Onion

This article relates to the official games. See Pikipedia's "Onion" article for more official information.

Onion
Vehicle
Appearance of the complete Master Onion in Pikmin 3.
Scientific name	Lillium pikminporta
Family	Candypop

Taxonomy
Note: all or most of this information may be fanon information.
Kingdom	Therobotania
Phylum	Pikosimilis
Class	Motopiknia
Family	Onion
Genus	Weissificus
Species	Red: rubrinius Yellow: xanflavia Blue: cyanoki

Onions are the large, round lifeforms that act as nests for the Pikmin. Each Onion has a unique coloration corresponding to the Pikmin they house, but certain Pikmin species do not have Onions. On top is a big flower resembling the flowers that Pikmin have, and underneath are 3 stilt-like legs that suspend the Onions out of the reach of predators and provide Pikmin access to the inside. In Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2, the main body is shaped like that of a real-world onion and has tan legs that fold in while airborne. In Pikmin 3 in Hey! Pikmin, the main body looks like a berry with swirling colors and has 3 metal joints from which its glowing yellow legs extend or retract, and while flying, blue flames burst. In Pikmin 4, Onions return to a more organic appearance, resembling fruits more than ever, and have distinct sections of color to represent collected Pikmin types. In Pikmin 3, Onions can display their Pikmin type's characteristic element upon activation, as the Yellow Onion creates a small burst of electricity, water drains from the Blue Onion, and the Winged Onion's flower flutters erratically.

During the daytime, Pikmin hunt and bring food, such as pellets or slain beasts, to their Onion, which in turn produces new Pikmin seeds. If there are few enough Pikmin on the field, the seeds are ejected and take root in the ground; if not, they are stored inside the Onion, along with any other Pikmin not on the field. Unlike in an area, however, the number of Pikmin that can be stored inside an Onion is unlimited. Onions seem to have some level of sentience, in that if all Pikmin of the same color are lost, the corresponding Onion will produce a single seed the following day to prevent extinction. They know not to suck in leaders or castaways except if someone or something is trying to make them into a Leafling.

When the Onions are first discovered in Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 3, they are dormant. What triggers this hibernation is unknown, though it's possible that a loss of Pikmin or food shortage may prompt the Onion to become dormant until conditions improve. Onions can hibernate even with the presence of their Pikmin still somewhere on the field. It seems that this dormancy does not hinder their awareness, however, as they can be seen struggling to dislodge themselves from the traps they are found in. Onions also appear to require light to function.

In Pikmin 3, all discovered Onions merge together the night after they are discovered, and become a single, universal Onion. If a new Onion color is discovered, and Pikmin from that new type are left on the landing site at the end of the day, the Master Onion there will accommodate them until the Onions fuse at the end of the day. When multiple Onions are discovered, they fuse together to become an even larger universal Onion that swirls different colors, depending on the type of Pikmin it holds.

In Pikmin 4, Onions still fuse, but individual Onions must be brought to the Master Onion to incorporate them into it. All Onion types have different weights. Duplicate Onions can absorbed into the Master Onion for 20 Pikmin of that color. Flarlic can also be brought to the Onion to increase the Pikmin limit by 10.

• 
  Pikmin 2 concept art for the Red Onion ().
• 
  Pikmin 2 concept art for the Yellow Onion ().
• 
  Pikmin 2 concept art for the Blue Onion ().
• 
  Appearance of the Red Onion in Pikmin 3 ().
• 
  Appearance of the Yellow Onion in Pikmin 3 ().
• 
  Appearance of the Blue Onion in Pikmin 3 ().
• 
  Appearance of the Rock Onion in Pikmin 3 ().
• 
  Appearance of the Winged Onion in Pikmin 3 ().

In fanon games

Below this point is where users place their version of Onions.

• 
  A Green Onion as envisioned by Mickeybb1.
• 
  An Ice Onion as envisioned by Jonesle.

In New Pikmin IV

New Pikmin IV This article or section pertains to New Pikmin IV, a fanon game created by CuddlyPikmin77.

Onions appear in New Pikmin IV in many different varieties. The new Onions are, listed in no particular order:

• Pineapple Onion – are edible and are home to Pineapple Pikmin, specifically Baby Pineapple Pikmin. Ultimate Pineapple Pikmin do not inhabit it because they are large enough that enemies leave them alone.
• Nuclear Onion – is home to Nuclear Pikmin. It is veiled in a cloud of harmless radiation.
• Spectral Onion – is see-through, light blue, and is home to Spectral Pikmin. Spectral Pikmin can be seen within if no living Pikmin are in existence.
• Cuddly Onion – is home for Cuddly Pikmin. It has spikes growing all around it and will produce more Cuddly Pikmin when cuddled.

Additionally, Onions can merge together, and each of the six stages of this game's version of the Master Onion has its own name:

• Merged Onion – is the first stage.
• Super Merged – is the second stage. It pulls in its legs and uses its tractor beam to pull Pikmin inside.
• Mega Merged – is the third stage. When Pikmin are near it, they become invulnerable and gain a lime-green- and royal-blue-tinted, transparent aura.
• Omega Onion – is the fourth stage. It will emit rainbow light every other day, which gives rainbow flowers to any Pikmin that touch it.
• Storm Onion – is the fifth stage. Every other day will be stormy.
• Titan Onion – is the sixth and final stage. It has no new special effects.

• 
  The Nuclear Onion, for Nuclear Pikmin.
• 
  The Spectral Onion, for Spectral Pikmin.
• 
  The Cuddly Onion, for Cuddly Pikmin.

In Pikmin 2... Again?

What if it was another story...? This article or section pertains to Pikmin 2... Again?, a fanon game created by Blower Pot.

Onion
Scientific name	Lillium pikminiporta
Family	Candypop
Use	Makes Pikmin seeds

Onions are a returning species of candypop appearing in Pikmin 2... Again?. They act as motherships for the Pikmin, able to house and propagate Pikmin. Onions are similar to their Pikmin 1 and Pikmin 2 incarnations, being onion-shaped plants. They are the color of the Pikmin they pertain to, have three dark green joints that lime-colored vine-like legs that extend from and retract into them upon landing or takeoff, and on top is a white, five-petaled flower that spins like a propeller. As the Onions merge, eventually forming the Master Onion, the static colors of the Onions it consists of will be displayed equally on its sides.

