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Kirby(JP) is the protagonist and titular hero of HAL Laboratory's Kirby franchise. He was created in 1992 by Masahiro Sakurai for the Game Boy video game, Kirby's Dream Land. Kirby is a young, pink, puffball alien that lives in the fictional country of Dream Land on the star-shaped planet Pop Star. For the most part, Kirby is carefree, childlike and innocent and true to his instincts, eats when he is hungry and naps when he is tired. However, Kirby's cheerful and unassuming nature hides incredible power and bravery that reveals itself whenever his home is threatened by evil villains. Kirby possesses the unique ability to suck objects into his mouth and then spit them out with incredible force. Starting with the second game in the series, Kirby's Adventure, he can also replicate the abilities and properties of creatures or objects that he eats, transforming into new forms called Copy Abilities.
Created by Masahiro Sakurai, he was introduced in the 1992 Game Boy video game Kirby's Dream Land, a game developed by the video game studio HAL Laboratory. Today it is one of Nintendo's most advantageous franchises. His prosperous first appearance in video games led to the creation of a variety of sequels and spin-offs. Kirby first appeared in 1992 with Dream Land and quickly garnered attention for its unique, and perhaps more-so its accessible, gameplay. Most iterations in the series are completely 2D, although later Kirby games are 2.5D, which incorporates 3D design for most of everything, but the play style is 2D. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first game to be entirely 3D.
History and Story[]
An image of the first Kirby game, Kirby's Dream Land.
HAL Laboratory was developing the first Kirby game with the intention of making it a game for beginners or children. Created for the Game Boy, Kirby's Dream Land was originally known as Twinkle Popopo, and Kirby was known as Popopo. Character creator Masahiro Sakurai wanted to make Kirby pink, while Mario and Zelda series creator Shigeru Miyamoto had visualized him as yellow. Since the Game Boy couldn't render pink or yellow, Kirby's color would be visible only on promotional material and on the box art. When Nintendo of Japan sent the video game over to America, there was no clear indication as to what color Kirby should be, so they made him white. In Japan, however, he was pink as Sakurai had wanted.
The name Popopo would eventually change to Kirby, though the exact reason for this isn't clear. There are many speculations as to this choice. Perhaps the most common one is that they named him after the company Kirby Corporation. The Kirby Corporation is best known as a manufacturer of vacuums, which, like Kirby, suck things up. Some also say that he was named after John Kirby who represented Nintendo in a heated lawsuit against Universal Studios regarding Donkey Kong. It has been said that after the original game was released, someone sent John Kirby a copy of it which gave him a good laugh. Unfortunately, no one within the team that created Kirby seems to recall how exactly he got his name.
In the original game, the gluttonous King Dedede, who made himself the king of Dream Land, swoops down from his castle on Mt. Dedede one night and pillages his kingdom's resident's food. The power which was used to create more food, the magical Sparkling Stars, was likewise stolen by him and given to his four most trusted minions. Without their treasured Sparkling Stars, the people of Dream Land began to get very hungry. One day, as the residents of Dream Land were deciding what should be done, a spry little boy, who was passing through Dream Land with the spring breeze, overhears their plight and offers to help. With this, Kirby set out to Mt. Dedede, taking down a constant stream of enemies until he finally defeated King Dedede and brought back the stolen food. In this game, Kirby wasn't yet granted with the ability to copy his enemies' powers. He could, however, float for an infinite amount of time and could also inhale enemies. It wouldn't be until this game's successor, Kirby's Adventure on the NES, that he would gain this power.
Kirby staring at the Fountain of Dreams.
After the game became a success, it was time to make more titles for the NES and the Game Boy. Directly after the events above, Kirby sleeps at night and wakes up without having any dreams. He goes to the Fountain of Dreams to find that the Star Rod has been removed and broken into seven pieces by King Dedede. The pieces were then scattered across Dream Land. Kirby brought all the pieces together and after doing so it unleashed a creature named Nightmare that had possessed the rod. King Dedede broke it in order to stop the beast, contrary to what Kirby had originally thought. Kirby defeats Nightmare on the moon and the game ends.
Kirby forces Dark Matter blade out of King Dedede's body with the Rainbow Sword.
Following Kirby's Adventure, the first game of what is commonly referred to as the Dark Matter trilogy was released. Like the rest of the Dark Matter trilogy, this game is tied with Shinichi Shimomura who became the series director alongside Sakurai for a while and worked on his own three games thus contributing to the series' early identity. The Dark Matter trilogy is the first attempt to create a narrative that lasts multiple games. Dark Matter being at this point the most recurring threat in the lore of Kirby. The first game of this trilogy is Kirby's Dream Land 2. In this game, the rainbow bridges connecting the Rainbow Islands have been stolen by King Dedede. Kirby with his animal friends set out to defeat what they perceive to be another attempt from the king to be a nuisance. Once they reach Dedede, they realize that he is not in his normal state and that he is possessed by an unknown presence. If they have gathered every Rainbow Drops, they fuse into the Rainbow Sword and it is revealed that the dark presence possessing Dedede is a mysterious invader known as the Dark Matter Blade. Kirby engage the invader in a sword fight above Pop star and the invader eventually reveal his true form in a second phase. This true form would later become the regular form of the rest of the Dark Matter species. Kirby defeats Dark Matter Blade as the Rainbow Sword is one of its weaknesses and restores the Rainbow Bridges.
Marx kicks Kirby out of the way to steal his wish.
Afterwards Kirby had gone on many adventures, fighting various foes and saving Dream Land. These events are depicted through the various modes of Kirby Super Star and its remake Kirby Super Star Ultra. In these modes, Kirby has battled many foes ranging from the previously mentioned King Dedede and Knightmare to others such as Meta Knight, Dyna Blade, Marx, and more. The biggest threat being Marx who tricks Kirby into summoning an ancient wish granting machine called Galactic Nova to stop the sun and the moon from fighting. Marx actually caused them to fight and he did it to obtain ultimate powers from Nova and take over Pop Star. Kirby defeats both Marx and Nova in the end and restore peace to his planet. The remakes had new modes that flesh out and introduce new story elements. In one of them King Dedede wants to get revenge on Kirby for his original defeat and as such he repeats the events of the first game to trick Kirby into a duel with him. This marks the first appearance of Masked Dedede and is one of the most prevalent shift of Dedede's character from a selfish villain to a rival of Kirby that fights alongside him unless he gets possessed by stronger forces. The game also introduce Galacta Knight, an ancient forgotten warrior that appears to be from Kirby and Meta Knight's species, through a Meta Knight centric mode. Marx also returns as Marx Soul to fight Kirby in the last mode of the game. This mark's the second soul boss in the series since the remake came out after Canvas' Curse. The original Kirby Super Star is also the last original game directed by Sakurai.
The invasion of Pop star by Zero and his swarm.
Following the original Kirby Super Star, the second game in the Dark Matter trilogy, Kirby's Dream Land 3, was released. In this game, Pop Star is attacked by a mysterious dark swarm. This swarm breaks the rings of Pop Star and possess multiple inhabitants of the planet including Adeleine and King Dedede. Kirby and his fiend Gooey must gather the various Heart Stars located across the levels by helping others to form the Love Love Stick and repel this menace. Upon defeating a possessed Dedede once again at the end of his journey, it is revealed that this was once again the work of Dark Matter that was seemingly defeated in Kirby's Dreamland 2. It is upon defeating it again that Kirby realize that there is not a single Dark Matter but multiple and that the swarm is composed of a great number of them. He then comes face to face with Zero, the leader of Dark Matter who displays the ability to create as many as he wants during the fight. As a being composed of negativity, Zero's weakness is found in positivity like Dark Matter and as such it is weak to Kirby's Love Love Stick he formed using the Heart stars, pure concentrated gratitude. Zero is torn apart from his white body and his red eyeball is finally destroyed by Kirby who restores the rings of his planet and put an end to their invasion.
