Grub-dog family
TheGrub-Dog family (イヌムシ科?, lit.: "bug dog family") contains "true" bulborbs, as well as several other species in thePikmin games. The most well-known member of this family is theBulborb (or Red Bulborb inPikmin 2, Spotty Bulborb inPikmin).
Bulborbs,Bulbears,Bulblaxes, andBulbeels are all part of theOculus genus. All "true" bulborbs belong to theOculus kageyamii species, while bulbears belong to theOculus terribilis species. There are still different subspecies for these creatures, unlike Bulblaxes and Bulbeels.Water Dumples andLong Water Dumples are part of theIchthyosa genus, as they are much different than the creatures listed previously.Fiery Dwarf Bulblaxes belong to theBreadbug family, despitemistakenly having theOculus genus.
This mistake may have been made because in the games, it was previously believed thatDwarf Bulborbs were undeveloped bulborbs, but it was later discovered that they are a species of their own and actually belong to the breadbug family.
InPikmin, the spots on the backs of grub-dogs pulsate in size, even when the game is paused, but since Dwarf Bulborbs belong to the breadbug family, they do not have this characteristic. Further, the spots on Bulborbs oscillate in size slower than the spots on the other two grub-dog types. In every otherPikmin game, they stay the same size.
Members[edit]
Albino Dwarf Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Albino Dwarf Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii larva (1st molt)
Albino Dwarf Bulborbs are the larval form of Bulborbs which have undergone their first molt and appear inPikmin 4. They act like normal Dwarf Bulborbs but look a little different with their white to yellow ombré back in place of the normal spotty one. They are nocturnal and only appear at night or in caves as to avoid predation from adult Bulborbs.
Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii russus
The Bulborb is arguably the most well-known enemy in all of thePikmin games, and is often just as much a staple for the games as thePikmin themselves. It is called the "Spotty Bulborb" inPikmin and the "Red Bulborb" inPikmin 2.
Bulborbs, like most types of bulborb, are largely nocturnal creatures and prefer to spend the daytime sleeping. They have a slow reaction time and can be overwhelmed by a large enough squad, but caution should always be taken, as these gluttonous predators can swallow several Pikmin at once. Attacking from behind will usually yield the best results.
Bulborb Larva[edit]
- Main article:Bulborb Larva.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii larva (pre-molt)/ Oculus bambinii
Bulborb Larvae are seen inPikmin 2 andPikmin 4. These newly-born Bulborbs are born without legs and do not yet have the unique color patterns that the adults display. These tiny creatures have exceptionally low vitality, but are capable of eating Pikmin with incredible speed. In some places, these enemies are continuously born fromEmpress Bulblaxes anddirt-mounds.
Dwarf Bulbear[edit]
- Main article:Dwarf Bulbear.
Scientific Name:Oculus terribilis dotticum larva (2nd molt)
Like theSpotty Bulbear, the Dwarf Bulbear appears in all four majorPikmin games. They resemble miniatureSpotty Bulbears, but unlike Dwarf Bulborbs, are actually juvenile Bulbears. Bulbears in particular are known for hunting along set patrol routes in search for prey, but these immature grub-dogs do not yet have established routes, and thus rely on their parent to guide them towards food.
When by themselves, Dwarf Bulbears will behave just like Dwarf Bulborbs, but if an adult Bulbear happens to stroll by, these eager young creatures will bark and immediately fall into line behind the beast.
Dwarf Frosty Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Dwarf Frosty Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus stomagelus larva (2nd molt)
The Dwarf Frosty Bulborb is an icy variant of the Dwarf Bulborb that appears inPikmin 4. They resemble Dwarf Bulborbs in appearance, but are blue in coloration and have ice crystal covering their back. If the ice has not been melted, they freeze all Pikmin, except Ice Pikmin, that come in contact with any part of its body. Unlike other Dwarf Bulborbs, they are actually grub-dogs and are the juvenile form of the Frosty Bulborb.
Emperor Bulblax[edit]
- Main article:Emperor Bulblax.