The Onion will appear on the landing site, accompanied by the Hocotate Ship, or where they were discovered before the Onions merge. Any Pikmin carrying an enemy corpse will carry it to the Onion, which will absorb the corpse and eject Pikmin seeds. The Onion cannot be attacked or attack enemies. At the end of the day, the Onion will fly into the night sky with the Hocotate Ship, and if another Onion has been discovered, they'll merge into a Master Onion.

Only a few Pikmin species have an Onion, those being Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, and Original Pikmin, totaling four Onions and up to four colors displayed on the Master Onion. The rest of the Pikmin must be propagated using candypop buds in caves, based on how Purple Pikmin and White Pikmin are made in Pikmin 2. To compensate, the candypop Pikmin are slightly overall stronger and more useful than the Onion Pikmin. Some Pikmin lack both a respective Onion and candypop, those being Bulbmin, Glow Pikmin, Walking Golden Pikpik Carrot, Cursed Pikmin, and Pixel Pikmin; these Pikmin can only be obtained in specific ways or game modes.

The four Onions are found in the following areas:

• Red Onion: the Welcome Forest, next to Louie. It will activate once Olimar approaches it.
• Yellow Onion: also in the Welcome Forest, next to two tesla coils. Once the Yellow Pikmin close the circuit of a electrode, the tesla coils will release electricity and strike the Yellow Onion with a lightning bolt, activating it.
• Blue Onion: the Treetop Valley, inside a potted plant. Once it is pulled by Green Pikmin, the Blue Pikmin must carry the Blue Onion to water to activate it.
• Light-Gray Onion: the Welcome Forest in the post-ending, in a secret area. It is discovered alongside its respective Pikmin.

In The Amazing New Update!!, there is the Unbalanced Onion based on the Onions from Pikmin 4 and acting as the main goal of the game mode. The Unbalanced Onion has the color of every Pikmin type, even those that shouldn't have one, and for this reason, it has been locked into the void, which is blocked by a wall of indestructible pillars that can be only opened by the Cat Cod. When Orimario and Looigi saw their Pikmin squad being eaten while fighting enemies, specifically ones with an Onion, they looked at their Onion of only three colors, notably not including the Original Pikmin, and seeing it is terrible due to only having weak Pikmin types. They look for a decent Onion, and Gerald explains to them it does exist but is locked in the void and blocked by a wall made out of many resistant materials including a "stoprightthere", but must have been for a humorous reason. Gerald then explains that they can get to it, but only if they give the Cat Cod the Sacred Sardines from the temple, after opening it with tickets bought with the Pokos earned from treasures. Once they finally reach the Unbalanced Onion, they ride on it and it flies away, breaking the ceiling of the void, and it then flies away through the many areas in the ending. The Unbalanced Onion is not usable as an Onion, instead, leading to the ending, but it is most likely Orimario and Looigi used it after the ending.

In Pikmin 5 (Microsoftpaintadventures version)

Pikmin 5 (Microsoftpaintadventures version) This article or section pertains to Pikmin 5 (Microsoftpaintadventures version), a fanon game created by Microsoftpaintadventures.

Onion
Scientific name	Pikminidae cebulla
Family	Pikmin
Use	Produces and stores Pikmin

Onions are bulbous plants in Pikmin 5 that propagate and store Pikmin. After a day, any Onion, except the Glow Onion, found on that day will merge with any previously discovered Onions by absorbing it; the Onion will also grow after this process. Candypop Buds grow into Candypop Flowers, then Onions or Flarlic. Orange, Purple, Rock, Cerulean and Winged Pikmin do not have Onions, but can be stored inside the Master Onion.

• 
  Stage 1 of the Onion.
• 
  Stage 2 of the Onion.
• 
  Stage 3 of the Onion.
• 
  Stage 4 of the Onion.
• 
  Stage 5 of the Onion.
• 
  The Glow Onion. Finding it unlocks Onion Defender mode.

In Pikmin Forever

Pikmin Forever This article or section presents information pertaining to Pikmin Forever, a fanon game created by Scruffy.

Onions play a pivotal role in Pikmin Forever. A large cluster of Onions hangs over a specific location high above PNF-404, with which both the KHA Lander and Captain Olimar's rescue ship collide. Captain Olimar is saved by a Red Onion, which becomes the first Onion to join him in the game.

Onions have a similar appearance to their design in Pikmin 3, but the triangle pattern on their side is no longer present, and their legs are now roots that actually root into the ground. Onions can dematerialize into their roots and travel their essence through the ground; this allows Onions to rematerialize inside of caves alongside Olimar's ship. Onions retract their roots to fly up with Olimar's ship at night; Onions merge at this time with the same sort of dematerializing effect. There are five Onions in the game for the five major Pikmin types: Red Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, Mushroom Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, and Lichen Pikmin.

Spoiler warning: Critical plot or ending details follow, regarding Onion evolution.

The Onions have evolved throughout the Pikmin series, beginning as dormant entities in the first Pikmin game, which Olimar incited to awake, and becoming more and more advanced and connected with PNF-404 as time went on. By the time of Pikmin Forever, the Onions have become rooted in the ground, hyper-intelligent, and fully integrated with each other. Edward discovers that the ultimate stage of an Onion's life is becoming a Pikmin tree, an enormous tree with characteristics of all Pikmin types that fruits more Onions. In turn, Onions breed Pikmin to help secure nutrients and find other Onions to merge with. Hocotatians and Koppaites, especially Olimar, have had a critical role in the life cycle of Onions thus far; DELTA even speculates that the Onions floating in the sky were not only protecting the Pikmin tree on Sunset Islet but also awaiting another alien to help their species flourish.

• 
  The Red Onion.
• 
  The Yellow Onion.
• 
  The Mushroom Onion.
• 
  The Blue Onion.
• 
  The Lichen Onion.
• 
  All Onions merged.

