The Onion Theory (Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, and Pikmin 4 Comprehensive Theory)

[@EliWithAHat]

despite not knowing english and nobody speaks it, the pikmin know how to say their own name...

[@VarietyTelevision]

EXACTLY!!!!

[@skistorm739]

​@@VarietyTelevision if onion act like 100% technology but are 100% biology the human might created a technology singularity after used bio-metal or something similar + liquid light or something similar later to help act like 100% technology but 100% biology. after created substance combine both aspects later reduce how much to able 0% but make sure be truly 100% biology and perfected it. go beyond the technology singularity.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@skistorm739 this makes sense, especially considering the raw materials are biological in nature.

[@skistorm739]

​@@VarietyTelevision extract the universal template that exist in all artificial exist even created with 100% completely different resources/methods. so what are raw material?

[@VarietyTelevision]

@skistorm739 we only know they are biological remains, from Pik4.

[@VirtuaVirtue]

this theory genuinely makes the story of the game infinitely more interesting, i wish there was a bit more ingame acknowledgement to the seemingly parasitic nature of the onion

[@VarietyTelevision]

Indeed, Pikmin 4 has a lot if you talk to Sy.

[@arandomthingintheabyss2062]

along with the parasitic/hermit pikmin it would be interesting to see a parasitic/hermit pikmin do it thing

[@VarietyTelevision]

@arandomthingintheabyss2062 I mean, we see Rocks, Ice, and (at least in 2) Bulbmin. They all do things.

[@arandomthingintheabyss2062]

@@VarietyTelevision i more meant them see them possess something

[@lancifer_56709]

The Piklopedia in 4 expresses such thing about parasitic nature through some of Olimar's notes on Pikmin, so it seems to be a start. How Ice & Rocks are parasitic in nature due to how the Pikmin are inhabiting icy & rocky bodies respectively, & even referencing Bulbmin in another creature's log.

[@sac_head6690]

Alph wasn't turned into a leafling because he landed in water, one of the pikmin was waiting for him to wake up to lead him to the onion.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Also true

[@michaelr3077]

If you speak to olimar before you start the sage leaf trials he tells you about a memory involving a white leafling, suggesting he has met the sage leaf at some point, most likely as a leafling.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Possibly, but I think it has more to do with the connection between leaflings. Santi mentions hearing Bernard's voice when they were both leaflings. The Sage's cave is sealed, so I think whatever connection is there is what cause Olimar to have ideas of the Sage, and possibly why he mentions long forgotten onions.

[@dsur5547]

⁠@@VarietyTelevisionjust because olimar doesn’t know about the white and purple onions doesn’t mean he hasn’t met the sage leaf. He simply could have not agreed to do the trials because he was busy not dying. Also we never see the cave get unsealed and the dialogue implies that everyone somehow managed to just collectively ignore the cave.

[@maskthepikmin8072]

@@dsur5547that may be because the onions seal off the cave and hide it from captains unless deemed worthy. the electromagnetic waves could interfere with their heads just like how they influence the captains to interact with the pikmin.

[@seanimo8579]

Even if he met the Sage Leaf there’s no reason the Sage Leaf would adopt Olimar’s names for the Pikmin; if anything it would be the other way around.

[@schhur]

@@seanimo8579well maybe Pikmin just has a good ring to it

[@danteydantes8415]

one thing i would like to add is that Louie is seemingly reluctant of leaving PNF-404 in both pikmin 2 and 4, with him saying something along the lines of "i kinda want to stay in here" in 4, and in 2 just straight up not boarding the ship despite being there, (although his reaction in the "credits" say it was closer to an accident), but whether Louie wants to stay due to the Onions messing with him or just him liking being the "king of bugs" is unknown to me

[@VarietyTelevision]

Maybe those things are related?

[@TheKitty699]

he has an endless stream of food, so i feel that he could probably live the rest of his life on PNF-404 if he really wanted to

[@seanimo8579]

It could be from eating the native species on the planet

[@muffin2221]

I think its interesting to note that Bulbmin have a different but similar method for securing a leader. They are parasites that essentially leafify their main predator, the bulborb, themselves and control all the bulborbs body functions too. I like to think that the dev team studied hard on how insects and other small animals survive to inspire the world of Pikmin

[@VarietyTelevision]

I agree, especially with the ants in the garden explanation that Miyamoto gives.

[@aidanhammans9337]

Yes, but Bulbmin are flawed hosts. While the small ones are likely young Bulborbs forced to mature into a controllable body, the captains can’t keep control of the Bulborb host and succumb to predatory instincts.

[@Galifay]

Explains why they're only found in caves. Assuming the Pikmin component of Bulbmin have an off-screen Onion somewhere, it wouldn't be able to affect the surface through the layers of dirt and rock. In the absence of a supply of strategic leaders - parasitized intelligent aliens - these Pikmin parasitize Bulborbs for their predatory power. The same kind of parasitism used for different reasons due to environmental differences.

[@caioleite5579]

"The onions make the ships crash so that they can brainwash the castaways and use them as leaders to the Pikmin" The onion seeing 11 year old me lose 80 Pikmin to a bomb rock: 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@VarietyTelevision]

Hey, beggars can't be choosers. Nobody said the Onions thought you'd be a good leader xD

[@egarciamj]

Wat about the other 10 onions that say goodbye in pikmin​ we never seen them + 1s we seen get stuck or are apart of the pikmin 3 onion before separating in hey pikmin@VarietyTelevision

[@Fearyfursday]

I always found found it weird that the moment you use the knapsack item to sleep in pikmin 2 they instantly try to stuff you into the onion

[@VarietyTelevision]

And the reason you just bounce off the Onion is because he's only sleeping, rather than in life-support mode.

[@lasercraft32]

...And to top it off they even shoot off fireworks from the Onion as if to celebrate XD

[@GlacialSkyfarer]

@@lasercraft32We got 'e... Nevermind, he's alive.

[@datagamerbulby]

i'll stuff something else into the onion

[@CreamIc7]

​@@datagamerbulby what

[@thealpacaofsupport258]

The limit of pikmins you can carry might be the limit of how many pikmins the Onion is capable of connection to the "hivemind" For example, it's curious that Onions are capable of flight, perhaps the ability to flight could be linked to the knowledge pikmin have over the map? Maybe the onion takes "record" of the area it will land on, and then it connects the pikmin to inform them of routes and stuff This might be why to imprive the limit we need to feed farlics to the onion, it needs to be upgraded to be able to hold control over more pikmins

[@VarietyTelevision]

This is very possible!

[@yaldamasevpro4862]

This stupid simply because of the existence of wild pikmin in the cave these pikmin are extra pikmin yet they know the map layouts and paths even if the limit is lets say 100 according to this is the limit where pikmin can be connected to the hive mind but the wild pikmin allow you to go beyond this limit yet there just identical to normal pikmin

[@jchud13]

@@yaldamasevpro4862well they dont know, they just fight mindlessly or sit sround because they dont know what to do. They dont know anything until you call them with the whistle and they become connected to the hivemind via the other pikmin in your squas a la ants finding food

[@Mentallyheld]

@@jchud13 thats not even remotely correct, pikmin while they show to be like ants they arent a hivemind due to them having genuine feelings, and their own seperate feelings. Hell they even show to be lazy when they are left alone, they work as little co-workers not a menacing hivemind

[@wiipose3568]