Scientific Name:Oculus supremus
The Emperor Bulblax is the final boss in the firstPikmin game. This beast resembles a flabby yellow Bulborb with small red eyes and a large, moss-covered backside. Its attacks include licking the ground with its tongue (with the intent to eat any Pikmin that happen to be there), licking its face (to get rid of offending Pikmin), and jumping high into the air to crush and shake off Pikmin. The safest strategy by far is to have Yellow Pikmin grab nearbybomb-rocks and have the Bulblax ingest them.
The Emperor Bulblax appears again inPikmin 2 andPikmin 4, though this time it is much smaller, much weaker, and much more common: it appears in multiple caves, sometimes twice or three times in the same sublevel. Although it still possesses its signature rock-hard hide, it is significantly less mossy.
Empress Bulblax[edit]
- Main article:Empress Bulblax.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii matriarchia (hypertrophic, gravid)/ Oculus matriarchia
The Empress Bulblax is a boss-class enemy inPikmin 2 andPikmin 4. It resembles a cross between a Bulborb and a gargantuan termite queen. The Empress Bulblax seems to be vulnerable on all parts of its body, but attacking the head is easily the safest way to go about it. After a while, it will shake off any hostile Pikmin and roll left and right, crushing anything underneath and in the Hole of Heroes, causes boulders to fall from the ceiling. In allPikmin 2 appearances beside theHole of Beasts, the Empress continuously gives birth to ravenousBulborb Larvae before and during the battle. InPikmin 4 the Empress Bulblax is once again fought 3 times. Like inPikmin 2, it will not give birth in the first fight, will in the second fight, and will drop boulders in the third fight. In the third battle, however, Bulborb Larva will fall from the ceiling instead of being birthed by the Bulblax.
Eye-Stalker Bulbeel[edit]
- Main article:Eye-Stalker Bulbeel.
Scientific Name:Oculus voraxa
The Eye-Stalker Bulbeel is an aquatic variant of the Bulborb that appears inHey! Pikmin. It strongly resembles a purple eel with red fins, light blue stripes on its sides, and a tan belly. Its mouth appears small and puckered when not attacking. They are found emerging from underwater pits.
Eye-Stalker Bulbeels attack by lunging directly upwards with their mouth wide open to eat Pikmin, after which they will retreat. They poke their heads out before attacking, giving Olimar a chance to get away. They have high health, and while defeating them is time-consuming, it rewards the player by dropping lots ofSparklium.
Fiery Bulblax[edit]
- Main article:Fiery Bulblax.
Scientific Name:Oculus volcanus
The Fiery Bulblax is found inPikmin 2 andPikmin 4, it is a rather odd-looking creature. Its entire body has a melted appearance, and one of its eyes is smaller than the other, possibly an eye tic. This mean-looking creature's skin secretes chemicals which combust upon exposure to oxygen, setting its body aflame. OnlyRed Pikmin can withstand the blaze this creature's body produces. However, if lured into water, the flames can be extinguished, making it a prime target forBlue Pikmin.
Frosty Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Frosty Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus stomagelus
The Frosty Bulborb is an icy variant of the Bulborb that appears inPikmin 4. They resemble normal Bulborbs in appearance, but are blue in coloration and have an ice crystal covering their back. If the ice has not been melted, they freeze all Pikmin, except Ice Pikmin, that come in contact with any part of its body. They are the adult form of the Dwarf Frosty Bulborb.
Hairy Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Hairy Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii folliculus
Hairy Bulborbs are enemies exclusive toPikmin 2. A Bulborb variant which shares many traits with theBulborb, Hairy Bulborbs are mostly white, with a brown nose and blue spots. The most notable characteristic of this particular subspecies is a plume of fluffy white hair on the creature's back, which insulates its body as an adaption to a colder habitat, and it falls off in battle.
Jumbo Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Jumbo Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii russus (polypoid)
Jumbo Bulborbs are abnormal Bulborbs that appear inPikmin 4. They are more aggressive and larger than normal Bulborbs due to a chromosomal irregularity during the Bulborbs early life. Unlike other Bulborbs, Jumbo Bulborbs are not found sleeping and may hide in vegetation to ambush unsuspecting prey.
