Agent 3 (Splatoon)

Agent 3 is the code name given to the player of by Cap'n Cuttlefish in Octo Valley. They return as a supporting character and boss in the Octo Expansion.

Appearance


Agent 3 can have a variety of appearances, depending on the player's choice of gender, skin color, and eye color, as well as their current ink color. They wear the Hero Suit and can pick up armor to wear as well. They wield the Hero Shot by default but can use a Charger or Roller for amiibo challenges.

Early life
Not much is known about Agent 3's background, except that they are at least 14 years old since they have complete control over their squid and humanoid forms.

Splatoon
In, after following him through a manhole in Inkopolis Plaza, Agent 3 met Cap'n Cuttlefish in Octo Valley. After explaining to them the Octarians' plan of stealing the Great Zapfish, he recruited the young Inkling as Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, giving them the Hero Shot and a hand-me-down Hero Suit. Agent 3 then progressed through the levels of Octo Valley, retrieving Zapfish and defeating the Great Octoweapons.

After defeating the Octowhirl, however, Cuttlefish got kidnapped, and Agent 3 was instead guided by his granddaughters, Agents 1 and 2. After completing all the levels in Octo Valley, Agent 3 eventually battled the leader of the Octarians, DJ Octavio, in Enter the Octobot King!. After the fourth and penultimate phase of the battle, Agents 1 and 2 revealed themselves as Callie and Marie of the Squid Sisters and played the Calamari Inkantation, allowing Cuttlefish to free himself. With this motivation, Agent 3 defeated Octavio, rescuing Cuttlefish and the Great Zapfish, and Inkopolis' power supply was restored.

Splatoon 2
In Octo Canyon in, Agent 3 does not appear, being replaced by Agent 4. However, Agent 3 was mentioned various times through Marie's dialogue, and Sunken Scroll 25 revealed that Cap'n Cuttlefish went off traveling with Agent 3 for "a research trip to the cape".

Octo Expansion
Before the start of the Octo Expansion, Agent 3 and Cap'n Cuttlefish continued exploring Octo Valley when they ended up in battle against a young Octoling. However, an unknown third party attacked them, leaving them stranded in the Deepsea Metro, with Agent 3 separated. Cuttlefish and the Octoling nicknamed Agent 8 teamed up to collect the four thangs and escape the Deepsea Metro.

Once Agent 8 collected three of the thangs, Cap'n Cuttlefish made a "missing" poster for Agent 3, which allows the player to determine Agent 3's gender, skin color, and eye color.

After Agent 8 collected all four thangs, the Telephone built them into a blender and tricked Agent 8 and Cuttlefish inside until Agent 3 responded to Cuttlefish's CQ-80 device's distress signal and destroyed it. They were rendered unconscious as a result, with Cuttlefish staying behind to look after them as Agent 8 escaped through the hole Agent 3 made.

While Agent 8 was away, the Telephone attacked Agent 3, partially sanitizing them. Under the Telephone's control, they tied up Cuttlefish and later attacked Agent 8 before they could escape to the surface. After being defeated, the sanitization disappeared, leaving them once again unconscious. They eventually woke up after Agent 8 and Off the Hook defeated the NILS Statue, used by Telephone, as Commander Tartar, to destroy Inkopolis, now with a band-aid on the back of their head as the credits rolled.

When Agent 8 returned to the Deepsea Metro, Cuttlefish explained that Agent 3 went back on patrol. After Agent 8 completed all the tests, a locker in Central Station opened and they had a flashback to the first time they heard the Calamari Inkantation, prompting a final battle against their "Inner Agent 3".

Etymology
The name Agent 3 was given by Cap'n Cuttlefish because Agent 1 and Agent 2 are Callie and Marie, respectively. Agent 3's real name is never revealed as it is initially dependent on the name of the player's system.

Splatoon manga
Both Goggles and Rider act as Agent 3 in the Splatoon manga as Agent 3 and Agent 3.5. They appear in Chapters 8 and 9, which follow the events of Octo Valley. Both are Inkling boys wearing the full Hero Suit with the addition of wearing the gear they are named after, being the Pilot Goggles and Black Inky Rider. They also use the Hero weapons from the same main weapon class as their usual weapons, with Goggles having the Hero Shot and Rider having the Hero Roller. In the Octo Expansion arc in Chapter 25, Rider mirrors the same role as Agent 3 in the game, where he rescues the Blue Team, Agent 8 and Cap'n Cuttlefish from the blender and later becomes mind-controlled. He also has the cape Agent 3 wears in Octo Expansion but uses his Gold Dynamo Roller instead of a Hero weapon.

Mellow Squid 4-Panel Comic
In the Mellow Squid 4-Panel Comic, Agent 3 is represented as a female Inkling who also is the main character, appearing with either green or orange ink.

Trivia

 * Agent 3 has been depicted as both genders in official artwork, female in the second Sunken Scroll in Splatoon 2 and the Octo Expansion trailer, whilst appearing as male in the official art for Splatoon 2's first anniversary. The Octo Expansion allows the player to customize Agent 3's eyes, skin tone, and gender using the same options available from Splatoon, to allow players of the original game a level of personal canon.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, one of the customization options for female Inklings is the ability to play as Agent 3, having a light skin tone and blue eyes, but still carrying the regular Splattershot and ink tank from Splatoon.

Splatoon

 * Two sets of gear identical to Agent 3's outfits can be unlocked for online play.
 * After completing Octo Valley, the player is rewarded the Hero Headset Replica, Hero Jacket Replica, and Hero Runner Replicas.
 * At Levels 25, 30, and 35, Judd will give the player the Armor Helmet Replica, Armor Jacket Replica, and Armor Boot Replicas, respectively.

Splatoon 2

 * The Hero Headset Replica, Hero Jacket Replica, and Hero Runner Replicas are now rewarded by the Callie amiibo, and the Armor Helmet Replica, Armor Jacket Replica, and Armor Boot Replicas are now rewarded by the Marie amiibo.
 * In the English translation of Splatoon 2, Marie remarks to Agent 4 that Agent 3 has poor hygiene. Meanwhile, in the Japanese version, Marie states that Agent 4 looks just as good as Agent 3.

Octo Expansion

 * When unconscious after Agent 8 defeats them, Agent 8 can cover Agent 3 in ink, like Cap'n Cuttlefish in the first game. The ink covered on them will slowly go away.
 * The options when "creating" Agent 3 are the same as the first game, the most notable example being the limited eye color choices.
 * When Cap'n Cuttlefish draws Agent 3, he depicts female Agent 3 as right-handed, while the male as being left-handed, both holding the Hero Shot. However, when they make a physical appearance, both genders are right-handed.
 * Unlike the first game, Agent 3 has their headset and shoes change color to their ink color, like the Hero Headset Replica and Hero Runner Replicas in Splatoon 2, instead of staying blue.
 * After defeating the Inner Agent 3, the player receives the Golden Toothpick. It comes with the ability Special Charge Up, possibly referencing the fact that Agent 3 can get specials very quickly.
 * The reason for why Agent 3 can use many special weapons is explained by Marina, saying that Agent 3 had removed their limiter, which implies that they can normally use many specials and must use something that restricts this ability.
 * Agent 3 possesses an employee model CQ-80.