[Discussion] The mysteries of Splatoon and its future

[GuardianJohnITA]

[CAUTION! CAN CONTAIN SPOILER!]

Let's face it guys: Splatoon, although its young debut, is one of Nintendo's biggest successful franchises like the old cornerstones and success has triggered the formation of a close-knit community and lover of this colorful world, where everyone enjoys themselves of ink.

With the surprise arrival of Octo Expansion, the creators have kept their promise to expand the plot and the world of Splatoon even deeper but, to our surprise, it has brought more questions than answers, many that can indicate new DLC or even a sequel or spin-off.

Here are some points not yet clarified and others that could increase the popularity of Splatoon:

-Who is the real enemy ?: With Octo Expansion finally we can put ourselves in the shoes of the much-loved Octolings, the fierce rivals of the Inklings, but we discover that the Octolings we have always faced had the brainwashing of DJ Octavio but all the Octolings that witnessed the clash between the leader of the Octarians and Agent 3 in the first Splatoon and, after listening to the music of the beloved Callie and Marie, received the so-called ''Calamari Inkantation'' becoming good and sociable, also explaining the origins of Marina and why she had become a friend of Pearl.

But how Inklings and Octolings, in the past in good relations, led to a ferocious conflict? To answer, we have to take a dip in the past, at the time of the Great Turf War (a comic mockery of the Great War).

With increasing ocean levels and the reduction of land available was the official reason for the conflict between the Inklings and the Octarians, but with the arrival of Splatoon 2, a third race came forward: the Salmonids; described as a barbaric race with some elements of intelligence, the Salmonids had control of most of the oceans and, as shown in the Salmon Run, they are able to enter and exit the water without any problem.

It has been discovered that between the Salmonids and the Octarians a commercial agreement has been made: the Salmonids give Power Eggs (probably the most powerful are the spheres where the Zapfish are kept) to the Octarians in exchange for weapons and technology; one would ask ''But for what?''....well, after long analysis, I have a strong suspicion that there are the Salmonids behind the hostility between the Inklings and Octarians.

As already explained, most of the Salmonids are not smart enough to create their own arsenal and even with their numerical superiority they would be massacred by an expert group of Inklings, so they resorted to the Octarians in obtaining weapons and trying to reconvert even the stolen arsenal (as noted with the Stinger, the Flyfish and the Drizzler), revealing to be an even more dangerous opponent from the Octarians, I also noticed in the artwork that the color of the eyes of Salmonids and the forces of DJ Octavio are identical so I have a strong suspicion that even the leader of the octopuses is not acting with his own free will.

-Imminent invasion?: Recently that we have faced the Salmonids, and yet we have faced only the tip of the iceberg and here arises the troubling question ''Are they preparing for war?''; There are several reasons to think of an incredible as crazy idea:

1) The Ursus & Co. has constantly stolen Golden Eggs, certainly one of the most precious and jealously guarded objects by the Salmonids and the more the teams were able to grab eggs, the more the barbarians counterattacks became more ferocious, so it is only a matter of time before the breaking point is reached.

2) The Salmonids would not be able to deal with both Inklings and Octarians at the same time so they created their enmities to eliminate or weaken both races and then get rid of them more easily, but with the separation of several Octolings from the troops of DJ Octavio, this goal could no longer be reachable (it is likely that what happened in the first Splatoon was repeated a second time in our second fight with the leader of the Octarians)

3) We know that it was the Salmonids who chased the Octarians and the Inklings away from the ocean, making them become anthropomorphic creatures; in the past they dominated the oceans of the world, but evidently the creatures of the Depths, fearing their possible hegemony, locked the Salmonids in a specific territory of the ocean protected by laws (it has never been explained if they were sent there by diplomacy or by force ); in any case, the Salmonids have never forgotten this act and despite whoever enters their territory with authorization, they continue to attack on sight.

4) Although a barbaric race, the Salmonids present some rudimentary elements of strategy, indicating that someone or something guides them and probably this is perhaps the most intelligent of all of them and that plans a great revenge against the inhabitants of the Depths and to the so hated Inklings and Octolings as well.

