Animal Friend
Animal Friends are a group of characters who serve as Kirby's allies. More specifically, the term refers to the rideable animal companions which Kirby can mount and combine his powers with. There are six of them in total, and are as follows:
- Chuchu the octopus.
- Coo the owl.
- Kine the sunfish.
- Nago the cat.
- Pitch the sparrow.
- Rick the hamster.
Most of the animal friends are somewhat larger than Kirby, and all of them provide their own unique way of moving once they are paired up with him. Kirby can only travel with one Animal Friend at a time, and will have to switch out between them based on what task needs solving.
Game Appearances
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Rick, Kine, and Coo first appeared in this title. They each have their distinct advantages and disadvantages when paired up with, and will use their own special version of whichever Copy Ability Kirby has equipped. Using their power is necessary to collect some of the Rainbow Drops. To find them, Kirby will have to free them from a bag by defeating the Mid-Boss on guard.
Kirby's Dream Land 3
In addition to the previous three, Nago, Chuchu, and Pitch appeared in this title. Unlike the previous, they can be found in the open in various rooms, and Kirby will have to pick between them. Using each one in specific situations is necessary to get all of the Heart Stars.
Kirby Star Allies
| “ | "Friends by air, sea, and land!" This triple-deluxe pack of pals from Kirby's Dream Land 2 is here to help! You'll hear 'em coming: pitter-patter, splish-splash, and flutter-flap! | ” | — Kirby Star Allies Pause Description |
In Kirby Star Allies, Rick, Kine and Coo appear as Dream Friends, though unlike the others, they are rolled into a single character. They switch out based on which attacks are being used, playing in tag-team style. Their abilities are based off of fusion Copy Abilities from Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3, and are capable of providing the Bluster, Sizzle, and Splash elements to other abilities. In addition, while using 'Stone Rick', Rick can participate in Curling, Geokinesis, and Rock Painter. Rick also retains his ability to stomp enemies and jump off of them. Kine has the distinction of being the fastest swimmer of all the available characters. While Guarding, Rick hides in a bag which is similar to the ones they were held in from Dream Land 2.
| Rick & Kine & Coo's move-set for Kirby Star Allies | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill | Button Execution | Skill | Button Execution |
| Fire Rick | Fish Flop | ||
| Stone Rick | Ice Kine | ||
| Parasol Coo | Kine Freeze | ||
| Flutter | Protective Bag | ||
| Cutter Coo | Stomp | ||
When played in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, several unique rooms appear in each level, which utilize Rick & Kine & Coo's abilities. The other three animal friends also appear, but only briefly as part of the Cleaning move-set.
Other Titles
The animal friends often make cameos in other titles in the series. Most of the time, this entails appearing in Sub-Games or having their likenesses made into collectable items. The most prominent cameo comes from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards when Kirby uses the Stone-Cutter Power Combo. Doing so transforms Kirby into a stone replica of one of his animal friends, giving him a different movement option (or none at all) with each one.
Anime
Rick, Kine, and Coo appear as distinct characters in Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, with some episodes featuring them prominently. They appear to have no direct connection to Kirby in the show, and are merely intelligent creatures living in Dream Land.
Names in other languages
Rick & Kine & Coo
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 陆库&海恩&空 (simplified)
陸庫&海恩&空 (traditional) |
Transcription of Rick, Kine & Coo
陆海空 means "land, sea & air" respectively. |
Chuchu & Nago & Pitch
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 啾啾&喵果&哔奇 (simplified)
啾啾&喵果&嗶奇 (traditional) |
Transcription of Chuchu & Nago & Pitch |
