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The Octarians (オクタリアン) are a race of octopus creatures ruled by DJ Octavio, and the main antagonistic species of the Hero Mode in the Splatoon series. They reside in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon and are responsible for stealing Zapfish and the Great Zapfish from Inkopolis. Their main ink color is purple or magenta. At one point the Octarians were a neutral species coexisting with Inklings, but this ended as a result of conflicting interests of territory that lead to the beginning of the Great Turf War, in which the Octarians lost.

Unlike Inklings, the species includes a great number of sub-species that act differently from each other (ie: Octolings). Like Inklings, certain Octarians can switch between mollusk form and humanoid form at will (ie: Elite Octolings).

Appearance[]

Octarians usually resemble tentacles rather than full octopuses. They are red and cream colored, with their suckers present on the red side of their bodies, googly yellow eyes, purple lips, and tiny legs in black boots. They come in a variety of forms, and the line is often blurry when it comes to what is an Octarian and what is mechanical, suggesting they may use some manner of biotechnology.

History[]

Octarians are an animal species which evolved from octopuses after the start of the Mollusc Era. Like Inklings, Octarians are ink-based creatures and are implied to not be able to live underwater due to their historical fight with Inklings over the remaining land. Before that, they used to have a friendly relationship with the Inklings but rising sea levels caused the two species to engage in a war called the Great Turf War. The war took place 100 years before the events of Splatoon, where the Inklings emerged victorious, which forced the Octarians to retreat and live in underground domes located in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon. While the length of the battle is unknown, it is revealed that it at least lasted over a year based on the date of a photo taken during the war.

During the war, the Octarians used technology such as the Great Octoweapons, which seemed to be more advanced than the Inklings, who were depicted as using Bamboozlers. The Sunken Scrolls state that the Octarians were winning the war, but lost momentum due to the Great Octoweapons being turned off by being removed from their plug. Another Sunken Scroll states that it was the Inklings' superior number of limbs that led them to victory. It is unknown whether either of these statements could be propaganda by one or the other faction.

The Inklings had a fighting force called the Squidbeak Splatoon which was led by Cap'n Craig Cuttlefish. While the Squidbeak Splatoon ceased to be, Cuttlefish continued looking out for the Octarians after their defeat, where he has a cabin in Octo Valley and Octo Canyon as a lookout.

Splatoon[]

The Octarian Domes had been losing energy during the course of Splatoon, which may have caused some of them to no longer be habitable as suggested by the comic in The Art of Splatoon. DJ Octavio, who had been around for and partook in the Great Turf War, currently leads the Octarians and possibly planned to revenge against the Inklings and take the land back that they lost in the war. The Octarians stole the Great Zapfish, which helps power Inkopolis, and used it to power DJ Octavio's Great Octoweapon while using other Zapfish to power the rest of the facilities and bosses. Octarians also invaded Inkopolis, as evidenced by the missions that take place in Inkopolis during evening and nighttime, presumably while Inklings or other residents are not around.

To deal with this, Cap'n Cuttlefish started the New Squidbeak Splatoon, which consists of his granddaughters Callie and Marie as Agents 1 and 2, and recruits an additional member known as Agent 3 to rescue the Great Zapfish and stop DJ Octavio's plans. Agent 3 navigated through the Octo Valley domes and confronted DJ Octavio in a final battle. In this battle, DJ Octavio used the Octobot King weapon, and during the battle, the Squid Sisters managed to hijack his music and play the Calamari Inkantation. While not visible in the game, several Octarians were said to be spectating the battle, where this performance is said to have changed their lives. Even DJ Octavio is seen dancing to the song before he is defeated by Agent 3 and imprisoned in a snow globe.

Splatoon 2[]

During the events leading up to Splatoon 2, the Octarians managed to brainwash Callie by equipping her with a pair of hypnoshades and freed DJ Octavio. The Octarians stole the Great Zapfish again and rebuilt some of the Great Octoweapons, as well as employing Octobosses now stationed in Octo Canyon. While Callie was brainwashed, it was implied that she helped decorate Octo Canyon after deeming it ugly. She can also be heard singing in the background music present at the Octo Canyon domes, where these vocals are reversed versions of her existing work. Cap'n Cuttlefish had gone on a research trip with Agent 3, so Marie took on the role to look over the Octarians while they are gone and recruited Agent 4 to help get the Great Zapfish back and rescue Callie. The final battle is staged like a concert, with multiple Octarians watching as an audience around an arena, where DJ Octavio used the Octobot King II to fight Agent 4. DJ Octavio is seen playing on the turntables with wasabi sticks while Callie stands on the upper part of the machine, singing and dancing. After they defeat DJ Octavio, he is again imprisoned in a snow globe, which is stationed in Tentakeel Outpost by the cabin.

