Editing Kirby

{{Featured}}{{Special icon|This was WiKirby's first article.}}{{Infobox-Character
|image=[[File:KRtDLD Kirby.png|250px]]
|caption=Artwork of '''Kirby''' from ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''
|game1=''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' (1992)
|lastgame=''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' (2023)
|game=[[#Game appearances|(click to navigate)]]
|voice=[[Makiko Ohmoto]]
|other wikis=[[smashwiki:Kirby|SmashWiki]]<br>[[mariowiki:Kirby|Super Mario Wiki]]
|theme music=[[File:KAR Green Greens Sample.oga]]
|theme title="[[Green Greens (theme)|Green Greens]]"
|description=Clip of "[[Green Greens (theme)|Green Greens]]" from ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''. This theme is implied to be Kirby's theme song.<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2022/04/27/shinya-kumazaki-interview-from-the-kirby-25th-anniversary-orchestra-concert-pamphlet/ Shinya Kumazaki interview from the Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert pamphlet: "I have ordered the melody of “Green Greens” to be included at the right timing, because I want to establish it as the Kirby song to be associated with him."]</ref>
}}
{{title font|#FFC6EB|#E55292}}
{{About|the protagonist of the Kirby franchise|other uses of Kirby|[[Kirby (disambiguation)]]}}
{{quote|Hiii!|'''Kirby'''}}
<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|}}}|lead|
'''Kirby''' is the main character and namesake of the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]]. He is a small pink creature who resides on and protects all of [[Popstar|Planet Popstar]], though his true origin is unknown. Despite his simplistic appearance, Kirby is easily recognizable by his ball-like stature, his large glossy eyes, and his cheerful demeanor. He is often seen riding a [[Warp Star]], but can otherwise fly by [[Hover|taking in air and puffing up like a balloon]]. While Kirby has many ways to combat his foes, the most well-known by far is his ability to open his mouth wide to [[Inhale|suck up]] his opponents and then swallow them whole. Doing this allows Kirby to [[Copy Ability|copy the attributes]] of whatever he just ate, expanding his powers in ways that are difficult to predict. Using these abilities is often crucial for Kirby to overcome the greater challenges he faces on his adventures. Kirby is classified as a silent protagonist; that is, he does not speak audibly or in text to the player in most instances, but characters in-game are implied to understand him. However, certain supplementary material, especially earlier in the series' history, has shown Kirby with the ability to speak normally, often in separate [[Continuity|continuities]] from the games. Despite this, he is very [[Kirby's voice|vocal]], using lots of grunts, shouts, and monosyllables — most famously, his cheery elongated "Hi!"

Since 1992, Kirby has starred in over 30 video games (thirteen of which can be considered part of the core series, not counting remakes), has appeared to some capacity in several other [[Nintendo]] games and products, has had an [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|anime series]], several manga series, a [[Kirby (novel series)|novel series]], and has a great deal of [[Merchandise|merchandise]] in the form of figurines, plush dolls, clothing, and the like. Kirby and his series were created by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] under [[HAL Laboratory]], with the latter of which retaining the rights to the ''Kirby'' series and characters despite Sakurai's departure from the [[HAL Laboratory]] team in the mid-2000s. To this day, Kirby remains one of Nintendo's most famous and recognizable mascots, with ''Kirby'' games garnering millions of sales worldwide, thanks in part to his reoccurring role as a fighter in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series.

Kirby has been consistently voiced by [[Makiko Ohmoto]] since 1999, when he appeared in the first ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' game on the [[Nintendo 64]]. Ohmoto also voiced his [[Kirby (anime character)|anime counterpart]] in all versions of the series, with the exception of some lines that were dubbed over by [[wikipedia:Amy Birnbaum|Amy Birnbaum]] for the English version. Prior to Ohmoto's debut, the role was [[Kirby's voice#Early history|passed between various actors and actresses]] for one-off appearances.
}}</onlyinclude>{{:{{ROOTPAGENAME}}|transcludesection=lead}}

==Creation and name origin==
[[File:Twinkle Popo Weekly Famitsu 0155 ad scan.jpg|thumb|right|230px|An early magazine scan advertising ''Kirby's Dream Land'', or as it was originally known, ''Twinkle Popo''. The large pink text says, 「覚えやすい名前でしょ。ぼく，ポポポ。」 ("It's an easy name to remember. I'm Popopo.")]]
[[Masahiro Sakurai]] conceptualized his first game project to be simple so that beginner players could easily clear it, and as a result included the ability to use enemies as weapons, as well as avoid obstacles by flying over them. Originally, the player character would grab enemies with a long tongue, but this was changed to be inhaling and then swallowing or spitting them instead.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBRt2D2YN44 Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games - Kirby's Dream Land]</ref> During the early development of what became ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', the developers at [[HAL Laboratory]] created a placeholder sprite intended to convey these ideas for a presentation. This placeholder sprite, a round little blob with a smiling face, became popular among the staff and, with a few tweaks, eventually became the final design. Notably, Sakurai's drawings of the character did not have blush marks, with these being added later by a different artist.<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0003/miryoku/page03.html Nintendo Online Magazine - Interview with Masahiro Sakurai ca. 2000]</ref>

The character originally went by the name Popopo (ポポポ). HAL Laboratory eventually changed the name because they wanted it to appeal to kids outside of Japan, and polled Nintendo of America for suggestions. Among the candidates were "[[Gaspar]]" and "Kirby".<ref name="kirbysadventure">[http://shmuplations.com/kirbysadventure/ ''Kirby's Adventure'' developer interview]</ref> In an interview with [[nwiki:Shigeru Miyamoto|Shigeru Miyamoto]] at [[wikipedia:Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011|E3 2011]] by Game Informer, Miyamoto confirmed rumors that the name Kirby was chosen partially to honor [[wikipedia:John Kirby (attorney)|John Kirby]], the attorney who defended Nintendo in the case [[wikipedia:Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.|Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.]] Miyamoto, however, explained that the name was also chosen because of the Japanese trend to give cute characters "very soft names with soft sounds in them". Miyamoto thought that the name Kirby had "harsh sounds" to it, and that "the juxtaposition of this cute character with this harsh-sounding name was very funny".<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/06/17/miyamoto-wii-amp-wii-u-are-colored-white-for-all-ages-appeal.aspx?PostPageIndex=3 Miyamoto Talks Wii, Zelda And Nintendo's Past - Game Informer]</ref>

It is commonly thought that Miyamoto wanted Kirby to be yellow, and Sakurai decided to make him pink late in ''Kirby's Dream Land''{{'}}s development, hence why he appears as white on the game's international box art. This is incorrect, as it can be clearly seen that Kirby was pink in concept art for the game, even before his name was finalized. Miyamoto explained that he thought Kirby would have been yellow based on the monochrome sprite, and was instead pleasantly surprised to see him as pink in the color art.<ref name="kirbysadventure"/> Presumably in reference to this misinterpretation, later games often use a yellow Kirby as the second player, starting with [[Keeby]] in ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''. Meanwhile, it is unclear why Kirby was initially depicted as white on the international box art; [[Satoru Iwata]] believed it was a deliberate change to make him more marketable,<ref>{{cite person|quote=In addition, some people in the Western market said a pink soft character floating in air would never be accepted. So in the West, they changed Kirby's colour on the box from pink to white.|name=Satoru Iwata|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a86nyE9Ha0U|title=GDC 2011 keynote}}</ref> while Masahiro Sakurai believes it came from a simple mistake due to overseas staff misinterpreting the colorless sprites of the Game Boy.<ref>{{cite person|quote=海外のカービィが白だったのは、ゲームボーイのROMが白黒だけだったため、海外の人が勘違いしたから。|name=Masahiro Sakurai|url=https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/43007166520627200|title=Twitter}}.</ref> The ''[[20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia]]'' sides with Sakurai's explanation.<ref>{{cite book|quote='''海外ではカービィは白かった！'''<br>
''{{furi|同|おな}}じく{{furi|海外|かいがい}}の{{furi|話|はなし}}だが、{{furi|初代|しょだい}}『{{furi|星|ほし}}のカービィ』のアートワークは、{{furi|現在|げんざい}}のピンク{{furi|色|いろ}}のカービィではなく、{{furi|白色|しろいろ}}で{{furi|発売|はつばい}}されている。{{furi|海外|かいがい}}のスタッフが、ゲームボーイの{{furi|白黒|しろくろ}}{{furi|画面|がめん}}を{{furi|見|み}}て、{{furi|勘違|かんちが}}いをしたからだという。''<br>'''''Kirby Was White Overseas!'''''<br>''On another international topic, the artwork for the original Kirby's Dream Land did not feature the modern pink Kirby; it released with a white Kirby instead. It is said that there was a misunderstanding with the overseas staff due to the black-and-white screen of the Game Boy.|book=20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia|publisher=Shogakukan|page=59}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Characteristics==
[[File:K64 Kirbys Quest scene 3.png|thumb|250px|Despite Kirby's short, stubby, and innocent-looking appearance, he is always willing to help others in need, and his powers are rather surprising.]]
{{main|Kirby's characteristics}}
Despite being among the simplest-looking of Nintendo's cast of video game mascots, Kirby has a surprisingly large amount of detail to his character, concerning both the particulars of his anatomy as well as his personality and backstory (so much so that a [[Kirby's characteristics|separate page]] exists to document them more completely). Despite this, Kirby is typically presented - both in appearance and personality - as simple, fun, and straightforward, though with a few surprises here and there. His round pink body stands at no more than eight inches (20 cm) in height,<ref>{{Cite|The 8-inch high Kirby hails from a distant, peaceful star.||Kirby's in-game description in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''}}</ref> and in his normal state, his movement speed is only modest, particularly when he takes in air to [[hover]] above the ground or tries to [[swim]] in [[Water (environment)|water]]. Where Kirby stands out is in his signature inhale ability, which he has made use of ever since his debut in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', allowing him to swallow lesser [[Enemy|enemies]] whole and return the projectiles of [[Mid-Boss|tougher]] [[Boss|foes]] back at them. 

Kirby's inhale would be further expanded upon in ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' and subsequent titles, when the [[Copy Ability]] mechanic was introduced; allowing Kirby to gain special powers by swallowing the appropriate things, such as gaining [[Fire]] powers by swallowing a fiery foe like [[Hot Head]]. Using these abilities, Kirby is able to greatly expand his combat and/or movement capabilities, whether that be fending off strong opponents using the [[Sword]] ability, racing rapidly along the ground using [[Wheel]], or taking to the skies using [[Wing]] or [[Jet]]. Many subsequent games allow further mixing of Kirby's abilities, whether that be directly via [[Power Combo]]s or when partnered with friends or other objects. Some games even allow Kirby to [[Evolved Copy Ability|evolve]] his abilities over time to make them stronger. In addition, Kirby is in possession of other [[List of mysteries|more mysterious powers]] which even he is not fully aware of, and which often [[Last Battle Ability|come into play]] when he battles the most dangerous threats to his world.

In terms of his character, Kirby can be described as a naïve, cheery, and childlike alien creature who made [[Kirby's House|his home]] in [[Dream Land]] after arriving from outer space, with his true origin being unknown. Kirby generally has a carefree attitude and enjoys simple pleasures such as eating, playing with his friends, and sleeping. More particular hobbies of his include fishing, singing (despite [[Mike|how bad he is at it]]), and riding his [[Warp Star]]. Kirby is typically called to adventure when some calamity befalls his home-world of [[Popstar]], or if someone else calls for his aid. Often times, these adventures take him to far-flung locations on his home-world, to distant alien planets, or even to [[Another Dimension|alternate dimensions]]. Despite whatever challenges or setbacks Kirby may face while adventuring, he never fails to maintain an overall positive attitude, and this attitude often is instrumental in turning former foes into friends.

