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Daroach

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Daroach
KSA Daroach Artwork.png
Artwork of Daroach from Kirby Star Allies.
Details
First appearance Kirby: Squeak Squad (2006)
Latest appearance Kirby's Dream Buffet (2022, reference)
Other appearance(s) Kirby Mass Attack
Kirby Star Allies
Cameo appearances Kirby: Triple Deluxe (reference)
Kirby: Planet Robobot (reference)
Kirby Battle Royale (reference)
Super Kirby Clash (reference)
Kirby Fighters 2 (reference)
Similar Squeaks
Theme music

Clip of "Squeak Squad Appears!", which, while considered the theme for the Squeaks as a whole, is most closely associated with Daroach

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"Those bejeweled hearts will be mine!"
The famous thief from Kirby: Squeak Squad heard tales of dark, gem-shaped hearts and set out to find them. Such seemingly wicked treasures are certainly worthy of his talents!

— Guest Star Daroach Enter the Space Thieves Pause Screen description in Kirby Star Allies

Daroach is a mouse-like caped thief and magician who serves as the mysterious leader of the Squeaks and a recurring character in the Kirby series. He first appears as the secondary antagonist of Kirby: Squeak Squad, where he earns Kirby's ire by stealing his Strawberry Shortcake, though the two later make amends after the defeat of the main villain, Dark Nebula. Daroach would later appear as an ally in Kirby Mass Attack, where he helps the Kirbys by giving them hints to find the Medals, and would appear again as a playable Dream Friend in Kirby Star Allies.

Characteristics

Daroach resembles a mouse, like other members of the Squeaks, and is considerably larger than Kirby. He has a gray body with orange eyes and three orange claws on each hand. He has no visible limbs; his hands and feet appear disconnected from the rest of his body. He wears a red top hat, a red cape, and an orange bell on his neck. In Kirby Star Allies, the orange in his design is instead more yellow. He is capable of floating and teleporting at will and uses the Triple Star cane as his main weapon, though he also possesses a magic wand that shoots ice beam, as well as fire bombs.

When he is possessed by Dark Nebula and becomes Dark Daroach, his skin becomes darker and his costume becomes purple, though not much else changes regarding his abilities.

Game appearances

Daroach's video game appearances  
Game Role Notes
Kirby series
Kirby: Squeak Squad Boss and secondary antagonist
Kirby Mass Attack Supporting character and enemy Gives Kirby advice on his airship, but also appears as an enemy in Kirby Quest.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe Reference Appears as a Keychain.
Kirby: Planet Robobot Reference Appears as a Sticker.
Kirby Battle Royale Reference One of the Headgears for the Whip ability is based on him.
Kirby Star Allies Playable character Appears as a Dream Friend.
Super Kirby Clash Reference Appears as a sticker.
Kirby Fighters 2 Reference Appears as a costume for Whip Kirby.
Kirby's Dream Buffet Reference Referenced by a costume and color for Kirby. Also appears as a Character Treat.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Cameo Appears as a spirit.

Kirby: Squeak Squad

Daroach makes his first appearance in Kirby: Squeak Squad, though he has no direct dialogue, instead being described in cutscenes and appearing in-game in a few places. He is first seen in stage 3 of Prism Plains, where he directs the Squeaks to chase after Kirby after he picks up the large Treasure Chest near the end of the stage. Daroach also appears briefly at the start of the boss fights with Mecha-Kracko and Yadgaine, specifically ordering these bosses after Kirby, but does not fight Kirby directly until Ice Island.

Daroach in Ice Island

Kirby battling Daroach at the end of Ice Island in Kirby: Squeak Squad.

During Kirby's long chase of his lost Strawberry Shortcake (he believes it's in the treasure chest stolen by the Squeaks), he will find and fight Daroach at the end of Ice Island. The ground of this boss stage is covered with ice which can be melted by fire element Copy Abilities such as Fire and Fire Sword.