In Pikmin I

"using PIKMIN in real life 👀" This article or section presents information pertaining to Pikmin I, a fanon game created by Dwarf Orange Bulborb.

Taxonomy
Note: all or most of this information may be fanon information.
Kingdom	Therobotania
Phylum	Pikosimilis
Class	Motopiknia
Order	Pikucorona
Family	Chromasputales
Genus	Pikminiporta
Species	Red: russus Yellow: flavens Blue: puteulanus Rock: opscurum Winged: roseus Purple: blattea White: ebur Ice: gelus Glow: lumen Black: ater Torch: persiciumus Amethyst: amethystus Peacock Blue: pavocaerulum Air: aerius Mint: menthaeus Masked: mimos Azure: quiescaeruleum Red Bulbmin: bulburussus Blue Bulbmin: bulbuputeulanus Yellow Bulbmin: bulbuflavens Green Bulbmin: bulbuvirens Orange Bulbmin: bulbupersiciumus White Bulbmin: bulbebur Crimson Bulbmin: bulburussusurpura Hairy Bulbmin: Bulbufolliculus

In Pikmin I, the Onion is the fourth stage of an Onion's growth, after the candypop flower. It uses prey that Pikmin provide it to nourish itself and create more Pikmin to expand its colony. Its color represents which Pikmin it produces, and the color of the blades of its flower-like propeller is the same as theirs. Bulbonions are a new type of Onion that produce Bulbmin, so if there is a Bulbonion somewhere, it must mean a cave full of bulborbs is somewhere nearby. Notably, Onions can only fuse if their propeller blades are the same color, as their color indicates their subgenus.

Notes

Olimar's notes

“Sometimes it lies dormant, much like a bulb, but dig it up from the ground and provide it with the right stimulus–for example, a good, hard shake–and it will activate, sprouting three rootlike legs. It serves a role similar to a nest or an incubator for the Pikmin, absorbing pellets or the bodies of dead creatures for their nutritional value, then ejecting seeds of Pikmin the same color as itself. Onions also seem to greedily attempt to replicate certain characteristics of the matter they absorb by combining with, or absorbing, other Onions, sometimes of the same type. It's been confirmed that just like Pikmin, an Onion has muscle fibers in its body, and though it is unable to walk it is capable of a small range of motion. However, when one breaks down the biological matter it has absorbed a fuel similar to bioethanol is created. Onions spray this fuel out of the mouths on their underbellies and are able to fly using their flowerlike propellers for stabilization. It has also been discovered that only Onions with the same flower color can fuse, and this is because each different flower color has a different subgenus.”

Louie's notes

“If you look closely, you can see it has a layer of hair on its legs.”

In-game

• 
  Blue Onion.
• 
  Red Onion.
• 
  Yellow Onion.
• 
  Grey (Rock) Onion.
• 
  Pink (Winged) Onion.
• 
  Cyan (Ice) Onion.

Not in-game

• 
  Red Bulbonion.
• 
  Blue Bulbonion.
• 
  Yellow Bulbonion.
• 
  Green Bulbonion.
• 
  Purple Onion.
• 
  White Onion.
• 
  Glow Onion.
• 
  Orange Onion.
• 
  Mauve Onion.
• 
  Mint Onion.
• 
  Hairy Bulbonion.
• 
  Yellow-Green (Masked) Onion.
• 
  Azure Onion.
• 
  Black Onion.
• 
  Crimson Bulbonion.
• 
  Peacock Blue Onion.
• 
  White Bulbonion.

In Pikmin V

This article or section presents information pertaining to Pikmin V, a fanon game created by En Passant.

All nine types of Pikmin have their own Onion in Pikmin V, including Purple and White Pikmin; in fact, a Violet Candypop Bud turns into the Purple Onion right in front of the leaders' eyes, confirming them to be the same species. Most areas contain one Onion each, found de-activated on discovery. Like in Pikmin 3, a found Onion will combine with others at the end of the day, but there isn't a single Master Onion for them all; instead, they group up into threes by color, which coincidentally matches the regions and therefore order they are found in. This leaves three final Onions, matching the first two games, that are completed one at a time. Because some Onions within a region can be found non-linearly, level 2 Onions exist for each possible combination, even ones that aren't possible to obtain in Story Mode. The combinations are as follows:

1. Warm colors (Savannah Wilds and early Dry Canyon region): Red, Orange, and Yellow;
2. Grayscale colors (Forest of Seeming region): Gray, White, and Black;
3. Cool colors (Sealed Valley and Polar Mountain region): Blue, Purple, and Pink.

The Onions were once again redesigned, now sporting a look in-between their Pikmin 3 and Pikmin 1/Pikmin 2 incarnations. While retaining their Pikmin 3 shape, the mechanical attachments on the legs and flower are removed, connecting them directly to the Onion's body, and a similar stripe pattern to those from the original Onion design has been added. Level 2 Onions develop one color over the bottom of the other like a layer of onion skin, and level 3 Onions evenly split their colors radially with curved dividing lines resembling a flower bud or wrapped dumpling. Onion behavior has also been streamlined: they return to the continuous seed-spitting behavior from the first game and Pikmin slide down the legs faster, decreasing the time it takes for them all to emerge in their three lines and join the leaders.

Gallery

• 
  The Black Onion.
• 
  The Blue Onion.
• 
  The Gray Onion.
• 
  The Orange Onion.
• 
  The Pink Onion.
• 
  The Purple Onion.
• 
  The Red Onion.
• 
  The White Onion.
• 
  The Yellow Onion.

• 
  The level 2 Black and White Onion.
• 
  The level 2 Blue and Purple Onion.
• 
  The level 2 Gray and Black Onion.
• 
  The level 2 Orange and Yellow Onion. Unused, as Red Pikmin are always discovered first.
• 
  The level 2 Pink and Blue Onion.
• 
  The level 2 Purple and Pink Onion. Unused, as Blue Pikmin must be discovered before Winged Pikmin.
• 
  The level 2 Red and Orange Onion.
• 
  The level 2 White and Gray Onion.
• 
  The level 2 Yellow and Red Onion.

