As an avid Splatoon player since the first game released on Wii U, I‘ve defeated every boss and cleared every level the series has thrown at me. So when the Splatoon 3 Octo Expansion introduced several challenging new villain characters, I couldn‘t wait to analyze their attack patterns and develop winning strategies to take each down.
After many intense battles, I can now provide hard-won guidance to help fellow Inklings struggling with these deadly foes. While they seem imposing, just remember – every boss has an exploit!
DJ Octavio Remains a Tricky Octo-Foe
Making his third Splatoon appearance, Octavio begins the boss gauntlet inside his upgraded Octobot King mech. This towering robotic suit gives him an arsenal of rocket fists, ink vacuums, and even an ink jet barrage from above:
Attacks
- Rocket Fist – Slow homing punch
- Vacuum Grab – Sucks ink to limit mobility
- Jet Missile Swarm – Carpet bombs area of effect
Stats
- Health: 4,000
- Speed: Low
- Damage per hit: Moderate
Tips
- Shoot down every rocket fist he launches since they‘re easy targets
- Save ink by swimming through own ink trails to avoid vacuum
- Use the outer moving discs for cover during missile attack
Octavio leaves few openings to directly attack him. But after destroying his rocket fists, you can temporarily expose and damage his cockpit glass. Chargers and blasters work great during these moments while avoiding his desperation ink vacuum attempts. Exercise patience and only strike when it‘s safe!
Frye Causes Trouble with Her Eel Assault
Frye pilots a giant floating cube that serves as both weapon and armor during your showdown. It can summon living eels from the ink as well as directly trying to smash you against stage walls and gaps.
Attacks
- Eel Launcher – Fires tracking or divebombing eels
- Cube Smash – Slams cube downward
- Toxic Bubbles – Spread corrosive dark ink
Stats
- Health: 4,500
- Speed: Slow movement, fast attacks
- Damage per hit: Moderate
Tips
- Immediately splat every launched eel
- Lure cube over gaps to temporarily trap it
- Frye is vulnerable when cube opens – concentrate fire then!
Fish-like eels will continue pestering you until fully destroyed, so shoot them down before focusing on Frye herself. When she tries smashing you directly, evade the landing zone while inking territory to enable your escape. Hide beneath overhangs when targeted by bubbles since they spread wide. Exercise timed precision and mobility!
Shiver and Her Shredding Shark Mech
The intimidating Shiver leads the Deep Cut gang – and she brings along a fierce robotic shark ally! This custom mech suit provides claws, grinders, ink jets and a brutal maw cannon. Surviving this arena means carefully tracking Shiver while dodging every attack from her amphibious partner.
Attacks
- Sharknado Charges – Chasing tornado trails
- Emerging Bite – Bursts from ground
- Inkjet Barrage – Aerial spray strafing
Stats
- Health: 5,000 (Shared with Shark)
- Speed: Very fast movements and attacks
- Damage per hit: High
Tips
- Target the shark directly whenever possible
- Reposition constantly since few spots are ever safe
- Damage Shiver herself immediately after her ally attacks
Time is critical during this frantic clash so I created an arena diagram marking key phases and optimal agent positions:
With flawless timing you‘ll whittle down their shared health bar while avoiding the worst of their brutal offensive. Rely on your best sub and special weapons to cripple the sharkbot during its limited vulnerability windows across the looping attack cycle. Stay nimble!
Big Man Leaves You Seeing Double
The largest member of Deep Cut, Big Man is a towering mako shark obsessed with hype and swagger. But behind the bravado lies a ruthless fighter who transforms into an enormous manta ray. Worse, he surrounds himself with smaller ray clones during the heart of battle.
Attacks
- Deep Dive Charges – Zig zags across stage
- Clone Squad – Spawns three smaller mantas
- Five Stage spin cycles
Stats
- Health: 12,000
- Speed: Very fast
- Damage per hit: Moderate but frequent
Tips
- Climb the central pedestal while he dives
- Destroy clones the instant they appear
- Avoid lingering too long on outer unsafe rings
Big Man himself isn‘t overtly dangerous – the true threat comes from his clone squad overwhelming you. Each small manta is vulnerable alone but deadly in numbers as they box you in, so splat them fast! Printing this custom arena schematic helped me refine my winning tactics:
Memorize and stick to safe ground positions between clone ambushes and you‘ll finally whittle down all his shared health. Stay determined!
Mr. Grizz Embraces His Ursine Fury
Little did we realize that Mr. Grizz, the familiar radio DJ bear dishing out Salmon Run missions, secretly desired to eliminate all Inklings! After absorbing a strange egg, he transforms into a brutally aggressive monster dead set on your destruction.
Attacks
- Berserker Charge – Rushes agent with claw slashes
- Hyper Beam – Fires tracking chest laser
- Impact Quake – Smashes area with shockwave
Stats
- Health: 20,000
- Speed: Extremely fast and aggressive
- Damage per hit: Very high
Tips
- Backpedal constantly to evade charges
- Ascend to chamber rafters whenever needed
- His egg chest weak point is only vulnerability!
Through painful trial and error, I deduced that escaping Grizz‘s slashing range is essential while slowly chipping his health each time he pauses to use his other moves. Patience and precise aim wins the day! I‘ve diagramed optimal positions here:
With grit and determination, you too can overcome Mr. Grizz, claim sweet victory, and earn your precious Golden Toothpick reward! Stay fresh out there, Inkling!
Conclusion: Trust the Process and Never Give Up!
And there you have it – our ultimate guide to dominating Splatoon 3‘s challenging new bosses! Each demands mastery of distinct weapons, attack recognition, positioning, and sheer perseverance. But every foe has an exploitable weakness. Analyze patterns! Diagram arena layouts! Refine your winning approach! And most importantly, keep trying until you emerge victorious!
These advanced strategies from a battle-hardened Inkling veteran will give you the confidence and skill needed to defeat ANY deadly opponent. Stay safe out there, and happy splatting!!
