The main weapon in a player’s hands in a shooter is easily the part of any given kit that makes the most difference to matches. That said, the various side arms available provide vital support and utility. In Splatoon, these side arms are the sub-weapons.
Sub-weapons come packaged with specific main weapons and special weapons, somewhat limiting the possible loadouts. Just like main weapons, they also cost ink to use, meaning they might be unusable if a player’s ink levels are low, or might leave them inkless after use. Due to this, there’s a tight balance of effectiveness and ink cost that a sub-weapon requires to be seen as one of the best.
8 Torpedo
The torpedo is one of Splatoon’s many variations on a standard bomb weapon. The main twist with it is its homing capabilities. If thrown near an opponent, the torpedo changes shape and flies towards them, exploding upon contact with them or a surface.
Unfortunately, while this seems useful, it's quite limiting. While most foes won't have time to shoot it down in a hectic match, it can be shot down. If it’s not thrown near an opponent it will not activate, only acting as a much weaker ‘splat bomb’, so throwing it haphazardly is a big mistake. Even upon a solid hit, it might not do enough damage to splat opponents but is still good for harassment.
7 Burst Bomb
Modeled after a water balloon, the burst bomb functions exactly like one might expect. When thrown, it explodes on impact, dealing about as much damage as the torpedo. It’s a clever twist on usual bomb weapons and thrives off being low cost and low reward.
Most importantly, the burst bomb only costs 40% of the thrower’s ink, meaning up to 2 can be thrown from a single ink tank, with a little bit still left over for firing. Most other sub-weapons in the game lack this low cost, so if for nothing else the burst bomb excels in being somewhat spammable in a tight spot.
6 Curling Bomb
Modeled after a curling stone, the curling bomb moves in the exact same way. It slides forward from where it is thrown, leaving a thin stream of ink and exploding for great damage once it travels its maximum distance.
The curling bomb actually has some hidden utility to it. Clever players can swim in the ink trail it leaves, allowing them to cover a decent distance in a short amount of time while disrupting anyone directly ahead. It can also be charged, leading to a bigger trail and a bigger blast radius upon detonation. It's limited mainly by its predictability, as it can only travel in a straight line.
5 Splash Wall
Splatoon isn’t a game series with a lot of defensive options, with the ‘brella’ class of weapons being the only ones to offer a direct shield. However, in the sub-weapon camp, there is some more traditional defense available via the splash wall.
Starting out as a projectile, once it hits the ground, the wall sets itself up, providing a small waterfall of ink that blocks incoming shots, and splats any opponents that try to walk through it. It is great for creating cover, and supporting defensive playstyles, especially in ranked modes where teamwork and a strong defense are vital.
4 Fizzy Bomb
The fizzy bomb is an interesting and unique weapon in Splatoon 3. While players coming from other shooters might know not to hold on to grenades for too long, the fizzy bomb actually encourages it. The longer it is held, the more it will explode when released.
If charged to its maximum, the fizzy bomb explodes 3 times in total, making the area it lands in dangerous to enemies for a decent amount of time. Each individual explosion doesn’t do a lot of damage and trying to charge it can result in being splatted before there’s time to release it.
3 Auto Bomb
In some ways, the auto bomb is a superior version of the torpedo sub-weapon. They both share a homing function, but the auto bomb tends to be far more consistent at getting the job done. Just like the torpedo, if thrown near enough to an opponent, it will home in on them and explode.
Unlike torpedos, auto bombs can not be destroyed, so they are a more present threat. They do lack the ability to pass over barriers, but their strong explosions and decent homing speed make them genuinely threatening in the middle of a hectic battle. The low ink cost also means the 'ink saver (sub)' ability can allow two auto bombs to be thrown from a full ink tank.
2 Suction Bomb
While the floor is the most important surface in splatoon, the walls are not to be ignored. They allow for vertical movement when inked, and can act as cover. The suction bomb is the best sub-weapon for interacting with the various walls in the game.
It mostly acts like a regular grenade but also has the added utility of sticking to walls and other surfaces. This means it's easy to predict the projectile's physics, and it acts as a great space denier. The only thing keeping it from being the best is its slightly slower explosion.
1 Splat Bomb
Just like the ‘splattershot’ is the most basic of the main weapons, the splat bomb is the most basic of the sub-weapons. It acts as a standard grenade like in other shooters, being throwable a short distance and exploding after a short delay.
There’s a reason this same functionality has kept grenades a mainstay in shooters. The projectile prevents opponents from safely occupying space, and in Splatoon specifically, the ink released upon explosion limits where opponents can move until they lay down their own ink. It also scores points above the suction bomb for a faster explosion. It's a universally useful weapon in any mode from turf war to salmon run.
Splatoon 3 is available on Nintendo Switch.