7 Splatoon Crossovers That Need to Happen

What other Splatoon crossovers would we love to see?

Splatoon has a somewhat rich history of crossovers with other brands. Be it through fashion via Nintendo’s partnerships with Uniqlo or through Splatfests like the iconic Spongebob vs. Patrick face-off, the team has been fairly calculated with which brands it partners with. Though Splatoon 2 was fairly light on crossovers overall, it still brought us exciting Splatfests featuring Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and even Nike (though that was Japan-exclusive).  

All of this got us thinking: What awesome crossovers would we love to see in the quickly approaching third entry in the series? Without further ado, here is a small sampling of our dream Splatoon 3 Splatfest collaborations.

One-Punch Man: Saitama vs. Genos

To say that One-Punch Man is a hit would be a major understatement. The 2015 superhero anime made waves when it originally aired, but its move to Netflix several years ago exposed even more millions of viewers to Yusuke Murata’s masterpiece. Despite a rather divisive second season, a feature in Splatoon 3 seems like the perfect way to appeal to their shared audiences.

There’s a lot of potential for an upset in a Saitama vs. Genos Splatfest. On the one hand, Saitama seems like a clear favorite as the main character of the series and may very well sweep the popular vote. On the other hand, Genos’ character design is much more appealing to the typical shonen audience who might have never seen the show. With enough luck, this might actually give Genos a chance to beat Saitama for once.

Xenoblade Chronicles

2022 is shaping up to be the best year Nintendo has had since 2017, and a large part of that is the impending release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 became the best-selling entry in the series shortly after its release, and the fandom has only grown since then as more and more players have been exposed to Monolith Soft’s masterful work. While it may seem natural for the Splatfest to focus solely on Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to push to the new game, it may make more sense to celebrate the series as a whole across several different Splatfests (like they did with the TMNT collaboration).

The most likely way Splatoon 3 would go about this would be via character face-offs. Hardcore fans have been arguing over who the “best girl” is in XC2 since its release, so a Pyra vs. Mythra Splatfest seems natural. Not much is known about the cast of XC3 yet, but a Splatfest pitting the protagonist against Shulk or Rex could make sense. Even a showdown between the different Nopon party members could drum up some excitement. There’s plenty to work with here, and it’d be a great way to continue pushing one of Nintendo’s more niche franchises.

Super Mario Bros.: Mario vs. Luigi

If there’s one Splatfest crossover that I would bet money on happening, it’s this one. It’s honestly shocking that this didn’t happen during Splatoon 2’s lifetime, especially given the immense success of Super Mario Odyssey. Though the two brothers are far from enemies, the narrative of Luigi living in his older brother’s shadow has been ingrained in gaming culture for decades. Why not pit the two against each other in Splatoon to see who’s really the best once and for all?

DC vs. Marvel

If there’s one thing that the average consumer isn’t tired of, it’s superhero movies. Marvel has managed to transform its comic book IPs into box office smashes time and again with a level of quality that’s almost scary. D.C. hasn’t had nearly as much success comparatively, but the hits it has had have been massive (see: The Dark Knight Trilogy and Wonder Woman). The huge roster on both sides makes the crossover ideal for a tournament-style Splatfest, but which characters should make the cut?

After careful deliberation, it seems wise to have two of the most iconic superheroes and two recent favorites go head-to-head. Though Superman might be the classic D.C. icon, Batman is likely more relevant to the younger demographic playing Splatoon 3. Spiderman’s massive film success in recent years make him a great candidate, as are Wonder Woman and Black Panther. In fact, the sheer popularity of all of these franchises is guaranteed to make for one of the most hyped Splatfests this side of Callie vs. Marie.

Adventure Time: Finn vs. Jake

The impact that Adventure Time had in the cartoon world is still palpable over a decade later. Finn and Jake gradually became both household names and the beloved friends of kids and adults alike as the show chronicled their misadventures in the Land of Ooo. Though Rick and Morty might have been a more current cartoon choice, there’s no doubt that the majority of Splatoon 3 players will at least be familiar with the show. Steven Universe or other Cartoon Network crossovers would also be welcome.

IHOP vs. Waffle House

Food-related Splatfests are always some of the best. Be it Burgers vs. Pizza, Pro-pineapple vs. Anti-pineapple, or the infamous McDonald’s-sponsored Fries vs. McNuggets Splatfest, people can get pretty passionate when it comes to food. Since we’re already seen a number of savory themes, it only seems right to focus on something a little sweeter this time around: pancakes vs. waffles.

One could argue (and rightfully so) that IHOP would be at a major advantage as the obviously more well-known brand. Waffle House is a large chain but is generally limited to the southern United States. As its name implies, IHOP has locations all around the world and the mindshare to match. Despite all of that, though, this is a battle that would ultimately come down to food more so than branding, which gives me hope that this would be a contentious match.

Avatar: The Last Airbender 

There are few shows across any medium that are as beloved as the original Avatar: The Last Airbender. Many of us grew up enraptured by the war-torn-yet-vibrant world of Avatar and the thrilling adventures of Aang and his crew. Just as important as the themes of friendship and loyalty were the stunning elemental clashes between benders of different nations. Every kid growing up with the show wanted to be able to bend an element, and I’m willing to bet that the appeal of that idea is still very much alive.

Even though younger gamers might be more familiar with sequel series The Legend of Korra, the basis for the tournament-style Splatfest would remain the same. The first two rounds would have matchups between opposing elements: Fire vs. Water and Earth vs. Air. The winners of each would move forward to duke it out for the coveted title of the best element. Not only would this be easy to coordinate since every element already has a corresponding color in the show (and thus a predetermined shirt/ink color), but it also sets the tournament up for the extremely hype possibility of a Fire vs. Air final showdown. This one needs to happen.