History Characters / SplatoonPlayableCharacters

The Inklings and Octolings are the main playable races throughout the franchise. Evolving from squids and octopuses long after [[HumanitysWake the doom of man]], these creatures grew into human-like beings who live on Earth as the new dominant species. The player can control one of them and modify their looks before heading off to play friendly turf battles, or go on secret missions.

* UpliftedAnimal: According to [[spoiler:the Alterna logs]], Inklings, Octolings, and most other land-dwelling aquatic life have humans to thank for their sapience: [[spoiler:The mind-reading liquid crystals used to line the "sky" of Alterna alongside the residual feelings of humanity were the trigger that spurred the squid, octopuses, and assorted animals living in Alterna's seas to evolve into more intelligent forms who would develop their own civilizations and cultures. It's also implied that parts of human DNA were also mixed in during the catastrophe that wiped out the last humans, creating a polluted primordial soup that allowed each of those creatures to eventually develop the ability to breathe air and walk on land.]]

* AllWorkVsAllPlay: Inklings are the play, Octolings are the work. Inklings are fashion-obsessed hedonists, where Octolings, like all Octarians, are raised to be soldiers for the Octarian military. As the two cultures mesh, they've started to take on traits of the other side, Inklings developing some form of discipline and becoming more serious and careful, Octolings learning to loosen up and relax.

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: [[spoiler:Despite the BonusBoss fight seemingly taking place during the Calamari Inkantation "concert" at the time of the first game, Agent 3 still only uses specials from ''2'' (alongside Autobombs), even though a Sunken Scroll indicates that the new specials wouldn't exist until after that day since they were made after all previous specials were hit with a factory recall. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], however, in that said fight is a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind for Agent 8.]]

* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: The first ''Splatoon'' had you play as Agent 3, with them returning as an important story NPC in later entries. In ''VideoGame/Splatoon2: [[DownloadableContent Octo Expansion]]'', [[spoiler:they appear in a BigDamnHeroes moment near the end of the campaign. Shortly thereafter, they must be fought as the penultimate boss when they become BrainwashedAndCrazy. Later on, they serve as an {{SNK|Boss}} BonusBoss who can be fought upon [[GottaCatchThemAll collecting all of the mem cakes]].]] In ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'', they have ascended to the rank of the New Squidbeak Splatoon's new commander, complete with CommissarCap, coinciding with Cap'n Cuttlefish's retirement.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: They can do different victory emotes in ''Splatoon 3''... provided that they level up their catalog or gamble away their hard-earned cash at the Shell-Out Machine to unlock a new pose. What's stranger is that they can do these poses already when taking pictures with amiibo figures.

* YouHaveResearchedBreathing: They can do different victory emotes in ''Splatoon 3''... provided that they level up their catalog to unlock a new pose. What's stranger is that they can do these poses already when taking pictures with amiibo figures.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: The Friendship Bracelet gear allows Inklings and Octolings to go barefoot into matches (despite its name, it's worn around the ankle)

* MagicPants: [[spoiler:Transforming into Hugefry turns it into a less anthropomorphic titan of a Salmon, but its pants still manage to survive.

** It also seems to be a fan of the Squid Sisters. One of its spots in Inkopolis where it can be found is in front of the building they sit in, hanging out on the railing while facing them. It could be because it recognizes them from Alterna, but it doesn't extend this to Deep Cut in Splatsville

* MagicPants: [[spoiler:Transforming into Hugefry turns it into a less anthropomorphic titan of a Salmon, but it's pants still manage to survive.

* FishEyes: Like it's fellow Salmonids, it's huge, bulbous eyes keep them from being properly alligned. Even when it's not in the usual hyper-active state regular Smallfry are known for, they never really allign, often giving it a vacant-eyed expression.

* BloodKnight: Inklings mainly care about two things; fashion and ink-based warfare. Octolings have pretty much adopted this line of thinking with their integration into Inkadian/Greater Inkopolis society, and both species have ''always'' been like this in the Splatlands. When the collective reaction to a Big Run (aka the Salmonids invading the land, which is implied to have previously been a ''virtually apocalyptic scenerio'') seems to be less "horror and panic" and more "heck yeah ''let's beat up some ork fish''", you ''know'' Inklings and Octolings are this.

