Editing Acro

{{Infobox-Boss
|image=[[File:K64 Acro artwork.jpg|200px]]
|caption=Artwork of '''Acro''' from ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
|game1=''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' (1997)
|lastgame=''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]'' (2022, reference)
|game=<small>''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'' (concept)<br>''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (sticker)<br>''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'' ([[keychain]])</small>
|copy ability=[[Cutter]] ([[Fishbone]]s) and [[Bomb]] ([[Pedo]]s) (''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'' only)
|similar=[[Metal Acro]]<br>[[Sweet Stuff]]<br>[[Gobbler]]
|enemy info card=[[File:K64 Enemy Info Card 4.png]]
|theme music=
<tabs>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Land 3">
[[File:KDL3 Boss Battle.mp3]]
----
"[[Boss (theme from Kirby's Dream Land 3)|Boss]]"
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards">
[[File:K64 Boss theme.mp3]]
----
"[[Boss (theme from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards)|Boss]]"
</tab>
</tabs>
|description=Clips of the themes heard when fighting Acro.
}}
'''Acro''' (also referred to as '''Akro the Whale'''<ref>''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' instructional manual, page 34</ref>) is an [[Water (environment)|aquatic]] [[boss]] that has appeared in [[Ripple Field (Kirby's Dream Land 3)|Ripple Field]] from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' and [[Aqua Star]] from ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''. It is a killer whale, and its name is "orca" spelled backwards. Appropriately to its name, Acro's main attack strategy is by performing underwater ''acro''batics to body slam [[Kirby]], but it can also spit various objects and projectiles from its mouth, which can serve as Kirby's means of counterattack.

== Game appearances ==
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=3|Acro's video game appearances &nbsp;
|-
!Game
!Role
!Notes
|-
!colspan=3|''Kirby'' series
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''
|Concept
|A precursor to Acro can be found depicted in a hidden room in [[Red Canyon - Stage 5]].
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
|Boss
|Appears as the boss of [[Ripple Field (Kirby's Dream Land 3)|Ripple Field]], and in the [[Boss Endurance|Boss Butch]].
|-
|''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
|Boss
|Appears as the boss of [[Aqua Star]], and in the [[Boss Endurance|Boss Battles]].
|-
|''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
|Reference
|Appears as a randomly-obtained [[keychain]].
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''
|Reference
|Appears on a [[Character Treat]].
|-
!colspan=3|''Super Smash Bros.'' series
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
|Reference
|Appears as a sticker.
|}
===''Kirby's Dream Land 3''===
[[File:KDL3 Ripple Field Stage 7 screenshot 02.png|thumb|left|200px|A portion of the battle with Acro in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'']]
Acro is the boss of [[Ripple Field (Kirby's Dream Land 3)|Ripple Field]] in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''. The fight with Acro takes place in two phases, both in a deep underwater cavern. The first phase takes place in a dry area over a bridge. Here, Acro tries to ram Kirby, causing rocks to fall when it hits the wall. These rocks can be inhaled and spat back at Acro to do damage.

Once Acro has been reduced to half its [[health]], the bridge crumbles, and the fight transitions to an entirely underwater affair. Here, Acro will retreat from Kirby while spitting out various paraphernalia towards him. These can be either skulls, which travel in straight lines, anchors, which fall to and roll along the ground, or orca calves, which swim in a sine wave. Each of these can be deflected back using the [[Water Gun]]. Acro may also try to perform more slam attacks, causing rocks to tumble in from above, which can also be deflected.

Once Acro is defeated and the essence of [[Dark Matter]] purged from the realm, revisiting his stage will not reinitiate the fight, as Acro is now friendly. Instead, Acro can be battled again as the second opponent of [[Boss Endurance|Boss Butch]].

{{clear|left}}

===''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''===
[[File:K64 Aqua Star Stage 5 screenshot 01.png|200px|left|thumb|Kirby faces off against Acro at the end of [[Aqua Star]].]]
Acro is the third boss fought in ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', being faced at the end of [[Aqua Star]]. As with the previous game, Acro is fought in two distinct phases, though this time being entirely underwater. 