In the main video game series, Kirby is typically portrayed as the only one of his kind. However, there are many instances, particularly in spin-off titles, where Kirby is joined by clones of himself, which often come in their own [[Color|body colors]]. Additionally, spin-off games tend to use Kirby's shape more literally, placing him in situations where he acts like a ball such as [[Kirby's Pinball Land|pinball]], [[Kirby's Dream Course|miniature golf]], [[Kirby's Block Ball|breakout]], or more generalized racing/platforming situations. Additionally, extra material such as the [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|anime]], [[Kirby (novel series)|novel series]], or manga series often have their own takes on Kirby, his character, and his abilities, and are generally considered different continuities to the main video game series.

==Moveset==
Kirby has had many adventures, which has given him the opportunity to learn and utilize many different [[:Category:Moves|moves]]. The following table lists every move that Kirby has had in the main series, starting with the most common ones down to the rarest (moves performed with Copy Abilities will not be listed here):

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible sticky-2 mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Kirby's moveset (main series) &nbsp;
|-
!Skill
!Description
!Notes
|-
| '''Walk'''
| Kirby moves at a modest pace in a given direction.
| 
|-
| '''[[Jump]]'''
| Kirby jumps from the ground, which can vary in height depending on how long the player holds the button down. Kirby can also maneuver in midair while jumping.
| 
|-
| '''[[Hover]]'''
| While in the air, Kirby takes in air, and holds his breath, allowing him to fly by flapping his arms. This method of flight is slow and leaves Kirby vulnerable, but it gets the job done.
| In some instances, Kirby cannot do this indefinitely and will have to come back down after a while. Some [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]] will also replace Kirby's method of flight.
|-
| '''[[Air Bullet]]'''
| While hovering, Kirby can release his taken-in air to come back down, which will fly forward a short distance and damage enemies.
| 
|-
| '''[[Crouch]]'''
| Kirby crouches, taking up less space on the ground, allowing him to dodge some attacks from enemies. Doing this is also necessary to drop through [[thin floor]]s and press some [[Switch]]es.
| In ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', crouching is combined with guarding.
|-
| '''[[Inhale]]'''
| Kirby opens his mouth wide and starts sucking in air at a continuous rate. Nearby enemies and objects will fly into his mouth.
| In almost all cases, Kirby cannot inhale when he has a Copy Ability.
|-
| '''[[Star Bullet]]'''
| After inhaling something, Kirby can spit it back out as a Star Bullet, which will fly forward at very high speed and damage any enemy it hits. Multiple objects inhaled will be spat out as a [[Star Bullet|Blaster Bullet]], which is even stronger, and passes through enemies, allowing it to damage multiple before it shatters after hitting a wall of some sort.
| 
|-
| '''Swallow'''
| After inhaling something, Kirby can swallow the object, removing it from the game. Depending on the object, Kirby may gain a [[Copy Ability]].
| In ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'', swallowing a [[Bubble (container)|bubbled object]] will store it in the [[Copy Palette]].
|-
| '''[[Swim]]'''
| While underwater, Kirby can swim in any direction, and will not need to come up for air, though he cannot inhale in most games. In ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', Kirby can only swim on the surface of water, but can use his inhale while swimming.
| In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', Kirby cannot properly swim and merely "jumps" through water; ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' introduced proper swimming in four directions, and ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' introduced swimming in eight directions. In 2D titles starting with ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', pressing the jump button while Kirby is swimming will cause him to do a stroke and swim faster.
|-
| '''[[Dive Attack]]'''
| After falling for long enough, Kirby dives headlong and can damage enemies he falls onto.
| This move's effectiveness varies between titles.
|-
| '''[[Dash]]'''
| Kirby runs along the ground at a decent speed, allowing him to pass over small gaps his size.
| Some Copy Abilities will change the way Kirby's dash functions.
|-
| '''[[Slide]]'''
| While crouching, Kirby can slide forward along the ground with his feet out front, doing damage to foes in his path.
| Whether Kirby passes under foes or bounces off them depends on the game.
|-
| '''Drop Ability'''
| If Kirby has a Copy Ability, he can discard it, causing a [[Ability Star|large bouncing star]] to pop out of him. This star can be inhaled to regain the ability or spat as a Star Bullet.
| This cannot be done in all cases - usually involving certain [[boss]] fights.
|-
| '''[[Water Gun]]'''
| While underwater, Kirby can shoot out either a short-range spray or a bubble of water from his mouth, which will damage enemies. In most games, the water gun only works in four directions, but in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', it works in eight.
| This move has many different iterations throughout the series. Some Copy Abilities also prevent or enhance its use.
|-
| '''[[Guard]]'''
| Kirby raises his defense. He cannot move while in this pose, but damage will be reduced or completely prevented from most attacks while in it.
| Some Copy Abilities can enhance Kirby's guard. In ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', guarding is combined with crouching.
|-
| '''[[Headbutt]]'''
| In some titles, Kirby can damage enemies by jumping up into them. This move is risky and will hurt Kirby if he makes contact too late.
| 
|-
| '''[[Dodge]]'''
| Starting in ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'', while guarding, Kirby can perform a dodging maneuver to the left, right, or in place, completely avoiding a hit if timed correctly, but is briefly vulnerable at the end of the maneuver. This can also be done in the air.
| Some Copy Abilities may restrict Kirby's dodge. In ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', Kirby's dodge works a bit differently, and is called an '''Emergency Dodge''' in Japanese.
|-
| '''[[Face-to-Face]]'''
| After eating some [[food]], Kirby can approach an ally to share the food with them, healing the ally. Allies can also do this for Kirby.
| 
|-
| '''Carry'''
| Starting in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', Kirby can carry certain items such as [[Key]]s and [[Crackler]]s above his head. In this state, he can dash, slide, and jump, but cannot hover or guard/dodge. A carried item can be set down or thrown a short distance.
|
|-
| '''[[Inhale|Super Inhale]]'''
| In some titles, if Kirby inhales long enough, or given a special input from the player, Kirby will perform a super inhale, which is more powerful, reaches further, and can inhale or budge objects the normal one cannot. This inhale is also better for swallowing multiple things at once.
| 
|-
| '''Call [[Helper]]'''
| If Kirby has a [[Copy Ability]], he can expend it to create a friend who has the same moves, which can then be controlled by another player or the CPU. This move exists only in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' and ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.
| If Kirby already has a Helper when he does this, he will discard his ability, and drop it as an item on the ground, which can be inhaled. If the Helper touches the item, it will transform into whatever helper that item corresponds to.
|-
| '''[[Normal Beam]]'''
| If Kirby has a helper at his side, he can use this move to revert the helper to an item form, which can then be inhaled for the ability or spat out as a Star Bullet. This move exists only in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'', ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'', and ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''.
| In ''Kirby Star Allies'', this action is called '''Unfriend'''.
|-
| '''Mount/Dismount [[Animal Friend]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', Kirby can mount one of his animal companions to utilize their special abilities. Kirby can dismount them in the same way to continue by himself.
| 
|-
| '''[[Piggyback]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', Kirby can hop onto the back of one of his friends and ride them around. When hopping onto a CPU friend, Kirby can control them directly.
|
|-
| '''[[Emote]]'''
| In every game since ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', Kirby can perform certain vocalizations and/or actions when the player inputs a direction on either the Control Pad or right control stick, similar to how [[smashwiki:Taunt|taunting]] works in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games. Which emotes can be performed depends on the game.
|
|-
| '''Call [[Gooey]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', Kirby can call Gooey out from inside him to help. Like the Helpers, Gooey can be controlled by another player or the CPU. To remove Gooey from the field, Kirby can inhale and swallow him.
| While Gooey is out, Kirby has less [[health]].
|-
| '''Hold/Toss'''
| In ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', Kirby can hold things he's inhaled above his head, which can have varying effects depending on the thing he had inhaled. Certain enemies when held like this will convey some sort of advantage. A held item can be tossed either forward or straight up to act as a projectile. Enemies bearing Copy Abilities can be combined into [[Power Combo]] stars by doing this.
| This is separate from the "Carry" action.
|-
| '''[[Cell Phone]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'', Kirby can pull out his phone and use it to do one of two things. He can either call his clones to join him or call a [[Warp Star]] to take him back to the [[Rainbow Route - Central Circle]].
| Calling the clones requires phone battery power.
|-
| '''[[Make Friend]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', Kirby can toss [[Friend Heart]]s at enemies on the field which yield [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]] to make them his allies. Kirby can keep up to three allies at any one time.
|
|-
| '''[[Mouthful Mode]]'''
| In ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', Kirby can inhale certain objects that are much larger than him, taking on their shape and function. This ability functions separately from [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]].
|
|}

== Variants ==
Due to Kirby's ubiquity as a character, there are several other entities that resemble him, as well as alternate versions of Kirby himself. The following lists all of the different versions of Kirby along with other characters or entities that resemble him throughout the ''Kirby'' video game series:
*'''[[Batamon]]''': In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', there are pink creatures that look superficially similar to Kirby, but are ambivalent enemies similar to Waddle Dee. Their name derives from バッタもん (''battamon''), a Japanese term for grey market or knock-off products.
*'''[[Kirby (species)|Clones of Kirby]]''': Throughout the series, and particularly in multiplayer titles, clones of Kirby appear which share his look and abilities, though they are often a different color. Kirby clones make their most prominent appearances in ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' and ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''.
*'''[[Keeby]]''': A yellow lookalike of Kirby who appears in ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'' as the second player in the 2P Game. Keeby has all of the same abilities as Kirby, and the two do not seem to like each-other much.
*'''[[Kirby Ball]]''': In many games, Kirby takes on an even more spherical shape than usual, ditching his limbs in the process. This is distinct from the [[Ball]] [[Copy Ability]].
*'''[[Meta Knight]]''': When this mysterious swordsman is without his mask, he greatly resembles Kirby. To this day, it is not clear if he and Kirby are the same sort of creature or not.
*'''[[Prince Fluff]]''': This blue yarn boy from [[Patch Land]] has a similar physique to Kirby, and has the same abilities in ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', though taking a backseat during [[Metamortex]] transformations.
*'''[[Remocoroid]]''': In ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', a round pink robot resembling Kirby can be controlled with a remote which resembles a [[Game Boy]]. It shares Kirby's ability to run, jump, and use the [[Slide]] attack.
*'''[[Shadow Kirby]]''': A dark and naughty version of Kirby who hails from the [[Mirror World]]. He is not as bold as Kirby and his methods are questionable, but he is not evil at heart.
*'''[[Void Termina]]''': The final form of this essence of chaos from ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' greatly resembles Kirby at times, bearing a similar round shape and face.
*'''[[Waddle Dee]]''': Kirby and the Waddle Dees share the same basic body structure, though their similarities largely end there.
{{clear}}

==Game appearances==
Kirby is the hero and main playable character in every game in his series, with the exception of ''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]'', where [[King Dedede]] steps into the spotlight. Kirby has also appeared in every ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' game as a fighter, and never needs to be unlocked. The following lists Kirby's role in each game in his series, as well as those of ''Super Smash Bros.'' games where applicable. For more information about the plot of each individual game as a whole, see the respective articles for each game.

