Pikmin Pluck
| Pikmin Pluck | |
|---|---|
 Olimar, pulling Pikmin out of the ground. Note that he can pull them from surfaces besides soil, including the hulls of ships and even platforms. | |
| User | Olimar |
| Universe | Pikmin |
| Article on Pikipedia | Pluck |
| “ | Recruit Pikmin to help by plucking them from the ground. You can only have six at a time. | ” |
| —Brawl's instruction manual | ||
| “ | Pluck up to three Pikmin out of the ground. | ” |
| —Smash for 3DS's foldout | ||
Pikmin Pluck, (ピクミンを引っこ抜く, Uproot Pikmin), is Olimar's neutral special move.
Overview
This move involves Captain Olimar quickly pulling a Pikmin out of the ground. What Pikmin is pulled out is random in Brawl; what type of terrain where this move is used has some influence on what type of Pikmin will be pulled out more often. In Smash 4, however, there is a set order in which color Pikmin is pulled out: red, yellow, blue, white, purple, and back to red. Olimar can have up to six Pikmin following him in Brawl and three in Smash 4; trying to pluck another, or using the move in the air, will result in Olimar grabbing nothing and being vulnerable for a moment.
Upon being plucked, Pikmin arc backwards over Olimar's shoulder and land behind him. As a result, doing the move too close to an edge will result in the Pikmin falling off, possibly to their doom if there is no ground below. These Pikmin can be saved with a Pikmin Order after they have fallen below where Olimar is standing. White and Purple Pikmin have a smaller arc than Red, Yellow, and Blue ones, so it is possible to let the three common colours be sent over the edge while keeping the rare ones with correct positioning (and standing even closer to the edge will only allow Whites to land, until the point where all types will fall).
Kirby is unable to copy this move correctly. Instead, Kirby combines Pikmin Pluck with Pikmin Throw. The Pikmin that Kirby creates are chucked forwards, collide with opponents, do damage based on colour (Red 1%, Yellow 2%, Blue 3%, Purple 4%, White 5%), and die immediately after landing. Kirby's Pikmin follow the same probability rules as Olimar's. [1]
- In SSB4, this behavior was retained, but due to Olimar himself gaining a custom variant of Pikmin Throw which causes all Pikmin types to behave as if they were Purple, it appears at first glance as if Kirby is copying a custom special move, which (with the exception of the Mii Fighters) he cannot do. This happens regardless of which Pikmin Throw variant the Olimar he inhaled has equipped.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Pikmin Pluck | 2. Hardy Pikmin Pluck | 3. Explosive Pluck |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| "Pluck a maximum of three Pikmin in this order: red, yellow, blue, white, purple." | "Pluck Pikmin that have more durability. It takes longer to pluck them, though." | "Trigger an explosive effect when you pluck a Pikmin, but Pikmin are less resilient." |
- Pikmin Pluck: Default.
- Hardy Pikmin Pluck: Takes more time to pluck Pikmin, more akin to the speed of plucking them in the Pikmin games. Gives the Pikmin more health, allowing them to soak up damage. They are also more resistant to knockback and not easily shaken off when attacking opponents.
- Explosive Pluck: A more offensive variant, plucking Pikmin takes slightly longer. The Pikmin will create a small explosion upon being plucked, and travel in a high arc before landing. However, the Pikmin die more easily. Additionally, the Pikmin appear to die on their own of no apparent cause, either after a certain amount of time or dealing a certain amount of damage, forcing Olimar to pluck more Pikmin. The damage of the explosion caused by the Pikmin vary depending on the type of Pikmin being plucked. Red , Yellow, and Blue Pikmin inflict 7% damage. White Pikmin emit poisonous fumes that inflict 4% damage. Purple Pikmin cause a more powerful explosion with decent knockback and inflict 9% damage.
Exploding Pluck in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Origin
In the Pikmin games, Pikmin born from Onions fall into the ground as seeds, where they can be plucked by a leader. Leaving a Pikmin in the ground before plucking it will allow it to develop from a leaf to a bud and finally a flower. To make more Pikmin seeds, Pellets or dead creatures must be carried to and absorbed by the Onion. Up to 100 Pikmin can be outside the Onion at once; there is no theoretical limit to how many can be inside.
Gallery
Olimar using the move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Pikmin Pluck in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Trivia
- A continuous stream of plucked Pikmin can be used to "fill up" Cook Kirby's pot, creating huge numbers of items. Not only is this useful for team Brawls, but also if Captain Olimar is against Kirby; he can stop himself from being pulled in, so once the pot contains the maximum of 30 objects, the Final Smash will end and Olimar will remain unharmed.
- The Explosive Pluck variant causes Pikmin to deal damage when they initially spawn, regardless of the source of their spawning. As a result, Olimar can get a head start in certain Smash Run challenges, such as by breaking a nearby target before the countdown starts. It can also damage foes occasionally in Special Orders before the announcer says "Go!"
