Inkling
Inklings are protagonists from the Splatoon series who also make some appearances in crossover games. They are a race of humanoids that can turn into squids, the color of which is based on their hair/tentacle color. Inklings live in Inkopolis, where they participate in Turf Wars in which they attempt to claim as much area as possible by covering it with their ink, along with other sports and activities such as Splatfests and Salmon Run. They also speak in a made-up language known as the Inkling language.
History
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Inklings make an appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as downloadable costumes for the Mii Fighters, which were released on June 14, 2015. The Mii Gunners can wear an Inkling Outfit which changes design based on the gender of the Mii, while any Mii Fighter can wear the Inkling Wig or the Inkling Squid Hat, the former of which also changes by the gender. A trophy of the Inkling Girl can be unlocked in both versions after players download the Inkling Outfit.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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- SmashWiki article: Inkling (SSBU)
The Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy appear as fully unlockable playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Inklings were first implied to appear in the game through a teaser trailer shown in the March 2018 Nintendo Direct following information about Splatoon 2. The trailer is based on the Splatoon reveal trailer from E3 2014; it shows both the Inkling Girl and Boy fighting each other until the background fades to black, when the Super Smash Bros. symbol can be seen reflected on the female Inkling's eye. Inklings were officially announced during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct alongside Daisy and Ridley.
Inklings use a variety of weapons from the Splatoon games as part of their moveset, including the Splattershot as their main weapon, the Inkbrush for their forward smash, the Blaster for their up smash, the Slosher for their down smash, the Splat Bomb, the Splat Roller, and the Killer Wail for their Final Smash. When an opponent is covered in ink, they take more damage from attacks. Inklings can also run out of ink, and a gauge showing how much ink is left is displayed next to the Inkling's profile. To refill, the player must press while shielding. The ink refills at the normal rate even while the Inkling is not standing on their ink, unlike in the original Splatoon games. The player can also play as a yellow, pink, or purple female Inkling, or a green, cyan, or dark-blue male Inkling, each wearing different accessories. Like in the original games, the ink's color corresponds to that of the Inkling. Due to being unable to swim at all in their home games, Inklings take minor damage from swimming in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; this trait is not exclusive to them, as veterans Sonic the Hedgehog and Charizard and fellow newcomer Incineroar share this perk.
Additionally, the Squid Sisters, consisting of Callie and Marie, collectively make an appearance as an Assist Trophy. When they are summoned, they appear in the middle of the stage (teleporting if not there already), and perform a live concert. As they are performing, the camera zooms in on them, and the blast lines get smaller and smaller (in a similar manner to Sudden Death in the same game), making it easier for players to be KO'd. Once the song finishes, the duo disappears, and the camera returns to normal.
In the Adventure mode, both the Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy are present when the fighters oppose Galeem for the first time. They both attempt to hide in ink when Galeem's beams of light are launched, but are both hit by one of the beams and imprisoned in the World of Light. The Inkling Puppet Fighter is eventually defeated by Kirby's team, and both Inklings join the team against Galeem and Dharkon afterwards.
Inkling is a middleweight fighter, being lighter than Roy, Pac-Man, Robin, and Chrom but heavier than Joker, while having the same weight as Ness, Lucas, and Mii Brawler.
Classic Mode route
All opponents in Inkling's Classic Mode route use an alternate costume matching the color scheme of the stage, similar to the concept of Turf War in their home series.
| An Inkredible Journey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Opponent(s) | Stage | Song | |
| 1 | Lucario (green costume), Sheik (green costume) | Yoshi's Island (Melee) | Splattack! (original) | |
| 2 | Greninja (pink costume) | Magicant | Ink or Sink | |
| 3 | Wario (red overalls), Duck Hunt (red duck) | Norfair | Metalopod | |
| 4 | Giant Yoshi (light-blue) | Summit | Seaskape | |
| 5 | Shulk (purple costume), Ness (Mr. Saturn costume), Mewtwo (dark costume) | Fountain of Dreams | Kraken Up | |
| 6 | Inkling Girl (yellow costume), Inkling Boy (green costume) (*) | Moray Towers (Splatfest) | Ink Me Up | |
| Final | Marx | Calamari Inkantation | ||
(*) - Orange Inkling girl or blue Inkling boy takes their place if the player is playing as either of said costume.