-(UPDATE!) Who is Agent 7?
After the events of Octo Expansion, it's clear to me that Pearl and Marina are Agent 5 and Agent 6 after helping Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 8; it might be just a coincidence but a number of the New Squidbeak Splatoon is still missing.
So who is Number 7? Which race is? And what is his/her assignment? Unfortunately, the only thing we can say about it is just speculation and rumors ^ ^,

-Other civilization? It has been repeatedly mentioned that Inkopolis, although a large metropolis, is not the only city left in the world; the world of Splatoon is constantly evolving, always ready to add new elements, with new cities yet to be discovered with possible new races to meet......the problem is how to speak in a foreign language (Pearl and Marina reference) ;)

-More interaction, life and exploration: Nintendo has been very careful in creating Splatoon's world hubs, showing the colors, the joy and the appearance of the city of Inkopolis, however several elements were missing: one, for example, is the interaction with the characters, there is no dialogue and how many times there came the thought of knowing better or at least interact better with our favorite idols (in my case Pearl and Marina, a very special duo).

Another case is the absence of life in the hub world, the desire to find out what these young Inklings do and the new welcome Octolings in Inkopolis apart from shooting each other with ink; we know that the central square (Inkopolis Plaza) of the first Splatoon is the beating heart of the metropolis, while the Inkopolis Square is a recent renovation of an old neighborhood and very popular with the young (certainly the perfect place to reflect the fun of the world of Splatoon).

Finally, how many times have we wanted to explore a little more of Inkopolis and other cities (it has been shown that other cities exist in the world of Splatoon, not to mention possible human ruins); sure, Splatoon was born as a competitive online game but it became clearer the need for players to switch off and play solo and Octo Expansion has filled in part this problem, giving new challenges even for the most skilled players of Splatoon, new elements and news on the plot of the world, but as we well know from Nintendo, not always a franchise follows the same path and spin-off are always assured; Splatoon is young, but his popularity has given it even a place in Super Smash so it is clear that Nintendo still has a lot of love for squid and octopus, as well as the possibility for new frontiers for the franchise produced by the iconic Hisashi Nogami.

What do you think? What is your opinion? Express yourself, Splatoon community and fans, be free to leave a comment :)

 

[BBGrenorange]

Tbh all I want to know is who mr Grizz is.

 

[GuardianJohnITA]

Tbh all I want to know is who mr Grizz is.

A fair point, I forgot about him, as well for why he wants Golden Eggs so badly even if it means pissing off the Salmonids; who knows, maybe the second DLC might involve about the Salmon Run and more about Mr. Grizz (Octo Expansion was said to be the first paid DLC of Splatoon 2 so I'm simply taking their word for it); you can't deny that you want to know more about Inkopolis though, right? ;)

 

[Cephalobro]

I like the explanation that you came up with instead, it's so much better than those "Octarians are evil" explanations. And I do believe that the Salmonids seem to be the true evil species pulling the strings behind the Inkling vs Octarian battles. Who knows, the Salmonids might even betray the Octarians, like stealing their tech without giving them Power Eggs. Maybe Sardinium plays a role on how Octarians build their tech. It's also very strange that Commander Tartar didn't even mention the Salmonids once when it was talking about the next capable species. Maybe it was corrupted by the Salmonids in order to keep Octolings underground. After all, that aqua green ink is very suspiciously similar to both water and Salmonid ink.

 

[GuardianJohnITA]

I like the explanation that you came up with instead, it's so much better than those "Octarians are evil" explanations. And I do believe that the Salmonids seem to be the true evil species pulling the strings behind the Inkling vs Octarian battles. Who knows, the Salmonids might even betray the Octarians, like stealing their tech without giving them Power Eggs. Maybe Sardinium plays a role on how Octarians build their tech. It's also very strange that Commander Tartar didn't even mention the Salmonids once when it was talking about the next capable species. Maybe it was corrupted by the Salmonids in order to keep Octolings underground. After all, that aqua green ink is very suspiciously similar to both water and Salmonid ink.

