Leafling

A leafling is an individual that has been delivered to an Onion and turned into a Pikmin-like hybrid of their former self. Leaflings, besides their Pikmin-like stems, are most notable for their leaf-covered heads, only their eyes and noses visible, and obsession with, the ability to "organize tasks strategically and working effectively to execute plans". The color of the heaves on their head, but not their stem, matches their hair color, and when fainted, their stems glow a matching color much like an idle Pikmin's.

Most leaflings are unable to speak in normal sentences, instead using simple words and small sentences at a time. Leaflings will surrender any leafling castaways they have or fall unconscious to be rescued themselves if they witness an impressive display of dandori in Dandori Challenges or Dandori Battles, allowing them to be rescued. Leaflings rapidly sicken if they try to leave PNF-404. Glow sap can be refined into a medicine that reverts leaflings to their normal form by dissolving their leaves.

Olimar, as a leafling, justifies converting castaways into leaflings by stating that those who don't embrace dandori can not survive on PNF-404. Following his curing, Olimar speculates that the Pikmin, through leaflings, may be trying to create a permanent leader for themselves.

Besides Olimar, there is one notable leafling, the Sage Leaf. They are a white leafling that oversees the, a series of ten Dandori Challenges with varied objectives. Though they refuse to be rescued or cured, they will grant rewards for completing their trials. The Sage Leaf's former identity is unknown, as even the Sage Leaf themself has long since forgotten it, but given their advanced age, it would seem they have been one for a long time.

=In fanon games=

In Pikmin Evolution
Leaflings are the main race found in Pikmin Evolution, making up the playable captains. Unlike those in, Leaflings were born as natives of PNF-404 and as such have some differences. Firstly, they only have leaves on specific parts of their faces, acting as facial hair such as eyebrows, mustaches, and beards. They are also less obsessed with Dandori, and while it's still a major part of their culture, it's not their sole focus in life. Since Leaflings are natives of PNF-404, they are able to breathe oxygen, though they are weak to other gasses such as methane, which causes them to become weaker when in the presence of these natural gasses. A child Leafling is called a Sproutling and resemble little kids in heavy heavy vests, which are actually the shells of the seed they grew out of. Leaflings are capable of partaking in different cultures and traditions, but most of them take shelter behind the walls of large settlements as they have a fear of the outside world. This leaves most Leafling communities isolated from one another, leading many to be unfamiliar with the outside world. Part of the story revolves around connecting these communities and expanding the Leafling race into a thriving civilization. Most Leaflings are unfamiliar with Pikmin but they seem to have an innate desire to follow the Leaflings and mutually expand the two's races. The Leaflings' natural whistling abilities seem to be able to attract and control the Pikmin, implying a connection between the two races.

In the base game, there are five species of Leaflings, each having a counterpart to the roster. Each species shares traits with each other such as the aforementioned leaf-based hair and pointed ears, but each species also have its own distinctive traits. Each Leafling species also has a respective playable captain to represent them.
 * Red Leaflings have average builds and heights, not being notably skinny or rotund or having a lot of facial leaves. They also have golden yellow eyes. Their species is represented by Magdelene, the lead captain.
 * Blue Leaflings have pointed ears and average builds. They have cyan eyes and more pronounced fangs in their mouths. Their species is represented by Azure, the geographist.
 * Yellow Leaflings are the tallest species and have the longest hair. They have lime-green eyes and thinner limbs compared to other species. Their species is represented by Leni, the chef.
 * White Leaflings are the second-shortest in build height and the shortest in hair length. Their red eyes are a result of not seeing the sun regularly due to their subterranean lifestyle, making them easily blinded by the sun, so they wear glasses to compensate. Their species is represented by Ivy, the scientist.
 * Purple Leaflings have the most muscular builds, having short legs but well-defined arms. They have gray eyes, and the most body hair compared to all other species. Their species is represented by Marvin, the strategist.

