Li'l Judd

"Breaking news! We've confirmed the identity of the furry creature seen previously in both video footage and the recent Testfire event! Ready for it? Everyone, meet Li'l Judd! Okay, I'll be the first to admit he's adorable, but from what we've been able to observe, he's gunning for Judd's spot as premier Turf War judge like a bloodthirsty tiger crouching in the jungle underbrush. The details of his origins are still shrouded in mystery, but rest assured our research on this fuzzy subject will continue."

- Squid Research Lab

Li'l Judd is a cat in Splatoon 2 and. He is a smaller version of Judd, with whom he judges multiplayer matches.

Appearance
Like Judd, Li'l Judd is a bipedal domestic cat with a large head and body, small limbs, a tail that ends in an arrow shape, and tuxedo-like fur patterning. However, Li'l Judd has a smaller face in relation to his head, and his eyes are small and beady. His fur is fuzzier and has a much lighter color. Additionally, his limbs are even smaller in comparison to his body. In Li'l Judd has an overall dirtier appearance with his fur having been stained brown and ruffled. After the player completes Return of the Mammalians, he also wears a headset.

Personality and traits
As his name suggests, Li'l Judd shares many similarities to Judd. He gives the player advice when approached, and also helps judge matches. He is, however, set apart from his genetic original primarily by his inferiority complex and ambition. These combined traits drive Li'l Judd to plot against Judd, with him planning to supersede his original as the judge of Turf Wars. It is also implied that he is willing to use violence to achieve his goals, supported by that according to The Art of Splatoon 2, Li'l Judd "is waiting for his chance to stab Judd in the back" and Sunken Scroll 23 in Splatoon 3, which seems to describe Li'l Judd's preparations for a future assassination attempt on Judd. It is, however, unknown what Judd thinks of his clone, or if he even is aware of Li'l Judd's hostility towards him.

His Tableturf Battle dialogue, however, shows an honorable side and displays a vast vocabulary and sophisticated, albeit somewhat aggressive, speech. This starkly contrasts his diminutive size and general "cutesy" appearance, giving the dialogue a humorous bend. His speech mannerisms along with his plots suggest a high level of intelligence.

Splatoon 2
Together with Judd, Li'l Judd judges Turf Wars and Ranked Battles. Judd represents the player's team, called "Good Guys", and Li'l Judd represents the enemy team, called "Bad Guys". When the "Bad Guys" win, Li'l Judd brandishes a flag in their ink color and Judd falls down in defeat; the opposite happens when the "Good Guys" win. He can also be seen in Inkopolis Square sitting on top of Judd as he sleeps, and sometimes, when the player speaks to Judd for advice, Li'l Judd will give them advice instead. He often starts his advice with 'Mew!' rather than 'Meow!', implying that he is younger than Judd (who always starts his advice with 'Meow!').

In Sunken Scroll 27, it is revealed that Li'l Judd is a clone of Judd, created when the latter reactivated the capsule that he was cryogenically frozen in; the original owner of Judd, the professor, included this function in the capsule to ensure that Judd would not become lonely.

Splatoon 3
Li'l Judd plays the same role as in the previous game, judging Turf Wars and Anarchy Battles and representing the enemy team. He also can be battled as an opponent in Tableturf Battle after the player reaches Tableturf rank 21. However, he is not found together with Judd in the Battle Lobby, and thus no longer gives advice to the player.

After completing Return of the Mammalians, Li'l Judd begins wearing a headset.

Splatoon 2
"Meow! (Looks like you've leveled up enough to put your skills to the test in ! Ranked battles are for Inklings who mean business. Press in the lobby to check out the orange.)" --Said after reaching Level 10. ''"Meow! (Do you have any yet? When you scrub gear or reallocate abilities, the original abilities become ability chunks. Ability chunks don't do much by themselves, but you can combine them to make abilities on demand! And keep an eye out for the . He knows just what to do with ability chunks!)"

''"Meow! (To master, it's impurrtant to get your reticle firmly on your opponent. When you've got the enemy in your sights, the reticle will change into an × symbol. Wait to see this symbol before pressing to pull the trigger. And when your attack strikes your opponent, you should be able to hear and see it. Knowing whether you're hitting the opponent or not will help you adjust your aim if necessary.)"

"Meow! (Splash Walls and Ballers can prevent your ink from hitting your target. However, if either of them hit a Splat Bomb or Suction Bomb, the bomb will detonate immediately. Use this fact to destroy Splash Walls and Ballers quickly!)"

''"Mew! (Keep an eye on the icons at the top of the screen to see which team has the advantage. Tread carefully if your team's numbers are low, and be bold if you've got the enemy on the ropes!)"

''"Mew! (Swimming around fast in ink will make little orange that your opponents might notice. Tilt gently to swim slowly and orange!)"

''"Mew! (In, the team that rides the tower into the opponent's goal wins. You can make the tower's path safer by splatting any oppawnents in its way ahead of time.)"

''"Mew! (In, the team that keeps control of the Splat Zones in the stage wins! You'll need to plan out the best way to keep the Splat Zones free of enemy ink. Don't try to be a hero. Coordinate and orange!)"

''"Mew! (In, the team that carries the Rainmaker to the other team's goal wins. The Rainmaker is powerful, but it's not good at close range. Work with your team to stay safe.)"

Trivia

 * According to a Famitsu interview, the reason why Li'l Judd's fur has become stiff in Splatoon 3 is because since he wasn't able to achieve Judd's position, he became a bit lazy, resulting in his fur becoming how it is now.
 * In Splatoon 3, Li'l Judd is associated with Salmon Run Next Wave theming, with most of his Tableturf Battle cards being related to it and his card sleeves having a Salmonid design, in addition to his change in appearance coinciding with Mr. Grizz's defeat in Return of the Mammalians.