Every New Boss & Enemy In Splatoon 3 From February Direct

The new February Nintendo Direct came with trailers for new games to be released in 2022, one of them being the latest Splatoon game, Splatoon 3 – Salmon Run Next Wave, along with the bosses and enemies that fans can expect from it. The trailer showcased a new iteration of the series, one that shifts the title of antagonist away from Octolings and to a new, scalier foe, the Salmonids. A lot about them is unknown for now, but what is known is that players will have to ink or get inked in the next game.

In the world of Splatoon, Inklings and Octarians are locked in a vicious yet colorful war. The series is focused on online play, so the story tends to get glossed over, but the fact remains that the Octarians and the Octolings have been the main enemies in the games’ story mode. Splatoon 3‘s trailer showed a new location and new enemies that are a far cry from what fans are used to from Splatoon games in the February Direct. Most of their names and lore are unknown, but fans are already looking forward to splatting them when the game comes out in Summer 2022.

Among the new Salmonid enemies and bosses, there are simple foot soldiers, larger brutish foes, giant bombers, flying egg carriers, offshore metal towers that spew fountains of ink, the immobile Fish Stick, the flipping Flipper-Flopper, and a mysterious big boss. Aside from some of the bosses, their names aren’t known, but as more information comes out, fans will likely become even more hyped to splat them. Hopefully, these new enemies will also be accompanied by new features that will make Splatoon 3 better than its predecessors.

Splatoon 3’s New Enemies – Salmonid Foot Soldiers

In Splatoon 3, it would appear that the series is shifting away from Octarians in order to introduce a new enemy, the Salmonids. Not much is known about them for now, except that they’re slimy, scaly, and ready to splat the iconic Inklings. There appear to be two basic types; smaller foot soldiers that will likely serve as cannon fodder, and larger ones that look like they’ll act as tanks in order to soak up damage and keep players’ attention away from the real threats.

Splatoon 3 Will Feature Bomber Enemies

Another new enemy is one that shoots large globs of ink to cover a wide area. Its name isn’t known, like many, but it looks to be a formidable foe. Players will have to be light on their feet not to get caught in this enemy’s large AOE attack. Splatoon‘s squids don’t have a lot in common with the Salmonids, but this one looks even farther-removed than most.

It would appear that this enemy will be a slow-moving bomber, aiming to cover as much surface area as possible in a small amount of time. It may take on the role of a glass cannon, dealing devastating attacks but lasting only a short time before falling. If so, players will have to keep a sharp watch out for this Salmonid when it appears, and act quickly when it does in order to keep it from turning the tides of the battle in the enemies’ favor.

Splatoon 3’s New Flying Egg Carrier Enemy

One of Splatoon 3‘s new enemies appears to take “flying fish” to the next level, as it flies above the map with a group of eggs. Capturing these eggs appear to be the main goal of the game so far, so this appears to be a high-value enemy. Splatoon‘s Inklings might not start out fighting this foe, as it might come later in a game session when there’s more pressure to retrieve eggs. Whether or not it steals eggs or just flies about with them for players to retrieve is unknown, though the former seems likely. It may not even do any damage, serving more as an annoyance and hindering players’ progress instead of inking up the battlefield.

Splatoon 3’s Salmonids – Tower Fountain

Another of the enemies showcased in the February Direct trailer is a Salmonid that appears to be an armored tower. It appears offshore, on the edge of the battlefield, and sprays a stream of ink onto the terrain. It would appear that it’s designed to spray the battlefield with ink in order to inhibit players’ movements in Splatoon 3, but other than that, not much is known about it.

Splatoon 3’s Boss – The Fish Stick

The Fish Stick is one of the bosses showcased in Splatoon 3‘s trailer, and one of two enemies that were given a proper name. It’s an immobile tower with a group of smaller Salmonids flying above it, all of which drop globs of ink onto the battlefield. It’s unknown what its purpose in battle is, but the trailer shows the best strategy for defeating it.

Players will have to spray ink on one side of the Fish Stick’s main tower, then climb up and shoot the orbiting Salmonids. Whether or not the tower itself will remain afterward is currently unknown, but it is certainly possible. If Splatoon 3‘s online mimics the industry standards, then hopefully players won’t have to stick to a schedule to fight the Fish Stick and the rest of the Salmonids. This may be another hindrance enemy whose purpose is more to distract than to damage, as it may cut off players’ routes for retrieving eggs.

Splatoon 3’s New Bosses – The Flipper-Flopper

The Flipper-Flopper is another boss and another named enemy in Splatoon 3. It’s shown using a ring of ink to trap players, and then slam down on them for a devastating attack. Like the Fish Stick, however, the trailer also shows how to deal with it. All players have to do is ink the space where it’s going to slam down, and the Flipper-Flopper will live up to its name and flop around helplessly, giving them the perfect opportunity to splat it off the map.

Splatoon 3’s Big Boss Salmonid

The final enemy shown is the only one not to engage in battle with the players in the trailer. Splatoon 3‘s post-apocalyptic plot and story may heavily feature this enemy, a massive Salmonid shown only at the very end. Its name is unknown, but based on its size and its portrayal at the end of the trailer, it might just be the big boss of the game. It’s too soon to say how important it is to the game’s main story, but if this isn’t the primary antagonist, then players should prepare for an even worse one, which is daunting in and of itself.

How the giant Salmonid would factor into the online matches is also unknown. Its size makes it likely to be a big boss, showing up at the very end of a game and requiring players to focus all of their energy on it just to stay alive. This behemoth of a foe could be one of the strongest and deadliest new enemies in Splatoon 3 – as well as the Splatoon series – and give even players who have been with the games since the beginning a run for their money.

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