Editing User:Waddlez3121/Sandbox/Kirby's Characteristics

{{quote|I wish I had your combo of power and cuteness!|[[Waddle Dee]] in ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''}}

In spite of his simple surface and unassuming lack of immediate complexity, Kirby has a wide set of characteristics that define him. This page will discuss them and define them more clearly.

==Physical traits==
===Exterior appearance===
*Kirby is small and pink
*round torso/head
*red feet and nub-like hands but no arms or legs
*blue eyes
**occasionally shown as iridescent
*color variants (move species up here?)
*Kirby has varied in exact proportions
**early designs were pointy and gave him cheek lines
**early 2000's made him plumper
**modern designs are rounder and find a middle ground

Kirby is round and stout, with all possible sources confirming his height of eight inches (20 centimeters).{{Fact}}{{Fact}}{{Fact}} His torso is not distinct from his head, as they are one and the same. His pink complexion extends all over his body, except his red oval feet. This simple color scheme lends itself to many [[color]] variants, [[Keeby|some of]] [[Shadow Kirby|whom]] are more prominent.{{Fact}}{{Fact}}<sup>[KDC and KatAM-related citations]</sup>

His eyes are depicted in a different manner from many fictional characters, being long black ovals with a blue fading iris at the bottom. These irises have recently been shown to be iridescent, such as in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''{{'}}s pre-rendered cutscenes.<ref name="KFL">''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''</ref> However, gameplay and other cutscenes use the less extravagant in-game model without this trait. Aside from the iridescence, this is a common way to illustrate eyes in the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]]; this is a trait shared with those such as [[Waddle Dee]]s and [[Awoofies]].

===Interior anatomy===
*Kirby is unclear
*needs food; can inhale or just eat normally
*respiratory system
**lungs
**nose/nostrils implied by earlier media <!-- does anyone else headcanon that he breathes through his skin like a frog? -->
**may not need to breathe at all, actually? (consider Mint Leaf, Hypernova, can survive in space and usually water)
*no skeleton/teeth
*tongue
*hand nubs slide around
**human-like restrictions
*skin is rubbery soft
**NO FUR
*sweat

Kirby's precise anatomy is variously described as "top-secret",<ref name="Kotaku">Interview with Shinya Kumazaki: ''[https://kotaku.com/the-truth-about-kirby-s-feet-is-top-secret-developer-1833727024 The Truth About Kirby's Feet is 'Top Secret', Developer Says]''</ref> "classified",{{Fact}} and "an utter mystery".{{Fact}}<sup>ideally would like to cite exactly these words for each three phrases, but these were written from memory</sup> This is due to the lack of concrete information given, which [[HAL Laboratory]] enjoys [[List of mysteries|playing up frequently]]. In spite of that, various details have been established about his internal workings.

Kirby clearly needs food, as it is [[health|directly tied to his well-being]]. He is capable of eating normally and seems to favor this,<ref>''Kirby's Dream Buffet'' shows Kirby voluntarily pick up the Dream Fork in the opening rather than just inhaling the whole cake.</ref> but he can also simply inhale food to gain the same nutritional value. He can also suffer from food poisoning, evident from when he inhales [[Mariel]] or one of [[Yggy Woods]]'s cherries.<ref>''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' game mechanic</ref><ref>''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' game mechanic</ref> As for what his mouth contains, he decidedly does not have teeth, as [[Crash|their only appearance]] in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' was removed in [[Kirby Super Star Ultra|the remake]]. He does have a tongue, allowing him to better enjoy the food he loves so much.{{Fact}}<sup>cite tongue</sup> 

In most situations, Kirby does not appear to need to breathe, as he can spend an unlimited time [[Water (environment)|underwater]] or even survive the depths of space. However, he does have a respiratory system, and his lungs are mentioned a handful of times throughout supplementary material.{{Fact}}<sup>source has something to do with Heavy Blocks</sup> He is also said to have a nose, though it is imperceptible on its own. It is evidenced only by unillustrated mentions of it in flavor text, or by the running gag of [[Sleep]] Kirby producing a snot bubble from a location above his mouth. The exact capacity of Kirby's lungs in unclear, as many games allow him to inhale for an infinite duration. Items such as [[Miracle Fruit]] and the [[Mint Leaf]] feature Kirby inhaling or exhaling incredible amounts of air.