Hi! Quick note on the water wraith thing. The yokai Umibouzu (海坊主) uses the same word as the water wraith (坊主) bouzu, you touched on the multiple meanings of this word in the video (which I appreciate as most people miss it) bouzu written with those two kanji characters always means priest/monk. The other kanji in umibouzu (海) means sea. So while I do agree that the water wraith probably isn't connected to the plasm wraith or part of the reason the ships crashed, I don't think it's realistic to claim that there was absolutely no relationship between umibouzu and the water wraith. Considering the structure of the two names are incredibly similar: Umibouzu (sea-bouzu) Amebouzu (rain-bouzu) Yes, ame has the double meaning but since the entire game is in Katakana we can't rule out either meaning. Honestly it's probably intentionally done that way. Also the fact that it's water-wraith and not candy-wraith in the English translation means that the association with rain/water is undeniably there. Additionally, Nintendo has taken inspiration from yokai quite a lot when creating monsters/creatures (Pokémon like drowzee being a shining example) so it's not far fetched to imagine they took inspiration from another one when designing/naming a creature. TLDR: I agree with you that the umibouzu theory isn't likely anymore, but there was definitely some influence with umibouzu in the water wraiths design/name. (Great video btw, this is just me being nitpicky)

[@VarietyTelevision]

Absolutely, and thank you! I use the Pokémon example a lot. Clearly there is inspiration, I mention it being a reference, but clearly it's not 1-to-1

[@thebananaboy9104]

Only argument against the Pokémon comparison is that Pikmin and Pokémon are made by two different groups entirely

[@feshpince7181]

@@thebananaboy9104 I mean, sure, but they're both made in Japan, by people who grew up with those legends and mythologies. Using Yokai as inspiration is rife in all sorts of Japanese media. And these two developers happen to have their games published by the same parent company, Nintendo. So there will always be some overlap somewhere. Based on the explanation that wiipose provided, I have no doubt at all that the Water Wraith was named for the Umibozu, and somewhat themed after it. It just didn't cause the crash.

[@aer0a]

It's also confirmed on the Japanese Pikmin website that it's a play on Umibouzu

[@kenji6492]

I think the Sage Leaf may have just overheard the comms between Rookie and the Rescue Corps. He calls the onions “Gems” before switching to the name Rookie is familiar with. Edit: The Red Pikmin near Alph can’t reach him when he crashes because he’s in the water.

[@pikmin937]

Alph also landed in water, so the red pikmin wouldn't have been able to get him anyway. (Also the fact that Alph is awake to watch the Drake fly overhead and crash after him implies to me at least that he wasn't unconscious for very long, if at all)

[@andrewbabiak5233]

In regards to the Sage, he's probably got a universal translator device or something and the translations have to pull from a database of existing terms. Many of the castaways are from different planets and I doubt they all speak a common language.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Probably not, but he is sealed underground. Making it very unlikely he is connected to any database, or somebody would've probably came to rescue him before now.

[@aidanhammans9337]

@@VarietyTelevisionis it perhaps possible that the Sage Leaf is some sort of pure Leafling based on captains rather than actually being one? He does act rather normal in comparison to the delayed speech of other Leaflings and won’t faint if you beat him.

[@doommustard8818]

Everyone probably has a universal translator device! do you know how many different planets all the castaways are from?

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@aidanhammans9337 Maybe, but he refers to a previous life, so unlikely.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@doommustard8818 it doesn't explain translating made up words though, like Pikmin. Pikmin can also say Pikmin, despite having no language.

[@ninjaspeed7581]

here is another thing to look at in pikmin 4 when you 100% the sage cave you have the option to bring the sage with you but he refuses something none of the other leaflings do so the sage could have been on the planet for so long that they are at peace with the planet something that nobody else feels besides louie

[@VarietyTelevision]

Olimar mentions beginning to feel this peace in 1 and 4, I mention that in the video too. He even considers becoming a Pikmin...

[@dabord7881]

the "mechanical harp (memory song)" has an entry from olimar that states that he feels like it's "sending me a warning about unexpected troubles in the future...", likely meaning that at pikmin 4 takes place at least before pikmin 3.

[@datagamerbulby]

i am so very tired

[@michaelr3077]

There is one major thing that needs to be addressed: Why do glow pikmin counteract the Leafifying process? If Onions are seeking out permanent captains, why do the glow pikmin seemingly go against this process? We know that glow pikmin are not officially pikmin, merely having pikmin qualities... but why is this something they can do? Glow pikmin essentially provide food for the captain but also a natural resistance to infection; an emergency escape and life sustainer. Glow pikmin almost lure captains with an opposite method; rather than trap the individual via brainwashing it instead encourages them to stay by providing them with edible matter in exchange for their services. Its perfect for Louie all things considered. There is a possibility that leafifying is just a last resort for when onions have no other means to keep their captains alive.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Very true. I think the similarities are due to convergent evolution, hence why they aren't classified as official Pikmin. It seems these traits have benefited the Pikmin, so I hypothesize that the Glows evolved similar, but different, traits to help ensure their survival. Especially being a nocturnal species.

[@jasonrobinson401]

​@@VarietyTelevisionI'm still curious why the lumiknoll produces enzymes that can counteract the leafification process, that's a rather specific material to just so happen to produce AND for it to be edible. Perhaps the glow pikmen and lumiknoll are somehow in direct competition with the onions? Perhaps both need leaders for their pikmen, but onions are the better "hunters", so the lumiknoll's produce said enzyme to "steal" leaders from onions? All conjecture, of course.

[@aidanhammans9337]

That doesn’t explain the spiritual nature of Glow Pikmin.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@aidanhammans9337 No, they are made of light. They look like ghosts, but there's nothing spiritual about them. They're photons in the shape of a pikmin.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@jasonrobinson401 I think it has to do with who makes better leaders for the Glows. Every Leafling we see tends to not be out at night, retreating to caves to avoid predators. We can't be 100% sure about the Challenge Leaflings, but I assume they go into their own challenge caves at night. If Leaflings are naturally afraid of night, glow pikmin would benefit from a leader who isn't affected by this trait, ie, a person rather than leafling.

[@Yipper64]

my theory has been that Onions are pikmin that have been left in the ground for an *extremely long time,* so they gather nutrients from the ground and become plump enough to store their kin inside and create more pikmin. But without sunlight they become candypop buds, due to not having as much sunlight, they grow their petals to soak up as much as possible but dont get much. Similarly I like the theory that a farlic is an onion that's gotten aged after producing too much pikmin, ready to be recycled into nutrients. as for your theory I think this one goes hand in hand with that one, though isnt exactly evidence for or against it. Just makes sense even given these theories. Though in general it would make sense, why would a pikmin stay in the ground for a very long time? because nobody is around to pluck the seed out of the ground.

[@Dragonbite]

flarlic could also apply to onions that are weak, with the first flarlic being discovered described as a sputtering onion

[@Axelpvz2030]

The good thing is that, even if we end up rescuing almost all castaways, the onions ALREADY WON long ago. Moss was BORN a leafling dog, which means leafling dogs must be already a part of the planets ecosystem (or at least just dogs as siren hound may suggest) , and seing how she has a natural disposition to lead Pikmin, and remained the 'Captain" of our squad by the end of Pikmin 4, means they are already predisposed to become Pikmin leaders on their own We can even speculate that, space dogs have helped the Pikmin species to tribe already , explaining to outstanding amount of onions and the wild onionless Pikmin we can find in the game, maybe Pikmin are now facing overpopulation, being why we can't start with 100 max Pikmin on the field right away

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thats a good point, I haven't considered overpopulation of pikmin.

[@MC-bo6ql]

Some wild Pikmin in 4 are even seen fighting enemies on their own just like how they did in the ending of Pikmin 1, the landing site of Pikmin 2, and in the Awakening Wood. Side note: They are invincible due to gameplay reasons but still, this means they can go against the nature that they once feared.

[@poppy3660]

I like this theory, think I believe it’s the most probable. Only flaw I’m noticing is that olimar named pikmin after carrots, so unless the carrots are named after pikmin that causes a problem. Maybe the ancient leafling only calls them unions and pikmin because he knows that’s what your character recognizes them as?

