Inkling

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Inkling
Inkling in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Artwork of Inkling Girl in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
First appearance Splatoon (2015, Splatoon series)
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U (2015, Super Mario-related media, cameo)
Latest appearance Splatoon 3 (2022, Splatoon series)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Super Mario-related media)
Latest portrayal Yuki Tsuji (2015-present)
Notable members

Inklings are protagonists from the Splatoon series. They are a race of humanoids capable of turning into squids,[1] more specifically of the same color as their hair. Inklings have sometimes appeared in the Super Mario franchise, most notably as playable characters in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The Inklings' squid form coincidentally resemble Bloopers in the Super Mario franchise, since the developers of Splatoon did not take them into consideration when designing them.[2]

History[edit]

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]

Inklings appear as downloadable costumes for the Mii Fighters in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The outfits were released on June 14, 2015.[3] 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.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

SmashWiki article: Inkling (SSBU)
Splatoon Symbol.png
Super Smash Bros. fighter
Inkling
Inkling in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Game appearances
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (unlockable)
Special moves
Neutral:  Splattershot
Side:  Splat Roller
Up:  Super Jump
Down:  Splat Bomb
Final Smash:  Killer Wail
Battle entrance
The Inkling lands with a splash of ink in squid form before transforming back, then flaps both arms excitedly before drawing the Splattershot.

Inkling Girls and Inkling Boys are represented under a single unlockable character named "Inkling" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. They were officially announced during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct,[4] alongside Daisy and Ridley. Inklings use a variety of weapons from the Splatoon games as part of their moveset, including the Splattershot as their primary weapon, the Inkbrush for their side smash attack, the Blaster for their up smash attack, the Slosher for their down smash attack, the Splat Bomb for their down special move, the Splat Roller for their side special move, and the Killer Wail for their Final Smash. When an opponent is covered in ink, they receive more damage from attacks. Inklings have a limited supply of ink, which can be refilled by pressing B Button while shielding.[5] Besides the default orange-haired Inkling Girl and blue-haired Inkling Boy, the player can select a yellow, pink, or purple Inkling Girl, or a green, cyan, or indigo Inkling Boy as alternate costumes. Inklings receive minor damage while swimming,[6] a trait also held by Sonic, Charizard, and Incineroar.

Two more Inklings, the Squid Sisters (Callie and Marie), collectively appear as an Assist Trophy. They perform a live concert as the camera gradually zooms in on them,[7] giving players less room to battle.[7] Once their song is done, the Squid Sisters disappear and the camera returns to normal.

Both the orange Inkling Girl and the blue Inkling Boy appear in the opening scene of Adventure Mode: World of Light, being unsuccessful at hiding in ink as Galeem launches beams of light at them.[8] Later, when the Inkling Puppet Fighter is defeated, both Inklings join the team.

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.

Every opponent in Inkling's Classic Mode route, An Inkredible Journey, uses an alternate costume that matches the color scheme of the stage. The opponents are fought in the following order:

  1. Lucario (green costume) and Sheik (green costume) on Yoshi's Island (Melee)
  2. Greninja (pink costume) on Magicant
  3. Wario (red overalls) and Duck Hunt (red duck) on Norfair
  4. Giant Yoshi (light-blue) on Summit
  5. Shulk (purple costume), Ness (Mr. Saturn costume), and Mewtwo (dark costume) on Fountain of Dreams
  6. Inkling Girl (yellow costume) and Inkling Boy (green costume)[notes 1] on Moray Towers (Splatfest)
  7. Final boss fight against Marx

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World[edit]

Inkling Squid amiibo from Yoshi's Woolly World
Inkling Squid Yoshi
Inkling Boy amiibo from Yoshi's Woolly World
Inkling Boy Yoshi
Inkling Girl Yoshi.png
Inkling Girl Yoshi

Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Inkling Squid each appear as a Yoshi design in Yoshi's Woolly World and its port when scanning the respective Inkling's amiibo. The Squid Sisters also bear a Yoshi design.

Super Mario Maker[edit]

Pixel Character, in Super Mario Maker.
Inkling Squid
Inkling Boy costume
Inkling Boy
Inkling Girl amiibo Costume, from Super Mario Maker.
Inkling Girl

Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, Inkling Squid, and the Squid Sisters each appear as costumes for Mario in Super Mario Maker. The Inkling Squid can undergo its humanoid form by holding up on the control stick. Besides scanning their respective amiibo, each costume can instead be unlocked randomly by completing the 100 Mario Challenge. The three Inklings reuse their voice clips from Splatoon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Screenshot of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Screenshot from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe depicting various Inklings

Inkling Girls and Inkling Boys are playable in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, each having their own statistics. The two Inkling characters were formerly separate on the select screen, but would later be consolidated together since the sixth wave of the Booster Course Pass. The default Inkling Girl has orange hair, while the default Inkling Boy has blue hair; their palette swap include green or pink Inkling Girls and purple or cyan Inkling Boys. The Inklings show off Splattershots during tricks or their victory animation, and become their squid form for another trick or when using the Feather. The Inklings have their own themed battle course, Urchin Underpass, as well as signature ATV bodies, Inkstriker and the Splat Buggy. Their emblem is an Inkling squid in the color of the Inkling on a black background. They have ink splashes on a background on their Standard Karts and Super Gliders, with a white background for Inkling Girls and a black background for Inkling Boys. Their horn sounds are sound effects from the Splatoon series. Inklings are middleweight characters; the girl is among the lightest middleweights alongside Cat Peach, female Villager, and Diddy Kong, whereas the boy is somewhat heavier, somewhat like Tanooki Mario and male Villager. The Inklings can drive underwater harmlessly, like other characters, unlike in the Splatoon series.

