Pikmin management and more! A SSB4 guide to Olimar.

There are 5 different colored Pikmin in all red, yellow, blue, white, and purple. Each Pikmin excels at certain areas. Knowing which Pikmin is next in your line is huge when playing Olimar so that you can efficiently wrack up damage and KO. Reds, yellows, and blues also have elemental immunity so using these Pikmin against certain characters can give you an added benefit. The order of the Pikmin listed here is the order they naturally come in. They are also plucked in this order every time. Another interesting tidbit about Pikmin is that they can intercept projectiles like Pikachu's Thunder Jolt or Mario's Fireball when they are attached to them or when they are on the ground. This makes throwing Pikmin out a good way to wall out the opponents projectiles.

Lastly, all Pikmin are treated as projectiles. This means that anytime you use them in an attack, whether it be a smash, aerial, or side-b they will always clank losing their hitbox, or just trade. They can never win a clank scenario head on. There are ways to help circumvent this which I will discuss further on into the guide. Just keep in mind that Olimar's Pikmin attacks can clank even in the air. This can sometimes be a good thing.

*This is a Wii U exclusive. Pikmin are able to pick up items on the ground when they're running back to Olimar. Olimar is able to pick them up once the Pikmin are in range, but while the Pikmin hold the item they can still hurt Olimar.
Ex. If a Pikmin brings Diddy Kong's Banana Peel back to Olimar he can trip on it even if the Pikmin is holding it.

Red: These Pikmin have 1.2x damage and knock back on smashes and aerials. To compensate for this they do 0.8x damage and knock back on throws. This allows them to be good Pikmin for KOing with smashes and aerials, while comboing off throws at higher percents.They are also resistant to fire attacks. For example if a Ness PK Fires a red Pikmin it won't take any damage.
Red Pikmin have 8% hp.

Yellow: They have 1.25x larger hitboxes, and have longer hitlag due to electric properties. They along with blue have 1.0x knock back and damage from smash attacks and aerials. Similar to reds the yellow Pikmin have immunity to electric attacks. For example Pikachu's Thunder attack won't hurt a yellow Pikmin.
Yellow Pikmin have 8% hp.

Blue: These Pikmin are for grabs. Blue Pikmin have 1.6x damage and knock back on throws, and share the same smash and aerial power as yellows. Due to the increased knock back on throws, these will be your primary tool for up-throw kills.
*Blue Pikmin are the only color that will not drown when in water. This is a Wii U exclusive as swimming is not present in the 3DS version.
Blue Pikmin have 11% hp.

White: White Pikmin are the weakest for smash attacks and aerials, doing 0.8x damage and knock back. On the other hand they do the same amount of damage as yellows and purples in grabs, as well as the most damage off a pummel. They also have the longest grab range, being about 1/8th longer than the standard. That being said they do the most damage from Pikmin Throw so that will be their main use. They do not have an elemental resistance.
White Pikmin have 7% hp.

Purple: These Pikmin are the hard hitters of the group. They have 1.4x damage and knock back from smash attacks and aerials. While they do have less range on grabs and smashes, it's made up due to their increased health. They are also the only Pikmin that have an actual hitbox with knock back when used with Pikmin Throw. Purples make walling opponents out much easier, and can help scoring KOs at earlier percents. Purples also do not have an elemental resistance.
Purple Pikmin have 13% hp.

None of these moves require Pikmin to use.

Jab: Two punches enlarging Olimar's fist that do 4% at the sweet spot which is the end of the fist away from Olimar, and doing 3% when the hit is closest to Olimar. In total the jab can do either 6%-8% depending on if the sweet spot is hit. This move is vital for Olimar since it is fast, and can disrupt the opponents approach. It can also be followed up with a dash grab. The second punch also moves Olimar forward slightly.
Jab comes out on frame 4, and stays active until frame 5.

Dash attack: A cartwheel that has two hitboxes. The first one does 7% and is on the first half of the animation, and the second does 4% while being on the latter half of the cartwheel. The first hit pops the enemy up slightly while the second hit sends them much further up. The move has a decent amount of ending lag so be smart when using the move. It is best to use it more as a mix up for the opponent's get up or if they are trying to land. Just don't get to set in the habit of it, or they may start punishing.
Dash attack comes out on frame 8, and stays active until frame 14.