[@syweb2]

Olimar mentions having dreams as a leafling of Sage Leaf talking to him and offering to make Leafmar his apprentice. It's possible that through these weird telepathic dreams, Sage Leaf learned of the "modern" names for Pikmin and Onions and used those to communicate with the player. The biocrafter lady had similar dreams of Sage Leaf offering to show her new Onions, so it's not a one-time deal.

[@VarietyTelevision]

The Pikmin know their own names, despite never being spoken to. They say HI, Wahoo, and Pikmin.

[@poppy3660]

@@VarietyTelevision the say there name in non canon events right? just like on the launch screen for pikmin 2, can't think of anywhere else

[@rainbowstar5705]

@@poppy3660 In Pikimin 1, they sometimes say 'pikmin' when they are harvested. I don't remember if it happens in other games, but I wouldn't doubt it.

[@Me-so7qv]

The phrase “I am so very tired” is actually in Pikmin 4 in a “secret” log, it just has an image of hero’s hideaway with red text saying the line

[@syweb2]

I think he misspoke, as he refers to it being used in Pikmin 4 a few times.

[@VarietyTelevision]

It's in both games.

[@TheKitty699]

sounds like the backdrop for a creepypasta tbh

[@Roman-ik3cf]

​@@TheKitty699Pikmin bad endings sound like Creepypastas in general. A captain not being able to return home with his family and being transformed into one of the beings that helped him. A whole planet eventually starving because the people that were sent to get food either died or didnt have enough time, etc.

[@sonicprime1597]

One thing that happens in Pikmin 1+2 is when you lay down next to pikmin they will immediately pick you up and take you to the nearest onion

[@VarietyTelevision]

Right, but you can't actually become a leafling because you aren't in a life-support like state.

[@sonicprime1597]

@@VarietyTelevision you’re right, but it just shows you that they are always waiting for the opportunity to turn you into one

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@sonicprime1597 Precisely

[@DarkReaper-oj2nd]

this theory makes shepherds pikmin nightmare alot more understandable

[@VarietyTelevision]

I FORGOT ABOUT THAT!

[@caioleite5579]

I like this theory a lot, I used to believe the Umibozu theory was the reason why many ship would crash on the planet, but this theory really makes more sense. The only thing that I didnt understand is if the Onions are smart enough to knock down ships, brainwash the castaways and communicate to the Pikmin, why dont the Onions simply act as direct leaders to the Pikmin? That would be way more simple than kidnapping castaways

[@VarietyTelevision]

They aren't evolved enough, I'd guess. They have limited movement, but are made of the same stuff as pikmin. I don't think they can control the Pikmin as effectively as an outside leader.

[@caioleite5579]

​@@VarietyTelevisionyeah, you could say their communication to the Pikmin isnt as quick and responsive

[@rainbowstar5705]

The first reason I imagine is the lack of hands and arms, since the 'throw' is the pikmin's most effective attack.

[@yobi512]

Maybe that’s why Pikmin act confused during the Formidable Oak act in Pikmin 3, terrestrial pikmin could just use the geyser or flying pikmin could just… yk, FLY to the Drake 🤡 But no… Instead they act confused and don’t know where to go… but are they really confused?? What if they aren’t… what if they are just REFUSING to take Olimar the easy way, cause they KNOW, the moment Olimar is back to safety, both him and the Koppaites will have their opportunity to leave the plantet, living the pikmin behind, therefore losing their potential permanent leaders Meaning this could only be triggered by force, they choose to set a guide, and the pikmin PRETEND to stay loyal to the captains, following Brittany to get through the Oak, but they only do it to prolong the captains’ suffering, gaining time, on a desparte attempt to keep their captains forever

[@wario1226]

That's a pretty interesting and well thought out hypothesis. I'm curious how all that ties in with the Luminolls. The ability to spawn Ghostly Pikmin, Sap that undoes Leafage, a feral urge to be drank or destroyed by the surrounding wildlife. Could it be a further form of an onion, or perhaps its greatest enemy?

[@VarietyTelevision]

I personally think that the Lumiknolls and Glow Pikmin aren't related at all, but rather a form of convergent evolution. The Glows benefited from a similar system as Pikmin, so they evolved similar traits.

[@CallmeBlueGaming]

this theory makes me imagine pikmin having a Bugsnax-Style plot twist

[@mr.blueguy7648]

Fun theory yet again! I like this idea that the onions are smarter than they seem on the surface

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thank you!!

[@lasercraft32]

This definitely seems like the most likely theory. The Umibozu theory was cool and all, but obviously had some holes it in. With this theory, it sounds not only a possible explanation, but also the _most likely_ explanation. Cause unlike the Umibozu theory, all the details and evidence for this one are explicitly hinted at by the notes and the Captains in-game.

[@NIMPAK1]

Good theory, but I'll provide some counter-arguments. I don't think the Pikmin necessarily WANT to leafify people, they just do it in order to save their lives. While not the most concrete evidence, the song Ai no Uta, which is from the Pikmin's perspective, implies that they genuinely love Olimar and will follow him even when he leads them to their death (they even sing this song themselves when you have all pikmin type). Pikmin and their captains essentially work on a symbiotic relationship where they work together in order in ensure the survival of the other. Also the reason Olimar probably says that he doesn't need all the ship parts is because 5 of the ship parts are actually completely optional and Olimar is probably saying that because he's desperate to escape and is willing to leave some parts behind.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I'll provide some counters of my own; Ai no Uta, in my opinion, is just an easter egg with no lore significance. Even if they work off of a symbiotic relationship, why would they have evolved this relationship? Clearly there is a pattern of sorts where people get put in situations where they need Pikmin, in my opinion that's no coincidence. By the end of the relationship, the Pikmin actually profit from their training, like the ending of Pikmin 1, being able to now take out enemies on their own. To me, this shows that they seek training, which is supported heavily by Pikmin 4's dandori and leafling prevalence. Finally, the specific log I mention in the video specifically relates Olimar's feelings of not needing all of the parts to his newfound familiarity with the Pikmin. Why would him being more comfortable with the Pikmin cause him to think he won't need all parts? It's an odd connection, so in my opinion, it's decent supporting evidence that they be influencing him somehow. Edit: also, thank you for your feedback, and taking the time to write out everything, I genuinely appreciate it!

[@caw1539]

On Onions naming themselves; It's more likely that due to everyone above ground already referring to them as Pikmin and onions, the sage leaf is choosing to use familiar terminology that has already prevailed in the dogma rather than try to influence it to what names he chose

[@VarietyTelevision]

But being cutoff from everybody on the surface until our character enters the cave kinda kills that. He would still need to make contact with somebody to learn those names, and nobody tells him. We just pop in the previously sealed cave, and he starts on about pikmin and onions. Also, the Pikmin cam say their own name despite not being able to speak English or any known language. This can't be a coincidence.

[@caw1539]

@@VarietyTelevision do they really ever say "Pikmin" in game? I've only seen it on loading screens

[@rainbowstar5705]

There are side missions that talk specifically about pikmin. And a common line from Sage Leaf is "don't let the pikmin get bored" (well, that line is in Portuguese, my language, but I imagine it's the same in English) @@caw1539

[@Mentallyheld]

@@caw1539 they dont

[@electroterra]

So something I've thought about is that onions get nutrients to grow more pikmin from 2 main sources, pellets and enemies. Well in Pikmin 4, we find out that enemy corpses contain sparklium, which can be used as a fuel source for a verity of things! So the sparklium that the onion would naturally take in by being fed an enemy could then be used by said onion to preform the tasks it needs to do!