• 
  The level 3 Red, Orange, and Yellow Onion.
• 
  The level 3 White, Gray, and Black Onion.
• 
  The level 3 Blue, Purple, and Pink Onion.

In Pikmin: Antarctic Survival

“Zis wonderful Settlement grows, magnifique!” This article or section pertains to Pikmin: Antarctic Survival, a fanon game created by A Friendly Amprat.

One master Onion appears in Pikmin: Antarctic Survival as the mother ship of the Antarctic's Pikmin. This Onion makes its first appearance the day after the Diamond Settlement is successfully upgraded to its second level, at which point the Onion will touch down in the Chilly Valley on the morning of the next day. This Onion has red and light blue sections due to being populated by both Red Pikmin and Ice Pikmin, which will both come out of the Onion each morning after it touches down and begin roaming the area. Pikmin belonging to the Antarctic Onion will explore the region their Onion has currently landed in, and will look for the area's exploration items and collect them, bringing them back to the Onion and in the process taking these resources that the Diamond Settlement residents could otherwise collect. At sunset at the end of the day, the Pikmin will return to their Onion and take off back into the air, but the Onion will then touch down in the same location the next day and repeat the process, continuing to take resources for themselves.

The only way for the creatures of the Diamond Settlement to stop their resources from being taken is to attack the Onion itself. While they can attack the individual Pikmin squads, these Pikmin will just drop their items and retreat back to the Onion, but will resume gathering resources later. In order to get the Pikmin to leave the area entirely, the creatures have to lead an attack on the Onion itself, which triggers a special combat encounter known as an "Onion raid". An Onion raid starts as soon as the creatures attack the Onion, at which point the nest will send out a "distress signal" to all the Pikmin in the region, leading them to come back to the Onion and protect it. At this point, all the Pikmin in the region will become hostile to the Awakened creatures and continually attack them until either a significant number of Pikmin have been subdued, or until the Onion has sustained substantial damage. When this happens, the Onion will make an emergency lift-off into the sky to escape the dangerous creatures and protect the remaining Pikmin, leaving any Pikmin which were not already in the Onion stranded on the ground. The remaining Pikmin that are still able to fight can then be neutralized and Awakened, and then brought back to the Diamond Settlement as new residents.

Once the Onion is routed from an area, it will not appear again for ten days, but once ten days have passed, it will touch down in a new area that it has not yet visited, and then continue to repeat the process in that same area until it is routed from that area as well. Often, when entering a new area for the first time, the Onion will have gained a new color in its hull, and will deploy a new Pikmin type matching the color.

Onion Landings

The Onion will touch down in each area of the Antarctic, starting in the Chilly Valley and remaining in that area each day until it makes an emergency lift-off, then moving on to the next area in the list in order ten days after it is routed from the previous area. Once the Onion has been routed from all nine areas, it will no longer appear.

• Chilly Valley: the Onion starts with both Red Pikmin and Ice Pikmin at its disposal.
• Ruins of Awakening: the Onion begins deploying Yellow Pikmin upon landing.
• Frozen Fen: the Onion begins deploying Blue Pikmin upon landing.
• Trampled Tundra: the Onion begins deploying Rock Pikmin upon landing.
• Otherworldly Woods: the Onion begins deploying White Pikmin upon landing.
• Empire Field: the Onion begins deploying Purple Pikmin upon landing.
• Snowblown Wastes: the Onion begins deploying Winged Pikmin upon landing.
• Ancestral Hunting Ground: the Onion has no new Pikmin types upon landing in the Ancestral Hunting Ground. Also, even if ten days have passed, the Pikmin will never start landing in this area if the Ancient Sirehound has not yet been Awakened and left the area.
• Wintry Warzone: the Onion has no new Pikmin types available upon landing in the Wintry Warzone. This is the wild Pikmin's final stand, and the Onion will never appear again after being routed from here.

Also, starting with the Onion landing in the Ruins of Awakening, the Pikmin will begin to make a stronger effort to protect their mothership, and their defense measures will increase with each successive new area landing.

In Pikmin: Attack of the Breadbugs

Breadbugs are invading! This article or section pertains to Pikmin: Attack of the Breadbugs, a fanon game created by Cheepy-Cheepy.

Onions make an obvious reappearance in Pikmin: Attack of the Breadbugs. As before, Onions will follow the Captain's ship into the sky when night falls. Onions merge together as they do in Pikmin 3 when night falls and the ship flies off. However, Onions can only hold a million of each species. By farming one million of each type of Pikmin, it is possible to earn seven million Pikmin in total.

In Pikmin: Echoes of Eternity

– This article or section presents information pertaining to Pikmin: Echoes of Eternity, a fanon game created by Zoadra.

The Super Onion.

A new Onion named the Super Onion appears in Pikmin: Echoes of Eternity. It is green and grey and is a hybrid of plant and metal, and is discovered in Placid Plains.

In Pikmin: Infection in Progress

Pikmin: Infection in Progress This article or section pertains to Pikmin: Infection in Progress, a fanon game created by Cheepy-Cheepy.

Onions reappear in Pikmin: Infection in Progress, and act as they once did in Pikmin 3. Once two Onions are discovered, they fuse together and act as one Onion when they take off towards the end of the day. This applies to additional Onions as well. There are five different Onions that are seen in the game, each belonging to the five Pikmin reunited with: Red Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, Yellow Pikmin, White Pikmin, and Purple Pikmin.

In Pikmin: Leaves of Soil

When the war has lasted twenty years ... Wait, who the is that guy??? This article or section pertains to Pikmin: Leaves of Soil, a fanon game created by A Friendly Amprat.

Onions are more common in Pikmin: Leaves of Soil, with many of them found on PYR-202 around the Petalian continent, and Sea Pikmin Onions being found both on the surface and in the Sea Pikmin's underwater settlements and civilizations. Though they share the same name, much like the Pikmin of PYR-202, their biology and physical appearance are very different from PNF-404's Onions.