Daroach primarily attacks via three methods:

  • Throwing bombs;
  • Shooting three stars from the Triple Star Cane, which ricochet off the walls and the ground;
  • Firing an ice beam across the stage.

He can also avoid Kirby's attacks by constantly teleporting throughout the stage.

When Daroach is defeated by Kirby, however, Meta Knight suddenly appears and takes away the supposed Strawberry Shortcake chest from the Squeaks. Kirby must collect all five Star Seals to enter Secret Sea where Meta Knight locates, but the Squeaks secretly follow Kirby's way.

When Meta Knight is also defeated by Kirby, the Squeaks appear again and steal back the supposed chest from Meta Knight, but...

Dark Daroach in Gamble Galaxy

Battling Dark Daroach in Gamble Galaxy.

Although presented as the main antagonist at the beginning of the game, after stealing back and opening the supposed chest, Daroach is possessed by the real mastermind released from the chest, Dark Nebula. As such, Daroach flees and appears as a boss again at the end of Gamble Galaxy, this time called Dark Daroach.

Dark Daroach attacks in a similar way to his first battle. His Triple Star attack remains the same but his other two attacks are strengthened:

  • The bomb will create a fire pillar after the explosion.
  • The ice beam becomes noticeably thicker.

Upon Daroach's second defeat, he is released from the trance and Kirby must defeat Dark Nebula next with the Triple Star Cane left by him.

Kirby Mass Attack

Visiting Daroach in his airship in Kirby Mass Attack.
Main article: Daroach's Airship
Welcome, my little friend! Or should I say...friends? I am Daroach, the captain of the treasure-hunting Squeaks. I have sniffed out a stash of riches that I must possess. Medals, on this island! Would you help me collect these medals?
— Daroach's first dialogue to Kirby in Kirby Mass Attack.

Daroach and the Squeaks reappear in Kirby Mass Attack, but only Daroach has a speaking role. His airship appears on every level hub except for Necro Nebula, and Kirby can visit it at any time to obtain factoids from the wily mouse about the Popopo Islands and its inhabitants, as well as hints on how to survive and obtain medals. All of these hints can be viewed on the Daroach's Airship page.

In Kirby Mass Attack, he reveals tidbits about himself as well.

  • Before King Dedede made his resort on Dedede Resort, Daroach used to go there to "steal the hearts of ladies".
  • Cemeteries scare him, because "anything could pop out at you".
  • The rest of the Squeaks are family to him.
  • He wishes he had a Nintendo 3DS, because they are "worth their weight in gold".

When Kirby collects all 186 Medals, Daroach takes them and gives Kirby the Survival Rush book in return. He then departs on his airship.

Daroach also appears in the Kirby Quest Sub-Game as the first enemy encountered in Chapter 4.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Dark Daroach makes a cameo appearance as a Keychain in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

Kirby: Planet Robobot

Daroach's official art from Kirby: Squeak Squad and a new doodle of him both appear as stickers in Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Kirby Battle Royale

A hat based on that of a notorious thief. Perfect for stealing victories!
— Daroach Hat description

While Daroach doesn't appear in this game, a piece of Headgear for the Whip Copy Ability makes an appearance.

Kirby Star Allies

Daroach when summoned as a Dream Friend
The illustrious thief from Kirby: Squeak Squad is back, and there's nothing he can't-or won't-steal! If making friends is all it takes to find some treasure, this purloiner is happy to tag along with the Squeak Squad in tow!
— Daroach's pause screen description in the Story Mode and The Ultimate Choice of Kirby Star Allies

Daroach was added as a Dream Friend in version 3.0.0 of the game, which released on July 27th, 2018. This made him a playable character for the first time in the series. When playing as him in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, several areas change to resembles places from Kirby: Squeak Squad, and the final battle with Morpho Knight has the Squeaks' theme playing over it.

Daroach can use many attacks from his previous boss battles, including Ice Laser, Fire Bomb, and Triple Star. He can also summon members of the Squeaks to assist him. He receives new melee attacks with his sharp claws, which can cut ropes and grass. He can't hover but can jump infinitely like other Friends.

