Star power
Star power, known as the star count in Splatoon[1] and sometimes referred to as rarity, is an attribute on gear items. A gear item's star power corresponds to its initial amount of secondary ability slots and, if purchasable on an in-game shop, its price in cash.
Description
Splatoon
In Splatoon, the star count goes from 1 to 3 stars (equal to the number of initial secondary ability slots) and is static, not changing even if ability slots are added afterwards.
The higher the star count, the more gear experience is required to obtain a secondary ability per slot to compensate for the amount of initial slots.
| Star count | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 9,000 |
|
|
2,000 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 18,000 |
|
|
3,000 | 9,000 | 15,000 | 27,000 |
The number of items in Cooler Heads, Jelly Fresh, and Shrimp Kicks by star count depends on the player's level.
| Levels |   |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-6 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| 7-9 | 5 | 1 | N/A |
| 10-12 | 4 | 2 | N/A |
| 13-15 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 16-19 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 20+ | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Splatoon 2
The star count in Splatoon 2 functions exactly like how it did in Splatoon, with different amount of required gear experience per secondary ability slot.
| Star count | Slot 1 | Slot 2 | Slot 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2,000 | 6,000 | 10,000 | 18,000 |
|
|
3,000 | 7,000 | 11,000 | 21,000 |
|
|
4,000 | 8,000 | 12,000 | 24,000 |
The number of items in Headspace, Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe, and Shella Fresh by star count depends on the player's level, with identical values as in Splatoon.
| Levels | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-6 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| 7-9 | 5 | 1 | N/A |
| 10-12 | 4 | 2 | N/A |
| 13-15 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 16-19 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 20+ | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Pricing for items in SplatNet Gear Shop is based on their star count.
| Star count | Price compared to original |
|---|---|
|
250% |
|
|
200% |
|
|
150% |
Splatoon 3
Reason: Add gear lineup in shops on Fresh Season 2023 onwards.
In Splatoon 3, the star power is dynamic, now affected by the number of secondary ability slots. The star power in this game goes from 0 to 5 stars, with all items having a default star power of 0 to 2 stars, which is equal to 1 to 3 secondary ability slots, respectively. Beyond 2 stars, no extra ability slot is given, instead increasing the gear experience multiplier by roughly 0.03× per star (caps at 1.10× at 5 stars).
Upgrading a gear item's star power to the next one can be done by buying its duplicate from shops with cash (at fixed price regardless of item, listed on the table below), if available for purchase that day, or by paying Murch Super Sea Snails at any time.
| Target star power | Cash | Super Sea Snails | Slots | XP Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | 
|
1.00 | |
|
|
10,000 | 1 |
|
1.00 |
|
|
30,000 | 1 |
|
1.00 |
|
|
50,000 | 5 |
|
1.03 |
|
|
100,000 | 10 |
|
1.06 |
|
|
200,000 | 20 |
|
1.10 |
Grizzco gear items from Salmon Run Next Wave uniquely lack default star power values, instead being randomly assigned from 0 to 2 stars when the item is received, unlike their Splatoon 2 counterparts where Grizzco items from Salmon Run are always 3-star items (equivalent to Splatoon 3's 2-star ones).
The number of items in Naut Couture, Man-o'-Wardrobe, and Crush Station by initial star power depends on the player's level, with identical values as in previous games. This value will change when the Fresh Season 2023 expands the daily lineup of each shop from six to nine items.
| Levels | |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-6 | 6 | N/A | N/A |
| 7-9 | 5 | 1 | N/A |
| 10-12 | 4 | 2 | N/A |
| 13-15 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 16-19 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 20+ | 2 | 2 | 2 |
