Splattershot Jr.

The Splattershot Jr. is a main weapon in Splatoon and Splatoon 2. It is the first weapon used by all players, given at the start of the in-game tutorial.

As the beginner weapon, the Splattershot Jr. appropriately has a quick firing rate, a high ink efficiency, and high shot spread, which enables its user to quickly ink large territories. Its loadout always includes both an offensive option and a strong defensive option. Since Version of Splatoon 2, it is also the first weapon to feature a unique ink tank.

Splatoon
The Splattershot Jr. comes in a set with s and the.

Demonstration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNymkFbCTfU

Splatoon 2
The Splattershot Jr. returns once again as the starting weapon, looking identical to how it did in the first game. It comes from the weapon brand Splat. It comes with s and the. As of Version, the Splattershot Jr. and its variants, the and , now have a larger ink tank with 10% more capacity, making it an easier weapon for beginners and experts alike.

Use

 * The Splattershot Jr. has a wide shot spread, enabling it to turf large areas in a short amount of time, which provides two benefits:
 * Turfing allows the team to either gain or maintain map control, simultaneously increasing team mobility while restraining the opponent's mobility. The rapid turfing ability also allows the Splattershot Jr. to quickly "cap" a zone in Splat Zones.
 * It also builds up Ink Armor very quickly, allowing the user's team to mount a push at a moment's notice.  can further hasten the process of "farming" armor.
 * The main tradeoff of the wide shot spread is the resulting poor accuracy, which, along with the short range, makes the Splattershot Jr. a poor main weapon for directly engaging most opponents.
 * It is still capable of quickly splatting opponents, provided that its user can catch an opponent by surprise and within its short range.
 * Otherwise, if a certain matchup is disadvantageous, disengage–by dropping a Splat Bomb behind whenever possible–and bring a teammate along.  can help escape a difficult situation more quickly.
 * The most reliable way a Splattershot Jr. player can score splats and assists is through constant and coordinated use of Splat Bombs, especially when supporting a more offensively effective weapon.
 * combined with the larger ink tank unique to the Splattershot Jr. allows the player to throw more bombs.
 * Using any special weapon also provides a free ink tank refill. Therefore, it is possible to throw a bomb or two before and after using the Ink Armor, creating a pseudo-Splat Bomb Launcher.

Countermeasures

 * Because the Splattershot Jr. is generally a poor main weapon for splatting, almost any weapon with longer range, better accuracy, or higher damage can defeat it in a one-on-one with relative ease. Just zone it out with superior range if possible, or overwhelm it with higher damage or better accuracy otherwise. However, watch out for the Splattershot Jr.'s Splat Bombs.
 * A Splattershot Jr. will most likely assist a teammate armed with a more formidable weapon; that opponent is usually the higher priority. Trying to engage against both is usually a poor idea, so either find a teammate to assist or try to lure the Splattershot Jr.'s teammate to stray too far from them to receive assistance.
 * Keep an eye on the HUD to know when the enemy Splattershot Jr. has Ink Armor ready to use, and both watch and listen for when they actually use it.
 * Focus fire on opponents for longer than usual–preferably with everyone ganging up on one opponent at a time–to compensate for the opponents' armor.
 * allows a player to inflict three times damage onto armored opponents, as long as the armor is active. If you combine this with, you can nearly neutralize armored pushes by the opponent.

Demonstration
https://youtu.be/JoEJ_W4bNNM

Trivia

 * The and the Splattershot Jr. are the only weapons not obtained with cash. As such, they are the only weapons not seen in Ammo Knights in.
 * In, the Splattershot Jr. does appear in Ammo Knights as if it were already purchased.
 * Callie seems to own a Splattershot Jr. in the manga series.
 * According to the first art book, in-universe, the Splattershot Jr. was one of the earlier weapons created around the Turf War's debut, and it was instead made out of metal, weighing around 10 kg.
 * In Splatoon 2, the Splattershot Jr. family of weapons are the only weapons in the game with a different design, higher capacity Ink Tank.

Etymology
Splattershot Jr. is a combination of Splatter (as well as Splat) and Shot. It also has the shortened form of Junior at the end to denote it is a weapon for beginners.

Its Japanese name, わかばシューター Wakaba Shūtā, means "Fresh Leaves Shooter". Its name is also a reference to the Wakaba mark (🔰), a symbol for new car drivers in Japan that has over time come to represent beginners in general.