The Origins of Pikmin! (Theory) 

They should make a sound pikmin that screams at enemies

Damn

Of course! I think each Onion we’ve seen (aside from maybe the Red Onion, Blue Onion and Yellow Onion between Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2, since they take place in the same areas) are separate Onions.

@@seandwalsh3 Thanks! Plus I would quickly like to add my own theory to the equation, trying to explain the severe differences of the Onions between some games. As Pikmin are shown to be intelligent and most likely are the ones to build the stone walls, as no other creature has the ability to do so (beyond the Waterwraith and Plasm Wraith, though the reasoning for those building the walls is lesser than the Pikmin's), this could mean that the reason the Onions look inconsistent (beyond differing consoles) is because the Pikmin design Armor to defend or repair the Onion, and the Onions in Pikmin 4 are how they are supposed to look. There is definitely human tech left around, such as computer parts in 2 and phones in 3, so that could explain why the Onions in Pikmin 3 look more technological, and while I would say that Clay is used to make the original Onions, Pikmin 4 added Raw Material, which is heated and turns into a clay-like substance, so that is more likely used. As for the changing colors, for the Onions in 1 & 2, it's paint or juice of some kind, and for the Onions in 3, most likely LEDs or a screen of some kind.

@@auroraastralis speaking of pikmin 4, and maybe some mild spoilers ahead; there are multiple onions, I found a second yellow onion in the second area of the game. When an Onion has already fused with one of that type it converts it into nutrients for 20 of that onion typ.

The Man-at-legs’ launcher tends to automatically target the largest group of organisms. As far as I’m aware, it doesn’t necessarily prefer Pikmin as targets over leaders. Interesting idea though! I prefer to think it was designed as a general weapon of war. I think it would be quite effective against a great number of creatures, including humans.

Wouldn't the Man at Legs be too small to be used against humans? Either way, great video!

@@quetzalchris7721 not really no. A tiny turret is just as effective, if not more effective.

@@quetzalchris7721 id imagined getting shot at would sting, or maybe break skin

@@seandwalsh3bro im stepping on that thing

Hey! Pikmin likely does take place on PNF-404. There’s only one line that indicates it’s a separate planet, which is actually probably mistranslated. 「この惑星でピクミンに会えるなんて思ってもみませんでした！」 “I never thought I would meet the Pikmin here or be on this planet!” 「近くに寄ってきましたね。この星のピクミンもオリマーさんのフエの音が好きなようです。」 “They’ve gathered near us. It seems the Pikmin of this planet love Olimar’s whistle.” As you can see, the original line is far more ambiguous. This original line doesn’t particularly indicate one way or another whether or not it’s a separate planet, especially since the S.S. Dolphin II has never been to PNF-404 before. The intention, as far as I’ve been told, is likely that the ship is surprised it is on the planet and getting to meet the Pikmin - which Olimar has told it so much about previously - rather than being surprised to find the Pikmin in this entirely separate planet. It’s unlikely that humans left the planet themselves in my opinion, as the technology present doesn’t get far beyond the early 21st Century. I’d be interested in hearing what other details you don’t think hold up to scrutiny though! As far as I know the game fits as-is pretty well at the end of the current timeline, some time after Olimar’s Comeback from Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

​@@seandwalsh3plot twist: pikmin is in the same universe as all tomorrows

It is! I got the sounds Olimar makes from Pikmin 3 Deluxe itself and assembled them in my editor so they would resemble the way he speaks in-game. I explained how exactly I got the sounds elsewhere in the comments, but that’s the long and short of it!

@@seandwalsh3 That is so radical!

Pikmin 4 may be a reboot though.

It may be an alternate universe or timeline, but it’s certainly not a reboot.

@@seandwalsh3 I don't see the difference between those terms in this context. Not trying to be disagreeable.

A reboot would be a completely new, unrelated continuity. As an alternate universe/timeline, the lore established in Pikmin 4 also applies to the other games and vice versa, though the events of the games themselves don’t coexist.

maybe humans made very weird paper that don’t degrade with whatever cooler tech they have over there

I’ve explained in a little more depth in other replies, but the gist of it is that I got his voice clips from Pikmin 3 Deluxe and assembled them in my editor!

@seandwalsh3 thank you! What is the method of assembling them?

@@iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii3048 lining them up in different arrangements until they sounded right!

@@seandwalsh3 👍 thanks

It’s important to keep in mind the Pikmin ran away because of the Gildemander, but yes, their “play” behaviour indicates they’re familiar with the home environment. The Castaway Petunia also theorises Pikmin Onions are “Biocrafters”, which is definitely implying what I speculated in the video is accurate!

Ooh, this suddenly clicked many things into place!! Enough oxygen to cover small life, not enough to reach the nostrils of an erect hominid.

I would like to eventually, but before that I have other projects that need doing!

@@seandwalsh3 Do you think you could tell me the bare minimum games to play that are a) actually good and b) important to the lore?

@alena0327 I’ve been asked this question before but that’s sort of an impossible one to answer. I would say every game on the timeline is actually good. I enjoy them all at least. Every game also adds to the lore in one way or another, so again it’s not really possible to answer. Some games are only relevant to certain aspects of the lore, but you’d have to ask about said specific aspects for me to tell you relevant games to those aspects.