The main party in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
The next mainline Kirby game to be released is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Kirby 64 is the third game in the Dark Matter trilogy. Following Zero's failed invasion of Pop Star, the Dark Matter swarm tries to take over another planet called Ripple Star populated by a race of fairies. The swarm starts to possess fairies and aim to destroy the crystal composed of the Crystal Shards as its light is a weakness of Dark Matter in the same way the Rainbow Sword was. The Ripple Star Queen sends a fairy called Ribbon with the crystal across space to escape Dark Matter. She is pursued by three Dark Matters and they manage to shatter the crystal in space and spreads its shards across the universe in the process. Ribbon crashes on Pop star right on Kirby. Kirby agrees to help her gather back the crystal's shards and save her planet. Meanwhile, the three Dark Matter possess a Waddle Dee, Adeleine, and King Dedede to guard the fragments. Kirby beats them up and free his friends from Dark Matter who join them in his quest.
Kirby and Ribbon fight Zero Two in one last battle.
The group then uses the power of the crystal shards to jump to other planets with crystal shards on them. The party eventually reach Ripple Shard. There they realize that Dark Matter has completely taken over the planet. The group fight through Dark Matter's spawns, gather the remaining crystal shards and finally confront the perceived leader of the swarm, Miracle Matter. Kirby defeats Miracle Matter and the following events depend on if he managed to gather every crystal shard or not. If he doesn't, the swarm is seemingly destroyed and the party is celebrated but it is revealed that the Queen is now possessed by the remnants of the swarm in secret. If he gathers all of them then the swarm is forcefully expulsed from the Queen's body by the fully powered crystal. The swarm forms the Dark Star in the sky of Ripple star. Kirby and his allies go into the Dark Star with the help of the Warp Star. There he reaches the center of the swarm and confronts Zero Two, the new leader of the swarm with the help of Ribbon and the full power of the crystal. Despite its angelic appearance, Zero Two is often hinted to be a successor of Zero in the same damaged shell instead of a resurrection of the original leader in external materials that have been released afterwards. After Zero Two is defeated, the swarm is destroyed for good and peace returns to Ripple Star. Kirby and his friends are celebrated as heroes by the locals. After Kirby 64, Shimomura would never again work on a new mainline Kirby title. His last contribution being Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, a remake of Kirby's adventure for the Game Boy Advance. After which both him and Sakurai would retire from the role of director, thus ending what is usually considered the classic era of Kirby games.
A map of the Mirror World.
Following the end of the classic era of Kirby games, there was a period of almost 7 years between Kirby 64 and Super Star Ultra where the mainline series was handed to Flagship. During this period two main games would be released and a few spinoffs made by HAL themselves, which would retroactively gain significance in the greater lore of the franchise in the next era of the series. The two mainline games of the Flagship eras are known to more or less elaborate on Dark Matter without bringing back the threat in full capacity after the death of Zero Two. The first of these two games is Kirby & the Amazing Mirror released on the GBA. In this game, Meta Knight makes his big come back in a mainline game for the first time since Super Star and serves as Kirby's main support in the game. Meta Knight has actually noticed that the Mirror World, a world that exists inside the Dimension Mirror floating above Dream Land is acting strangely and has recently been corrupted by a dark influence making only evil manifest through it. Meta Knight disappears during his investigation. Kirby soon goes after him, but he is ambushed by what appears to be Meta Knight and split into four by his sword. The Knight retreat to the Mirror World and the Kirbys follow suit.
Kirby's final battle with Dark Meta Knight
In the Mirror World, Kirby sees Meta Knight fighting what appears to be Meta Knight and sealing him in the Dimension Mirror. The mirror is broken into pieces, which are spread across the Mirror World. The Kirbys separate and search for the pieces of the mirror. On their way, they encounter an entity known as Shadow Kirby, which perceives the Kirbys as a threat and ambush them multiple times. Shadow Kirby is actually the Mirror world version of Kirby and seems to lack his courage as he is often seen running away. The Kirbys also fight the Meta Knight who won the duel against the other Meta Knight for one of the mirror's fragments. After entering the Dimension Mirror, the Kirbys are attacked a second time by the same Meta Knight, but this time the Meta Knight that was sealed inside the mirror reveals himself and expose the other Meta Knight as a fake. The other Meta Knight drops his disguise and reveal himself to be Dark Meta Knight, an evil counterpart of Meta Knight from the Mirror World.
Kirby fights Dark Mind's true form while Shadow Kirby runs away.
It is also revealed that Shadow Kirby only wants to defend his world but lacks the courage to directly confront the enemy and let Kirby fights instead. Once Dark Meta Knight is dispatched, it is revealed that he like all evil beings in the Mirror world were corrupted by an evil presence known as Dark Mind. Meta Knight actually gives his sword to Kirby to help him shatter Dark Mind in their upcoming fight. Dark Mind is initially believed to be a humanoid creature in an armor but after he takes enough damage, the armor falls revealing a being close to Zero in appearance. During the final fight, Shadow Kirby will actually bring back Meta Knight's sword to Kirby if he loses it but he will refuse to fight Dark Mind himself and runs away afterwards. Dark Mind is defeated and peace is restored to the Mirror world but his influence lingers through Dark Meta Knight who was never fully destroyed. Dark Mind is hinted to be some sort of Mirror World counterpart of Dark Matter, which as his name implies would control the mind instead of the body hence the corruption of the Mirror World.
In Kirby Canvas Curse, Kirby is transformed into a limbless ball by a witch of paint named Drawcia and turned the world of Dreamland into a world made entirely of paint. With the help of a magical paintbrush, Kirby manages to take down the foe using rainbow-colored paths that the player creates. Despite not being able to inhale enemies, Kirby can ram into them which will cause him to replicate their powers.
In Kirby: Squeak Squad for the Nintendo DS, Kirby goes after a gang named the Squeak Squad but the gang's leader, Daroach, who accidentally releases Dark Nebula, an ancient evil which is part of Dark Matter.
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby tries to save King Dedede, who was kidnapped by a spider-like wizard named Taranza. The Wizard works for the "Ruler of Floralia", Queen Sectonia a being that once was a benevolent ruler but was corrupted by the influence of the Amazing Mirror. Kirby saves Dedede, and with his and Taranza's (who realized that his queen and old friend lost her mind) help, defeat the mad queen after her fusion with the Dreamstalk, the whole planet is saved once again by the pink hero and his friends.
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, he defends Planet Popstar from an alien corporation known as the Haltmann Works Company that wishes to mechanize the planet so that they can plunder its natural resources. New to the series in this game is Kirby's ability to utilize a mecha suit known as the Robobot Armor to solve puzzles and fight enemies.
In Kirby Star Allies, Kirby in his quest to prevent a priest named Hyness from reviving a dark force to destroy the universe. Kirby must complete each level by jumping, inhaling enemies, and using his array of abilities to progress.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the first 3D game in the series. Kirby is on an adventure through the titular forgotten land to rescue Waddle Dees kidnapped by the ferocious Beast Pack. To complete each stage to save the Waddle Dees, Kirby can use a wide range of copy abilities to help battle enemies and progress.
Other games[]
Kirby has appeared in more than just platformers, though the titles are generally considered spin-offs instead of entries in the main series. Like Mario, Kirby has participated in a variety of sports. In Kirby's Dream Course, for example, he plays the role of a golf ball, while in Kirby's Air Ride he races against a multitude of other characters. There were also a series of Satellaview video games in which Kirby would take the role of a ball in different ball-based sports such as baseball, though not much is known about these titles due to their limited availability. There have been many other games that star Kirby that have been released over the years that are part of genres such as puzzles and adventures. There have also been several remakes of Kirby games too.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Kirby meeting Mario in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's The Subspace Emissary.