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=3|Kirby's video game appearances &nbsp;
|-
!Game
!Role
!Notes
|-
!colspan=3|''Kirby'' series
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]''
|Protagonist (serves as the ball)
|The player controls the flippers.
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|This was the first game where Kirby was not the only playable character.
|-
|''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''
|Protagonist (appears in a portrait and in cutscenes)
|This is the only game in the series where Kirby has a full speaking role (though only in text boxes).
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]''
|Protagonist (serves as the ball)
|The player controls the paddles.
|-
|''[[Kirby's Toy Box]]''
|Protagonist (roles vary by game)
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Super Star]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)]]''
|Protagonist (appears in a portrait and in cutscenes)
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)]]''
|Protagonist (appears in a portrait and in cutscenes)
|
|-
|''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''
|Main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition|Kirby's Dream Collection]]''
|Protagonist and main (or sole) playable character in each game featured
|
|-
|''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]''
|Main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]''
|Cameo
|This is the only game in the ''Kirby'' series where Kirby is not the main character. Also, it is the only game in the series to not have the word ''Kirby'' in the title.
|-
|''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
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|''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
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|''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
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|''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''
|Protagonist and sole playable character
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|''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
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|''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
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|''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
|-
|''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|
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|''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''
|Sole playable character
|
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|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''
|Protagonist and main playable character
|Reprises his role from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''.
|-
!colspan=3|''Super Smash Bros.'' series
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''
|Playable character
|
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
|Playable character
|
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|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
|Playable character
|Kirby also has a role in the story mode.
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|''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''
|Playable character
|
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|''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|Playable character
|Kirby also has a role in the story mode.
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!colspan=3|Other appearances
|-
|''Arcana''
|Cameo
|Kirby makes a cameo appearance in the intro cutscene, where two of him can be seen amidst a crowd.
|-
|''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]''
|Reference
|Enemies referred to as "Anti-Kirby" appear in this game, and look and act very similarly to Kirby.
|-
|''[[mariowiki:Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga|Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''
|Reference
|A poster appears in this game which bears Kirby's likeness.
|-
|''[[mariowiki:Super Mario Maker|Super Mario Maker]]''
|Reference
|Mario can use a special item to take on Kirby's 8-bit appearance in courses, which also adds sound effects from ''Kirby's Adventure''.
|-
|''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart 8|Mario Kart 8]]'' / ''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe|Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''
|Reference
|A Kirby-themed costume can be worn by a Mii driver when Kirby's [[amiibo]] is scanned.
|-
|''[[mariowiki:Yoshi's Woolly World|Yoshi's Woolly World]]'' / ''[[mariowiki:Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World|Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World]]''
|Reference
|Yoshi can take on an appearance based on that of Kirby if the latter's amiibo is used.
|-
|''[[nwiki:Bye-Bye BoxBoy!|BYE-BYE BOXBOY!]]''
|Reference
|Qbby can take on Kirby's appearance if the player uses Kirby's [[amiibo]].
|-
|''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch)|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]'' on [[Nintendo Switch]]
|Reference
|Anti-Kirby reprises his role in this remake.
|-
|''Tetris 99''
|Reference
|Themes based on ''Super Kirby Clash'', ''Kirby Fighters 2'', ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', ''Kirby's Dream Buffet'', and ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' were released in limited-time events, changing the game's visuals and music to be themed around the game in question.
|-
|''[[nwiki:Part Time UFO|Part-Time UFO]]''
|Reference
|One of the levels features a Kirby plush doll.
|}

===''Kirby's Dream Land''===
[[File:KDL Green Greens screenshot.png|thumb|Kirby in ''Kirby's Dream Land''.]]
Kirby makes his debut appearance in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', where he clashes with his rival [[King Dedede]] for the first time in the series. The game depicts him as a young and agile boy who eagerly helps out his fellow Dream Landers in their crisis with King Dedede.<ref>{{Cite manual|quote=Suddenly a spry little boy named Kirby happened along and said, "Don't worry, I'll get your food and your Sparkling Stars back!".|game=Kirby's Dream Land|page=4}}</ref> The mischievous King has not only stolen all the [[food]] in [[Dream Land]], but also abducted the land's [[Sparkling Star]]s. Without further hesitation, Kirby sets out to travel through the five areas of Dream Land, reclaim the Sparkling Stars from each of King Dedede's goons, defeat King Dedede, and give Dream Land its food and its Sparkling Stars back.

The international box art of ''Kirby's Dream Land'' depicts Kirby with white skin, like he appears in-game, as opposed to his trademark pink color (see [[#Creation and name origin|above]]). The game is also the first to mention Kirby's lack of singing talent, though it is not as exaggerated as in later titles. In this game, the enemies explode from laughter at Kirby's singing off-key, as opposed to actually getting physically harmed from his songs.<ref>{{Cite|I'm not a very good singer and I sometimes sing off key, but King Dedede's bullies can't stand to hear me sing and will just explode with laughter when I puff out the microphone.|Kirby|''Kirby's Dream Land''}}</ref>
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===''Kirby's Adventure'' / ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''===
{{ImCap
|image=File:KA Kirby Flying artwork.png
|size=122px
|align=right
|caption=Artwork of Kirby from ''Kirby's Adventure''
|captionalign=center
}}
In ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' and its remake, ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'', Dream Land's denizens are robbed of peaceful sleep, and Kirby once again attempts to come to the rescue. He finds out that King Dedede has stolen the [[Star Rod]], which powers the citizens of Dream Land's good night's sleep. He splits it into seven pieces, giving a part to each of his friends who act as [[boss]]es and keeping one for himself. Kirby fights and defeats each of them, in turn, to reassemble the Star Rod and restore it to its rightful place atop the [[Fountain of Dreams]]. Kirby heads to the fountain with the rod in his hands, but King Dedede - after being defeated - drags at Kirby's heels, begging him not to restore the Star Rod. Kirby knocks him away and places the rod atop the fountain, which causes [[Nightmare]] to emerge from it. At this, Dedede swallows Kirby up and spits him out like a cannon to chase after the fleeing Nightmare and defeat him. Kirby defeats Nightmare using the Star Rod and returns it to its rightful place atop the fountain, restoring the good dreams it delivers to Dream Land.

''Kirby's Adventure'' is notable for being the first game to feature [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]], a crucial aspect of Kirby's character that would be retained for the remainder of the series. This game also introduced Kirby's ability to [[Slide]], use the [[Water Gun]], and [[Dash]].

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===''Kirby's Pinball Land''===
In ''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]'', Kirby takes the role of the [[Kirby Ball|ball]] in a pinball game with a ''Kirby'' spin. With the help of the player's paddles, he travels through three Pinball Lands, beating [[Whispy Woods|Wispy-Woods]], [[Kracko]], and [[Poppy Bros. Sr.|the Poppy Brothers]] along the way, which eventually leads him to King Dedede.

<gallery>
KPL Parasol Kirby artwork.png|Artwork from ''Kirby's Pinball Land'' showing a stage prop Kirby holding the ball Kirby with a [[Parasol]]
</gallery>

===''Kirby's Dream Course''===
[[File:KDC Course 1 Hole 5 screenshot 02.png|thumb|123px|right|Kirby playing a hole in ''Kirby's Dream Course''.]]
Kirby appears as a ball again in the golf-like world of ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'', which is the first and so far only isometric game he has appeared in. In this game, Kirby sets out across eight courses in order to punish [[King Dedede]] for once again stealing Dream Land's stars. He can use Copy Abilities to aid in defeating enemies and traversing the course hazards so he can get inside the cup at the end of each hole. 

This game was also the first to introduce different-color Kirbys, with a yellow Kirby (named [[Keeby]]) controllable by a second player in the 2P Game courses.

===''Kirby's Avalanche''===
{{quote|Kirby, our hero from Dream Land, is represented by the player.|''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'' manual}}
In ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'', based on a popular Japanese puzzle game, ''Puyo Puyo'', Kirby is shown to talk in full sentences. However, Kirby's personality is different from his usual games, since he is depicted as cocky, much like Arle from the main ''Puyo Puyo'' series. After defeating various enemies, including the penultimate [[Meta Knight]], Kirby fights [[King Dedede]] at the end to become the Avalanche champion.

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===''Kirby's Dream Land 2''===
{{ImCap
|image=File:KDL2 Rick and Kirby artwork.png
|size=122px
|align=right
|caption=Kirby riding on [[Rick]]
|captionalign=center
}}
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'', Kirby sets out with his three [[Animal Friend]]s to help the [[Rainbow Islands]], which have had their rainbow bridges disrupted by an unknown force. On each island, Kirby encounters a different foe who under normal circumstances would not be hostile to the pink hero, but all of whom have been influenced by some evil presence. On the last island, Kirby battles King Dedede, who appears to be fighting in his sleep. 

Along the way, a [[Rainbow Drop]] can be found on each island. Unless Kirby collected all seven of them, he will be forced to return home in the [[bad ending]], having not accomplished his mission. However, collecting every drop before the battle with Dedede reveals that an entity known as [[Dark Matter]] was lurking inside the sleeping king. This force flees into the sky upon Dedede's defeat, and the Rainbow Drops combine into the [[Rainbow Sword]], which Kirby can use to make chase. High in the sky, Kirby does battle with Dark Matter and defeats both of its forms. This done, Kirby uses the sword to soar along the sky and repair the rainbow bridges.

In this game, Kirby is introduced to the Animal Friends, who are [[Rick]] the hamster, [[Coo]] the owl, and [[Kine]] the sunfish. They can use Kirby's Copy Abilities in new and unique ways. Kirby can use them if he frees them from a [[Protective Bag|bag]].

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===''Kirby's Block Ball''===
Kirby yet again serves as the ball in the ''Breakout''-based game, ''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]''. However, the player can set Kirby to be in ball form or his full-sized normal form, the latter of which being referred to as a Power Bounce.<ref>''Kirby's Block Ball'' Instruction Booklet (NA print), page 5</ref> As in many spin-off games with a ''Kirby'' twist, Kirby can use Copy Abilities to help him break blocks and defeat enemies, though he only has access to four here; the lowest number in any game that features copy abilities. In the story of the game, Kirby once again has to punish King Dedede for stealing Dream Land's [[Sparkling Star]]s and doing away with its magical fountain, though King Dedede is only accessible in [[Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 11|Stage 11]] if the prior ten stages are cleared with a high enough score.

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===''Kirby's Toy Box''===
Kirby stars in a number of mini-games in the Satellaview-exclusive ''[[Kirby's Toy Box]]'', which saw release only in Japan. These games amount to little more than Sub-Games from other more substantial titles.

===''Kirby Super Star'' / ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''===
[[File:KSS Beam.png|thumb|147px|right|Kirby with the newly introduced costumes; this one is the [[Beam]] ability.]]
''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' features six distinct games, each acting as a small story involving Kirby and his cohorts.
*In [[Spring Breeze]], Kirby sets out to defeat King Dedede who has stolen all of Dream Land's food and [[Sparkling Star]]s in an abridged re-telling of the original ''Kirby's Dream Land''.
*In [[Dyna Blade (main game)|Dyna Blade]], Kirby sets out to deal with a [[Dyna Blade|gigantic metal bird]] who is disrupting Dream Land's crops. After defeating this bird, Kirby finds out that she was only trying to provide for her chicks, and Kirby helps find a different less intrusive source of food for them, along with teaching them how to fly.
*In [[Gourmet Race]], Kirby and King Dedede have a footrace across three courses, gobbling up as much food as they can along the way.
*In [[The Great Cave Offensive]], Kirby stumbles into a massive underground area and has to find his way back out, collecting a myriad of [[treasure]]s along the way.
*In [[Revenge of Meta Knight]], Meta Knight and his crew set out to take over Dream Land using their flying fortress, the [[Halberd]]. Kirby flies in to stop them and ends up destroying the Halberd in the process.
*In [[Milky Way Wishes]], [[Popstar|Planet Popstar]]'s day/night cycle is disrupted when the sun and moon start fighting each-other. A small jester named [[Marx]] tells Kirby that he has to go and collect stars from seven planets and summon the great [[Galactic Nova]] in order to wish the sun and moon to stop fighting. Kirby traverses the galaxy and does this, but upon summoning the great clockwork nova, Marx intervenes and steals Kirby's wish, wishing instead for power for himself so he can take over Popstar. Using the power of the stars he collected, Kirby forms the [[Starship]] and uses it to disable Galactic Nova before it can grant Marx's wish, and then defeats Marx, destroying the Galactic Nova in the process. This done, Kirby returns to Popstar triumphantly, and the sun and moon cease fighting.

