Tri-Stringer

The Tri-Stringer is a main weapon in.

Splatoon 3
The Tri-Stringer was initially shown in the announcement trailer for Splatoon 3 on 2021-02-17. Its name was revealed on 2022-04-22.

It appears in 6 missions in Alterna:
 * The String's the Thing
 * Splash the Block Party
 * Barriers! They've Got You Covered
 * One-Way Ride through Target Town
 * Shooter on Rails
 * Breathe In, Breathe Out

Appearance
The Tri-Stringer resembles a bow and arrow or a miniature ballista, but made out of parts of a fishing rod, including a reel and string. It is attached to a mechanism including three tubes, with the one in the center resembling a pump. The two outer tubes rotate inward as the Tri-Stringer approaches a full charge. The tubes and the string change to match the player's ink color.

Description
When the Tri-Stringer is fired with a tap of, it launches three projectiles of ink, each dealing 30 damage. The Tri-Stringer can shoot horizontally or vertically, depending on whether the user is jumping or not (in either case, the projectiles will travel in an arc and can be used to easily target areas behind cover). The Tri-Stringer is also capable of charging its shots and incorporates elements of both chargers and splatlings. Like chargers, the weapon has a telltale glow when charged and fires once for each release of. However, unlike chargers, there is no visible laser sight, making it difficult to tell where a Tri-Stringer user is aiming. Much like splatlings, however, the weapon also possesses two rings indicating its charge: these signify the points at which its shots become strongest and fly furthest & closest together, respectively. To fire the weapon, the user pulls back on the string, which changes color depending on the user's ink, and then releases it after a short period.

If the weapon has been charged sufficiently (at least one ring of charge), the Tri-Stringer will shoot three projectiles resembling dynamite which will explode after a few seconds. The ink tanks on the weapon and the bowstring seem to light up for a short period after being fired. Any charged 'arrows' that hit an opponent directly deal 35 damage, for a maximum of 105 damage with precise aim. Any projectiles of a charged Tri-Stringer shot that do not strike an opponent will stick to surfaces for just under a second, appearing as a small lump of ink that gradually glows brighter, and will then explode dealing 28 area-of-effect damage (per arrow, for a total of 84 damage if struck by all three explosions) and inking in a short range.

Badges
Reaching certain Freshness levels with the Tri-Stringer will reward the player with special badges that they can use on their Splashtag.

Trivia

 * The Tri-Stringer was originally shown in prerelease footage to have Splat Bombs and the Trizooka as its kit before it was changed to Toxic Mist and the Killer Wail 5.1. Its previous kit was given to the Clash Blaster.
 * The Tri-Stringer was one of the 26 weapons available to use in the Splatoon 3 Splatfest World Premiere.
 * It is the only weapon in the stringer class featured in this event.
 * The Tri-Stringer would originally be unable to shoot explosive arrows and had the ability to store its charge. These abilities were removed and given to the REEF-LUX 450.
 * As it first appears in Splatoon 3, the Tri-Stringer is one of seven main weapons (besides reskins) to have no canonical variants, the others being the Splatana Stamper, Splatana Wiper, REEF-LUX 450, Splattershot Nova, Big Swig Roller and Snipewriter 5H.
 * When all three shots from one charge of the weapon hit a single opponent, a special hit sound effect plays, accompanied by a visible flash.
 * This effect is shared with the H-3 Nozzlenose family and the REEF-LUX 450.
 * This effect does not occur in Salmon Run Next Wave.