Kirby has appeared as a playable fighter in every Super Smash Bros. game to date and was one of the original eight default characters in Super Smash Bros. 64. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby is a designed to be an easy fighter for beginner players to get the hang of, possessing multiple jumps and relatively powerful attacks only offset by his light weight. Kirby possesses the unique ability to inhale his opponent and copy their neutral special move. He first appeared in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64. Super Smash Bros. was directed by Masahiro Sakurai, the same person who created Kirby. There are many similarities between the Super Smash Bros. and Kirby series, including the overall feel of the game. Kirby is a lightweight fighter in all of the games. Whereas in the Kirby series the character can float in the air for as long as he wants, he has a finite amount of jumps this time around as not to overpower him. In the games, Kirby can perform a wide range of attacks that he can execute in the series, such as Stone, which causes him to turn into a stone and crash back down to the stage, Final Cutter, his recovery move, and Inhale, which will cause him to suck in one of the other characters and steal their powers. Super Smash Bros. Melee introduced the Hammer move, which simply makes him swing a hammer around. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, his Final Smash was Cook, which made him bring a whole bunch of characters into a boiling pot, thus heavily damaging them and launching a bunch of recovery items around. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, his Final Smash becomes Ultra Sword and his Hammer move can now be charged. He appears once again in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He plays a huge role and is the main protagonist in the World of Light story. The god Galeem creates beams that seem to brutally murder all fighters and the universe itself. Kirby uses his warp star to warp to safety. After crash-landing, he sees the new world Galeem had rebuilt after demolishing it. he saves all fighters. Help them defeat Galeem and Dharkon and bring the entire universe back to life.
The Subspace Emissary[]
At the Midair Stadium, Kirby appeared alongside Zelda and Peach and battled against Mario. After their battle, they all see the Battleship Halberd flying through with sky turning red, which unleashed the dark enemies of Primids. Then after defeating the Primids, an Ancient Minister dropped the Subspace Bomb and two R.O.B.s activated it. Then after Mario gets knocked out of stage into the sky by a cannonball, which shot out by Petey Piranha who locked Peach and Zelda in their cages. After defeating Petey Piranha and freeing Peach (or Zelda), Wario stormed in with a Dark Cannon and turned Zelda (or Peach) into a trophy, and he and Peach (or Zelda) escaped from the Midair Stadium on the Warp Star, as it explodes into a Subspace. Then they landed themselves on the Battleship Halberd as it is moving, but gotten flown off as an Arwing is falling down from its battle. Later, Kirby quickly ran away, as Bowser is making a surprise capture on Peach (or Zelda), turning her into a trophy with False Bowser cloning it. Kirby later arrived to rescue Mario and Pit (or Link and Yoshi) from being collected by King Dedede, and teamed up with them to stop him. Then they make themselves to the castle, which Bowser crashed into and kidnapped a trophied Zelda (or Peach). After Bowser got away with Zelda (or Peach), Kirby discovered King Dedede's timed-badge, which flown off of it. Later on, Kirby, Mario, Pit, Link and Yoshi went onto rescuing Marth, Ike, Meta Knight, Pokémon Trainer, Lucas and the Ice Climbers and teamed up. Later after the Falcon Flyer and Battleship Halberd, all fighters climbed aboard, but after the Subspace Gunship (controlled by Ganondorf and Bowser) destroyed the Halberd, Kirby destroyed the Subspace Gunship with a Dragoon, which he is flying on. After Tabuu defeated turned Ganondorf into a trophy and defeated Master Hand, Kirby, Mario, Pikachu, Link, Olimar, Samus, Fox, Lucario, Yoshi and all fighters got defeated and turned into trophies by his Off Waves. Later, Kirby got revived himself and spited out King Dedede's badge, which saved his life, and rescued the other fighters. Then Kirby discovered Ganondorf that was now turned into a trophy by Tabuu, which he watched Bowser beat him up. Then he united with King Dedede to journey through The Great Maze, in order to defeat Tabuu.
World of Light[]
Kirby was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to assist in defeating an army of Master Hands.
After Galeem absorbed all of the Master Hands during the opening cutscene, he began to unleash beams of light that vaporized all of the fighters and later imprisoned all of them. Kirby was the sole survivor after escaping on his Warp Star, barely warping away from the beams before they could engulf him. Despite being the sole survivor, Kirby is still seen as a puppet in a few areas of the mode. It was later explained that Galeem had analyzed Kirby at some point during the story and was able to make puppet fighters in his image without needing Kirby himself.
Kirby crash-lands in a canyon area, and begins his quest to save the other fighters as the initial starting protagonist.
He is later seen alongside several other fighters, preparing their final stand against Galeem and Dharkon.
Trophy descriptions[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
Kirby
- "A denizen of the far-off, peaceful planet Pop Star, Kirby became a citizen of Dream Land after defeating King Dedede. Even though he's only about eight inches tall, Kirby is an extremely skilled technician. He has the ability to absorb the powers of his enemies, and his elastic body makes him a versatile adventurer."
Kirby (Adventure)
- "Hammer Kirby's small size lets him dodge many attacks, but his lightweight makes him fly far when struck. Using his ability to inflate, he can jump five times. His Swallow attack creates wild combos; not only can he copy foes' moves, but he'll also put on special hats and mimic their voices. His Hammer is unwieldy but powerful."
Kirby (All-Star)
- "Because of his lightweight, Kirby is always in danger of being sent flying, but his ability to puff up and fly allows him to come back from amazing distances. His Final Cutter strikes on the way up and on the way down, and it sends out a beam of force upon landing. Kirby transforms into various objects and crashes down when he uses his Stone technique."
Kirby Hat 1
- "Here's Kirby sporting several results of his Copy ability. In Link's hat, he can shoot arrows, while Mario's cap gives him access to Fireballs. The Donkey Kong suit offers up a Giant Punch, while Samus's helmet allows Kirby to fire off charged-up energy shots. Finally, while wearing the Yoshi hat, Kirby can swallow enemies and turn them into eggs."
Kirby Hat 2
- "Kirby's got several of his finest hats on here. In Ness's baseball cap, he can use the power of PSI to unleash PK Flash, while Captain Falcon's visor gives him the ability to unleash a huge punch. His adorable Pikachu cap comes complete with stored-up electric charges, allowing him to shock his foes, and the Fox ears come with a matching blaster."
Kirby Hat 3
- "With all of these hats, Kirby could open his own haberdashery! Peach's crown lets him use Toad, while the Ice Climber parka allows him to shoot ice blocks. Kirby has Fire Breath in the Bowser horns, and he can copy Zelda in both her forms. In Zelda's headdress, he can use Nayru's Love, while Sheik's wrap gives him a needle arsenal."
Kirby Hat 4
- "Looks like Kirby's copied a bunch of hidden characters! In Luigi's hat, he can shoot green Fireballs, while copying Mewtwo gives him the power to throw Shadow Balls. Copying Mr. Game & Watch lets Kirby hurl sausages, and doing the same to Jigglypuff earns him a Rollout move. Marth's hair comes complete with a powerful Shield Breaker move."
Kirby Hat 5
- "Secret hats galore! In Pichu's hat, Kirby can shoot out electricity, while Dr. Mario's headgear gives him Megavitamins. When Kirby wears Falco's beak, he gets to use Falco's powerful Blaster; by the same token, he can fire arrows when in Young Link's cap. When Kirby copies Ganondorf he gets the Warlock Punch, and copying Roy produces a Flare Blade."
Fire Kirby
- "When Kirby swallows a fire-wielding enemy, he transforms into Fire Kirby. Not only does he breathe fire in this form, but he can also sprout flames on his entire body and damage enemies by crashing into them. Fire Kirby wears the bright red headdress of his enemy Burning Leo. The hat turns into a helpful weapon when thrown."
