Inkling (SSBU)

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Inkling in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Splatoon
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Killer Wail

“	Attacks with a variety of weapons. Covering opponents with ink leads to more and more damage—plus these Inklings are really fashionable!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Inkling (インクリング, Inkling) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Although the default form is female, both male and female forms of this character are playable. They were the first character suggested to appear in the then-unnamed Ultimate in its first teaser trailer at the end of the March 8th, 2018 Nintendo Direct, and officially announced as a newcomer alongside Daisy and Ridley in Ultimate's E3 2018 trailer released on June 12th, 2018. Inkling is classified as fighter #64.

Yuki Tsujii voices both genders of Inkling, via voice clips from Splatoon.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Inkling being the 5th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Samus or any character in her unlock tree, being the first character unlocked.
• Have Inkling join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Inkling must then be defeated on Moray Towers.

Attributes

• Inkling will transform into squid form while dashing and dodging.
• Inkling is a middleweight with a fast dash, exceptional air speed and an average falling speed.
• Inkling takes continuous damage while swimming in water. This trait is shared with Charizard, Sonic, and Incineroar.

Moveset

• Inkling can crawl and wall jump.
• Some of Inkling's attacks use up and apply ink. Attacks that use Ink each use a set amount of the Ink Tank. If the Inkling does not have enough Ink for a move, it will deal less damage and knockback, and certain moves will have no effect at all.
  • Ink-using moves include:
    • All smash attacks.
    • All special attacks.
    • Forward throw.
    • Neutral attack infinite.
• Characters can be repeatedly inked until they are fully coated, and take additional damage proportional to the amount of ink covering them. Ink gradually disappears over time, from around 5s for the smallest application, to around 20s for a completely covered character.
• Ink can also apply to some Assist Trophies.
• The Ink Tank can be gradually replenished at any time by holding the special button while shielding, or via the Splattershot only when the Ink Tank is completely empty. It is also restored to full capacity when the Inkling is KO'd.
  • Charging ink can only be done on the ground, prevents the Inkling from dodging or moving, and has noticeable ending lag. However, the animation lowers the Inkling's hurtbox enough to dodge grabs and projectiles.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	A two-hit combo consisting of a quick finger jab then a kick, then a roundhouse kick if the button is held. If the button is mashed, the second hit is followed by a rapid series of spurts from the Splattershot that concludes with a single blast that launches the enemy. The rapid jab covers opponents in ink. If the Inkling's Ink Tank is empty, the neutral infinite and finisher deals no damage and knockback. The first hit can jab reset.
			2%
			3.5%
			0.4% (loop), 2.5% (end)
Forward tilt			9%	Swings the Splattershot downwards in front of herself. Average knockback.
Up tilt			6%	A backflipping kick. Can combo into itself up to three times at 0%, or two at low percents. Has blind spots directly beside the Inkling, and is unable to hit prone opponents.
Down tilt			3% (first hit), 6% (second hit)	A breakdance directly in front of her. Hits twice.
Dash attack			8%, 6% (late)	A lunging elbow strike after transforming back into humanoid form from squid form.
Forward smash		Inkbrush	16% (ink, sweetspot), 14% (ink, sourspot), 12% (no ink, sweetspot and sourspot)	Swings an Inkbrush in front of her, which covers opponents in ink. Has a sweetspot at the brush tip. The hitbox does not cover the splatter of paint from the Inkbrush. KOs at 90% at the edge of Final Destination (with ink available).
Up smash		Blaster	4% (hit 1), 15% (hit 2, ink); 10% (hit 2, no ink)	Fires a burst from a Blaster above her head, which covers opponents in ink. There is a hitbox next to the Inkling that launches the enemy above her before the shot goes off, setting the enemy up for the attack; this hitbox can even hit prone or buried opponents. KOs at 116% on Final Destination (with ink available).
Down smash		Slosher	12.5% (hit 1, ink), 11% (hit 2, ink); 10% (hit 1, no ink), 9% (hit 2, no ink)	Empties out a Slosher on either side of herself, starting with the front then the back, which covers opponents in ink. The back hit deals less damage and knockback. The first hit KOs at 104% on Final Destination (with ink available).
Neutral aerial			7%	Turns upside down and does a spinning breakdance kick above herself in a helicopter fashion. Despite its appearance, it has no lasting hitbox, and the move only covers the Inkling's legs. Can combo into forward tilt and down tilt.
Forward aerial			10%, 7% (late)	A dropkick. Has some startup and acts as a sex kick. One of the Inkling's most reliable aerial KO moves. KOs at 136% at the edge of Final Destination.
Back aerial			10%	Swings the Splattershot straight behind herself. One of the Inkling's most reliable aerial KO moves.
Up aerial			4.5% (hit 1), 6.5% (hit 2)	After a brief pause, performs two spinning kicks that swing in an arc above herself. The first hit has set knockback and sends at the autolink angle, allowing it to set up into almost any tilt or a grab. The hitbox can be misleading, as it mainly covers directly above the Inkling.
