 |
 This article is currently a featured article, as of June 25, 2014. |
- This article is about the nests for Pikmin. For the treasure in the Perplexing Pool, see Onion Replica.
All Pikmin 4 Onions.
Onions are the large, round life forms that act as nests for the Pikmin. There are seven known types of Onion nests, each with unique coloration corresponding to either Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, White, Rock, Winged, and Ice Pikmin, and only one of each has ever been seen. As of Pikmin 4, Purple and White Pikmin, who previously did not have Onions, finally received their own, making Bulbmin the only Pikmin type from Pikmin 2 to not receive one.
In Pikmin 3, all discovered onions merge at nighttime after they are discovered, and become a single, universal Onion, greatly simplifying the management of Pikmin types at the beginning of each day.
In Pikmin 4, all onions must be carried by 20 Pikmin to the Master Onion in which they will then be sucked up and immediately merge with the Master Onion. It's only at this point where Pikmin of that color can be produced from the Onion.
Some Onions require light, as in Pikmin 3: the Yellow Onion did not activate until a nearby light source was turned on, even when approached. It also appears that the Onions in Pikmin 3 are much more malleable than their Pikmin and Pikmin 2 counterparts in regards to which Pikmin species they will hold. In Pikmin 3, if an Onion is discovered, their Pikmin can also be accommodated by the bigger Onion at the landing site before they fuse the at end of the day.
Appearances[]
Pikmin and Pikmin 2[]
These bulbous plant-hives have brightly colored bodies with a black and white band across the midsection. On the top, there is a big flower, resembling the flowers that Pikmin have. There are concentric circles on the ground in the Onion landing spots in each area, which are never referred to in-game. Three stilt-like legs suspend the Onions out of the reach of hungry predators and provide access to the inside for Pikmin. In Pikmin, Olimar states that he inspected the Onion's legs, and saw they were covered with tiny little hairs, possibly to help the Pikmin climb out.
In the first Pikmin, Onions have different appearances before they are discovered. They are darker in coloration, have no flowers on top, and are partly buried. When Captain Olimar approaches them, they explode with color, and the flower blooms and spins rapidly, pulling out the legs.
Pikmin 3[]
In Pikmin 3, Onions appear as small, berry-like objects with three black-metallic "joints." Out of these joints come 3, glowing root-like legs which allow the Onion to stand. At night, the legs completely retract and blue flames burst out of the "joints", allowing the Onion to lift off into the night sky.
When multiple Onions are discovered, they fuse to become an even larger universal Onion that swirls different colors, depending on the type of Pikmin it holds. When all 5 Pikmin types in the game are discovered, the Onion swells up into a more traditional Onion-like shape. Standing underneath it brings up an "Onion GUI" that allows the player to pick the type and amount of Pikmin they'd like to bring out onto the field. Holding the Z button while pulling out Pikmin will pull out Pikmin equally for all types.
The new Onions also display their characteristic element upon activation, with the exception being the Red Onion.
Upon Activation:
Yellow - Generates Electricity
Blue - Leaks Water
Pink - Flaps Petals Erratically
Gray- Glistens from the light, much like the Rock Pikmin do when a bright light hits their bodies.
Red- Begins pulsating and making a beating noise like a heart.
Pikmin 4[]
In Pikmin 4, their design looks very similar to their original designs from Pikmin and Pikmin 2, with a few minor changes. The Onions lack the black and white band across the midsection, their texture resembles a real vegetable, and the stilt-like legs look more like stems. Like Pikmin 3, Onions fuse together to make one multicolored Onion.
Behavior[]
During the daytime Pikmin hunt and bring food, such as pellets or enemy carcasses, to The Onion, which in turn produces new Pikmin seeds. If there are fewer than 100 Pikmin on the field, the seeds are ejected and take root in the ground, but if not they are stored inside the Onion, along with any other Pikmin not on the field. In the first two games, when night falls and all the Pikmin have returned, the Onion folds its legs and lifts off from the ground, presumably using its flower petals like rotor blades to propel itself into the low atmosphere, where it hovers until daybreak. In Pikmin 3, when it's ready to lift off, it retracts its legs back into its base and lifts off through a jet coming from the same chute it absorbs pellets and enemies the Pikmin gather. If an Onion loses all of its Pikmin, or if no Pikmin are capable of returning, it will produce a single seed the following day to prevent extinction.