Fighter Kirby
- "Kirby dons a warrior's headband and becomes a fierce fighter when he swallows an enemy skilled at physical attacks. Fighter Kirby uses many colorful punching and kicking moves as he overpowers his enemies with his sparring skills. The Vulcan Jab is just one of the many techniques Kirby can use thanks to his copying power."
Ball Kirby
- "When Kirby swallows a ball enemy, he turns into a ball and can bounce off of floors and walls. It's tough to control, but well worth it for the strong attack power it gives Kirby. After his debut in Kirby's Adventure, Ball Kirby has popped up in several more Kirby games, such as Kirby's Pinball Land and Kirby's Block Ball."
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
Kirby
- "A round, pink ball of cuteness from a distant, peaceful star. He can swallow anything with his gigantic mouth, then spit it out as ammo. He has the handy ability to copy powers and use them as his own. His hovering ability lets him fly through the air with ease. He's so round, he's sometimes treated like a ball."
Cook Kirby
- "Kirby in chef's garb. When Kirby throws on his chef's hat, a giant pot appears in the center of the screen. All characters, items, and even long-distance weapons are sucked into the pot. Once they've simmered a bit, food items equal to the number of things in the pot appear. Characters in the mix get blasted straight up out of the pot."
Beam Kirby
- "Kirby in a jester cap...and a supercute Kirby at that. Beam Kirby features a Beam ability, acquired by inhaling Waddle Doo, that allows him to shoot a whiplike beam at his enemies. With a wide attack range, this ability is extremely easy to use, especially for taking out enemies in bunches. In Kirby Super Star, this beam can also be charged and fired."
Needle Kirby
- "A Kirby ability made when Kirby inhales a spiked enemy. When attacking, the needles on Needle Kirby's body extend, giving him a porcupine-like look. This ability provides both offensive and defensive measures against nearby enemies. Plus, needles which extend on Kirby's underside when jumping eliminate any threats on landing."
Sword Kirby
- "A Kirby ability made when Kirby inhales a sword-wielding foe or a sword itself. Doing so provides Kirby with a rapid sword slash, a jumping sword spin, or even the energy-beam blast of the Final Sword. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is the #1 Copy Ability in terms of accessibility."
Sleep Kirby
- "Kirby after he copies the ability to sleep peacefully. Kirby takes on this form when he inhales Noddy or other such enemies. Kirby cannot move at all while sleeping, so extra care should be taken not to use this ability when enemies are near. Kirby, in his slumber, tends to drool, and in his panicked awakening, isn't it cute how he forgets to wipe off the drool?"
Wing Kirby
- "Kirby when he inhales a winged enemy and copies its flying ability. This ability can be used to proceed through strong winds that would otherwise be too tough to overcome. Wing Kirby can also perform a plethora of attack moves, such as the Bomber Head, where Kirby dive-bombs onto enemy heads."
Fighter Kirby
- "Kirby when he is skilled in martial arts, especially close-quarters combat. Inhaling brawny challengers like Knuckle Joe will transform Kirby, allowing him to use a bunch of fight moves like Rising Break, the heroic uppercut. His Mega Power Shot in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, which used charged energy to take out faraway enemies, is another Fighter Kirby highlight."
Fire Kirby
- "Kirby when he inhales an enemy who uses fire. Shooting fire from his mouth, Fire Kirby can cook enemies from afar. This ability also allows Kirby to light explosive blocks, fuses, and so on. In Kirby Super Star and Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Fire Kirby can roll his burning body into enemies as an attack move."
Ice Kirby
- "Kirby when he copies an enemy with chilly abilities. Ice Kirby can blow an icy wind from his mouth and freeze enemies solid. These frozen enemies can then be knocked into other enemies as an additional means of attack. These blocks are not only effective against enemies but can also be used on terrain such as magma or water."
Plasma Kirby
- "Kirby when he inhales Plasma Wisps, which glow with a neon green flame. Plasma Kirby can charge the plasma strength up to a maximum level of 5. In Kirby Super Star, your attack--be it a Plasma Laser or a Plasma Wave Cannon--varies with the length of time you charge it."
Tornado Kirby
- "Kirby when he inhales enemies that fly around like twisters through the sky. When in tornado form, Kirby can spin freely through the air for short amounts of time, clearing out groups of enemies. Tornado Kirby will continue spinning and bouncing violently off of obstacles until he comes to a stop. One drawback of Tornado Kirby is the control difficulty."
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U[]
Kirby (NTSC)
- "Pudgy, little Kirby lives in the peaceful hills of Dream Land on the Planet Popstar. He can inhale things with his big mouth, either copying their abilities or spitting them out again. In Smash Bros., Kirby can inhale opponents and copy their standard specials. He gets launched easily but recovers well."
Kirby (PAL)
- "A roly-poly little fella from Dream Land on Planet Popstar. He can inhale pretty much anyone or anything with that big gob of his, then spit them out or copy their abilities. He can copy opponents' standard specials in this game, too! His light weight means he gets launched easily, but with a series of mid-air jumps, recovering's not too tricky."
Kirby Alt (NTSC)
- "Holding the special button and left or right will charge up Kirby's Hammer Flip attack. Charging too long hurts Kirby! The hammer strikes twice in the air, but landing the single blow on the ground is more powerful. Kirby's up special Final Cutter slices up and down, firing a shock wave upon landing."
Kirby Alt (NTSC)
- "Charge up Kirby's Hammer side special to unleash Hammer Flip, a move with serious launch power. Charge it too much, though, and you'll get hurt! The move hits twice in mid-air, but does more damage on the ground. Final Cutter slices up and down before sending out an energy wave. Move Kirby mid-jump to change where he lands."
Ultra Sword (NTSC)
- "For Kirby's Final Smash, he swings a sword that's waaay bigger than he is. If the first swing hits, he'll keep going with a combo of lightning-fast slices, dealing tons of damage. For the last swing, the sword grows even larger and launches any victims. Make sure that first swing hits, though, or nothing else will happen!"
Ultra Sword (PAL)
- "For Kirby's Final Smash, he swings around a sword that's waaay bigger than he is. If the first swing hits, he'll keep going with a combo of lightning-fast slices, dealing tons of damage. For the last swing, the sword grows even larger and launches its target. It's great, so make sure that first swing hits, or none of the rest will happen!"
Sword Kirby (NTSC)
- "That green cap sure does make Kirby look heroic, doesn't it? Maybe wearing it just inspires Kirby, but while he's wearing it, he gets all kinds of neat moves, like Spin Slash, Multisword Attack, and Sword Dive. He's even able to pull off these moves in the air, on the ground, or underwater!"
Sword Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby looks like a pretty courageous hero in that green cap, doesn't he? Indeed, this Kirby is a master of sword-swishing, fending off enemies with the powerful Spin Slash, the rapid Multisword Attack and the stylish Sword Dive. If that wasn't impressive enough, he can also use these moves on land, in mid-air AND underwater. Beautiful!"
Beam Kirby (NTSC)
- "Waddle Doo can fire beams from his eye. Does that make you green with envy? Then inhale him and copy that ability! You'll then be able to shoot beams from a wand, and the attack can even be charged up for greater effectiveness. You can also use a beam to push switches or to grab and toss your foes."
Beam Kirby (PAL)
- "Ever felt jealous of a Waddle Doo's ability to fire beams from its eye? Well, if you're Kirby, there's really no need - swallow one and you, too, can swing energy beams to your heart's content! Charge them up to plough through multiple enemies at once, use them to grab and throw enemies, and even press switches through walls! Yeah!"
Fire Kirby (NTSC)
- "When Kirby first copied the Fire ability he was only able to breathe fire. Nowadays, he can do all sorts of neat things! For example, he can engulf himself in flames and roll forward, burning grass, lighting fuses, melting ice, and so on. What we'd really like him to do, though, is help us make the perfect s'more. Mmmmm."
