Editing Kirby (anime character)

{{Featured}}{{title font|#F9CACC|#E24A64}}{{Infobox-AnimeCharacter
|title=Kirby
|image=[[File:Anime Kirby Artwork.png|250px]]
|caption=Artwork of '''Kirby''' from ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''
|debut=[[Kirby of the Stars Pilot]]
|last=[[Kirby 3D]]
|role=Primary protagonist
|other=[[Kirby|his video game incarnation]]<br>[[Kirby (novel character)|his novel incarnation]]
|similar=[[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]]
|voice=[[Makiko Ohmoto]] (most cases)<br>[[wikipedia:Amy Birnbaum|Amy Birnbaum]] (minor English dub changes)
}}
{{about|Kirby as he appears in [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]|Kirby as he appears in the games|[[Kirby]]}}
{{Quote|Poyo!|'''Kirby'''}}
<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|}}}|lead|
'''Kirby''' is featured as the main protagonist of ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]''. He is an inexperienced [[Star Warrior]], and is attempting to hone his skills after crash-landing in [[Dream Land (anime)|Dream Land]]. He is portrayed as more helpless than in the games, often running from danger rather than attempting to fight it, though this changes once he obtains a [[Copy Ability]], becoming immensely powerful and performing feats that often dwarf [[Kirby|his video game counterpart]]. His best friends are [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]], and [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] acts as a type of mentor and guardian to the puffball. He is often antagonized by [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]] and [[Escargoon]].

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==Characteristics==
Kirby is a small pink ball-shaped entity with red feet and beady blue eyes. [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] explains that Kirby is still immature due to waking up 200 years before he was supposed to, looking and behaving like a toddler. True to this depiction, Kirby is a fair amount smaller than Meta Knight, as opposed to his video game counterpart, who is roughly the same size as him. Despite his demeanor, Kirby is quite durable, able to take substantial physical punishment, and can even swim in boiling hot water without any issue. Kirby is granted this extensive endurance by his [[Warp Star]], which Meta Knight explains is the source of his power. In [[Kirby's Duel Role]], [[Kabu (anime character)|Kabu]] explains that Kirby was a failed creation of [[eNeMeE]]; a powerful creature that he simply could not control, which is why [[Night Mare Enterprises]] seeks to destroy Kirby at all costs.

Though Kirby is a simple-minded character, he has a few important possessions to his name. The most important of these are his [[Warp Star]] (which can shrink down to the size of a trinket) and [[Kirby's Starship|his starship]], which allows him to travel through the cosmos. Kirby also has [[Kirby's House|a house]] in Dream Land which was built for him by the residents of [[Cappy Town]], though [[Tokkori]] often takes it over, prompting Kirby to sleep in the nearby tree instead.

Similarly to his video game counterpart, Kirby has a voracious appetite, and can eat much more than would intuitively fit inside his small body. This is demonstrated in episodes like [[Watermelon Felon]], where King Dedede goads Kirby into [[Inhale|inhaling]] a massive pile of fruits and vegetables which likely weighs several tons as supporting evidence for Dedede's fraudulent case against him. [[Tiff]] speculates in [[Beware: Whispy Woods!]] that Kirby can do this because his stomach leads to another dimension entirely, and Kirby is later shown in that episode to be able to search his inner stomach void to find things he has swallowed and regurgitate them. If Kirby swallows an object that has a specific power associated with it, he gains a [[Copy Ability]] which he can use to fight his enemies. Kirby can also spit objects back out which he inhales with destructive force, as seen in [[The Flower Plot]] when he spits King Dedede's cannon volley back at him.

==Personality==
[[File:Anime Watermelon.png|200px|thumb|Kirby eating a [[watermelon]] whole in [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]]]
Kirby acts much like a small child, unable to speak in full sentences, instead repeating the babble word 'poyo'. The only other words he can muster are characters' names, the names of certain [[Copy Ability]] moves when using them, and the names of his favorite things, such as [[watermelon]]s. Appropriately, Kirby is quite naïve, often wandering cluelessly into dangerous situations and as such, requires continuous supervision from Tiff, Meta Knight, and other characters. Despite this, Kirby does have some self-awareness, and is generally able to understand what people say to him. Kirby is quite empathetic and has a habit of mimicking other characters' emotional expressions, even if he does not consciously understand the emotion in question. An example of this is in [[Escar-Gone]], where Kirby mimics Escargoon's heady sigh while at the beach with him. Another is in the episodes featuring [[Knuckle Joe]], where Kirby imitates his tendency to rub his nose.

