A recent presentation revealed exciting information regarding Splatoon 3, the upcoming third title in the ink-based third-person shooter franchise. Once again, players will be able to step into the shoes of their chosen Inkling or Octoling and battle against others using a variety of ink-shooting weapons. Splatoon 3 will feature a mix of new and returning gameplay modes, and will primarily take place in a new city called Splatsville. Residing in Splatsville are Deep Cut, a music group who will host competitive Splatfest events. One member of Deep Cut, Big Man the manta ray, has quickly gained popularity among fans only a few days after his official reveal.Deep Cut is a three-member group, consisting of Shiver the Octoling, Frye the Inkling, and Big Man the manta ray. In addition to hosting the Splatfest events and performing music, Deep Cut also provide news and updates via their podcast, Anarchy Splatcast. Their first song, "Anarchy Rainbow," is an upbeat, dance-heavy piece that effectively ties in with the "chaos" theme of Splatville and its surrounding Splatlands. While all three members of Deep Cut were received positively, Big Man was an immediate standout.
Big Man Is Different From Previous Announcers
Music-themed Splatfest hosts have been a staple of the Splatoon franchise since the very first game. The original game had the Squid Sisters, Callie and Marie, whose popularity earned them an appearance as an Assist Trophy in the fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Splatoon 2 introduced Off the Hook, a pop duo consisting of Pearl the Inkling and Marina the Octarian. Both were well-liked, leading to larger, more plot-relevant appearances in the game's Octo Expansion. While Shiver and Frye are stylish humanoids in the style of their predecessors, Big Man represents a major departure from the norm.
Big Man is the first male announcer to appear in a Splatoon game (as Shiver's gender currently remains ambiguous, and the character may in fact be nonbinary.) Rather than having a humanoid appearance, Big Man appears as a slightly anthropomorphized, manta ray, with small "feet" that allow him to dance. He is the group's primary dancer, and seems to have an upbeat personality. Fans on the Internet feel that the inclusion of a host who is not an Inkling or Octoling is refreshing, and many have declared Big Man to be their favorite member of Deep Cut.
His Name And Design Are Distinct And Memorable
Inspired by real life rays, Big Man's design features a seemingly permanent smile. His mouth and eyes are located on the underside of his body, and he wears a kabuki mask over the top of his head, where a real life ray's eyes would be. The design of his mask seems to be inspired by Nezumi Kozo, a popular thief character from kabuki plays who was often portrayed as wearing a red rope over his mouth and nose. Fans appreciated Big Man's design and particularly drew notice to his positive attitude and constant smile, feeling that Big Man was heartwarming.
Big Man also caught on due to his name, which is catchy and memorable. Fans were quick to declare themselves as "Big Fans" or "Big Stans" in social media posts supporting the character. Fans praised the decision to use the name "Big Man" over his original Japanese name "Mantaro" or simply a variant of "Ray," which is used in several languages. The appearance of the "-Man" suffix in his name also led to jokes that Big Man was secretly a Mega Man boss or a superhero who deserved to appear alongside the likes of Batman and Superman. Although Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has released its final DLC, fans are also campaigning for Big Man's inclusion as a playable fighter.
Fans Are Eager To Support Big Man in Splatfests
The three members of Deep Cut will serve as leaders for Splatoon 3's three-team Splatfests and Tricolor Turf War events. The first Splatfest will feature teams relating to the classic children's game "Rock, Paper, Scissors," with Big Man representing Team Scissors. Fans have already taken to social media to encourage others to join Team Scissors and support Big Man. Memes have also been created regarding the irony of Big Man, who does not have hands or fingers, being chosen to represent scissors. While it is not guaranteed, there seems to be a major chance that Big Man's team will take the victory in the first Splatoon 3 Splatfest.
With Splatoon 3's release date quickly approaching, fans would like to know more about the three-team Splatfests or the newly introduced card-based mode Tableturf Battle, while others are simply hoping to see more of Deep Cut and Big Man in particular. Hopefully, the developer will embrace the character's popularity and release plenty of Big Man-related content as soon as possible.
Splatoon 3 will release on September 9, 2022 for Nintendo Switch.