Horrorboros

"That's a orange. Do I even need to tell you to avoid the bombs that it periodically launches out of its mouth?"

- Mr. Grizz

Horrorboroses are King Salmonid that appear in Salmon Run Next Wave during an Xtrawave. They are the second type of King Salmonid to debut in Splatoon 3, making its first appearance during the second Big Run event taking place at Inkblot Art Academy on 4 March 2023.

Description
A Horrorboros is a large, dragon-like Salmonid. It has a gaping mouth fitted with a device similar to the mechanism Steelheads use for their bombs. It spawns at the water's edge and slowly rises into the air, then slowly floats around the map.

Horrorboros's only attack is to charge up a Booyah Bomb-like blast (albeit larger) in its mouth, then launch it down towards the players. Uniquely, while players can attack Horrorboros' body directly, they can also attack the bomb itself until it bursts. The bomb requires 2,500 total damage to burst (damage dealt to the bomb is also dealt to Horrorboros itself), and it deals 5,000 damage to Horrorboros when destroyed. In total, each successful burst cycle deals 7,500 damage to Horrorboros (yet only requires 2,500 actual damage). Since each Egg Cannon shot only deals 800 damage to its body, it is advised to aim the shots at its bomb for massive damage.

A Horrorboros' health, like Cohozuna, is linearly correlated to the room's hazard level, using the formula, where HL denotes the hazard level percentage (capped at 60) and MaxHP is set at 55,000 for Horrorboros. For example, a team of Apprentice 40/99 (hazard level 8%) will meet a Horrorboros with 40,700 HP. When facing a team of Overachievers 0/99 (hazard level 60%) or above, Horrorboros has the maximum 55,000 HP.

Tips

 * In a similar manner to the Steelhead, the bomb Horrorboros charges up can be attacked. The bomb has 2,500 HP, and any damage to the bomb also reduces Horrorboros' health by the same amount. If destroyed, the explosion deals a huge amount of damage (5,000) to Horrorboros and cancels its Booyah Bomb attack.
 * Additionally, try to hit the bomb early before it gets too big. This way it is easier to destroy and can be done much faster.
 * Throwing Golden Eggs at the bomb can deal significant damage (800 each) to the bomb, which is faster than most supplied weapons. If you cannot line up a clear shot on the bomb, however, do not hesitate to throw the Golden Egg at Horrorboros's body instead, as every second counts.
 * Like Steelhead's bomb, any damage dealt to Horrorboros' bomb carries over to the next attack cycle (with the bomb painted partially in players' ink color) if players are unable to destroy it.
 * Horrorboros' large size and floating nature allow the team to damage it virtually anywhere on the map.
 * It is futile to try and defeat Horroboros without taking advantage of its bomb. Assuming that players only throw their Golden Eggs at Horrorboros itself, without hitting its bomb at all, it would take 69 Golden Eggs to defeat it on the highest difficulty (55,000 HP). Even in lower difficulties like Overachiever where Horrorboros's health is lower, fewer Boss Salmonids will spawn as well, making each individual Golden Egg count even more. If any downtime presents itself, keep the pressure going with main weapons, particularly those with high damage per second. Attacking the bomb is preferable, but any and all damage makes a difference.
 * The Hydra Splatling and E-liter 4K excel at shooting the bomb directly since they have extremely long range and outstanding damage.
 * Using a Crab Tank on the bomb is highly effective. The Crab Tank can theoretically deal 7,110 direct damage (by landing all 111 bullet shots with and one finishing cannonball with ) on the King Salmonid, not including weak point damage.
 * All other special weapons help with defeating Boss Salmonids, dealing damage to the King Salmonid, or simple crowd control. Make sure to use the allotted special, as every bit of damage counts.
 * The 2,500 damage required to burst Horrorboros's bomb is not evenly divisible by the 800 damage dealt by the Egg Cannon, and leaves a remainder of 100 damage. If the players can deal just a little damage to the bomb in some other way, they can burst the bomb with only 3 Golden Eggs instead of 4.

Quotes
"We're probably legally required to inform you that a new type of King Salmonid may begin appearing in March. It's a giant, terrifying serpent called Horrorboros, and did we mention that it flies? But... you'll probably be fine. Remember - you can earn a sticker!"

- @SplatoonNA on Twitter

"A new King Salmonid has been sighted snaking through the skies in #Splatoon3! Witnesses are referring to it as ' Horrorboros ' ..."

- @NintendoEurope on Twitter

Rewards
Splatting Horrorboroses a specific number of times in Salmon Run Next Wave will reward the player with special badges that they can use on their Splashtag.

Horrorboros figure locker decorations are also available as Big Run rewards.

Trivia

 * Horrorboros' hair is similar to that of Stingers.
 * Horrorboros' bomb is similar to the Steelhead's, only it is larger, has more health and creates a Booyah Bomb explosion.
 * Horrorboros has the highest health value, at 55,000, out of any enemy in Salmon Run.

Etymology
Horrorboros is a portmanteau of "horror" and "ouroboros", an ancient symbol of a serpent or dragon that is eating its own tail.