Fire Kirby (PAL)
- "Once upon a time, all Fire Kirby could do was shoot flames from his mouth, but he's come a long way since then. Now he can roll along the ground as a blazing fireball, burn up grass, light fuses, melt ice and so on. That's great and all, but what we really want to know is...can he help us get a barbecue going?"
Ice Kirby (NTSC)
- "The perfect ability to copy in the summer--Kirby gains freezing breath when he copies the Ice ability. Enemies frozen by his arctic blasts can be launched at other foes too. Perfect for a tough fight or when you need some ice for your iced coffee. Kirby isn't busy saving Dream Land or anything..."
Ice Kirby (PAL)
- "When Kirby has the Ice ability, he can blast enemies with glacial gales to freeze them. He can then kick them into other enemies to take them all out at once! It's the perfect ability for a tough fight...or for when you need some ice to keep a glass of fruit juice nicely chilled. Not everything has to be about saving Dream Land, you know!"
Needle Kirby (NTSC)
- "Kirby normally looks as tasty as a big ol' marshmallow, but he's significantly less appetizing when he's copied the Needle ability. Those pokey spikes won't add any flavor at all. With this ability, Kirby can bash into enemies or launch the spikes at them. A great, easy-to-use ability!"
Needle Kirby (Pal)
- "Kirby's soft, fluffy and just...so huggable! Except when he's got the Needle ability, that is - then it's like there's a hug-free zone all around him. Being covered in spikes comes in handy, though, for rolling into enemies, and even shooting at them! However, whether that really makes up for his loss of huggableness is hard to say..."
Tornado Kirby
- "Who needs hats when you can have an actual tornado coming out of your head? That's our Kirby - always the trendsetter. And with the Tornado ability, he can go one step further, turning his whole body into a cyclone to go on a wild rampage. His rapid spinning isn't exactly easy to control, but that's all part of the fun!"
Mike Kirby (NTSC)
- "Curious what Kirby's singing voice sounds like? Then track down and inhale Mr. Tick-Tock or a Walky! Kirby can copy the Mike ability and then use a mike or megaphone to really let 'er rip. Sometimes he sounds as cute as he looks, but he can also hit those low notes when he wants to rock."
Mike Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby isn't much of a talker, but if you ever do want to hear his voice, here's a simple solution: swallow a Walky or Mr. Tick-Tock, and you'll be rewarded with an ability called Mike! Watch in awe as Kirby pulls out a microphone (or a megaphone) and shakes your soul with his dulcet tones. For some reason, his enemies can't stand the sound!"
Sleep Kirby
- "You don't get to see sleeping heroes very often. They're so busy rescuing princesses or saving the world, they just don't have time for a little nap. Not so with Kirby! The moment he inhales the snooze-prone enemy Noddy, he pops on his sleeping cap and dozes right off. Ah, Kirby, what dreams might you be having today?"
Bomb Kirby
- "When he copies the Bomb ability, Kirby gets to don a stylish hat just like Poppy Bros. Jr. The hat's appearance varies a little from game to game, but the ability itself is always pretty much the same: pull out a bomb, throw it, BOOM! Careful, though--if you hang on to the bomb for too long, you'll go BOOM yourself!"
Fighter Kirby (NTSC)
- ""Show me your moves!" Wait-that's not Kirby's line! Regardless, he's really fired up and ready to become a fighting machine with that red headband. He knows the basics, like kicking and tossing, but he can also muster his fighting spirit to blast distant foes."
Fighter Kirby (PAL)
- "With his red headband and fierce attitude, Fighter Kirby is ready to take on anything. Like a real martial artist, he can kick and throw his foes into submission. And like a...not-so-real martial artist, he can fire his fighting spirit as an energy blast to hit faraway enemies. The only weapon this Kirby needs is his burning heart!"
Wing Kirby (NTSC)
- "Kirby doesn't need to copy abilities to bop through the air, but actually having wings gives his aerial skills a definite boost. They even let him use some extra attacks, like the acrobatic Shuttle Loop and the mighty Condor Head. He can also fire at foes with his Feather Gun! Thought Kirby was just a squishy puffball? Surprise!"
Wing Kirby (PAL)
- "Kirby doesn't need to copy abilities to bop through the air, but actually having wings gives his aerial skills a definite boost. They even let him use some extra attacks, like the acrobatic Shuttle Loop and the mighty Condor Head. He can also fire at foes with his Feather Gun! Thought Kirby was just a squishy puffball? Think again!"
Ninja Kirby (NTSC)
- "Making his debut in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. If you copy its ability, Kirby can become a master of the ninja arts! With a variety of useful skills like Knife Throw and Blossom Storm, you might want to remain a ninja forever!"
Ninja Kirby (PAL)
- "Making its debut in Kirby's Adventure Wii, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. Swallow one, and Kirby will become a master of the ninja arts too! Knife Throw, Wall Cling, Smoke Screen and Blossom Storm - with such a variety of useful skills, you might never want to let this Copy Ability go!"
Other appearances[]
Cameos[]
In addition to his own series, Kirby makes cameo appearances in many other video games, particularly those published by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. In the HAL America developed game Arcana, Kirby can be seen on the battlefield in one of the cutscenes. In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on the Game Boy, there is an enemy called Anti-Kirby. This enemy greatly resembles Kirby, however instead of being friendly it'll attack the player. Interestingly in the debug menu for EarthBound which was intended to be used solely be the developers, the menu icon is Kirby. In Stunt Race FX, Kirby can be seen on a couple of posters in the game. In Picross volume 3 one of the images the player can make is Kirby. In Pokémon Stadium 2 for the Nintendo 64, Kirby from different games can be seen in the player's room on the television under certain occasions. The theme song of the anime is present in Donkey Konga as a song the player can play. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, there is a poster at the Yoshi Theater that shows Kirby riding a Warpstar. The movie is labeled as Kirby Story.
Other media[]
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya!: Kirby is the star of the anime known as Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. Nintendo and HAL Laboratory produced the anime. Like in the video games, Kirby rarely speaks, though does has a limited vocabulary, uttering simple words. His appearance is nearly identicle to that of the video games, and because it is so simple it wouldnot be hard to replicate for the anime nearly perfectly. In the show, Kirby is destined to save the world, and is known as a Star Warrior. Kirby was put to sleep and would be awaken 200 years older when it was mature (similar to Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), though was woken up too early. Because of this, Kirby is still a child and thus acts like one. Nevertheless, despite being a child he must follow through with his destiny. The Warpstar from the video games (which played a minimal role) appears quite a lot in the television show, and is the source of Kirby's power. During the course of the show Kirby meets a girl named Tiff, and later her brother Tuff. Tiff can order Kirby to inhale objects, which King Dedede has learned of, and will occasionally try to sound like Tiff so that Kirby will do his bidding. In the anime Kirby is voiced by Makiko Ohmoto. Because Kirby rarely speaks, they did not change the voice actor for the English localization.
- Manga: Kirby has appeared in various manga, none of which have been translated from their original language (Japanese). Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu had 25 books, though other Kirby mangas are usually one book which are basically comedies. Germany's Club Nintendo in the nineties published a variety of manga-styled comics featuring video game characters. Kirby was one of the main characters in the manga, as was Nintendo's other famous property Super Mario.
- Publications: Kirby has appeared on the cover of Nintendo Power various times for his games Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards as well as the Super Smash Bros. series. Guide books have been made for Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and, in Japan, Kirby's Dream Land 3 for the Super Famicom.