Forward-Tilt: A winded up punch that enlarges Olimar's fist. It does 11% no matter what part of his fist hits the opponent, and sending them at roughly a 30 degree angle. This move has a bit of a slower start up than the Jab, but can be used as a kill move. It's also a great option when recovery with no Pikmin, or when the Pikmin have desynced from the lineup.
Forward-Tilt comes out on frame 15, and stays active until 17.

Down-Tilt: Olimar slides head first across the ground then retracting back slightly into a standing position. Does 6% and pops the enemy upward. This move has a pretty quick start up as well as low ending lag. Because of this, the move can be used as a movement option in some cases. It can be great for moving just out of the opponents hitbox, and giving the Olimar ample time to punish. Since it returns Olimar to the neutral position this makes following up with a forward smash quite easy. I highly recommend that Olimar mains try to utilize this move to it's fullest.
Down-Tilt comes out on frame 6, and stays active until frame 12.

Up-Tilt: Olimar hops a short distance while spinning. You cannot move during this move. It is a set distance, and Olimar returns to neutral once it finishes. This move has six hits with the first five doing 3% in total, and the sixth hit doing 4%. The move comes out pretty fast with the hitboxes starting as soon as he jumps. This is a solid follow up to landing with a Neutral-Air, and it pops the opponent up allowing for Olimar to space himself or follow up.
Up-Tilt comes out on frame 6, and stays active until frame 16. There are 2 frame intervals between each hit.

Forward-Smash: Olimar points forward sending a Pikmin flying horizontally in front of him. This move has a sweet spot when it first comes out, and two sour spots. The first sour spot is the second half of the animation when the Pikmin is going out, and the last and worst spot is right before the Pikmin falls at the end. A couple other things to note is that after the smash it takes time for the Pikmin to get back up into your line, and ghost smashes are still a thing. (I will go into the details of desynced Pikmin and ghost smashes later on in the guide.) This is a great move for walling the opponent out, because even if Olimar is hit, the Pikmin will still fly out. It can also be used to hit enemies recovering from the ledge. This is due to how long the Pikmin's hitbox stays out. Another important detail is that Pikmin do not fly off the edge unless Olimar is standing at the edge of the stage. This is a primary kill move. Lastly all Pikmin go the same distance except the purple which goes about 1/2 the distance.
Forward-Smash comes out on frame 11, and stays active until frame 29.
Standard Forward-Smash
Purple Forward-Smash


Up-Smash: Olimar points up, and the Pikmin jumps above him. There is a hitbox on both sides of Olimar with a larger range in the direction Olimar is facing. This moves vertical range is much shorter compared to Brawl, and the ending lag is quite considerable. There is also a sour spot at the end of the smash when the Pikmin is at it's highest and towards the end of the hitbox horizontally. This is not a move that can be spammed, or you will get punished. With that said it does have kill power, but is best used as more of a read.
Up-Smash comes out on Frame 12, and stays active until frame 21.
Standard Up-Smash
Purple Up-Smash


Down-Smash: Two Pikmin slide out from Olimar's sides. The first Pikmin in the line will go the same direction Olimar is facing, and the second will go behind him. This can be performed with one Pikmin, but the backside of Olimar will have no attack there. This move is fast and powerful, and can be a great tool to hit opponents on the ledge after the invincibility wheres off. It can also be used after the opponent hits your shield or when reading a roll. All Pikmin go the same distance except the Purple which goes about 1/2 the distance. As with the other smashes there is a sweet spot that is closest to Olimar when the Pikmin first come out. The sour spot is when the Pikmin have reached the end of the slide. This a great move for Olimar since it is fast, hits both sides, and can be a kill move! (Side note, at the end of the Down-Smash length, purple Pikmin have a unique trajectory when they hit sending the opponent downward and diagonal with different knock back from standard Down-Smash hits!)
Down-Smash comes out on frame 10, and stays active until frame 17.
Standard Down-Smash
Purple Down-Smash

Neutral-Air: This is the only one of Olimar's aerials that does not require a Pikmin to use. Olimar spins in the air in a similar fashion to his Up-Tilt except he can move while doing so. It has five hits. The first four do 6% in total, and the last hit adds 2% for a total of 8%. It can be a solid landing option, and is a great move for when you have no Pikmin in the air.
Neutral-Air comes out on frame 7, and stays active until frame 24. For the first 4 hits there are 3 frame intervals in between each hit.

Forward-Air: Olimar swings the first Pikmin in his line forward like a club. This is one of Olimar's best follow ups from his grab, and can be used as a landing option when retreating in the air with it. Just don't get to aggressive with it as if it's shielded the opponent can punish if you aren't careful.
Forward-Air comes out on frame 7, and is active until frame 9.

