This ranking reviews every Splatoon Special across all games, judging them by balance, skill requirement, fairness, and counterplay rather than pure strength. The highest-ranked Specials win because of their strategic depth and balanced design, while the lowest-ranked Specials rely too heavily on automation, global range, or inconsistent mechanics.
Splatton 3 is the most recent in the Splatoon series. Even though it is now over 3 years old it has become the newest game in my collection.
Splatoon is different from most shooters because Special weapons can completely change how a match plays. Sometimes that makes the game more exciting. Sometimes it makes it frustrating. Because Specials are so impactful, their design matters a lot.
In this article, I have ranked every Splatoon Special across all Splatoon games, from worst to best, based on how well they are designed. This is not simply a list of the strongest Specials. Some are extremely powerful but badly designed. Others are weaker yet still balanced, fair, and enjoyable to use.
When ranking these Specials, I considered:
- Reliability
- Risk versus reward
- Counterplay (how opponents can respond)
- Consistency
- How much skill is required to use them properly
Specials that rely too heavily on global range, auto-targeting, or unpredictable hitboxes ranked lower, even if they are effective. Specials that reward positioning, timing, and teamwork ranked higher.
This ranking includes Specials from Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 as well as the original game. I have recently started playing Splatoon 3 on the Nintendo Switch, but I will be writing a separate article about that. This list focuses on the overall Special design across the entire series.
How I Ranked These Specials
Each Special was judged on:
- How fair it feels to use and play against
- Whether it removes too much control from the player
- Whether it rewards skill rather than randomness
- Whether it improves or damages the match experience
D Tier – Badly Designed or Unfair Specials
These Specials are frustrating, boring, or poorly designed, often removing skill or counterplay and making matches less enjoyable.
42: Sting Ray – Extremely boring and far too powerful. Its only redeeming feature is the creative name.
41: Ultra Stamp – Overly aggressive and often gets you splatted while using it.
40: Trizooka – The hitbox and trajectory feel janky (inconsistent). It is basically a worse version of Inkzooka.
39: Killer Wail 5.1 – A weaker version of the original. Global auto-targeting is too strong, yet it is also easy to dodge if you simply move slowly.
C Tier – Poorly Balanced or Underwhelming Specials
These Specials either rely too much on luck or global pressure, or they simply don’t offer enough impact for the risk involved.
38: Tenta Missiles – Overpowered due to global range, creating pressure without enough counterplay.
37: Curling Bomb Launcher – Very unlikely to splat opponents. Mainly useful for quickly painting turf.
36: Burst Bomb Launcher – Excellent for turf control and overwhelming opponents, but overall underpowered.
35: Splat Bomb Launcher – Very strong in 2v1 situations but limited outside of that specific scenario.
34: Auto Bomb Launcher – Good for locating and forcing engagements, but not impactful enough to rank higher.
33: Suction Bomb Launcher – Large explosions and strong area control, but not consistently match-changing.
32: Reefslider – The term “Reefslider contract” is the perfect term for this special. High risk and high explosion impact, but often results in trading splats.
31: Seeker Bomb Rush – The Seeker AI is poor, although the core design idea behind the Seeker itself is good.
30: Burst Bomb Rush – Strong for painting, but becomes less useful once there is little space left to ink.
29: Baller – A safer version of Reefslider thanks to ending invincibility frames, but still limited.
B Tier – Situational but Functional Specials
These Specials work well in specific modes or scenarios but are either inconsistent or too limited to be truly reliable.
28: Ink Armour – Provides team-wide armour regardless of position, which is useful but not especially dynamic.
27: Splattercolour Screen – A large visual barrier that disrupts enemy vision, but does not directly apply much pressure.
26: Echolocator – Reveals enemy locations and supports team coordination effectively.
25: Splat Bomb Rush – Strong bomb pressure, especially since bombs thrown late can help recharge the meter.
24: Suction Bomb Rush – Larger delayed explosions allow strong meter gain and area denial.
23: Ink Storm – Reliable for turf control and displacement, but rarely secures splats.
22: Ink Vac – Strong supportive tool, but leaves you vulnerable from behind and while firing.
21: Rainmaker (Splatoon 2 & 3) – Mode-exclusive weapon with powerful charged shots, but limited to one ruleset.
20: Splashdown – Powerful explosion, but vulnerable during startup. Much stronger when used from a Super Jump.
A Tier – Strong and Well-Balanced Specials
These Specials are effective in most modes and situations but have small design flaws or limitations that stop them from reaching S Tier.