I'm glad to hear that someone agrees with my suspicions; it's true that Octarian got their hands on Sardinium, and to see that every Octoweapon has some, it made me think that the Salmonids were the ones behind the Great Turf War as well and maybe the ones who plugged off the Great Octoweapons during the war, turning the odds in favor of the Inklings.
A lot of material and resources were lost after the rising of the oceans, so I think that Sardinium might be a fusion of materials like steel and iron, both highly resistant to ink.
When I first saw the Octo Expansion trailer I started to suspect as well that the Salmonids were behind the Sanitized Octarians as Nintendo said that those ''roads run deep so does the lore'' but when I discovered that Tartar was the leader of those creatures something has been bothering me; not only his vision for the future of mankind was a lot distorted (we would never want to become mindless slaves and all that ''perfect world'' crap) but also he never admitted that he was the one who kidnapped Agent 3, Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 8, simply saying that Agent 8 was the Number 10,008 to enter the facility so the question is: who attacked them? I highly doubt that DJ Octavio agreed to leave a number that high of Octolings on the facility, also the Sanitized lose their free will but that doesn't make sense as we know that DJ Octavio uses his music to hypnotize his Octarians.
Speaking of the leader of the Octarians it is doubtful that he would go even against his own kind with his own will now that a larger number of Octolings now lives on Inkopolis and that scar on his tentacle....none of the Sunken Scrolls shows that he had one......could it be that's how the Salmonids were able to hypnotize him? We know that Octavio and Cuttlefish were good friends before the war and it's quite a surprise that the old captain hasn't asked himself of why he betrayed that friendship and how he would act now that even Octolings has joined the ranks of Inkopolis.
Maybe the one who attacked them was the leader of the Salmonids, taking care of deal with an Octoling that was freed from their control and the the first Inkling who messed with their plans (Cap'n Cuttlefish is aware of the activities of Mr.Grizz but both him, Commander Tartar and the denizens of the Deep has talked about the Salmonids), and we must not forget that also other ruins of human cities might be still around the world of Splatoon......and perhaps even one inside the restricted area of the Salmonids....maybe an archive of knowledge (it might explain how the Salmonids were able to create technology similar to Inkling special weaponry and not only Octarian traded weaponry)

 

[Cephalobro]

I'm glad to hear that someone agrees with my suspicions; it's true that Octarian got their hands on Sardinium, and to see that every Octoweapon has some, it made me think that the Salmonids were the ones behind the Great Turf War as well and maybe the ones who plugged off the Great Octoweapons during the war, turning the odds in favor of the Inklings.
A lot of material and resources were lost after the rising of the oceans, so I think that Sardinium might be a fusion of materials like steel and iron, both highly resistant to ink.
When I first saw the Octo Expansion trailer I started to suspect as well that the Salmonids were behind the Sanitized Octarians as Nintendo said that those ''roads run deep so does the lore'' but when I discovered that Tartar was the leader of those creatures something has been bothering me; not only his vision for the future of mankind was a lot distorted (we would never want to become mindless slaves and all that ''perfect world'' crap) but also he never admitted that he was the one who kidnapped Agent 3, Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 8, simply saying that Agent 8 was the Number 10,008 to enter the facility so the question is: who attacked them? I highly doubt that DJ Octavio agreed to leave a number that high of Octolings on the facility, also the Sanitized lose their free will but that doesn't make sense as we know that DJ Octavio uses his music to hypnotize his Octarians.
Speaking of the leader of the Octarians it is doubtful that he would go even against his own kind with his own will now that a larger number of Octolings now lives on Inkopolis and that scar on his tentacle....none of the Sunken Scrolls shows that he had one......could it be that's how the Salmonids were able to hypnotize him? We know that Octavio and Cuttlefish were good friends before the war and it's quite a surprise that the old captain hasn't asked himself of why he betrayed that friendship and how he would act now that even Octolings has joined the ranks of Inkopolis.
Maybe the one who attacked them was the leader of the Salmonids, taking care of deal with an Octoling that was freed from their control and the the first Inkling who messed with their plans (Cap'n Cuttlefish is aware of the activities of Mr.Grizz but both him, Commander Tartar and the denizens of the Deep has talked about the Salmonids), and we must not forget that also other ruins of human cities might be still around the world of Splatoon......and perhaps even one inside the restricted area of the Salmonids....maybe an archive of knowledge (it might explain how the Salmonids were able to create technology similar to Inkling special weaponry and not only Octarian traded weaponry)