Octo Expansion[]

The events of the Octo Expansion reveal that several Octarians, or at least Octolings, have had their "souls freed" by hearing the Calamari Inkantation from the fight Agent 3 had against DJ Octavio. Many of these Octolings defected and found their way to Inkopolis, where they have integrated themselves to live among the Inklings.

It is also shown that many Octarians had been kidnapped and taken to another underground facility located under the sea, which belongs to Kamabo Corporation. These Octarians underwent several tests with the premise that they will return to the surface if they succeed. These tests served to select out the best genes, where the successful test subjects get tricked into building a machine that blends them alive into a paste of supreme DNA. Other Octarians get Sanitized, which is a state reminiscent of zombie where they lose their sense of self and free will, and default to follow commands. They are also implied to be dead, as Marina states that they show no pulse or signs of life. Commander Tartar is responsible for this plot, who is an AI made by a professor to pass on humanity's knowledge to the next intelligent lifeform. The AI changed its mind as it was disgusted by the senseless wars between Octarians and Inklings, despite their minor genetic differences, as well as their lifestyles.

Agent 8 is one of the Octolings who ended up in the facility and lost their memories. They are revealed to be test subject number 10,008, which suggests that there may have been 10,007 other test subjects in the facility. Given that only Octarians were sanitized and Octarian technology was frequently used for the tests, it is possible that most test subjects were Octarian. This is further hinted by Commander Tartar's animosity towards specifically Inklings and Octarians, and that the Denizens of the deep are explained to not necessarily be test subjects. Sanitized versions of the Octobosses that Agent 4 fought in Octo Canyon are also present in the testing facilities.

Agent 8 is an Octoling who had their "soul freed" after listening to Calamari Inkantation. This song is also one of the first things they remember after losing their memory as well as motivating them to reach Inkopolis. They manage to escape the facility with the help of Off the Hook and help defend Inkopolis and the world from being destroyed. While being stuck underground in the facility, it is possible to read Agent 8's thoughts on the Octarians and their previous life in the army, as well as Marina's worry about being revealed to be an Octoling who also worked for the army. Cap'n Cuttlefish was apprehensive of the defected Octarians at first but showed support over the course of the Octo Expansion.

The Inklings in Inkopolis are said to be unaware that Octolings are Octarians, and instead, assume that they are Inklings with weird hairstyles. This is attributed to the Inklings' laid-back and inattentive lifestyle. It is revealed that Inklings do learn about Octarians and their army in schools, and Pearl did recognize the Sanitized Octarians as Octarians, which may imply that descriptions or depictions of Octolings are absent in Inkling school curriculum for Inklings not to notice.

Splatoon 3[]

Octarians are back again in Splatoon 3, this time possessed by Fuzzy Ooze. DJ Octavio is initially assumed to have been involved in the theft of the Great Zapfish again, but Craig Cuttlefish and Agent 3 soon realize that he is not involved in it and in fact had discovered that his entire army had vanished under mysterious circumstances. It was revealed near the end of the campaign that Grizzco’s CEO, Mr. Grizz, kidnapped the troops and subjected them to experiments, leading to them to become his own personal soldiers. 2 new Octarians were introduced, an Oversized Octopod and an Octodisco. In addition, a new variant of the Octotrooper has also been added: the Octohoppers.

Culture[]

Octarians are frequently described as diligent, serious-minded, and loyal to their leader. Even defected Octolings such as Agent 8 still seem to respect DJ Octavio, based on a Mem Cake. Marina also has a sticker of the text from DJ Octavio’s album art on her laptop as seen in the Octo Expansion.

It appears that Octarians are a part of the army at an early age as revealed by documents on Marina, where she started elementary training at the age of 6 and designed weapons when she was 10. It is also suggested that Agent 8 is around 16 years old at the time of Splatoon 2, and that Agent 8 was present when the Squid Sisters played Calamari Inkantation two years prior, meaning they were 14 while they were a part of the military.

Technology[]

The Octarian society features a lot of machinery, which is also present in their military. Octarians are skilled with technology and machinery, where inventions such as floating platforms are staple examples of Octarian technology as revealed by Cap'n Cuttlefish. It is mentioned in the first art book that they tend to hoard a lot as to not let anything go to waste, using ancient artifacts left from the humans of the past era into their current technology, and are described to make them more efficient. Defected Octarians still seem to have an affinity with technology, where Marina still likes to develop machines and weapons as her hobby, and Agent 8 appreciates Sheldon's technical talk. The Octolings who live in Inkopolis also inspect weapons more carefully than Inklings when trying them out in Ammo Knights.