Moveset

Daroach's moveset in Kirby Star Allies  
Facing right
Skill Button Execution Description Damage[1]
Ice Shot
B
Daroach fires a small ice shard from his wand. Can be used quite rapidly.
  • This will grant the Blizzard element to friends.
16→9→8→4 (4th hit onward)
Charge
Press and hold B
Daroach charges up his ice wand. He is immobile while charging, but can turn freely. N/A
Charged Up
Charge + A or L/R
Daroach stores his charge, letting him move freely and activate Ice Laser or Ultra Ice Laser at any time by pressing B again. N/A
Ice Laser
Small Charge, then release B
Daroach fires an icy laser from his wand, which covers the entire length of the screen and passes through walls.
  • This will grant the Blizzard element to friends.
8×3
Ultra Ice Laser
Large Charge, then release B
Daroach fires an icy laser much like the Ice Laser, but it is twice as large and deals more damage.
  • This will grant the Blizzard element to friends.
10×7
Triple Star
↓ + B in midair
Daroach swings the Triple Star cane, launching three stars diagonally downwards which bounce several times before disappearing. 16→8→4→2 (4th hit onward)
Daroach Bomb
↑ + Press and release B
Daroach throws a bomb in an upwards arc, which explodes upon hitting anything. 24
Daroach Fire Bomb
↑ + Hold B briefly, then release
Daroach charges up, then throws a larger, red-colored bomb covered in flames.
It rolls along the ground for a moment before exploding, creating a tall pillar of flames that lingers for several seconds.
  • This will grant friends the Sizzle element.
Bomb: 24
Fire: 24→7→2 (3rd hit onward)
Summon Spinni
↓ + Press and release B
Daroach summons Spinni, who runs straight ahead and slashes at any enemies he runs into for several seconds before disappearing, which can also cut ropes and grass.
If the move is used again while Spinni is present, Daroach will summon a Squeaker instead, which slowly hops forwards and disappears after a shorter length of time.
Spinni attacks: 16
Spinni moves: 8
Squeaker: 16
Summon Doc
↓ + Hold B briefly before releasing
Daroach summons Doc, who orbits around him in his UFO for several seconds before disappearing,
damaging enemies with an electric forcefield around the UFO in a manner similar to the UFO ability's Star Guard move.
  • This will grant the Zap element to friends.
16
Summon Storo
↓ + Hold B even longer before releasing
Daroach summons Storo, who leaps forwards before slamming down to the ground, crushing enemies and pounding stakes underneath his bulk.
He will perform three successive slams before disappearing.
Body slam: 32
Move: 16→8 (2nd hit onward)
Hunter Claw
Dash + B
Daroach rushes forwards and slashes with his claws. Can cut ropes and grass.
If he dashes off of a ledge, he will slide significantly farther due to not having any ground to stop against.
  • Daroach is invincible during this attack.
Dash: 16→4 (2nd hit onward)
Claw: 32
Scratch Out
B near an enemy
Daroach slashes at the nearby foe twice with his claws. Can also cut ropes and grass. 12+8
Cross Claw
Scratch Out, then B
Daroach teleports into the air after slashing the foe, then teleports back down and slashes his claws in an X shape, launching the hit foe away and striking either side of himself.
This can also cut ropes and grass.
  • Daroach is invincible during this attack.
40
Smack-in-the-Box
↓, and then ↑ + B
Daroach produces a big blue treasure chest, holding it as an item like a key. This chest can be thrown and picked up by other players.
After sitting on the ground for a moment, a toy of Dark Nebula will pop out of it on a spring, swinging back and forth while damaging any enemies it hits.
The chest can still be picked up and thrown after it has opened, allowing players to carry the swinging jack-in-the-box with them. After swinging for a few seconds, the chest will break.
Box: 8
Dark Nebula toy: 24
Teleport
L/R in midair
Daroach teleports to dodge attacks, briefly disappearing as he floats in place in midair. If a direction is held while dodging, Daroach will teleport a short distance in that direction. N/A
Reference: A Star Bullet deals 52 damage.

