Timeline

This is the timeline of the known events of Splatoon, Splatoon 2, and Splatoon 3.

Before Mollusk Era: Around 12,000 years ago - Judd is born. Around 12,000 years ago - A printer used to determine each Splatfests theme was produced. 12,000 years ago - A professor created a cryogenic capsule that could freeze someone for thousands of years. At this time, this professor created a telephone, Tartar, that stored humanity's knowledge, and watched from afar. Judd is preserved in the cryogenic capsule (Sunken Scroll 27) 12,000 years ago - Flooding sea levels drown out much of Earth's land, its humans, and its flora and fauna. (Sunken Scroll 25) 12,000 years ago - Some humans survived the flooding and resided in Alterna. 12,000 years ago - The humans that resided in Alterna decided to see if they could find another planet. They created the Ark Polaris, a space shuttle that the humans went on. They brought 3 bears alongside them. 10,000 years ago - The spaceship drifted in space for 10,000 years, the bears hibernating during that time. 10,000-2,000 years ago - For 10,000 years, there was no activity of sentient life.

Mollusk Era: 2,000 years ago - Global water levels recede, forcing many marine creatures on what used to be Earth's dry land to evolve and become more intelligent. Some of these creatures also develop a humanoid structure. For example, squids evolve into Inklings, while octopi evolve into Octarians and Octolings. The Mollusk Era begins. 2,000 years ago - Judd is released from his capsule, and becomes the judge of the earliest known Turf Wars. 2,000 years ago - The Ark Polaris finally lands back on Earth, where one of the bears explores Earth, but realizes that Earth doesn't seem to have any mammals.

Great Turf War and Surrounding Events: Before 100 years ago - Inkopolis and Calamari County are founded. Calamari County's customary chorus is composed to celebrate and respect the bounty of the sea. Around 100 years ago - Cap'n Cuttlefish and DJ Octavio are born. They later become the respective leaders of the Inklings and the Octarians. 100 years ago - Sea levels rise again, forcing the Inklings and Octarians to fight over the remaining dry land. Around that time, the Octarians build the Great Octoweapons. During the Great Turf War - Cap'n Cuttlefish forms the Squidbeak Splatoon with three other members (possibly including someone who appears to be Sheldon's grandfather, Ammoses Shellendorf) as its leader. During the Great Turf War- Ammoses Shellendorf creates five (or eight) blueprints for weapons, including one for the Hero Shot Replica. During the Great Turf War - The Octarians were victorious through the course of the Great War, aided by their Great Octoweapons. However, a plug being pulled off deactivated their weaponry, allowing their Inkling enemies to prevail and defeat them. The Octarians were later forced into hiding into Octo Valley, where they built and lived in underground domes. After The Great Turf War - The Great Zapfish is born, and uses it's electricity to power Inkopolis and sometimes migrates to Splatsville. After The Great Turf War - Turf Wars become a popular competitive sport instead of a serious conflict.

Events of Splatoon: Around 30 years ago - DJ Octavio begins his career as a disk jockey. Around 30 years ago - The Octarians' underground domes show signs of collapsing, and begin to lose power. Around 24 years ago - Pearl is born. Around 23 years ago - Callie and Marie (The Squid Sisters) are born in Calamari County. Around 18 years ago - Agent 3, Agent 4 and Agent 8 are born. Around 18 years ago - Inkopolis hosts its first annual Youth Folk-Singing Contest. Marie and Callie win the contest, and their career and fame as singers begin. Pearl is kicked out of the same contest. Around 18 years ago- Marina is born. Around 7 years ago- Annie, Moe, Crusty Sean, Jelonzo, and Sheldon begin operating their shops at Booyah Base. Spyke also works at a back-alley in Inkopolis Plaza. Hightide Era, Squid Squad, and The Chirpy Chips perform their popular music. After moving to Inkopolis, Marie and Callie also begin their career as announcers for Splatfests and other events in Inkopolis News, as the "Squid Sisters". Around 7 years ago - The Octarians steal the Great Zapfish and other Zapfish from Inkopolis to power their homes and the Great Octoweapons, and prepare for war against Inkopolis. Agent 3 enters Inkopolis, and joins Cap'n Cuttlefish's new Squidbeak Splatoon with Agents 1 and 2, as undercover agents who attempt to rescue Zapfish from the Octarians' control. Agent 3 launches several attacks on Octo Valley to save the Zapfish, and destroy the Great Octoweapons in the process. They also acquire Ammoses Shellendorf's plans afterwards. Cap'n Cuttlefish is abducted and brought to DJ Octavio's lair. Agent 3 fights and defeats DJ Octavio. With the Squid Sisters' help, they bring the Great Zapfish and Cap'n Cuttlefish back to Inkopolis, restoring its power supply. Cap'n Cuttlefish stores DJ Octavio into a snow globe.

