Editing Kirby's voice

[[File:SSB4 Kirby Says Hi.oga|thumb|right|Kirby's iconic elongated "Hi!" from ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'']]
Throughout the ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' series, '''Kirby's voice''' has undergone many changes and adjustments. In the early games in the series, [[Kirby]] was not properly voiced, only vocalizing using chirping noises when [[damage|getting hit]] or using the [[Mike]] ability. Early spin-off media occasionally gave him full voice acting. Kirby was first voiced in-game by [[Makiko Ohmoto]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' on the [[Nintendo 64]], and has been voiced by her ever since. Despite his vocalizations, Kirby is classified as a [[wikipedia:Silent protagonist|silent protagonist]], since he does not speak in audible full sentences or in text boxes to any other characters (barring ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'').

==Characteristics==
As portrayed by Ohmoto, Kirby's voice is high-pitched with inflections similar to that of a toddler first learning to speak. This reflects his youth and his often infantile nature, an idea that is exemplified in [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|the anime]]. As such, Kirby does not use very many words in his vocalizations, though it is implied that — much like [[mariowiki:Mario|Mario]] and [[zeldawiki:Link|Link]] — Kirby is indeed capable of complex speech, though the player is not privy to what Kirby says to other characters. All the player hears instead are Kirby's grunts, cheers, and inflections, peppered only with occasional words such as his signature elongated "Hi!" In the anime, Kirby is known for spouting the babble-word "poyo" repeatedly in place of speech which, unlike the games, is what other characters hear instead of actual speech. He also occasionally repeats words that he hears other characters say, which is more apparent in the Japanese version. When Kirby gains a [[Copy Ability]], he will also gain the ability to shout whichever words may be associated with the move he has copied, which is evident in both the anime and in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]] when he copies his opponents.

===Early history===
Prior to the series giving Kirby a consistent voice actress, Kirby was voiced in various spin-off media by a variety of voice artists. The earliest examples in any media are in VHS tapes distributed to stores in Japan for advertising specific games in-store, in particular 1993 promotional videos for ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' (for which Kirby appears throughout the tape and is fully voiced whenever on screen) and ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' (for which Kirby voices the entire tape and makes a voiced appearance at the end of the included TV commercial).<ref>Niconico uploads exist of the tapes for [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14280563 ''Kirby's Adventure''] and [https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm17659498 ''Kirby's Pinball Land'']. Kirby's voice actor in both tapes is uncredited, and does not resemble any later credited voice work for Kirby.</ref>

The earliest example of Kirby being given a proper voice in a work for public sale is an unofficial ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' drama CD released in 1994, with his voice provided by [[wikipedia:Taeko Kawata|Taeko Kawata]]. Another early work where Kirby is given a voice is the ''[[Mario Kirby Masterpiece Video]]'', an educational VHS from 1995, where he is voiced by [[wikipedia:Mayumi Tanaka|Mayumi Tanaka]]. From the beginning, Kirby's Japanese voice was consistently portrayed as childlike with immature speech patterns. Makiko Ohmoto's performance as Kirby starting in ''Super Smash Bros.'' follows the model of these examples, though with a more limited capacity for speech. Outside of Japan, however, Kirby was rarely given voice acting in this early period. At most, international promotional material opted for simple grunts and vocalizations, such as in the American commercials for ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]'', before adopting Ohmoto's voice worldwide.