Kirby lives very much in-the-moment, lacking the ability to truly understand deception or to hold grudges. He only becomes angry when he is being attacked by a [[monster]] or is being directly insulted by another character, though this anger quickly dissipates once the conflict ends. By contrast, Kirby also has a very good memory, and can be extremely persistent when given a task to complete, as evidenced in episodes like [[The Thing About the Ring]]. Most of the time, he has a cheery disposition, and will stop to help or save someone in need. Indeed, his reputation as a hero is well-deserved, since he has saved [[Tiff]] and other characters from certain death many times. Kirby is a lover of food of all kinds, and will cheerfully eat even foods that the other characters find disgusting. As such, he is [[Chef Kawasaki (anime character)|Chef Kawasaki]]'s best customer.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Kirby's personality is how it shifts depending on what form he takes. When he is in his normal form without a [[Copy Ability]], he is often hesitant to fight, and will run away from pursuing monsters. Upon gaining an ability, however, he becomes bold and determined, and will fight head-on so long as it is clear that he can actually best his opponent. Generally, Kirby tends to act obliviously unless he or someone he cares about is faced with a dangerous situation, whereon he will tap into his inborn talents and step in to defend himself and/or others. Kirby's most notable personality flaw is his often mindless gluttony, which is frequently used by his enemies to entrap him in some form or another, and also tends to get him in trouble with the denizens of [[Cappy Town]].

==Relationships==
[[File:E4 Scene 22.png|thumb|200px|Kirby stands with his closest friends after defeating a monster.]]
Kirby's naivete and cheerful demeanor typically results in him being kind to everyone he knows, even if they have had a history of antagonizing him. Due to his temperament, however, Kirby cannot be said to have a particularly deep relationship with any of the other characters.

*[[Tiff]] - Despite being his primary supervisor, Kirby often pays little heed to Tiff, and will tend to run off even if she instructs him not to. Regardless, Kirby views Tiff favorably, and will heed her whenever she commands him to [[inhale]] something. Meta Knight in particular comments on the strength of the bond between Tiff and Kirby, as he explains only someone who truly cares for him can call upon the Warp Star with success.
*[[Tuff]] - Though the bond between Tuff and Kirby is not as strong as that with Tiff, Kirby will still generally listen to Tuff when he commands Kirby to inhale. The two of them generally get along well, but sometimes Tuff's stubbornness and immaturity puts Kirby in danger, particularly in the episode [[Flower Power]].
*[[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] - Meta Knight can be said to be a harsh teacher toward Kirby, often putting him in tough situations in order to shape Kirby up as a [[Star Warrior]]. Despite this, Kirby seems to trust Meta Knight more than any other character, perhaps due to them both sharing a common origin.
*[[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]] and [[Escargoon]] - Despite continuously wanting to attack Kirby or even kill him on many occasions, Kirby still treats these two with the same level of kindness he would toward anyone else, even going so far as to help them on occasion. This demeanor of Kirby's slowly causes first Escargoon, and then even the jealous King Dedede to gradually turn toward Kirby's favor as the series progresses.
*[[Fololo & Falala]] - Fololo & Falala are very fond of Kirby, and will always move to help him. Kirby in turn gets along very well with these two, and can sometimes be seen flying around with them.
*[[Tokkori]] - Tokkori is generally antagonistic toward Kirby, but secretly cares about him. The two live together in Kirby's House which - while an odd match - does not usually cause problems.
*[[Chef Kawasaki (anime character)|Chef Kawasaki]] - Kirby and the town chef initially got off on a rocky start after Kirby tried to work for him as a waiter but was sabotaged. The events of [[The Big Taste Test]] - where Kawasaki nearly turned Kirby into a meal for his master - turned things around for the two, and Kawasaki now feels obliged to help Kirby whenever he can, particularly because the pink puffball is his best customer.
*[[Honey]], [[Iro]], and [[Spikehead]] - The Cappy kids will often be seen playing with Kirby, though they tend to not understand how best to interact with him. Kirby's power combined with the danger he is always in often leads to the kids being afraid of being around him.

