Splatoon3 Illu 02 Black
Image: Nintendo

Choosing your weapon in Splatoon 3 can be a big decision and it is entirely dependent on your play style. While some will want to take the battle by storm with a Shooter- or Roller-class, others will be more prone to scoping out their surroundings with a well-placed Charger.

Of course, we recommend trying out as many different weapons as you can get your hands on in either Single Player Mode or taking them to the range in Sheldon's store. If, however, you want a rundown of each class and what will be your best choice for battle then you have come to the right place.

In this list, we will outline the different weapon types and the individual items within them, before giving our completely subjective view on which is the best one for you to go for.

Don't know your Stringers from your Shooters? You've come to the right place!

Splatoon 3 Best Weapons - All Weapon Types

First up, we'd like to give a shout out to the Splatoon Wiki, which was invaluable in helping us assemble this guide. Check it out if you're looking for more information on anything to do with the game, weapons included.

Let's start alphabetically with the least civilised weapon on the list...

Blasters

SBlaster
Image: Nintendo

Firing balls of ink that explode on arrival. Generally, the class has a slower fire rate than Shooters. A dream for those that want to eliminate big crowds of opponents.

Splatoon 3 Blaster List Description
Blaster Slower rate of fire with increased damage
Clash Blaster High fire rate at the cost of lower damage
Luna Blaster Close-range, high damage
Range Blaster Shots travel further for mid-range combat. Decreased rate of fire and increased ink consumption
Rapid Blaster Pro Higher damage and increased range, though a slower rate of fire
Rapid Blaster Rapid firing rate, good for long-range attacks
  • Our recommendation: It might be the more standard of the two, but the Rapid Blaster is great for those who want to control the battlefield from a further distance, all while letting out a good level of damage. You won't get the same one-and-done experience as the others, but that's instead replaced by a much more forgiving damage-to-risk ratio.

Brellas

SBrella
Image: Nintendo

Fires ink for close-combat with the opportunity to raise a shield from enemy fire. The first two weapons listed below will also let you send this shield off into your opponents, keeping you covered for longer.

Splatoon 3 Brella List Description
Splat Brella High damage and shield durability, good for close-range
Tenta Brella Greater damage and durability, can be used for further-range combat
Undercover Brella Lighter damage, but can shoot with its shield up
  • Our recommendation: While some go after the big hitters, we like the manoeuvrability of the Undercover Brella. Shooting with your shield up grants the chance for combat in the closer-quarters, even if the shot itself is a little lower than its peers.

Brushes

SBrushes
Image: Nintendo

Much like Rollers, Brushes can be used to spread ink or splat close opponents.

Splatoon 3 Brush List Description
Inkbrush

Increased manoeuvrability to quickly spread ink

Octobrush Deals greater damage, slower to handle
  • Our recommendation: Whilst not as fast as its counterpart, we'd recommend the Octobrush out of the two. What you lose in swiftness is more than made up for by the range and volume of ink you'll be dishing out.

Chargers

SCharger
Image: Nintendo

This sniper-style weapon type charges up a shot before dealing out high damage at a long range.

Splatoon 3 Charger List Description
Bamboozler 14 Mk I No one-shot splatting, but has a rapid charge time
Classic Squiffer Fast charge and lower ink consumption, one for slightly closer range
E-Liter 4K High range and damage comes at the cost of high ink consumption and low mobility
E-Liter 4K Scope Much like the E-Liter but with improved aim
Goo Tuber Able to hold charge for ages and can one-shot while partially charged
Splat Charger Basic class weapon. Deals heavy damage with a fully-charged shot
Spatterscope Enhanced range and aim, cannot store a full charge
  • Our recommendation: For those looking to get a sniper-like experience, we recommend going with the Splatterscope here. It deals strong damage and will let you survey the field from a good position up high.

Dualies

SDualies
Image: Nintendo

Two pistol-like weapons which grant the ability to dodge roll. Good for getting into the heat of the battle with closer-to-mid-range combat.

Splatoon 3 Dualies List Description
Dapple Dualies High rate of fire and grants quick dodge rolling abilities
Dualie Squelchers Impressive range, accuracy is improved post-roll
Glooga Dualies Longer range but lower fire rate
Splat Dualies Standard weapon in the class. Decent range and mobility but low damage
Dark Tetra Dualies Shoot while rolling and perform four consecutive dodge rolls (double the usual number)
  • Our recommendation: Dark Tetra Dualies are great for outfoxing your foes at (relatively) long range, although the Dapple Dualies feel like they encapsulate what this class is all about. Let's chalk this one up to a draw.

Rollers

SRoller
Image: Nintendo

Used to quickly spread ink or splat enemies at close quarters. This class can also be used to throw ink for a mid-ranged attack.

Here's how Nintendo described them:

Coming through! Pushing or flicking one of these around the stage can color the ground quickly. And if someone gets in your way? Splat!

Splatoon 3 Roller List Description
Carbon Roller Increased speed, although there's no option to flatten opponents in close-range combat
Dynamo Roller Spreads ink quickly, decreased manoeuvrability
Flingza Roller Greater range than most in the class, vertical swing provides some local ink coverage, decreased speed
Splat Roller Standard Roller. Reasonable speed and coverage for close-range combat
  • Our recommendation: Offering you a little bit of everything, the Flingza Roller is well worth putting in the grind to get to understand. It is a great choice for both throwing out ink and for running around the arena with ease.

Shooters

SShooter
Image: Nintendo

Fire small bursts of ink for mid-range combat. The class offers a range of fully-automatic, semi-automatic and burst fire options.

Here's how the official Splatoon 3 website describes them:

All-around handy weapons. Useful in many situations and are great for inking turf quickly.

