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Originally introduced in Splatoon 2, Mr. Grizz is the mysterious proprietor of GrizzCo and your emcee for Salmon Run shifts. While you're working for Mr. Grizz, you never actually see his face, only interacting with him through a radio set shaped like a wooden bear. Despite his company's sketchy outer appearance, though, Mr. Grizz seemed more than willing to pay borderline extravagant amounts to have Inklings and Octolings retrieve Salmonid Golden Eggs for him.

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Who is this mysterious businessman, and what could he possibly want with all of these Salmonid eggs? Previously, there was no definitive answer to that, but in Splatoon 3, we finally learn the shocking truth about Mr. Grizz and GrizzCo.

Be advised that we're getting into MAJOR spoilers for Splatoon 3's Hero Mode campaign.


Escape To Space

Long, long ago, the Earth was beset with natural disasters due to the hefty ambitions and endless conflicts of humankind. The majority of humanity perished in these disasters, but a select few managed to escape to safety. One group found solace in the underground cavern that would eventually come to be known as Alterna, while another group went in the opposite direction: all the way into space. A crew of humans, as well as a variety of terrestrial animals suspended in cold sleep, were launched into the inky darkness aboard the Ark Polaris rocket in search of a new planet to call home.

For a while, the mission proceeded smoothly, with the Ark Polaris gradually making its way to the furthest edges of the Solar System. However, a chance impact with some wandering space debris irrevocably damaged the vessel's navigation equipment, disabling its ability to make a safe landing. The last thing the crew could do before the thrusters failed entirely was reset their course to Earth. After that, all they could do was slowly drift back toward their abandoned planet.

A World Forever Changed

Without thrusters, the Ark Polaris gradually drifted back toward Earth over the course of 10,000 years. The human crew and test animals remained in cold sleep during this time, all suspended in a state between waking and sleeping save for one: a single test bear, codenamed Bear #03. Unlike his fellow ship-dwellers, the bear retained its consciousness in cold sleep, building its intelligence and evolving its mind in the infinite realm of dreams.

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When the Ark Polaris finally returned to the Earth, the brutal process of atmospheric reentry completely totaled the ship, killing every passenger except for Bear #03. As he emerged from the wreckage, the bear was dismayed to realize that the Earth had been irrevocably changed. Gone were his mammalian kind, replaced by ambulatory sea creatures. Bear #03, frustrated and alone, needed answers and solutions.

A Craving For Normalcy

Salvaging homing beacons from the Ark Polaris, Bear #03 was able to locate the long-abandoned remains of Alterna, the human city that had persisted past the apocalypse. Most of the city's infrastructure had been destroyed in a cavern collapse, but by cannibalizing parts from the Ark Polaris, the bear was able to get some of its critical systems back in order. Now possessing a base of operations, the bear began researching potential solutions to this marine animal-run world.

One of the most promising resources at the bear's disposal was the liquid crystal displays that lined Alterna's dome. These crystals had the ability to channel the thoughts of living creatures to create all kinds of wondrous devices. On a whim, the bear attempted to combine a batch of these crystals with a sample of his own fur. The result was a bizarre substance that could instantly transform any creature that touched it into a mammal, or at least a rough approximation of one. This was the birth of the Fuzzy Ooze, the linchpin of Bear #03's plan to restore mammals as the dominant species of Earth.

A Dark Business

However, the bear encountered a problem. Manufacturing Fuzzy Ooze en masse required large quantities of both power and biologically flexible substances. Research of local races provided the answer to both deficiencies: the Golden Eggs produced by the Salmonid race. Unfortunately, the bear lacked the ability to take on such numerous foes, not to mention the fact that going out in public would invite trouble and suspicion from the local populations. Adopting the alias of "Mr. Grizz," the bear used his resources to establish GrizzCo, a company that would pay part-timers to retrieve the Golden Eggs for him.

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As unsuspecting Inklings and Octolings hoarded Golden Eggs for Mr. Grizz, he was able to ramp up production of Fuzzy Ooze exponentially over the course of several years, gradually loading all of it onto the derelict test rocket that caused Alterna's collapse. The plan was simple: launch the rocket into space, then detonate its contents. This would shower the entire Earth with Fuzzy Ooze, transforming all the sea dwellers into mammals.

The Moment Is At Paw - Splatoon 3's Hero Mode

Finally, Mr. Grizz would have the return to the mammalian rule that he craved so desperately. Before he could launch his rocket, though, he needed two more pieces: a power source strong enough to successfully initiate the launch sequence and the baseline genetic information of the sea dwellers. The first problem was solved easily enough by converting some loose Octarian troops to his side with Fuzzy Ooze and having them steal Splatsville's Great Zapfish.

The second problem, however, required some nuance. The genetic knowledge of the sea dwellers was contained in the brain of an extremely old Inkling, one "Cap'n Cuttlefish." All Mr. Grizz needed to do was let some Fuzzy Ooze loose in Splatsville's crater to bring Cuttlefish in snooping, and he would swoop in and take what he needed. Of course, he didn't count on Cuttlefish recruiting a new Agent (and their little buddy) before checking things out, which is what ultimately led to his defeat.

While Mr. Grizz's plan was undoubtedly sinister and potentially devastating for the Earth, you can't help but feel a little sorry for him. He was a bear out of time, merely craving a return to the Earth that he knew. He was much like the humans of Alterna and the Ark Polaris in that way, but sadly, as Mr. Grizz himself might say, the tides of time can only be resisted for so long.

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