==Role in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!''==
[[File:E60 Scene 23.png|thumb|200px|Kirby's main role in the story is to battle and defeat the monsters that are sent into Dream Land, in this case, battling [[Kirisakin]] using [[Sword]].]]
Being the central protagonist and namesake of the show, Kirby is the one who steps up most often to resolve the conflict of any given episode, usually by defeating the [[monster]](s) of that episode. The overall story of the show revolves around Kirby's journey to learn how to harness his natural talents as a [[Star Warrior]] so that he can defeat [[eNeMeE]] and free the universe from the tyranny of [[Night Mare Enterprises]]. In the process, he regularly trounces the monsters that King Dedede calls in to Dream Land for one reason or another. Despite Kirby's immense power and potential, he is in constant need of guidance and supervision due to his naivete and infantile nature, as well as his gargantuan appetite which often gets him in trouble with the local townsfolk.

As Kirby is unable to speak intelligibly, he is often on the sidelines of the plot for most episodes; when he needs to participate in the story, he will often have another character act as a proxy, usually Tiff. Due to his mysterious and potent abilities, he is most often used as a [[wikipedia:Deus ex machina|deus ex machina]] for other characters, in order to solve their problems in any given episode's story. On the flip-side, Kirby is also often inadvertently the cause of certain problems, which he usually has to fix later on. Throughout the course of the show, he is often the scapegoat of [[Cappy Town]] for many of the calamities that happen throughout the series, even if Kirby himself had nothing to do with the disaster. This is most notable in Episode 98: [[Cappy Town Down]], where Kirby is momentarily blamed when a [[Destroya]] that was hunting him torched Cappy Town in the process. In these instances, Kirby's nearest friends step in to defend him, and the conflict is usually resolved.

==Filmography==
{{main|Kirby (anime character)/filmography}}
Kirby appears in all 100 main episodes of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', along with the [[Kirby of the Stars Pilot]] and [[Kirby 3D]]. For a full list of his appearances and role in each one, see [[Kirby (anime character)/filmography|this page]].

==Trivia==
*Despite the fact Kirby is shown to be capable of [[hover]]ing in several episodes of the anime, such as [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]], he acts as if he cannot fly at all throughout the entirety of the series.
*Kirby is one of the five recurring characters who appears in every episode of the main anime series. The other four are [[Tiff]], [[Tuff]], [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]], and [[Escargoon]].
*Most overseas dubs of the series re-use some combination of Makiko Ohmoto and Amy Birnbaum's voice work. One exception is the Tooniverse Korean dub, which employed [[wikipedia:ko:이자명|Lee Ja-myeong]] to dub specific lines.

