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Winged Pikmin are a species of Pikmin discovered in Pikmin 3. Their bodies are a vivid pink color with bee-like markings. They have very large heads, small arms and legs, two large blue compound eyes, which are actually crystalline "goggles", and very small transparent wings. Upon maturing, they sport a lavender flower (identical in color to that of a Rock Pikmin's), and have a decent resemblance to White Pikmin.

Abilities[]

As their name implies, Winged Pikmin are capable of flight, and are naturally airborne. They can carry items above the ground and can cut through entire areas to get fruits or spoils back to base quickly. Winged Pikmin are small and fast, allowing them to keep up with the captains at a steady pace. Due to their constant airborne status, they can follow captains even if they're walking in an area inaccessible to most Pikmin types, such as a small pond or other body of water.

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Winged Pikmin carrying pellets over a body of water.

Because these Pikmin can fly, they home in on targets when thrown as to not miss. This is extremely useful when battling a highly-mobile creature. However, there are drawbacks to this. Because they fly and home in on their target, they have trouble flattening an enemy (such as a Dwarf Red Bulborb) by landing on its back. The time they need to home in on the enemy can also be liability, especially if the enemy is attacking or if an obstacle needs to be destroyed quickly.

Winged Pikmin tie White Pikmin in terms of attack power, and are very weak, with an Attack Strength of a mere 5, half of an average Pikmin's damage. It is also worth noting that Winged Pikmin do not deal more damage against airborne enemies, which is a common belief, considering the fact that there is a Data File that states that "Winged Pikmin are aces in aerial combat", something easily misperceived.

Winged Pikmin also almost never touch the ground. Exceptions to this rule are when winged Pikmin hide, fall down (from being shaken off of a large creature), are planted in the ground, help other terrestrial Pikmin carry objects (or carry certain other objects by themselves), while pushing bags or boxes, and while on lily pads.

Carrying Properties[]

Because Winged Pikmin carrying 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 the button, which will summon a cylindrical beam of light that will call the Winged Pikmin (or by simply whistling while aiming at the object they are carrying). Winged Pikmin are capable of flying over obstacles and taking aerial shortcuts, saving time that would otherwise be lost if other Pikmin carried the object along the ground. However, this is balanced by their considerably slow flying pace whilst carrying objects. 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 Winged Pikmin-to-normal-Pikmin ratio is equivalent or above the amount required to normally carry the object, they will lift the object into the air; causing any ground-based Pikmin trying to carry the object 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" fruits and spoils from other types of Pikmin by unintentionally snatching them away from the other Pikmin.

Obtaining[]

Winged Pikmin are discovered in the game's fourth area, the Twilight River. Across the landing site, the Captains will notice the Winged Onion trapped in the web of an Arachnode on the other side of the river. To get to it, the Captains must multitask to construct a bridge out of four different piles of fragments scattered across the nearby area. Once the captains finally finish the bridge, they can cross to the other side of the river, kill the Arachnode, and free the Onion. In Pikmin 4, the winged onion is found in the final area, the Primeval Forest.

Trivia[]

  • In the early days following Pikmin 3's formal introduction, speculation was thrown around as to what the pink-colored Pikmin were, or if they were even Pikmin. It took 9 whole months before they were finally revealed to be Winged Pikmin in Nintendo's April edition of Nintendo Direct.
  • In the happy ending of the first Pikmin game, there are fourteen multicolored onions flying above the planet's atmosphere. Five of these onions were pink, and it is possible these onions belonged to Winged Pikmin.
  • Winged Pikmin are the second Pikmin type to feature compound eyes (the first being White Pikmin). 
  • Winged Pikmin are the first Pikmin species to have a skin pattern.
  • Winged Pikmin have two different death sounds.
  • On Nintendo's website for Pikmin 3, Winged Pikmin are called Flying Pikmin.  
  • When underwater, Winged Pikmin cannot be seen above the water when using the Koppad's camera function.
  • Winged Pikmin drown the fastest out of all Pikmin types.
  • In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, Olimar's reworked recovery move is presented in the form of two Winged Pikmin carrying him upward.
  • It is shown that their eyes are actually goggles, as Charlie mentions in his discovery dialog.
    • However, it's possible that he presumed their eyes to be goggles, and that they do actually have compound eyes.
  • Winged Pikmin cannot be thrown underwater, despite still being visible in your squad menu.
  • Winged Pikmin, Rock Pikmin, Ice Pikmin, and Glow Pikmin are the only Pikmin to not appear in Pikmin Short Movies.

Gallery[]

Main Article: Winged Pikmin/Gallery

Pikmin species
Red PikminYellow PikminBlue PikminPurple PikminWhite PikminRock PikminWinged PikminIce PikminGlow PikminMushroom PikminBulbminPikpik Carrot Pikmin
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