Bad ending: Difference between revisions

A '''bad ending'''{{title}} (or '''false ending'''{{title}}) is any conclusion to a story in a given game that is sub-optimal for the hero(es), and not part of the [[canon]]. These endings (if they exist) are typically shown to the player if the [[Game Over|game is either lost]], or completed without the necessary prerequisite objectives to obtain the true ending. Technically speaking, every 'Game Over' screen is a form of bad ending - because it implies that [[Kirby]] or whoever else is serving the role of main protagonist failed somewhere in their adventure - but this article will mainly focus on the other type of bad ending, where the game is seemingly completed.

Before specific examples of bad endings are cited, it is important to distinguish between a proper bad ending with credits roll and/or a cutscene, and an otherwise true ending where not all in-game objectives are met. The latter is characterized by getting the same ending regardless of how many of the important collectables were picked up along the way. An example of this would be the [[Energy Sphere]]s from ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''. While the canon-telling of the story has Kirby and his friends collecting all 120 of them, this is not necessary to reach the proper ending of the story mode. Collecting all 120 in turn will not change the ending cutscenes.