[@billyharris2794]

Really solid theory, but I think you need to read the Plasm Wraith entry a little closer. What Olimar actually says is that since the Plasm Wraith reminds him of the Waterwraith, he briefly wondered if it was also an "ectoplasmic incarnation", calling back to his Waterwraith piklopedia entry wondering if it was "the ectoplasmic incarnation of a kind of psychic phenomenon". Now, I don't pretend to know what the heck that means, but I do know that Olimar isn't sure about this classification, specifically stating that his theory "is very difficult to prove". So in summary, he ruled out the possibility of the Plasm Wraith being an ectoplasmic incarnation, but never proved that the Waterwraith _was_ an ectoplasmic incarnation, and also just because the Plasm Wraith isn't an ectoplasmic incarnation doesn't mean it can't be related to one - in fact, considering they're both made of an amorphous gelatinous candy-resembling substance, and both the Plasm Wraith's English name and its Japanese name specifically reference the Waterwraith, I'd say it's quite likely they are related in at least some capacity.

[@billyharris2794]

It doesn't mean they have anything to do with the force causing ships to crash on the planet, but they are at least likely to be related.

[@VarietyTelevision]

It's certainly possible, and probably likely as well.

[@tigerspruce8580]

I'd like to add something to the "why didn't the pikmin bring an unconscious Alph or Olimar to the onion." Question, and I know it might be debunked since pikmin 4 had a ton of living castaways get dragged to onions, but perhaps it's because the onions in 4 managed to evolve to the point where they didn't need to have a castaway be dead? Anyway, in pikmin 2 there is the five camper sleeping bag, that allows you to be carried back to the base camp by making your captains sleep. The pikmin will carry you back to the ship, but they will put you into the onion. Shortly before entering the onion, your character bounces off the top and fireworks pop out. My idea is in pikmin 1-3, the captain needed to have been dead to become a pikmin. I mean, Leafling olimar was only made into a Leafling after his life support systems failed, and the pikmin carried his body to the onion. He only got the transformation in 4 after the life support systems failed again and he perished, I believe the onion (at least in the older games) could only make a Leafling with a dead captain.

[@aiaikawa4012]

This theory is really interesting and makes a lot of sense!!! It definitely goes with the cute exterior + dark interior the franchise has always had. I'd honestly say this is all likely intended!

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thank you!!

[@treybrzezowski3259]

There's also the fact that the Reds in Pikmin 3 *couldn't* have gotten to Alph because he landed in water deep enough that the Pikmin would Drown.

[@Felixman128]

Bro just demolished 90% of pikmin myths i believed until I saw this video, holy shit

[@CreamIc7]

This should be the next big pikmin theory because it doesn't have many if any holes

[@fatalfrostbyte]

This theory answers so much about pikmin as a series. Thank you for your content

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! It's greatly appreciated.

[@Tortaleaney]

The onion choosing the names is proven furthermore by the fact Olimar was going to call yellow pikmin ear pikmin but then thought it was a stupid name and changed it to yellow. But Louie thought ear pikmin would be a better name further proving the onion wants them to be called yellow pikmin.

[@orange_peel8025]

the hocotate ship also thinks that ear pikmin would have been a better name; perhaps it being mechanical means it isn't affected by the onions

[@Tortaleaney]

@@orange_peel8025 good point I haven't played that game only pikmin 4 so I not very familiar with it but I do remember seeing that now thanks for the reminder

[@syweb2]

That isn't really evidence, it's just different characters having personal taste. In the first two games, Olimar has a predisposition to calling the Pikmin by their colors because that is their most distinct feature, but in 3 and 4 some Pikmin are so wildly different that just using color would feel reductive, hence Rock, Winged, and Ice Pikmin. Even in Pikmin 2, Olimar is probably the one who came up with the name for Bulbmin because their bulborb fusion is more prevalent than any particular color.

[@Tortaleaney]

@@syweb2 yeah but it's more on how he changed it and calling it a stupid name so quickly while other characters like the original name rather than his naming conventions

[@B0B4]

Also i think this would explain why the onion keeps changing how it looks - i think it would “camouflage” in a sense to seem familiar to the potential leaders and allow them to lower their defenses in a sense as the onion wouldn’t seem too alien to them

[@VarietyTelevision]

Color changing is an interesting property all on its own.

[@chrismercer1368]

on the pikmin gardens japanese website they actually confirmed the umibozo theory it states the water wraith has space made compounds "its rollers are made of materials the can only be found in asteroids in space"

[@someonenamedsomeone9497]

Specifically it says: また、アメボウズのローラー状の石からは、隕石に含まれる鉱物が検出されたことから、ドルフィン号の墜落に関わっている可能性がある。 もしかすると、彼らが再び人類と共に暮らすことを夢見て、宇宙船を遭難させているのではないだろうか？

[@estebanmorera9328]

As an interesting observation, in Pikmin 2 you could lay down in the grownd to sleep after collecting a cloth glove, it doesnt work for anything but... if you lay in the ground with pikmin around, they will carry you to their onion, if you get abduced by it you wake up before being "eating" by the onion. So i guess thay have to be uncounseous or fainted in order to become a leafing, and that leads me to think that in the first place, the accidents in the ships caused by the onions were meant to kill them near a onion in order to turned them into leafings right away. Interesting

[@KastiaVids]

Really fascinating theory! If true, I don't think the Onions do this maliciously, Its simply a part of nature on PNF-404 and how they ensure the survival of their offspring like all living things do. PIKMIN 4 SPOILERS AHEAD: It also does raise an interesting question as to how The Ancient Sirehound remained un-pikminified for eons possibly , while Moss, who has lived on PNF-404 her whole life and is likely a more direct descendant of TASH than Oatchi, was born Leafling Pup. Perhaps TASH has lived isolated underground away from Onions for eons, while it's descendants on the surface gradually got Pikminified due to their loyal and protective nature.

[@VarietyTelevision]

That's what I would say, it's been stuck in that cave presumably.

[@AdrianCS128]

​@@VarietyTelevisioni dont think so I can't remember who but Dobbs or Alph's Brother saw Nelle being taken by "the dog creature" and they werent found in the same cave

[@VarietyTelevision]

@AdrianCS128 Ah, that is true, good point. It doesn't exactly look like a normal dog, though, does it?

[@seanimo8579]

@@VarietyTelevisionIt has the same DNA as Oatchi and Moss according to Olimar’s notes so it should be affected by the onions in the same way

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@seanimo8579 Don't worry, that's the next video.

[@talons7266]

Here are some possible flaws in some of what I heard in the video: Crashes coorelating to onion locations leading to a causation conclusion. Not only is this a basic fallacy, but we don't know anything about the areas where there were not crashes, including how common onions are in the wild vs near crash sites. In Pikmin 1 olimar only found 3 onions but we see many more in the game's end, for example. Sage leafling name for Pikmin despite never meeting Olimar also strikes me as being a combination of video game logic plus interstellar communication requiring universal translators, as a standardized language across such a wide span of space is implausible, and the translator could easily have made an entry for Pikmin from olimars notes, then translated the leafling's own word to describe them into the now familiar word the rescue corps uses.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I have some counter-flaws: The crashes aren't directly correlated to Onion locations, but when added to everything else presented, it makes sense. By itself, it's questionable, but it wasn't presented as the sole piece of evidence. As for the Sage, he's been in that hole since before Olimar crashed, and the hole was sealed. He clearly has no access to communication systems or he would've reached out for help, meaning, I'm not really sure how he would've gotten access to Olimars notes. Leaflings also don't seem to bother with reading, being Dandori-brained and all.