==History of Kirby's voice==
Though iconic to his character, Kirby did not initially have a voice, nor was he properly voiced in every game after its introduction. The following table illustrates notable games (and other media) which Kirby was voiced in, including notes when appropriate discussing how his voice was changed or updated.
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Notable examples of Kirby's voice &nbsp;
|-
!Appearance
!Year(s)
!Audio clip
!Notes
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
| 1992
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KDL.mp3|thumb]]
| The only vocalization Kirby makes in his debut game is the iconic screech when he uses the [[Mike (item)|Mike]]. This screech is shared by [[King Dedede]] when he is defeated.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''
| 1996
| [[File:Kirby Super Star Screech Sample.oga|thumb]]
| Kirby is given a "voice" of sorts in this title, as every time he is hit, he makes a chirping sound. Additionally, the [[Mike]] ability uses — in addition to the iconic screech — a couple other vocal oddities, the last of which was done by ''Kirby'' series creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]] himself. A chirping sound would also be used for Kirby when he is hit in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'' and ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
| 1999
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - SSB64.mp3|thumb]]
| [[Makiko Ohmoto]] debuts as the voice of Kirby in this game. This performance set the initial standard for Kirby's voice, with its high pitch, elongated "Hi!" as a taunt, and shouting other moves where appropriate. 
|-
| ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
| 2000
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - K64.mp3|thumb]]
| While largely carrying over from ''Super Smash Bros.'', this marks Kirby's first voiced iteration in an actual ''Kirby'' game.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
| 2000
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KTNT.mp3|thumb]]
| Kirby is voiced via sampled 8-bit clips of Makiko Ohmoto's performance from ''Super Smash Bros.'', similarly to Pikachu in ''Pokémon Yellow''. Notably, when he collects a [[Red Star]], he shouts "Yatta!", which is a Japanese exclamation of joy. The [[Mike (item)|Mike]] sound effect is reused from previous 8-bit entries.
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
| 2001
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - SSBM.mp3|thumb]]
| Kirby's voice is redone in this game, becoming even more infantile and high-pitched.
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''
| 2001–2003
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KRBaY.mp3|thumb]]
| The anime series has Kirby speaking only in babble consisting mainly of the word "poyo". It follows a similar inflection to ''Melee'' Kirby, but is often exaggerated further.
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
| 2002
| [[File:KNiDL Mike 1.wav|thumb]]
| Though uncredited, Makiko Ohmoto voiced Kirby in this title, providing three Mike shouts (sound test numbers 60–62) and two damage sounds (sound test numbers 11 and 12). The damage cries are also reused in ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' (sound test numbers 7 and 8; Mike is not present). In an interview with ''Nintendo DREAM'' magazine, [[Masahiro Sakurai]] stated that he limited the amount of voice clips Kirby had in ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' because he felt that having a pixelated Kirby speaking clearly would be "unnatural", and because he felt that having Kirby speak too much would "typecast Kirby as a certain type of character"<ref name="shmup">{{cite|Did you know, there's actual real voice acting in Nightmare? We even went down to see Makiko Ohmoto to record her. [...] The clips we actually used in the game are few and far between, though. Kirby speaks when he takes damage, but otherwise the voicework is all kept to the subliminal level. As you can imagine, when pixelated sprite characters like Kirby start speaking clearly it feels really unnatural. That's not the only reason either. I also think that by having a voice, it will end up typecasting Kirby as a certain type of character. So for those reasons we only used his voice in five places... three for the Mike copy ability, and two instances for when he takes damage.|[[Masahiro Sakurai]]|[https://shmuplations.com/kirbynightmare/ ''Nintendo DREAM'' interview, translated by shmuplations.com]}}</ref>
|-
| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
| 2008
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - SSBB.mp3|thumb]]
| This game would see Kirby fully voiced again after a long period of titles without full voice-work for him. While largely the same as in ''Melee'', Kirby gains a number of new voice clips in this title.
|-
| ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]''
| 2010
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KEY.mp3|thumb]]
| This was the first ''Kirby'' game in nearly 10 years to have Kirby fully voiced, though he only uses a small number of shouts. These clips would carry over — and be expanded upon — in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', and start to shape the current standard of Kirby's inflection used in modern titles.
|-
| ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
| 2011
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KMas.mp3|thumb]]
| While otherwise a minor entry in the ''Kirby'' series, this is notably the only handheld title between ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble'' and ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' to feature a fully-voiced Kirby. These voice clips feature the same "poyo" speech as Kirby's depiction in the anime, with some clips appearing to have been reused directly from the show.
|-
| ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
| 2014
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KTD.mp3|thumb]]
| Kirby can be said to have gained his modern inflection style in this game, as his voice became noticeably clearer and human-like than in previous titles, while still retaining its high pitch and infantile nature. The developers noted that they added a variety of voice clips for Kirby getting damaged in various ways, such as getting burned or squashed, giving him more character than before.<ref>{{cite|Now, did you notice that Kirby's voice is a lot more varied in Kirby: Triple Deluxe? There's more to hear besides his usual happy “hi!” or his regular yells when he takes damage. For example, he yelps like he's been scorched when he comes into contact with flames, and when squashed flat he sounds suitably deflated.|[[Shinya Kumazaki]]|[[List of HAL Laboratory Miiverse posts - Kirby: Triple Deluxe|''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' Behind the Scenes]] on [[Miiverse]]}}</ref> These voice clips were reused, and expanded upon, in all later ''Kirby'' games up to ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''. A similar style of voice is also featured in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''.
|-
| ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
| 2022
| [[File:Kirby voice sample - KatFL.mp3|thumb]]
| Kirby's voice was completely redone for ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''; no previous clips were reused. Reflecting the 8 years that have passed since ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', Kirby's voice has become slightly deeper, and more voice clips feature a "guttural" quality that was not present before. This style of voice continues to be featured in recent titles, such as ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', which likewise features entirely new voice clips.<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2023/04/07/translation-of-the-kirbys-return-to-dream-land-deluxe-interview-from-the-may-2023-edition-of-nintendo-dream/ Translation of the Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe interview from the May 2023 edition of Nintendo Dream]</ref>
|}