Special moves
Splattershot
- SmashWiki article: Splattershot
Splattershot is the Inkling's standard special move. When used, Inkling rapidly fires ink from the Splattershot, covering the opponent in ink. The move has very small damage, but will cause hitstun at very close range. If the opponent is further away, the attack will only push them away. Tilting up or down adjusts the angle of the attack. If the ink tank goes below the labeled line, the damage and range will decrease. If this move is used when the ink tank is empty, Inkling will recharge ink instead.
Splat Roller
- SmashWiki article: Splat Roller
Splat Roller is the Inkling's side special move. When used, Inkling takes out the Splat Roller and begins to slide it forward. This will cover the ground in ink which slows down opponents. If an opponent that is standing on the ground gets hit by the Splat Roller, the opponent will get buried and covered by ink. If the opponent is already buried or Inkling is airborne, the move will launch the opponent instead. If this move is used when the ink tank is empty, Inkling will move a lot slower and the move will not deal damage.
Super Jump
- SmashWiki article: Super Jump
Super Jump is the Inkling's up special move. When used, Inkling jumps high into the air in squid form. The move deals damage on startup and landing, and can be angled left or right. It is the only move that can cover the opponent in ink when the ink tank is empty.
Splat Bomb
- SmashWiki article: Splat Bomb
Splat Bomb is the Inkling's down special move. When used, Inkling throws a Splat Bomb forward. It will explode on contact or after a set time, covering opponents in ink. The distance, amount of ink, and damage depend on how long the player holds the button. If the ink tank is below the labeled line (but not empty), the Inkling will not be able to throw the Splat Bomb, but will look back at the ink tank worriedly. If this move is used when the ink tank is empty, Inkling will recharge ink.
Final Smash
Killer Wail
- SmashWiki article: Killer Wail
Killer Wail is the Inkling's Final Smash. The Inkling sets up the Killer Wail, which fires damaging sound waves. After a while, sound waves are replaced with ink, covering opponents. The angle can be adjusted up or down. The player also has full control of Inkling while Killer Wail is active, so the player can move away from the Killer Wail. The final hit has KO potential.
Super Mario Maker
Inklings appear as one of Mario's costumes in Super Mario Maker. There are three types of Inkling costumes: Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Inkling Squid, the latter of which can assume humanoid form by holding up on a control stick. Along with being unlocked by scanning their respective amiibo, these costumes can be unlocked randomly by completing the 100 Mario Challenge. Yuki Tsuji resprises his roles as those three Inklings, but with recycled recordings from Splatoon.
The Squid Sisters also from Splatoon, consisting of Callie and Marie, make an appearance in this game as costumes for Mario.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Inklings appear as playable characters in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, marking their first appearance in the Mario Kart series. Players can select both the male and female versions of Inklings (this game classifies them as separate characters with different statistics), as well as a variety of different colors like the multicolored Yoshis and Shy Guys; coincidentally, most of the palettes share colors with their amiibo, with the exception of the cyan Inkling Boy. Inklings are the 200cc staff ghosts for Excitebike Arena and Dragon Driftway. The Inkling Girl is the staff ghost for Excitebike Arena, and the purple Inkling Boy is the staff ghost for Dragon Driftway. The color variations of Inklings cannot be used by the CPU drivers. If an Inkling is a CPU racer, they will usually ride the Splat Buggy or Inkstriker with the Standard tires, though can sometimes ride the Standard Kart with Standard tires or the Standard Bike with Monster tires.
They are equipped with their Splattershots and can turn into their squid form when performing a Trick or using the Feather. They come with their own themed battle course called Urchin Underpass, and have signature ATV bodies, the Inkstriker and the Splat Buggy; both vehicles are unique in that they spray colored ink from the exhaust pipes when getting a speed boost, instead of normal flames. Their kart symbol is an Inkling Squid in the color of the character. Both are medium weight characters; the girl is in the same subset as Cat Peach and the female Villager, while the boy is in the same subset as Tanooki Mario and the male Villager. Despite Splatoon showing that Inklings are defeated as soon as they land in water, Inklings are capable of remaining underwater in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The Inkling's Standard Kart and Super Glider designs have ink splatter on them.