Onions on PYR-202 compared to those of PNF-404 have significantly atrophied, as the evolution of the Pikmin species has led to corresponding evolution for their Onions. The bodies of Onions grew larger over generations and shifted lower to the ground, eventually becoming large bulbs resting on the ground. The once-long legs of Onions shortened over generations, devolving into vines that grow out from and around the main Onion body and provide no structural support. With the increased size of the bulb, the Onions lost their ability to fly, and the flower of a PYR-202 Onion can now only uselessly spin, unable to get its fat little body off the ground; though this is no longer necessary, as the Pikmin of PYR-202 no longer need to flee to the sky at night, having rid the continent of their natural predators and now staying on the ground at all times. Pikmin also no longer live in the Onion, and its lower entrances are no longer functional, having shrunken over generations of disuse since Pikmin of PYR-202 have grown used to living in buildings and homes.

The Onion's only remaining use is for Pikmin sustenance and reproduction, which it has fully devoted its function to. Onions are kept and cultivated by the Pikmin of each tribe for their reproductive functions, as Pikmin cannot reproduce without Onions. They are also kept for the foods they produce, which are far easier for Pikmin to consume and digest than most of the raw food they find in nature. An Onion is regularly fed with large amounts of nutrients, which are inserted through its semi-porous membrane by the Onion keepers of a Pikmin tribe. It stores much of these nutrients as energy for itself, growing larger and fatter as it greedily uses whatever nutrients the surrounding Pikmin feed it. Other energy is converted into "Onion flour" and "Onion honey", two substances that the Onion excretes through its membrane that serve as the cornerstone of the Pikmin diet and are used as ingredients in most of their food or eaten raw. Since Pikmin on PYR-202 do not live inside the Onion, they cannot be directly fed by it, so it has evolved to produce these substances that are healthy to Pikmin growth.

Onions are also required for Pikmin reproduction. Because of the genetic complexity of PYR-202 Pikmin, growing new Pikmin is not as easy as simply bringing nutrients to the Onion, most of which it will simply keep as nutrient stock or convert and excrete as Onion flour and Onion honey. For a new Pikmin sprout to be formed from an Onion, a male and female Pikmin must combine their own individual reproductive pollen and a large amount of nectar to produce a special blend of nectar infused with their DNA, known as "life nectar", and offer it to their Onion. The Onion will then produce a seed using the DNA of the Pikmin, which will sprout into a child that shares genetic information with both Pikmin parents. Very rarely, a seed produced by life nectar may sprout two Pikmin rather than one, creating Pikmin twins, though a seed has never been observed to sprout into triplets or more. After an Onion produces a Pikmin seed, it must be protected and kept warm and healthy, as these seeds are quite fragile. In most cases, a seed's parent Pikmin will watch over and protect it, though it is customary for Mud Pikmin and Rain Pikmin to store their seeds in large, safe buildings with large numbers of other seeds, where they sprout on their own, often without any adult Pikmin around. After around a year, the Pikmin seed will sprout into a newborn Pikmin (or very rarely into two).

Onions themselves can be reproduced in one of two ways. The most common way is for a large, mature Onion to be stimulated with royal nectar. Royal nectar is a unique substance that can be produced from the pollen of an Onion's flower, and mixed with nectar and nutrient-rich ingredients to produce the valuable substance. Once royal nectar is applied to an Onion, the Onion begins producing a new Onion, as a visible swelling growth will appear on one side of the Onion. After some time (which can be sped up if more nutrients and royal nectar are fed to the Onion) the growth will split off from the main Onion and develop into a new, smaller Onion. At this point, the Onion can survive on its own, though like its parent, it must be fed and sustained by the Pikmin that are with it. The parent Onion loses a decent portion of its size in mitosis this way, and if it becomes too small, it will not be able to reproduce again until it is fed enough nutrients to grow to a larger size; in rare cases, it may even die if it becomes too small in the process.

If no Onion is available, an especially aged Pikmin can develop into a proto-Onion. This is much rarer, and is a natural environmental response that Pikmin will undergo if the Onion is destroyed or otherwise lost. The oldest and most feasible Pikmin candidate will begin to change, becoming immobile and losing use of their arms and legs, which begin to deteriorate and shrivel away, and slowly undergo a metamorphosis that will lead to them eventually becoming a full Onion, albeit at the price of their life. Female Pikmin are most likely to undergo this process, as biologically, they are much more likely to produce healthy Onions that are able to survive and carry on the Pikmin species. Onions created from male Pikmin are far more likely to fail to develop fully and ultimately rot away. This is the reason that it is tribal tradition for all seven Pikmin tribes native to Petalia to be ruled by Pikmin queens as their ultimate authority. Historically, a powerful queen was necessary to lead a Pikmin tribe, so that if anything happened to their Onion, their tribe would be able to survive through their queen. However, since the dominant species of the continent of Petalia are now the different Pikmin tribes, their Onions are no longer in danger of attack. Despite this, the tradition of Pikmin tribes being led by queens continues, as it has for thousands of years. In the past, some male Pikmin have attempted to rise up and seize control of their tribe and rule as kings, but this is rare and this has never been successful; Pikmin who have attempted this act are remembered with disdain and disgust by future generations.

Each of the seven Petalian tribes has strict rules and heavily controls and regulates the use of their Onions, to ensure the tribe is sustained and kept well-ordered. Onions in tribal land must match the tribe color with control over the territory; invasive Onions are typically destroyed when discovered. All use of Onions in Pikmin settlements is regulated by the Onion force, a group of guard and worker Pikmin that watch over a town's Onion. Unauthorized use of the tribe's Onions, most notably use by hybrid Pikmin or to create hybrid Pikmin, is illegal and severely punished. Traditionally, Sky Pikmin have been especially brutal regarding the purity of their Onions and the seeds they produced. Sky Pikmin of history would typically destroy the seeds of firepetals Sky Pikmin, those of hybrid Pikmin, and any seed suspected to contain a Pikmin with mist magic, by throwing the seeds from the top of tall mountain peaks, to ensure genetic purity. These brutal acts are supposedly looked down on as barbaric by the other tribes... but many of these same tribes perform the same actions, only in secret. Only the Rain Pikmin tribe, due to their more lax and easygoing nature, does not so harshly regulate the use of their Onions, though even this was not true historically, as ancient Rain Pikmin were far more aggressive than those of the modern day.