When the Onions were first discovered in Pikmin, they were dormant. They had a dark grayish color, were flowerless, and their legs were buried in the ground until Olimar came upon them, at which point they sprang to life and spat out a single seed. It is not known exactly what triggers this hibernation, though a loss of Pikmin or food shortage may prompt the Onion to become dormant until conditions improve.
This behavior was examined yet again in Pikmin 3, where all Onions are found dormant. However, it seems that Onion dormancy does not hinder their awareness, as the Red Onion and Pink Onions are seen struggling to dislodge themselves from the traps they are found in. The Winged and Blue Pikmin species seemed to have been entirely extinct by the point the game began, as they are the only two species whose Onions had to sprout more of when they were reactivated. It is unknown exactly what triggers dormancy in Onions, since the Red, Yellow, and Gray Onions were all found inactive despite the presence of their Pikmin still somewhere on the field.
Types[]
| Image | Title | First game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Red Onion | Pikmin (2001) | Allows for Red Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Yellow Onion | Pikmin (2001) | Allows for Yellow Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Blue Onion | Pikmin (2001) | Allows for Blue Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Rock Onion | Pikmin 3 (2013) | Allows for Rock Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Winged Onion | Pikmin 3 (2013) | Allows for Winged Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Master Onion | Pikmin 3 (2013) | Other Onions fuse together into the Master Onion, which contains every Pikmin type. |
| Team Onion | Pikmin 3 (2013) | In side modes like Bingo Battle and Dandori Battles that pin players against each other, each team has their own onion. The color depends on the team's color and their Pikmin. These onions were dyed Cyan or Magenta, depending on the team. These onions are exclusive to these modes and don't produce Pikmin of their color. | |
 |
Ice Onion | Pikmin 4 (2023) | Allows for Ice Pikmin to be produced. |
 |
Purple Onion | Pikmin 4 (2023) | Allows for Purple Pikmin to be produced, only as of Pikmin 4, despite Purple Pikmin debuting in Pikmin 2. |
 |
White Onion | Pikmin 4 (2023) | Allows for White Pikmin to be produced, only as of Pikmin 4, despite White Pikmin debuting in Pikmin 2. |
 |
Flarlic | Pikmin 4 (2023) | Increases the maximum Pikmin limit of an Onion by ten. |
Future Onions[]
Five pink Onions, four black/gray, two cyan/light-blue, one orange, one green and one blue. They appear during the "good ending" in Pikmin.
At the end of Pikmin, there is a rather confusing scene where fourteen Onions, and some of which are colors that have not appeared in a Pikmin game so far, fly above PNF-404. It is unknown whether they are trying to follow Captain Olimar or merely hovering for the night. This could mean that more colors may yet be introduced in a future game of the Pikmin series. These new colors include Orange, Green, Cyan/Light-Blue, Pink, Purple, and Black/Gray. As of Pikmin 4, the Cyan/Light-Blue, Pink, Purple, and Black/Gray Onions have been discovered to belong to the Purple Pikmin, White Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, Winged Pikmin, and Ice Pikmin, still leaving the Orange and Green Onions a mystery.
2-P Battle and Bingo Battle[]
In Pikmin 2 the red and blue onions appear as bases in 2-P battle. Here they act slightly differently: They are underground, they can't store extra Pikmin and captains cannot take Pikmin out or put them in. They also spit out the same amount of Pikmin lost to enemy Pikmin without nutrients. In Pikmin 2, Player 1 gets a Red Onion, while Player 2 gets a Blue Onion. In Pikmin 3, Player 1 gets a Cyan Onion that pulses yellow, and Player 2 gets a Magenta Onion that pulses orange. The same functions apply: they cannot store Pikmin and captains cannot withdraw Pikmin. If Pikmin is lost to the enemy's Pikmin, the Onion will spit out the same number of seeds as Pikmin lost.
Piklopedia[]
In Pikmin 4, the Onion has its own entry in the Piklopedia.
