Air Bullet

Kirby spitting out an Air Bullet in Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Air Bullet (also known as an Air gun,^[1] Air Shot, Air Pellet, or Air Puff) is an attack involving exhaling a small puff of air when Kirby or another character stop hovering, as a byproduct of deflating themselves. The air bullet acts as a short range projectile and can hurt most standard enemies, but is useless against most Mid-Bosses and Bosses. It can also be used to interact with various obstacles, including breaking blocks and activating switches. Kirby can utilize the Air Bullet in every main series Kirby game, along with many of the spin-off titles, but it is not part of his move-set in the Super Smash Bros. games, nor is it ever used in the anime series. In later Kirby games, Air Bullets' damage to enemies can vary depending on how close Kirby is to his target (closer shots doing more damage than further ones). Air Bullet is also a recurring attack on several bosses, most notably Whispy Woods and his variants.

Notable appearances

Kirby spitting out an Air Bullet in Kirby's Dream Land. This is one of his main means of attack in this game.

Air Bullets appear and function more-or-less the same way in every Kirby game in which the attack can be performed, though there are notable exceptions. The following list includes details about Air Bullet functionality in certain titles:

Kirby's Dream Land

Air Bullet is one of Kirby's primary means of defense in Kirby's Dream Land, and is useful for fending off flying enemies and clearing Star Blocks away. The Mint Leaf item causes Kirby to continuously fire Air Bullets, allowing him to take on the boss Kabula.

Kirby's Adventure

King Dedede releasing an Air Bullet in Kirby's Adventure.

Kirby's Adventure marks the first time that King Dedede can use Air Bullets, as a natural consequence of his new hover technique.

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra

In Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Ninja Kirby's 'Ninja Kick' can be canceled by hovering. By looping the three moves Ninja Kick-Hover-Air Bullet, Kirby can save his horizontal momentum from Ninja Kick and move very fast in the air, his action of continuously spitting Air Bullets somewhat resembling the effect from the Mint Leaf. This method of saving momentum, while useful in tool-assisted speedruns of those games, has been removed since Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

Similarly, Cutter Kirby's 'Sweep Cutter' (press and hold B in midair) can be canceled by hovering. By doing the loop of Sweep Cutter-Hover-Air Bullet, Kirby can hover while still attacking, which is useful for aerial mid-bosses and bosses but requires very fast button execution.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble

In Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, the Balloon item allows Kirby to fly through the air and continually fire Air Bullets, in a similar manner to the Mint Leaf. This is used to traverse specific stages and battle Kracko.

Kirby Fighters series

Screenshot of Kirby using a Mint Leaf to attack his opponents from Kirby Fighters.

In the Kirby Fighters games, the Mint Leaf item returns, allowing Kirby and other characters who pick it up to fire a continuous barrage of Air Bullets at their foes. These air bullets are pale green in color (representing minty fresh breath) and shot five at a time before finishing with a giant Air Bullet that passes through enemies. Kirby Fighters 2 in particular allows characters other than Kirby and King Dedede to use the Air Bullet for the first time through this item.

Trivia

Aside from Kabula, Ado, Adeleine, and the Holo Defense API can also be defeated using an Air Bullet, but only during the very last portion of the battle.
In Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3, Kirby's Air Bullet has a face on it.
Kirby Air Ride marks the only Kirby game where Kirby does not release an Air Bullet when he stops hovering, instead slowly deflating with each jump like he does in the Super Smash Bros. games. Other games that do not feature the Air Bullet do so because Kirby does not hover in them at all.

Gallery

Kirby or other playable characters

Artwork from Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby firing an Air Bullet in Kirby's Dream Land 3
Artwork from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Kirby spits out air bullets while under the effects of a Balloon in Kirby: Tilt 'n' Tumble.
Kirby spits an air bullet in midair in Kirby: Squeak Squad.
Artwork from Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby spits one out in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.
In the Kirby Fighters series, characters that use the Mint Leaf are capable of spitting out one last giant air bullet when its effects are worn out.