Pikmin Tier List
S-Tier
Purple
Originally introduced in Pikmin 2, these hefty units might not be the speediest guys out on the field, but boy can they pack a punch — 10 punches, to be precise. Yep, the Purple Pikmin are your resident macho men, taking on enemies and clearing paths like it’s nobody’s business.
Their ability might be a little less overpowered in Pikmin 3, but we like to think that these guys can still carry the team. Probably literally…
A- Tier
Bulbmin
Bulbmin might just be the most horrifying breed of sentient plants that have ever been introduced in the series (a Pikmin that has buried itself in a Bulborb and taken control of its body), but we prefer to see this as a dark backstory rather than a negative. You can’t take these guys out of the select caves in which you’ll find them in Pikmin 2, but while down there they provide a heck of a bonus.
Bulbmin are immune to any environmental hazard (fire, water, electricity, and poison) and will take on anything that is thrown at them — or should that be “anything they are thrown at”? If they weren’t quite as rare (and usable outside caves), this type would be the cream of the crop.
Yellow
Your love for the original trio of types from Pikmin 1 is bound to vary, but in our minds, the Yellow Pikmin are the best of ’em. These big-eared teammates might be one of the most adorable types to look at and the two-for-one bonus of being easily throwable and resistant to electricity (from Pikmin 2 onwards) is an undeniably attractive prospect.
Combine that with the fact that these were originally the only species that could carry Bomb Rocks and their speedy digging ability in the later games, the Yellows really are the full package — just don’t go relying on them to take down enemies.
B-Tier
Blue
We’d be lying if we said that we didn’t have a soft spot for the Blue Pikmin in our hearts. They’re not the best fighters and they can’t be thrown the furthest — in fact, they are near-enough average in both these respects — but they can walk and work in water, which is an absolute godsend when you watch the rest of your party flail and drown because you got them a little too close to the edge of a pond.
Until Pikmin 3, idle Blue Pikmin in water would even chuck 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 bit stronger, we would be adding them to our teams on a daily basis like it was nobody’s business. These might not be the best options in the throws of battle, but they really do corner the market when it comes to taking on any airborne enemies.
White
White Pikmin are not the most practical type out there, but their speed, ability to find hidden items and immunity to poison makes them a pretty good addition all the same. The way that this species poisons an enemy when eaten is a pretty cool way to go too, even if you do lose a teammate in the process.
With the White Pikmin only appearing in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3, we feel like we haven’t got a chance to spend all that much time with these little guys yet — maybe Pikmin 4 will convince us to put them higher on the list.
C-Tier
Red
Hot take alert: Red Pikmin are the worst of the original trio. Ok, that might be factually correct looking at where they sit on this list, but don’t let the C-tier positioning fool you, it’s just a case of tough competition. The type’s fire resistance hasn’t been put to the test all that much in the series so far which hardly works in their favour, but they really are old faithful when it comes to getting involved in a scrap.
They are your average Pikmin and yes, we love them for that, but a little ‘wow factor’ wouldn’t hurt.
Rock
Again, we don’t dislike Rock Pikmin by any means, but their abilities just aren’t quite as impressive as what the others can offer. Immunity to being stabbed or crushed is a bonus, for sure, 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 skill of breaking crystal simply isn’t all that useful in the grand scheme of things.
D-Tier
Mushroom Pikmin
Now these, we do dislike. Created by coming into contact with a Puffstool’s spores, these mushroom-headed guys turn against 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 be dealing with these any more than we have to.
Well, there you have it, our complete ranking of each Pikmin type. Do you agree with our order or would you shake things up a little? Fill out the following polls to let us know the best and worst Pikmin in your opinion and then take to the comments to leave a full ranking.
Pikmin Tier List
S-Tier
Purple
Originally introduced in Pikmin 2, these hefty units might not be the speediest guys out on the field, but boy can they pack a punch — 10 punches, to be precise. Yep, the Purple Pikmin are your resident macho men, taking on enemies and clearing paths like it’s nobody’s business.
Their ability might be a little less overpowered in Pikmin 3, but we like to think that these guys can still carry the team. Probably literally…
A- Tier
Bulbmin
Bulbmin might just be the most horrifying breed of sentient plants that have ever been introduced in the series (a Pikmin that has buried itself in a Bulborb and taken control of its body), but we prefer to see this as a dark backstory rather than a negative. You can’t take these guys out of the select caves in which you’ll find them in Pikmin 2, but while down there they provide a heck of a bonus.
Bulbmin are immune to any environmental hazard (fire, water, electricity, and poison) and will take on anything that is thrown at them — or should that be “anything they are thrown at”? If they weren’t quite as rare (and usable outside caves), this type would be the cream of the crop.
Yellow
Your love for the original trio of types from Pikmin 1 is bound to vary, but in our minds, the Yellow Pikmin are the best of ’em. These big-eared teammates might be one of the most adorable types to look at and the two-for-one bonus of being easily throwable and resistant to electricity (from Pikmin 2 onwards) is an undeniably attractive prospect.
Combine that with the fact that these were originally the only species that could carry Bomb Rocks and their speedy digging ability in the later games, the Yellows really are the full package — just don’t go relying on them to take down enemies.
B-Tier
Blue
We’d be lying if we said that we didn’t have a soft spot for the Blue Pikmin in our hearts. They’re not the best fighters and they can’t be thrown the furthest — in fact, they are near-enough average in both these respects — but they can walk and work in water, which is an absolute godsend when you watch the rest of your party flail and drown because you got them a little too close to the edge of a pond.
Until Pikmin 3, idle Blue Pikmin in water would even chuck 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 bit stronger, we would be adding them to our teams on a daily basis like it was nobody’s business. These might not be the best options in the throws of battle, but they really do corner the market when it comes to taking on any airborne enemies.
White
White Pikmin are not the most practical type out there, but their speed, ability to find hidden items and immunity to poison makes them a pretty good addition all the same. The way that this species poisons an enemy when eaten is a pretty cool way to go too, even if you do lose a teammate in the process.
With the White Pikmin only appearing in Mission Mode in Pikmin 3, we feel like we haven’t got a chance to spend all that much time with these little guys yet — maybe Pikmin 4 will convince us to put them higher on the list.
C-Tier
Red
Hot take alert: Red Pikmin are the worst of the original trio. Ok, that might be factually correct looking at where they sit on this list, but don’t let the C-tier positioning fool you, it’s just a case of tough competition. The type’s fire resistance hasn’t been put to the test all that much in the series so far which hardly works in their favour, but they really are old faithful when it comes to getting involved in a scrap.
They are your average Pikmin and yes, we love them for that, but a little ‘wow factor’ wouldn’t hurt.
Rock
Again, we don’t dislike Rock Pikmin by any means, but their abilities just aren’t quite as impressive as what the others can offer. Immunity to being stabbed or crushed is a bonus, for sure, 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 skill of breaking crystal simply isn’t all that useful in the grand scheme of things.
D-Tier
Mushroom Pikmin
Now these, we do dislike. Created by coming into contact with a Puffstool’s spores, these mushroom-headed guys turn against 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 be dealing with these any more than we have to.
Well, there you have it, our complete ranking of each Pikmin type. Do you agree with our order or would you shake things up a little? Fill out the following polls to let us know the best and worst Pikmin in your opinion and then take to the comments to leave a full ranking.
