How to Beat Big Man in Splatoon 3 Hero Mode

Have you ever played Super Mario Sunshine? If you have, perhaps you’ll remember the infamous “Manta Storm” level of Sirena Beach, where spectral manta rays covered the whole area in electrified ink. I sure hope you didn’t have too much trouble with that level, because otherwise Splatoon 3 is about to give you some major PTSD. Here’s how to beat Big Man in Splatoon 3 Hero Mode.

How to Beat Big Man in Splatoon 3 Hero Mode

Big Man, the enigmatic (yet adorable) backup singer for Deep Cut, is the fourth boss of Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode campaign. He may not be an Inkling or Octoling, but with a combination of toxic secretions and mysterious techniques, he can fight just as well as one.

When the fight begins, Big Man will transform into a giant manta shadow and start crawling along the ground. As he swims, he’ll spread his ink and drop Splat Bombs when he passes you. Right away, start shooting at the shadow with your Hero Shot. As it takes damage, it’ll start breaking up into smaller, faster shadows. Each of these can drop bombs and spread ink on its own, making the terrain gradually more dangerous. One of them hides Big Man, so you’ll need to keep destroying them until you uncover him for a splatting.

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The second phase is mostly the same as the first, with the only additional wrinkles being that Big Man’s shadows will periodically launch exploding Stringer arrows in a line across the stage. Watch the edges, as he may also charge at you from the far side of the stage. Remember to ink turf in addition to shooting the shadows so you have room to swim. Beyond that, keep shooting down the shadows until you uncover Big Man again.

The final phase is where things get interesting. First, four pillars will rise up out of the stage, preventing you from just running around. Additionally, the shadows will start lobbing Torpedos at you fairly consistently, homing in on you if they land nearby. You need to keep on moving and jumping because if you stay still for even a few seconds, those Torpedos will knock out your armor and splat you pretty quickly. Additionally, watch out for Inkstrike signals on the ground, as they’ll be immediately followed by a large ink tornado. Keep running and shooting down the shadows while also pausing to shoot down the Torpedos before they can detonate. Remember, you have your Splashdown if you need a moment of breathing room, but be careful when you use it. A Torpedo can shoot you out of the air if you time it wrong.

Once you uncover and splat Big Man for the third time, he’ll surrender, leaving you with the final piece of the mysterious gadget.