* DeathIsCheap: In-Universe, "splatting" is a thing that can occur, wherein the body of the Inkling or Octoling bursts upon damage (''or dissolves, as in water'') and frees up a small spirit in the shape of their respective creature to return to a safe point of respawn. It ultimately isn't regarded as anything too serious, though later entries and elaborations introduce ways of death or destruction that ''can'' stick for them. The implication is mainly the availability of some kind of respawn point that's powered and properly working that allows Inklings or Octolings to respawn.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler:It turns into the massive Hugefry, but only during the second half of the final battle against Mr. Grizz.]]

* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Can shift at will between cephalopod form and humanoid form. Downplayed with their retention of cephalopod's general color changing abilities playing into CharacterCustomization.

* EleventhHourSuperpower: [[spoiler:It turns into the massive Hugefry, but only during the second half of the final battle against Mr. Grizz.]]
* ActionPet: Smallfry accompanies New Agent 3 into battle, and can be thrown like a bomb into enemies and obstacles, as well as clean up the hazardous Fuzzy Ooze. [[spoiler:In the final battle, they even transform into a giant Salmonid monster to battle Mr. Grizz.]]

* ContraltoOfDanger: The female voice is noticeably lower than the female Inkling's iconic high-pitched voice to better fit the Octoling's serious demeanor.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Any Inkling or Octoling partaking in Salmon Run job shifts [[spoiler:have been unwittingly helping Mr. Grizz create a planet's worth of Fuzzy Ooze supply, and Mr. Grizz intends to use that Fuzzy Ooze to end the world as they know it in a Hairmageddon[[note]]Don't call it "Hairmageddon". HR doesn't like it.[[/note]] event]].

** Their legwear is subject to this. In the first game, the only legwear option has the girls' shorts being shorter than boys. ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'' introduces new legwear options, but most of them are gender-locked, with the only shared option being the leggings. Heavily downplayed in ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'', where while most returning and new legwear options can now be accessed regardless of [[GenderNeutralWriting style]], the first legwear option[[note]]The aforementioned legwear option introduced in the first game, colloquially called "Classic Shorts"[[/note]] is still being shorter on feminine styles.

* GenderNeutralWriting: In ''Octo Expansion'', Agent 3 is referred to as "they" even after being customized.

* BadassBaritone: The male voice is much deeper and quieter than a regular male Inkling's voice, fitting to the Octoling's serious demeanor.

* DeathIsCheap: In-Universe, "splatting" is a thing that can occur, wherein the body of the Inkling or Octoling bursts upon damage (''or dissolves, as in water'') and frees up a small spirit in the shape of their respective creature to return to a safe point of respawn. It ultimately isn't regarded as anything too serious, though later entries and elaborations introduce ways of death or destruction that ''can'' stick for them. The implication is mainly the availability of some kind of respawn point that's powered and properly working.

* DeathIsCheap: In-Universe, "splatting" is a thing that can occur, wherein the body of the Inkling or Octoling bursts upon damage (''or dissolves, as in water'') and frees up a small spirit in the shape of their respective creature to return to a safe point of respawn. It ultimately isn't regarded as anything too serious, though later entries and elaborations introduce ways of death or destruction that ''can'' stick for them.

* BloodKnight: Inklings mainly care about two things; fashion and ink-based warfare. Octolings have pretty adopted this line of thinking with their integration into Inkadian/Greater Inkopolis society, and both species have ''always'' been like this in the Splatlands. When the collective reaction to a Big Run (aka the Salmonids invading the land, which is implied to have previously been a ''virtually apocalyptic scenerio'') seems to be less "horror and panic" and more "heck yeah ''let's beat up some ork fish''", you ''know'' Inklings and Octolings are this.

* BloodKnight: They mainly care about two things; fashion and ink-based warfare.