first and the Violet Candypop Buds after to produce 15 Purple Pikmin and 2 of the primary type of Pikmin.

In Pikmin 3
Purple Pikmin, like White Pikmin, can only be found in Pikmin 3 Mission Mode and Bingo Battle stages, and even then, only in some of them. This list contains all levels with Purple Pikmin, either ready to use, or available through Violet Candypop Buds.

In Pikmin Bloom
In, Purple Pikmin are the fourth Pikmin type unlocked, at level 7. Their seedlings require a minimum of 3 carrying strength to be retrieved, along with 3000 steps to grow. In expeditions, they have a carrying strength of 5 and have a time modifier of 1.25. In mushroom battles, they have a base attack power of 6.

In Pikmin 4
Purple Pikmin can first be found in the Engulfed Castle, with their Candypop Bud appearing right before the Waterwraith's arena. In addition, they also have an Onion of their own for the first time in the series. This Onion can be unlocked in the tenth sublevel of the Trial of the Sage Leaf by carrying it back to the S.S. Beagle within the time limit, upon which it will be fused with the main Onion upon returning to the surface.

Mandatory uses
Purple Pikmin are mandatory in collecting the following treasures and defeating the following enemies, as no other Pikmin type can take on the task, not even with exploits.
 * Treasures
 * Like the Doomsday Apparatus, this treasure requires 1000 Pikmin to carry, or 100 Purple Pikmin and is guarded by an Rusted Iron Gate which prevents Oatchi from helping carry the treasure until the Golden Vaulting Table has been dropped from the ledge it sits on. However, an exploit exists allowing Oatchi to reach the treasure on the ledge, meaning it can require only 90 Purple Pikmin.
 * Caves
 * None.
 * Enemies
 * None

Intended uses
Normally, Purple Pikmin are required to be used in these situations and tasks. However, through the use of exploits and glitches, they can potentially be completed without them.


 * Treasures
 * Inside of the Waterwraith in the Engulfed Castle. While Purple Pikmin initially seem to be required to lower the bag and fight the Waterwraith, it is possible to lower the bag without them if 100 Pikmin are brought to the sublevel, and possible to defeat the Waterwraith without them, as seen below.
 * (Serene Shores): This treasure is on a part of the map that is inaccessible until reaching the exit of the Engulfed Castle, which requires defeating the Waterwraith, which normally requires Purple Pikmin.
 * Same as Stately Rubber Cutie.
 * (Serene Shores): Same as Stately Rubber Cutie.
 * (Serene Shores): Same as Stately Rubber Cutie.
 * Caves
 * Engulfed Castle: The cave's exit is blocked until the Waterwraith's defeat, which normally requires Purple Pikmin, although it is possible to defeat it without them.
 * Cavern for a King: The 16th sublevel features two Waterwraiths that must be killed to proceed, which normally requires Purple Pikmin.
 * Enemies
 * The creature is initially invulnerable and can only be made vulnerable through the stomp of a Purple Pikmin. However, if the Waterwraith is somehow elevated - such as, for example, attempting to roll over a treasure or another Waterwraith - it can be frozen through use of an ice blast, which will cause it to plummet to the ground, instantly shattering and killing it.

In the Super Smash Bros. series
Purple Pikmin fight alongside Olimar in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as having trophies and a Spirit based on them. Here, they have the shortest throw distance and the smallest grab range. When thrown at an enemy, rather than latching on, Purples will deliver a blow with knockback, stopping the opponent in their tracks. They are the most durable Pikmin of all and deliver the highest amount of knockback in Olimar's smashes and aerial attacks. Purple Pikmin are also the only Pikmin that will be plucked by Olimar in Home-Run Contest. They also appear as a sticker in Brawl. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Purple Pikmin Spirit will increase the fighters weight.

Smash 4 trophy

 * 3DS:


 * Wii U:

Pikmin 2 slam and stun
Inside the text files in Pikmin 2 are some settings that specify some of the Purple Pikmin's behavior towards enemies and vice-versa.

