Editing Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

{{Featured}}{{Title font}}
[[File:Kirby's Dream Collection KRBAY Poster.jpg|thumb|200px|Promotional poster showing the main cast of the anime.]]
<onlyinclude>{{#ifeq:{{{transcludesection|}}}|lead|
'''''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!''''' is an [[Wikipedia:Anime|anime]] television program which is based on the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]]. It was produced jointly by [[Nintendo]] and [[HAL Laboratory]] through a subsidiary company called "Warpstar, Inc." and was directed by Sōji Yoshikawa and Mitsuo Kusakabe, with supervision and the original draft coming from [[Masahiro Sakurai]].{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|<ref name="staff">[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/staff/ Nintendo JP page containing the Staff list for the anime]</ref>}} The show originally aired on October 6, 2001 in Japan through CBC Broadcasting and consisted of one hundred episodes aired in the morning on a weekly basis, concluding in September 27, 2003. The show would later be dubbed into English by 4Kids Entertainment, and aired on Fox Box from September 14, 2002 to December 9, 2006 with intermittent pauses and changes in episode ordering. An [[Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box|HD remaster]] on Blu-ray was also released in Japan on March 14, 2023.{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|Kirby: Right Back at Ya!|<ref name="HD remaster release date">https://twitter.com/HAL_Laboratory/status/1603587202591911936</ref>}}

The show follows [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]], taking the role of a [[Star Warrior|space-faring hero]] who has a child-like demeanor and is incapable of regular speech. He crashes [[Kirby's Starship|his starship]] into the kingdom of [[Dream Land (anime)|Dream Land]], where he stays in order to battle [[monster]]s summoned by the land's greedy and tyrannical [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]] from the evil intergalactic corporation [[Night Mare Enterprises]]. Over the course of the show, Kirby gradually becomes stronger and more experienced - aided by his close friends [[Tiff]], [[Tuff]], and [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]] - while consistently foiling the plans of King Dedede, his assistant [[Escargoon]], and the main villain [[eNeMeE]], who has largely conquered the universe and is trying to destroy the remaining Star Warriors who oppose him. Eventually, Kirby and his allies launch an attack on [[eNeMeE's Fortress|eNeMeE's space fortress]] in [[Fright to the Finish|the final episode]], thus putting an end to Night Mare Enterprises, liberating the universe, and depriving King Dedede of his main means of harassing his subjects.
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==Scenario==
[[File:Anime Promo Poster.jpg|thumb|200px|Promotional poster for ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' in Japan, featuring the main cast in Dream Land]]
The story and universe of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' are [[Continuity|distinct]] from that of [[Kirby (series)|the main video game series]], with only minor overlap in terms of design choices and character attributes. Most of the story takes place in the kingdom of [[Dream Land (anime)|Dream Land]], which is portrayed as an Earth-like peninsular landmass surrounded by open sea and situated in a tropical climate. The planet which Dream Land is situated on is never explicitly named in the 4Kids dub of the show, but supplementary material confirms it is Planet [[Popstar]];<ref>[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FllOkMBXoAId3HI?format=jpg&name=large May 2003 licensing flier]</ref> in the Japanese version, it is specifically referred to as Popstar by [[Sword Knight (anime character)|Sword Knight]] in the Japanese version of [[Cappy Town Down]]. Despite this, the planet is never seen as a whole like it is in the games, so it is not clear if it has the same shape and characteristics. Other planets and locations in outer space are sometimes seen in the show, most notably [[eNeMeE's Fortress]] in the final episodes.

===Overall plot===
[[File:E60 Scene 23.png|thumb|200px|Most episodes of the show pit Kirby against a [[monster]] sent to defeat him from [[Night Mare Enterprises]].]]
The main story of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' revolves around the intergalactic struggle between the Star Warriors and eNeMeE and his horde of [[monster]]s. Despite a valiant effort from the Star Warriors which saw the defeat of many monsters and the securing of the sacred blade [[Galaxia]] from eNeMeE's clutches, they were ultimately routed and most of their number killed or turned to evil by eNeMeE. Among the surviving veterans was [[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]], who personally held Galaxia and established himself in Dream Land (where one of the Star Warriors' sanctuaries in the form of [[Kabu (anime character)|Kabu]] is located) with his newfound apprentices [[Sword Knight (anime character)|Sword Knight]] and [[Blade Knight (anime character)|Blade Knight]]. In doing so, they pledged themselves (albeit insincerely) to [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]] in order to buy some cover and defend the kingdom from whatever monsters the King may order while they worked out a plan to exact revenge on eNeMeE and liberate the universe from his clutches.