[@talons7266]

​@@VarietyTelevisionMy meaning was that leafling's have a word spoken audibly that means Pikmin, which seems to be a shared language based on leafification (all leafling's make similar noises despite the origin planet of the converted person.) Us the player read what our character is hearing likely through a translator, and this translator would translate to a word in the player/characters language that has been established for them in their language. The leafling speaks in their language, then our translator with knowledge and resources we see in game like Olimars' notes uses the word Pikmin as the best match for whatever the leafling said for us to understand. The alternative, where the onions have the power to influence minds, would need an explanation of why the monsters eat Pikmin to near extinction, such as either an immunity or a deep dive into having complete narrative control over the planet.

[@seanimo8579]

@@VarietyTelevisionHe has a good point tho. The reason the ships always land near onions might not be because the onions are causing the crashes but because onions are literally everywhere on the planet. This would also explain why all predators have seemingly evolved to consume only pikmin.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@seanimo8579 This could be a good point, I agree. I think we have to see more of the Pikmin world as a whole to decide that for sure, however. Pikmin 1, 2, and 3 don't seem to have the same abundance of Onions that 4 has. It's possible that there's just a high concentration in that isolated area, but we can't know for sure. Definitely a solid point, I think we just need to see more first.

[@seanimo8579]

Your theory could still work. If there’s such a high concentration of onions on the surface, then they could collectively cause enough of an electromagnetic disturbance to pull in nearby spacecraft. This might also explain why we see so many functional electronics in the games? A strong enough electromagnetic field on the surface could be enough to power those devices…

[@grugspro]

i do wonder if perhaps the pikmin were what drove the possible humans of pnf-404 away where they end up populating new worlds as koppaites, hocatations, etc. and remnants were made like the pikpik carrots engineered to look like the pikmin and the space dogs brought with them and shrunk as well

[@VarietyTelevision]

It's a fair enough idea. The Shepherd history kinda hints at this.

[@Undermine5]

The most mysterious thing is, how Olimar ended up with an application that help him counting and locating pikmins while hocotatian have never met pikmins before and how that device got said data. We know that captains can communicate with their ships but are oinions capable to communicate with the captain's ship or other devices.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I don't see why not. If they all work off of some type of EMF, I could easily see the Onion communicating with anything capable of receiving it.

[@Undermine5]

@@VarietyTelevision but how Olimar ended up with a tool that help him managing something he didn't knew existing.

[@spacebananas7856]

My theory is that the pikmin once had like I had à head pikmin that they followed around. And since the captains are so much taller than them they mistake their I antenna for a leaf This is further backed up by the fact that Olimar specifically states that he wonders why the pikmin don't attack him.

[@VarietyTelevision]

It's an interesting theory, but I'm not sure the pikmin not attacking Olimar is evidence. If they simply just need a leader, it wouldnt be wise for them to attack their leader regardless.

[@spacebananas7856]

@@VarietyTelevision good point but you get what im trying to say

[@mistermike4023]

An interesting theory, but it raises an important question: If the Pikmin are looking for a permanent leader, why do they let the captains leave at the end of the game? If having someone to act as a leader for you is so important, and the captains are shown to be very capable leaders, why let them get away and have to start over from scratch? If they can cause ships in space to malfunction and crash, why not just keep causing the ships to malfunction and guarantee the captains remain on the planet indefinitely?

[@VarietyTelevision]

I think it has to do with Pikmin 1's ending. After Olimar leaves, we see the Pikmin acting self-sufficiently. At this point, they may no longer require a leader to succeed. I think this is the same reason Moss sneaks onto Olimar's ship. Seeing as how quickly she turns over to Louie's side, I don't think that action was purely out of their bond. I think the Onion Olimar had felt as if they weren't ready yet, so Moss (a Leafling) climbs aboard, causing him to come back, and crash again.

[@wizardly9211]

I've always heen interested in how the Umibozu even became a prominent figure in the theory side of Pikmin in the first place.

[@VarietyTelevision]

DavoGato started the theory years back, passed it on to DazzReviews. From there, Dazz made it rather prominent.

[@frankus321]

Thw wraiths are smokey progs or mamuta variants who evolved in caves probably...the plasm wraith look made of sparklium

[@THAT_SUG]

I really like this theory a lot. I think it explains more than the Unebozu theory

[@chaptermasterosiris7936]

With this video you have convinced me that the onions are influencing the thoughts of the captains, but there is one question I have regarding the Sage Leaf. What are your thoughts on the Sage Leaf hanging out below ground rather than leading the pikmin himself? At first I thought that perhaps it was his old age affecting him, so the hive mind decided to have him train the next generation of pikmin leaders, however (and I may be wrong here) I vaguely recall one of the rescue corps officers saying that leaflingification seemed to have some kind of restorative properties. I can’t seem to find any videos or wikis with all of the dialogue so (again) I may be wrong about that.

[@VarietyTelevision]

If I remember correctly, the cave is sealed until Collin digs it up. I think he simply got stuck down there.

[@dsur5547]

Some castaways mention wounds being healed that they used to have before they were leafified do it does heal them.

[@general.catallion_8054]

it's possible that while wounds may heal, your not immortal, it just changes up your body dramatically and ends up healing said wounds in the process.

[@Ericman100]

The "I am so very tired" can appear in the Japanese Version of Pikmin 1!!

[@VarietyTelevision]

Right! I believe if the player just presses 'end day' for 28 days, right? It's pretty interesting!

[@heliomancer6840]

Another thing you missed that Reinforces the EMF theory is that birds IRL use electro-magnetic fields for long-range navigation for things like migration.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Excellent point!

[@Charadoesthatgaming]

The one thing that confuses me in pikmin 4 is that in some of the water levels they take place in what looks like a museum and by the level lay out something was being tested in it

[@VarietyTelevision]

I think it's an aquarium?

[@VarietyTelevision]

Not the home kind, but the place.

[@Charadoesthatgaming]

@@VarietyTelevisionI had no idea is was an aquarium but that does make sense since it does take place in a water level

[@oofedultra]

​​@@VarietyTelevisionit is

[@ftwinzeler]

I haven't totally watched the video yet, so if you say a theory that I do, I apologize. My theory is that the onions can admit in electrostatic pulse that scramble ship radars, almost like some sort of makeshift distress call. The onions only ever crash captains onto the planet whenever they are nearing extinction, so potentially they have such capabilities

[@gensteps923]

Good video, good theory, it has some overlapping thoughts with my own Theory on the series. My theory is predicated on the idea that the Onions and the Pikmin are not entirely natural, and were created by a space traveler similar to the captains we see in the series. It was his scientific work, and before he could complete his science and make it off the planet with his creations, he met an unfortunate fate and died on the planet. Olimar, being the first to discover the planet after this tragedy occurs, unknowningly stumbles upon this scientists work. The Onions and the Pikmins recognize Olimar as he is just like the space traveling scientist that created them. That is why they take to him as their leader and follow him. I have more but it be a lot to write

[@gensteps923]

Just to clarify, when I said the onion and pikmin aren't entirely natural, I did not mean they are entirely man made/scientific creation. Rather, the scientist who first discovered the planet discovered the Primordial Onion and Pikmin. Likely which had one single type/color. Using his scientific Intellect, he experiments on the Onion and Pikmin, evolving them and giving them the ability to adapt and thrive in differnt environments, which made them take on the new forms and colors depending on said environments. The scientist did this because he wanted the Pikmin to aid him on the planet, and saw them as his greatest discovery and half creation. He gave the onions the ability to make it to Orbit, and gave them the shrinking tech they use to store 100 Pikmin and the tractor beam technology they use to absorb all manners of dead creatures. Sadly, he died before ever managing to make it off the planet and share his amazing discoveries. The onions went dormant, his pikmin extinct, and Olimar discovered what was left of his work, not knowing any of what had transpired prior to arriving on the planet.

[@VarietyTelevision]

It's a pretty cool theory! Thank you for taking the time to write it out!