''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'' features an additional story, called [[Revenge of the King]]. This [[Extra Mode]] has Kirby fight tougher versions of all of the enemies and bosses from Spring Breeze before storming [[The Revenge|Mt. Dedede]] and battling [[Masked Dedede]] in an electrified cage match.

''Kirby Super Star'' made many significant changes to the series formula. Notably, it was the first game to feature hats representing each [[Copy Ability]], further adding to their distinctiveness, though these hats would not appear again in earnest until ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''. Copy Abilities themselves also boasted increased utility, gaining fighting-game-style moves and combos, greatly expanding Kirby's arsenal. This was also the first game where Kirby could use the [[Guard]] technique.

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===''Kirby's Star Stacker''===
[[File:KSSS Hit in the Head cutscene.png|thumb|Mr. Star and Kirby]]
In both [[Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for the Game Boy]] and [[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for the SNES]], Kirby and his [[Animal Friend]]s are featured 'battling' King Dedede or other opponents. The Japan-exclusive Super Famicom version features a minor story, where Kirby helps a wayward [[Mr. Star]] get his pieces back after he was shattered by King Dedede. To get these pieces, Kirby and his Animal Friends have to trounce each baddie who had collected a piece in turn before finally defeating Dedede himself. If Kirby manages to do this without the player losing a game, [[Gryll]] appears after the credits for a bonus battle.

===''Kirby's Dream Land 3''===
{{quote|Hi, I'm Kirby! [[Popstar|PopStar]]{{sic}} is in BIG trouble. [[Gooey]] and I are going to get to the bottom of this. Wish us luck!|'''Kirby''' in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]] Instruction booklet''}}
''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' follows from the plot and style of ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'', once again involving Kirby utilizing his [[Animal Friend]]s along with a benign piece of Dark Matter called [[Gooey]]. In this title, Dark Matter implants itself on Popstar using a [[Dark Matter (cloud)|dark cloud]] and starts corrupting the minds of impressionable creatures, turning them into foes for Kirby to defeat and liberate. Along the way, Kirby can do good deeds in each area to receive a [[Heart Star]] from various denizens of Popstar. If he collected all of them, he can once again face down against the true villain, this time forging the [[Love-Love Stick]] before giving chase. At the heart of the dark cloud - a place called [[Hyper Zone]] - Kirby and Gooey do battle with Dark Matter, and then with [[Zero]] - its pure white spherical core - who attacks Kirby and Gooey using volleys of its own blood. Upon Zero's defeat, the rest of Dark Matter's forces dissipate, and Popstar is once again freed from its influence.

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===''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''===
[[File:K64 Group.png|thumb|right|200px|Kirby and his group with a [[Crystal Shard]]]]
''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'' sees Kirby venturing across several worlds in order to help a [[fairy]] girl named [[Ribbon]] collect the [[Crystal Shard|shards of a broken crystal]] from her home-world of [[Ripple Star]], which was invaded by [[Dark Matter (cloud)|a cloud of Dark Matter]]. On Ripple Star proper, Kirby and his entourage must do battle with an incarnation of Dark Matter known as [[Miracle Matter]], which appears to be the heart of the invading substance. Defeating it drives this Dark Matter away from Ripple Star, but it is revealed if all of the Crystal Shards were collected that the bulk of the Dark Matter had implanted itself inside Ripple Star's [[Queen]]. The fully reformed crystal zaps the queen, causing the Dark Matter within to be forced out, where it then flies off into space and becomes a planet called [[Dark Star]]. Kirby and friends go there and defeat [[0²]] in order to finally disperse the Dark Matter and save Ripple Star from its influence.

This game features [[Power Combo]]s, which are fusions of two different Copy Abilities to make an entirely new attack. These moves are often very powerful and needed to break away certain obstacles barring Kirby from a Crystal Shard. To date, this is the only ''Kirby'' game that allows for combining Copy Abilities in this way. This game is also notable for being the first to consistently depict Kirby with blushes and rounded arms in official artwork. Previously, his artwork depicted him with black lines as cheeks and more pointy arms.

===''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble''===
In ''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]'', Kirby makes his way through top-down stages and is controlled by the player physically tilting and/or flicking the Game Boy Color system. In the story, Kirby discovers that King Dedede is once again behind robbing Dream Land of its stars and has to go get them back. He is sent rolling across eight different worlds before encountering Dedede at the end. Upon defeat, Dedede starts sobbing, so Kirby goes to comfort him.

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===''Kirby Air Ride''===
''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' has Kirby racing across several colorful courses on various [[Air Ride Machine|celestial vehicles]] against [[Color|other Kirbys]], King Dedede, and Meta Knight. This is the first game in the series that allows for full three-dimensional movement, though when off his machine, Kirby is only afforded five midair jumps, like in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games.

<gallery>
KAR four Kirbys on Air Ride Machines.jpg|Kirby against three other colored Kirbys
</gallery>

===''Kirby & The Amazing Mirror''===
[[File:KatAM Intro2.png|thumb|Dark Meta Knight splitting Kirby into four]]
In ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'', Kirby is ambushed by someone resembling Meta Knight, who slashes him with his sword, causing Kirby to split into [[Color#Kirby & The Amazing Mirror|four identical copies of himself]], distinguishable only by differing body colors. The masked swordsman then flees into a mirror and the Kirbys give chase, leading them to a place known as the [[Mirror World]]. Here, they set off, looking for pieces of a shattered golden mirror in the center of the world. Along the way, they repeatedly run into a shadowy version of Kirby who appears to be spying on them. Upon completion of the mirror, the Kirbys jump into it to find a dark eerie copy of the area they were just in. Here, they find out that the Meta Knight who attacked them earlier was a doppelganger known as [[Dark Meta Knight]], who had previously imprisoned the real Meta Knight in this realm. After defeating the faker, Meta Knight entrusts Kirby with [[Master|his sword]], which Kirby then uses to fight [[Dark Mind]], who was responsible for creating Dark Meta Knight and for disturbing the Mirror World itself. If Kirby loses the sword during this fight, the shadowy Kirby from earlier will appear to toss it back to him. Once Dark Mind is defeated, this shady Kirby reveals himself to be [[Shadow Kirby|Mirror-world Kirby]], the Mirror World analog to Kirby himself who is tasked with keeping the peace in his world. They all say their farewells while riding their [[Warp Star]]s back to their respective realms.

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===''Kirby: Canvas Curse''===
In ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'', an evil sorceress known as [[Drawcia]] uses her magic to transform [[Popstar]] into a canvas, and turns Kirby into [[Kirby Ball|a ball]] with no limbs. Using the [[Magical Paintbrush]], the player has to draw [[Rainbow Line]]s to guide Kirby through the different stages and defeat Drawcia at the end. After Drawcia is destroyed, Kirby reverts back to his normal form.

<gallery>
Kids CanvasCurse.png|Artwork of Kirby from ''Kirby: Canvas Curse''
</gallery>

===''Kirby: Squeak Squad''===
[[File:KSqS Intro Kirby and his Cake.png|thumb|right|Kirby is about to eat a [[Strawberry Shortcake|cake]] before the [[Squeaks]] steal it.]]
{{quote|This little pink puffball with the gigantic appetite is once again the star of the show. This time around, Kirby's taking his copy abilities on the road in search of his stolen strawberry shortcake.|''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'' manual}}
In ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'', Kirby is sitting in a field with a plate of [[Strawberry Shortcake]] ready to eat it when suddenly something steals the cake slice from him. Kirby immediately assumes that King Dedede did this and sets off to [[Castle Dedede|his castle]] to get his cake back. After defeating Dedede however, Kirby bumps into the [[Squeaks]], who are causing trouble by stealing all manner of things. Believing that they have stolen his cake and stashed it into a [[Treasure Chest]], Kirby sets off after them, scuffling for treasure all the while. He eventually makes his way to the reconstructed [[Halberd]], where he duels Meta Knight, who is guarding a special treasure box.

Once Meta Knight is defeated, Kirby approaches the box, thinking it might have his cake inside, when the leader of the Squeaks, [[Daroach]], swipes the chest from Kirby and opens it. Inside is a great evil force that possesses Daroach. Kirby then has to chase Dark Daroach down across the galaxy and dispel the evil influencing him. After freeing Daroach from his possession, he corners the evil force and reveals its true identity: [[Dark Nebula]], the ruler of the underworld, whom Kirby swiftly defeats with Daroach's [[Triple Star]] cane. Having defeated the ultimate evil but failed to recover his cake, he returns home empty-handed. Later, Daroach and his band of Squeaks apologize for causing Kirby so much trouble by sending him a second cake, and he is finally satisfied.

In this title, Kirby is able to store items and Copy Abilities in his [[Copy Palette]] by swallowing them. This essentially gave Kirby a five-slot inventory of bubbled items that could be used, mixed, or discarded at any time.

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===''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' / ''Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn''===
[[File:KEY Lava Landing.png|thumb|Kirby carrying his companion, Prince Fluff, in a level]]
In both ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn]]'', Kirby is transformed into a yarn outline of himself by an evil sorcerer called [[Yin-Yarn]] who proceeds to transform all of Dream Land into a yarn parody of itself. Kirby is banished to [[Patch Land]], where he teams up with a local yarn boy named [[Prince Fluff]] to stop Yin-Yarn and save both Patch Land and Dream Land by finding the [[Magic Yarn]]. After Yin-Yarn is defeated, Kirby and his realm are returned to normal, and he gains a [[Magic Sock]] as a memento of his adventure, as well as a way to return to Patch Land whenever he wants to.

In this game, Kirby has a very different set of abilities due to having been transformed into a yarn outline. The [[metamato]] he ate in the opening cutscene gives him the power to transform into all manner of things, including a [[car]], a [[pendulum]], a [[parachute]], and a [[weight]]. His main means of attack is with a [[Yarn Whip]] that he throws out at enemies to unravel them or turn them into [[yarn ball]]s. He can also use [[Metamortex]]es to transform into more potent but more situational forms.

===''Kirby Mass Attack''===
{{quote|Our hungry hero, after being split into 10 by the [[Skull Gang]] boss, [[Necrodeus]], sets out on an adventure to make things right.|''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' Instruction Booklet (US print), page 5}}
In ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'', Kirby visits the [[Popopo Islands]] on the far side of [[Popstar]]. While taking a nap, [[Necrodeus]] appears and attempts to destroy Kirby by splitting him into ten smaller copies of himself who cannot inhale, then destroying these one-by-one. However, one of the Kirbys escapes and - guided by [[Kirby's heroic heart|his heroic heart]] - sets out to restore the other nine mini-Kirbys, then defeat the [[Skull Gang]].

Along the way, the Kirbys are aided by [[Daroach]] and the [[Squeaks]], who give them valuable information in exchange for treasure. Once the Skull Gang is driven from the Popopo Islands, Kirby heads to their home base - [[Necro Nebula]] - to defeat Necrodeus, claim the staff he used to split Kirby apart, and use it to restore himself to normal. After defeating the Skull Gang, Kirby gains appreciation for the dark corners of the universe, as he reckons they only make the stars shine brighter by comparison.

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=== ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' / ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' ===
{{quote|This powerful pink puff lives on Planet Popstar and is one of Dream Land’s greatest heroes. Watch out, enemies!|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' character description from the website<ref>[https://kirbysreturntodreamlanddeluxe.nintendo.com/ North American Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe website'']</ref>}}
{{ImCap
|image=File:KRtDL characters2.png
|size=122px
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|caption=Kirby and his companions from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''
|captionalign=center
}}
In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and [[Kirby's Return to Dream Land|its enhanced remake]], Kirby, as well as his friends [[Bandana Waddle Dee]], [[Meta Knight]], and [[King Dedede]], find a mysterious starship, the [[Lor Starcutter]], after it crash-lands into Dream Land. It in the process loses five primary parts and all one hundred and twenty [[Energy Sphere]]s. Kirby and his friends offer to help the owner of the starship, [[Magolor]], retrieve the missing parts and the Energy Spheres. Once the Lor Starcutter is repaired, Magolor takes Kirby and friends to [[Halcandra]], Magolor's home-world. Upon arriving, however, they are immediately attacked by [[Landia]], a fiery four-headed dragon who wears [[Master Crown|a crown]] on the primary head. Magolor then asks Kirby and his friends to battle this dragon, which they promptly do. Upon Landia's defeat, Magolor steals its crown, revealing his true motive as a power-hungry despot looking to conquer the universe. To stop the traitorous Magolor, Kirby and friends team up with the defeated Landia and fight Magolor in [[Another Dimension]], destroying the crown in the process before returning home to peace and tranquility.

