Deep Cut Partners & Showstoppers
One member of Deep Cut rides with you on every hunt. What their machine does, what their Showstopper does, and which one to take.
By the SplatAtlas editorial team · Last updated: 2026-08-07
Every time you leave for a treasure hunt, one of Deep Cut comes with you, Shiver or Frye or Big Man, piloting a machine called the Exploration Bot. Nintendo describes them as the famous troublemaking trio from Splatsville, and in Raiders they are not set dressing: the bot is a tool you actively use, and the partner you pick changes how you fight.
This page splits that into the two systems it actually is. The Exploration Bot is the same for all three partners: a radar, a gun, a trampoline, a recall button and a drill. The Showstopper is the part that differs, and it is the reason experienced players almost always bring the same partner into hard content.
What Does the Exploration Bot Do?
The bot follows you through the whole hunt and covers five distinct jobs. All five are described on Nintendo's own support page, so this section is first-party; no interpretation needed.
Treasure Radarオタカラレーダー
Used before you start digging. It scans the islands for places treasure is likely to be, and as you close in it narrows down to a more precise location. This is the intended first move of a hunt, not an optional extra.
Covering fire援護射撃
When Salmonids appear, the bot immediately attacks the ones near you without being told. It is passive damage that runs the whole time you are fighting.
Bot Hop高くジャンプ
Stomp on the bot to launch yourself high, which reaches places you cannot otherwise get to. If a ledge or a collectible looks unreachable, this is usually the answer.
Come on好きな場所へ「カモン」
If you get separated from the bot, call it and it comes to a spot you designate, at any time. Worth remembering, because a bot left behind is doing none of the other four jobs.
Drillドリルで発掘
The bot's drill breaks hard crystal that nothing else will, and it can dig into the ground as well. This is the function that gates a lot of the mining routes in our farming guide.
Images © Nintendo.
Read together, those five explain why the bot is not a pet. Radar decides where you go, the drill decides what you can open, the hop decides where you can stand, and the covering fire runs continuously. Leaving the bot behind quietly turns off four systems at once.
The Three Showstoppers (奥義)
Splat Salmonids, collect the Power Eggs they drop, and your partner's tension rises. At full gauge they leap out of the Exploration Bot and unleash a Showstopper, Nintendo's word, confirmed in the Ver. 1.1.1 patch notes, which call the meter the "Showstopper Gauge". Each member has exactly one, and it does not change until you max their bond.
Shiver (フウカ)
先生ストライク
Game8 EN renders this "Shark Bite"
- What it does
- She rides her shark, サメ先生, which Game8 EN calls Master Mega, and charges in a straight line at a spot you aim at, piercing what is in the way. Heavy damage, but only along that one line.
- At max bond
- Adds Freeze to everything the attack hits, plus more damage and a wider area.
- How it is rated
- Ranked lowest by both major Japanese sources, and Game8 gives it 2 stars of 5, because the narrow line misses scattered enemies.
Frye (ウツホ)
村雨ウツボ
Game8 EN renders this "Moray Storm"
- What it does
- Her flute calls moray eels down over a wide area in front of you. It clears crowds and inks the ground it lands on at the same time, which is a second benefit the other two do not give you.
- At max bond
- Adds Ferment to everything hit, plus more damage and a wider area.
- How it is rated
- Rated top tier (5 of 5): the wide area makes it useful in almost any situation.
Big Man (マンタロー)
マンタ輪舞
Game8 EN renders this "Manta Dance"
- What it does
- You ride on Big Man's back and attack by throwing ink, and you are invincible for as long as you are riding. GameWith adds that the ink he throws pulls Salmonids toward you, which turns the invincible window into a gathering tool rather than just a panic button.
- At max bond
- Adds Scorch to everything hit, plus more damage and a wider area.
- How it is rated
- Rated top tier (5 of 5) and the usual pick for high-difficulty content, purely for the invincibility window.
Images © Nintendo.
How Does the Showstopper Gauge Fill?
The gauge is fed by Power Eggs, not by time and not by damage dealt. That is the practical difference: a fight you win without collecting the drops charges nothing.
- •Eggs drop when you damage and defeat Salmonids; you have to actually pick them up for the gauge to move.
- •The large eggs that Boss Salmonids drop are worth considerably more gauge than ordinary ones.
- •Activate with a press of the right stick once the gauge is full; it lights up and plays a sound when it is ready.
- •Ver. 1.1.1 fixed a bug where the gauge and similar elements failed to hide after a period without input, in the Hideout Ship and in dungeons.