[@Cyaneggman]

I think Louie isn't being controlled because Louie has a obsession with food and he's using the pikmin to get food AND he even considered eating pikmin in pikmin 4.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Possibly. Louie is a special case, as we see in the ending of Pik2.

[@TheKitty699]

louie was hungry enough to try to eat the waterwraith, i think the dude just sees the leaflings as on demand Meal on Wheels

[@VarietyTelevision]

@TheKitty699 Well the wraith is described as looking like candy...

[@KynG5]

I know I left a comment pretty much one-for-one like this on the other video, but nonetheless I adore this theory. It's so much better and well put-together than the umiBozo theory

[@VarietyTelevision]

I appreciate that! I do have to say, the creator of the Umibozu theory is one of the reasons I started thinking more deeply about the game nearly 10 years ago.

[@LunadeMusic]

This would also explain why they simply can’t communicate with their home planets on the surface, but can do so flawlessly once they’re far enough into the atmosphere!

[@Akitektur]

What I think you didn’t mention is also how everyone just kind of survives crashing on PNF-404. Like- most drop from the Atmosphere or worse and while their ships, which are also their only way to leave this planet, get completely wrecked and spread across the land in parts the captains and castaways just kind of don’t get significantly hurt. Almost like something wants them to survive, so they can be used. Sure I know having people die by splattering across the ground in a nintendo game would be a bit macabre but like- having EVERYONE that got reported missing in Pikmin 4 be just fine or a Leafling, instead of being killed by the local fauna or the crash is just very unlikely. Well unless theres something like the onions behind it all.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Very true!

[@Luca-pb4dc]

I think they survive the fall because they're small. Small things have low terminal velocity

[@unusualusername8847]

They survive the fall due to being small. Jumping into Caves in Pikmin 2 and 4 is a straight vertical drop of well over a hundred feet and they manage it just fine. Olimars crash in Pikmin 1 was done while inside the S.S Dolphin, even further increasing survivability. The only non-ship entry into the atmosphere we see is Pikmin 3 but even then Alph, Brittany, and Charlie land on soft surfaces. Alph landed in water, Brittany on Cherry blossoms and Charlie in a snow field.

[@Akitektur]

@@Luca-pb4dc Well yes, but that doesn’t explain how no one ever dies to the fauna upon landing. Also wjile being small definitely makes the impact less bad, if you were tp drop something like a snail from space it would still not be ok. And the Pikmin people seem very similar to humans so brain damage or their suit getting shattered, which would lead to oxygen poisoning, would probably kill some of the castaways if not most

[@Akitektur]

@@unusualusername8847 Them all just happening to land on soft surfaces is kind of my point, if the onions can influence the crash and fall

[@Valcuda]

I think it'd be pretty easy for the Sage Leaf and Olimar to come up with the same names for the Onions and Pikmin. Olimar states the Pikmin looked like pik-pik carrots, and the Onions looked like onions. So I personally think it's possible that the Sage was a Hocotation, and named them for the exact same reasons as Olimar.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Possibly, it's just kind of a hard assumption to make in my opinion. There's a lot of possible planets he could come from.

[@maskthepikmin8072]

I through into the frey, the fact that hoccotate frieght ships pikpik carrots off world. This indicates they are popular outside of hocotate the koapites don’t do that because their diet consists solely of fruit. Britney even states trying some of the carrots herself.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@maskthepikmin8072 I guess, but we are making a lot of assumptions here. First we have to assume if he is Hocotatian or not, if not, we have to assume he is aware of pikpik carrots. Neither of which we have clues for. However, we do know that Onions are intelligent, have the ability to affect people, and that Pikmin can say 'pikmin'. The fact they themselves can say their name means it has to be something more than Olimar's doing. Pikmin don't speak any known language, why would they be able to say Pikmin? Unless, of course, that's something that is just part of the pikmin.

[@maskthepikmin8072]

@@VarietyTelevision I didn’t throw it out as a support I threw it out as something to consider, just pointing out that pikpik carrots are rather popular. My actual theory is that the pikmin and onions named themselves and influenced captains to call them pikmin.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@maskthepikmin8072 That's part of the theory from my video, though?

[@vnderthebelt]

super interesting watch, really enjoyed the explanations for everything! although i’m curious if anything in games like hey pikmin or pikmin bloom help with furthering this theory :]

[@VarietyTelevision]

I think they're both non-canon. But, who knows. I think the onto and ending to Hey is Canon, but not the game itself.

[@syweb2]

1:15 I don't put too much stock in Smash Bros Melee descriptions, as they are prone to errors. 2:55 Do note that Pikmin 4 is a new timeline, so Olimar is making a lot of these "repeat" observations for the first time. 4:00 I can't believe people think its timeline placement is unclear. It practically beats you over the head with the idea that it's a reboot. 5:13 Did you misspeak here? 5:23 Its placement in the l 20:40 Olimar and the biocrafter lady mention having dreams of the Sage Leaf talking to them, so he is in some way telepathic. It's possible that he learned the names through Leafmar, and then used those names when talking with the player. 21:43 See above: telepathic dreams.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I dont believe I misspoke, but maybe I wasn't clear there. Thanks for your response!

[@penguin_reader_yt9510]

8:40 the only thing I could think of: A bouzu of bouzu with bouzu bouzu

[@rowbgo1575]

I was suprised by how convincing this theory is and the level of research is incredible earned a sub

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thank you very much! That means a lot, and makes the effort worth it. This video was an all-nighter. With about 11 hours of research, recording, and editing.

[@rowbgo1575]

@@VarietyTelevision 11 hrs damn great job

[@FissionCube]

i never thought of this as some kind of theory i thought that was just the clear implication of the series

[@EtrnlCntr]

Just putting this here: Amebouzu (Waterwraith) "Because there are few sightings of these creatures, and their nature makes them hard to believe that they are living things, some say they are a type of "psychic phenomenon" or a "hallucination" created by the fear of the witnesses. The name comes from the legendary monster ``Umibozu'' that causes ships to sink" -Pikmin Garden JP website report 07

[@adark1289]

I mean there’s a chance sage leaf could’ve come up with the names Pikmin and Onion himself given they realistically aren’t that creative of names. Pikmin look very similar to Pikmin carrots and onions look pretty similar to onions, so it’s not too far a reach to assume maybe sage leaf is just another hocotation or at least had knowledge of their vegetables.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Maybe, but we don't have clues that he is a Hocotatian. We can only assume, and either one is likely, tbh.

[@gloop898]

Super interesting theory. I think the onions/pikmin definitely play some part with the spaceship crashes. Pikmin 2 is the only pikmin game where onions are already active when found and it's also the only game where a ship doesn't completely crash land.

[@VarietyTelevision]

Pikmin 3 has some activated Onions, as well as no full-on crash, so that's a good point you make.

[@gloop898]

@@VarietyTelevision I guess all the onions in Pikmin 3 are 'active' but they are all in some sort of distress and need to be saved.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@gloop898 True. I just mean, maybe it's directly related.

[@connorfrommars]

I always think it is super weird every single time someone crash lands there is an onion of some sort and it’s red

[@ItsMangoTape]

Listen. I agree with this stuff, but the water wraith’s name in Japanese is literally Amēbozu.

[@stellamarie32]

Seems to me we may have been misatrributing the wraith's aggression in previous games. In Pikmin 4, when I went to grind out Purples for that one treasure, I realized that I couldn't do it without either using a candy pop or repeatedly resetting the day - my playthrough had completely stripped the final area of all enemies. All wildlife. Pikmin with a leader are HUGELY detrimental to the planet's ecosystem, and thus it stands to reason that the wraiths may have been evolving to drown / crush / capture the commanders, to preserve life on the planet by essentially cutting off the Pikmins' "intelligence".