Every Pikmin tribe has one especially large and ancient Onion in their queen's palace, known as the "Queen's Onion". It is strictly forbidden for anyone but the ruling queens and their family to use these Onions, either harvesting nutrients from them or using them to grow Pikmin seeds. However, a large portion of food taxed from the tribe's subjects is brought to the Queen's Onion and fed to it to keep it healthy and fat. The Queen's Onions were traditionally present in the palace under heavy guard so that the tribe could never be wiped out, always having an Onion to grow back from. It is now tradition that whenever a new settlement is founded, the founding tribe's queen splits a new Onion off from the Queen's Onion, which becomes the first Onion of this new tribe settlement. In this way, the Onions all over each kingdom can be traced back to the Queen's Onion, the oldest and greatest of their Onions. Onion flour and onion honey from the Queen's Onion are also used in all royal feasts hosted by tribe queens, and prepared by the finest Pikmin chefs into all sorts of meals fit for royalty. A Queen's Onion is always under heavy guard, either by the tribe's queen herself, or by high-ranking royal guards, to protect it from threats and prevent unauthorized use of it.

When founding a new settlement, the Pikmin of a tribe start with one main Onion, which was grown from the Queen's Onion itself, and then as the town grows and the Onion grows with it, more Onions are created when necessary to support the population, to prevent the entire town from relying on a single Onion for food and seeds. Successive Onions are created from the original Onion that was there when the town was founded. If wild beast attacks, enemy Pikmin tribe attacks, or natural disasters destroy a town's only Onion or Onions, the town petitions their tribe's queen for a replacement Onion, which is grown from the Queen's Onion and provided as soon as possible to prevent the town from collapsing. Uniquely, the town of Lotus has two main Onions, as it was originally two settlements on either side of the Great Five-Stem River: a Sand Pikmin settlement to the west, and a Sky Pikmin settlement to the east. One of these Onions was grown from the Sand Queen's Onion, and the other was grown from the Sky Queen's Onion, and as such, there are both Sky Onions and Sand Onions throughout the town.

It should be noted that, as is often the case in Lotus, two Pikmin parents of a different type from the Onion can feed their life nectar into the Onion, and it will produce a Pikmin seed that matches the genetics of the parent Pikmin, not those of the Onion. This seems to indicate that the Onion does not inject its own genetics into the Pikmin, only providing enough nutrients to start the development of the seed from the Pikmin's life nectar. Pikmin parents that are two different types, whether one of them matches that of the Onion or neither of them do, or Pikmin parents of the same type that is different from the Onion, are theoretically able to produce a Pikmin seed from the Onion without issue, though in most places throughout Petalia, only Pikmin of the same tribe as the Onion are permitted to use it; of course Lotus is an exception.

While the color of an Onion does not determine how it produces seeds, it does produce small differences in the flavor of the flour and honey it produces: Rain Pikmin Onions produce a more tangy and fruity flavor, Sky Pikmin Onions produce somewhat spicy flour and honey, and so on. This food is often exported and traded between Pikmin, sometimes through black-market smuggling, to produce exotic foreign delicacies. The Sand Pikmin are most known to deal in black-market trading of onion flour and onion honey, and have worked hard to spread rumors throughout Petalia that Sand Pikmin's onions produce the most exotic and flavorful ingredients.

Hybrid Onions can be created, much like hybrid Pikmin, by taking the royal nectar from one type of Onion and applying it to another Onion type. This not only produces a new hybrid Onion, but begins to convert the parent Onion into a hybrid Onion as well. Hybrid Onions are considered abominations by the high-ranking Pikmin that are put in charge of watching over Onions, so the unauthorized injection of foreign royal nectar into an Onion is a crime that carries a harsh penalty, often execution. An Onion can be stopped from hybridizing from foreign nectar if it is caught quickly enough (which is usually clear by the new colors beginning to swirl in it) but after it reaches a certain point, an Onion becomes permanently hybridized. Onions found like this are required to be destroyed in any tribe's territory, but this is not the case in Lotus, where in fact the Sand Pikmin and Sky Pikmin living there are in talks to create a hybrid Onion as the centerpiece of their town as a symbol to promote peace and cooperation between them. These talks are hush-hush, though, as the Lotus residents fear that if rumors of their town harboring hybrid Onions get out, Sky or Sand Pikmin may be dispatched to destroy them, as these Onions are widely considered abominable. Peace in Lotus is already uneasy at times, and they do not want to bring unnecessary negative attention to the town, especially given the sentiments spread due to the war.

Challenge Mode and custom stages can feature Onions that are more in line with the Onions of other Pikmin games, though these modes are not canon.

In Pikmin: Wide World

"It's a jungle out there!" This article or section pertains to Pikmin: Wide World, a fanon game created by Cheepy-Cheepy.

Onion
The Red Onion.
Scientific name	Pikminidae--
Family	Pikmin
Areas	Balmy Highlands, Arid Oasis, Ancient Metalworks, Colossal Hollow, Sprawling Swamp
Caves	Lonely Quarry
Attacks	Electrocutes, douses, burns, pelts, corrodes, scares, poisons, and blows back enemies

Onions appear in Pikmin: Wide World. They are living motherships used by Pikmin for reproduction and shelter. Like Pikmin, Onions are of different colors, and an Onion's color indicates the Pikmin species it accommodates. Onions also share the resistances of their respective Pikmin species. There are 8 Onions in all, and at least 1 is found in each area, aboveground or in a cave. Several Onions are dormant when initially discovered but activate upon sensing a leader's presence. Shortly after, they dispense a single Pikmin seed of its color. Some Onions are discovered separately from their respective Pikmin species, preventing the leaders from being able to effectively propagate them until their particular Onion is found. Most Pikmin that don't have an Onion of their own, namely the parasitic Pikmin hosts, can be stored in the PikHold, which can also accommodate other Pikmin until their Onion is found.

