We put a nose on the Pikmin 4 dog… and we really shouldn’t have

Pikmin 4 will have a dog inside. Well, it’s not really a dog, but we’ll talk about that later. Either way, Oatchi is a completely new companion that looks like a dog and will help us on our next adventure. This good boy can swim, help us in battle, and clear obstacles for us; he will also help us rescue the castaways and will happily play a game of tug of war, just like any other canine.

The thing about Oatchi, however, is his appearance. At first glance, he is an adorable yellow pup who is happy to be here and help. Upon closer inspection, you begin to notice that this cute canine companion is far from being a real dog; he has no nose, he jumps on two legs and his tail consists of the fluffy seeds of a dandelion. It was only this morning that we realized ‘hey wait, that Pikmin 4 dog has no nose’, and thus began my deep dive into Oatchi.

After referring to Oatchi as a dog since his reveal, the more we’ve seen has only cemented that he’s not actually a dog at all. The strange appearance of him along with the canine features of him certainly stir up some confusion, so what is Oatchi really?

First things first, we decided to put a nose on Oatchi just to see what it would look like. The first nose I chose was borrowed from Scooby-Doo, before experimenting with other noses because I couldn’t help it. VG247’s Tom Orry is probably wondering what the hell I’ve been doing for the past hour; the answer is Photoshopping multiple noses into Oatchi wrong. It’s been fun.

And despite what humans might expect a dog to look like, Oatchi’s variety of noses only made him seem more peculiar, and I’ve come to the conclusion that he’s definitely better off without one. That still doesn’t stop me from wondering what the heck this dog-like creature really is, though.

That’s when I decided to get to the bottom of what our trusty companion really is, and jumped in to learn Pikmin lore (thanks to the Pikmin Fandom). Let’s put it this way, I’m probably picking up Pikmin 4 after my expedition through one wiki page after another; This game sounds a bit crazy, but there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of things to do and discover.

Regardless, given Oatchi’s alien appearance and dandelion tail, it seems this particular pup might be part of the Grub-dog family. This family consists of several species, including the Bulborb, Bulblax, and many other two-legged creatures. They are mammal-like, reproduce, and in some cases have fur.

Even with that in mind, Oatchi doesn’t seem like some sort of Grub-dog; he’s too canine-like, actually, and has ears that are rare to see in Pikmin. Either way, this pup is definitely some sort of cross between a mammal and a plant, much like the Pikmin themselves.

The only other known canine companion in Pikmin is Bulbie, Captain Olimar’s dog on the home planet of Hocotate. Supposedly, the name Grub-dog actually comes from Olimar’s dog, Bulbie, who resembles a Bulborb with his eye stalks. So maybe, just maybe, Oatchi’s appearance has something to do with Bulbie or Captain Olimar. Maybe Oatchi ended up here in search of life for him, or something. But still, how exactly did he end up here in PNF-404?

Ultimately, Oatchi has a bit of an odd look to it. He’s adorable, though, and he’d personally make him squash anyone who slandered him. I think the most likely outcome for this strange fellow is that he is an alien from another planet. After all, there’s no one else like him on PNF-404… except Green Oatchi, shipwrecked kidnapper, with perkier ears and a blade for a tail. He just raises more questions, and I can only imagine that Pikmin 4 will have more surprises in store.