We may never know who is the leader of the Salmonids, but I believe that Grizzco's true purpose is to stop Salmonids from taking over the world. It is stated that Salmonids value their Golden Eggs so much that they don't give them to anyone. It's only a shady job because of the morality of the context. However, I believe Mr. Grizz wants the Golden Eggs to prevent the Salmonids from building an army that's large enough to take over Inkopolis as that would cause the same destruction that happened in the past. The only workers that are able stop Salmonids and having a better chance to survive are the ones who have the capability of respawning, which is why only Inklings and Octolings seem to be the only species participating in it. I also have my suspicion about how did the Salmonids get their hands (or fins) on Power Eggs in the first place, because Octo Expansion indirectly confirmed that Power Eggs are Zapfish eggs, so they don't belong to the Salmonids. I believe that the Octarians only steal the Great Zapfish to be able to use their machines against the Salmonids, but since they know an Inkling is sent to retrieve it, they are forced to focus their resources on taking down the Inkling that was sent.

 

[GuardianJohnITA]

We may never know who is the leader of the Salmonids, but I believe that Grizzco's true purpose is to stop Salmonids from taking over the world. It is stated that Salmonids value their Golden Eggs so much that they don't give them to anyone. It's only a shady job because of the morality of the context. However, I believe Mr. Grizz wants the Golden Eggs to prevent the Salmonids from building an army that's large enough to take over Inkopolis as that would cause the same destruction that happened in the past. The only workers that are able stop Salmonids and having a better chance to survive are the ones who have the capability of respawning, which is why only Inklings and Octolings seem to be the only species participating in it. I also have my suspicion about how did the Salmonids get their hands (or fins) on Power Eggs in the first place, because Octo Expansion indirectly confirmed that Power Eggs are Zapfish eggs, so they don't belong to the Salmonids. I believe that the Octarians only steal the Great Zapfish to be able to use their machines against the Salmonids, but since they know an Inkling is sent to retrieve it, they are forced to focus their resources on taking down the Inkling that was sent.

I hope the contrary my friend; Splatoon's world is a big one even if young, yet quite loved just like the other older franchises of Nintendo.
With Octo Expansion it was shown that Nintendo wants to add single-player content into multiplayer games and this DLC has showed that there is still much that we don't know about the world of Splatoon but I admit that the expansion has left for questions than answers.
it's true that Golden Eggs are pretty valuable but no one knows exactly why (with both Salmon Run and Octo Expansion the world of Splatoon a much more darker tone with the lore).
I don't deny that it could be true about the true purpose of Grizz & Co. (it might explain why Mr. Grizz is recruiting even Octolings now) and that both Inklings and Octolings are the only capable races of respawing (if a regeneration base is nearby) but I think that originally the Zapfish come from the ocean as it was hinted on the map Pirahna Pit and there is more than one Great Zapfish.
I continue to believe that DJ Octavio is under the control of the Salmonids since I saw on the artwork that the eyes of both Salmonids and Octarians are identical, as the Salmonids hoped since the Great Turf War to weaken both races and wipe them out making the entire world a green ocean; after all we know that Inkopolis has lived in peace for years and no one has ever heard of the two conficts between the Octarians and the New Squidbeak Splatoon so they are unaware of the possibility of an invasion.

 

[Cephalobro]

I won't deny the possibility that DJ Octavio is under hypnotism by the Salmonids, which is why the Octarians are forced to trade with them. I can even see the Salmonids stealing Octarian tech to give themselves the upper hand. The Glowflies also have an interesting effect on the Salmonids, whenever a target is surrounded by Glowflies, Salmonids seem to only go after that target. This could be how DJ Octavio is hypnotized in the first place. The buzzing sound of the Glowflies could be the reason of general hypnotism that the Octarians go through as it is sneakily added to Octarian music heard through Octo Valley and Octo Canyon, just quiet enough for it to not be heard.

 

[Enperry]

Guys, guys, the Salmonids are only aggressive because our greedy boss made a bad impression for the inklings on them by having them participate in STEALING THEIR EGGS. Wouldn't you be mad and make the other species your sworn enemy if that species took your offspring? Maybe mr. Grizz is a part of something greater, trying to destroy the inkling race, or start another Great Turf War - but why?