If an Inkling is a CPU, they will usually ride the Splat Buggy or Inkstriker with the Standard tires; however, they can sometimes ride the Standard Kart with Standard tires, or the Standard Bike with Monster tires.

The Inkling Boy is the 150cc staff ghost for Tour Tokyo Blur and Tour Bangkok Rush. Inklings are also the 200cc staff ghosts for Excitebike Arena and Dragon Driftway; the orange Inkling Girl is the staff ghost for Excitebike Arena, and the purple Inkling Boy is the staff ghost for Dragon Driftway.

One of Inkling Girl's animations originally resembled an obscene gesture;[9] it was changed in Ver. 1.1.0.[10]

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U[edit]

Trophy
Inkling
3DS:
InklingTrophy3DS.png
Wii U:
Inkling trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Game(s): Both
Category: Other
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Appears in:
Wii U Splatoon (05/2015)
(Applies only to the Wii U version) Trophy Box: -
How to unlock:
Downloading the Inkling Outfit
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! (American English)
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-coloured 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! (British English)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Palutena's Guidance[edit]

  • 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!

Super Smash Blog bio[edit]

Attacks with a variety of weapons. Covering opponents with ink leads to more and more damage—plus these Inklings are really fashionable!

Spirits[edit]

Spirit
#1025 Inkling (Girl)
Inkling's Spirit sprite from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Series/game Splatoon Series
Type Fighter
How to obtain Classic Mode as Inkling
Spirit
#1026 Inkling (Boy)
Inkling (Boy) spirit from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Series/game Splatoon Series
Type Fighter
How to obtain Challenge (Smash: As Inkling, bury a Lv. 9 CPU into the ground 3 times with the side special, Splat Roller.)
Spirit
#1027 Inkling Squid
Inkling Squid's Spirit sprite from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Series/game Splatoon Series
Type Support
Slots 1
Class Ace
Strength / effect(s) Up Special ↑
How to obtain Summoned with Blooper, Huey, and support cores

amiibo[edit]

  • 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[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese インクリング[?]
Inkuringu
Inkling
ガール[?]
Gāru
Girl
ボーイ[?]
Bōi
Boy
Chinese 女孩 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female)[?]
Nǚhái
Girl
男孩 (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male)[?]
Nánhái
Boy
Dutch Inkling (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[?] -
Inkling-meisje (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female)[?] Inkling Girl
Inkling-jongen (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male)[?] Inkling Boy
French Fille Inkling (if female)[?] Girl inkling
Garçon Inkling (if male)[?] Boy inkling
German Inkling (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[?] -
Inkling-Mädchen (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female)[?] Inkling Girl
Inkling-Junge (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male)[?] Inkling Boy
Italian Ragazza Inkling (if female)[?] Girl Inkling
Ragazzo Inkling (if male)[?] Boy Inkling
Korean 잉클링[?]
Ingkeulling
Inkling
Portuguese Rapariga Inkling (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if female)[?] Girl Inkling
Rapaz Inkling (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; if male)[?] Boy Inkling
Russian Инклинг-девочка (if female)[?]
Inkling-devochka
Girl Inkling
Инклинг-мальчик (if male)[?]
Inkling-mal'chik
Boy Inkling
Spanish Inkling chica (if female)[?] Inkling Girl
Inkling chico (if male)[?] Inkling Boy

Notes and references[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Orange Inkling girl or blue Inkling boy takes their place if the player is playing as either of said costume

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Part Kid, Part Squid" – Jumbotron (2018). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Boxing Ring: Nintendo (English).
  2. ^ @NE_Brian (August 16, 2015). Splatoon staff talk about the Inkling design, more on the Squid Sisters, and other topics. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  3. ^ Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U: Downloadable Content Info. Smashbros.com (American English).
  4. ^ "And here's a new fighter." – Nintendo of America (June 12, 2018). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - E3 2018 - Nintendo Switch. YouTube (American English).
  5. ^ "Shield and press the special-move button to refill your ink tank. If you're totally empty, you can use neutral special or down special on the ground to refill your ink tank." – Refilling Ink Tip (2018). Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Nintendo (English).
  6. ^ BeardBear (September 27, 2022). Evolution of Inklings Drowning in Water (2015-2022) (02:52). YouTube (English).
  7. ^ a b "Cameras get closer and closer to their live performance, limiting the space you have to battle. Don't get too lost in the music!" – June 12, 2018. Super Smash Blog | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch System. Super Smash Bros. Official Website (American English).
  8. ^ MVGMoe (September 14, 2019). World of light intro 4K (01:26). YouTube (English).
  9. ^ Censored Gaming (May 17, 2017). Nintendo Removes Inkling Girl's Gesture In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (0:11). YouTube (English).
  10. ^ "Inkling Girl’s animation has been adjusted." – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Update History | Nintendo Switch | Support. Nintendo UK (British English).