[@VarietyTelevision]

I second that idea! That's really solid. It would also explain why the Plasm Wraith was filling the Formidable Oak with a bunch of enemies that it made, possibly trying to restore order.

[@KoiNip]

The real question is where do the glow pikmin and glow sap fit into this? These pikmin effectively produce the cure to one of the most important parts of pikmin evolution. Even if it could be said that the glow sap isn't meant to cure the leaflings the fact that they produce the glow sap in the first place, as well as their mysterious nature in general, warrants looking into. I think there could be some interesting answers to be found.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I don't think they fit into this theory specifically, and I choose to accept the Glows as a type of convergent evolution. Hence the similar traits, but not being classified as pikmin in the piklopedia.

[@yaldamasevpro4862]

@@VarietyTelevision there not even creatures there just ghosts

[@Muffib4448]

The thing that's makes glow pikmin interesting is that even though they aren't classified as pikmin they can still be turned into pikmin with candypop buds

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@Muffib4448 now that is interesting

[@turnabout3203]

​@@VarietyTelevisionI think you should look into the fact that they share similarities with the plasim wraith. Non killable and their home is a termite like structure similar to the plaism wraith. And on top of that they are said to not even technically be Pikmin. Pretty sus if you ask me. (Also that would make sense with them being the one thing preventing leafification.)

[@Thenoobyone2981]

your dandori is so amazing i give you platinum

[@seanimo8579]

Nintendo finally acknowledged this theory in Pikmin Garden

[@koopsgaming5590]

Unrelated to the vid. I just had a idea for make a pikmin. Remeber the items from pikmin adventure from Nintendo land on the Wii U? We get those items. You can craft tool boxes with a different amount of tools in it(depending on how much u want) and place it in the field. Throw some pikmin at it and they'll attach it to their leaf. The tool will be hammers. (Pikmin can't be flowered in this state) this will be like a permanent ultra spicy spray. They will do more damage, mine materials faster and build faster(when you get all the materials to a build print, the pikmin will start building it). But there will be catches. They will become one speed class slower(whites are as fast as normal pikmin, normal pikmin will become purple speed, and purples will have ATROCIOUS speed) they will also have reduced throw height the same way as the downgraded speed classes(also they will get the rock pikmins ability to do contact damage. They will still latch on, rock pikmins bash would be buffed and rocks still can't latch on) I'll tell you about the whip in the next make a pikmin

[@kiwiplaysvr6798]

I honestly completely prefer this theory

[@VarietyTelevision]

I appreciate it!

[@klawflover69]

While this theory is very well supported and convincing, I feel I should comment on one of the weaker points you made. At 11:50, you use the fact that the Onions are near where castaways crashed to support the theory. However, I believe this particular piece of evidence can be explained away with a more technical perspective: Game Design. The reason for the Onions being close to your crash site is because you need to learn the main mechanic of the game. Occam’s Razor, the simplest answer is usually the correct one; in this case being a tutorial rather than some malicious instinct to draw in Captains. Regardless, the rest of the theory is very well made, great job!

[@VarietyTelevision]

While it's true this is likely for game design purposes, I feel like we can still use it alongside everything else we have as supporting evidence.

[@lancifer_56709]

For 17:55, I also wanna propose the idea of, despite the maximum of Pikmin being on field being 100, it may not inheritantly be a naturally-occuring capability Onions have from the start. With Pikmin 1-3, we see the Onions capable of maxing out to 100 fairly quickly & easily, but it's possible those may be encountered as older, more mature onions or those already ripe with nutrients & energy. (And minor detail, but starting Pikmin 3, onions fusing with one another to create some kind of... "Master Onion", let's say.) As starting Pikmin 4, we need to build up that capability with newly-introduced flarics. If I recall right, an onion absorbing a flaric adds an extra 10 Pikmin capable of being on field. What I propose, & wanna imagine may be an occurrence, is onions need flarics (specifically its nutrients) to grow themselves, as well as their personal strength & skill of this electromagnetic property. Possibly for a greater range, but for this case, on how well they can spread their guidance to Pikmin until they fail them. 'Cause perhaps they can already go past what the game's limits might be, but given they don't have the strength or nutrients to back it up, the onion will naturally lose Pikmin by the end of the day. So let's say a onion capable of handling 40 on-field Pikmin decides to expel 60, it will likely lose them as it isn't capable or strong enough to handle that many Pikmin yet (which may also explain Wild Pikmin, those who have separated too far and/or lost guidance of their onion). And to spitball some thoughts here, it seems 100 is already a number Onions may stop at. Either because they reach a natural peak in size & strength, and/or to avoid sending a plethora of Pikmin out to overexploit resources. And it's something practiced with the captains as well, since even they can't force out more than 100 Pikmin. What's also interesting to point out, once reaching that 100-max, any flarics received past will cause the onion to expel nectar & Ultra-Spicy spray, likely expelling excess nutrients it does not need (but Pikmin and/or Captains may make use out of).

[@VarietyTelevision]

Thanks for this comment! The Flarlic connection is also interesting, so good work pointing it out. Not to mention that, if you already have 100 Pikmin, wild Pikmin that would normally be in caves just disappear. Weird.

[@lancifer_56709]

​@@VarietyTelevisionI think on that part it's something more gameplay mechanic than anything that can be taken as fact. As every cave shows to have wild Pikmin & whichever possible kind depending on the cave, but because you're playing the game, you can't use more than 100 max.

[@cathygrandstaff1957]

The “ame” in “amebouzu” can mean “sweet” or “candy” and probably is a reference to Olimar thinking the water wraith looks like candy (amezaiku most likely).

[@AdrianCS128]

Also Alph waked up unconscious in water And Red Pikmin couldn't pick him up even if there were 5

[@a-cat-on-a-soup-can]

i like the theory but if the onions can influence peoples minds....what about louie he has been in the planet alone for quite some time but he doesn't seem to care about pikmins or dandori and only about his nana and food is it because he spend more time in the caves than in the surface?

[@VarietyTelevision]

Possibly. If the events of Pikmin 2 are any indication (no matter where it is in the timeline), then Louie already seems like a special case. We see him literally take control of two massive organisms himself, The Sirehound and the Final Boss Mat-At-Legs from Pik2. He's weird.

[@seanimo8579]

Louie has tasted both the plasm and the waterwraith. Something he ate probably gave him an immunity to the onions’ mind control, or even infected him with a parasite that causes him to act so bizarre.

[@gamersread2405]

Also, in the case of Alph, he lands in WATER, and the Pikmin are red.

[@Subreon]

Awe hecc. I was waiting for this video thinking you were gonna use my theory of pikmin and captains sharing human ancestors (like the dogs do in 4 which i discovered after my suggestion to you cuz 4 wasn't it at the time of that video) and that onions and machine mixed creatures are man made on their last legs of human intelligence before finalizing their own evolution into pikmin, and blah blah blah etc. But ah, i love this video's theory too. It makes perfect sense. After all, what's the only other thing on pnf 404 that can reach a ship's altitude in the upper atmosphere? Onions... emf can interfere with ship functions, and the onion can ram a ship or suck up and eject or ram an object like a meteorite into them. Perhaps this theory can even be fused with mine, because they don't overlap each other. This fusion may even be the missing link as to why the entire planet itself was seemingly stricken from the record. There's another theory for you. "Why is pnf 404, pnf 404 in the first place?" It's not on anybody's maps, among several planets of intergalactic space faring people. I always thought that maybe the onions were a perfect creation, while only the creatures mixed with machines went haywire and turned against their creators... but. What if that's the case with onions too, and they're not so perfect of a creation after all? Maybe humans who stayed in the planet stopped their evolution in the perfect time to retain their human intelligence, with all the survival benefits of being pikmin like. But, being humans, they continued to do human things, like destroy the environment and go to war with each other. (Some onions may have crashed or been deactivated from it which is where we discover them so many years later). The onions, being programmed with the primary directive of "keep them safe and nurture their growth" may have gone haywire itself and done this objective in the most efficient way possible, which was to strip away their human intelligence, individualism, and finish their evolution so their under the onions full control to work and grow together with no more dangerous conflicting interests or selfish desires. The humans that decided to escape, however, witnessed this and didn't have the power to stop it, lest the onions get them too, so they simply erased any evidence of the planet existing and traveled stars away, never looking back. Until that is... "those who forget history, are doomed to repeat it." Time heals all wound. Really what that means, is that given enough time, anything is forgotten or uncared for. No data exists for the planet anymore, including why it was erased in the first place. No cautionary measures to prevent people from repeating history. Thus. There it is. Pikmin games are about a futuristic rogue AI that took its directives too literally and through extreme efficiency goals, created a dystopia, with a tireless urge to continue contributing to it