Long Water Dumple[edit]
- Main article:Long Water Dumple.
Scientific Name:Ichthyosa felongus
The Long Water Dumple is the boss of sector 2 inHey! Pikmin. It is an elongated, eel-like variant of theWater Dumple, with bright yellow spots, a pink mouth lined with sharp teeth, and hair-like follicles on its head. They have two eye-stalks with glowing orbs on the end that act as its eyes, similar to Bulborbs.
It attacks by quickly lunging at Olimar from the side of the screen, eating any Pikmin in its way, after which it is vulnerable for attack. In-between these attacks, it can be seen swimming in the background. It can also attack by ramming into a wall in the background which causes large chunks of rock to fall, or it can spit round rocks at Olimar. It drops theUnexamined Nest after being defeated.
Orange Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Orange Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus kageyamii orangium
The Orange Bulborb is an enemy inPikmin 2,Pikmin 3, andPikmin 4. Its appearance closely resembles that of other Bulborbs, but this particular variant sports an orange rump with black spots and a black face. Its yellow, bloodshot eyes are an indicator of this dangerous creature's vicious temperament.
As with other Bulborbs, this animal is usually found snoozing. It does not have any particular resistances or special attacks, and can't stuff any more Pikmin into its mouth than its relatives, but should still be approached with caution: Orange Bulborbs are especially easy to wake from a nap, and can often be extremely difficult to defeat without losing any Pikmin, even when using traditional Bulborb-fighting tactics.
Sovereign Bulblax[edit]
- Main article:Sovereign Bulblax.
Scientific Name:Oculus supremus (advanced age)
The Sovereign Bulblax is a large enemy that appears inPikmin 4. It is an advanced age Emperor Bulblax, with the difference being its size and the amount of vegetation and rocks on its back. It has a more potent jump than the standard Emperor Bulblax, and has significantly higher health as well.
Spotty Bulbear[edit]
- Main article:Spotty Bulbear.
Scientific Name:Oculus terribilus dotticum
Spotty Bulbears are creatures in all four mainPikmin games which resemble Bulborbs in appearance but are not identical. They are a bit shorter, with rounded snouts, large chapped lips, and a wide mouth which allows them to gobble more Pikmin per bite. From a distance, they are easily distinguishable by their tan faces and black bodies with red spots. Often, a Spotty Bulbear is followed by a group ofDwarf Bulbears.
These beasts sleep most of the time inPikmin, but are noticeably tougher than Spotty Bulborbs, making them formidable opponents. InPikmin 2, they are wide-awake during daytime hours, making a sneak attack nearly impossible. They actively patrol the map and can evenrevive from death; in any sublevel or area where a Spotty Bulbear is present, they are a top priority target.
Water Dumple[edit]
- Main article:Water Dumple.
Scientific Name:Ichthyosa felinis
Water Dumples are enemies in all four mainPikmin games. They are part of the grub-dog family, despite having different appearances for aquatic habitation, and also having similar eating habits. They are most commonly found in the water, but can survive on the land as well. Depending on the game, they are either colored blue or purple, and resemble shellfish with large mouths. Water Dumples are defeated somewhat easily as long as the player takes caution orswarms them.
Whiptongue Bulborb[edit]
- Main article:Whiptongue Bulborb.
Scientific Name:Oculus longolingua
The Whiptongue Bulborb is an enemy inPikmin 3 andPikmin 4. They feature the characteristic rounded body and bulbous stalk-eyes, but they are different from their many terrestrial cousins in that they have a long, anteater-like snout instead of a large maw. It lashes its tongue out violently to ensnare Pikmin, then pulls them in and does a very brief animation of licking its chops and swallowing. The long tongue effectively gives the creature a ranged attack, which can make it a difficult foe to defeat.
InPikmin Adventure[edit]
The following enemies exist inPikmin Adventure, and are said in-game to belong to the grub-dog family. They are, however, notcanon.
Bilious Bulborb[edit]
Official family unknown
- Main article:Bilious Bulborb.