In the The House of Gloom DLC, four more species of Leaflings are introduced, each based on the Pikmin introduced in and. One species is not playable due to being considered extinct.
 * Pink Leaflings are the shortest and have stout heads. They have deep blue eyes, as well as webbed hands and feet to give them better speed to compensate for their short height. Their species is represented by Sal, the appraiser.
 * Gray Leaflings have quite rotund builds, like those of sumo wrestlers. They have dull yellow eyes, and their limbs are short but muscular with three fingers rather than the usual four. Their species is represented by Gea, the artist.
 * Cyan Leaflings have tufts of fur over the necks and hands, resembling scarves and mittens. They have pink eyes and average heights and builds. Their species is represented by Cia, the doctor.
 * Light Leaflings are an extinct species of Leafling and are considered urban legends among the other species. They are named for their ghostly glow and piercing golden eyes. While they lack a playable character, the Overlord of All Lifeforms takes the form of one as his avatar.

While each species of Leafling have their own different physical traits to differetiate themselves from one another, they are all equally subseptible to being withered which causes their skin to turn a dull color, their bodies to become covered in unkempt leaves, making them similiar in appearance to the Leaflings, and the become delirious. This is the result of a normal Leafling becoming too injured or dehydrated to survive properly. Withered Leaflings should be rescued and treated for if you do come across them at all costs. Different species of Leaflings tend to live in various areas. Red and Yellow Leaflings tend to live in the grasslands, Blue Leaflings tend to live in jungles and swamps, Purple and White Leaflings live underground or in deserts, Pink and Gray Leaflings live on the tops of mountains, and Cyan Leaflings live in the artic.

Some Leaflings are found as Withered Leaflings which are a variant of Leafling who have been afflicted with severe malnutrition after being lost in the wilderness for quite some time. While most healthy Leaflings in this game can come in a variety of colors and body shapes, Withered Leaflings are closer in line to their appearance, having unkempt hair all over their bodies and only their original eyes and noses being seen through. Withered Leaflings, as previously stated, are Leaflings who have been injured out in the wilderness, requiring you to rescue them in order to save their affliction. Withered Leaflings come in three colors to indicate what is afflicting them, those that face severe dehydration are a dull beige, those who are heavily injured from wild animals are a dark brown, and those who were had severe malnutrition are a sickly turquoise. The captains can also be withered themselves when they inhale gloom without proper protection, making them a dull but dark gray versions of their current selves. Withered Leaflings are known to be quite delirious, with withered captains prone to wandering to random places and not having the focus to pluck and throw Pikmin, and Withered Leaflings found in the wilderness muttering in their unconscious daze. Most Withered Leaflings are found in dens, where their either in the stomach of an enemy, trapped in a foreign substance, or in the vicinity of hazardous terrain, and they should be collected in the ship to transport them to the nearest settlement. Not only is this a simple good deed to accomplish but doing said deed gives the team a healthy amount of resources and even a rare piece of refuse the victim may have found. Finding Withered Leaflings also give the captains "Research Points" which allows the team the resources needed to research and develop new mods to use out exploring, so these Leaflings being saved has a tangible progression behind it.

In the House of Gloom DLC a new type of Withered Leafling is introduced, the Gloomy Leaflings, these are Leaflings heavily infected by a new form of gloom and have a sicky olive green coloring. Gloomy Leaflings are noted for their sheer hostility, attacking anyone on sight due to their gloom-induced rage. They act like the Order of the Wraith's acolytes and a side goal is to find, collect, and save all of the Gloomy Leaflings so they can be cured. The only knows cure for Gloomy Leaflings is the thought to be extinct Glow Sap, with the main plot of the DLC being Cyan Leafling doctor Cia searching the titular location trying to find ingredients to make an man-made, or leaf-made, alternative to Glow Sap. By getting the ingredients to this new Glow Sap you can temporarily cure the Gloomy Leaflings of their gloom infection and curing them of their gloom induced madness, however only by getting the artificial Glow Sap purified by the Overlord of All Lifeforms can the Gloomy Leaflings be fully cured of their infection.