@@seandwalsh3 I think I wanna do a podcast where I play through the series in timeline order with maybe a friend or two. Does that sound like a good idea?

@@tsp1999 sounds fun, yeah!

Interesting. While the Pikmin can become self-sufficient, they generally don’t seem to have that capacity before Olimar’s crash, especially based on Pikmin Bloom (assuming it is indeed a prequel). Pikmin are noted in several notes as being incredibly loyal, with that being the key to their survival. They also have a natural cap of 100, which would certainly prevent them from getting out of hand. I think it’s more likely the Man-at-legs, Gatling Groinks and Careening Dirigibugs were developed for some greater conflict. Rather than merely Pikmin maintenance, especially with what biological horrors they seem to be. Perhaps they were engineered to kill off mutated creatures, or merely as bioweapons to try and turn the tables in a great conflict. Whatever the case they’re essentially only found near what is described as a Military Complex. I personally believe the Bulborbs are descendants of Amphibians, eventually evolving to lose their final molt and front legs (separating them from frogs and other species). I think they just “naturally developed”. Unlike Pikmin, Onions, Candypop Buds, Man-at-legs, Gatling Groinks and Careening Dirigibugs, the Bulborbs aren’t called out as xenobiological oddities in the Piklopedia Notes (I can provide these notes if you’re interested). I think the Onions in Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 4 are simply separate types of onions from the ones in Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2, with the ones in Pikmin 3 being more mechanical and the ones in Pikmin 4 being more biological. It’s possible the Pikmin’s designers went through multiple generations of Onions, some better than others, just as we’ve seen two types of Planter Packs in Pikmin Bloom.

@@seandwalsh3 I can definitely agree with everything here but I'd also like to add on some things. For one, it would be quite weird for Bulborbs to be ancestors of Amphibians considering that Water Dimples are noted to not only be direct cousins of Bulborbs, but also to have branched off relatively recently. While it's possible Olimar is just wrong and Water Dimples came first, that level of misdirection just wouldn't make any sense. Bulborbs also notably lack eyelids, something the Pikmin Garden website felt the need to delve into. This trait is only really something insects and reptiles have as far as land animals go, and given they clearly don't have insect eyes it's points more to being reptilian in that regard. To add on this more, the fact Bulborbs resemble Olimar's dog is also room for speculation. Given that Pikmin likewise resemble Olimar's favorite food, and than Bulborbs resemble his dog, that just seems like a bit too much of a coincidence. If anything the more I think about it, the more likely it feels that Pikmin could be completely unrelated to Humans, and were actually engineered by a species similar to Olimar who came to PNF way before he ever did. If Olimar accidentally found PNF while delivering cargo, it's clearly between at least 2 notable planets it's not like it's hidden or something. That would explain why they're almost entirely reliant and the perfect size for the captains, as well as how the Onions would have became more advance over time, whoever created them could have just regularly returned to make upgrades. Heck, the S.S. Drake has always resembled the pikmin Onion, that could have been more important than let on. Even the Mamuta doesn't have the onion symbols directly on it, it's on wristbands that could have been created for them after finding out they were peaceful, of course who knows how that matters since in Pikmin 4 their new bands seem to have no meaning.

@@Whispernyan Nothing specifies that Water Dumples branches off from Bulborbs or vice versa. They’re cousins. Both came from Amphibians, with Water Dumples adapting to be primarily active underwater and Bulborbs adapting to the land. I would recommend this Pikmin Phylogenetic tree by Lady Sophie: www.tumblr.com/cartographers-office/722855012167041024/my-pikmin-tree While Bulborbs don’t have eyelids that close, again that is something that could’ve reasonably evolved to see better in low light as a nocturnal species (this is why the reptiles you mentioned evolved to lost their eyelids). Bulby is likely the same species as Oatchi, and now that we’ve physically seen these alien dogs I think it’s quite safe to say the resemblance to Bulborbs is coincidental. Pikmin also don’t resemble Pikpik carrots all too greatly. We also know from the Pikmin 4 Demo that space travel of the leader races only began over a dozen or so generations ago. PNF-404 was completely undiscovered before Olimar’s arrival - if a race familiar with Bulborbs and Pikpik carrots had been to the planet, it would’ve already been documented. Olimar crashed on PNF-404 while traveling through uncharted territory during a space-cation. It wasn’t between two inhabited colonies as far as we know, the S.S. Dolphin’s autopilot just happened to pass by: “Once I had my fill of this delicious dinner, I climbed into my warm bed and began to think of the leisurely vacation that would start the next morning. I finally fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. The journey began well. With no set destination in mind, I simply allowed the sleek Dolphin to make its own efficient way through the vast reaches of space.” The Onions also probably didn’t become more advanced overtime, we’ve just seen different models in the various games that were made long before Olimar’s first crash. The new Mamuta bands are the same as the old ones, as far as I can tell…

The Pellet Posy numbers are definitely an in-universe thing. Olimar draws them in his log illustrations. Plus, unlike say the numbers that appear when Pikmin actually lift objects, the numbers on Pellets are actually part of the model. They have texture. If they were just there for gameplay that wouldn’t be the case.