Each Onion has a colorful spherical body supported by 3 yellow tendril-like legs coated in fine hairs. The legs can extend from or retract into fleshy joints on the body's base. The body itself matches the color of its respective species and is speckled. On the bottom of the Onion's body is an aperture that opens after landing, projecting a cone of gentle white light, and closes before takeoff. This aperture is how the Onion takes in sources of nutrients. Around the equator of the body is an intricate pattern of triangles sandwiched between wavy lines. Lastly, at the top of the Onion is a flower acting as a propeller, having 5 white petals. In the middle of its flower-propeller is a small yellow orifice that opens to eject Pikmin seeds.

Leaders can stand in an Onion's light to interact with the mothership, withdrawing and depositing Pikmin as they see fit, including by type, maturity, and seed. In an instant, Pikmin withdrawn from the Onion pour out from the leg joints, rapidly descend the legs, and rush to that leader's side upon touching the ground. Pikmin deposited into the Onion rush to its legs and climb up them to reenter through the leg joints. Whistling Pikmin made to enter the Onion causes them to return to the leader's side. Pikmin are still subject to attacks by enemies and the effects of sprays and powders even while exiting and entering the Onion.

When a source of nutrients, be it a corpse or a pellet, is brought to it, the Onion produces a number of seeds depending on the amount of nutrients provided. If fewer than 100 Pikmin are on the field, the seeds are rapidly ejected from the top of the Onion and plant themselves in the ground upon landing; otherwise, the seeds are produced within the Onion itself. There is no limit to how many Pikmin an Onion can shelter. If a leader is delivered to an Onion instead of the Dolphin Lander, like in certain game modes, it produces a shower of fireworks from its orifice when they harmlessly hit the bottom.

In Story Mode and Bottomless Abyss, Onions can utilize the hazards their respective species are resistant to, or an equivalent thereof, to repel nearby enemies. An attack takes little time to prepare, and in this time, the Onion is engulfed by that particular hazard or equivalent, if possible. Then, the Onion unleashes its attack, typically in the same manner it ejects seeds; the Yellow Onion ejects bouncing electrical sparks, the Blue Onion ejects a small spout of water, the Red Onion ejects embers, the Rock Onion ejects pebbles, the Green Onion ejects acid droplets, the Purple Onion emits a low rumbling sound, the White Onion ejects poisonous pollen, and the Winged Onion unleashes a blast of wind. Hazards are used in a repeating cycle. An Onion's attacks are only effective against enemies that aren't themselves resistant to that hazard, but don't inflict much damage anyway. Regardless, no Pikmin type is affected by any of an Onion's attacks.

After sunset, during takeoff, 2 Onions will morph together into one that can support several Pikmin types. This form of Onion is known as the Master Onion, and develops in stages as more Onions are incorporated into it. If there are multiple Onions involved, they morph together 2-at-a-time in the order they were found. With each stage, the Master Onion grows larger, becomes more colorful, and can defend itself more efficiently. The body displays the colors of incorporated Onions, the colors occupying an even amount of space on the body and being gradiented at the edges, and the petals are initially white, then turn magenta after 4 Onions, then purple when all 8 Onions have become one.

In ultra-spicy difficulty, an Onion's defensive attacks affect inapt Pikmin, making even the day's landing site perilous if enemies enter.

Notes

• Data file #1 (all difficulties): Onions are Pikmin motherships. They can create and store Pikmin.
• Data file #2 (all difficulties): Step into an Onion's light to take out or put away Pikmin.
• Data file #3 (all difficulties): Onions produce Pikmin seeds when they are fed.
• Data file #4 (all difficulties): Onions defend their territory if an enemy intrudes upon it.
• Data file #5 (all difficulties): After dark, Onions will merge, making them more efficient.
• Data file #6 (all difficulties): Not all Pikmin types have an Onion.
• Data file #7 (ultra-spicy difficulty only): An Onion's defensive attacks affect inapt Pikmin.

Olimar's comments

 “Onions were an enigma in the scientific community until thorough research concluded that they grow from certain trees, like a fruit. These "onion trees" are actually the woody, branching stems of leaf-stage pikmin that have rooted into the ground for so long that they have grown to immense proportions by absorbing nutrients in the soil.”

Shacho's comments

 “With these, I won't need Olimar or Louie anymore! Though... those two dolts do mean a lot to me... Maybe I'll keep them at the Hocotate Freight grounds while I work my magic on the pikmin here.”

Marie's comments

 “Onions might seem simple outside of their relationship with pikmin, but I believe they have thoughts and feelings, like any other living being. It's a shame we can't understand what they have to bring to the table. At least their reactions to us and threats around them show they're aware of their surroundings.”

Louie's comments

 “Looks too much like a tasty fruit...”

Dolphin Lander's comments

 “What does an onion look like inside?”

In PNF-404 Pet Shop

"I don’t remember this being here…" This article or section presents information pertaining to PNF-404 Pet Shop, a fanon game created by Violetblooded.

Onion
Scientific name	Lillium pikminiporta
Family	Candypop
Cost	50$ (Red) 65$ (Yellow) 80$ (Blue) 95$ (Rock) 110$ (Winged) 125$ (Ice) 500$ (Purple and White) 1000$ (Bean)
Housing	Any
Environment	Any
Favorite food	None
Disfavored food	None
Rarity	Common (Red, Yellow, Blue) Uncommon (Rock, Winged, Ice) Rare (Purple, White) One-of-a-Kind (Bean)
Catalogs	Seeds and Weeds

“	This peculiar specimen is what we call an "Onion", though it looks more like a tomato. Upon applying the proper stimuli, this biomechanical wonder springs to life, and spits out a seed! What is this seed? Well, you'll have to find out yourself.	”

Onions appear in PNF-404 Pet Shop, initially in a state of hibernation. In such a state, they are unable to produce Pikmin seeds. There are nine different colors of Onion: red, yellow, blue, rock, winged, ice, purple, white, or bean, each reflecting a particular Pikmin species. Onions are different from most creatures in that they must be awoken for them to be able to do anything. To do so, shake the Onion around for a bit in Placement Mode. Afterward, the Onion should activate, and eject a single seed.