Super Kirby Clash

In Super Kirby Clash, Daroach makes a cameo appearance as a sticker, using his artwork from Kirby Star Allies. The sticker comes with the caption: Got my eye on you!

Kirby Fighters 2

The Daroach Hat from Kirby Battle Royale returns in Kirby Fighters 2. It is unlocked after reaching Fighters Rank Rank 87.

Kirby's Dream Buffet

In Kirby's Dream Buffet, Kirby can take on Daroach's likeness using a costume and color resembling him. Daroach also appears as a Character Treat, using his artwork from Kirby: Squeak Squad.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Daroach appears as a ★★★ attack-type primary Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In addition, it can be enhanced into Dark Daroach, a ★★★★ primary Spirit which is also attack-type. The normal Daroach Spirit's level 1 stats are 1,609 attack and 1,189 defense, plus it has stats of 4,839 attack and 3,577 defense at level 99. Dark Daroach has 2,305 attack and 1,886 defense at level 1, and 5,763 attack and 4,715 defense at level 99. Dark Daroach will also make the user's fire and explosion-based attacks stronger than usual. Both forms have 3 support slots. In addition, Dark Daroach can also be used as an avatar for the player's Smash Tag.

Trivia

  • Daroach and his eponymous gang were originally called ドロチュー (Dorochū) in early concepts, "chu" being the sound of mouse squeaking in Japanese. Design supervisor Atsushi Kakuta thought "Dorochū" was too cutesy for the character. After reading a design proposal that misspelled his name as ドローチュ (Dorōchu), he thought it sounded better and decided to change the name, with further tweaks eventually leading to ドロッチェ (Dorocche).[2]
  • Due to his role in Kirby Mass Attack, Daroach has by far the most dialogue of any character in the Kirby series.
  • According to a Nintendo Switch News Channel post regarding Kirby Star Allies, Daroach hates tomatoes, but eats Maxim Tomatoes without complaining.[3] Daroach also mentions this in his dialogue from Kirby Mass Attack, but only in the Japanese version of the game.[4]

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ドロッチェ
Dorocche
ドロ doro is derived from 泥棒どろぼう dorobou (thief); チュ che is derived from チェ chu (onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak).
Daroach is one way to transliterate the Japanese name.
Traditional Chinese 怪盜洛切
guài dào luò qiè
Phantom Thief Daroach
  • In Japanese, 怪盗 (kaitō, literally "phantom thief") usually refers to fictional thieves.
  • 盗洛切 is the transcription of ドロッチェ, the Japanese name.
Simplified Chinese 怪盗洛切
guài dào luò qiè
Dutch Daroach -
French Desroches Real last name meaning "from the rocks"; phonetically similar to "Daroach"
German Daroach -
Italian Daroach -
Korean 도팡
Dopang
A combination of 도둑 doduk (thief) and 루팡 Rupang (from Arsène Lupin, a fictional thief created by Maurice Leblanc)
Portuguese Daroach -
Russian Дароч
Daroch
-
Spanish Daroach -

References

  1. https://twitter.com/zhanghm11111/status/1029754886034882561
  2. Nintendo Magazine Online No.100 (November 2006) - Interview with Kirby: Squeak Squad developers (Japanese)
  3. Kirby Star Allies Channel - August 6, 2018
  4. In the Japanese version, Daroach says: 「リンゴよりバナナ バナナよりメロン メロンよりトマト… オレはトマトは好きではないがマキシムトマトはさぞかしうまいんだろうな」, which translates to, "Bananas are better than apples. Melons are better than bananas. Tomatoes are better than melons... I don't like tomatoes, myself, but I bet Maxim Tomatoes are real good." The English equivalent of that dialogue is, "Bananas are better than apples. And melons? Better yet. Maxim Tomatoes produce the juiciest results of all."