How to defeat the Horned Cannon Beetle in Pikmin 4

Beat the beetle

PNF-404 is filled with strange creatures both dainty and dangerous. Be on the lookout for the Horned Cannon Beetle, as it is a humongous, hostile creature that can easily have you losing dozens of Pikmin in one go.

To learn how to take down the Horned Cannon Beetle in Pikmin 4, read this guide.

How to defeat the Horned Cannon Beetle in Pikmin 4

The Horned Cannon Beetle is one of the first large enemies you encounter, so don’t be hard on yourself if it takes you by surprise. You’ll cross paths with one in Hero’s Hideaway, which is the fourth area you explore.

The main way the enemy inflicts damage is by spitting out large boulders. Stay away from the Horned Cannon Beetle’s mouth and keep your Pikmin away from its face to avoid getting hurt. You’ll discover that it has an exoskeleton that protects it from your attacks, so patience and strategizing are necessary.

Every time the beetle spits out a boulder, it first inhales hair using the blowhole at the top of its head. When you see it inhaling, shoot a Pikmin at into the blowhole (the Rock Pikmin work really well). This will cause the beetle to expand its wings as it tries to get the Pikmin unstuck. Take this as your opportunity to attack the weak area under its wings.

To extend your window to inflict damage, chuck Ice Pikmin at the Horned Cannon Beetle to freeze it. Once the wings rest again, press “A” to call back your Pikmin before they get slurped up by your foe. Wait for it to start inhaling again, and repeat the process until the Horned Cannon Beetle is defeated.

During the battle, you may lose some Pikmin. This isn’t too big of a problem. As long as you have the right Onions, you can harvest more Pikmin. If you are concerned about losing too many of your buddies, you can rewind time by pressing the “-“ button on your left Joy-Con and then selecting the Rewind option.

Once the enemy is down, don’t forget to have your Pikmin carry it back to base and feed it to the main Onion. This will ensure you can continue harvesting more Pikmin to add to your team.

The Horned Cannon Beetle is fierce, but even scarier enemies lie in your path as you try to rescue Captain Olimar. You’ll have to keep training Oatchi and collecting different kinds of Pikmin to defeat them.