King Salmonid
The three King Salmonids as the Triumvirate
| Species | Salmonid |
| Location | Salmon Run Next Wave |
King Salmonids are enormous Salmonids that appear as bosses in the Xtrawave of Salmon Run Next Wave in Splatoon 3.
Description
One King Salmonid appears in an Xtrawave after the shift finishes, depending on how full the team's Salmometers are. The crew will need to defeat the King Salmonid within the time limit while fighting other Boss Salmonids. It can be defeated by using the player's main, sub, and special weapons. Additionally, an egg cannon is supplied to all players during an Xtrawave, and with it, Golden Eggs can be thrown at the King Salmonid to deal massive damage to it.
Types of King Salmonids
Triumvirate
- Main article: Triumvirate
The Sizzle Season 2024 announcement trailer[1] revealed the Triumvirate, a special Xtrawave occurrence where all three King Salmonids are fought at once.
The Triumvirate debuted in BIG Big Run, as the sole King Salmonid available during the event. Considerably more difficult to defeat than a regular King Salmonid, each of the three King Salmonids has its own health bar; the Triumvirate will only be defeated once all three King Salmonids are splatted. Megalodontia may damage its fellow King Salmonids similar to how it may damage Boss Salmonids. Upon defeating an individual King Salmonid, an announcement message is displayed to all players in shaky letters, e.g. "Horrorboros down!"
Fighting the Triumvirate offered a three times increase in fish scale output. Defeating the Triumvirate rewarded a badge immediately after exiting that Salmon Run Next Wave lobby. Defeating a Triumvirate at Hazard Level MAX rewarded the Grizzco helicopter locker decoration after dialogue with Mr. Grizz's statue in the Grizzco lobby.
Salmometer
Each player has a Salmometer (called "smell" in the game's files) that increases by 1 after every shift without encountering a King Salmonid, no matter the outcome of the shift (win or loss at any wave). This meter can be seen in the top right of the screen while in the Grizzco building. It starts out empty until it becomes full after 5 shifts, or when an encounter happens, resetting it back to zero.
The sum of every team member's Salmometer gives the probability of a King Salmonid appearing at the end of wave 3. When all four meters are full, the encounter is guaranteed.
Note that the visual representation below is only for easier readability, not the exact meters needed. For example, four meters at 1 would be equal to one meter at 4.
The second table shows a simplified version for 4-person teams playing together with their meters synced — mainly, if a King is encountered and the team keeps playing together afterwards.
| Sum of the team's meters |
Visual representation | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 
|
0% |
| 1 | 
|
0% |
| 2 | 
|
0% |
| 3 | 
|
0% |
| 4 | 
|
0% |
| 5 | 
|
1.5625% |
| 6 |
|
3.75% |
| 7 |
|
6.5625% |
| 8 |
|
10% |
| 9 |
|
14.0625% |
| 10 |
|
18.75% |
| 11 |
|
24.0625% |
| 12 |
|
30% |
| 13 |
|
36.5625% |
| 14 |
|
43.75% |
| 15 |
|
51.5625% |
| 16 |
|
60% |
| 17 |
|
69.0625% |
| 18 |
|
78.75% |
| 19 |
|
89.0625% |
| 20 |
|
100% |
| Sum of the team's meters |
Visual representation | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| 0 |
|
0% |
| 4 |
|
0% |
| 8 |
|
10% |
| 12 |
|
30% |
| 16 |
|
60% |
| 20 |
|
100% |
Quotes
| “ | Squid Research Lab is excited and more than a little scared to reveal the existence of a King Salmonid. This unfathomably terrifying creature can be scientifically described as "ginormous." We hope to release more details soon. | ” |
— @SplatoonNA on Twitter[3]
| ||
| “ | Sadly, it's not all break rooms and promotions in the working world. Sometimes you have a tough day at the office and get attacked by a King Salmonid. HR recommends fighting it off with an egg cannon (you could earn bonus fish scales) and then taking a personal day. | ” |
— @SplatoonNA on Twitter[4]
| ||
Gallery
-
2D artwork of Salmon Run Next Wave (vertical) with Cohozuna at the back
-
Horizontal version of the artwork
-
Cohozuna as seen by a security camera in the Salmon Run Next Wave trailer
-
Horrorboros as seen in a Twitter reveal
-
Megalodontia as seen in a Twitter reveal
-
The Triumvirate seen on Anarchy Splatcast
Trivia
- Similar to Boss Salmonids, some of the King Salmonids' attacks seem to be inspired by special weapons. Cohozuna's stomping attack is similar to the Splashdown, while Horrorboros's bombs are similar to the Booyah Bomb.