• 
  The Red Onion.
• 
  The Blue Onion.
• 
  The Yellow Onion.
• 
  The Rock Onion.
• 
  The Winged Onion.
• 
  The Purple Onion.
• 
  The White Onion.
• 
  The Ice Onion.
• 
  The Bean Onion.

User versions

Below this point is where users place their version of Onions.

Sera's version

See: User:Sera

A list of various Onions.

Color	Pikmin	Source	Favored food	Disliked food
Scarlet	Red	Main series	Pyroclasmic Slooches, Fiery Bulblaxes, scorched Flarlic	Watery Blowhogs, Skeeterskates
Navy blue	Blue	Main series	Wogpoles, Watery Blowhogs, Sputtlefish	Fiery Blowhogs, Fiery Dweevils, Fiery Bulblaxes
Dandelion	Yellow	Main series	Anode Beetles, Anode Dweevils, Glowcap saute	Arctic Cannon Beetles, Armored Cannon Larvae, Armored Cannon Beetles
Grape	Purple	Main series	Sovereign Bulblaxes, Swooping Snitchbugs, Tangleweed	Empress Bulblaxes, Dusk Pustules
Slate	Rock	Main series	Skutterchucks, Armored Cannon Beetles, Armored Cannon Larvae	Volatile Dweevils, Watery Blowhogs, Burrowing Snagrets
Titanium	White	Main series	Moldy Dwarf Bulborb, Spotty Omelete, Toxstool	Anode Beetles, Electric Bulborbs, sparking meals
Fushsia	Winged	Main series	Bumbling Snitchbugs, Arachnodes, Scornets	arachnorbs, Mamutas
Spotted	Bulbmin	Main series	Fibrous smoothies, Face Wrinklers, scorched Flarlics	None
Nougat	Mushroom	Main series	grub-dogs, Flarlics	None
Teal	Ice	Main series	Dwarf Frosty Bulborbs, Greater Spotted Jellyfloats, chilled beverages	Armored Cannon Larvae, Hotcap Puffstools, Bogswallows
Shriveled earthy brown	Rot	Pikmin: Together Forever	Pellet Posies	None
Black	Black	Pikmin: Together Forever	None	None
Crayola flesh	Original	Pikmin: Together Forever	Bone	None
Scaly blue	Snagmin	Pikmin: Together Forever	Pikpik carrots, ham	Fiery Bulblaxes, Fiery Dirigibugs, Volatile Bulborbs
Orange-yellow gradient	Wogmin	Pikmin: Together Forever	Insect platters, dirigibugs, sheargrubs	Bosses, non-insects
Grainy white-black gradient	Ash	Pikmin: Together Forever	None	None
Striped dull yellow	Swoopmin	Pikmin: Together Forever	N/A	N/A
Chocolate	Furred	Pikmin: Together Forever	Shaggy Amprats, Shaggy Long-Legs', Shaggy Dweevils	Male Embergrubs, Female Embergrubs, Fiery Blowhogs
Patchwork dull colors	Plushmin	Pikmin: Together Forever	None	Pyroclasmic Slooches, Blazing Breadbugs
Dirty white cloth	Ragmin	Pikmin: Together Forever	None	Melty Long Legs', Goolixes
Scarred and stained purple	Ancient	Pikmin: Together Forever	Far-Away Delicacies	Anything else
Finned and spiky yellow	Volt	Pikmin: Travel to Icarus 172	Sparkling Starnels, Electric Blowhogs, Tropical Blinnows	Men-at-Legs, Foolixes
Finned and lined red	Boil	Pikmin: Travel to Icarus 172	Heated Starnels, Blistering Blowhogs, Tropical Blinnows	Men-at-Legs, Dualixes
Finned gray with white spots	Clouded	Pikmin: Travel to Icarus 172	Toxic Starnels, Toxic Blowhogs, Poisonous Blinnows	Men-at-Legs, Toxstools
Pink with white shine	Bittersweet	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Candies, nectar, Pellet Posies	Nothing
Very thin and orange with thorns	Orange	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Swooping Snitchbugs, Bumbling Snitchbugs, Egocentric Snitchbugs	Anode Beetles, Wild Beetles, Doodlebugs
Pale green with dark green cap and purple propeller flower	Lily	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Nothing	Everything
Purple with glowing blue Norse runes	Runic	Pikmin: A World to Behold	N/A	N/A
Ambrosia (yellow-white)	Ambrosia	Pikmin: Ancestor Seasons	Pellet Posies, Doodlebugs, Wild Beetles	Mandiblards
Swirly hazy green-white	Wishmin	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Mamutas, Moss Mamutas	Any other enemy
Rippled platinum	Lead	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Men-at-Legs, other metallic enemies	Other enemy types, non-metal foods
Grey with tearing Kingcap hat	Pikstool	Pikmin: A World to Behold	Anything	Nothing
Cardboard box on cardboard tubes	Resourceful	Pikmin: C404 exclusive	Nothing	Nothing
Pale pink-blue swirl	Playful	Pikmin: Project Daycare exclusive	Nothing	Nothing
Long, thin, and deep green	Bean	Pikmin 3 files	Plants	Meat
Fuzzy pale blue	Shaggy	Pikmin 3 concept art	Shearwigs, Anode Beetles, Bearded Amprats	Watery Blowhogs, Fiery Blowhogs, Toxic Blowhogs
Corn-maze style one-legged striped onion	Sorrowing	Pikmin 3 concept art	Small enemies (only they can fit in)	Plants
Original Pikmin 1/2 onion, glimmering rainbow colors	Glimmering	Pikmin: C404 and Pikmin: Project Daycare custom Pikmin	Golden foods and enemies	Non-golden foods and enemies

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