For many years, Meta Knight and his allies worked in secret while waiting for the next generation of Star Warriors to be dispersed throughout the cosmos and continue the fight. Eventually, one of the new generation comes crashing into Dream Land, and reveals himself to be the small and harmless-looking but eminently powerful [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]]. Despite his abilities, Kirby is still immature and child-like, and requires assistance from the child characters [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]], who live at court in [[Castle Dedede]] and also work to stop King Dedede and his assistant [[Escargoon]] from harming the Dream Landers. With Kirby's help, they are able to repel the monsters that King Dedede sends their way and later convince the people of [[Cappy Town]] to accept Kirby as one of theirs and build him [[Kirby's House|a home]] in the countryside.

Over the course of the show, King Dedede frequently attempts to drive Kirby out of Dream Land using various schemes, but is consistently thwarted due to the efforts of Kirby and his friends, as well as his own buffoonish nature. Meanwhile, Kirby uses his experience fighting the monsters sent to him by [[Night Mare Enterprises]] to improve his skills as a fighter, while Tiff and Tuff in turn become more adept at assisting him under the tutelage of Meta Knight and Kabu. Tiff and Kirby in particular form a close bond, which allows Tiff to summon the [[Warp Star]] to help Kirby whenever he is in trouble. In addition, the people of Cappy Town - initially complacent and helpless against King Dedede - gradually learn to stand up for themselves with the help of Kirby and Tiff.

In the series finale, eNeMeE decides to launch an all-out attack on Dream Land in order to finally dispose of Kirby and his friends, sending an armada of [[Destroya|giant flying saucers]] to carpet-bomb the kingdom, wrecking every man-made structure in the process. To counter this attack, Meta Knight and his apprentices reveal the secret weapon they had been working on all this time in the form of [[Halberd|a space-faring battleship]] and recruit Kirby, his friends, and a handful of the bravest [[Cappy (anime)|Cappy villagers]] to engage in a direct attack on eNeMeE's Fortress. Despite the fortress's considerable defenses, the invaders manage to get in and destroy the fortress from the inside while Kirby personally defeats eNeMeE, finally liberating the universe from N.M.E.'s clutches.

===Focus and details===
[[File:E93 Scene 31.png|thumb|200px|A screenshot from the end of the episode [[D'Preciation Day]] showing much of the recurring cast]]
Although the overall story revolves around Kirby's struggle to defeat eNeMeE, the majority of the episodes have a separate focus on more mundane events which take place in Dream Land, and the show takes a largely comedic and goofy tone most of the time. In particular, the dynamic between King Dedede, his subjects, and the surrounding countryside offer room for a great deal of social commentary relating to the real world. The most notable examples of this are the environmental messages often tied in to the stories of particular episodes, with a prime example being King Dedede's repeated attempts to cut down [[Whispy Woods Forest|a sentient forest]] near the town in order to build a country club. Many of King Dedede's other schemes also end up damaging the local environment, such as causing severe acid rain from factory pollution in [[Labor Daze]], shifting the climate to an unnatural winter in [[Dedede's Snow Job]], and creating a hole in the planet's ozone layer in [[A Sunsational Puzzle]].

In addition, the people of Cappy Town act as an analogue to human civilization, and commentary on wider societal issues are often expressed through their collective behavior and attitudes. Notable examples of this are the effects of mass media propaganda in [[Un-Reality TV]], tendencies toward superstition and mob mentality as shown in [[Mabel Turns the Tables]], and lack of accountability toward the common good as seen in [[Junk Jam]] and [[A Trashy Tale]]. Individual characters also have a chance in these episodes to gain character development as they struggle with the problems the episodes throw at them, as well as relating to each-other. Even the perennial villains King Dedede and Escargoon have opportunities to gain sympathy through certain redeeming actions, though the formula that keeps them as Kirby's antagonists is never interrupted by such moments.

