Louie

This article is about the character. For Louie as a treasure, see King of Bugs.

"Mostly been focusing on snacks lately. Guess I'll just make something up when I report to the boss."

— Louie revealing he had falsified reports so he can keep on living on PNF-404

Louie
Louie as seen from Pikmin 3
Biographical information
Gender	Male
Age	Unknown
Planet	Hocotate
Height	2.1 cm (0.83 inches)
Weight	1 unit (Pikmin 2) 5 units (Pikmin 3)
Family	Unnamed grandmother Unnamed father Unnamed aunt
Appearances
First appearance	Pikmin 2 (2004)
Latest appearance	Pikmin 4 (2023)

Louie (ルーイ, Rūi) is a major character in the Pikmin series, serving as Olimar's partner. Louie is also a co-worker of Olimar's, since he works as a deliveryman at Hocotate Freight, and Louie has a ravenous appetite. Louie first appears in Pikmin 2, as one of the two playable characters, alongside Olimar. In Pikmin 3, Louie stays at the Koppaites' ship after being saved twice, and appears as Olimar's partner in Bingo Battle, as well as a playable character in some missions. In Pikmin 3 Deluxe, he once again accompanies Olimar as a second leader in the new Side Stories mode. He appears once again in Pikmin 4 with a more antagonistic role.

Appearances

For information on Louie's appearances, click here.

Personality

Pikmin 2

According to Captain Olimar, he rarely talks and keeps to himself, not caring for social interaction. During his first meeting with Olimar, he stares off into space, only looking over four times: When Olimar first walks up to him and the President, when the President loudly demonstrates how his shipment of Golden PikPik Carrots was eaten, and twice when he hears his name mentioned. This might seem to imply that Louie has a short attention span, but he is actually very dependable and remains completely focused on whatever task is at hand, as long as there is no food involved. He is very handy and resourceful, shown when he is able to survive alone for extended periods of time on an uncharted planet - twice. In Pikmin 3, Louie, like Olimar, uses very professional language in his radio transmissions, as opposed to the Koppaites' relatively informal banter.

Personality Discrepancies in Pikmin 3

While seeming fairly capable in Pikmin 2, Louie is essentially mindless, selfish and only focused on food in Pikmin 3. While his gluttony was the catalyst for entire conflict of Pikmin 2, in Pikmin 3, food seems to occupy his entire existence. In addition, exploration logs left by Olimar in Pikmin 3 describe Louie as being more of a burden than anything else. This is a moderately stark contrast to Louie's role in Pikmin 2, where, despite his inexperience, Louie was considered an integral part of the team. While this apparent shift in personality could be attributed to Pikmin 3's creators looking for some cheap conflict and comedic relief, it is possible that there was a legitimate reason for the change, such as hunger.

Some fans have theorized that Louie's change was due to an outside source. A popular theory holds that Louie was somehow influenced by the Plasm Wraith. A variation of the theory is that the Waterwraith gained control of Louie after he ingested a piece of it. The only solid connection between Louie and the Plasm Wraith comes from Olimar's final expedition log, where he state's that the perpetually silent Louie vocally spoke up against exploring the Formidable Oak, the home of the Plasm Wraith. At the end of the log, Louie can be seen sneaking behind Olimar before jumping up and fleeing, just before the Plasm Wraith appears and attacks Olimar.

Personality Discrepancies in Pikmin 4

Louie's mindless and selfish traits are increased in Pikmin 4, with food once again seeming to occupy his entire existence. He is revealed to have falsified reports so he can keep living on PNF-404. While previous entries in the series were more vague about Louie's intentions (e.g. whether or not he controlled the Titan Dweevil in Pikmin 2 is never outright specified), Pikmin 4 has Louie become a full-on antagonist, who attempts to turn castaways into leaflings, challenges the player to dandori battles, and battles the player and their Pikmin atop the Ancient Sirehound. Louie makes a direct threat to the player before the boss fight against the Ancient Sirehound, telling them to "go home!". He is also revealed in memos to have falsified reports to the president so he can continue being on PNF-404. After the boss fight however, Louie's antagonistic traits are toned down.