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Originally designed as a placeholder sprite, Kirby's appearance is remarkably simple with a round body, pink skin, stubby arms and red feet. His facial features consist of two eyes shaped like long vertical ovals, rosy cheek blushes and a small mouth that can stretch to almost double his entire body height. Prior Kirby Super Star, Kirby had beady black eyes with no visible iris, but Super Star's official art made his eyes noticeably larger and more expressive and also gave him dark blue irises which would go on to become an iconic part of his design. Additionally, his cheek blushes were faint dimples prior to his 3D model's appearance in the first Super Smash Bros., a design element which would later be incorporated into the Kirby series, starting with Kirby 64 and Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Strangely, Kirby's bio in the Nintendo 64 Super Smash Bros. claims he is eight inches tall, however this isn't supported by any of his video game or anime appearances as when he's depicted alongside human characters or manmade objects he's usually shown as closer to 2ft. In the games he has two small fingerless hands (depicted and illustrated as just stubs,) and large red feet/shoes.
He is extremely light and flexible; in the games he can crouch to become flat as a pancake or inflate himself and fly by gulping in air. In the original games Kirby's facial features were small, though in more recent titles they've grown. It should be noted that the Japanese and American boxart of the Kirby games have slight alterations. While in Japan Kirby always seems to be peppy on the boxart, Nintendo of America changes the box art slightly so that Kirby has less passive, more aggressive eyes and occasionally has a frown. In the games it is mentioned that Kirby i0s a male.
Personality[]
According to his bio in Super Smash Bros., Kirby is an easily understood character that's true to his instincts; When he's hungry he eats and as soon as he gets tired, he takes a nap. Generally cheerful and innocent of personality, Kirby is quick to befriend or try to befriend everyone he meets. However, should his home or friends be threatened, he shifts gears, becoming a brave and capable warrior.
Kirby is usually considered to be young. This is concluded due to his child like attitude, his pitched voice, and various indications in the manual and the anime. Since he has an endless belly he spends a lot of time eating. He likes all types of food, and no matter how much he eats he never increases in size, even when devouring meal after meal in events such as Gourmet Race in Kirby Super Star. He especially likes to eat Maxim Tomatoes, which are so healthy that they replenish his health. The only things that Kirby notably refuses to eat are the fuzzy caterpillars dropped by Twin Woods in Kirby Super Star and Ultra and Belly Buster's pies in the anime, which are described by Escargoon as tasting like "shaving cream mixed with burnt hair".
Kirby is generally considered a silent protagonist. He rarely ever speaks, the player will only on rare occasions hear Kirby speak, and its usually done when he's explaining the function of a copy ability. He does speak in Kirby's Avalanche, though HAL Laboratory had little to do with the game and it was never actually released in Japan. In the game he was rude, very unlike the Kirby in the main series. In games like the Super Smash Bros. series Kirby will utter simple phrases (as do most characters in the game) such as "hi!" during his taunt, which can be listened to in the options menu. Kirby will also say the name of the attacks of some copied abilities only when the character also uttered something when delivering it (such as "Falcon Punch"). Kirby also rarely speaks in the anime, and only does so when speaking the names of certain attacks.
Interesting to note is the fact that on multiple occasions Nintendo of America has altered the Japanese boxart of Kirby games to make the character look more menacing or angry. This is done simply by adjusting Kirby's eyes by adding "angry eyebrows". Making the typically happy-go-lucky character seem angry in America hasn't been done just on the boxart of his games, but also in the commercials of Kirby games too.
Abilities[]
In spite of his cute and round appearance, Kirby possesses incredible powers and on numerous occasions has defeated cosmic entities that threaten his home on Planet Pop Star. He's stated by Star Dream in Kirby: Planet Robobot to have potentially infinite power, however, the anime points out that, because Kirby's still very young, he's unable to fully or consistently access the true extent of his powers. Kirby's signature ability is Inhale, which lets him suck enemies, and objects into his mouth with powerful suction breath. After inhaling something, Kirby can then spit it out with incredible force in the form of a star shaped projectile. If Kirby inhales more than one thing at a time, the objects will combine into a Star Bullet, which does more damage and can pierce through multiple enemies until it hits a wall. Kirby's mouth stretches when he inhales allowing him to generally consume things larger than himself. However, excessively large and heavy opponents, such as bosses, cannot be inhaled and mini-bosses must be KOed before they can be successfully inhaled.
Kirby using inhale on a Waddle Dee.
Starting with the second game in the series, Kirby's Adventure, things really got interesting. This game introduced the Copy Ability, which let's Kirby obtain new abilities by swallowing certain foes. For example; inhaling an enemy with a sword gives Kirby a sword and inhaling an enemy with icy abilities let's Kirby breath ice to freeze enemies. In most games, Kirby can only have one Copy Ability at a time, however some games let him combine certain abilities together to create new ones. If Kirby takes too much damage, his current Copy Ability will be knocked out of him and become a colored star that bounces around the stage for a few seconds before exploding. The player can re-obtain the ability if they quickly inhale the star before it explodes. This also happens if the player chooses to discard Kirby's current Copy Ability in favor of a different one.
Because Kirby's body is incredibly light, he can take in a gulp of air to puff himself up and then flap his arms to float or fly through the air. In most games flying can be done indefinitely and is generally used to navigate levels or avoid enemy attacks. However, it's not practical to simply fly through an entire level as Kirby's flying speed is slower than his running speed and his combat abilities are generally limited while flying. While puffed up, Kirby's only method of attack is releasing the gulp of air held in his mouth as a short ranged puff that cancels his flight. Kirby also cannot fly while he has an enemy or object in his mouth.
In the original Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby could utilize various food items in order to give himself temporary power-ups such as Superspicy Curry for temporary fire breath or Invincibility Candy for temporary invincibility. With the exception of the Invincibility Candy, most of these power-ups did not return in later installments.
If an enemy had a sword, then when swallowed Kirby would become a master swordsman. If the enemy froze things just by blowing, Kirby would gain that power too. It proved to be a fantastic gameplay mechanic and ever since it would stick with the series. His appearance would also change too when a new ability was given to him, more so as the series progressed. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby could combine powers that he kept safe in his stomach to create new functionalities. This created a lot of speculation because his stomach area looked like space, so people thought that's were everything he eats goes.
In Kirby Super Star, Kirby would be able to enlist the help of a former foe by performing a certain action. The new ally would accompany Kirby, attacking his enemies and following him around until he was ultimately killed by an enemy or dispatched by Kirby. In order to get an ally, Kirby would have to get rid of his copy ability which would transform into the enemy that he swallowed. In the game, this 'Helper', as they were titled in the game, could be controlled by a computer or by a second player, which added a unique cooperative aspect to the series. Unfortunately, despite proving popular with gamers, the helper system would not return in every game following it.
Copy Abilities[]
Perhaps Kirby's most iconic power is his ability to absorb the properties of foes he inhales, giving him brand new Power-up forms called Copy Abilities. In their first appearance in Kirby's Adventure, Copy Abilities only gave Kirby one new move and Kirby's skin took on an orangish hue. Kirby Super Star further advanced this, with multiple moves available to each ability and also introduced Ability Hats, giving Kirby alternate costumes and appearances for each of his Copy Abilities, although this wouldn't become standard to the series until the 2001 anime and subsequent video games. In most Kirby games, Kirby can only have one Copy Ability at a time and must discard his current ability if he wants a different one, however Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby: Squeak Squad and Kirby Star Allies allow select Copy abilities to be mixed to create a new ability with the properties of both.
Kirby brought this popular power over to the Super Smash Bros. series and can do it to every character in the game excluding another Kirby. The following is a list of copy abilities that Kirby can transform into in the series (excluding those found in the Super Smash Bros. series):
Animal (Gaw Gaw)
- Mammalian creatures and foes with sharp claws turn Kirby into Animal Kirby. Kirby becomes a werebeast. He gains brown fur with white feet, two toes on each foot, three claws on each hand, and a stuffed cap. Animal Kirby has razor sharp claws that he can use to scratch foes and dig underground. He can also turn into a whirling tornado, slashing everything in sight.