Most enemies and objects suffer 50 points of damage whenever a Purple Pikmin lands vertically on top of them, from a throw. There are a few enemies and objects that only suffer 10 points of damage, however: Segmented Crawbsters, Waterwraiths (as well as their rollers), Emperor Bulblaxes, and bomb-rocks.

Enemies have a 30% chance of becoming stunned when a Purple Pikmin lands on them, with the following exceptions:
 * 100% chance: Fiery, Hydro, Anode and Munge Dweevils.
 * 10% chance: Burrowing Snagrets.
 * 5% chance: Emperor Bulblaxes.
 * 1% chance: Pileated Snagrets.
 * 0% chance: Waterwraiths, Empress Bulblaxes, Toady Bloysters, Ranging Bloysters, Mitites, Men-at-Legs, Beady Long Legs, Volatile Dweevils, Titan Dweevil, Raging Long Legs, Breadbugs, Giant Breadbugs and Segmented Crawbsters.

Enemies become stunned for 5 seconds, with the following exceptions, who get stunned for 10: Watery and Fiery Blowhogs, Male and Female Sheargrubs, Shearwigs, Skitter Leaves, Dwarf Red Bulborbs and Emperor Bulblaxes. Segmented Crawbsters, Breadbugs and Giant Breadbugs have a specific 0 second stun period on top of their 0% stun chance.

The following unused values also exist:
 * Honeywisps, Lithopod rocks and rubble do not receive damage like normal, but still have the Purple Pikmin stomp damage setting set to 10.
 * Honeywisps, Lithopod rocks, rubble, and the Waterwraith's rollers have their stun chance set to 5%, even though they cannot be stunned.
 * Waterwraiths and the rollers have their stun time set to 60 seconds, even though the former has a 0% chance of being stunned, and the latter is not an enemy.
 * Empress Bulblaxes have the stun time set to 10, even though they have a 0% chance of being stunned.
 * Honeywisps, rubble, Lithopod rocks, eggs and bomb-rocks also have the stun time set to 10, even though the first faints after a single attack and the rest are not enemies.
 * Mitites, Toady Bloysters, Ranging Bloysters, Men-at-Legs, Beady Long Legs, Volatile Dweevils, Titan Dweevils and Raging Long Legs have a 0% stun chance, but still have their stun time value set to 5.
 * Fire geysers, gas pipes and electrical wires have their stun chance set to 0%, but the stun time set to 5, even though they are not enemies.

Trivia

 * The scientific name of Purple Pikmin, 'Pikminidae yokozunum', is a reference to the highest title in Japanese sumo wrestling, yokozuna. The design and stance of Purple Pikmin also resemble sumo wrestlers.
 * Purple Pikmin's models shrink down when carrying objects in Pikmin 2. White Pikmin also grow in size.
 * One of the many Onions seen in the good ending of Pikmin is purple.
 * In Pikmin 2, the standby icons for leaf and bud Purples lack hair.
 * Their icons also use the Yellow Pikmin's ones as a base, as evidenced by stray yellow pixels that match those on the Yellow Pikmin's icons.
 * In Hey! Pikmin, the Onion shows a purple and white color on it, meaning that Purple and White Pikmin have shared Onions with the five other Pikmin types.
 * There is evidence to suggest that Purple Pikmin were originally planned to be black, as them and their internal names are  and   (with White Pikmin and their Candypop Buds being called   ). Furthermore, the Waterwraith's internal name also references this absent color, with  ; upon being struck by a Purple Pikmin, the boss becomes a color reminiscent of their skin, which could imply that it would have also turned black had the Pikmin retained their coloration. Finally, in some prerelease screenshots the standby Pikmin icon for Purple Pikmin is a black-painted Yellow Pikmin, and one can also see that Olimar's Pikmin cursor is black.