Notably, ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' takes several opportunities to make references to other popular media outside of the ''Kirby'' franchise and Nintendo as a whole. As a few examples, many of the show names cited in the in-universe broadcasting service [[Channel DDD]] are references to real-world movies and TV shows. In addition, several episodes are directly inspired by other media, including [[A Novel Approach]] (based on the [[Wikipedia:Harry Potter|''Harry Potter'']] franchise), [[One Crazy Knight]] (based on [[Wikipedia:Don Quixote|Don Quixote]]), and [[Caterpillar Thriller]] (based on the [[Wikipedia:Mothra (film)|''Mothra'' franchise]]). Smaller references to media such as [[Wikipedia:Ikiru|Ikiru]], [[wikipedia:Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone With the Wind]], and [[wikipedia:Steppenwolf (band)|Steppenwolf]] are peppered throughout the show through character dialogue, episode names, and visual representations.

Lastly, the show focuses heavily on food and cuisine, which ties in to Kirby's characteristic bottomless appetite. A large handful of episodes focus almost exclusively on food culture, which makes the supporting character [[Chef Kawasaki (anime character)|Chef Kawasaki]] more prominent than most. A great amount of focus is taken by the show's illustrators to make close-up shots of food dishes incredibly detailed and life-like, and such dishes are often commented on with specific reference to their names and ingredients. The most prominent examples of this can be found in episodes such as [[A Recipe for Disaster]], [[The Meal Moocher]], and [[Hunger Struck]].

===Differences from the main ''Kirby'' series===
[[File:E79 Scene 36.png|thumb|200px|Screenshot from [[Goin' Bonkers]] showing Kirby and [[Bonkers]] as friends: in the video games, the two are typically enemies.]]
The scenario, events, and character portrayals in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' differ greatly from the main video game series, and as such, are considered to be separate [[Continuity|continuities]]. The following list goes over the more notable differences between the anime and the video games up to that point, though there are many more smaller differences that are not mentioned here:
*Portrayals of characters common to both series differ in various respects:
**Kirby is portrayed as more helpless and immature, requiring proper direction in order to defeat his foes and help his friends. Inversely, he is portrayed as much more powerful than his video game counterpart, particularly when using [[Copy Ability|Copy Abilities]].
**King Dedede is portrayed as much more villainous, haughty, and ignorant. While his characterization is true to how he was depicted in early games, by the time of ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', he is most often depicted as a well-intentioned friendly rival, with their conflicts usually coming as a result of outside influence or a misunderstanding. In the anime, his intense jealousy of Kirby and his selfishness lead him to be the source of most of the problems in the show, and causes everyone else to despise him to varying degrees.
**Meta Knight is portrayed as unambiguously heroic and a mentor to Kirby. In games prior to his appearance in the anime, he was often seen as a mysterious character with unclear motives, sometimes aiding Kirby and sometimes antagonizing him. In later games, he would become an ally to Kirby, however he often still has his own motives and sees Kirby as more of a sparring partner to train with.
**Several other characters from the video games, such as common enemies, [[Mid-Boss]]es, and [[Boss]]es, are portrayed differently to varying degrees in the anime, with some having their appearances modified, some having different abilities, and some having different characterizations which make them not necessarily hostile to Kirby. Some notable examples of these are the depictions of the [[Cappy|Cappies]], [[Knuckle Joe]], [[Lololo & Lalala]], [[Chef Kawasaki]], and [[Sword Knight]] & [[Blade Knight]].
*Dream Land itself is portrayed much more realistically when compared to its video game counterpart, having less fantastical terrain (particularly the lack of cloud and energy-based structures).
**[[Castle Dedede]] in particular is much larger and has a different shape than its main video game series counterpart (though it should be noted that the anime design was used in some later games).
**[[Cappy Town]] is unique to the anime series, with no equivalent in the games.
*The main recurring characters [[Tiff]], [[Tuff]], [[Escargoon]], the [[N.M.E. Sales Guy]], [[Tokkori]], [[Doctor Yabui]], and the named [[Cappy (anime)|Cappies]], among others, are exclusive to the anime (barring a few cameo appearances).
*Several of the [[monster]]s and guest characters that feature in the anime are exclusive to it.
*[[Night Mare Enterprises]] and the [[Star Warrior]]s are exclusive to the anime.
*The [[Warp Star]] does not function the same way in the anime as it does in the games.

