Out in the field, you’ll encounter a wide variety of important objects. Understanding when and how to use these objects is essential to your crew’s success.
S.S. Drake
The S.S. Drake is the vessel that carried the crew to this mysterious planet. While in the field, the S.S. Drake is used to store the fruit and equipment your Pikmin manage to collect.
Onion
Initially, each Pikmin type has its own Onion. Each time you activate a new Onion, your crew members gain control of the corresponding Pikmin. If you have more than one active Onion, they merge into a single vessel when the day ends. Use the Onion to call Pikmin into the field, or to store Pikmin when they’re no longer needed. As Pikmin deliver pellets and defeated enemies to the Onion, the Onion produces new Pikmin in the form of sprouts.
Sprout
As your Pikmin collect pellets and defeated enemies, the Onion uses the raw materials to produce sprouts. Pluck sprouts from the ground to unearth new Pikmin. Over time, a sprout’s leaf grows into a bud, eventually blossoming into a flower. It’s not always practical to wait for a sprout to bloom, but doing so yields fully matured Pikmin.
Pellet
Any pellets your Pikmin deliver to the Onion are used to increase your Pikmin population. The type of Pikmin produced by a pellet is determined by the type of Pikmin that deliver it. Pellets come in three sizes: 1 Pellets, 5 Pellets, and 10 Pellets. The number on each pellet determines the minimum amount of Pikmin needed to carry it.
Pellet Posy
Most of the Pellet Posies you find produce 1 Pellets, but 5 Pellets and 10 Pellets can be harvested from larger Pellet Posies. To quickly destroy a small Pellet Posy, toss a single Pikmin directly onto the top of its flower. Larger Pellet Posies are more durable and should generally be attacked by multiple Pikmin.
Nectar Egg
Smash one of these small objects to reveal a puddle of Nectar or Ultra-Spicy Nectar.
Nectar
This golden liquid causes immature Pikmin to instantly blossom. Pikmin move much faster once they’ve matured, so try to make use of any Nectar you find.
Ultra-Spicy Nectar
Move a crew member onto a puddle of Ultra-Spicy Nectar to increase your supply of Ultra-Spicy Spray. When you apply this red liquid to your squad, the affected Pikmin gain a temporary boost to their attack power. As an added bonus, any immature Pikmin affected by the spray will instantly bloom.
Ultra-Spicy Berries
Collect Ultra-Spicy Berries to increase your supply of Ultra-Spicy Spray. These useful berries are produced by the Burgeoning Spiderworts located throughout the game. It takes several Ultra-Spicy Berries to process a dose of Ultra-Spicy Spray, but collecting these items is well worth your time.
Candypop Bud
Candypop Buds are large flowers that can be used to change a Pikmin’s type. A single Candypop Bud can transform up to five Pikmin, and the flower’s color determines which type of Pikmin it will produce.
Glowcap
These luminescent mushrooms can be very useful when you’re exploring a dark cave. When a Glowcap is dormant, it looks like nothing more than a spot of light on the ground. When you pass over a dormant Glowcap, however, it springs out of the ground and illuminates the immediate area.
Electrode
Electrodes are generally used to activate light bulbs. Throw Yellow Pikmin onto an Electrode until they fill the gap between the exposed wires. When the circuit is complete, the Electrode powers the attached object.
Flukeweed
Winged Pikmin can pull these bizarre curled plants to move obstacles or uncover buried items. Flukeweeds can be used to unearth pellets, fruit, Nectar Eggs, Bomb Rocks, and more.
Dirt Mound
Dirt Mounds contains items such as pellets, Fragments, Data Files, and Bomb Rocks. The more Pikmin you assign to a Dirt Mound, the faster the buried objects will be recovered.
Tunnel
Tunnels are narrow passages that usually serve as convenient shortcuts for working Pikmin. Tunnels are too small to accommodate many of the game’s collectable items, but they’re perfect for Pikmin assigned to move objects like Fragments or Ultra-Spicy Berries. To open a Tunnel, simply have a few Pikmin clear the loose dirt from the passage.
Fragment
Fragments are small ceramic shards that can be used to create new paths. These essential objects generally appear in piles, but they can sometimes be found by searching Dirt Mounds. Fragments are almost always used to construct bridges, but there is one point in the Story mode when they’re used to rebuild a broken pot. Any Pikmin assigned to a Fragment pile will continue working until all of the available Fragments have been assembled.
Hay
Like Fragments, a stack of Hay can be used to create a new path. This material isn’t suitable for creating rigid structures, but your Pikmin can pile Hay into a serviceable ramp.
Climbing Stick
Climbing Sticks allow Pikmin to reach high ledges without assistance. When you encounter a collapsed Climbing Stick, use your Pikmin to assemble twigs piled around its base. Once all of the twigs are in place, any Pikmin assigned to the task automatically scale the fully extended Climbing Stick.
Bloominous Stemple
These large flowers grow in dark caves, but they only bloom under direct light. When you encounter dormant Bloominous Stemples, search for a nearby Electrode. Activate the Electrode to illuminate the cave and open the Bloominous Stemples. When these flowers bloom, they generally create new paths between ledges or platforms.
Bouncy Mushroom
Use Bouncy Mushrooms to reach otherwise inaccessible ledges. Toss Pikmin and crew members onto a Bouncy Mushroom to launch them through the air. If you use a ledge or platform to climb onto a Bouncy Mushroom, your squad automatically follows you when you’re launched to your destination.
Geyser
Use geysers to launch your squad onto high ledges. Simply move a crew member to trigger the eruption.
Seesaw Block
Use Seesaw Blocks to lift crew members onto ledges they wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. When a Seesaw Block is in the lowered position, it means a nearby Seesaw Block is in the raised position. Toss Pikmin onto a raised Seesaw Block to force it into the ground—this causes the connected Seesaw Block to move into the raised position.
Lily Pad
Lily Pads allow your Pikmin to safely traverse water. Move your squad onto an anchored Lily Pad and wait for the current to carry another Lily Pad into range. Follow the on-screen prompts to Leap between Lily Pads until you reach the desired location.
Bomb Rock
Use Bomb Rocks to destroy Reinforced Walls or deal heavy damage to particularly dangerous enemies. These powerful explosives are usually hidden within Dirt Mounds. All Pikmin types can carry Bomb Rocks, but while they do, they’re treated as a separate Pikmin type. To use a Bomb Rock, simply throw the Pikmin that’s holding it. It takes a few seconds for a Bomb Rock to detonate, giving your Pikmin just enough time to get clear of the explosion.
Iron Ball
When you encounter an Iron Ball, use 20 Pikmin to send it rolling downhill. Once it builds up enough speed, an Iron Ball is capable of smashing through otherwise indestructible objects.