Crystal Shard
A Crystal Shard is one of the 100 scattered, hallowed pieces of the Power Crystal, originally located on the Ripple Star in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, that fragmented some time after Ribbon attempted to safeguard the Power Crystal from Dark Matter, at the beginning of the game. These indigo shards carry an unspeakable power, originally used to harmonize and balance the forces surrounding Ripple Star, however, in their current, isolated forms, evil is more than able to penetrate not only Ripple Star, but the entire realm in search of these crystal fragments. As in the name of the game, the plot of The Crystal Shards is in the collection and reclaiming of these broken pieces of the Power Crystal in order to restore peace to Ripple Star and by extension, the entire planetary system.
In each regular stage, of which there are three or four per planet, three Crystal Shards are hidden. These fragments are often strategically placed so that Kirby must overexert himself in terms of busting down walls, blocks, etc. with different combinations of copy ability, or physically in order to reach these treasures. While the final boss of a certain planet reveals one Crystal Shard upon defeat, many of the mini-bosses in The Crystal Shards yield a crystal piece in the same manner.
The number of Crystal Shards Kirby possesses by the time he reaches the boss of the Ripple Star, Miracle Matter, determines whether or not he will be able to face the final boss, Zero Two, and rid the entire realm of Dark Matter. To face Zero Two, all 100 shards must be found across the realm, and rightly so, as the shards themselves are the sole weapon used to send Zero Two and Dark Matter back to the depths of space.