19: Bubble Blower – Deployable bubbles that can be inflated and detonated strategically, allowing creative plays.
18: Rainmaker (Splatoon 1) – Fires a massive tornado that clearly represents its power and impact.
17: Booyah Bomb – Encourages teamwork through signalling, creating an interesting charging mechanic.
16: Tacticooler – Provides useful team buffs, rewarding players who collect drinks.
15: Inkjet – High mobility and explosive shots, balanced by returning you to your starting position.
14: Wave Breaker – Provides tracking and pressure through expanding waves.
13: Crab Tank – Flexible design with two fire modes and realistic sideways movement.
12: Killer Wail (Original) – High-damage sound beam that rewards correct positioning.
11: Princess Cannon – A stronger variation of Killer Wail with a larger radius.
10: Zipcaster – High mobility tool that allows creative positioning and flanking.
9: Triple Inkstrike – Three targeted tornado strikes that apply strong map pressure.
8: Triple Splashdown – Adds extra impact compared to Splashdown, though weaker when used via Super Jump.
7: Inkstrike – Long-range tornado with stronger single impact than one Triple Inkstrike marker.
6: Inkzooka – Precise, high-impact tornado shots that reward accuracy.
S Tier – Best Designed Splatoon Specials
These Specials are powerful but fair, reward skill and teamwork, and feel satisfying to use without being frustrating to play against.
5: Kraken Royale – Transforms you into a powerful giant squid or octopus with dash potential and strong splat pressure.
4: Kraken – Similar to Kraken Royale but more immediate and flexible, without needing to charge to splat.
3: Big Bubbler – A deployable shield that also acts as a Super Jump anchor, giving both defence and mobility.
2: Bubbler – Temporary invincibility that can be shared with teammates, rewarding coordination and timing.
X-Tier – The Ultimate Splatoon Special
This Special is in a league of its own. It is perfectly balanced, fun, and impactful, rewarding skill and teamwork more than any other Special in the game.
1: Super Chump – This special deploys realistic Super Jump decoys that explode and turf the area. It applies psychological pressure as well as physical damage, rewarding awareness without removing counterplay.
Honourable Mention
Colour Wail – A modified Princess Cannon variant that cannot be used in standard battles, which is why it was excluded from the main ranking.
Final Thoughts on the Best and Worst Splatoon Specials
Looking at every Splatoon Special together shows that good design matters more than raw power. The best Specials allow counterplay. The worst ones remove skill, rely too heavily on automation, or feel inconsistent.
Some Specials are frustrating, not because they are weak, but because they are boring or unfair to fight against. Others look impressive but fail due to awkward mechanics or unreliable hitboxes. Across all games, it is clear that Nintendo has experimented a lot with Special weapon design — sometimes improving balance and sometimes repeating mistakes.
This ranking reflects how I value fairness, skill, and counterplay in competitive games. Other players may disagree, but analysing game design makes Splatoon more interesting than simply winning or losing.
In a future article, I will share my early thoughts on Splatoon 3 and how its Specials compare to previous entries in the series.
Splatoon Specials Ranked – FAQ
What is the best Special in Splatoon?
According to this ranking, the best Special across all Splatoon games is Super Chump, placed in X-Tier. It stands out because it is balanced, creative, and rewards positioning and awareness without feeling unfair to play against.
What makes a Splatoon Special well-designed?
A well-designed Splatoon Special should be powerful but fair. It should reward skill, timing, and teamwork while still allowing counterplay. Specials that rely too much on auto-targeting, global range, or unpredictable hitboxes are usually less balanced.
Are the strongest Splatoon Specials always the best?
No. Some of the most powerful Specials are ranked lower because they are poorly balanced or remove too much player control. Strength does not always equal good design.
Does this ranking include Splatoon 3 Specials?
Yes. This ranking includes Specials from Splatoon, Splatoon 2, and Splatoon 3. However, I hope to write a separate article will focus specifically on Splatoon 3 and how its Specials compare to earlier games.
—————–
Research References:
Princess Cannon Demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QLlO1zwizs
Splatoon 1, 2 + DLC and 3 standard specials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt9CwkYe6oQ
Splatoon 3 + DLC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLxqXn_E898
Credit to Tactical cupcakes, KokiriGaming and Zephiel810
Images:
Images courtesy of:
Splatoon 3: https://splatoon.nintendo.com/
Sting Ray: https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/File:Sting_Ray_titlecard.jpg
Super Chump: https://splatoonwiki.org/wiki/File:S3_Super_Chump_Custom_Jet_promo_screenshot.jpg
