O.R.C.A.
- This article is about the character. For other uses, see Orca (disambiguation).
O.R.C.A.'s dialogue icon in the story mode
| Species | Artificial intelligence |
| Age | Approx. 12,000 |
| Location | Alterna |
O.R.C.A., short for Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna, is a computer system in Return of the Mammalians in Splatoon 3. It is located in Alterna and serves as a guide for Agent 3.
Splatoon 3
In Return of the Mammalians, when Agent 3 enters their first kettle in Alterna, O.R.C.A. is booted up and introduces itself. After explaining the basics of missions, it begins collecting information on Agent 3, referring to them as a citizen of Alterna. At the start of each mission in Alterna, it offers a brief explanation of the mission's goal and purpose and information on the weapons available in the equipper. If Agent 3 fails to accomplish certain missions' special objectives (such as running out of ink in a mission with limited ink), O.R.C.A. will inform them of their failure and pour ink directly above them, splatting them.
At the start of the three Deep Cut boss missions, O.R.C.A. does not provide information on the mission, instead simply informing Agent 3 that unauthorized personnel are prohibited.
O.R.C.A. has a small amount of dialogue throughout the final Alterna Space Center sequence. At the start of Alterna Space Center: Entrance, O.R.C.A. informs Agent 3 that all weaponry is strictly prohibited, though "pets and/or sidekicks" are allowed (referring to Smallfry). At the start of Alterna Space Center Hangar, O.R.C.A. tells Agent 3 that they are prohibited from proceeding and closes their routes while initiating the Spirit Lifter's launch sequence. In The Spirit Lifter: First Class, O.R.C.A. states that launch preparations are nearing completion and closes bulkheads to stop Agent 3's progress, but Agent 3 presses switches that cause it to activate emergency systems and open the bulkheads and exit door. At the end of the cutscene that plays when the player fails the final boss battle, O.R.C.A. comments on the massive Fuzzball engulfing the Earth.
O.R.C.A. does not provide any information at the start of After Alterna, instead simply remaining silent.
O.R.C.A. is strongly implied to have written the Alterna Logs. Log002 reveals that O.R.C.A. is an archival-oriented digital information management system that was created by the scientists who built Alterna, its purpose being to record and preserve the knowledge of the surviving humans.
Personality
Unlike its fellow AI Commander Tartar, O.R.C.A. is rarely hostile towards the player and does not attempt to deceive them, instead seemingly only being interested in conducting tests and maintaining Alterna. Agent 1 comments on O.R.C.A.'s deadpan humor, and in the mission Amusing a Bemused Muse, it responds with silence at the Squid Sisters' failure to recognize a crate statue as an orca, the very same animal it is named after in many localizations of the game.
Gallery
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O.R.C.A.'s story mode dialogue icon
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O.R.C.A.'s logo without the icon, as seen in the trailer for Return of the Mammalians
Trivia
- O.R.C.A. plays a similar role to that of C.Q. Cumber in the Octo Expansion: both explain each level in the opening area, provide the selection of weapons available for the level in the equipper, and splat the player if they fail a special condition.
- When first booted up, O.R.C.A. makes a sound similar to the Wii U's power-on jingle, but in a different key. This is followed by the sound effect heard just before the reveal of a Splatfest theme by the "Voice from on High".
- According to one of the stage dialogues for Bluefin Depot, O.R.C.A. can also stand for "Occupational Regulatory Commission for Accidents", which appears to be the Splatoon equivalent of OSHA.
Etymology
Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna describes the system's intelligence, purpose, "species", and location. The orca is also a species of dolphin, making the abbreviation "O.R.C.A." similar to the Japanese name of the AI, which is the Japanese word for "dolphin".
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
イルカ Iruka |
Dolphin |
 Dutch |
O.R.K.A. | From orka ("orca") |
 French |
O.R.C.A. | - |
 German |
O.R.C.A. | - |
 Italian |
O.R.C.A. | - |
 Russian |
И.К.Р.А. I.K.R.A. |
From икра ikra ("caviar") |
 Spanish |
O.R.C.A. | - |
 Chinese |
海豚豚 Hǎitún tún |
From 海豚 hǎitún ("dolphin") |
 Korean |
I.R.C.A. | Similar to Japanese |
 Internal |
Dolphin [1] | - |
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese |
Intelligent Recording Computer of Alterna | From イルカ iruka ("dolphin") |
| Dutch |
Ongeëvenaarde Rapporterende Kunstmatige Assistent | Unparalleled Reporting Artificial Assistant |
| French |
Omniscient Réceptacle de la Connaissance Alternienne | |
| German |
Omnikompetente Registrar-Computer von Alterna | Omnicompetent Registrar Computer of Alterna |
| Italian |
Onnisciente Registratore Computerizzato di Alterna | Omniscient Computerized Registerer of Alterna |
| Russian |
Искусственный кибернетический разум Альтерны Iskusstvennyy kiberneticheskyy razum Al'terny |
Artificial cybernetic intelligence of Alterna |
| Spanish |
Organizadora de Registros Computarizados de Alterna | Organizer of Computerized Records of Alterna |
| Chinese |
Intelligent Recording Computer of Alterna | Same as Japanese |
| Korean |
Intelligent Recording Computer of Alterna | Same as Japanese |
