There are three types of weapons in Splatoon 3: main weapons, sub-weapons, and special weapons. They are all equally important, and come as a set; main weapons have set sub-weapons and special weapons. The player can't customize each weapon slot as they wish. Main and sub-weapons use ink for ammunition; sub-weapons typically use a lot more ink than main weapons.
Special weapons operate a little bit differently - these must be charged, which is done by inking the ground. Due to the need to be charged first, most special weapons have incredibly powerful effects that are also visually impressive. Some are more utilitarian in nature, but all the special weapons can be used by crafty players to turn the tide in a Turf War or Ranked Match.
10 Inkjet
In Splatoon 2 the Inkjet was ranked much higher, but this great special has been nerfed in Splatoon 3 to the point of just being pretty good. The Inkjet puts an ink-powered jetpack on the player. This has multiple benefits. First, it gives the player a bird's eye view of the battlefield, allowing for better coordination with teammates.
The Inkjet also sprays two jets of ink downward to provide lift. These inkjets not only cover the ground in ink but can splat enemies that get too close. Lastly, this special also comes with an ink blaster with a decent range, though the range has been decreased from Splatoon 2.
9 Ultra Stamp
Ultra Stamp can be a devastating weapon if used at the right time. This special creates a giant plastic mallet the player can swing with surprising speed. Each stamp not only covers the impact area with ink but can splat enemies. If the player can get this charged while surrounded by multiple enemies they can do some significant damage.
The large mallet can also be hurled at enemies to end the special early, giving the Ultra Stamp a ranged attack. The player is also protected from frontal attacks by the mallet. Another great aspect of this special is the ability to remain mobile while it's in use.
8 Reefslider
The Reefslider is a new special to the series that has players who love it, and players that would rather use any other special. When activated, the Reefslider creates an inflatable shark to use as a vehicle. The path is restricted to a straight line and the path is shown as two ink lines that flank the shark.
The shark travels down the path at high speed. When moving, the shark inks the ground and damages enemies caught in the path. When the shark reaches the end of the path it explodes. This explosion has a fairly large radius and enemies within the explosion will almost certainly be splatted. The shark can be stopped and forced to explode before reaching the end of the path. This is great for catching enemies off guard.
7 Trizooka
The Trizooka is a very reliable special weapon with great range and damage potential. This fires three projectiles with each shot. The projectiles fire in a linear, arcing, path and cover a large area with ink at the point of impact. The player gets three shots before the Trizooka reverts back to the main weapon.
There isn't any trick to using the Trizooka; the player gets three powerful shots. This simple operation makes this a reliable special for new players. If the projectiles covered the ground with ink as they traveled across the battlefield it would have been ranked a little higher. There isn't a downside to using the Trizooka, but it also isn't the overall best.
6 Tacticooler
This is a support special that lets the player place a cooler on the battlefield. This cooler provides an energy drink for each member of the team that provides a long list of benefits. Even though there are four cans in the cooler, each team member can only receive one.
The energy drinks provide the player with the Swim Speed Up, Run Speed Up, Ink Resistance Up, Intensify Action, Quick Respawn, Quick Super Jump, and Special Saver abilities. These abilities last until the player is splatted. The cooler itself prevents enemy ink from covering the ground directly around it as well.
5 Crab Tank
The Crab Tank is definitely going to be a favorite among players. This creates a small crab-like tank for the player to ride. The crab has a high degree of mobility side to side but is slower moving forward and backward. The Crab Tank can also roll into a ball for faster movement. Enemies caught in the path of the rolling tank take damage - usually enough to be splatted.
The tank has two weapons. One is a cannon that fires a glob of ink that operates similarly to a small Burst Bomb. The other weapon is a dual cannon, rapid-firing, weapon. The longer the player holds the trigger, the faster the second weapon fires. Expect to see this special weapon a lot during Turf Wars and Ranked Matches.
4 Ink Vac
This is another support special that is perfect for pushes into enemy territory. The Ink Vac gives the player a vacuum that creates a horizontal vortex in front of the player. Any ink projected at the player that gets near this vortex will be sucked into the Ink Vac's tank. Enemies physically caught in this vortex will be slowed.
When the Ink Vac's duration ends the player can shoot the vacuumed ink back at the enemy in a large ball that explodes. The size of the resulting explosion is determined by how much ink the player vacuumed. So, enemies can limit the damage by not shooting in the direction of the user.
3 Triple Inkstrike
This special will probably replace the Tenta Missiles as the most hated and spammable special. This gives the player three targeting balls to throw. When these balls land an ink missile strikes the area, creating a tall ink vortex. There isn't much of a delay between when the targeting ball hits and the vortex appears.
The vortices cover the ground in ink and splat any enemies in the area. These vortices also last long enough for this special to be used for zoning purposes. This can be spammed to create a no-go zone for enemies at a choke point. However, keep in mind the Splatoon 3 maps have fewer choke points than Splatoon 2.
2 Wave Breaker
This special is dangerously close to being overpowered and is widely considered among the best special weapons in Splatoon 3. Wave Breaker gives the player a device to place on the battlefield that sends out circular waves across the ground. These waves cause damage to the enemy unless they jump over the wave.
This special also tags enemies, making it great for exposing enemies hiding in ink. The device can be destroyed by enemies, which ends the special prematurely. The Wave Breaker sends out three waves before ending.
1 Big Bubbler
This special is going to almost certainly be nerfed at some point, but until then every team should have at least one player with a Big Bubbler. When deployed, this creates a spherical barrier that prevents enemy ink from entering. The player and teammates can fire out of this barrier though.
The barrier does not prevent enemies from entering and is vulnerable at the top. This special can stop an enemy push instantly while giving the user a safe space to reload, or an obstacle to help facilitate an escape. The wave sent out by the Wave Breaker penetrates the Big Bubbler's barrier. Lastly, The barrier can protect the ground from enemy ink while active.
Splatoon 3 is available on Nintendo Switch.