Events of Splatoon 2: Around 6 years ago - Grizzco Industries is founded and managed by Mr. Grizz. The Salmonids migrate to the irradiated waters outside Inkopolis as they undergo their Salmon Run for every 70 years. They also prepare to attack Inkopolis. Around 6 years ago - Marina defects from the Octarian army to become a citizen of Inkopolis, and with her friend Pearl they start their own group, Off The Hook. She also becomes a fan of the Squid Sisters. Flow, Bisk, and Jelfonzo begin operating their shops at Inkopolis Galleria, where Sheldon joins them as he relocates his Ammo Knights shop there. Around 5 years ago: Marie wins the final Splatfest that she and her cousin hosted. No Splatfests occur for a while until the arrival of the new band Off The Hook. Inkopolis Square becomes the new hub for Turf Wars, and Inkopolis News' studio has relocated to one of its buildings. Callie and Marie spend more time apart, in shows and music shows respectively. Marie goes to Calamari County to visit her parents, and returns back to Inkopolis. She then searches for Callie. Marie goes to Octo Valley, and finds that Cap'n Cuttlefish's shack has been abandoned, and the snow globe containing DJ Octavio has been broken. DJ Octavio later gathers the defeated Octarians, and establishes their new base at Octo Canyon. Around 5 years ago: The Great Zapfish is stolen again, plunging Inkopolis' residents into unease. Marie goes to Inkopolis Square to seek a recruit to investigate the Octarians, and find Callie. With the Squid Sisters being absent, Off The Hook enters to take their places as musicians and hosts for Inkopolis News. They also host the first Splatfests since the Squid Sisters' absence. A certain Inkling follows Marie to Octo Canyon, where she appoints them as "Agent 4". Together with Sheldon, the three recover young Zapfish from the resurgent Octarians. Sometime between stages, Agent 4 and Marie receive a com link. The voice sounds suspiciously like Callie... Agent 4 and Marie stumble into Callie at DJ Octavio's stage, where they find that she has been brainwashed under DJ Octavio's control. After freeing her from her brainwashing, she and Callie reunite and perform Spicy Calamari Inkantation, helping Agent 4 defeat DJ Octavio. The Great Zapfish is placed once again within Inkopolis.

Events of Octo Expansion: Around 5 years ago - Agent 3 faces off against an Octoling, known as Agent 8, who had a change of heart after hearing the Calamari Inkantation for the first time. The two battled until an unknown assailant captured all three of them and dragged them into the Deepsea Metro. Agent 8 then loses their memories and works alongside Cap'n Cuttlefish to find Agent 3 and get back to the surface. Agent 8 then has to complete a series of tasks in order to collect four Thangs to get to the Promised Land. They then meet C.Q. Cumber, the conductor of the Deep Sea Metro, who explains the functionality of the C.Q. 80 system. Pearl and Marina offer their support from the sidelines. Once Agent 8 collects all four thangs, the telephone assembles the machine that is supposed to bring Cap'n Cuttlefish and Agent 8 back to the surface. This soon proves to be a trap, as the machine itself is actually a blender intended to turn them both into 'Raw Material' for the Sanitized Octarians . Agent 3 manages to break them out, but at the cost of getting knocked unconscious for a good majority of the final battle. Agent 8 later fights a partially-sanitized Agent 3 and eventually manages to get to the surface to stop the telephone's evil plans. The telephone then reveals itself as Commander Tartar, a sentient AI created by the professor from 12,000 years ago as a last ditch effort to aid the development of the next dominant species. Tartar then strayed from his programming, as it was disgusted by the trivial nature of the Inklings and Octarians. It then sought out to create his own 'Master Race' of Sanitized Octarians. After Agent 8 uses Marina's Hyper Bombs and covers the humanoid contraption completely with ink, Pearl uses her Princess Cannon to finish the job, marking another win for the Squidbeak Splatoon. Agent 8 joins Pearl and Marina on their way to Inkopolis Square, Agent 3 goes out on patrol, and Cap'n Cuttlefish returns to the Deepsea Metro to check in on the Denizens of the deep for just a little longer. Marie then checks in on her grandfather to see when he'll come home, preparing seaweed stew for him for when he gets back.

Events of Splatoon 3: Around 5 months ago - Cap'n Cuttlefish passes his title as Captain to Agent 3. Around 2 months ago - The Great Zapfish gets kidnapped yet again. An Inkling/Octoling goes down a manhole, where they meet Craig Cuttlefish, who dubs them the New Agent 3. New Agent 3 finds DJ Octavio, who's troops have gone missing, and thinks that Cuttlefish was behind it. When New Agent 3 beats DJ Octavio, he confesses and says that he didn't steal The Great Zapfish this time. At this, the trio fall down into Alterna. New Agent 3 loses all their stuff, except for Smallfry. New Agent 3 meets Agents 1 and 2, alongside the Captain. Agent 1 introduces the three as the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Agent 2 tells New Agent 3 that the group had found three strong signals on islands called Sites. In a level, the New Squidbeak Splatoon are introduced to O.R.C.A, an AI created by a group of humans to Just as the New Squidbeak Splatoon was leaving the first Site, Deep Cut, consisting of Shiver, Frye, and Big Man, appear and introduces themselves. Shiver and Frye tell Agents 1 and 2 that they are looking for treasure and that they need it. Deep Cut disappears, allowing New Agent 3 to get to the next site. New Agent 3 fights Deep Cut in battle, allowing for them to use the treasures' pieces to make a lawn mover and get rid of the Fuzzy Ooze by the rocketship.