Back-Air: Olimar swings the Pikmin behind him starting from the bottom and going up. What is different is that this move can kill. You can also use this to land since it has the same landing lag as Forward-Air. This move isn't used as frequently, but it is definitely a good move. Most opponents won't think of this as one of Olimar's kill moves so keep it in mind. (Retreating Back-Air with a purple Pikmin is safe on shield too!)
Back-Air comes out on frame 10, and stays active until frame 13.

Up-Air: Olimar swings the Pikmin upward in a circular motion. This has a single hitbox and sends the enemy upward. This is a bit of a multipurpose move, because depending on the enemies percent and what Pikmin is used it can be a kill move or a juggling tool. You usually won't get to many hits with consecutive Up-Airs, but it is possible. The kill power on this move is pretty good when used with a purple or red. Don't be afraid to go for the Up-Air follow up, but don't get to over aggressive either. A fine balance of when to go for it is key to use this move to it's fullest. One final thing is that this move has much more ending lag than the previous aerials. It is not advised to use this as a landing option.
Up-Air comes out on frame 8, and stays active until frame 15.

Down-Air: Olimar swings a Pikmin downward. It can send the opponent in a variety of directions depending on what part of the Pikmin hits the opponent. At the tip of the Pikmin's head there is a sweet spot that will meteor smash the opponent. It can be a little hard to hit, but is still a good move even without the sweet spot. Like Up-Air this move has a considerable amount of landing lag so be careful when landing with it. It can be an option to land with, but is best used to catch someone trying to recover onto the stage. This can also be a great tool to catch someone's ledge snap on their one frame of vulnerability.
Down-Air comes out on frame 9, and is active until frame 15.

Here is a chart of all the aerials damage amounts for each Pikmin.

Olimar's standing grab, dash grab, and pivot grab all come out on frame 10, and stay active until frame 19. Pivot grab has considerably less lag so you'll want to use this one most frequently since it's less commitment.
Pummel
Forward-Throw: The Pikmin tosses the opponent forward with a slight upward diagonal angle. This is solid choice for getting the opponent offstage when they're near the edge. Probably will be the least used throw due to lack of actual follow ups, kill potential, and less damage than back throw.

Back-Throw: The Pikmin slams the enemy into the ground behind Olimar. Sending them at a diagonally upward angle. This move does the most damage out of all throws, and is a solid choice to wrack up damage when the opponent is at a higher percent. It can also be a good way to get the opponent offstage when they're at higher percents.

Up-Throw: The Pikmin picks the enemy up and slams them directly down. Has pretty close to a 90 degree angle in terms of knock back. This is the only throw that can reliably KO, and it has to be done with a blue. Not to much more to say about this throw. It is really only for KOing.

Down-Throw: The enemy is thrown on the ground while the Pikmin jumps into the air to slam into them. This throw is Olimar's bread and butter combo starter at low percents. The knock back is much less than other throws so it allows for a variety of follow ups depending on the opponent's percent and weight. It can be followed up with Forward-Air, Forward-Smash, Up-Air, Neutral-Air, Back-Air, or Jump-Cancelled Up-Smash depending on the circumstances. If the opponent DIs/Vectors the Forward-Air followup wrong it is even possible to occasionally get a regrab. The chances of this are better on heavier characters. Down-Throw can be a reliable kill setup when followed up with a Reverse Aerial Rush Back-Air. The most optimal lineup for this is a red Down-Throw into a purple Back-Air. The percent window can range from 60-100 with some variation depending on rage and character weight.

Here is the chart that displays the damages for each throw for each corresponding Pikmin.

Pikmin|Fthrow|Bthrow|Uthrow|Dthrow
Red |5|7|6|6
Yellow |7|9|8|8
Blue |11|14|12|12
White|7|9|8|7
Purple |7|9|8|8

Neutral-Special: The Pikmin Pluck- Olimar plucks Pikmin out of the ground. Maximum amount of Pikmin allowed in Olimar's line is 3. If the move is used after he has 3 he will pluck, but nothing will come out. There is a short delay in use of Pikmin if no reaction is done immediately after they are pulled. This means that you can pull three Pikmin consecutively and be able to act right after they are plucked. Pikmin can only be plucked on the ground, and if used in the air Olimar will do a plucking animation with no results. You can also shield after the pluck. This is important when landing with no Pikmin as you can pluck one, and shield, attack, or roll away to escape. The Pikmin will be plucked on frame 1, so even if you are hit you will still have a Pikmin plucked as long as you started the move.
Plucking the Pikmin

