Leafling

Leaflings are the result of a transformation sentient humanoid species undergo when they are placed into an Onion by the Pikmin or fellow Leafling. They usually take the forms of humanoids whose bodies are covered in leaves, leaving them almost unrecognizable to their original form. A converted individual retains some evidence of their previous state such as sharing the same eyes and the color of the Leafling matching the color of the original person's hair. The leaves of the Leaflings allow them to breath oxygen on PNF-404 with a helmet, however they also can't leave the planet due to their adaptions. Leaflings tend to be obssessed with Dandori, a concept to the ability to organize tasks strategically and work effectively to execute plans, and often revere the idea greatly, to the point where some faint upon witnessing someone having better Dandori than them. People who are turned into Leaflings can be turned back by giving them a Glow Sap collected from a Lumiknoll, though in some fanon games there are some Leaflings who can only be cured in a different way. While so far Leaflings have only been shown as foreign species being converted into the titular creature, some fanon games have introduced Leaflings who have been born and raised as natives of PNF-404. =In fanon games=

In Pikmin Evolution
Leaflings are the main race found in Pikmin Evolution, being the race that makes up our playable captains. Unlike the Leaflings from Pikmin 4, these Leaflings were born as natives of PNF-404 and as such contain some differences from the Pikmin 4 Leaflings. Firstly these native Leaflings only have leaves in parts of their faces, acting as standing for eyebrows, mustaches, and beards. These leaflings are also less obsessed with Dandori, while its still a major part of their culture, its not their sole focus on life. Since Leaflings are natives on PNF-404, they are able to breath oxygen without helmets, though they are weak to other gasses such as methane, which causes them to become weaker when in the presence of these natural gasses. Leaflings are capable of partaking in different cultures and traditions but most of them shelter behind the walls of large settlements as they have a fear of the outside world. This leaves most Leafling communities segmented off from one another, leading many to be unfamiliar with the outside world. Part of the story of Pikmin Evolution 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 seems 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 Pikmin 2 roster. Each species shares traits between each other such as the aforementioned leaf-based hair and pointed ears, but each species also have their own individuals traits to separate each other apart. 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 with cyan eyes. They also have more pronounced fangs in their mouths compared to the more standard teeth of their fellow species. Their species is represented by Azure the geographist.
 * Yellow Leaflings have the tallest individuals, have the longest hair, and have lime green eyes. They also have thinner limbs compared to other species. Their species is represented by Leni the chef.
 * White Leaflings are the 2nd shortest in build height and the shortest in hair length. Their red eyes are a result of not seeing the sun regularly thanks 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 build, having short legs but well defined arms and have gray eyes. They also have the most body hair compared to all other species. Their species is represented by Marvin the strategist.

In the DLC, The House of Gloom, there are four more species of Leaflings introduced, each based off the Pikmin introduced in Pikmin 3 and 4, one species is not playable due to being considered extinct.


 * Pink Leaflings are the shortest Leaflings and have stout heads with deep blue eyes. They also have webbed feet and fingers 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, similar to sumo wresters, and dull yellow eyes. Their limbs are short but muscular with three fingers instead of the other species which have four. Their species is represented by Gea the artist.
 * Cyan Leaflings have tufts of fur over the necks and hands, resembling scarfs 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.

Different species of Leaflings tend to live in different 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.