For us, Bosses are the highlight of Pikmin 4. They offer just enough challenge to test our combat skills, whilst also being large and imposing setpieces. They are visually outstanding, and every boss has to be tackled in a different way if you want to make it out on top.
Whilst visually similar to the Arctic Canon Beetle, the Horned Cannon Beetle is its own unique beast. Neigh impervious to all attacks, and lacking in any obvious weakpoints, taking this gribbly down requires creative solutions. This guide is going to walk you through how to defeat the Horned Cannon Beetle, and walk away with zero casualties and a bunch of treasure.
More Pikmin 4 content:
Blue Pikmin | Beginners Guide | Every Pikmin Type | Shortcuts | Oatchi Upgrade Guide | Swim Guide | Foolix Guide | Hectic Hollows
Where To Find Horned Cannon Beetle In Pikmin 4
You can find the Horned Cannon Beetle in the Cavern For Kings, a cave found in the Hero’s Hideaway. Like most bosses, the Horned Cannon Beetle is found at the end of the dungeon and you won’t be able to progress without beating it. This is due to the locked gate that only unlocks on the Beetles demise.
Horned Cannon Beetle’s Attacks
The Horned Cannon Beetle only has one real attack, but it can be quite the devastating blow if it lands. It will suck in air through its mouth before firing out a large stone. This attack has to danger points. Firstly, Pikmin caught in the inhalation will be killed, so standing in front of the Horner Cannon Beetle is not advised.
Secondly, the stone fired from its mouth will crush and kill any Pikmin. Due to the nature of the attack, we suspect Rock Pikmin will be able survive this attack, but we weren’t able to test it.
How To Defeat Horned Cannon Beetle In Pikmin 4
Unlike the Arctic Cannon Beetle, the Horned Cannon Beetle does not expose its weakness whilst charging its attack. This makes the Horned Cannon Beetle functionally impervious to damage without solving its unique puzzle.
What makes the Horned Cannon Beetle stand out is its blowhole. This is found on its head and can even be targeted with your Lock On feature. When Horned Cannon Beetle is charging its projectile, this blowhole will also show an air-based animation, indicating its vulnerable to clogging.
To clog the blowhole throw a single Rock Pikmin at it. We recommend locking on to ensure your aim is as accurate as possible. Once blocked, the Horned Cannon Beetles hard shell will open up, leaving its back exposed.
You want to use Red and Ice Pikmin to quickly deal as much damage as possible. The Ice Pikmin will freeze the Horned Cannon Beetle, extending its vulnerability window. You can also use Ultra Spice to increase your damage output.
Due to the high HP of the Horned Cannon Beetle, it is unlikely you will be able to kill it in one cycle. Once it has shook off your Pikmin and closed its shell, repeat the above steps until it is dead.
That’s all we have on Pikmin 4 for now. Be sure to check out our other Guides and Lists for more Pikmin content.