Traits and abilities

• As a young boy, Louie's grandmother encouraged him to eat bugs. Because of this, he has no qualms about eating the creatures of PNF-404 to survive.
• He has a love of fine cuisine, which drives him to create gourmet recipes for beasts on PNF-404.
• He has all of the same abilities of Olimar, except his c-stick sound, dismissal sound, whistle sound and character switching voice are different. This also goes for the President.
• According to Louie's entry in the Treasure Hoard, it is rumored that Louie was the one in control of the Titan Dweevil.
• In Pikmin 3, Louie somehow manages to blow half of a cinder block to pieces. While the act takes place offscreen, a very loud explosion can be heard, and some flames and debris can be seen. He is apparently in possession of high-capacity explosives, possibly Bomb Rocks, further proved by the ability for the player to throw them themself in Pikmin 4. It is unknown why he would have these, although they may be standard gear.

Etymology

Louie's name is derived from Luigi of the Mario franchise, similarly to how Olimar's name is an anagram of Mario's, but with an added "l."

Notes

For notes on Louie, click here.

Gallery

Louie as seen in Pikmin 2

Louie as seen in Pikmin 3

Louie as seen in Pikmin 4

Trivia

• Occasionally, Louie will mutter to himself, "Olimar-...Huh?...Olimar?" very quietly. This usually happens when he stands still for a long time, something Luigi from the Mario series says as well in Luigi's Mansion; "Mario... Uh... Mario?"
• Louie was mentioned in Hey! Pikmin. in the Creature log for Crammed Wraith.
• In Pikmin 2, he only needed one Pikmin to carry him when he was playable, but in Pikmin 3, Louie needed five.
• Louie was hired during the events of the first Pikmin game.
• In Pikmin 3, Brittany states that she was surprised to hear that Louie eats meat, due to Koppaites thinking that Hocotatians usually stick to a vegetable-only diet.
• In Louie's expedition log, it is shown that he thought the Koppaites captured him and that he escaped with their treasure, implying that he did think Charlie's was treasure, or that he also considered their food treasure judging by his comments on the fruit in his Expedition Log.
• After defeating the Scornet Maestro, the S.S. Drake names Louie "Hocotatian." However, after defeating the Quaggled Mireclops, the S.S. Drake changes it to "Food Thief."
• Louie can somehow cook creatures that are not salvageable for the ship, such as Bulborb Larva and Pellet Posies.
• Despite the fact that oxygen is poisonous to Hocotatians, Louie shows no signs of poisoning when he is within the S.S. Drake, which contains a higher level of oxygen suitable for Koppaites.
• On June 18, 2009, Nintendo of Europe released an article titled "Louie's Notes: Musings of a Sidekick" on its website. It is essentially a humorous commentary written from the point of view of Louie, comparing himself and Olimar to other famous Nintendo duos (Mario and Luigi, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, Link and Navi, Pikachu and Pokémon Trainer), as an attempt to promote the New Play Control! edition of Pikmin 2.
• The majority of events in the Pikmin series from Pikmin 2 onward stems from Louie's selfish and hedonistic nature. Pikmin 4 confirms that his actions are very much intentionally minded as well. However, Louie rarely has much to do with the overall conflict besides causing Hocotate Transportation Company to fall into debt.
• With the possible exception of the President, Louie tends to get on the other captains' nerves. Olimar seems to get on the right foot with him at first in Pikmin 2, only remarking that he's a bit quiet and nothing else. During the events of the third game, however, Olimar and Louie start butting heads more, which ends with Louie deserting him right before Olimar enters the Formidable Oak. Louie also doesn't endear himself to the Koppaites by running off with their juice supply after they rescued him from the Scornet Maestro, which Olimar is ashamed of as well. And after finally being 'saved' by the Rescue Corps in Pikmin 4 after all the trouble he had caused for them (capturing castaways and trying to deny the team a cure for Oatchi by commanding the Ancient Sirehound), he is tied up once again so that he does not cause any further trouble.
• Despite having caused his company's near-bankruptcy with his gluttony and possibly controlling the Titan Dweevil in Pikmin 2 and abandoning Olimar to the Plasm Wraith and stealing the Koppai crew's food supplies in Pikmin 3, Louie doesn't really suffer any punishment for it. Louie doesn't face any real retribution for his actions in Pikmin 4 aside from being gagged and taken back to Hocotate against his will - from the Rescue Corps, it's quite clear everyone is quite fed up with him and it is clear the Corps see him less as a "rescue" and more a "prisoner" - it just isn't their purpose to punish him.

See also

• King of Bugs
• Louie's notes
• Titan Dweevil
• Ancient Sirehound