In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', there are now six [[Mask#Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe|Dress-Up Mask]]s dedicated to Kirby, with four of them based on the four colors as seen in the game, as well as [[Cone Mouth|Cone-Mouth Kirby]] and a Gold Kirby mask. Kirby's mask can be unlocked by completing card [[Kirby 30th Anniversary|#30]] in the [[Stamp Rally]], while the masks for the other Kirby colors are unlocked by completing Stamp Rally cards #26 (Yellow Kirby), #34 (Blue Kirby), and #39 (Green Kirby) respectively. Cone-Mouth Kirby is unlocked by completing card #28, and Gold Kirby is unlocked by clearing the Main Mode [[100% completion|100%]]. The regular Kirby masks replace the wearer's voice with that of Kirby's voice, while wearing the Gold Kirby mask uses classic sound effects from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''.

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===''Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition''===
''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]'' is largely just a compilation of earlier ''Kirby'' games. However, it also features a [[Sub-Game]] called [[New Challenge Stages]], wherein Magolor from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' returns and sets up an amusement park for Kirby and races against him in several of its sections. Magolor explains at the start of this game that he has cleared things up with Kirby after the previous game's events.
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===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe''===
[[File:KTD Intro screenshot 05.png|thumb|right|200px|Kirby sleeps in [[Kirby's House|his house]] as the [[Dreamstalk]] begins to grow around it]]
In ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'', Kirby is abducted along with [[Kirby's House|his house]] by a large magical plant called the [[Dreamstalk]], along with [[Castle Dedede]]. He has to venture through the airborne kingdom of islands known as [[Floralia]] to chase down an insectoid villain known as [[Taranza]] who has abducted King Dedede in an attempt to bring the King under his control. Kirby catches up with Taranza at the end of the last island, who reveals that he had intended to capture and nullify the 'Hero of Dream Land', having mistaken Dedede to be the hero. Kirby defeats the possessed [[Masked Dedede]], which reveals Kirby as the true hero. Realizing this, Taranza attempts to call his master, [[Queen Sectonia]] to deal with him, but Sectonia swats Taranza away for his incompetence.

Kirby must then do battle with Queen Sectonia, who merges with the Dreamstalk in an attempt to rule over Dream Land and turn all its denizens into her sustenance. With the help of a group of floral fairies known as the [[People of the Sky]], as well as King Dedede and Taranza, the latter after a change of heart, Kirby destroys Sectonia, restoring the Dreamstalk to a benign condition and rendering it a permanent fixture of Dream Land.

===''Kirby Fighters Deluxe''===
In ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]'', Kirby does battle with copies of himself and with other characters in a manner similar to the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games. While there is no definite story, Kirby does battle [[Team DDD|an army of Dededes]] at the Fountain of Dreams before facing off against the real deal wielding a custom hammer based on the Star Rod.

===''Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe''===
''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]'' is the only ''Kirby'' series game that does not star the eponymous pink puffball. However, Kirby can still be seen in the background, cheering King Dedede on. His face also appears as part of the goal pad at the end of each stage.

{{clear}}

===''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''===
{{quote|Our heroic hero is on a roll! He's on a mission to restore the color that's been stolen from dear old Dream Land. His preferred method of travel is rainbow rope, and he can transform into three amazing Kirbys!|Kirby figurine description}}
In the claymation adventure known as ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'', Popstar and all its denizens have their color and life stolen away by a sorceress known as [[Claycia]]. A small, friendly paintbrush-like girl called [[Elline]] comes in from Claycia's world of [[Seventopia]] and re-colors Kirby and [[Bandana Waddle Dee|Waddle Dee]], who save her from [[Grab Hand]]s. After this, the trio sets off into Seventopia to defeat Claycia and restore Popstar's colors. Much like in ''Kirby: Canvas Curse'', Kirby rolls about like a ball, and rides along a rainbow paint stroke, while one or more Waddle Dees carry him on occasion. Why Kirby rolls around like this is unclear, since he still has his limbs. The opening cutscene suggests he just finds it more fun.

{{clear}}

===''Kirby: Planet Robobot''===
[[File:KPR Opening Cutscene Kirby.png|thumb|right|200px|Kirby wakes up to find the grove mechanized.]]
In ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', a robotic organization known as the [[Haltmann Works Company]] targets Popstar for its industrialization purposes. Kirby wakes up from under an oak tree not long after the takeover begins to find the grove he is in all-but mechanized. He runs off to stop the mechanization of his home-world.

Along the way, Kirby encounters a suit of robotic armor–the [[Robobot Armor]], which he commandeers and uses to smash up the soldiers that the Haltmann Works throws at him, as well as to damage the legs of the company's mothership - the [[Access Ark]]. Kirby also encounters the company's executive assistant - [[Susie]] - on several occasions, who battles Kirby herself. She later sends a [[Mecha Knight|mechanized Meta Knight]], mind-controlled, and a [[Dedede Clone|cloned King Dedede]] to fight him.

Once Kirby boards the ark itself, he fights his way up to the executive office, where he finally frees Meta Knight, then scuffles with the president of the company himself - [[President Haltmann]]. Beaten back, Haltmann is forced to use the keystone of the company and the source of its power - the [[List of rumors of ancient civilizations in the Kirby series|ancient]] computer [[Star Dream]], but in the process, it is sabotaged by Susie. Unfortunately, this sabotage causes the computer to go haywire, and merge Haltmann's mind with its OS in the process. The computer then takes its own initiative and decides to destroy the entire universe, locking in with the planet-sized Access Ark to enact its plan.

Susie helps Kirby defeat it by giving him one last suit of Robobot Armor, which Kirby uses to merge with the [[Halberd]] that Meta Knight had just brought in after being released. Together, they tackle Star Dream out in space and finally defeat it, restoring Popstar to its former glory. Kirby is left stranded out in space unconscious in the aftermath, but just before phasing out of existence, his Robobot Armor guides him back home, where Kirby wakes to see everything as it should be.

{{clear}}

===''Team Kirby Clash Deluxe''===
[[File:TKCD splash artwork.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Team Kirby does battle with [[Kibble Blade]]]]
Kirby teams up with [[Color|three other Kirbys]] in ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]'' to form a band of medieval-styled adventurers and save the [[Dream Kingdom]] from a horde of monsters. Along the way, they earn - and subsequently spend - an enormous quantity of [[Gem Apple]]s at [[Magolor's Shoppe]] to purchase better equipment and support items, in order to defeat the [[Taranza|puppeteer mage]], [[Taranza]], behind the rampaging beasts. After defeating Taranza, however, a new set of much more powerful foes emerge from a [[Black Mirror]] which Taranza had been entranced by. Team Kirby must defeat these parallel invaders and then shatter the mirror to restore the peace.

===''Kirby's Blowout Blast''===
In this stand-alone expansion of [[Kirby 3D Rumble]]–''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]'', Kirby runs about in full 3D spaces, using nothing but his trusty [[inhale]] and spitting out massive [[Star Bullet|Blaster Bullets]] to take out scores of enemies. At the end of the road, Kirby faces off against King Dedede, who - as a last-ditch effort to beat his old rival - uses one of the [[Sparkling Star]]s to grow giant.

===''Kirby Battle Royale''===
Continuing the 3D formula from ''Kirby's Blowout Blast'', ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]'' pits Kirby against [[Color|clones of himself]] in several battle mini-games using various Copy Abilities to win a massive cake in a tournament held by King Dedede titled "[[Dedede's Cake Royale|The Cake Royale]]". With Dedede's attempts to humiliate Kirby by seeing him defeated in the games failing, he takes his [[Kirby Printer]] and merges it into a [[Dededestroyer Z|giant robot]] in an attempt to crush his pink rival directly. Kirby's unstoppable urge for cake overcomes this as well, destroying the robot and the printer, taking all the Kirby clones with it.

{{clear}}

===''Kirby Star Allies''===
[[File:Kirby Heart Power.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Kirby gains the power of friendship!]]
In ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', a mysterious magical foe begins raining energy all over [[Popstar]]. While this all happens, Kirby is sleeping out in a field as per usual, when a heart-shaped bolt of energy strikes his head. This causes him to wake up and discover that he has gained a [[Friend Heart|special heart throwing power]], which allows him to charm enemies, turning them to his side. With this power, Kirby battles the invading force, who has possessed all of his friends.

After freeing King Dedede and Meta Knight from the dark influence, a [[Fortress of Shadows - Jambastion|large ominous structure]] embeds itself into Popstar. Kirby and co. invade this fortress only to find it operated by three [[The Three Mage-Sisters|mage generals]]. They explain that they are looking to collect the lost [[Jamba Heart|Dark Hearts]] which had scattered across the galaxy. Not pleased to see Kirby and co. attempting to chase the hearts off, the mage generals attack Kirby. Upon defeat, the head of the mage generals, [[Zan Partizanne]], attempts to bury Kirby and co. under the rubble of the fortress after setting its self-destruct sequence, but Kirby and co. escape on a [[Friend Star]].

Determined to end this disturbance of the peace, Kirby and co. set off into space in search of the source of these Dark Hearts. They stop by several planets along the way to free them from the hearts' influence before finally reaching the massive space station known as [[Jambandra]]. There, they meet the leader of the mage generals–[[Hyness]], who is overlooking an [[Jamba Heart|incomplete crystal heart]]. Zan Partizanne attempts to guard her leader, but is promptly defeated by Kirby and co.. At this, Hyness swats his would-be bodyguard away and proceeds to rant incoherently about how he was treated by an ancient race who had banished him to this location, seemingly indicting Kirby as one of them. He also reveals the heart behind him to be a dark god known as [[Void Termina]], who had been fragmented and scattered across the universe after a failed releasing ritual. Hyness attempts to defeat Kirby and co., but is defeated swiftly. As a last resort, he sacrifices himself and the mage generals to the heart in order to complete it and revive the dark god. Upon his revival, Void Termina escapes into space and assembles his body.

Kirby and co. are bestowed with a legendary weapon known as the [[Star Allies Sparkler]] in order to do battle with the revived Void Termina. After a very long and grueling fight, Kirby and his allies climb inside the giant beast, free the captive Hyness and his generals from the god's innards, and force out the creature's soul. From there, Kirby and co. muster all of their power in order to destroy Void Termina's soul and save the galaxy.

In [[Heroes in Another Dimension]], Kirby and friends venture into Another Dimension and collect numerous Friend Hearts scattered throughout. Eventually, they come across Hyness, who had been sealed inside a Jamba Heart and became twisted by its power. Kirby and friends are able to defeat Hyness, but The Three Mage-Sisters arrive to the scene and lament their situation for a bit before vowing to get revenge on Kirby. From there, an intense battle ensues, but Kirby and friends once again come out on top. With the Friend Hearts they've collected gathering their power to form one giant Friend Heart, Kirby tosses it at the mages, bringing them back to their senses. After a moment to wordlessly realize just what has happened, the mages use their power to calm the arena, and then bring a Warp Star down to carry Kirby and his team away. They wave him off, and as Kirby flies, he leaves one last little heart which floats down to Hyness and restores him to normal.

