Dodge
A Dodge is the act of avoiding taking damage through a special maneuver that grants the dodger temporary intangibility. It is distinct from guarding in that a guarding entity is still hit, even if the damage is mitigated or nullified. The ability for Kirby to dodge debuted in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, and has persisted in every main series Kirby title since. It is performed by the player pressing a direction on the Control Pad, Circle Pad, or Left Stick while Kirby is guarding, or just by activating a guard in midair. This will cause him to either roll in a certain direction, dodge in place, or dodge in midair depending on where he is and which direction was pressed. When rolling, Kirby will move a small amount in the specified direction. When air-dodging, Kirby will not fall until the dodge concludes. Dodging causes Kirby to be intangible for a short moment (less than a second), which will allow him to avoid attacks that even a Guard could not stop. He is left vulnerable for a short while after the dodge finishes however, so timing is essential.
Appearances[edit]
- Kirby: Triple Deluxe
- Kirby Fighters Deluxe
- Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
- Kirby Star Allies
- Super Kirby Clash
- Kirby Fighters 2
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Details[edit]
When Kirby is performing a dodge, he will flash white on and off repeatedly to indicate when he has "invincibility frames" (i.e. when he cannot be hit by most enemy attacks). These frames start as soon as the dodge begins, but will end before the dodge animation finishes, which leaves Kirby open for a brief window to be hit by his opponent(s). It should be noted that dodging cannot be used to defend against everything. Examples of attacks that ignore a dodge's invincibility frames include the Squeaky Hammer Machines in the Factory Tour Battle Stage and the Waddle Dee Train.
In its debut in Kirby: Triple Deluxe as well as in Kirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby's grounded dodge would only take him a short distance to the left or right when used. However, in the Kirby Fighters games, the Kirby Clash games, and starting in the main series with Kirby Star Allies, the distance moved increased, making it comparable to rolling in the Super Smash Bros. series.
There are certain copy abilities which inhibit or remove Kirby's ability to dodge on the ground while using them, due to their special means of guarding. These include Ice, Bell, Leaf, and Spider. Certain other playable characters, including Rick & Kine & Coo, Gooey, Adeleine & Ribbon, Dark Meta Knight and Taranza, also cannot dodge on the ground for similar reasons.
In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby's dodging is more limited, and has a different Japanese name (きんきゅうかいひ kinkyū kaihi, "Emergency Dodge"). He can only dodge by performing a handstand bounce in the direction indicated, no longer being able to dodge in place or dodge in the air. Additionally, his dodge does not make him invulnerable in most circumstances. The bounce distance is determined by how far the stick is tilted. When Kirby successfully dodges an enemy attack within 5 frames (about 0.16 seconds), the game will momentarily slow down and make Kirby invulnerable for 50 frames (about 1.66 seconds), and some copy abilities give Kirby a counterattack when this happens. Kirby has the ability to dodge while swimming in water in this game. Additionally, if Kirby dodges next to a body of water similar to his own height, he will bounce on the water once.
Two copy abilities in Kirby and the Forgotten Land inhibit or remove Kirby's ability to dodge on the ground while using them, due to their special means of guarding:
- Ice - Kirby cannot dodge while using Ice Block, but he can dodge in place by tilting the stick while using Ice Scatter to trigger the slow motion effect.
- Gigant Sword - Kirby cannot dodge while holding the shield, as he will walk around with the shield on instead.
In Super Smash Bros.[edit]
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The act of dodging out of shield has been a crucial technique in every game in the Super Smash Bros. series, with side-stepping and air-dodging introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Much like in the Kirby series, fighters are intangible for a short period of time while they dodge, and vulnerable for a short time in-between dodges. The dodging techniques introduced in Kirby: Triple Deluxe were taken directly from the Super Smash Bros. series.
Gallery[edit]
Kirby performing a dodge.
Names in other languages[edit]
Dodge[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | そのばかいひ sonoba kaihi |
Spot dodge |
| French | Esquiver | Dodge |
| Portuguese | Evasão | Evasion |
| Spanish | Evasión | Evasion |
Air Dodge[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 空中かいひ kūchū kaihi |
Midair dodge |
| French | Esquiver en l'air | Dodge in the air |
| Portuguese | Evasão aérea | Aerial evasion |
| Spanish | Evasión aérea | Aerial evasion |
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