==Gallery==
===Artwork===
<gallery>
Kirby Anime Artwork 2.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby punch pose.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 3.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 4.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 6.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 7.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 8.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 11.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 12.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 15.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 16.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 23.png|Kirby
KRBaY Kirby artwork 10.png|Kirby [[inhale|inhaling]]
KRBaY Kirby artwork 14.png|Kirby [[hover]]ing
KRBaY Kirby artwork 5.png|Kirby looking at a butterfly
KRBaY Kirby artwork 17.png|Kirby [[swim]]ming
KRBaY Kirby artwork 13.png|Kirby in an inner tube
KRBaY Kirby artwork 9.png|Kirby from [[Kirby Takes the Cake]]
KRBaY Warp Star.png|Kirby riding a [[Warp Star]]
KRBaY Warp Star artwork 2.png|Kirby riding a Warp Star
KRBaY Warp Star artwork 3.png|Kirby riding a Warp Star
KRBaY website Kihon wa Maru chalk Kirby artwork.png|A chalk outline of Kirby from [[Kihon wa Maru]]
KRBaY website Kihon wa Maru Kirby harapeko artwork.png|Kirby, as seen in Kihon wa Maru
KRBaY Bomb Kirby artwork.png|[[Bomb]] Kirby
KRBaYArtCleaning.png|[[Cleaning]] Kirby
KRBaY Cleaning Kirby Artwork 2.png|Cleaning Kirby
KRBaY Cook Kirby Artwork.png|[[Cook]] Kirby
KRBaY Crash Kirby artwork.png|[[Crash]] Kirby
KRBaY Cutter Kirby Artwork.png|[[Cutter]] Kirby
Anime Fighter Kirby Art.png|[[Fighter]] Kirby
Anime Fire Kirby Artwork.png|[[Fire]] Kirby
Anime Fire Kirby Art Warp Star.png|Fire Kirby riding a [[Warp Star]]
KRBaY Hammer Kirby artwork.png|[[Hammer]] Kirby
Anime Ice Kirby Art.png|[[Ice]] Kirby
Anime Ice Kirby Art 2.png|Ice Kirby
Anime Jet Kirby Art.png|[[Jet]] Kirby
Anime Mike Kirby Art.png|[[Mike]] Kirby
KRBaY Mike Kirby artwork 2.png|Mike Kirby
Anime Mirror Kirby.png|[[Mirror]] Kirby
Needleanime.png|[[Needle]] Kirby
Anime Ninja Kirby Art.png|[[Ninja]] Kirby
KRBaY Paint Kirby artwork.png|[[Paint]] Kirby
Anime Parasol 1.png|[[Parasol]] Kirby
Anime Parasol 2.png|Parasol Kirby
KRBaY Parasol Kirby and King Dedede artwork.png|Parasol Kirby balancing [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]]
KRBaY Spark Kirby artwork.png|[[Spark]] Kirby
KRBaY Star Rod Kirby artwork 2.png|[[Star Rod]] Kirby
KRBaY Star Rod Kirby artwork.png|Star Rod Kirby
Anime Stone Kirby Art.png|[[Stone]] Kirby
Anime Sword Kirby Art.png|[[Sword]] Kirby
Anime Sword Kirby Art 2.png|Sword Kirby
Anime Tornado Kirby Art.png|[[Tornado]] Kirby
Anime Wheel Kirby Art.png|[[Wheel]] Kirby
KRBaY Wheel Kirby artwork 2.png|Wheel Kirby
KRBaY Wing Kirby artwork.png|[[Wing]] Kirby
KRBAY BatonKirby artwork.png|[[Baton]] Kirby
KRBAY WaterKirby artwork.png|[[Water]] Kirby
KRBAY IronKirby FirstForm artwork.png|[[Iron]] Kirby's first form
KRBAY IronKirby SecondForm artwork.png|Iron Kirby's second form
KRBAY TopKirby artwork.png|[[Top]] Kirby
KRBaY Warp Star.png|Kirby riding a [[Warp Star]]
KAR Formula Star.svg|Kirby riding the [[Formula Star]]
KAR Rocket Star.svg|Kirby riding the [[Rocket Star]]
KAR Winged Star.svg|Kirby riding the [[Winged Star]]
KAR Shadow Star.svg|Kirby riding the [[Shadow Star]], which he never actually does in the show
Kirby's Dream Collection KRBAY Poster.jpg|Promotional poster showing the main cast of the anime
KRBAY Stars Poster.png|Promotional poster showing various characters
Anime Promo Poster.jpg|Promotional poster in Japan, featuring the main cast in Dream Land
KRBaY Kirby coloring page.jpg|Coloring page from promotional Fox Box CD-ROM
</gallery>

=== Character sheets ===
<gallery>
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 1.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing basic front, side, and back views.
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 2.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing various dynamic expressions and poses.
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 3.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing how his limbs move
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 4.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing how he inhales and hovers
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 5.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing how his eyes should be drawn
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 6.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing how his mouth should be drawn
KRBaY Kirby character sheet 7.png|Animator sheet for Kirby, showing him riding his [[Warp Star]]. Notably, the sheet emphasizes that the Warp Star should not be drawn with sharp points.
KRBaY eye character sheet.png|Animator sheet showing how to draw eyes like Kirby's
KRBaY height character sheet 1.png|Animator sheet comparing heights of principal characters (Kirby alongside the court of [[Castle Dedede]])
KRBaY height character sheet 2.png|Animator sheet comparing heights of principal characters (Kirby alongside the [[Cappy Town]] villagers)
KRBaY height character sheet 3.png|Animator sheet comparing heights of principal characters (Kirby alongside more Cappy Town villagers and the [[Animal Friend]]s)
</gallery>

