When Fortnite dropped the Toona Fish skin back in Chapter 2: Season 8, fans instantly knew Epic had cooked up something special. This wasn’t just another Epic Outfit – this was your own personal cartoon hero, complete with bold vintage vibes and a fully customizable design system that turned players into in-game artists. From unlocking rainbow colors to remixing iconic Fortnite legends into old-school animation style, Toona Fish was a masterclass in cosmetic creativity. Let’s dive into everything that made this skin an unforgettable part of the Fortnite universe – and why some players still flex it as a badge of honor.
Born from Ink: The Debut and Inspiration of Toona Fish
Toona Fish swam into Fortnite in Chapter 2: Season 8, launching September 13, 2021, as a Tier 0 unlock in the Battle Pass. In other words – if you had the Battle Pass, you had Toona Fish. The skin was part of the Inkville Gang set and oozed style straight out of those black-and-white, rubber hose cartoons from the 1930s – think Steamboat Willie–type vibes, but with a Fortnite twist.
According to its in-game lore, Toona Fish is a “greyscale guppy” dying to become a “rainbowfish,” and that’s the whole point – players were tasked with literally bringing him to life through color and style unlocks. Epic gave this skin a personality and turned customization into a full-out gameplay experience.
A Canvas for Creativity: Toona Fish Customization Explained
Toona Fish wasn’t just editable – it was next-level customizable. Epic introduced a two-layer personalization system:
- Color Bottles – Hidden collectibles that unlock new color schemes.
- Character Styles – Stylized callbacks to iconic Fortnite characters, remixing them in Toona’s inked-up animation format.
Color Bottles: Painting the World Your Way
The first part of the journey? Hunting down 21 sets of color bottles scattered all over the island. Each set had three bottles in a specific named location – like Corny Crops or Coral Castle – and you had to find them all to unlock the corresponding hue in your Locker.
- Proximity-based discovery – Bottles only popped up on your mini-map once you were close to the area.
- Exploration-focused – Whether you were scaling cliffs or spelunking under bridges, bottle locations encouraged full-map travel and rewarded curious players.
From Renegade Red to Midas Gold, these color combos gave Toona Fish some serious drip – and gave players an awesome loop of exploration and reward.
Character Styles: Fortnite Icons in Black & White
Once your Toona Fish was bursting with color, you could unlock 21 exclusive Character Styles – each paying homage to a Fortnite legend, but twisted into that wobbly-lined, ink-splattered cartoon format only Toona could rock.
- Drift Style – Drive 25,000 meters in vehicles
- Fishstick Style – Discover 25 different fish for your Collection Book
- Aura Style – Spend 3,000 Bars (cha-ching!)
- Cube Assassin Style – Defeat the Cube Assassin miniboss in Sideways zones
- Sunny Style – Knock out 10 Character Punchcards
What made this different? These challenges weren’t randomly grindy. They matched up with your natural gameplay – driving, fishing, spending, questing – so even casual players could snag every style by the season’s end.
The Inkville Gang: All the Bonus Swag
Toona Fish didn’t roll solo. The Inkville Gang set brought the party with a full arsenal of extras, perfectly pulling that slapstick-animated theme across your entire loadout. Here’s what came with it:
- Toona Can (Back Bling) – A cracked-up aluminum can with cartoon eyeballs. Feels like it walked straight out of a Saturday morning short.
- Stringles (Harvesting Tool) – A janky guitar made of string and ink, with custom animations and sounds that make it a joy to swing.
- What’s Wrong, Toona Fish? (Emote) – Full-on cartoon meltdown mode. Frame-by-frame parody of an emotional crisis in the best way possible.
- Toon Talkin’ (Spray + Emote) – Features goofy comic bubbles and audio gags that feel ripped from a VHS reel.
- Fantastic Cat (Loading Screen) and Bait Shoppe Ballast (Contrail) – Extra flavor hits to round out the ‘toon-erific experience.
Unlocking Toona Fish: Rare and Locked-In
Toona Fish was locked behind the Chapter 2: Season 8 Battle Pass and placed right at Page 1, Tier 0, meaning you could unlock him instantly with the pass. The color bottles and character styles then encouraged players to visit new locations and complete challenges all season long. This fusion of gameplay and customization made him a standout.
As of 2024, Toona Fish has not been re-released. That means no Item Shop drop, no Crew Pack sneak – nothing. If you weren’t around for Season 8 (or didn’t complete his unlocks), he’s gone from your Locker dreams. That exclusivity makes him a crown jewel for OG collectors.
A High Point in Cosmetic Customization
Toona Fish wasn’t just a cool design – he was a turning point. With 42 unlock variants, clever exploration mechanics, and a customization layer that felt meaningful, Toona Fish became more than just a skin – he was a whole vibe. Whether you went full Rainbow Riot or kept it clean in Classic Ink, every style flexed your progress and creativity.
Even now, Toona Fish stands as one of Fortnite’s most inspired designs – blending visual nostalgia with interactivity and pushing what it means for a skin to be “custom.” With a zany personality and a skin system that respected your grind, he’ll forever be a Fish of many colors (unless you’re still stuck in greyscale – in which case, better luck next time).
Frequently Asked Questions
What made Toona Fish stand out?
Toona Fish flipped the skin game with a mix of cartoon styling and full-on player-driven customization. Instead of buying edits, you earned them through gameplay – collecting colors and completing challenges that made the unlocks feel earned.
How many styles could you unlock?
42 total styles – 21 color palettes and 21 Fortnite character-style tributes. That’s a massive toolbox for personal expression.
Can you still get him?
Nope – Toona Fish and all of his styles were exclusive to Chapter 2: Season 8 and haven’t returned since. If you missed it, you’re out of luck unless Epic drops a surprise rerun (which is unlikely so far).
What came with the Inkville Gang set?
The set featured items like the Toona Can back bling, the Stringles pickaxe, cartoon-style sprays and emotes, plus themed contrails and loading screens – all perfectly inked to match the skin’s vibe.
Is Toona Fish reactive?
Nope. While he doesn’t change during matches, his art style is styled like classic animation – so he’s full of life even when standing still.
Did he show up in collabs or outside games?
Nah – Toona Fish is 100% Fortnite original. But his style pays homage to classic cartoon aesthetics that fans of animation will def appreciate.
Were his challenges tough?
Not really. The good news is all the challenges were based on typical gameplay activities – so whether you were driving, questing, or fishing, you were already making progress without sweating the grind.
Toona Fish wasn’t just about looking cool – he made players earn their flair across the map. With expressive visuals and a ton of personality, he continues to live on as one of Fortnite’s most beloved unlockables. Ink never looked so fresh.
