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Rock Pikmin ghosts in Pikmin 3.
Rock Pikmin are a species of Pikmin featured in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4. They resemble small polished rocks with Pikmin eyes and limbs. Also, just like the Winged Pikmin, they have lavender-colored flowers. The main part of their body seems to be a gray texture of graphite that reflects light, while the 'skin' on their arms and legs appears to be smooth and of a lighter shade of gray. When Rock Pikmin are dismissed, their sprouts glow gray. Their ghosts are also shaped like small gray rocks with eyes. Just like all other types of Pikmin in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4, Rock Pikmin share an Onion and are reproduced through collecting nutrients from Pellets and corpses of dead foes.
Rock Pikmin are the second type of Pikmin Alph discovers in Pikmin 3, the first being Red Pikmin. Due to the less linear nature of Pikmin 4, they can be found in almost any order, but are most likely to be first found in the Kingdom of Beasts. Their Onion is located in the Giant's Hearth, being protected by a menacing Sovereign Bulblax.
Abilities[]
Pikmin 3[]
Rock Pikmin, like most Pikmin types, are immune to a specific hazard. These Pikmin in particular are immune to blunt force; when crushed by a large object, they are simply driven into the ground temporarily. When a creature with a sharp proboscis tries to impale them, they are simply knocked back without taking damage.
Rock Pikmin have very hard exteriors, which allows them to smash through glass, crystals, ice, and even the armour of larger animals (like the Armored Mawdad's armor and the Peckish Aristocrab's claw). However, they do not sink in water, revealing that they surprisingly don't weigh much.
While Rock Pikmin are stronger in terms of durability, they weigh the same as a normal Pikmin, which means that, while they can be thrown normally, each one only counts for a single Pikmin while carrying items.
Despite their increased strength, they do have a setback; Rock Pikmin cannot latch onto their targets like other Pikmin, and will instead bounce off and roll back. Instead, if left unoccupied, they will repeatedly attack enemies and obstacles by charging head-on into them, doing less damage than throwing. Throwing a Rock Pikmin does a higher amount of damage, but the exact number varies, as every enemy has a different internal value for the total number of direct hits by Rock Pikmin to defeat it. This value can be divided by the enemy's total HP to find the higher damage value.
Rock Pikmin occasionally unleash a more powerful attack to targets they hit by causing a visual and audible "thump," which causes extra damage. However, this "thump," unlike Purple Pikmin, does not stun enemies, but it can cause certain enemies to recoil.
Pikmin 4[]
In Pikmin 4, Rock Pikmin are almost identical to their previous rendition, as they are now weaker. Their crushing immunity has been weakened to only apply when the surface below the Pikmin is relatively soft. For example, dirt/sand terrain would keep them safe, but being crushed onto a hard wood or stone floor may result in injury.
Discovery[]
Pikmin 3[]
First discovering Rock Pikmin
The Rock Pikmin are discovered in the Garden of Hope, the second area in Pikmin 3. They are found in a cave located north of the landing site. Residing in this cave is a Medusal Slurker that contains six Rock Pikmin. After defeating it, the player can use the newly-discovered Pikmin species to free the Gray Onion from a large crystal. After propagating enough Rock Pikmin, they can be used to break down the glass wall outside of the cave and free Brittany.
Pikmin 4[]
Due to the fact that Pikmin 4 is less linear, they can be found in multiple places. However, the cave earliest in the game that includes them is the Kingdom of Beasts, so it's most common to find them there.
Onion Retrieval[]
The Rock Onion is guarded by a powerful Sovereign Bulblax. There are two methods of extracting it from its grasp:
- Stealth Method: If you are in possession of 20+ (the higher number, the better) Winged Pikmin, then this risky strategy may be optimal. If you travel around the Bulblax's eye stalks with those Pikmin, dig up the Onion, then use an Ultra-Spicy Spray and have them carry it out, they should be able to escape in time. Lightning Shocks or Pikpik Carrots can also be used as stunning methods or distractions respectively.
- Brute Force Method: Gather 100 Red Pikmin (switch some out for Purples or Rocks if you have enough for them to be considered expendable) and use an Ultra-Spicy Spray. Throw one at the boss' eye stalks and whistle it back immediately. Then, be ready to fight. Stay on Oatchi and throw Pikmin at openings (after or before the tongue attack, preferrably before). The best places to aim are the sides of its mouth. Make sure to watch out for its jump attack, and whistle Pikmin back if they're anywhere but attacking. Also, when it gives a cue to do its devastating roar, make sure to get as far away from it as possible so your Pikmin are less available for it to eat (and possibly to avoid the attack altogether). Items from the Lab may also be of good use. Retreat or Rewind if necessary.
Notes[]
Mission Mode Tip[]
"Rock Pikmin are tough and can cause some serious damage if they land on a target!"
Dalmo's Notes[]
Olimar's Notes[]
Louie's Notes[]
Trivia[]
- In the Happy Ending of Pikmin, there were four gray Onions flying above the planet's atmosphere. These could quite possibly be Rock Pikmin Onions, even though the Onions' appearances in Pikmin 3 have changed.
- Rock Pikmin have "cracking" particle effects for when they hit breakable objects.
- The stem on a Rock Pikmin's head droops lower than on other Pikmin types.
- Rock Pikmin seem to be the only main Pikmin type not to be utilized by Olimar or Alph in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in any way.
- When Alph first discovers the first six Rock Pikmin, three of them have buds at the end of their stems and the other three just have leaves.
- Rock Pikmin roll when they go down slides.
- Rock Pikmin are the third Pikmin type discovered that are not named after their color and are one of the six types that also follow this rule, with the others being Mushroom Pikmin, Bulbmin, Winged Pikmin, Ice Pikmin, and Glow Pikmin.
- On the initial loading screen of Pikmin 3, the Rock Pikmin's stem is white, possibly due to the lighting. Regardless of whether or not this was intentional, it was not changed in Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
- Data folders from Hey! Pikmin imply that the hard part of a Rock Pikmin is actually a shell. However, Hey! Pikmin is not technically canon, so it is unknown if is actually true.
- Rock Pikmin, Winged Pikmin, Ice Pikmin, and Glow Pikmin are the only Pikmin to not appear in Pikmin Short Movies.
- Rock Pikmin can be crushed if frozen[confirmation needed].
- Rock Pikmin floating in water is similar to the real-life rock Pumice, a light, volcanic rock capable of floating on water.
- Similar to Ice Pikmin, Rock Pikmin are referred to as parasitic. It is implied that they both belong to the same subset of Pikmin, known as "Hermikmin", which store their organs inside blocky, solid surfaces. However, it would be inaccurate to label either of them as parasites, as they simply use an inanimate object as a vessel—similar to their subset's namesake, the hermit crab—and do not rely on other organisms.
Gallery[]
| Pikmin species |
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| Red Pikmin • Yellow Pikmin • Blue Pikmin • Purple Pikmin • White Pikmin • Rock Pikmin • Winged Pikmin • Ice Pikmin • Glow Pikmin • Mushroom Pikmin • Bulbmin • Pikpik Carrot Pikmin |