Octarians are said to make trade deals with the Salmonids, where they trade their technology for Power Eggs, which are described as a form of energy source. This may explain why Power Eggs are present in the domes and why Octarians drop Power Eggs when defeated.

Like Inklings, Octarians are seen using a mixture of conventional weapons, such as gatling guns, snipers and missiles, while also using weapons inspired by regular appliances such as bowling balls, stamps and showers. Octolings also use weapons which have an Inkling equivalent. In the Octo Expansion, Sanitized Octolings can use the same special weapons as Inklings.

Gear[]

Octarians wear uniforms or a standard set of clothes, which carry a general theme of having a black color and metal elements. The Octarians resembling tentacles usually only wear black boots with some peripherals relating to their attack methods, such as Octodivers wearing snorkels and Octocopters wearing propeller helmets. Octolings wear black, tight clothing exposing their midriff, black boots, metal plating and belts. Every Octoling in the army also wear goggles or shades which covers their eyes.

During the course of Splatoon 2 the outfit worn by the Octolings underwent a change, as well as certain Octarians having a different look for their gear and machines. It is unknown whether this is related to the difference in location between Octo Valley and Octo Canyon, or if they updated their look over time. However, in the past, Marina is seen wearing the old Octoling gear even though she is stated to have worked in Slimeskin Garrison in Octo Canyon. The new Octoling gear also uses the term “Neo” in their name, which implies that the gear is the new standard uniform and not dependent location.

Music[]

Octarians seem to like music, as their leader is a DJ and the society has a band, Turquoise October, which plays music in each dome. The final Great Octo Weapon against Inklings also has music integrated in its design by featuring turntables and speakers that plays DJ Octavio’s music. Octarians were also invited to spectate both final battles, which were perceived as “concerts” according to the Sunken Scrolls. DJ Octavio also kidnapped Callie and had her work as a singer in the final battle in Splatoon 2. Her vocals can also be heard in Turquoise October music that plays in the Octo Canyon domes.

Hearing the Squid Sisters sing the Calamari Inkantation is also what caused many Octolings to defect to Inkling society.

Language[]

Octarians have their own language different from Inkling. In the Japanese version, DJ Octavio speaks only in katakana, which is usually used to display foreignness in the way the speaker speaks. It is also suggested that Marina sings in Octarian, since her lyrics are rendered in katakana in the Splatune 2 booklet, where the developers confirmed that she is singing in a different language than Inkling.

As seen with the Octoling Amiibo, defected Octolings can have difficulties speaking Inkling and make several grammatical mistakes. In the Japanese version, Marina also speaks in a way that suggests she only recently has learned the Inkling language.

Known Octarians[]

Types of Octarians[]

All Octarians encountered in Hero Mode serve in the Octopus army, where they are classified by body type, combat role, and skill:

Ground Units[]

Air Units[]

"Sanitized" versions of themselves appear in the Subway under Inkopolis, and they appear to be green instead of red and white.

Robots[]

In addition to the Octarians themselves, the octopus army is also supplemented by robots:


Bosses[]

The Great Octoweapons[]

The Great Octoweapons are a set of five immensely powerful war machines developed by the Octopus Army at the height of the Great Turf War and were thought to be destroyed by the Squidbeak Splatoon. Rebuilt secretly by the Octopus Army, they serve as the bosses of each zone in Octo Valley.

Hero Mode (Splatoon)[]

Image Name Description Debut
The Mighty Octostomp render Mighty Octostomp A giant robot with an ink-covered face. He attempts to attack Agent 3 by face-slamming them, leaving ink behind but revealing his weak tentacle on his back in the process. His sides are inkable and must be climbed to reach the tentacle, but side panels will be removed during the battle to make this harder. The Mighty Octostomp! Stage
Octonozzle render Dreaded Octonozzle A kelp-covered machine that attacks from its nozzle-shaped nose. It has several octopus-like suction cups on multiple layers around its body that need to be attacked to reveal its tentacle. However, doing so adds an extra vertical layer of suction cups. The Dreaded Octonozzle! Stage
Octowhirl render Rampaging Octowhirl A huge spiky clam-like Octarian robot that attacks by rolling and spinning around its arena. Like Octoballs, it can only be stopped by getting stranded in Agent 3's ink, which reveals its tentacle. Later on, the floor starts moving while it attacks. The Rampaging Octowhirl! Stage
Ravenous Octomaw render Ravenous Octomaw A large metallic creature that attacks by lunging out of its ink with its huge mouth and many sharp teeth. Upon doing so, its teeth can be attacked, leaving its mouth open. When a Splat Bomb is thrown in its mouth, its tentacle is revealed, but its teeth become reinforced for the next round. The Ravenous Octomaw! Stage


The Octobosses[]

The Octobosses are a set of five immensely powerful war machines and octo warriors, they serve as the bosses of each zone in Octo Canyon.

