Main weapon

"Your go-to weapon can be short-range, long-range, or just plain messy (like the Splat Roller). Each has its own benefits and weaknesses, so there's something for every play style!"

- Splatoon's official website

The main weapon is the primary type of weapon players use in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. Each main weapon has its own set of sub weapons and special weapons.

Shooters
Shooters are guns that fire small blobs of ink in quick succession. Most shooters will continuously fire when the player holds the trigger, but some have semi-automatic operation.

Blasters are shooters that are able to fire large globs of ink with a delayed explosion. The explosion allows users to attack opponents located behind obstacles or around corners.

Some shooters offer semi-automatic functionality, requiring the player to tap the trigger repeatedly instead of holding it for some or all aspects of operation.

Rollers
Rollers can be pushed along the ground, leaving a trail of ink. Users can attack by flinging ink, and damage is also dealt if enemies come into contact with the weapon while it is being pushed, sometimes crushing the opponent in one hit. As of Splatoon 2, rollers can do a vertical swing.

Brushes are an unofficial subclass of rollers. Brushes can be pushed especially fast, but leave a narrow trail of ink. They do not deal nearly as much contact damage, making crushing enemies virtually impossible. However, instead of flinging large waves of ink, brushes quickly swipe from side to side, flicking many smaller globs. This rapid-fire flick is their primary means of spreading ink and attacking enemies, making them ideal for fast, close-combat action.

Chargers
Chargers can instantly splat opponents at long range, once charged up. Uncharged shots do not have enough range or damage to be used effectively for attacking, but they can be used for covering turf. Precision aim is required, and a laser shows where the shot will land. Some chargers allow the player to store their charge when swimming around in ink.

Sloshers
Sloshers are single-shot, bucket-like weapons that hurl ink in an arc. The ink can be hurled over obstacles to hit opponents. Some sloshers allow the player to ink in different ways, such as hurl ink in 3 different directions simultaneously, or shoot out long-range projectiles which explode on impact with solid surfaces.

Splatlings
Splatlings are rotary cannons that generally have a high rate of fire and considerable range. In-game, they operate similar to chargers, but release a stream of small ink bullets instead of a single powerful one. Like chargers, a full charge is necessary to achieve the maximum potential range and firing duration.

Dualies
Dualies are paired sets of pistols that give their user the ability to dodge roll. After a dodge roll, the two dualies are held together by the Inkling, enhancing their performance in various ways depending on the dualie. This weapon class was introduced in Splatoon 2.

Brellas
Brellas are shotguns with a deployable shield. Depending on the brella model, the shield can be held in front of the user or launched forward. This weapon class was introduced in Splatoon 2.

Rare
Rare weapons are modified weapons from existing classes. During wildcard rotations of Salmon Run, one of Mr. Grizz's personal weapons will be accidentally added to the mix. Rare weapons are tweaked versions of normal weapons with much more powerful stats. These weapons are only available at certain times and can only be used within Salmon Run and cannot be used or obtained anywhere else.

Abilities
Abilities on a player's gear can affect main weapons. The following abilities have effects that directly improve the performance of main weapons.

Trivia

 * Concept art shows a few early versions of different weapons. From left to right, and down:
 * A Blaster
 * A Sploosh-O-Matic
 * A sub weapon, possibly a Seeker
 * An Inkbrush
 * A Carbon Roller (from the side)
 * A Killer Wail
 * An Octobrush
 * The Hero Shot
 * An unknown weapon
 * The Inkstrike and its GamePad-like device
 * A Splattershot Jr.
 * A Rapid Blaster
 * An E-liter 3K
 * The Hero Charger