One of Inkling Girl's animations was originally considered by some to resemble an obscene gesture; it was later modified in Ver. 1.1.0.
Orange Inkling Girl
Lime Inkling Girl
Magenta Inkling Girl
Blue Inkling Boy
Purple Inkling Boy
Cyan Inkling Boy
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophy
| Name | 3DS Image | Wii U Image | Appears in | American English description | British English description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkling | 
|
|
Wii U Splatoon (05/2015) | Meet the Inklings, a mysterious race of beings that can transform into squid at will! They like to octopi their time with frantic, multicolored turf wars, and they won’t miss out on any oppor-tuna-ty to get to the top. And we wouldn’t go so far as to call them cod’s gift to fashion, but check out that fresh style! | Meet the Inklings, a mysterious race of squid that can take a humanoid form at will. They like to octopi their time with frantic, multi-colored turf wars between rivals, and they won't miss out on any oppor-tuna-ty to get to the top! And we wouldn't go so far as to call them cod's gift to fashion, but check out that style! |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Palutena's Guidance
- Pit: Uh, are you guys seeing this? This girl/guy can transform herself/himself into an octopus!
- Palutena: A squid, actually. This curious lifeform is an Inkling. They're squids who evolved to shapeshift into human form.
- Viridi: Inklings rose to power 12,000 years after mammals went extinct.
- Pit: EXTINCT?!
- Viridi: Yep. The monkeys were eradicated! BOOYAH!
- Pit: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a second! If I'm fighting against an Inkling, then... WHAT YEAR IS IT RIGHT NOW?!
- Palutena: Don't think about it too hard, Pit. It'll just make your brain sweat.
- Pit: Twelve thousand years of missed meals? Aw man...
- Palutena: Focus, Pit. If an Inkling hits you with an ink attack, you'll take extra damage until the ink evaporates. However, Inklings can't use ink attacks if their Ink Tank is empty. That's the time to strike!
amiibo
- Inkling Boy (Splatoon): Inkling boys hail from the city of Inkopolis in the Splatoon™ game. They crave team-based competition and love to customize their gear before participating in the hottest sport in town, Turf War! Their hobbies include making messes, rocking the latest fashions, dancing, and spoiling the nefarious plans of their evil octopus archrivals, the Octarians! Like a boss!
- Inkling Girl (Splatoon / Super Smash Bros.): Inkling girls hail from the city of Inkopolis in the Splatoon™ game. They crave team-based competition and love to customize their gear before participating in the hottest sport in town, Turf War! Their hobbies include making messes, rocking the latest fashions, dancing, and spoiling the nefarious plans of their evil octopus archrivals, the Octarians! For realsies!
- Inkling Squid (Splatoon): In the Splatoon™ game, the main characters, Inklings, can instantly transform into squids! We're not sure what marvel of anatomy allows them to perform this majestic feat, but it sure is sweet. In squid form, Inklings can swim in any surface they've splattered with ink, even up walls! They can also hide from opponents by submerging in ink and keeping still. How cool is that?
Gallery
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe artwork of Inkling Girl using the Blooper item in Balloon Battle
Inkling Boy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Inkling Girl using the Splat Roller in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | インクリング Inkuringu |
Inkling |
| Chinese | 女孩 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female) Nǚhái 男孩 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male) Nánhái Inkling (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) |
Girl Boy |
| Dutch | Inkling (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) Inkling-meisje (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female) Inkling-jongen (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male) |
Inkling Girl Inkling Boy |
| German | Inkling (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) Inkling-Mädchen (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female) Inkling-Junge (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male) |
Inkling Girl Inkling Boy |
| Italian | Ragazza Inkling (if female) Ragazzo Inkling (if male) |
Girl Inkling Boy Inkling |
| Korean | 잉클링 Ingkeulling |
Inkling |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Rapariga Inkling (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female) Rapaz Inkling (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male) |
Girl Inkling Boy Inkling |
| Russian | Инклинг Inkling |
Inkling |
| Spanish | Inkling chica (if female) Inkling chico (if male) |
Inkling Girl Inkling Boy |
- Cephalopods
- Children
- Characters from other Nintendo games
- Unlockable Characters
- Splatoon Series
- Super Mario Maker Costumes
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Characters
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Trophies
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Spirits
- Super Smash Bros. amiibo Line