===Chronological list of games where Kirby is fully voiced===
*''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
*''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
*''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
*''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' (uncredited)<ref name="shmup"/>
*''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' (uncredited)
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
*''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]''
*''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
*''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
*''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]''  (''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', [[New Challenge Stages]], and a few other places)
*''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''
*''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]''
*''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''
*''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''
*''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]''
*''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''
*''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''
*''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''
*''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
*''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]''
*''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''
*''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''
*''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
*''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''
*''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''

==Gallery==
<gallery>
KSS Mike 2.mp3|The second Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star'', voiced by an intern at HAL Laboratory.
KSS Mike 3.mp3|The third Mike voice from ''Kirby Super Star''; this is Masahiro Sakurai saying "Chesto!", a Japanese battle cry.
KNiDL Mike 2.wav|Kirby's second Mike scream from ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''.
KNiDL Mike 3.wav|Kirby's third Mike scream from ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''.
Kirby voice sample - SSBB unused.mp3|An unused Kirby voice clip from ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
KTD Kirby burned voice.mp3|Kirby's voice when he gets burned in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.
KTD Kirby squashed voice.mp3|Kirby's voice when he gets squashed in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''.
Cook Kirby Humming Kirby Dance.mp3|[[Cook]] Kirby's humming of the [[Kirby Dance]] tune in ''Kirby Star Allies''.
</gallery>

==Trivia==
*''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'' are the only games in the ''Kirby'' series where Kirby can be heard unambiguously shouting "poyo".
*Because of Kirby's ability to copy his opponents in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, Kirby always has more voice clips in these games than any other individual fighter, and often rivals the announcer for number of voice clips.
*Despite seeing release well after the debut of Makiko Ohmoto as Kirby's voice and being on a high-fidelity console, ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' is the only 3D game in the series which features a silent Kirby.
**Additionally, the last game that would feature a (mostly) silent Kirby would be ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.
*Mike Kirby's "chesto" bellow was originally voiced by Masahiro Sakurai in ''Kirby Super Star'', but since ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'' has been performed by [[Shinya Kumazaki]].<ref>{{cite|By the way, in recent titles, the bellow you hear when Kirby hits full volume using the Mike ability is voiced be{{sic}} me. Well, when I say "recent", I mean ever since Kirby Super Star Ultra, eight years ago. Time really flies, doesn't it? Ah...that takes me back!|[[Shinya Kumazaki]]|[[List of HAL Laboratory Miiverse posts - Kirby: Planet Robobot|''Kirby: Planet Robobot'' Behind the Scenes]] on [[Miiverse]]}}</ref>
{{ref}}
[[Category:Kirby]]