Down aerial			12% (sweetspot), 10% (sourspot)	Briefly rears back before swinging the Splattershot straight below herself. The sweetspot is at the gun's tip and will meteor smash, while the sourspot deals strong horizontal knockback.
Grab			—	Reaches out to seize the opponent.
Pummel			1.2%	Stomps on the opponent's foot.
Forward throw			5% (hit 1, ink), 3% (hit 2)	Fires the Splattershot directly at the opponent, angled diagonally upwards. Hits twice, with the second hit covering the opponent in ink. Without ink, the first hit deals no damage. Can be followed up with dash attack.
Back throw			9%	Transforms into her squid form, then spins and tosses the opponent behind her with her tentacles. KOs at 129% at the edge of Final Destination.
Up throw			3% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2)	Tosses the opponent upward, then turns into her squid form to headbutt them from below. Sends the opponent directly upwards. Can combo reliably into neutral aerial and up aerial at low to mid percents.
Down throw			7%	Slams the opponent head-first into the ground with one hand. Sends the opponent in front of her, allowing it to combo into forward or down tilt.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Shoots the Splattershot on both sides of herself.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Shoots the Splattershot on both sides of herself.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Shoots the Splattershot on both sides of herself.
Edge attack Edge getups			9%	Swings her Splattershot.
Neutral special		Splattershot	0.3% (above Ink Tank line), 0.2% (below Ink Tank line), 0.1% (almost empty)	Rapidly fires the Splattershot in front of herself, which covers hit oponents in Ink at a fast pace. Only causes hitstun at very close range (3 character lengths), and slowly pushes opponents back at any further distance. Due to its high fire rate, it can lock opponents in shieldstun. Can be angled up and down, but the projectiles disappear after a set distance. Slowly loses travel distance and damage once the Ink Tank goes below the labeled line. If this move is used without any ink, the Inkling will begin charging ink.
Side special		Splat Roller	11% (grounded, ink), 2-3% (moving after Ink Tank is empty)	Takes out a Roller and begins to slide it across the ground. The roller spreads ink across the floor, with inked surfaces slowing opponents down. The move will bury grounded opponents and cover them in ink, allowing for followups; buried opponents can be hit by the Roller again to deal good knockback. The amount of ink opponents get covered in is determined by how fast the Inkling is moving while using the move. The Inkling can turn while using the move and can change her speed by pressing forward or back. In the air, the Splat Roller can only be used once before landing and deals no damage, but grants horizontal movement and a hop that does not use her mid-air jump, allowing it to extend her recovery. Pressing the special button will put the Roller away. Without ink, the Roller will not deal damage (unless the Inkling was moving before running out of ink), and the Inkling will slowly walk forward with a dejected look; this also stops most of her aerial momentum. Overall, the Splat Roller is one of the core components of the Inkling's metagame, and is rather notorious for its upsides due to how quick the move starts, the size of the Roller's hitbox, and the duration of the bury effect.
Up special		Super Jump	6% (close), 8% (far), 8% (landing hit)	Transforms into her squid form and launches herself upwards. The move deals minor damage and knockback on startup, and also when the Inkling lands, giving it some safety. The rising and falling animation themselves do not deal damage.
Down special		Splat Bomb	9.4-15%	Flings a pyramid-shaped ink bomb, which explodes on contact or after a fixed time. The trajectory of the bomb depends on how long the player holds the special button: a toss upward with no charge, and a long-distanced throw forward if fully charged. The bomb gains damage as it is charged, and also covers opponents in ink, the amount of which is determined by how long the move was charged. Has multiple uses, including edgeguarding, setting traps, or KOing at high percents. If the Ink Tank is below the labeled meter, the Inkling will be incapable of throwing a bomb, and will instead look back at their Ink Tank, leaving them open. When fully charged, the bomb KOs at 143% at the edge of Final Destination.
Final Smash		Killer Wail	1% (hits 1-32), 8% (final hit)	Pulls out the Killer Wail, a large megaphone-like machine, which proceeds to launch a beam of damaging soundwaves, which after a short period of time, are replaced with ink. The player has full control of the Inkling while it is active, and can also move the beam's angle up and down. The looping hits cover opponents in ink, but only the final hit has KO potential, KOing at around 60%.

On-screen appearance

Lands with a splash of ink in her squid form before transforming back, then flaps her arms excitedly before drawing her Splattershot. This is the Inkling's entrance animation from Octo Valley in Splatoon.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Raises her Splattershot several times into the air in a celebratory cheer. Based on the "C'mon!"/"This Way!" signal from Splatoon and Splatoon 2.
• Side taunt: Fires her Splattershot into the air with one hand while making a "gun" sign with her other hand.
• Down taunt: Jumps happily on the spot while smiling. Based on the "Booyah!" signal from Splatoon and Splatoon 2.

Idle poses

• Looks behind herself.
• Casually poses with her Splattershot pointing upwards beside her, with her other hand on her hip.

