Woomy! Oh, sorry, we were greeting all the Splatoon characters. Don’t know about them? Then read on. Splatoon may seem like just a multiplayer shooter to some, but to those in the ink, it has a robust story and a loveable cast of characters to get to meet in each entry. We’ve collected them all up and present to you the shopkeepers and other iconic friends we meet along the way.
If you wanna dive deep into some more games’ lore, check out the Honkai Star Rail characters, Genshin Impact Fatui Harbingers, and our favorite Mario characters.
Here are all the Splatoon characters you meet on your journey to Inkopolis and beyond:
Splatoon 3 main characters
Cap’n Cuttlefish
Craig Cuttlefish is a recurring face in all three Splatoon games and acts as a guide to our own inklings as we fight our way through the single-player sections. He’s an elderly inkling and is said to be over 100 years old, which tracks as he was part of the Great Turf Wars in the original Squidbeak Splatoon. Fun fact, his Japanese name is literally “Commander Dried Shredded Cuttlefish”. Yikes.
Agent 3
Fellow inkling Agent 3 appears in all Splatoon games to date and is a member of the Squidbeak Splatoon, which feature in the story modes. They’re Agent 3 because Callie and Marie, the first two members of the platoon, are Agents One and Two. Agent 3 originally came to Inkopolis to live the fashionable life but got involved with the plan to save the Great Zapfish.
Lil Buddy
Lil Buddy makes its debut in Splatoon 3 and is a small-fry Salmonid that we get to have as a follower and weapon in the story mode. Just like our ink- or octolings, we can customize their hair!
DJ Octavio
This angry-looking octopus is a recurring boss enemy in the Splatoon series, using many different weapons and tactics against our inklings. As a DJ, Octavio uses decks to control his attacks, and even dons more bling in the second game – including shutter shades. Octavio is the leader of the enemy Octarians, though he used to be a friend of Cap’n Cuttlefish, no one is too sure what happened there.
Judd and Lil Judd
These two fuzzy guys can be seen on the results screen after matches. Judd, in Splatoon 3, is in the lobby and dispenses tips to the player. Lil’ Judd joined the cast in Splatoon 2 and is allegedly a clone of Judd. Judd himself is around 12,000 years old and was cryogenically frozen before the fall of mankind.
Mr. Grizz
Do you know that bear-shaped talking radio in the Grizzco offices? That’s not actually Mr. Grizz. He’s the CEO of Grizzco Industries and is responsible for sending us to fight waves of Salmonids on the daily.
Spoiler alert – if you haven’t finished Splatoon 3’s story mode, look away now… still here? OK. Mr. Grizz rears his head in ‘Return of the Mammalians’, having created fuzzy Octarians to wreak havoc. We then find out that Grizz is actually a gigantic grizzly bear (hence the name), and launch him into space.
Splatoon’s idols
Squid Sisters – Callie and Marie
Each of Splatoon’s series entries has a musical duo (or trio) that represents the area and provides the Splatcast, and entertainment during Splatfests.
In Splatoon, the ‘Squid Sisters’ Callie and Marie make their debut with clashing pink and green color palettes. The two are actually cousins and are both inklings, and members of the Squidbeak Splatoon. Their names are a play on ‘calamari’.
Off the Hook – Marina and Pearl
As for Splatoon 2’s idols, we got Off the Hook; Marina and Pearl. They featured a mint-green and lighter pink palette and are not related at all. In fact, Marina is an Octoling, and Pearl is an Inkling. Their musical style features rap and hip-hop elements, and they’re back in Splatoon 3 working with Damp Socks to provide more music.
Marina actually used to be part of Dj Octavio’s wasabi supply unit, but changed her side and joined the Squidbeak Splatoon after hearing the Squid Sisters’ music.
Deep Cut – Shiver, Frye and Big Man
Deep Cut made its debut in Splatoon 3 and features Shiver, Frye, and Big Man – the Octoling, Inkling, and Manta Ray. The group’s name is a bit lost in translation; in Japan, it’s “surimi rengo”, which means fish-paste union.
The trio does introduce the existence of more species, namely the rays, which will hopefully be built upon in a DLC down the line.
Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion characters
Iso Padre and C.Q. Cumber
Iso Padre and C.Q. Cumber appear in the Octo Expansion DLC for Splatoon 2. C.Q. Cumber, a sea cucumber with an adorable tiny hat, accompanies you to every stage and takes your payment. Iso Padre is a giant isopod in a business suit that forgot his real name after being on the Deepsea Metro too long. He swaps Mem cakes for rewards.
Splatoon’s shop owners
Annie, Sheldon, Jelonzo, and Crusty Sean
The first cast of characters we meet manning Inkopolis’ stores are Annie, Sheldon, Jelonzo, and Crusty Sean, working at the headgear, weaponry, clothing, and shoe store respectively. Sheldon continues his career through the series and Crusty Sean later moves to man a food truck. Annie also later retreats from her customer-facing role to operate the SplatNet app’s shop.
Splatoon 2 shop owners
Flow, Bisk, and Jelfonzo
Splatoon 2 brings in a new jellyfish for the clothing store, this time named Jelfonzo. Turns out, he split off from Jelonzo one day – so he’s sort of his son, sort of not. Neat, huh?
Flow runs Headspace, the second headgear shop in the franchise, and Bisk takes care of the shoe shop. Bisk, despite his punny name, is actually a spider crab, not a lobster. Because, you know, lobster bisque… I’ll see myself out.
Splatoon 3 shop owners
Mr. Coco, Jel La Fleur, Gnarly Eddy, and Harmony
This brings us to Splatoon 3, which gives us an extra shop for even more retail therapy. First, we’ve got Mr Coco running the Crush Station shoe store, who resembles a gigantic coconut crab. Next up is Jel La Fleur, another jellyfish character in charge of the apparel store – this time, though, he isn’t related to Jelonzo.
We’ve also got Gnarly Eddy, resembling a nautilus shell, at the helm of the Splatsville clothing store Naut Couture. Last but certainly not least is Harmony, a member of the Chirpy Chips band and sort-of manager of Hotlantis – this is the general store in Splatsville, that Harmony accidentally started managing after the real manager disappeared.
Spyke and Murch
Above, you see Spyke, young Murch, and current Murch from left to right. They’re street vendors that can order items from other inklings in the plaza, and get you your items from the SplatNet app. You can also trade your Super Sea Snails to them, and it is supposed that they eat them, given the empty shells next to their spots. Murch takes over the business in Splatoon 2, and Spyke can be seen inside a cafe. They’re both sea urchins. Or, sea Murch-ins, if you will.
Splatoon 3 expansion pass characters
Fred Crumbs, Shelly, and Donny
Splatoon 3 has now expanded beyond the Splatlands – Inkopolis is accessible for us fresh squids to hop into and check out the stores. Above are Shelly and Donny, and Fred Crumbs, the proprietors of the Ammo Knights branch and shoe store. Jelonzo, Annie, and Spyke are back running their businesses too!
For more gaming recommendations, check out our guide to the Genshin Impact TCG, and our picks for the best bunny Pokémon – or deck your PC out with these Animal Crossing wallpapers.