Kirby's skin is rubbery and soft,{{Fact}} with remarkable stretching capacities allowing him to get away with feats that would stump the passing observer, such as [[Hypernova]], [[Star Bullet|Full-Belly Kirby]], and [[Mouthful Mode]]. His hands are simply nubs, although their surface can accept items and implements such as tools and [[device]]s, allowing him to grab items he otherwise could not. It can also resist heavy injury, from brutal poundings from [[Bonkers]] to the sharp implements of [[Gigant Edge]] and [[Kibble Blade]], none of which leave a scratch or bruise on him. His body features can move very widely, with both hands and feet boasting a wide range of motion. Under the skin is no skeleton, but he does have some rigidity to his form. In (media) with (person), it was mentioned that a muscular human was used as the basis for Kirby's movements, providing a range of motion not unlike humans.<ref>[https://twitter.com/obscurekirby/status/1495060424622055427 Concept art from ''Kirby Super Star'']</ref>

==Abilities==
*flexible
*Copy Abilities
*inhale
**mystery of what happens to inhaled objects
**exhales things as Drop Stars
*vitality
*hover
*limited endurance of temperature extremes (frozen water and lava versus just hanging out in a snow field or a volcano)

Beyond Kirby's remarkably stretchy body, his endurance goes even further. Kirby is rarely shown to be uncomfortable in any location, from the heart of a volcano to a freezing tundra. He only experiences pain when exposed directly to hazards such as frozen water or lava, and experiences no problems with dangerous items attached to his own head such as from the hat of a [[Copy Ability]], such as [[Fire]] or [[Spark]].

The Copy Ability is also one of Kirby's most important traits. The ability to inhale an enemy, gain use of its powers, and almost instantly master them makes him very adaptable and incredibly versatile. It also proves that he is a quick and astute learner, as he can quickly learn to operate foreign objects never before seen on his planet - take, for example, the [[Robobot Armor]], which Kirby was able to boot up only a moment after entering.<ref>''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'' cutscene "Robobot Armor Activate!"</ref> Several [[Last Battle Ability|Last Battle Abilities]] also require Kirby to learn relatively fast how they work. This has been occasionally mistranslated, such as the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series featuring trophies which declare him an "extremely skilled technician."{{Fact}}

When Kirby inhales and then exhales enemies or objects, many games illustrate the ejected items as a star. This technique, the [[Star Bullet]], acts as Kirby's main method of defense when he does not have a better one available. Even in games that do not do this, the [[Drop Star]] often serves as a useful implement to attack with. Should Kirby inhale and then swallow, however, various explanations apply depending on the [[continuity]] at hand. In the games, this simply removes enemies from play, but a developer interview states that to avoid a gruesome topic in Kirby's world, inhaled living things appear a few moments later in another place.{{Fact}} In ''[[Kirby: Right Back At Ya!]]'', [[Kirby (anime character)|his]] stomach is shown to be a pocket dimension, which he can access the contents of if needed.{{Fact}} In the novels, [[Kirby (novel character)]] does not ingest enemies when using them for Copy Abilities, and they are exhaled when Kirby is done with the ability.{{Fact}}

===Communication===
*can't speak intelligibly; silent protagonist
**limited to monosyllables, grunts, etc.
**didn't some source say he purrs?
**contrast other entities like Meta Knight (please don't imply that he's related to Kirby)
**non-game media shows full sentences
*Kirby can understand language
**can write, though not well
**does attempt to speak
**questionable whether he can read (KF2 letter, KBR invitation, etc.)

==Personality==
*personality basics:
**gluttonous
**cheery
**oblivious/simple
**determined/persistent (mention how SqSq is just Kirby's demonstration of spite)
**heroic to a fault (Marx, Magolor; Nightmare Wizard also benefitted from Kirby's actions even if not directed to help him)
*hobbies
**fishing
**casual Warp Star drives
**singing <small>(badly)</small>
*quick learner (Copy Abilities and Robobot Armor kinda depend on the player's skill; compare/contrast the anime?)
*silent protagonist
**neutral character for the player to express their emotions through

==Gender==
*Almost universally referred to as male in the west
*East Asia presents him as more non-binary, acting in both male and female gender roles
I won't bother listing all the comparing and contrasting done in this area but that could probably stay

==Species==
*There are multiple similar entities (can we call this a species if Dark Matter didn't get the title of species? clearly there's a bunch of those too)

{{ref}}