=== Screenshots ===
<gallery>
Baton Kirby.png|[[Baton]] Kirby
KRBaY Bomb Kirby.png|[[Bomb]] Kirby
KRBaY Crash Kirby.png|[[Crash]] Kirby
Anime Galaxia Kirby.png|[[Galaxia]] Kirby
Anime Hammer Kirby.png|[[Hammer]] Kirby
Iron Kirby.png|[[Iron]] Kirby
Kabuki.jpg|[[Kabuki]] Kirby
KRBaY E101 Kabuki humanoid form screenshot.jpg|Transformed [[Kabuki]] Kirby
Anime Paint Kirby.png|[[Paint]] Kirby
Anime Spark Kirby.png|[[Spark]] Kirby
Anime Stone Kirby Transformed.png|Transformed [[Stone]] Kirby
Anime Throw Kirby.png|[[Throw]] Kirby
Top Kirby.png|[[Top]] Kirby
Anime Water Kirby.png|[[Water]] Kirby
KRBaY E087 Wing Kirby cropped screenshot.png|[[Wing]] Kirby
Anime Wheel Kirby transformed.png|Transformed [[Wheel]] Kirby
Anime Star Rod Kirby.png|[[Star Rod]] Kirby
KRBaY E001 Kirby looks out screenshot.png|Kirby looks out from [[Kirby's Starship|his Starship]] in [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]].
E4 Scene 3.png|Kirby sitting on his bed.
E5 Scene 14.png|Kirby is stretched out by the trees of [[Whispy Woods Forest]].
E7 Scene 9.png|Kirby's gluttony often gets him in trouble.
E9 Scene 11.png|Kirby when split into two smaller copies, similar to [[Fololo & Falala]]
E10 Scene 23.png|Kirby using his [[Warp Star]] to rescue [[Chief Bookem]] and [[Tuff]] from the [[Booma-Dooma Volcano]]
E11 Scene 14.png|Kirby is often oblivious to the malicious intentions of other characters.
E15 Scene 24.png|Kirby can be very stubborn, especially when being warned about dangerous things he is attached to.
E17 Scene 16.png|Kirby may be simple-minded, but he is not stupid.
E29 Scene 18.png|Kirby can casually eat foods that would overwhelm others with spiciness.
E29 Scene 30.png|Despite his resistance, even Kirby has his limits.
KRBaY Bird Kirby Screenshot.png|Kirby dreams he is a bird in [[Hatch Me If You Can]].
Gijira Kirby.png|Kirby while under the effect of a Gijira Extract overdose in [[A Recipe for Disaster]]
E36 Removed Scene.png|Kirby has innate natural talents which are unlocked when he is in danger.
Nightmare Kirby.png|Kirby as he appears in King Dedede's nightmare from [[Prediction Predicament - Part I]]
E45 Scene 19.png|Kirby with a Jack-o-lantern over his body in [[Scare Tactics - Part I]]
E46 Scene 19.png|Kirby dressed up as a ghost in [[Scare Tactics - Part II]]
Waddle Kirby.png|Kirby disguised as a [[Waddle Dee (anime character)|Waddle Dee]] in [[Pink-Collar Blues]]
E49 Scene 25.png|Kirby being kept on task by Tokkori while working on a cartoon for King Dedede
KRBaY E051 Tiff hugging Kirby screenshot.png|Kirby is embraced by Tiff during his one year anniversary in [[Kirby Takes the Cake]].
E61 Scene 3.png|Kirby eating a bag of chips left for him as a trap in [[Fitness Fiend]]
E68 Scene 9.png|Kirby struggles when his task conflicts with his gluttony.
E69 Scene 4.png|Kirby shows off his painting of [[Watermelon|his favorite food]].
E72 Scene 15.png|Kirby being sold as a Waddle Dee in the vending machines
Anime Kirby inhaling.png|Kirby using his [[inhale]]
E74 Scene 14.png|Kirby being ensnared in [[Mosugaba]]'s silk
E75 Scene 20.png|Kirby trying to catch a lizard
E76 Scene 16.png|Kirby falling for another food-based trap
E77 Scene 19.png|Kirby fawning over a painting of his favorite food
E80 Scene 28.png|Kirby after being powered up by Pump-Up D
E81 Scene 11.png|Kirby being launched through a plate-glass window like a ball
E89 Scene 18.png|Kirby proposing a cartoon about food
E93 Scene 19.png|Kirby glowing as several bombs go off inside him
E95 Scene 4.png|Kirby possessed by the [[Demon Frog]] in [[Frog Wild]]
E100 Scene 38.png|Kirby defeating [[eNeMeE]] with the [[Star Rod]]
E100 Scene 42.png|Kirby ferrying Tiff out of danger using the [[Winged Star]]
E100 Scene 57.png|Kirby and his closest friends observing the sunrise
</gallery>

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{{Navbox-Anime}}

[[Category:Kirby]]