Copy Essence
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| “ | If you hit a Copy Essence with a Friend Heart, you'll get a friend from it! | ” | — In-game tip from Kirby Star Allies |
Copy Essences,[1] also known as Enemy Symbols in Kirby Super Star,[2] and Copy Pedestals in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror,[3] are items first introduced in Kirby Super Star, reappearing in its remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra. They have since reappeared - with an identical purpose - in every main series Kirby title, up to and including Kirby Star Allies (excepting Kirby: Squeak Squad, which instead features bubbles containing abilities).
Each Copy Essence resembles a golden pedestal with a figurine of a certain enemy standing on top or the symbol of a Copy Ability in some games in the series. When Kirby touches such a pedestal, he is instantly awarded the Copy Ability appropriate to the enemy/icon displayed. For example, if Kirby touches a Copy Essence with a figurine of a Blade Knight, Kirby will get the Sword ability. If Kirby already possesses an ability, his current power will be replaced in Kirby Super Star and its remake, as well as in main-series games since Kirby's Return to Dream Land, whereas in other games, nothing will happen until he drops his Copy Ability.[3] Every Copy Essence can be used an unlimited amount of times. Apart from being found sporadically throughout games, they usually appear in unlockable rooms containing most of the game's abilities, as well as featuring prominently in The Arena and similar Boss Endurance modes.
Game appearances
Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra
Copy Essences debut in Kirby Super Star, and also appear in Kirby Super Star Ultra. In their debut appearance, they showcase a figurine of the enemy associated with the ability on its pedestal. Touching one automatically confers the represented ability to Kirby, and will also automatically change a Helper to the different corresponding character.
In the Dyna Blade game, stages featuring collections of Copy Essences can be unlocked by hitting the Big Switches in Mallow Castle and in Candy Mountain.
In the Milky Way Wishes sub-game, a special variety of Copy Essence known as Copy Essence Deluxe appears; this item permanently enables Kirby to assume the Copy Ability shown by it at any time and disappears upon being collected.
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
In Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, two Copy Pedestals appear in each Hub room (small rooms which interlink areas) and three in each room leading up to a Boss fight. The only Copy Abilities that do not appear in a Copy Pedestal are single use ones, Mini and UFO, which must be obtained by swallowing UFO enemies in certain areas or by a Mix. All Copy Essences can be accessed in a Copy Ability Testing Area in Central Circle that requires hitting all the Big Switches to unlock.
The Master sword's pedestal (which appears in the Central Circle after beating the game) essentially acts as the Copy Essence for the Master Copy Ability.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Starting with Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Copy Essences do not resemble the enemies they are obtained from anymore. Instead, they contain a likeness of the Ability Star for the ability in question, displaying the ability's symbol on its face. Kirby can gain access to 20 of these from within the Lor Starcutter once he has collected enough Energy Spheres to unlock every room.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Copy Essences appear unchanged from their Kirby's Return to Dream Land appearance. Beating the game once allows Kirby to access the Copy Ability Testing Area, filled with Copy Essences of every Copy Ability.
Kirby: Planet Robobot
Copy Essences once again remain unchanged in Kirby: Planet Robobot. The only Copy Ability that does not appear in a Copy Essence is UFO, which requires the player to attain 100% completion (which makes UFO appear in the Ability Testing Room) or scan a Kirby amiibo.
A Copy Essence that cycles very fast through different Copy Abilities can be found in the game's two boss rush modes, The Arena and The True Arena. This special Copy Essence appears in both the main hub where players select their ability, and between subsequent fights. The exceptions to this are before the fights against C.O.G.S. and Star Dream, which use the Jet Mode and Halberd Mode respectively.
Kirby Star Allies
In Kirby Star Allies, Copy Essences once again resemble the enemies/allies who provide them. Kirby can toss a friend heart directly at one to immediately gain the appropriate ally.
- Main article: Reset Platform
Some levels contain big platforms with four empty Copy Essences, called Reset Platforms. If the player holds Y on these platforms, Kirby's current Copy Ability and all of his Friends will be removed then transferred to each of the four Copy Essence pedestals.
- Main article: Ability Planet
After completing the game once, Kirby can access all of the Copy Essences with each ability in Ability Planet. The only Copy Abilities that are not represented in a Copy Essence are limited-use abilities like Crash, Mike, & Festival, which are replaced by their respective enemies in the level.
Generating four Copy Essences from a Reset Platform in Kirby Star Allies
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Copy Essences can appear before boss and mid-boss encounters. Here, they resemble their corresponding Ability Items, but on golden podiums. Notably, if Kirby touches one while using a Mouthful Mode transformation, he will gain the ability without any transformation animation. In most cases, Mid-Bosses now leave behind the Copy Essence corresponding to their Copy Ability after being defeated.
Profiles
Kirby Super Star
- Wii U Virtual Console manual bio: "Gains a Copy Ability."
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
- Instruction manual bio (page 7): "Touching an item known as a Copy Essence allows you to take on the Copy Ability shown on it."
Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Instruction manual bio (page 16): "Grants you the ability displayed on the Copy Essence."
Trivia
- In Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, the stationary enemies found in Museums fulfill a similar purpose to Copy Essences, enabling Kirby to acquire an ability without the need of overcoming a dangerous opponent to obtain it.
- Similarly, the Bubbles in Kirby: Squeak Squad and the Ravel Ability balls in Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn also fulfill the purposes of Copy Essences, but with different manners of using them.
- Occasionally, Sleep Essences are seen as obstacles in various stages, with the point being that Kirby should try to avoid them, lest he be put to sleep.
- Prior to Version 4.0.0 of Kirby Star Allies, if a Dream Friend touched a Copy Essence, they would be forced to transform into the respective Friend. In Version 4.0.0, this no longer happens.
Gallery
Screenshot from one of the hub rooms in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, featuring two Copy Essences
Copy Essences often appear in side areas to offer a hint at which ability is needed to solve a particular puzzle, as is the case from this room in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
Copy Essences for every ability can be found in the Copy Ability Testing Area except for UFO, in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コピーのもと Kopī no Moto |
Copy Essence |
| Traditional Chinese | 複製之源 fù zhì zhī yuán |
Copy Essence |
| Simplified Chinese | 复制之源 fù zhì zhī yuán | |
| Dutch | Kopieerextract | Copy Essence |
| French | Essence pouvoir | Copy Essence |
| German | Spezial-Power-Spender | Special Power Donor |
| Italian | Essenze di copia | Copy Essence |
| Spanish | Esencia de copia | Copy Essence |
References
- ↑ "Copy Essence - Touching an item known as a Copy Essence allows you to take on the Copy Ability shown on it." –Kirby's Return to Dream Land instruction manual (page 7)
- ↑ "Enemy Symbol - Whenever you touch an enemy symbol, you will copy that enemy's ability." –Kirby Super Star instruction manual (page 33)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Copy Pedestal - From time to time, you'll see special pedestals that give you a Copy Ability when you touch them. If you already have a copied ability, nothing will happen." –Kirby & The Amazing Mirror instruction manual (page 13)
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