Info[]
Scientific Name: Lilium pikminiporta
Family: Candypop
Active During: Day
Weight: At least 3
Sparklium Value: None
Pikmin Yield: 20
Entries[]
Dalmo[]
"The majesty of nature," "the mystery of life"... I feel that these stale cliches can't fully express the extrodinary symbiotic relationship between Pikmin and Onions. Is there a connection here of an affectionate nature, perhaps? There's so much we still don't know!" -Dalmo
Olimar[]
"Sometimes it lies dormant, much like a bulb, but dig it up from the ground and provide it with the right stimulus-for example, a good, hard shake-and it will activate, sprouting three rootlike legs. It serves a role similar to a nest or an incubator for the Pikmin, absorbing pellets or the bodies of dead creatures for the nutritional value, and then propagating Pikmin the same color as itself. Onions also seem to greedily attempt to replicate certain characteristics of the matter they absorb by combining with, or absorbing, other Onions, sometimes of the same type. It's been confirmed that just like Pikmin, an Onion has muscle fibers in its body, and though it is unable to walk, it is capable of a small range of motion. However, when one breaks down the biological matter it has absorbed, a fuel similar to bioethanol is created. Onions spray this fuel out of the mouths on their underbellies and are able to fly using their flowerlike propellers for stabilization." -Olimar
Louie[]
"If you look closely, you'll see its legs are sprouting a sense layer of hair." -Louie
Crossover appearances[]
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Mario utilizing the Onion's function.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the three original Onions as part of a single trophy and on the Distant Planet stage. A Red Onion also appears in the formr
On Distant Planet, when a pellet is thrown into an Onion, an item is ejected. More items appear if the pellet and Onion have the same color, similarly to how it functions in the Pikmin games. The Onions can also be hit, and will eventually fly away if hit too much. If they are undisturbed, they'll still eventually fly away.
The Onion trophy is acquired as a random drop. Its description is as follows:
"Items considered to be the places where Pikmin is born. As to the actual biology of the process, much is still unclear. Onions absorb the prey that Pikmin capture and uses it to produce new Pikmin. In addition, Onions can take in Pikmin and later release them. These organisms are crowned with distinctive propeller- like sets of leaves that spin around, enabling them to fly."
Onions return on the Distant Planet stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, having the same role as in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
Pikmin 2 - Blue Onion Boot Up (Unused cutscene)
The unused cutscene of the Blue Onion sprouting in Pikmin 2.
- When Captain Olimar first came upon the Red Onion in Pikmin, he was knocked over by one of the legs as it sprang out of the ground. When he finds the other two later on in the game, he is a little more cautious and backs away.
- The coding in Pikmin 2 revealed that the Onions were originally planned to have a "booting up" cutscene, just as they did in the first game. The cutscene was complete with its own animation, music, and dialogue.
- The only flaw is the light coming out is still visible even when the Onion is dormant.
- In the first Pikmin game, by pressing down on the D-pad, (2 for New Play Control!) Captain Olimar will lay down, and four Pikmin can carry him to their Onion. When Olimar is abducted by the Onion, he bounces off the Onion, and fireworks come out of the flower instead of Pikmin seeds.
- During story mode of Pikmin 3, Onions are discovered as perfectly round and small, but when they fuse together, they swell up into a bulbous shape reminiscent of the original Onion designs.
- The Master Onion could be a result of evolutionary change so Pikmin colonies require less space.
- The Onions in Pikmin 3 appear to be more mechanical in appearance than their previous incarnations.
- If the player looks up at the Master Onion in Pikmin 3 with the KopPad, one can see what appear to be solar panel-like cells on its petals.
- Alph mentions in a log entry that the swirling colors of the Master Onion may actually be the Pikmin themselves, stored in a simpler, fluid form for easier storage.
- Olimar mentions that there is a vegetable called an onion on Hocotate.
- The Onion can hold 10,000 of each Pikmin type.
- At the final end of Pikmin 2, you can see 3 golden colored onions surrounding the Hocotate Ship, but briefly after they fly away.
- The Onion seen in Hey! Pikmin has the colors purple and white on it implying that Purple and White Pikmin have Onions.
- This is now confirmed with the release of Pikmin 4.
- The fact that the swirling colors in the onion are implied to be Pikmin itself, it would mean that White and Purple Pikmin do in fact appear in Hey! Pikmin.