Small weapons are quite effective. I certainly don’t think I’d fare well against a Man-at-legs if I was pitted against one. Its bullets would pierce right through you and it’s too small a target to effectively return fire to. The Gatling Groink is probably a bit less effective, but not every test is a success, I’m sure the Subterranean Complex’s military facility had many more experiments that we don’t get to see. Speaking of which, I didn’t mention this in the video as it requires a little more explanation, but the Careening Dirigibug is also definitely man-made in my opinion.

Imagine a swarm of men at legs at an enemy shelter during a war? It would be a mess considering that they shoot real explosive projectlies that are much much bigger than pikmin, wich means that they should be somewhat of the size of a small bullet

You know Ant-Man? Basically Ant-Man. Though to be more precise, The Hornet. The power of a tank, all compressed to the size of a bug without reducing its firepower. That's actually some scary stuff.

Haha, they’re quite similar!

Thank you! I’ve got to finish playing Pikmin 4 before I decide that, but as of right now I think the video holds up enough on its own and I don’t see anywhere to expand upon it, other than just showing even more evidence of things I’ve already stated in the video. I wouldn’t write off the possibility of more Pikmin theories in the future though! I just need a bit of inspiration…

Pikmin 4 confirmed something big about humans, though I don’t want to spoil the game if you haven’t played it yet.

Bulbmin are likely wild Hermikmin that evolved to burrow into creatures instead of Rocks or Ice after Humans left, I would say.

It’s instinctual rather than cultural - converting leaf and Bud Pikmin to Flower Pikmin and everything about the Smoky Progg show a much clearer connection. There’s also the fact that the Mamuta’s species, genus and family are unknown. They’re biological oddities.

The Onions or the Pikmin? It’s recently been revealed that the Pikmin are a separate species that have a symbiotic relationship with onions.

@@seandwalsh3 I knew it

I’m aware of this, but it’s important to keep in mind that these logs are written from the perspective of xenobiologists who have limited information (for example, Olimar believing the Man-at-legs was “approached” by its mechanical parts rather than altered deliberately by a higher being). Pellet Posies clearly have a greater connection to the Pikmin themselves with their nectar crystallising in relevant Onion/Pikmin colours, and the literal weight in human digits on them. The Waterwraith is extradimensional, apparently, but the Plasm Wraith clearly has some connection to the planet’s life force, seeing as some event caused its psychic wound and it can replicate seemingly any nectar-based species (it may not even be related to the Waterwraith, as Olimar specifies in Pikmin 3 Deluxe: “It reminds me very much of the waterwraith, and at first I wondered if it was also an ectoplasmic incarnation. However, enough others have seen and encountered it to dispel this theory.”). Humans almost definitely died out before becoming space-caring themselves. It’s also worth noting that the Umibōzu theory, at least as it was proposed years ago, is pretty thoroughly debunked these days.

It’s only giant compared to the Leader species, who are comparatively tiny. This is because of the higher levels of Oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere, as Brittany states in Pikmin 3.

​@@seandwalsh3 ok last question how big can and onion get using every type of onion on the planet be big as a cat?

@@skistorm739 It’s unknown how many onions are on the planet, though I’d say quite big, yeah.

@@seandwalsh3 ok you believe platter packs are canon? also Special fruit or Special Spot be next and why grapes and watermelon glow in game- sparklium within them

I got the relevant sound files and assembled the individual clips to sound like the in-game voices in my editor. Alph’s voice was the easiest, I found it on the Sounds Resource. Brittany I got from the a Pikmin 3 Sound Effect dump on the Pikipedia Forums. Olimar was the hardest, as his voice is only in Pikmin 3 Deluxe. I eventually got it by contacting BajaBlastGrrl03 on Twitter, who I knew had done a Pikmin 3 Deluxe OST rip and therefore had the game’s files. Lady Sophie sifted through thousands of sound files to find them and send them to me!

@seandwalsh3 could you give me a link to that dump I really wanna use that for something

@@somerandomguy8541 Here you go: www.mediafire.com/file/8ar9mpcjx4gyz7v/pikmin_3_deluxe_unsorted_sfx.rar/file

@@seandwalsh3 thanks

I‘ve explained in more detail elsewhere in the comments, but essentially I got the individual sounds from Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 3 Deluxe and assembled them in my editor!

@@seandwalsh3 nice! I kinda wish they actually did what you did. It's very charming

In Pikmin Bloom they can also be sent to attack Mushrooms, that’s where their ability to “fight” comes from. They also use this to break their pellets from the pellet posies. I’m afraid Pikmin 4 also essentially outright confirms the theory.

It is clearly Earth. That’s the whole point of the series. As mentioned in the video, the rate of natural changes such as plate tectonics and evolution has increased.

​@@seandwalsh3 but never know I hard to believe but if it's not earth they what?

@@skistorm739 Hay, look up "Pangaea Proxima" and then look at the Pikmin 3 world map.