===''Super Kirby Clash''===
[[File:SKC eShop artwork.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Icon for the game, depicting a scene where Team Kirby battles [[Ignite Edge]]]]
Like in ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]'', Kirby teams up with [[Color|three other Kirbys]] to battle bosses and save the Dream Kingdom in ''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''. This time, the Kingdom is being terrorized by a [[Parallel Nightmare|Parallel version of Nightmare]], and Team Kirby moves throughout the land to chase him down and take out all of the monsters and great ancient foes he summons along the way.

===''Kirby Fighters 2''===
Kirby returns as the main focus of ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', an expanded version of ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' for the Nintendo Switch. He and a buddy of the player's choosing accept a challenge from [[King Dedede & Meta Knight]] to face off in combat at the top of the lofty Buddy Fighters Tower in the [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals]]. After several victorious battles against these two, King Dedede & Meta Knight attempt to use a pair of cursed masks known as the "Mask of Dark Bonds" to increase their strength, but Kirby and his buddy regardless defeat them one final time and use a [[Buddy Star Blaster]] to destroy the mask.

===''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''===
{{quote|A pink and powerful puffball, Kirby can inhale certain enemies and copy their abilities to unleash on others.|''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'' character description from the website<ref>[https://kirbyandtheforgottenland.nintendo.com/characters// North American Kirby and the Forgotten Land website'']</ref>}}
[[File:KatFL Reveal Trailer Screenshot 2.png|thumb|250px|In ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', Kirby wanders into an abandoned city overgrown with vegetation in a strange [[new world]].]]
Kirby embarks on his first adventure in full 3D in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. In this game, he is sucked through a dimensional rift from his homeworld of Popstar and ends up in a [[new world]] along with several other Dream Land residents. As Kirby explores this new land, he discovers he now has the ability to [[Mouthful Mode|wrap himself around]] large objects in order to take on their properties. Using this power in conjunction with his normal abilities, he tracks down and frees a flying blue rodent-like creature named [[Elfilin]] from being caged by [[Beast Pack|a coordinated animal force]], and when Kirby hears from Elfilin about the [[Waddle Dee]]s who were also kidnapped, he agrees to help get them back.

From then on, Kirby and Elfilin travel the world and save all the Waddle Dees they can find, while repeatedly running into the Beast Pack who are trying to capture them. When they find themselves in a [[Winter Horns|cold land]], Kirby stumbles onto and battles King Dedede, who had been inducted into the beast forces. Though Kirby defeats him in combat, King Dedede is able to sneak up afterward and kidnap Elfilin, taking him away and prompting Kirby to give chase to the "Forbidden Island". Kirby tracks Dedede down at the foot of a volcano, saving as many Waddle Dees as he can along the way. Once he gets there, Kirby and Dedede have another fight, and when Kirby breaks his mask, the King finally comes around and rejoins Kirby's side. 

Kirby then makes his way up to the top of the mountain, entering a [[Lab Discovera|laboratory]] where he finds the [[Leongar|leader of the Beast Pack]] with Elfilin and [[Fecto Forgo|a much larger related creature]] trapped in tubes. Kirby is subject to a lecture from the beast king about his intentions to merge Elfilin with this being, and the two battle. Kirby tries his best to rescue Elfilin, even seemingly defeating both Leongar and later the amalgamate Fecto Forgo in a fight, but Elfilin is nonetheless merged into the creature to form the final boss of the game: [[Fecto Elfilis]]. Kirby must battle this ultimate life-form atop the laboratory and weaken them to the point where Elfilin can be recovered from their body using a Mouthful Mode. From here, Kirby and Elfilin team up and use a [[Big-Rig Mouth|Big-Rig truck]] to stop the disintegrating Fecto from using their remaining power to force Popstar and the new world to crash into each-other, thus saving both worlds from destruction.

In the [[Extra Mode]], Kirby and Elfilin help recover the lost soul of Leon, the beast king, from the [[Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams|dream realm]] left behind after Fecto's physical destruction. After collecting all the pieces and freeing Leon from Fecto's influence, Kirby seemingly has to battle the creature's soul directly, but is instead forced to fight [[Morpho Knight]] when it flutters in and absorbs Soul Fecto's energy. With this done, Kirby and his friends are able to revive Leon and bring him back to his proper self.

===''Kirby's Dream Buffet''===
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]'', Kirby gets shrunk by the [[Dream Fork]] as he is about to eat a cake before the gourmet fest starts, and falls on the cake. He is joined afterwards by other colored Kirbys and they compete to see who can get the most [[Strawberry|strawberries]] as they race and battle along various giant food-based stages set up by the "Dream Restaurant".

Kirby is the sole playable character in this game, though the player can choose between 40 different [[Color]]s and 25 different [[Costumes]] for him to wear, several of which make him resemble other characters. Kirby is also featured on numerous [[Character Treat]]s.

===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
Kirby has been featured as a base-roster fighter in every single ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' game. He is depicted as an easy-to-use fighter with lots of midair jumps and versatile attacks. His small stature makes him difficult to hit but also means he will be KO'd earlier than other fighters if he is hit due to his light weight and gravity. He boasts a long-range recovery, but his movement speed is slow, especially in the air. His main call to fame is his ability to copy moves from all of the other fighters using his [[inhale]], giving him by far the most potential moves of any individual fighter.

====Special Moves====
=====Standard Special Attack=====
{{main|Copy Ability/Super Smash Bros.}}
Kirby can inhale his opponent and copy their standard special attack, allowing him to use that attack as his own.

=====Up Special Attack=====
{{main|Final Cutter}}
Kirby's Up Special is based on the [[Cutter]] ability. Kirby slashes upward with his cutter and slams down, creating a shockwave that can damage fighters, but can also be reflected or absorbed.

=====Side Special Attack=====
{{main|Hammer Flip}}
Kirby takes his Side Special from the [[Hammer]] ability. This involves the hammer flip, allowing Kirby to charge up his hammer. Overcharging the move will result in gradual recoil damage.

=====Down Special Attack=====
{{main|Stone}}
Kirby's Down Special move comes from the [[Stone]] ability. Kirby transforms into a heavy object. His transformed form is immune to damage but can be broken with a strong enough attack.

=====Final Smash=====
{{mainlist|Cook|Ultra Sword}}
Kirby's Final Smash is [[Cook]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', where Kirby throws his opponents into a pot and cooks them alive before it blasts them out, damaging them. It is changed to [[Ultra Sword]] starting from ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]''.

====Role in The Subspace Emissary====
Kirby plays a major role in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''{{'}}s adventure mode, [[smashwiki:The Subspace Emissary|The Subspace Emissary]]. After having a friendly bout with [[smashwiki:Mario|Mario]], he has to rescue either [[smashwiki:Princess Peach|Princess Peach]] or [[smashwiki:Princess Zelda|Zelda]] from [[smashwiki:Petey Piranha|Petey Piranha]] after he and an army of enemies known as Primids invade the arena. After the battle is over, Kirby then has to escape with the princess he saved from a bomb that had been planted in the arena during the fight, which sucks the whole area into a different dimension known as Subspace. From there, after a series of team break-ups and reunions, Kirby ends up as part of a team including Mario, [[smashwiki:Link|Link]], [[smashwiki:Yoshi|Yoshi]], and [[smashwiki:Pit|Pit]] as they try to stop more subspace bombs from going off. 

Along the way, Kirby finds a badge on the ground bearing the image of [[King Dedede]], and it is implied that Kirby swallows it. Near the end, nearly all of the fighters end up in one team once the [[Halberd]] is liberated from enemy control. The team uses it to engage in an assault on a giant Subspace cannon which emerges from a particularly large subspace bubble. Though the Halberd is destroyed, it and the fleet of smaller ships that emerge from it create a diversion which allows Kirby to fly into the giant cannon using the [[Dragoon]], crippling it. The team enters the subspace bubble to defeat whatever may be behind it, but the ultimate villain - known as [[smashwiki:Tabuu|Tabuu]] - sends out a giant pulse of energy that defeats all of them at once, turning them into inanimate trophies. However, the Dedede badge that Kirby had eaten earlier activates sometime later, reviving him along with a handful of other fighters. They revive the rest of the team and then defeat Tabuu, restoring the world.

====Role in World of Light====
{{quote|Only Kirby is left standing after Galeem's attack.|'''Announcer''' in the overview trailer of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''}}
In the adventure mode of ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', Kirby appears along with a host of other fighters in the opening cutscene as they prepare to fight a horde of [[Master Hand]]s led by a giant gleaming ball of light with wings known only as [[smashwiki:Galeem|Galeem]]. On Galeem's command, the hands disintegrate, turning into pulses of light that shoot out at the fighters, capturing each of them in a flash. All of the fighters are caught in this way, except for Kirby, who manages to get away on his Warp Star as the universe is engulfed. Kirby later crashes into the world that Galeem created, and sets off to rescue his friends.

In the end, Galeem and his army are destroyed thanks to the fighters, Kirby included.

<gallery>
Cook Kirby Brawl screenshot.jpg|Cook Kirby, Kirby's Final Smash in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
Ultra Sword Smash Bros.jpg|Ultra Sword, Kirby's Final Smash in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''.
Kirby Subspace Emissary.jpg|Kirby faces off against Mario in the opening scene of The Subspace Emissary, ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''{{'}}s story mode.
SSBU opening scene.png|Kirby overlooks the World of Light as the sole survivor in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''{{'}}s story mode.
</gallery>

==In ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!''==
[[File:Anime Kirby Artwork.png|thumb|right|100px|Kirby from the anime]]
{{main|Kirby (anime character)}}
[[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]] is the main character and primary focus of the anime ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''. Here, he is depicted as an infant [[Star Warrior]] who was called upon before his appointed time to protect [[Dream Land (anime)|Dream Land]] (specifically [[Cappy Town]]) from the [[Monster]]s called upon by [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]] using [[Night Mare Enterprises]]' [[Night Mare Enterprises Teleporter|monster delivery system]]. In the anime, Kirby is but a toddler, capable of only shouting the word 'poyo' repeatedly, and has to be looked after by two anime-exclusive child characters called [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]], who are the main speaking characters of the show. Despite his demeanor, Kirby is capable of obtaining Copy Abilities, which he uses with immense power in order to save the day time and time again. As the story progresses, Kirby gradually becomes more adept at using his powers and is eventually able to take on [[eNeMeE]] himself in the final episode using the [[Star Rod]].
{{clear|left}}

==In the ''Kirby'' novel series==
{{ImCap|image=File:Light Novel Kirby Artwork.png|size=100px|caption=Kirby from the novel series}}
{{main|Kirby (novel character)}}
Kirby is one of the main protagonists of the [[Kirby (novel series)|''Kirby'' novel series]], having a leading role in nearly every volume. Similar to his video game counterpart, he lives in [[Dream Land]] and can inhale and use [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]], and he is portrayed as a young, naïve puffball who is very food motivated. However, a major difference in his portrayal in the novels is that he is able to speak in full sentences and can be understood by other characters.
{{clear}}

==Cameo appearances==
[[File:Arcana Intro.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Screencap from the intro cutscene of ''[[wikipedia:Arcana (video game)|Arcana]]'' which contains a Kirby cameo (Kirby appears twice in the image)]]
{{Main|List of references to the Kirby series}}
Kirby has appeared in some form or another outside of his series. The following lists his notable appearances in games that are not ''Kirby'' or ''Super Smash Bros.'' games:

*''[[wikipedia:Arcana (video game)|Arcana]]'' - Kirby makes a cameo appearance in the introductory cutscene of the game, appearing twice in the horde of monsters led by Galneon (image on right). ''Arcana'' was also developed by HAL Laboratory and released precisely one month before ''Kirby's Dream Land'' in Japan, meaning that this was technically Kirby's very first appearance in a video game.
*''[[zeldawiki:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening]]'' - An enemy referred to as [[zeldawiki:Anti-Kirby|Anti-Kirby]] appears in this game and the [[Nintendo Switch]] remake. It looks almost exactly like Kirby and will attempt to inhale Link.
*''[[mariowiki:Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga|Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' - A poster appears in the Yoshi Theater depicting Kirby for a faux movie called 'Kirby Story'.
*''[[mariowiki:Super Mario Maker|Super Mario Maker]]'' - Mario can take on Kirby's 8-bit appearance from ''Kirby's Adventure'' by using a Mystery Mushroom in the ''Super Mario Bros.'' theme. This costume can be unlocked by clearing 100 Mario Challenge, or by scanning Kirby's [[amiibo]] figurine.
*''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart 8|Mario Kart 8]]'' and ''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart 8 Deluxe|Deluxe]]'' - Scanning Kirby's [[amiibo]] figurine unlocks a [[nwiki:Mii|Mii costume]] that resembles Kirby.
*''[[nwiki:Bye-Bye BoxBoy!|BYE-BYE BOXBOY!]]'' - If Kirby's amiibo figurine is used, [[Qbby]] will take on an appearance that resembles the pink puffball.
*''[[nwiki:Part Time UFO|Part Time UFO]]'' - In the Nintendo Switch version, the main four characters of the series and many Waddle Dees cameo as plush toys in the two-star version of the Toy Shop stage.

