Pikmin Order

Pikmin Order, (, Pikmin Align), commonly known as the , is Olimar's down special move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. 4, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Overview
This move consists of Olimar quickly blowing his whistle, and a colored area surrounding him. When used, the move has three primary effects:


 * Any Pikmin that are separated from Olimar will, after a split second, immediately fly to his side. This can be used to recall ones that have fallen behind or are attacking an enemy, though Pikmin in the midst of certain actions (such as traveling after being thrown) cannot be recalled.
 * If there are no Pikmin separated from Olimar, the ones in Olimar's line will be organized by color. If they are already in sorted order, the next color of Pikmin will be sorted to the front, following the order of Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Purple, with the previous front-runners being shifted to the back. As various Pikmin have different strengths, Olimar must do this to control his line-up in order to utilize it effectively.
 * Olimar will gain super armor. Because of the speed of the move, it is relatively easy to tank any attack in this way. As long as Olimar doesn't use it predictably (as armor does not protect against grabs), this can make him very difficult to KO.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl


In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Olimar orders his Pikmin on frame 12 and the whole move lasts 20 frames. The most potent effect the move has however is its super armor. Pikmin Order grants Olimar super armor on frame 2 and it lasts for 15 frames. This means that Olimar is only vulnerable for 5 frames; during the first frame of the move and during the last four frames of the move. Because of this, Pikmin Order is a highly useful defensive option, with Olimar being able to tank through hits and potentially punish his opponent, especially considering how fast it is.

In Super Smash Bros. 4


Pikmin Order received a new animation in Super Smash Bros. 4 where Olimar's hand no longer goes through his helmet when he whistles. The new animation is slightly longer than the previous animation, which does mean that Olimar cannot grab ledges for a slightly longer period of time when using it in the air. Apart from the animation change, Pikmin Order was mostly unchanged from Brawl although it did receive one significant nerf. The move now has significantly reduced super armor, with its super armor now starting on frame 6 and now only lasting for 7 frames. The move is now easier to intercept during its beginning frames, no longer being a faster substitute for an air dodge, and it is easier to punish during its ending frames. This makes Pikmin Order a less effective defensive move although Olimar can still abuse the super armor.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate


Pikmin Order once again received a new animation in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate which is less exaggerated. The animation is slightly shorter than both the Brawl and Smash 4 versions, benefiting the aerial version. Pikmin Order also received a number of buffs. The Pikmin are now ordered almost instantly on frame 2 (rather than frame 12) and the move takes 3 less frames to complete. The move also once again gains super armor on frame 2, making it more useful to use in pressure situations. However, the move's armor now lasts for one less frame and this combined with the armor starting sooner, gives the move more ending lag, despite its reduced total duration. Nevertheless, Pikmin Order still remains improved compared to its Smash 4 counterpart (although it is still inferior to its Brawl counterpart due to its armor lasting for a much shorter period of time).

Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:


 * 1) Pikmin Order: Default.
 * 2) Order Tackle: When Olimar calls his Pikmin back, the Pikmin will travel back to Olimar in a high arc. Any opponents that touch these Pikmin will get damaged. Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin will inflict 2% damage for every time they hit an opponent. White Pikmin will deal 1% damage, and Purple Pikmin deal 7% damage. When Pikmin are latched onto an opponent, and this move is used, there is a chance that they will pull the opponent towards Olimar with them. This move has a few frames of ending lag, leaving Olimar vulnerable for a moment. :
 * 3) Dizzy Whistle: When Olimar blows his whistle, opponents in the colored area around him will spin in the opposite direction, similar to Mario's Cape. This move has a few frames of start-up, and is slightly slower than the standard variation. The spin effect deals 1% damage to any nearby foe. This move does not reflect projectiles, and leaves Olimar extremely vulnerable during startup. :

Origin
In , this ability is essential to getting the Pikmin to follow the player when they get lost or become idle. The whistle is aimed at an area and the Pikmin in that area would start following the player again to get them away from threats or call on them when the player needed them.

Olimar is also able to separate Pikmin into groups of color by pressing the X button. Although doing this did not produce the same circular animation, it did produce the whistle noise.

Trivia

 * In Brawl, Olimar's hands pass through his helmet when whistling. This was remedied in SSB4, as Olimar's helmet gained a whistle.