Canceling the pluck

Side-Special: Pikmin Throw- Olimar throws the Pikmin in the direction he is facing. Each Pikmin have a set air speed and arc when thrown. Red and blue have a mid level arc and speed. Yellow has a higher arc, slightly slower speed, and slightly less distance then red and blue. White has the the fastest air speed, and the same arc as red and blue. White also flies the farthest distance of all the Pikmin. Purple keeps the standard arc, but goes about half the distance of the red and blues. This is Olimar's premiere camping tool. He will keep opponents out while using Pikmin Throw to wrack up damage quick. Purple Pikmin are also the best way to keep approaching enemies out when you're recovering from offstage, or when they approach onstage. To maximize the distance of the throw, jumping is the optimal method when throwing them. Don't be afraid to use them on the ground though. There is little to no lag when thrown on the ground, and can be a good choice when running away. Another thing to keep in mind is that Pikmin can be hit when on the opponent. They can either be knocked off and run back to you ,or killed if they take to much damage. The duration of Pikmin attached to the opponent is highest at 0%, and will decrease as their percent increases. This makes camping with Pikmin Throw at higher percents much less rewarding.
Pikmin Throw has the Pikmin's hitbox become active on frame 9.
Here is a chart of how much each Pikmin does per tic on the opponent, and how much the Purple Pikmin do per hit.

Up-Special: Winged Pikmin- Two winged Pikmin spawn and carry Olimar. You have full control over the movement of these Pikmin. The distance/air speed that the Pikmin carry you is dependent of how many Pikmin are in your line. All Pikmin have weight values as well, white are the least heavy, while red, blue, and yellow are medium weight. Purples are the heaviest making it almost impossible to recover with three purples. Three is the least amount of distance/slowest, and no Pikmin is the most distance/fastest. Once the move ends the winged Pikmin despawn and drop Olimar. Once dropped Olimar is in the helplessness state until he is hit or lands. The move can also be canceled early by throwing out an aerial. After the aerial ends it returns to how it would normally be, and Olimar is helpless. What's nice about this move is that if you throw your Pikmin onstage before you use the Up-Special the Pikmin can rejoin your line if you land fast enough. It is advised to end with an aerial when landing back on stage. It can also be used to follow up a string. Try using Up-Special after an Up-Air, and canceling it with a fast fallen Neutral-Air on the opponent. You can usually get some extra damage when they're coming down. Also don't be afraid to go offstage anymore, with this new recovery it makes gimping Olimar very hard. There is one drawback to this move though. If used consecutively without touching the ground or ledge the winged Pikmin will get tired. Try to mix up how you recover by going all the way from very low to very high! A cool side note about this move is if you do an aerial right before you'd land on the ground while flying it will cancel the aerial and buffer a smash attack of the same direction.

Down-Special: Pikmin Order- Olimar whistles calling all Pikmin to him, and arranging them in a set order. For the first whistle it will put the Pikmin in the standard order of red, yellow, blue, white, and purple. Each subsequent whistle will put the next color in front, and push the current lead color to the back. This move also grants Olimar super armor from frames 6 until frame 12. It can be a bit hard to time, but every Olimar main should master this move to increase the lifespan of each stock and help recover. The whistle will not call back Pikmin that are in the Pikmin throw animation until they land. It can call them back even when they desync from your line and fall off the stage, or when they are attached to the opponent. This is a crucial move in Olimar's repertoire and should be used frequently to keep Pikmin with you.
Arranging Pikmin
Calling them back

Some of these techniques may be difficult to pull off intentionally. Instead try to recognize scenarios where your standard game play can allow them to occur.

Platform Desync Down-Smash: Most easily done on the side platforms of Battlefield. If Olimar drops from the platform, and Down-Smashes fast enough the second Pikmin of the smash will do it from the platform, while the rest happens on the ground. A more consistent way to set this up is to whistle before hand, reorganizing your Pikmin's position. In some cases both Pikmin will smash on the platform with Olimar on the ground.