==Sprite history==
Kirby has appeared in a multitude of [[sprite]]-based two-dimensional games. A notable aspect of Kirby's appearance in these early titles is that he was not always depicted as entirely round; in some games, such as ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'', he was instead shown as slightly pear-shaped. It would not be until the earliest 3D titles that he would be cemented as perfectly round, which carried on to later 2D titles. This evolution can be tracked through the following table:

{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=3|Kirby's 2D sprite history &nbsp;
|-
!Sprite
!Game(s)
!Notes
|-
|{{center|[[File:KDL Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''
|Kirby's first sprite appearance notably lacked his cheek-blush.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KA Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
|Very similar to his initial Game Boy incarnation, though brightly-colored and possessing cheek-blush, as well as a plethora of new animations.<br>The sprite possesses the same amount of pixels as in ''Kirby's Dream Land'', though due to the NES's larger display and different aspect ratio, it appears smaller and wider in practice.<br>A quirk unique to this game is that Kirby's sprite becomes slightly plumper when wielding a Copy Ability.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KPL Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Pinball Land]]''
|Largely the same as the ''Kirby's Dream Land'' sprite, though possessing the cheek-blush from ''Kirby's Adventure''.
|-
|{{center|[[File:Kirby Course Sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''
|Kirby's first 16-bit appearance, and his first sprite to slant his eyes when at certain orientations to suggest perspective.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KDL2 Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''<br>[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' (Game Boy)]]
|Similar to previous appearances, but a little more pear-shaped. Rather than reusing existing animations, most of them were redrawn.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KAv Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''
|Mostly the same as his 8-bit incarnations, though with added detail, such as reflective skin and faint lights on his eyes.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KTB Baseball Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Toy Box]]''
|The smallest of his sprite-based appearances; his exact appearance varies depending on the game. This sprite is taken from the "Baseball" game.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KSS Kirby Sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby Super Star]]''
|Larger than previous sprites, with more detail as a result.<br>A discrepancy appears on this sprite where the light on the right-facing eye is pink rather than white, though this may be to suggest light and shadow.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KDL3 Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]''
|Kirby is a notably lighter shade of pink in this game, and more closely resembles the ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' sprite than the ''Kirby Super Star'' sprite.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KSSS Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' (Super Famicom)]]
|Combines aspects of his ''Kirby Super Star'' and ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' sprites.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KTnT Kirby sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble]]''
|The largest of his 8-bit sprites, and notably redder and plumper than the others. Last appearance in 8-bit.
|-
|{{center|[[File:KNiDL Kirby Sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''<br>''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]''<br>''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''
|A combination of his look from ''Kirby Super Star'' and his movement from ''Kirby's Adventure'', albeit much more fluid in his animation.<br>This sprite was used unaltered through three consecutive handheld games, though more animations were given to him in each subsequent installment.
|-
|{{center|[[File:Kirby KCC sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''
|A pre-rendered 3D model, Kirby is in ball form for most of the game, but his limbs will appear when he is defeated.
|-
|{{center|[[File:Kirby Ultra Sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''
|Can be considered a scaled-up version of the ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' sprite, bearing a closer resemblance to the original ''Kirby Super Star'' sprite.
|-
|{{center|[[File:Kirby Mass Sprite.png]]}}
|''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''
|One mini-Kirby from ''Kirby Mass Attack'', made to look generally smaller with shorter limbs and the face taking up more of the body.<br>This is the last time Kirby would be portrayed primarily in sprite form.
|}

==Profiles==
===Flavor text===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!rowspan=1|Image
!rowspan=1|Game
!rowspan=1|Flavor text
|-
|[[File:KA Box.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby's Adventure]]''
|'''Original''':<br>
''Hit the Down Arrow when Kirby has an enemy in his mouth to copy the enemy's special ability!''<br><br>
'''3D Classics:'''<br>
''Crouch down when Kirby has an enemy in his mouth to copy the enemy's special ability!''
|-
|[[File:KSS Box NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby Super Star]]''
|''Inhale an enemy by pushing Y and swallow it by pushing A. If that enemy has an ability, you can use it! Press A again to create a helper!''
|-
|[[File:KNiDL box artwork.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''
|''Swallow your enemies and duck to copy their moves! Experiment by swallowing different kinds of enemies!''
|-
|[[File:KatAM cover art.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]''
|''Swallow enemies and squat to copy their abilities! If you try hard, you can swallow large enemies, too!''
|-
|[[File:Kirby Canvas Curse box art.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''
|''Touch-Dash! Ride rainbows!''
|-
|[[File:USCover KSqS.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''
|''Swallow enemies and squat to copy their abilities! You can hold up to 5 bubbles and chests total.''
|-
|[[File:KSS Ultra box art.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''
|''Inhale {{color|red|foes}} and spit to KO them! Or swallow to {{color|red|copy}} their {{color|blue|abilities}} and {{color|red|adventure}} with a Helper!''
|-
|[[File:KRtDL Boxart L.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''
|'''Story Mode and Extra Mode:'''<br>
''Inhale foes and press ↓ to gain {{color|red|Copy Abilities}}! Shake the Wii Remote while inhaling to do a {{color|red|Super Inhale}}!''<br><br>
'''In water:'''<br>
''{{color|red|Into the water:}} sploosh! Good thing you can {{color|red|float}}. Your moves are limited, but if all else fails, there's always your {{color|red|Water Gun}}!''<br><br>
'''The Arena and The True Arena:'''<br>
''No Copy Ability? Then try a {{color|red|Super Inhale}}! Slide to evade! Press A to {{color|red|Guard}}! You can {{color|red|defeat}} any foe with a little skill.''
|-
|[[File:KTD Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''
|'''Story Mode (American English):'''<br>
''Inhale enemies to {{color|orange|acquire their abilities}}, and then perform a variety of moves! Now go climb the {{color|orange|Dreamstalk}} and rescue {{color|orange|King Dedede}}!''<br><br>
'''Story Mode (British English):'''<br>
''Inhale enemies to {{color|orange|acquire their abilities}}, and then perform a variety of moves! Now go and climb the {{color|orange|Dreamstalk}}, and rescue {{color|orange|King Dedede}}!''<br><br>
'''In water:'''<br>
''Kirby can swim with the best of them, and he can {{color|orange|float}} on water with an inner tube. Your abilities are limited while underwater, but your {{color|orange|Water Gun}} ability will help you in a pinch.''<br><br>
'''The Arena and The True Arena:'''<br>
''You can {{color|orange|Inhale and Spit}} if you don't have a Copy Ability, and you can press L or R to perform an {{color|orange|Air Dodge}}! Press Y or {{color|orange|touch}} the {{color|orange|Assist Star}} if you find yourself in a pinch.''
|-
|[[File:KatRC NA box art.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''
|''Our pink adventurer blew into Dream Land one day on a spring breeze. Since then, he's spent countless hours saving the day with his amazing abilities. He can swallow anything and spit it out. He can also use his copy ability.''
|-
|[[File:KPR Box.png|100px]]
|''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''
|'''Story Mode:'''<br>
''{{color|orange|Kirby}} is the {{color|orange|round}}, {{color|orange|pink}} life-form from Planet Popstar who possesses {{color|orange|infinite power}} and can inhale enemies to {{color|orange|copy}} their abilities.''<br><br>
'''In water:'''<br>
''Though various movements are restricted {{color|orange|underwater}}, {{color|orange|some abilities}} can still be used. For example, you can {{color|orange|spit water}} to attack.''<br><br>
'''The Arena and The True Arena:'''<br>
''{{color|orange|Kirby}} is the {{color|orange|round}}, {{color|orange|pink}} life-form who inhales enemies and spits out stars. Press L or R to guard. Press Y or tap the icon on the Touch Screen to use an {{color|orange|Assist Star}}.''
|-
|[[File:KSA Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''
|''Press X to throw Hearts and make all kinds of friends! Change up your team for variety, and press ↑ to call upon the power of friendship and gain Friend Abilities whenever you need to!''<br><br>
'''In water:'''<br>
''Kirby can swim with the best of them, and this time he can even go diagonally! You can't use Hearts in the water, but you can bring certain friends along to back you up with their abilities!''
|-
|[[File:KatFL box art.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''
|'''Kirby (figure)'''<br>
''Kirby was pulled into a mysterious vortex that appeared in the sky over his home on Planet Popstar. When he woke up, he was in a new world! Traveling through that vortex also gave Kirby a new and mysterious power... Let's see what it can do! Onward to adventure!''<br><br>
'''Café-Staff Kirby (figure)'''<br>
''Kirby's taken on a side gig at the counter of the Waddle Dee Café! He's dressed like a focused employee, but he's secretly fighting the urge to gobble up each dish himself. This might be his greatest struggle yet... Stay strong, Kirby!''<br><br>
'''Fishing-Pond Kirby (figure)'''<br>
''Ahhh. Kirby's doing a bit of fishin' at the ol' fishin' pond. He looks super, super relaxed… Maybe too relaxed. Hey! Pay attention, Kirby! There's exciting stuff swimming in that pond, including the legendary "Bling Blipper" of Waddle Dee Town!''<br><br>
'''Adventuring Together! (figure)'''<br>
''Bandana Waddle Dee and Elfilin have joined Kirby's victory dance! Kirby's dancing is cute and carefree, but his singing voice is super powerful. Let's all sing along with him next time! Woo-hoo! Great job, Kirby!''
|-
|[[File:KRtDLD Boxart NA.jpg|100px]]
|''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''
|'''Story Mode:'''<br>
''Inhale foes to gain {{color|red|Copy Abilities}}! Or hold B/Y to do a {{color|red|Super Inhale}}. And by sharing Joy-Con, you can play as a {{color|red|team of 4}}!''<br><br>
'''In water:'''<br>
''{{color|red|Into the water:}} sploosh! Good thing you can {{color|red|float}}. Your moves are limited, but if all else fails, there's always your {{color|red|Water Gun}}!''<br><br>
'''The Arena and The True Arena:'''<br>
''{{color|red|Don't have a Copy Ability?}} You can still {{color|red|use stars to attack}}, dodge by sliding, and guard with {{color|red|L/R}}. All you need is a little skill!''
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' trophies===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Kirby's trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="12%"|Name
!width="12%"|Image
!width=''25%''|First game / Move
!width="50%"|Description
|-
|align=center|Kirby
|[[File:KirbyTrophyMelee.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|Kirby's Dream Land (8/92)
|''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.''
|-
|align=center|Kirby (Smash)
|[[File:KirbyAlternateMeleeTrophy.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|B: Swallow<br> Smash B: Hammer
|''Kirby's small size lets him dodge many attacks, but his light weight 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.''
|-
|align=center|Kirby (Smash)
|[[File:KirbyAlternateTrophyMelee.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|Up & B: Final Cutter<br>Down & B: Stone
|''Because of his light weight, 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.''
|-
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' trophy===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Kirby's trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' &nbsp;
|-
!width=''12%''|Name
!width=''12%''|Image
!width=''25%''|Appears in
!width=''50%''|Description
|-
|align=center|Kirby
|[[File:KirbyTrophyBrawl.png|frameless|120px]]
|align=center|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land<br>'''SNES''' Kirby Super Star
|align=center|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.
|-
|}