Splatoon 3 Shooter List Description
.52 Gal High fire rate and impressive damage, poor accuracy and ink cover
.96 Gal Drinks the ink, but high damage and range, if you can hit the target
Aerospray MG Wide shot range and high rate of fire, will take five shots to splat an enemy with decreased damage
Dual Squelcher High fire rate and reasonable range, but poor in the damage department
H-3 Nozzlenose Low rate of fire but lets out three bullets at once which deal impressive damage if they all hit
L-3 Nozzlenose Increased accuracy, good for mid-range splats, burst fire takes some getting used to
Jet Squelcher Probably the best shooter for range, although low damage and fire rate
N-Zap '85 Resembles the original North American NES Zapper. Retro style comes with a high fire rate but reasonably low damage
Squeezer Can handily switch between semi- and fully-automatic functions
Splash-o-matic High attack range and solid damage output but suboptimal fire rate
Splattershot The standard, with decent damage over a middling range
Splattershot Jr. The go-to beginner weapon. Spreads its stats across fire rate, accuracy, and ink efficiency, but lacks range
Splattershot Pro Great for slower, long-range combat with high damage and ink consumption to match
Sploosh-o-matic A high fire rate and impressive damage, though lacks accuracy
  • Our recommendation: There's so much variety in this category that it's hard to pin any one of them downs a singular recommendation. Starting out with the Splattershot Jr. is a great way to get to grips with Splatoon's combat system, and we recommend upgrading to the Splash-o-matic or the ever-reliable and bog-standard Splattershot for a greater range once you feel more comfortable. If you miss the close-quarters domination of the Jr. however, the Aerospray MG is a sound min-maxing for that playstyle.

Sloshers

SSlosher
Image: Nintendo

A single-shot weapon class for spreading ink and splatting opponents with an arc-shaped attack.

Splatoon 3 Slosher List Description
Bloblobber Fires four bouncing blobs into the battlefield. A good choice for those who want to ink from a longer range or around corners
Explosher This sends long-range attacks into the field which explode on impact
Slosher The standard weapon in the class. Good for spreading some quick ink
Tri-Slosher Increased range with tri-directional inkage, although this lower range and damage
Sloshing Machine Sends out a single, high-arcing glob of ink. Requires accuracy but produces impressive damage
  • Our recommendation: We would advise going simple with this one. The Slosher is where your sloshing journey will begin and it is a good all-rounder to keep in your arsenal throughout your splatting experience. Surprisingly great range as well.

Splatanas

SSplatana
Image: Nintendo

Fires slashes of ink in a horizontal or vertical direction. Works well in close combat or to throw ink from slightly further away.

Here's the official blurb for this class, new to Splatoon 3:

This new weapon class—including stuff like the Splatana Wiper—can be tricky to wield effectively but are spot-on for those who like to ink up close.

Splatoon 3 Splatana List Description
Splatana Stamper Increased damage at the cost of speed
Splatana Wiper Your standard Splatana, great for a surprise attack
  • Our recommendation: There is no need to go heavier here. Utilise the Splatana Wiper's charged attack and get into the battlefield for some close-quarters splatting.

Splatlings

SSplatling
Image: Nintendo

Used for sending out ink, fast. These are great for those who want to pepper the arena and trap enemies while your teammates clean up.

Splatoon 3 Splatling List Description
Ballpoint Splatling Multiple range options for close combat with increased fire rate, or long-distance with improved accuracy
Heavy Splatling Heavy, decreased manoeuvrability, high damage
Hydra Splatling

Long-range weapon which drinks ink, but with the capacity for continuous fire

Mini Splatling Lower range but has a short charge time and is lighter, making it easier to move
Nautilus 47

Charge-holding capabilities and lower range make it a weapon to be moved in battle

  • Our recommendation: You can't mess with perfection, and the Heavy Splatling is almost that. Excellent range, reasonable charge time, high damage output, and almost unmatched ink coverage per second. There are calls for other choices in certain tactical scenarios, but if you want a reliable, pick-up-and-splatling gun full of coloured liquid (and who doesn't?), this is your best bet.

Stringers

SStringer
Image: Nintendo

Offering horizontal, vertical, or exploding shots, this class is perfect for mid- to long-range combat.

Here's Nintendo's official description:

Weapons like the new Tri-Stringer are excellent for hanging back and inking from afar. While you can fire off a quick blast with these, you'll want to give them a second to charge up so they can best do their thing.

Splatoon 3 Stringer List Description
REEF-LUX 450 A lighter bow with a shorter range makes for increased rate of fire
Tri-Stringer Basic class weapon, good for long-range combat
  • Our recommendation: It may not be as fast, but the standard Tri-Stringer is what this class of weapon is all about. Quiet, hidden, medium-to-long range pop shots and strong, short-range turf coverage.

There is a full weapon run-down for all you prospective Splatters. Naturally, balance patches and new weapons will be coming in the future which could always change what we'd recommend, so please bear that in mind as the meta changes. Drop your combat choices in the comments below then get out there and show your skills on the Splattlefield!

For more on Splatoon 3, check out our Tips, Tricks, And Hints guide packed full of fresh advice on how to splat with the best of them. We also have a Weapon List With The Best Pick For Every Weapon Type, All Sunken Scroll Locations, a Full List Of Splatoon 3 amiibo Unlocks And Rewards, and Every New And Returning Turf War Stage in the game, plus info on How To Unlock Alterna Logs and How To Transfer Your Splatoon 2 Save Data, if that's causing you trouble.

Elsewhere, find out Where To Buy The Splatoon 3 Nintendo Switch OLED Model Console And Pro Controller, and if you haven't picked up the game itself, you can check out our review along with the best deals and find out Where To Buy Splatoon 3 On Nintendo Switch.