Victory poses

• Spins the Slosher on one finger. Directly based on the female Inkling’s victory animation when using a Slosher-type weapon in Splatoon.
• Jumps for joy, spins around, and poses with the Splattershot. Directly based on the victory animation when using a Shooter-type weapon in Splatoon 2. The initial animation is based off the male Inkling's animation with the weapon of the same type in Splatoon. This pose is slightly altered for the male Inkling.
• Sways the Splat Roller from side to side, before striking a pose, based on the victory animation when using a Roller-type weapon in Splatoon. The ending pose is based off a Roller-type weapon's victory animation in Splatoon 2.

Classic Mode: An Inkredible Journey

Inkling fights fighters with differently colored alternate costumes, referencing the concept of Turf War from the Splatoon games.

Round	Battle Type	Opponent	Stage	Music
1	Normal	Lucario and Sheik	Yoshi's Island	Splattack!
2	Normal	Greninja	Magicant	Ink or Sink
3	Normal	Wario and Duck Hunt	Norfair	Metalopod
4	Normal	Giant Yoshi	Summit	Seaskape
5	Normal	Shulk, Ness, and Mewtwo	Fountain of Dreams	Kraken Up
6	Free-for-All	2 Inklings	Moray Towers	Ink Me Up
Bonus Stage
Final	Boss Battle	Marx	?	Calamari Inkantation

Note: Every stage except for the Bonus Stage plays a track from the Splatoon universe, no matter what universe it originates from. The boss battle against Marx also plays Calamari Inkantation instead of his standard boss theme.

Role in World of Light

The Inklings (both female and male) were among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, the Inklings were present when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. They decided to each hide in a puddle of their own ink; however, this proved ineffective when the beams of light destroyed the cliff they were on. Both were then placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, except for Kirby.

In the mode proper, the female Inkling can be fought in a city area, in a space that clearly is Moray Towers.

Alternate costumes

All of the Inkling's alternate costumes feature wearable gear that can be found in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. Each of the costumes has a different Ink color, which matches the color of their hair.

Gallery

• 

  Inkling character poster, as posted on the official Splatoon Twitter account.

• 

  Inkling artwork, as posted on the official Japanese Splatoon Twitter account.

• 

  Inkling’s amiibo.

• 

  Official render of Male Inkling.

• 

  Inkling's fighter card.

• 

  On Moray Towers.

• 

  Male Inkling using his forward smash on Luigi at Luigi's Mansion.

• 

  Dodging Squirtle's Water Gun on Pokémon Stadium 2.

• 

  Down smash on 3D Land.

• 

  Two Inklings on Moray Towers.

• 

  Using Splat Roller on Link, Samus and Mario on Figure-8 Circuit.

• 

  Watching Young Link drink Lon Lon Milk on Temple.

• 

  Inkling, Link, Pikachu and Bowser being attacked by Rathalos on Tortimer Island.

• 

  Getting Screen KO'd on Moray Towers.

• 

  With Mario, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Ice Climbers, Pit and Villager on Battlefield.

• 

  With Kirby, Mario, Link, Marth, Pit, Ridley and Villager on Battlefield.

Character Showcase Video

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Trivia

• Inkling can swim in water in Ultimate. This contradicts attributes established in Splatoon, in which Inklings can only swim in Ink (in Squid Form) and dissolve when they touch water. However, in reference to this attribute, Inkling takes gradual damage while swimming in water.
• Inkling is currently the only newcomer in Ultimate to have received a Smash Bros. 4-style character poster to promote their inclusion as a playable character.
• Inkling is the first newcomer in Ultimate that was previously featured as a Mii Fighter costume in Super Smash Bros. 4. The others are Chrom, King K. Rool, and Isabelle.
• Inkling was the only newcomer to be in the panoramic group artwork when it was first shown off in the E3 2018 Direct, due to being the only newcomer revealed at the time.
• Inkling is currently one of the only three newcomers in Ultimate to not have splash art and an introduction tagline, the others being Daisy and Joker.
  • This makes Inkling and Joker the only unique newcomers with that distinction.
• Inkling is one of two newcomers (the other being Ridley) to be in a veteran's gallery on the official website, specifically Young Link's.
• Coincidentally, Inkling's fighter number, 64, is the same as the number of her costume in Super Mario Maker.
• Inkling is the only character to have an alternate costume appear in the World of Light introduction cutscene, as male Inkling appears alongside the default female Inkling.
• When Inkling is KO'd in Stamina Mode, a ghostly squid can be seen drifting out of the KO explosion. In Splatoon, this occurs when an Inkling's health is depleted (known in that game as being "splatted").
• Inkling is one of the few fighters to spin differently in their Star KO: she spins forwards instead of away from the screen, similarly to how Star KOs acted in Smash 4. She shares this trait with Cloud, Corrin, Incineroar and Shulk.
• Depending on which costume the player chooses when doing Inkling's Classic Mode route, two different colors of Inkling will appear as the penultimate battle. The orange, pink, and purple Inklings face off against their yellow and green counterparts, the blue and yellow Inklings face off against the orange and green ones, and the green, cyan, and indigo Inklings face off against the orange and blue ones.
• Inkling is the only non-DLC newcomer to be a sole representative of a new universe.
• Several of the Male Inkling’s animations are slightly altered, such as his victory animations and Screen KO. He is the only gender-based alternate costume to have slightly altered animations.