Archer (Spynum)
- Inhaling arrows or archery-based foes turns Kirby into Archer Kirby. Kirby gets a purple rimmed hat with a yellow feather. He wields a Pink bow and can shoot from many different angles. Kirby can charge his attack to make the arrow have a better range, deal more damage, and pierce through multiple enemies. Additionally, Kirby can hide behind cutouts to become invincible to most types of damage.
- Kirby gets a red beret and is covered in various colors of paint. Kirby can swing his paintbrush at enemies, sculpt sculptures to swing at his enemies, or draw characters to fight for him. Kirby can also paint empty signs to create items come out.
- Kirby gets a blue headband (red for Backdrop). He can perform different wrestling moves on his opponents.
- Kirby can turn into a bouncing ball that ricochets off walls and ceilings. He can bounce higher when holding down A.
Balloon (Bloon)
- Kirby can turn into a balloon. Touch him to make him inflate. While in balloon form, Kirby can float freely in the air until he hits an enemy or after you touch Kirby the third time. This ability only appears in Kirby: Canvas Curse.
- Kirby wears a red and orange jester's hat and wields a magic rod. He is able to fire an electrical whip from the tip of the rod.
- Kirby gets a hat resembling a rhinoceros beetle. Kirby can swing his horn at enemies, grab them with his horn, and fly using his wings.
Bell (Ringle)
- Kirby wears a giant golden bell with a pink star on it. Kirby swings around two bells to damage his enemies with the shockwaves of their ringing. Kirby can throw the bells and hide under a giant bell, dealing damage to enemies that touch him.
Bomb (Poppy Bros. Jr., Faley, Poppy Bros. Sr.)
- Kirby puts a blue cap on. He is able to throw an infinite number of bombs.
Bubble (Bubble Head, Buboo)
- Kirby has bubbles around his head and a bubble wand. Kirby can shoot bubbles at enemies, if the enemy has a copy ability, it will be stored away, otherwise, it will be stored as a star. These items get stored in the Copy Palette for later use.
Burning (Galbo, Bukiset, Flamer)
- Kirby charges forward covered in flames that can burn metal blocks. It eventually became a part of Fire's moveset.
Circus (Clown Acrobot)
- Kirby wears a tent-like hat with a mustache on it. Kirby attacks using various tricks that are typical of a circus, such as juggling bowling pins, blowing balloons, balance on a ball, etc.
Clean (Broom Hatter, Keke, Busiket, Haboki)
- Kirby wears a white handkerchief with green stars. Originally, he only sweeps with his broom. In Kirby Star Allies, he can use his Animal Friends, Nago, ChuChu, and Pitch to attack alongside him.
Cook (Cook Kawasaki, Cookin, Prank)
- Kirby wears a chef hat and will cook all enemies on screen in a giant pot turning them into recovery items. It can only be used once. This was Kirby's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
- When used, Kirby puts on a headset and scans his enemy. If the enemy has a copy ability, Kirby gains that ability. If not, the enemy is only damaged slightly. This allows Kirby to obtain copy abilities from enemies he cannot inhale, such as Scarfy.
Crash ( Bomber, Poppy Bros Sr)
- A strange move that causes Kirby to explode. Following this, many smaller Kirby's will zoom around the stage and kill everything in their path. When not fighting a boss, the move will kill every enemy on the screen. When fighting a boss, it will damage the boss (but not necessarily defeat it).
Cupid (Cupie)
- Kirby has a halo and sprouts angel wings. He is able to fly in place and shoot arrows.
Cutter (Sir Kibble, Boomer)
- Kirby puts a gladiator hat and throws blade like boomerangs. Kirby can also cut with the hat's blade. Kirby can execute this move in the Super Smash Bros. series where it acts both as an attack and as a recovery maneuver.
Various different Kirby transformations in Nightmare in Dream Land's multiplayer mode.
Doctor (Chemitory)
- Kirby wears a lab coat and a head mirror. Kirby can make chemicals and pills to attack his enemies.
- Kirby wears a sideways baseball cap and has energy around his hands. Kirby can summon a sphere of energy and can control it manually. Kirby can also teleport.
Fighter (Knuckle Joe, Box Boxer)
- Kirby puts on a red fighter's headband. He is able to perform all sorts of fighting moves.
Fire (Hot Head, Burning Leo, Galbo, Acchi, Heat Phanphan, Flame Galboros)
- By inhaling fiery enemies or objects, Kirby becomes Fire Kirby. Kirby wears a fiery crown. He is able to breathe fire and envelop himself in it.
Freeze (Chilly, Snoppy, Mr. Frosty)
- Kirby wears a blue parka resembling Popo of the Ice Climbers and can create an icy aura to freeze his enemies. Eventually is replaced with Ice
- Kirby wears a sheet around him, giving him the appearance of a ghost. He is able to possess enemies and use their various abilities to attack his enemies.
- Kirby will wield Bonkers' powerful hammer and be able to swing it around. From Super Smash Bros. Melee onwards this was also a move that Kirby could perform.
- Kirby wears a cape and a Viking helmet. Will cause Kirby to leap in the air and attack an enemy in his way. It is used commonly for vertical platforming.
Ice (Pengi, Chilly, Wappa, Emp, Frigis, Snowl, Yuki, Mr. Frosty)
- Kirby wears a crown of ice and in some games turns blue and purple. Kirby can freeze enemies into blocks of ice with frost breath and then kick the frozen enemies into other enemies.
- Kirby wears a visor and jetpack. He can charge forward with jet-propelled attacks.
- Lets Kirby shoot lasers from his eyes.
Leaf (unknown grassy enemy)
Kirby performs various attacks involving leaves, including leaf tornado.
Magic (Boxy)
- Kirby puts on a magician's hat. He is able to perform all kinds of magic.
Metal (Metalun)
Kirby turns completely metal, being invincable, but slow.
- Kirby puts on a pair of red earphones. His main, and only method of attack is singing very badly in his microphone, destroying every normal enemy in sight.
Mini (Minny)
- After becoming very small, Kirby will be able to fit into tight spaces to retrieve treasure chests.
- After creating a mirror of himself, it confuses enemies and automatically afterwords both Kirby's will attack.
- Kirby will turn into a missile and be able to crash into objects.
Needle (Needlous)
- Kirby gains a hat with spikes that can extend to damage enemies.
Ninja (Bio Spark, Moonja, Spinni)
- Kirby wears purple cloth skullcap with a medal piece that has a star on it. He is able to use various ninja techniques, like throwing kunais or swinging a knife.
Paint (Heavy Lobster's Paint blobs, Chamelo Arm)
- Appearing only in Kirby Super Star and in Kirby Super Star Ultra, using its move can kill all enemies on screen at once when Kirby sprays paint everywhere. It's move can only be used once before losing the ability.
Parasol (Parasol Waddle Dee/Doo, Jumpershoot, Sasuke, Drifter, Paint Roller's drawn parasol, Bukiset)
- Kirby wields a parasol, and he uses it to fight his foes. The Parasol would later appear as an trophy in the Super Smash Bros. series.
- Kirby can charge up superheated plasma blasts and fire them out of his hands.
Poison (Dacooga, Venog, Miasmoros)
- Kirby wears a skull band on his head with purple liquid poison. Kirby can shoot poison on enemies and surf on poison.
Sleep (Noddy)
- Kirby wears a sleeper's cap, and the only thing he does is sleep, making him defenseless against enemies. This is considered a trick copy ability, but in Kirby: Squeak Squad, the ability causes Kirby to recover health when sleeping.
- Kirby gets his move set from the Super Smash Bros. series and is able to perform his side, up and down special attacks from the Super Smash Bros. games (Hammer, Final Cutter and Stone).