The Bilious Bulborb appears only inPikmin Adventure. It is the most dangerous non-bossBulborb variant found throughout the attraction, and is the fifth mini-boss the player fights. Its eyes and color resembles that of the Orange Bulborb.
Bulblord[edit]
- Main article:Bulblord.
The Bulblord is the first boss inPikmin Adventure. It is a huge Bulborb that can charge towards the player and their Pikmin and alsocrush them by rolling over. It looks very similar to the Bulborb, except with even more weak points around its body.
Grand Bulblord[edit]
- Main article:Grand Bulblord.
The Grand Bulblord is a boss found only inPikmin Adventure's Extra Challenges. It is very similar to the Bulblord, also being a large robotic Bulborb with weak spots around it. However, it is green and has more menacing green eyes. It also attacks significantly faster, and can even spawn enemies like the Bulborbs found throughout the attraction.
Green Bulborb[edit]
Official family unknown
- Main article:Green Bulborb.
The Green Bulborb appears only inPikmin Adventure. It is the rarest color variant of the Bulborb. It can only attack using a homing charge at the player. It usually appears in enclosed areas, requiring the player to manually break them out, or in dark areas, requiring the player to use the nearbyGlowing Mushroom to upgrade their light source.
Yellow Bulborb[edit]
Official family unknown
- Main article:Yellow Bulborb.
The Yellow Bulborb appears only inPikmin Adventure. It is an uncommon color variant of the Bulborb. It can only attack by shooting projectiles and eating players. It usually appears in open areas allowing players to take it out without much effort.
Naming[edit]
"Grub-dog" is a combination ofgrub, the name of the larvae from several beetle families, anddog. According to thePikmin Garden website, this is due to their resemblance to space dogs. Moreover, the word "Bulborb" is, in-universe, derived from the name ofCaptain Olimar's pet space dogBulbie. Most members of this family have the word "Bulborb" in their name, which is likely a combination of "bulb" and "orb", referring to their large, round eyes and bulbous body. The Japanese popular name for "Bulborb" isチャッピー? (lit.: "Chappy") and the Japanese name isデメマダラ? which, according to theSuper Smash Bros. Brawl trophy for theBulborb, translates to "Spotted Bug-eye".[1]
The genus most Bulborbs belong to isOculus, which is Latin for "eye", and the species name of most of them iskageyamii, which is most likely taken from Daisuke Kageyama, one of the developers credited for creature design.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Japanese | イヌムシ科? Inu mushi ka | Dog bug family | |
 Chinese(traditional) | 犬蟲科 | Dog bug family | |
 Chinese(simplified) | 犬虫科 | Dog bug family | |
 Dutch | Grubrakkers | Grub rascals | |
 French | Canidés Fouisseurs | Excavating canids | From"Fouisseurs" (digging, excavating) and"Canidés" (canids). "Fouisseur" is a synonyme of "Creuser" (dig), and "Canidés" (Canidae) refers to canines. |
 German | Glubschkäfer | Ogleetles | The name is a combination of"glubschen" (to ogle) and"käfer" (beetle) |
 Italian | Coletidi | Coleoletus | Possibly fromcoleottero (coleoptera) andboleto (boletus, a genus of mushroom) |
 Korean | 강아지벌레 과 | Puppy bug family | |
 Portuguese | Insecanídeos | Insecanidae | The name is a portmanteau of"inseto" (insect) and"canídeos" (Canidae) The suffix "-ídeos" (-idae) is used for naming animal family names |
 Spanish | Gusarapérridos | Grudogidae | The name is a portmanteau of"gusano" (worm) ,"perro" (dog) and the suffix "-idos" (-idae), which is used for naming animal family names |
Gallery[edit]
Artwork of several enemies in the grub-dog family fromPikmin 4.
Artwork of several enemies in the grub-dog family fromPikmin 4.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^“A creature whose Japanese name translates as "spotted crimson bug-eye." These bulky nocturnal animals have white-and-red-flecked rumps that resemble strawberries. Red bulborbs sleep in the day and wake in the evening to feed on small animals. Several colors of bulborb subspecies have been discovered--their classification is a hot subject for scholars. :
Pikmin 2” –Bulborb trophy inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