The Bond System (キズナ)
Each partner has a bond meter with three levels, tracked separately per member. Bond is why the answer to "who should I take" changes over a playthrough: an un-bonded Big Man and a maxed Big Man are not the same partner.
| Bond level | Reported requirement | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 → 2 | Game8 puts it at 10 deployments with that partner | A Briny Scroll about that character |
| Level 2 → 3 | Game8 puts it at a further 10 deployments | A Briny Scroll about that character |
| Level 3 (max) | Game8 puts it at a further 20 deployments | A Briny Scroll plus a permanent Showstopper upgrade: more damage, wider area, and a status effect added |
The sources disagree about what actually raises the meter, so we print all of it rather than pick. Game8 and Shacknews both describe it as taking that partner into dungeons and completing them, with Game8 giving the 10/10/20 figures above. GameWith agrees deployments matter but adds a second route: clearing specific Underground Ruins, different ones per stage. One Japanese outlet instead says you raise it by using the partner's Showstopper during hunts, which no other source repeats; treat that one as unconfirmed. What every source agrees on: bond rises by repeatedly taking the same partner out, so the fastest method is a short dungeon on repeat. Game8 recommends Temprah Den, where a run can be finished in about 30 seconds.
Which Partner Should You Take?
Both major Japanese sources independently reach the same order, which is unusual enough to be worth stating plainly: Big Man and Frye at the top, Shiver clearly last. Big Man's case is the invincibility: a window where nothing can kill you is the single most valuable thing on a deep Bottomless Buffet floor or against the floor-100 boss, and it does not scale down as enemies get stronger. Frye's case is coverage: a wide frontal area that clears a crowd and inks the terrain in the same move.
Shiver is not broken. A straight-line charge with high burst is genuinely strong against a single approaching heavy, and at max bond she is the only partner who applies Freeze, which matters given how much of the endgame meta is built on freezing. But her area is narrow, and against the scattered spawns that make deep floors dangerous, the shot simply misses. If you are learning the game, take Frye for the clear speed; if you are climbing, take Big Man for the invincibility; take Shiver when you specifically want the Freeze application or the single-target burst. One caveat on Big Man worth flagging: Game8 EN also says his Showstopper restores HP, which we could not find in any Japanese source, so treat the healing as unconfirmed, and the invincibility as solid.
A Note on the English Names
Nintendo has published the three ability names in Japanese only, 先生ストライク, 村雨ウツボ and マンタ輪舞, on its own support page. The English names above ("Shark Bite", "Moray Storm", "Manta Dance") come from Game8's English edition and from nowhere else we could verify, so we print them as that site's rendering rather than as confirmed English. This matters more in this game than in most: Raiders re-puns its proper nouns rather than transliterating them, so an English name cannot be derived from the Japanese one, which is exactly why we do not guess. The umbrella term is safe, though: Nintendo's own Ver. 1.1.1 notes call the meter the Showstopper Gauge.
Partner FAQ
Who is the best Bot Buddy in Splatoon Raiders?
Big Man for hard content, because his Showstopper makes you invincible while you ride him. Frye is the better general-purpose pick thanks to a wide area that clears crowds and inks ground at once. Game8 and GameWith independently rank the two of them top and put Shiver last.
How do I increase bond with a Bot Buddy?
Take that specific partner into dungeons and complete runs; bond is tracked per member, so switching partners splits your progress. Game8 reports 10 deployments for the first level, 10 more for the second and 20 more for the third. Replaying a short cleared dungeon is the fastest route; Temprah Den runs in roughly 30 seconds.
What do you get at max bond?
A Briny Scroll and a permanent upgrade to that partner's Showstopper: more damage, a wider area, and a status effect added on hit: Freeze for Shiver, Ferment for Frye, Scorch for Big Man. Levels 1 and 2 give a Briny Scroll each.
How do I fill the Showstopper Gauge faster?
Collect the Power Eggs rather than just splatting things: the gauge is fed by eggs you pick up, so kills whose drops you walk past are wasted. The big eggs from Boss Salmonids are worth much more than ordinary ones.
Can I change partners whenever I want?
Yes, you choose who comes with you when you set out on a hunt. Bear in mind that bond is per-partner, so spreading your runs across all three means none of them reaches the max-bond Showstopper upgrade quickly.
Related guides
Sources
- スプラトゥーン レイダース：すりみ連合のサポート, Nintendo (official site)
- スプラトゥーン レイダース 更新データ Ver. 1.1.1, Nintendo (official support)
- パートナーのおすすめとキズナの上げ方, Game8 (Japan)
- 奥義のおすすめと絆の上げ方, GameWith
- Best Bot Buddy Showstoppers Ranked, Game8 (English)
- How to increase your bond with your Bot Buddy in Splatoon Raiders, Shacknews
The Exploration Bot's five functions and all three Showstopper names and descriptions are from Nintendo's official Splatoon Raiders support page (checked August 7, 2026); the Showstopper Gauge and Exploration Bot English terms are from Nintendo's own Ver. 1.1.1 patch notes. Bond mechanics, gauge behaviour and the partner ranking are cross-checked across Game8 Japan, Game8 English, GameWith and Shacknews, and where they disagree, particularly on how bond is raised, where the disagreement is printed above rather than resolved. English names for the three individual abilities are Game8 English's rendering and are not confirmed by Nintendo. Big Man's reported HP restore is single-source and marked unconfirmed.