History Characters / SplatoonSalmonids

** With the Octarians no longer being antagonists, the Salmonids are filling this role for Inkopolis and Splatsville. The salmonids are now actively invading the cities territories in order to take it for themselves as a response to the recent uptick in cephalopods joining Grizzco. In fact, [[https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/File:Golden_egg_and_inklings_relic.png a mural located in Shellendorf Institute]] strongly implies that Inklings have been harvesting Golden Eggs since ancient times.

* LongRangeFighter: As snipers, Stingers prefer fighting at a distance, and indeed they prioritize targeting the furthest Inkling or Octoling from their position. They can target any player anywhere on the stage. As a result they can be a frustrating enemy to deal with, especially if there's a bunch of other Salmonids in the way between you and the Stinger, but inversely this also means they're far easier to deal with during Hide Tide, as they're forced to set up their position much closer to the basket and are much easier pickings for players to deal with before they become a potential problem, since they're ''always'' vulnerable to normal weaponry.

* OhCrap: They will ''immediately panic'' if a player is knocking down their pots, especially if they're very close to the bottom. This is indicated by them making panicked alert noises while flailing about. They also stop firing when this happens.

* LongRangeFighter: As snipers, Stingers prefer fighting at a distance, and indeed they prioritize targeting the furthest Inkling or Octoling from their position.

* NoFairCheating: If you attempt to stay on it after it rises up (a position where basically no Salmonid can reach you), the pilot will eventually pull out a large ladle and perform a 360 degree attack, knocking you off.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: They can be likened to certain First Nations cultures based in the American northwest coast. Their illustrations that feature on certain maps bear resemblance to the style used in NWC art, and their beliefs of existing to be eaten parallels traditional NWC beliefs that hunted animals give themselves up to be consumed.

** Despite its usefulness as a vantage point for Chargers and Splatlings, the pole is not fully safe from danger, as the small space can make you a perfect target for Jaws, Stingers or Flyfishes.

* CherryTapping: Like the Sprinkler sub weapon, the Fish Stick's bullets deal very little damage, and they're very small, too, which makes it less likely for them to hit you. Under normal circumstances, this is not enough to splat you on its own, but running into it after a run in with other Salmonids, coupled with some bad luck, [[https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/File:S3_Splatted_by_Fish_Stick.jpg can do you in if you're not careful]].

* CherryTapping: Like the Sprinkler Sub-Weapon, the Fish Stick's bullets deal very small amounts of damage. Normally not enough to splat you on its own, but running into it after a run in with other Salmonids can do you in if you're not careful.

* AwesomeButImpractical: The Fish Stick can't be destroyed once it's been planted, but it ''can'' if you shoot all of the Smallfry before they can land it. It'll fall to the ground and break apart, which looks cool... but you also lose out on a potential vantage point and/or escape route that you can use. But it's not like the pole is fully safe, as the small space can make you a perfect target for Jaws, Stingers or Flyfishes.

* AwesomeButImpractical: The Fish Stick can't be destroyed once it's been planted, but it ''can'' if you shoot all of the Smallfry before they can land it. It'll fall to the ground and break apart, which looks cool... but you also lose out on a potential vantage point and/or escape route that you can use.

* LastDitchMove: When it's knocked back after its second attempt at going for the egg basket, it will release a large group of Chinooks before going down. Managing to splat them can net you several Golden Eggs landing close to the egg basket.

* LastDitchMove: When it's knocked back after its second attempt at going for the egg basket, it will release a large group of Chinooks before going down. Managing to splat them can net you several goledn eggs landing close to the egg basket.

!The Salmonids

[[folder:Chums, Smallfries and Cohocks]]

Mutant salmon residing in an isolated coastal region near Inkopolis, their eggs are prized by Inklings and Octarians alike. However, they are highly aggressive and will fight to the death to protect their Golden Eggs from Grizzco's part-time employees.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: The only time a Steel Eal will give up on a target is if they stand on the elevators in Marooner's Bay, as them suddenly rising with only part of the Steel Eal on them would likely break the machines.

* FriendlyFireproof: Most Salmonids cannot hurt each other with their attacks, with two [[AvertedTrope exceptions]]: a Steelhead's [[DefeatEqualsExplosion death-blast]] and a Slammin' Lid squashing any Salmonids beneath it when it tries to flatten a player underneath.

* DamageSpongeBoss: Subverted. Horrorboros is tankier than Cohozuna by a wide margin. Cohozuna has, at maximum, 40,000HP. Horrorboros? ''55,000.'' However, unlike it's smaller, chubbier fellow king, Horrorboros has a weak point that can be exploited to cause massive damage, and with proper aim and teamwork, it can actually be faster to down it in practice.

** A Maws makes a sound akin to waves crashing as it swims. The sound is most audible, however, to the player it's locked onto, meaning if you hear it, it's coming for you.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Unlike the Octarians, who were established as morally grey even before being PromotedToPlayable, the lore makes no bones about the Salmonids being highly aggressive creatures with no compunctions about supping on delicious Inkling and Octoling flesh, making them the nearest thing the setting has to classic "orcs". Even the highly intelligent Goldies can fall into a mindless, bloodthirsty frenzy under certain conditions. Though this is subverted in ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'', where it's shown that the player character gets a Smallfry companion that displays no animosity to anyone or anything.

* AmbiguouslyEvil: The Salmonids are aggressive, known to ally with Octarians for weapons and technology, and have been associated with signs of the apocalypse by Inkling-kind, but their attack on Grizz Co. employees has a rather justifiable angle in that said parties are invading their territory and stealing their Golden Eggs -- made only more pronounced by the fact that, in-universe, their territories are openly known to be restricted waters and Inklings are ''not'' permitted legally to be there. That ''Splatoon 3'' shows friendships with Inklings and Octolings may be formed under particular circumstances only throws further scrutiny on the issue.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: While the designs of ''Splatoon's'' marine life society oscillates between LittleBitBeastly and CivilizedAnimal, Salmonids land firmly in the latter area, being animalistic creatures with a complex society and culture. Grizz Co, and seemingly Inkopolis overall, treat them as mindless animals that leave nothing but death and destruction in their wake, and show little restraint in invading their territories to steal their resources for themselves. Admittedly, it's not an unjustified stance given their role in causing the fall of many cities, but their trade deal with the Octarians, and New Agent Three's relationship with Little Buddy, shows that they ''can'' be reasoned with, to a degree.

* OneHitPolykill: Charger users can snipe through a line of lesser Salmonids to take out a small chunk in one blast. The Bamboozler loses out on this bonus due to its faster charge time.

** By ''VideoGame/Splatoon3'', the Squid Research Lab has begun studying the newly discovered friendship between Inklings and Salmonids, or at least the Small Fry. The introduction sees the player accompanied by their "little buddy," who loyally follows them around. These same Inklings and Octolings still engage in Salmon Run, however.

** In addition to the detailed First Nations-inspired stencils seen in other maps, the Lost Outpost map is covered in child-like doodles of Steel Eel, Small Fry, and bizarre depictions of Inklings. This implies that not only are Salmonids capable of expressing themselves creatively but that the wall art seen in other stages are painted by Salmonids as well.

!!!Introduced in ''Splatoon 2''

!!!Introduced in ''Splatoon 3''