Hero Mode (Splatoon 2)[]

Image Name Description Debut
Octo Oven Model Octo Oven A massive bread oven on wheels full of Octarian's loaves. It rotates around a puddle of ink, attempting to use its loaves to damage Agent 4. After missing a few times, it shoots all its loaves out at once and rests, allowing time to scale its sides and attack the weak tentacle on top. Later rounds include it using an ink shower attack and uninkable armor to its bread. Into the Octo Oven Stage
Octo Samurai render Octo Samurai A large humanoid Octarian who rides on a motorcycle-like roller. He attacks with the Octocycle both traditionally and by driving it at Agent 4, meaning he simply needs to be inked like a normal enemy to be weakened. After taking enough damage, he gets splatted, revealing his tentacle. Upon respawning, he begins adding new attacks to his Octocycle move set. Fear the Octo Samurai Stage
Neo Octostomp's Model Neo Octostomp The upgraded variant of the original Octostomp. Like the first game, he attempts to attack Agent 4 by face-slamming them, leaving ink behind but revealing his weak tentacle on his back in the process. His sides are inkable and must be climbed to reach the tentacle. After the first round, he gains an uninkable coat held by a weak buckle and a splatling attack, while later growing two extra faces to increase his attack range. The Octostomp Returns Stage
Octo Shower render Octo Shower One of the new models of Great Octoweapons created by the Octarians during the second Great Zapfish incident, its kept aloft by a fleet of Octocopters that attacks with showers of ink. It is usually invincible and far out of range, forcing Agent 4 to use the battlefield to shoot down its Octocopters while avoiding its ink attacks and Octorpedoes. When all the Octocopters are splatted, it falls to the ground with its tentacle exposed. Its Octocopters become smarter and better at dodging as the battle progresses. The Octo Shower Stage


Octavio's Octoweapons[]

Image Name Description Debut
Octobot King DJ Octavio and the Octobot King The Octobot King was created by DJ Octavio during the first Great Zapfish incident to thwart Squidbeak Splatoon. As Agent 3 gives chase, Octavio uses a wide variety of attacks, some of which can push his Octobot King back slightly. When he reaches the edge of a platform, he launches an enormous octopus's bomb that sends him to the next area if sent back at him. Enter the Octobot King! Stage
Octobot King MK II DJ Octavio, Callie, and the Octobot King II The upgraded variant of the original Octobot King that is powered by the Great Zapfish again. Attacking with a large variety of weapons in a static arena, some of which can only be avoided. After returning his giant fist attacks, Octavio falls out and can be attacked, at which point he increases the variety and speed of his attacks. Eventually, Marie and Sheldon help rescue Callie so Agent 4 can finish off Octavio with the Rainmaker on ride rails. The Tide Goes Out! Stage
Octobot King L3 Phase 2 DJ Octavio, and the Octobot King L3.Gs The third variant of the Octobot King, it is a large battle mech that uses a third-party source which was used by DJ Octavio. After the first round, he gains an Ink Vac and a Wave Breaker-like shockwave attack. Octobot King L3.Gs' Stage

Others[]

Trivia[]

  • The fact that most Octarian units are just sentient tentacles may be based on studies that conclude real life octopus tentacles can think individually to a degree.
  • In any boss battle, if you linger too long, you can hear moaning, screaming, and a train derailing, which is proof that Octarian civilization is literally falling apart.
    Dead Octoling

    The "ghost" of an Octoling. Octo Samurai also leaves behind a similar looking "ghost" after he gets splatted.

    Although Octolings leave behind a purple octopus-like "ghost" after they get splatted, the Octo Samurai leaves behind a "ghost" of his own as well, suggesting that Octarians in general (not just the Octolings) are similar or related to Inklings.
  • When any Octarian sees you, you can hear the music change.
  • According to the tentacle mem cake, Agent 8 exhibits fear about the tentacles, relating to how it might be tied to their fate. This is likely because the Octoweapons are created when Octolings are turned into tentacles and then stuffed into a machine body, breathing life into it.
  • In Splatoon 3, some parts of the Octarians bodies have become fuzzy. This is presumably due to experiments that Mr. Grizz has done with his Fuzzy Ooze.

Gallery[]

Splatoon[]

Splatoon 2[]

Great Octoweapons[]

New Octobosses[]

External links[]

Neogaf Splatoon info and translation thread

Characters in the Splatoon Series

Main Major
Minor
Bosses Story Mode
Octo Expansion
Salmonids Lesser
Boss
Event-specific
King Salmonids
Jelletons Lesser
Boss
Vendors
Bands
Other
Species
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