Pikmin Tier List
S-level
Purple
Originally introduced in Pikmin 2, these powerful units may not be the fastest guys on the field, but boy can they pack a punch – 10 punches, to be exact. Yes, Purple Pikmin are your macho men who fight enemies and clear paths like nobody’s business.
Their abilities may be a little less overpowered in Pikmin 3, but we like to think these guys can still carry a team. Probably literally…
A- Level
Bulbmin
Bulbmin might be the scariest type of sentient plant ever introduced in the series (the Pikmin burrowing into Bulborb and taking control of its body), but we’d rather see that as a dark backstory than a negative. You can’t bring these guys out of the select caves you’ll find them in in Pikmin 2, but while they’re down there, they provide one heck of a bonus.
Bulbmin are immune to all environmental hazards (fire, water, electricity, and poison) and will take anything thrown at them — or should that be “anything thrown at”? If they weren’t so rare (and usable outside of caves), this type would be the best.
Yellow
Your love for the original trio of types from Pikmin 1 will certainly vary, but in our opinion, the Yellow Pikmin are the best of them all. These big-eared teammates might be some of the cutest dudes to lay eyes on, and the two-for-one bonus of being easy to throw and resistant to electricity (from Pikmin 2 onward) is an undeniably appealing prospect.
Combine that with the fact that these were originally the only species that could carry Bomb Rocks and their ability to dig quickly in the late game, the Yellows are really the complete package — just don’t rely on them to take down enemies.
B-level
Blue
We’d be lying if we said Blue Pikmin wasn’t tender in our hearts. They are not the best fighters and cannot be thrown farthest — actually, they’re average enough in both of those respects — but they can walk and work in water, which is an absolute godsend when you’re watching the rest of your party thrash and drown because you brought them a little too close to the edge of the pond.
Up until Pikmin 3, an idle Blue Pikmin in the water would even push any nearby drowning teammates back to shore like tiny lifeguards – see? useful and caring, what a combo.
Winged
If Winged Pikmin were just a little stronger, we’d be adding them to our teams on a daily basis like nobody’s business. These may not be the best options in combat rolls, but they really weigh down the market when it comes to airborne enemies.
White
White Pikmin aren’t the most practical species, but their speed, ability to find hidden objects, and resistance to poison make them a pretty good addition anyway. The way this species poisons an enemy when eaten is also a pretty cool way to do it, even if you lose a teammate in the process.
Since the White Pikmin only appear in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3, we feel like we haven’t had a chance to spend that much time with these little guys yet — maybe Pikmin 4 will convince us to put them more on the list.
C-level
Red
Hot Warning: Red Pikmin is the worst of the original trio. Okay, that might be factually correct looking at where they are on this list, but don’t let the C-level positioning fool you, it’s just a lot of competition. The guy’s fire resistance hasn’t been tested that much in the series so far, which is hardly in their favor, but they really are old believers when it comes to messing with the waste.
They’re your average Pikmin and yes, we love them for that, but a little ‘wow factor’ wouldn’t hurt.
Rock
Again, we don’t like Rock Pikmin by any means, but their abilities just aren’t there Enough as impressive as others have to offer. Immunity to stab or crush is definitely a bonus and we couldn’t talk about them without taking a minute to smile at the thought of their weird little attack animation, but the unique crystal shattering skill just isn’t that useful in the grand scheme of things.
D-level
Mushroom Pikmin
We don’t like this. Formed by coming into contact with Puffstool spores, these mushroom-headed guys turn on you and will repeatedly attack Olimar until you shake them off to return them to their natural form.
Fortunately, they only appear in the first game because we don’t want to deal with them any more than we have to.
Well, there you have it, our complete ranking of every type of Pikmin. Do you agree with our order or would you shake things up a bit? Take the polls below to tell us which Pikmin you think are the best and which are the worst, then head to the comments to leave your full ranking.
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