Yoko & the Gold Bazookas
Artwork from Splatoon 3. From left to right: Tao Blu, Yoko, Tosh, Martin, Jessika, Oonie, and Kitamura.[1]
| Species | Yoko: Inkling (rare specimen) Tao Blu: Blue-ringed octopus Tosh: Flower urchin Martin: Taonius borealis Jessika: Ram's horn squid Oonie: Hemicentrotus Kitamura: Long-spined sea urchin[2] |
| Relations | Yoko: Unnamed younger sister Tao Blu: Unnamed parents Oonie: Unnamed parents Kitamura: Many larval sea urchins |
| Members | (Non-virtual)
|
Yoko & the Gold Bazookas is a ska-style band in Splatoon 3. One of their songs, Ska-BLAM, plays in the announcement trailer for Sizzle Season 2023. Their lineup consists of a trumpet (Yoko), trombone (Tao Blu), and baritone saxophone (Tosh), accompanied by a full rhythm section, as well as vocals.
The band is a side project of Yoko from Ink Theory.[3] The band was formed when Yoko, Oonie, and Kitamura joined a jam session in Splatsville organized by Martin to test their skills and strengthen their mental fortitude. After getting along with the other musicians in attendance, they quickly formed a seven-member group.[4][2]
Songs
| Fictional band | Song name | Audio sample |
|---|---|---|
 |
Ska-BLAM | |
| Three-Horn Circus | ||
| Rockagilly Blues |
Members
English translations of these names are unofficial.
Note: The name of Martin's band, the venues Jessika has given recitals at.
Yoko
- Main article: Yoko
Yoko, an Inkling, is the lead trumpet player of Ink Theory. Because of her conservatory background, Yoko used to focus on more polished performances. After coming to Splatsville to reinvent herself, Yoko found herself in a jam session with the six other members and immediately formed the band as a side project.[1] Despite being the central figure and namesake of the band, she does not stand out compared to her bandmates' colorful personalities. After being invited to perform at Brinewater Springs, she has become hooked on table tennis.[2]
Tao Blu
Tao Blu is the band's trombonist. They resemble an Octoling, but are listed as a Blue-ringed octopus in BancalaWalker. Their mother is a master of the Splatlands koto, and their father plays the shakuhachi and works for the Hohojiro family. They studied abroad at a young age, and established themself as an independent trombonist. They are known as a first-call musician, generally being the one playing the trombone in any songs on the hit charts. For their solo work, they go by the name "TAO". They have been an ardent fan of Shiver for a decade, but do their best to hide it.[2]
Tosh
Tosh, a flower urchin, is the band's baritone saxophonist. Their activities are based overseas. They were a part of a brass band in middle school, getting saddled with playing the baritone saxophone no one else chose after losing a game of rock-paper-scissors. However, now they have no intention of playing anything else. When a funny story is told, they laugh for such a long stretch of time that they are frequently witnessed laughing all on their own.[2]
Martin
Martin is a member of the band resembling a specimen of Taonius borealis; despite said animal being a species of squid, they interestingly do not resemble an Inkling, having a less anthropomorphic appearance. They are the band's guitarist and vocalist. 50 years ago, they were a member of a legendary band called "The Colorful Vagabonds", but the band broke up when the manager of their production company was arrested for embezzlement, leaving Martin saddled with huge debts. They were the host of the jam session that brought the group together. They often lecture Oonie after performances, but have high hopes of her.[2]
Jessika
Jessika is the band's organist. They resemble an Inkling, but are listed as a ram's horn squid in BancalaWalker, and have a gothic lolita style. At the age of 14, they won an international organ competition. They have been invited to give recitals at numerous venues, including the Goosefish International Music Festival, the Philharmonic Mackerel, and the Scallop Cathedral. They had been regularly attending jam sessions because they felt like it, and somehow became a member of the band. However, they enjoy being a member of the band more than people think. They have never been to a casual dining restaurant, but would really like to go to one.[2]
Oonie
- Main article: Oonie
Oonie, a hemicentrotus, is the band's bassist, returning from Ink Theory. She was invited by Yoko to join the band. She purchased a costume for live performances with 
300,000 of credit. She is frequently lectured by Martin on her performance, taking notes and feeling hollow while doing so.[2]
Kitamura
- Main article: Kitamura
Kitamura, a long-spined sea urchin, is the band's drummer, returning from Ink Theory. She was invited by Yoko to join the band. She carries the most luggage of everyone in the band. Recently, many children have been born into her family, and she finds it soothing to look at pictures of the larval sea urchins.[2]
Quotes
| “ | A new act put together by Yoko, the trumpet player from Inkopolis Square's all-female band, Ink Theory. She's taken the blast of brass you've come to expect from her and smashed it together with some rockin' riffs—a moody mix of neo and retro that's been soaring in popularity. | ” |
— Splatoon Base[1]
| ||
| “ | Because of her conservatory background, Yoko used to focus on polished, virtuosic performances. After coming to Inkopolis[a] to reinvent herself, she wound up in a jam session with her future new bandmates, and everybody just clicked. Oonie and Kitamura from Ink Theory are back on bass and drums, respectively. | ” |
— Splatoon Base
| ||
Gallery
-
Album art; note that only Tao Blu, Yoko, and Tosh are present.
Trivia
- Although the band has seven members, only three are visible on the album artwork.[4]
- This also makes them the largest band in the Splatoon series.
Etymology
Yoko is the band's lead trumpet player. "The Gold Bazookas" is likely a reference to the brass instruments played in the songs, and the "x and the y" naming format is common among popular ska bands.
Tao Blu's name comes from their Japanese name, 兵頭タオ (Hyōdō Tao) and "blue" as in "blue-ringed octopus".
Jessika's name is likely a reference to ika, the Japanese word for squid, and the name Jessica.
Oonie's name is likely a reference to uni, the Japanese word for sea urchin (an inversion of her Japanese name being a transliteration of the English word urchin).
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
YOKO HORNS & FRIENDS | |
 German |
Yoko & the Gold Bazookas | Same as English |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
ヨーコ Yōko |
Same as English |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
兵頭タオ Hyōdō Tao |
From hyōmon dako, the blue-ringed octopus. |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
Toxy | From "toxin" |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
あーちん Āchin |
A rendering of the English word "urchin", Oonie's taxonomic class. |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
きたむら Kitamura |
From kitamurasakiuni, the Japanese name for Mesocentrotus nudus. |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
キタノ Kitano |
From kitanokujakuika, the Japanese name for Taonius borealis. |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
トグロ Toguro |
From togurokōika, the ram's horn squid. |
Notes
- ↑ Mistranslation by the English version of Splatoon Base; the Japanese version of the site and various tweets state this happened in Splatsville.
References
|