- Megalodontia, like Maws, is similar to the Octomaw boss from Splatoon.
- King Salmonids appear to have iridescent scales on their bodies, which might explain the collection of fish scales from them.
- King Salmonids share the common traits with the members of Deep Cut.
- Cohozuna is the "big" one out of three and has a red hair color - a color associated with Big Man during the Shiver vs. Frye vs. Big Man Splatfest.
- Horrorboros's long serpent-like body represents an eel, and it has a yellow hair color - all of which are traits associated with Frye.
- Megalodontia has a shark theme, as its name refers to Megalodon, a giant shark, and the King Salmonid itself is a bigger version of Maws, which name and behavior refers to the movie Jaws; and its hair color is blue - all of which are traits associated with Shiver.
- In Japanese, the Triumvirate is known as the "Boss Union" (オカシラ連合 okashira rengō), mirroring Deep Cut's Japanese name of "Surimi Union" (すりみ連合 surimi rengō).
Etymology
The English name is derived from "king salmon" and "Salmonid".
The name "triumvirate" refers to a trio of leaders who work together in a political alliance.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
オカシラシャケ Okashirashake |
Boss Salmonid [note 1] |
 Dutch |
Salmonster | From Salmoniet ("Salmonid") and monster ("monster") |
 French |
Salmonarque | From Salmonidés ("Salmonid") and monarque ("monarch") |
 German |
Ober-Salmonide | Head Salmonid |
 Italian |
Salmonarca | From Salmonoide ("Salmonid") and monarca ("monarch") |
 Russian |
Самонид-король Samonid-korol' |
King Salmonid |
 Spanish |
Gran jefe salmónido | Great boss salmonid |
 Chinese (Simplified) |
头目鲑鱼 tóumù guīyú |
Head Salmonid [note 2] |
 Chinese (Traditional) |
頭目鮭魚 tóumù guīyú (Mandarin) tau4 muk6 gwai1 jyu2 (Cantonese) |
Head Salmonid [note 2] |
 Korean |
두목연어 | Boss Salmon |
 Internal |
SakeBigBoss [5] |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
オカシラゲージ okashira gēji |
Boss Gauge |
| Dutch |
Salmometer | From Salmoniet ("Salmonid") and meter |
| French |
Salmomètre | |
| German |
Salmometer | Same as English |
| Italian |
Salmometro | Same as English, from Salmonoidi ("Salmonid") and metro ("meter") |
| Russian |
Король-шкала Korol'-shkala |
King scale |
| Spanish |
Salmómetro | Same as English |
| Chinese (Simplified) |
头目槽 tóumù cáo |
Head tank [note 2] |
| Chinese (Traditional) |
頭目槽 tóumù cáo (Mandarin) tau4 muk6 cou4 (Cantonese) |
Head tank [note 2] |
| Korean |
두목 게이지 | Boss Gauge |
| Internal |
SakeBigBossGauge [5] |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
オカシラ連合 okashira rengō |
Boss Union |
| Dutch |
Het Monstertrio | The Monster Trio |
| French |
Le Triumvirat | The Triumvirate |
| German |
Die Trioffensive | The Trioffensive |
| Italian |
Il Triumvirato | The Triumvirate |
| Russian |
Триумвират Triumvirat |
Triumvirate |
| Spanish |
La trialianza | The trialliance |
| Chinese (Traditional) |
頭目聯合 tóumù liánhé (Mandarin) tau4 muk6 lyun4 hap6 (Cantonese) |
Head united [note 2] |