In the first, Kirby has to do battle with Acro in a large flooded cave, mirroring the second half of the fight in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''. Acro attacks by spitting various enemies as projectiles at Kirby, including [[Fishbone]]s, [[Gordo]]s, and [[Bonehead]]s while backing away from Kirby (the first and third of which can be inhaled and spat back to do damage). Once they reach the edge of the battlefield, Acro will use one of its acrobatic body slam or charging techniques, which Kirby can do little but dodge. When Acro hits the floor or a wall, rocks will be thrown out which Kirby can inhale and spit at the boss. From here, the cycle of attacks will repeat until Acro's first health meter is depleted, causing it to fall to the floor as the cave begins to crumble.

In the second phase, Kirby has to swim up a narrow vertical tunnel and avoid Acro's attacks from below while also dodging or utilizing the enemies along the way. Acro has two methods of attack here: it can either spit [[Pedo]]s at Kirby or charge him before looping back around in the background. Once Acro's second health meter is depleted, the battle is over.

Unlike in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', Acro can be refought as many times as the player wishes. Acro is also the third opponent in the Boss Battles mode. Acro also appears on an [[Enemy Info Card]], as Card #4.

{{clear}}

==Other appearances==
*Acro makes a cameo appearance as a randomly-obtained [[keychain]] in ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''.
*In ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', a mechanized version called [[Metal Acro]] appears as an invincible enemy and stage hazard in the sea.
*In ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]'', Acro appears on a [[Character Treat]], using its artwork from ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''.
*In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', Acro appears as a [[Smashwiki:List of stickers (Kirby series)|sticker]]. It grants +15 Magic Attack to Peach and Zelda.

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'', the left door at the end of Room 1 in [[Red Canyon - Stage 5]] leads to a dark room that requires [[Kine#Combinations|Spark Kine]] to illuminate. When this room becomes bright, an image of a killer whale with the caption '''ORCA''' will show up.
**In addition, Acro's early design in ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' can be found in the booklet from ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition|Kirby's Dream Collection]]'', suggesting that it was originally meant to be in this game.

==Gallery==
{{center|<gallery>
KDL2 Tank concept artwork.png|Concept art of Acro for ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''
KDL2 Orca Sign.png|The '''ORCA''' image in [[Red Canyon - Stage 5]] from ''Kirby's Dream Land 2''
KDL3 Acro artwork.jpg|Artwork from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
KDL3 B Acro.png|Sprite from ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''
KDL3 Mini Acro Sprite.png|Sprite of a miniature Acro, spat out in battle
KDL3 AcroCA.png|[[Ado]]'s depiction of Acro from the credits in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''
KDL3 Characters Concept Art.jpg|Concept art for ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''
K64 Aqua Star Stage 5 screenshot 06.png|The second phase of the Acro fight in ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
KDB Acro character treat.png|[[Character Treat]] from ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''
Twitter commemorative - Ice fishing.jpg|[[Kirby JP Twitter]] art of the [[Channel PPP Crew]] ice fishing, featuring Acro
Dedede Directory 43 - Acro.jpg|Dedede Directory about Acro
Kirby Pukkuri Clear Keychain Nagoya Gold Shachihoko 3.jpg|"Nagoya / Gold Shachihoko 3" keychain from the "Kirby's Dream Land: Pukkuri Keychain" merchandise line.
Kirby Pukkuri Clear Pen Nagoya Gold Shachihoko 3.jpg|"Nagoya / Gold Shachihoko 3" ballpoint pen from the "Kirby's Dream Land: Pukkuri Keychain" merchandise line.
</gallery>}}

==Names in other languages==
{{Names
|ja=アクロ
|jaR=Akuro
|jaM=Acro
|zh=鲸虎
|zhR=Jīng hǔ
|zhM=From「虎鲸」(''hǔjīng'', killer whale) spelled in backwards
|de=Acro
|deM=-
|it=Acro
|itM=-
|pt=Acro
|ptM=-
|es=Acro
|esM=-
|fr=Acro
|frM=-
|ko=아크로
|koR=Akeuro
|koM=Acro
|nl=Acro
|nlM=-
}}

{{ref}}
{{Navbox-KDL3}}
{{Navbox-K64}}
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby's Dream Land 3]]
[[Category:Bosses in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]