This article is about one of the musical themes related to the Halberd. For the game where this theme originated, see Revenge of Meta Knight. For the similar theme that plays alongside this one, see Boarding the Halberd.
"Havoc Aboard the Halberd"[2] is a musical track that debuted in Kirby Super Star, playing in Revenge of Meta Knight. It is a fast-paced and suspenseful theme that has come to be associated with the Halberd in general, and has reappeared in a few notable Kirby titles since its inception, often paired with its sister track, Boarding the Halberd. The theme includes the "Kirby's Triumphant Return" motif in its composition, and it shares some commonalities with "King Dedede's Theme".
As mentioned above, this track can be heard in several places in Revenge of Meta Knight, specifically in the stages following instances of the ship taking damage.
The original version from Kirby Super Star can be unlocked and then used as an alternate track in Magma Flows.
Super Smash Bros. series
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a jazzy version of this track, titled "Meta Knight's Revenge", is used as a default theme for the Halberd stage, and can also be heard in sections of The Subspace Emissary. Here, it is directly combined with its sister theme, being the first time the two were fused into a single musical track.
The last section of the song is incorporated as part of the song "VS. Star Dream", used in the fight against Star Dream to denote that the Halberd is involved in the battle.
The original Kirby Super Star version of the theme plays on Access Ark - Stage 7 EX. It's available as track 132 in the Jukebox.
Kirby Star Allies
The original track of "VS. Star Dream" accompanies the "Robobot Memories" Celebration Picture, once again featuring the same motif taken from "Havoc Aboard the Halberd". It can be found as Track 149 in the Kirby Star AlliesJukebox as of Version 4.0.0.
A remix of this track titled "Revenge of Steel Wings" can be unlocked at Gourmet Rank 26 as a music theme for Races. In this version, it is once again paired with Boarding the Halberd. It is arranged by Hirokazu Ando.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, "Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens" from Kirby Fighters 2 plays in Galacta Knight's first phase if player 1 is King Dedede or Meta Knight.
"Havoc Aboard the Halberd" is featured as the second track in the "Revenge of Meta Knight Medley" in Taiko no Tatsujin.
Trivia
A fan-made arrangement of "Havoc Aboard the Halberd" along with "Boarding the Halberd" (titled "Meta Knight's Revenge" like the Super Smash Bros. Brawl arrangement), arranged by Charlie Rosen & Button Masher and performed by The 8-Bit Big Band, won a 2022 Grammy Award in the category "Best Arrangement - Instrumental or A Capella".[5]
Video gallery
Video of the "Revenge of Meta Knight Medley" in Taiko no Tatsujin Yellow Ver.
↑Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn staff credits; these staff members are credited under "Music and Sound Effects" in the port's staff roll, while the original staff of Kirby's Epic Yarn credited former Good-Feel member Tomoya Tomita and sound designers Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando, and Tadashi Ikegami.