[@MondoVeedo]

Wow. Really good video. Goes very much in depth. ✊️🌼

[@danshakulawrence983]

What I wonder now is why Onions don't use their EMPs to sabotage ships trying to leave the planet.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I think because they don't need to. The Pikmin1 ending shows Olimars Pikmin being self-sufficient when he leaves.

[@danshakulawrence983]

That would make sense, Pikmin tend to exhibit more independent behavior in each of the games' endings. I guess PNF-404 is a big planet, though, so there are always Onions looking to snatch a host. Bonus idea: What if the aggressive monsters during the night are influenced by Onions to destroy Lumiknolls, which are effectively their greatest adversary? It has some holes but I think it's an interesting concept.

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@danshakulawrence983 and in pikmin 4, we see there's a LOT of onions too.

[@redstonewarrior0152]

Small problem with the "Seemingly altered mind-state" for Pikmin 1. The times when Olimar mentions how he might not need all of his ship parts references the fact that he does not need all 30 of his lost parts in order to successfully leave the plant. 25 of the parts are necessary while there are only 5 that are not required. Finishing day 30 without collecting all 25 required parts causes the bad ending where Olimar dies. Finishing day 30 while collecting all 25 required parts while missing one or more of the optional parts gets you the good ending where Olimar escapes earth. Collecting all 30 parts plays the true ending where the Onions see Olimar off. Also, why is it that Olimar can willingly go unconscious in the first and second games, be dragged to one of the Onions by 1 to 4 pikmin, get vacuumed up by the Onion only to bonk against it like a bread bug?

[@VarietyTelevision]

Good questions! As for the parts thing, I'm very aware the Olimar refers to not needing the optional parts, however, the exact quote I'm talking about relates his sentiment directly to feeling comfortable around Pikmin. As for the bonking like a breadbug, I don't think the games ever say he is unconscious. Just that he's laying down, or *maybe* asleep. I think they need to be in a life-support state like we see with the ending if Pik1 and the castaways of Pik4.

[@unusualusername8847]

​@@VarietyTelevisionOlimar is asleep, he and Louie unlock the ability to lie down when they get the Five Man Knapsack treasure. Olimars notes detail how with it, it makes him want to take a nap and relax during work hours.

[@Jergling]

I was hoping the theory of onions being a caste of a greater eusocial pikmin species would take off.

[@frankus321]

Lumiknolls are the rhysomes of onions the fruit ...they create glow sap so the onion can desintegrate edible matter to make pikmin..the lumiknoll uses nutrients and dna of living pikmin to create glow pikmins

[@suponyan]

I believe Olimar forgot his time as a Leafling. I might be wrong, but during post game, Olimar tells the crew that his memory as a Leafling is hazy. It’s possible then, if I’m correct, that Olimar just doesn’t remember the Sage or the White and Purple Onion. He was also the one to point out the Sage’s cave after you finished his missions. I remember he also talked about what it was like as a Leafling, but I don’t remember his answer, other then it being rather interesting (ironically much like Olimar, my memory is generally not good)

[@VarietyTelevision]

Yeah, he does lose a good bit of his memory. Most people just say their head was filled on dandori.

[@sharkdoesstufff]

You know, as awesome the umibozu theroy is, after watching this video, I'm in love with this new theory and think you're on to something with the onions having something to do with the crashes.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I really appreciate that! The Umibozu theory is awesome, so I appreciate you checking mine out!!

[@sharkdoesstufff]

@@VarietyTelevision absolutely, but everything you described in the video just makes so much more sense! I'm now personally sold on the idea that the onions are the cause of the crashes!

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@sharkdoesstufff That's awesome! I'm glad to hear it, this one in particular took a LOT of research and work.

[@sharkdoesstufff]

@@VarietyTelevision I can definitely see that! The end result is definitely worth the effort in the end that's for sure ^^

[@GalaxyNeon9]

i feel like the wraiths are the gaster of pikmin. people are crazy for it and always include it in their theories. this is a good theory, though

[@TheGreenPig321]

If true no wonder why the pikmin always give their leaders a heartwarming goodbye. They want you back so that their species can propigate

[@VarietyTelevision]

That, and they're grateful for the Dandori you teach them. Olimar is so successful in Pik1 that the Pikmkn in his group appear to become self-sufficient.

[@A_VorteX]

25:53 Actually 🤓☝️ The castaways and leaflings weigth 3 But that question could have another answer, that the onion was stuck in a plant and the pikmin couldn't reach it without a leader

[@VarietyTelevision]

In Pikmin 3, they weigh 5. Which is what I'm referring to.

[@A_VorteX]

​@@VarietyTelevisionoh ok, I just heard wrong, I thought you said in Pikmin 4 lmao

[@VarietyTelevision]

@@A_VorteX no worries! Thanks for commenting!

[@justahayden4475]

great theory, puts a lot of context into these games. the only thing that i'm left wondering is why the onions let the castaways leave when they're done with what they're dong.

[@marcgid1174]

True because if the onions are what make them crash, then they shouldn’t have let the rescue team go.

[@WDCB1334]

@@marcgid1174well then again, Moss is basically their leader now.

[@marcgid1174]

@@WDCB1334 there are still other onions, though

[@VarietyTelevision]

I think it has something to do with the Pik1 ending. The Pik.in are shown to have a new level of self-sustainability after Olimar helps them. Maybe they no longer need them after that point.

[@marcgid1174]

@@VarietyTelevision but there are still other onions across the world that would try to get a captain of thier own, unless there’s a limit to the range, which doesn’t make sense when you consider that they’re bringing them out of the outer atmosphere. I do want to say that I think I like this theory more than the umibozou one.

[@michaelfalcone7110]

10:47 “Ultra-dimensional candy man” whatever you do, don’t say his name. You’ll get attacked by bees.

[@Roman-ik3cf]

After reading some comments about the 5 man napsack in Pikmin 2 i came to the conclusion that the pikmin think its their chance to transform the leader into a leafling but when they get there they are like "god dammit he aint dead yet"

[@VarietyTelevision]

Yeah pretty much xD xD

[@immortalkoopah3138]

I kinda feel like the only flaw in the initial stages of this theory is that the nova blaster can operate independently of olimar but the only other flaw is that the guard satellite would make an alert yet didn't

[@VarietyTelevision]

That's what I was saying, that even if he was distracted doing something, the Blaster should've still worked.

[@vic_ee]

One other interesting point is the fact that the only known cure to leaflinghood is the sap from the Glow Pikmin's lumiknolls. They're the only known pikmin type that do not live within an onion, and so could potentially have clashing interests with the other pikmin types.

[@VarietyTelevision]

I'm working on a second part to this video, specifically going into the relationship of Glows and the others, including glow sap. Be on the lookout, and thanks for commenting!