===''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' trophies===
{|class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=6|Kirby's trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' &nbsp;
|-
!width="12%"|Name
!width="12%"|3DS image
!width="12%"|Wii U image
!width=''25%''|Appears In
!width="50%"|American English description
!width="50%"|British English description
|-
|rowspan=2 align=center|Kirby
|rowspan=2|[[File:KirbyTrophy3DS.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|rowspan=2|[[File:KirbyTrophyWiiU.png|frameless|120px|center]]
|rowspan=2 align=center bgcolor=lightblue|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992) <br> '''SNES''' Kirby Super Star (08/1996)
|align=center bgcolor=#FF4433|''Round little Kirby lives on the peaceful Planet Popstar, in Dream Land. 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.''
|align=center rowspan=2|''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 midair jumps, recovering's not too tricky.''
|-
|bgcolor=lightblue|''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.''
|-
|align=center| Kirby (Alt.)
||[[File:KirbyAltTrophy3DS.png|frameless|120px|center]]
||[[File:KirbyAltTrophyWiiU.png|frameless|120px|center]]
| align=center bgcolor=lightblue|'''GB''' Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992) <br> '''SNES''' Kirby Super Star (08/1996)
|align=center|''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.''
|align=center|''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.''
|-
|}
<small>Red indicates exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version. Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.</small>

{{clear}}

===amiibo===
*''Round, pink and surprisingly powerful, Kirby™ is one of the most iconic heroes in video game history. A denizen of the peaceful planet Pop Star, Kirby became a citizen of Dream Land after defeating King Dedede. He can inhale things with his big mouth, either copying their abilities or spitting them out again.''

===[[Play Nintendo]]===
'''''This pink puff is pretty adorable—and strong, too!'''<br>Kirby is always hungry, and he can inhale various enemies that stand in his way. When he does, he can take on their abilities. And when he’s not battling baddies, you’ll find Kirby enjoying a nice nap or a hearty meal.''

===Kirby Portal===
*''He may only be eight inches tall, but you should never underestimate this little pink hero. On the planet Pop Star, Kirby used his elastic body and his uncanny ability to absorb enemies to save Dream Land from the mischievous King Dedede. Since then, he’s gone on countless other adventures and even become a force to be reckoned with in the Super Smash Bros.™ fighting game series.''

==Trivia==
*Kirby's height is often used by the developers to measure other characters. For example, it was stated in a [[Miiverse]] post that [[Flowery Woods]] is roughly 9 Kirbys tall.<ref>{{cite|The maximum Kirby can jump is 4.3 times his own height. The development team often used the "Kirby" as a unit of measurement for the height of characters in the game (one Kirby, two Kirbys etc). For example, Flowery Woods is roughly nine Kirbys tall.|[[Satoshi Ishida]]|''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' [[Miiverse]] post from September 17th, 2014}}</ref>
**In addition, Kirby's jump height is also measured this way. ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' had Kirby's jump fixed at 3.2 Kirbys high, but newer titles like ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]'' allow him to go as high as 4.3 Kirbys with a single jump.
*Numerous sources, including the [[Kirby Portal|"Kirby 25th Anniversary" site]], point out that Kirby has "good motor skills". His ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' trophy describes him as "an extremely skilled technician", likely a mistranslation of the aforementioned "good motor skills".
*Kirby is often described as "riding in on the spring breeze" to save Dream Land in times of crisis. This is first mentioned in the Japanese manual for ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', and appears in several subsequent games, such as the manual for ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'' and Kirby's [[Figurine]] description in ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''. The idea stems from the original working title for ''Kirby's Dream Land'', はるかぜポポポ ("Popopo of the Spring Breeze"), and is also referenced in the titles of [[Spring Breeze]] from ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' (itself a truncated remake of ''Kirby's Dream Land'') and "Spring-Breeze Mode" in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.

==Gallery==
{{Main|Kirby/gallery}}

==Quotes==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2" 
|'''Quotes from Kirby in the ''Kirby'' series''' &nbsp;
|-
|<tabs>
<tab name="Kirby’s Avalanche">
*"''Hi, Waddle Dee! Are you ready?!?''"
*"''Sorry, rules are rules!''"
*"''Bronto Burt you bully, the pleasure will be all mine.''"
*"''I don't think so!!''"
*"''I'll breathe in your pathetic bombs and send them right back at you!''"
*"''I feel like some apple pie!''"
*"''Who blocked the path with this boulder?''"
*"''OH!! Hi Kabu, are you ready for a game of Avalanche?''"
*"''I'd worry more about cleaning up your Avalanche skills first.''"
*"''Go meddle in someone else's affairs, Squishy, I've got to get to the Dream Fountain.''"
*"''To get this far you must have a-MAZE-ing skill Tee hee hee!!''"
*"''Oh, I'm soooo scared''"
*"''Oh, how sweet of yo-''"
*"''Paint Roller, you are the meanest art student I've ever met.''"
*"''You are sneaky, but I will not be distracted by your under-handed tactics.''"
*"''I thrive at dusk and at dawn! I'll have you two fighting before the day is done.''"
*"''You couldn't hit a barn sized lightning rod, Kracko!''"
*"''But I have no sword!?!''"
*"''Welcome King Dedede. And good luck to you too.''"
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Course (unofficial translation)">
*''"I wonder if I'll have another wonderful dream tonight, gazing up at the stars."''
*''"Huh?"'''
*''"What!?"''
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Star Stacker (Super Famicom) (unofficial translation)">
*"''Choose from a variety of game modes!''"
*"''Get the highest score you can! How many stars can you collect?''"
*"''Collect stars to attack King Dedede!''"
*"''Help Mr. Star retrieve his lost pieces!''"
*"''!!!''"
*"''Who's the best Star Stacker? Battle a friend and find out!''"
*"''Aim for the highest score you can in just 3 minutes!''"
*"''You can register your name to save progress and high scores!''"
*"''View the tutorial with tips and techniques for how to play!''"
*"''Hi!!<br>I am now going to teach you how to play!!''"
*"''{{color|blue|Rick, Coo, and Kine}} will help us collect {{color|yellow|★stars★}}!''"
*"''Sandwich two of the {{color|yellow|stars}} between two of the same buddy to collect them!''"
*"''Watch how we can get the stars between {{color|blue|Rick}} and {{color|blue|Rick}}.''"
*"''This time we can see it with {{color|blue|Kine}} and {{color|blue|Kine}}!''"
*"''See? we got the star!''"
*"''We can get a lot of {{color|yellow|stars}} at once if you use {{color|blue|2 friends}} together!''"
*"''You cannot collect any {{color|yellow|stars}} if blocked by another friend.''"
*"''Since {{color|blue|Kine}} interrupts {{color|blue|Rick}} and {{color|blue|Rick}}, we cannot get the {{color|yellow|stars}}.''"
*"''This time {{color|blue|Coo}} is blocking {{color|blue|Kine}} and {{color|blue|Kine}}, so we cannot get those {{color|yellow|stars}} either.''"
*"''If I chain 2 sets together like this, {{color|yellow|★bonus★ ★stars★}} fall from above!!''"
*"''1 set.''"
*"''2 sets.''"
*"''See?''"
*"''Big chains will drop a lot of {{color|yellow|stars}}!''"
*"''Amazing!!''"
*"''The more {{color|yellow|stars}} that fall, the more you can get with your {{color|blue|friends}}!''"
*"''We will begin with a chain of 2.''"
*"''If stars fall between two {{color|blue|matching friends}}...''"
*"''See? The bonus {{color|yellow|stars}} can make even bigger chains!!!''"
*"''Beautiful!''"
*"''Practice hard and get lots of {{color|yellow|stars}}.''"
*"''I can put a {{color|blue|friend}} here and''"
*"''Voila!<br>Lots of stars!!''"
*"''Keep going friends!!''"
*"''But then,''"
*"''Sometimes only {{color|yellow|stars}} are left. Be careful but there is no need to panic! It will be ok!''"
*"''If the two columns in the middle are full, it will be {{color|red|game over}}!''"
*"''Well then, good luck everyone!!''"
*"''Byebye~!!''"
*"''Check your high scores and battle records!''"
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s (Extra) Epic Yarn">
*''"Down the hatch!"''
*''"This grass feels funny,"''
*''"It feels like... pants."''
*''"Grumble, grumble..."''
*''"Too bad there aren't any tomatoes up here,"''
*"''*GULP!*''"
</tab>
</tabs>
|}

==Names in other languages==
===Kirby===
{{Names
|ja=カービィ
|jaR=Kābyi
|jaM=Kirby
|zh=卡比
|zhR=Kǎbǐ
|zhM=Kirby
|nl=Kirby
|nlM=-
|fr=Kirby
|frM=-
|de=Kirby
|deM=-
|it=Kirby
|itM=-
|ko=커비
|koR=Keobi
|koM=Kirby
|pt=Kirby
|ptM=-
|ru=Кирби
|ruR=Kirbi
|ruM=Kirby
|es=Kirby
|esM=-
|pl=Kirby<ref>[https://www.nintendo.pl/kirby-triple-deluxe-select/ Nintendo Polska - Nintendo Selects: ''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'']</ref>
|plM=-
|th=Kirby<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeDQ2_uWPK0 Southeast Asian version of the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' Overview Trailer w/ Thai subtitles]</ref>
|thM=-
}}

===Kirby of the Stars===
This is the signature title of Kirby in his universe, which only appears in the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean versions, being omitted in other localizations. It is also used in the titles of games in these languages to indicate that they are in the [[Kirby (series)#Main series|main series]].

{{names
|ja={{furi|星|ほし}}のカービィ
|jaR=Hoshi no Kābyi
|jaM=Kirby of the Stars
|zh=星之卡比
|zhR=Xīng zhī Kǎbǐ
|zhM=Kirby of the Stars
|ko=별의 커비
|koR=Byeorui Keobi
|koM=Kirby of the Stars
}}

{{ref}}

{{Navbox-Characters}}
{{Navbox-KDL}}
{{Navbox-KA/KNiDL}}
{{Navbox-KPL}}
{{Navbox-KDC}}
{{Navbox-KAv}}
{{Navbox-KDL2}}
{{Navbox-KBBa}}
{{Navbox-KSS/KSSU}}
{{Navbox-KSSGB/KSSS}}
{{Navbox-KDL3}}
{{Navbox-K64}}
{{Navbox-KTnT}}
{{Navbox-KAR}}
{{Navbox-KaTAM}}
{{Navbox-KCC}}
{{Navbox-KSqS}}
{{Navbox-KEY/KEEY}}
{{Navbox-KMA}}
{{Navbox-KRtDL/KRtDLD}}
{{Navbox-KDCSE}}
{{Navbox-KTD}}
{{Navbox-KFD}}
{{Navbox-DDDD}}
{{Navbox-KatRC}}
{{Navbox-KPR}}
{{Navbox-TKCD}}
{{Navbox-KBBl}}
{{Navbox-KBR}}
{{Navbox-KSA}}
{{Navbox-SKC}}
{{Navbox-KF2}}
{{Navbox-KatFL}}
{{Navbox-KDB}}
{{Navbox-SSB}}

[[Category:Playable characters]]
[[Category:Playable characters in Kirby Fighters 2]]
[[Category:Kirby|*]]