Spark (Sparky, Plugg, Bukiset, Spark-i, Zoos, Bobin, Master Green, Turbite, Elec, Dubior)
- Will cause sparks to surround Kirby and attack all enemies in range. Very similar to Plasma because of the sprites look like plasma.
Spear (Pierce)
- Kirby wears a bandana with a gold crest. He wields a spear that can cut ropes.
- Kirby wears a purple, spider-themed bowler hat. Kirby can shoot webs and bounce off of them. The webs can entangle enemies allowing them to be kicked towards other enemies.
- Kirby wears a red hat with golden lining. Kirby wields a staff that he can attack with at long range and use to vault upwards.
- Kirby will turn into a stone and come crashing to the ground, destroying all enemies in his path. This move can be used in all of the Super Smash Bros. video games.
Sword (Blade Knight, Sword Knight, Swordory, Heavy Knight, Gigant Edge)
- Kirby wears a green elven cap similar to Link's. He is able to use a variety of sword techniques.
Throw (Rolling Turtle, Phan Phan)
- Kirby will grab an enemy and then throw them.
- Kirby dons a crown with a small twister on it. He is able to spin around to make a small cyclone.
- Kirby gets inside a personal U.F.O., and is able to perform a few attacks based on lasers of varying strength.
Water (Water Galbo, Pluid, Water Galboros, Fatty Puffer)
- Debuted in the anime and later appeared in the video games. Kirby can spray enemies with water and manipulate water to ride waves.
Wheel (Wheelie, Grand Wheelie)
- Kirby wears a red baseball cap backwards. He is able to turn into a self-propelled wheel that's invincible while moving quickly.
Whip (Whippy)
- Kirby dons a cowboy hat and uses a whip to lash enemies and grab distant items.
- Kirby gains a Native American headdress, a pair of wings, and long feathery streamers. He is able to fly in the air more efficiently in this form. Also, he can cut rope and grass by flapping his feathers as well as shooting them out.
- Kirby wears a red wrestler mask with yellow motifs and attack with moves based on pro wrestling moves.
- Kirby wears a backwards purple baseball cap, and attacks with a yo-yo.
Allies[]
Kirby's allies from Kirby's Dream Land 3.
Over the games Kirby has met many friends and allies that have assisted him on his adventures. The most recurring allies of Kirby are King Dedede, Bandana Dee and Meta Knight all of whom started out as villains or antagonists before becoming friendly rivals in later games. particularly in Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3. The following are some of the most notable allies of Kirby.
Kirby first gained allies in the video game Kirby's Dream Land 2 for the Game Boy. This game introduced the animal friends who act as ridable power-ups, similar to Yoshi from the Mario series; Rick the Hamster, Coo the Owl, Kine the Fish, Gooey, and Blob the Goo. Rick is a hamster that's larger than Kirby. Kirby rides on Rick's shoulders in a few video games. He's quick and a big help in the titles he appears in. A trophy of him appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. Whereas Rick is the master of ground based traveling, Coo the Owl will send Kirby through the air in the games he appears in. He's an intelligent owl. Kine is to the water as Rick is to the ground (and Coo is to the sky). Being a fish, he's a master swimmer and makes swimming in water based stages a breeze. Gooey, though a piece of Dark Matter, is still a friendly creature to Kirby. Gooey first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land 2 though became more of an ally in Kirby's Dream Land 3. A trophy of him appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. You can't ride Blob the Goo in the game, though she'll give Kirby and extra life.
Kirby's Dream Land 3 brought back many of the allies from the previous game including Rick, Coo, Kine, and Gooey. New characters included Chuchu the Blob, Nago the Cat, and Pitch the Bird. It should be noted that while Kirby couldn't ride Gooey in Kirby's Dream Land 2, he can in this game. Chuchu can stick to walls and can help Kirby fly a little while. She rides on top of Kirby's head in the game. In the game, Nago will roll Kirby around as if he were a ball, and can triple jump. Pitch is extremely small, though can still help Kirby fly around stages (apparently he admires Coo the owl and hopes to replicate his abilities someday when he grows older).
Species[]
Kirby's species have never been officially titled, which has caused much speculation as to what they are actually called. There have been multiple occasions when more than one creature of Kirby's species appears on screen. In one instance before the game begins, nearly a hundred race across the screen. Whenever Kirby completes a level, kirby will split into three beings and dance. Meta Knight is generally thought to be part of Kirby's species. While not evident with his mask on, there has been moments when his mask fell off, revealing himself to be nearly a pallet swap of Kirby (whereas Kirby is pink, Meta Knight is blue). Since there is proof that not all members of Kirby's species are pink, it is highly possible that Meta Knight is indeed part of his species. Since Kirby's species has no official name, they are just usually called Kirbys (similar to Yoshi, though his species is confirmed to be named Yoshi just as his name is Yoshi). Kirby's species can come in many colors like red, green, yellow, blue, etc.
Shadow Kirby[]
Shadow Kirby
Shadow Kirby is an alternate version of Kirby that appeared in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror in the "mirror world". In this equivalent, he's a gray (dark gray) colored doppelganger that greatly resembles Kirby. During the beginning of the game, Shadow Kirby often times attacked Kirby, though in the end the two realized that they were after the same goal of saving their own worlds, and teamed up to take down Dark Mind.
Appearances[]
- Kirby's Dream Land (1992) (first appearance)
- Kirby's Adventure (1993)
- Kirby's Pinball Land (1993)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993) (cameo)
- Kirby's Dream Course (1994)
- Stunt Race FX (1994) (cameo)
- Kirby's Avalanche (1995)
- EarthBound (1995) (cameo)
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) (cameo)
- Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995)
- Kirby's Block Ball (1995)
- Kirby Super Star (1996)
- Kirby's Star Stacker (1997)
- Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997)
- Kirby's Super Star Stacker (1998; Japan only)
- Super Smash Bros. (1999)
- Picross Volume 3 (1999) (cameo)
- Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000)
- Pokémon Stadium 2 (2001) (cameo)
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble (2001)
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001)
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002)
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003) (cameo)
- Kirby Air Ride (2003)
- Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (2004)
- Donkey Konga (2004) (song cameo)
- Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)
- Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008)
- Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008)
- Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010)
- AR Games (2011)
- Face Raiders (2011) (music cameo)
- Kirby Mass Attack (2011)
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011)
- Kirby: 20th Anniversary Dream Collection (2012)
- StreetPass Mii Plaza (2013) (cameo)
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014)
- Kirby Fighter Deluxe (2014)
- Mario Kart 8 (2014) (Amiibo cameo)
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (2014)
- One Piece: Super Grand Battle X (2014) (Amiibo cameo)
- Nintendo Badge Arcade (2015) (cameo)
- Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015)
- Super Mario Maker (2015) (Amiibo cameo)
- Yoshi's Woolly World (2015) (Amiibo cameo)
- Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash (2015) (Amiibo cameo)
- Kirby: Planet Robobot (2016)
- Miitomo (2016) (cameo)
- Style Savvy: Fashion Forward (2016) (Amiibo cameo)
- Picross 3D Round 2 (2016) (Amiibo cameo)
- Team Kirby Clash Deluxe (2017)
- Kirby's Blowout Blast (2017)
- Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World (2017) (Amiibo cameo)
- Kirby Battle Royale (2017)
- Miitopia (2017) (Amiibo cameo)
- Kirby Star Allies (2018)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
- Part Time UFO (2018) (cameo)
- Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn (2019)
- Super Kirby Clash (2019)
- Tetris 99 (2019) (music cameo)
- Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022)
- Kirby's Dream Buffet (2022)
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)
Trivia[]
- Kirby won "Best Hero" in the 1993 Nintendo Power Awards for his appearance in Kirby's Adventure.
Gallery[]
| Main article: Kirby/gallery |