Zombie Smash: When charging a smash Pikmin's hurtboxes become active, this means they can be hit and killed while charging a smash, separate from Olimar's hurtbox. If they die when charging the smash they jump into the air to start the ghost animation. If the smash is released when this happens the Pikmin will smash in the air from where it was turning into a ghost at, as well as not dying. It instead has the lowest possible health, and will die from one more hit. The most commonly seen use of this is in the Olimar ditto match up. Since Olimar's side-b hurts charging Pikmin during smashes on the opponent. It's a great way to catch the opposing Olimar off guard.
(Footage will be added in the coming days when I receive my capture card)

Desync-Smash: When Olimar is moving either through the air or the ground, and he starts a Smash when his Pikmin are following behind him slightly delayed he can Desync-Smash. This is when the opponent has a hitbox active essentially hitting the Pikmin used for the smash right as Olimar starts the smash. This stops the Pikmin from going to Olimar and has the Pikmin smash there hitting the opponent. Some commonly seen cases are pivot Forward-Smash when the opponent dash attacks, or fast falling onto the ground and Down-Smashing when the opponent tries to land with and attack.
(Footage will be added in the coming days when I receive my capture card)

Pocket Pikmin: When Olimar is on the ledge he can drop off when a Pikmin runs back to him from the stage. If done at the correct time the Pocket Pikmin will occur. What this does is hide the Pikmin the ran back to you while still keeping it active in your line. The cursor indicating which Pikmin is next moves to the next Pikmin, but the hidden one is always the next to be used. This a great way to trick your opponent since they won't be able to see the color of your next attack. You can use any grounded move that doesn't require a Pikmin and it won't cancel the effect. Any Pikmin move or Up-B will cancel this and show the Pikmin. It can be a little hard to pull off at first, but can be a helpful tool to take a game!
(Footage will be added in the coming days when I receive my capture card)

Olimar's Spot Dodge is intangible from frame 3-18
Olimar's Roll is intangible from frame 4-18
Olimar's airdodge is intangible from frame 3-27

Olimar is a bit of interesting character when compared to the rest of the cast. He has to have Pikmin for most of his attacks, but can still attempt to attack even without Pikmin. This means knowing when the Pikmin in your line aren't usable is important. There are a few ways that this can happen.

Pikmin Desync- Pikmin are able to desync themselves from your line. This means that they will not be usable until they either run back naturally or are called back by Pikmin Order. Pikmin can desync for various reasons. Certain movement can desync your lineup, usually involving ledges or platforms. Also if Olimar is hit up in the air it can desync his lineup sometimes as well. This makes keep track of your Pikmin and using Pikmin Order crucial to maintain your lineup. There are two ways I like two describe deysncs. Ones where the Pikmin are unusable, but are also intangible. Then the ones where they are not being used currently, but have their hurtboxes active.

Ghost Attacks: When Olimar uses a move that requires a Pikmin, but one is not there to use. It shows the move animation from Olimar, but nothing else happens.

Hitlag Extentsion: When an opponent hits a Pikmin they are stuck in hitlag for a set duration keeping them in their attack animation. In many cases this will extent the duration that their attack stays active. In some cases it can be used as an advantage though. If an opponent attacks a Pikmin you can punish them in the extra time they're stuck in the animation. Pay attention to people attacking your Pikmin to find openings to attack. This is also important when an opponent does an attack to get a Pikmin off of them that has been attached.

This section may seem a bit short, but I think I did a good job of covering the uses of Olimar's moves previously. Here I am trying to tie together a coherent play style for you to understand.

Olimar's main strategies when fighting are to camp the opponent out using Pikmin Throw and punish their approach. There are times when going in is needed, but you should not be the one starting the fight. Let the opponent come to you, and beat out his attacks with Pivot Grabs/Smashes or a Purple Pikmin toss. Jab is a great tool for fighting up close. It is fast and knocks the opponent away, allowing Olimar to push in for some damage. Following up with a grab or smash attack is a great way to start the offensive pressure, but don't get to over zealous. Knowing when to pull back and start wracking up damage with Pikmin Throw again is crucial. It takes a fine balance to play Olimar properly since he can be easily punished if he throws out moves to freely.

Olimar is able to play aggressively, but I really only recommend when you have at least 2 purples. By stringing together a mix of side-b, and aerials/smashes you can really push safe stage presence. Keep your movement in sync with your Pikmin so by the time you throw your last purple the first one is back in your line. Most characters have to respect purples, so you can use these to get some nasty pressure going on. I recommend working on getting purples in your line as often as possible, and keeping them longer than other colors as well.

Edge guarding with Olimar can be done in a few ways. You can read how they get up from the ledge and punish accordingly. If they are stalling on the ledge a Down-Smash will hit them if their invincibility runs out. You can also go offstage and try to hit them with an aerial or Pikmin Throw. Just don't get to greedy for the kill. If they get back before you it could put you in a bad position.