==Characters==
===Main Protagonists===
{|class="wikitable"
!Image
!Character
!Description
|-
|[[File:Anime Kirby Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]]
|The star of the show. Kirby is a small alien creature who crashed into Dream Land in order to defeat the monsters that plague it time and time again. Kirby has the mind of a small child and a bottomless appetite, but has limitless potential as a hero and [[Star Warrior]], especially when he gains a [[Copy Ability]].
|-
|[[File:Tiff_Writing_Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Tiff]]
|Kirby's closest friend and supervisor. Tiff is a young and intelligent girl who resides with her family in Castle Dedede. She helps Kirby by working to foil King Dedede's plans and calls the [[Warp Star]] for Kirby when he is in trouble.
|-
|[[File:Anime Tuff Artwork 1.png|130px]]
|[[Tuff]]
|Tiff's little brother. He is immature and headstrong, but very brave. He assists Tiff and Kirby whenever he can, but his foolhardiness sometimes causes trouble for them.
|-
|[[File:Anime Meta Knight Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Meta Knight (anime character)|Meta Knight]]
|A veteran [[Star Warrior]] who feigns to serve King Dedede in order to protect and guide Kirby as he learns to be a hero. He has two apprentices named Sword Knight and Blade Knight and can also be seen assisting and mentoring Tiff and Tuff.
|-
|}

===Villains===
{|class="wikitable"
!Image
!Character
!Description
|-
|[[File:Anime King Dedede Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]]
|The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land who often spends loads of money contracting monsters from Night Mare Enterprises to either defeat Kirby or drive him out of Dream Land. His greed and vanity often cause problems for his subjects, leading them to resent him.
|-
|[[File:KRBaY Escargoon artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Escargoon]]
|King Dedede's right-hand man and personal assistant. Escargoon often behaves cruelly toward King Dedede's enemies, but he is not quite as vain and selfish as the King, and can sometimes be seen cooperating with them instead.
|-
|[[File:Customer Service Art.png|130px]]
|[[N.M.E. Sales Guy]]
|The front man of [[Night Mare Enterprises]] who sells N.M.E.'s questionable products to gullible buyers such as King Dedede. His professional demeanor masks a cruel and exploitative personality.
|-
|[[File:Anime eNeMeE Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[eNeMeE]]
|The main villain who runs Night Mare Enterprises. He is usually only seen in the shadows, and is responsible for creating many of the monsters he sells.
|-
|}

===Side & guest characters===
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" border="1" cellpadding="2"
!colspan=4|Side & guest characters in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' &nbsp;
|-
!Image
!Character
!Debut episode
!Description
|-
|[[File:Acore sleeping.png|130px]]
|[[Acore]]
|[[War of the Woods]]
|An ancient oak tree who resides in the [[Eastern Forest]], and is home to many animals, including [[Rick]] and [[Coo]].
|-
|[[File:E100 Air Riders.png|130px]]
|[[Air Riders]]
|[[Air-Ride-in-Style - Part I]]
|Soldiers deployed by [[Night Mare Enterprises]] who ride [[Kirby Air Ride|Air Ride Machines]] and are battled by Kirby.
|-
|[[File:Benikage.png|130px]]
|[[Benikage]]
|[[Ninja Binge]]
|An unskilled ninja who comes to Dream Land to reclaim his ninja scroll.
|-
|[[File:E72 Biblio.png|130px]]
|[[Biblio]]
|[[Watermelon Felon]]
|A spectacle-wearing Cappy who runs the local bookstore.
|-
|[[File:Otakings.png|130px]]
|[[Biggy, Boney, and Sleepy]]
|[[Tooned Out]]
|Three animators on contract from [[Night Mare Enterprises]] who become overly obsessed with Tiff.
|-
|[[File:Bladeanime.png|130px]]
|[[Blade Knight (anime character)|Blade Knight]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|One of Meta Knight's apprentices, the other being Sword Knight. The two were once roadside bandits until they met Meta Knight, who saved their lives from [[WolfWrath]]. Since then, they have become fiercely loyal to Meta Knight and will often be seen by his side.
|-
|[[File:E79 Bonkers.png|130px]]
|[[Bonkers]]
|[[Goin' Bonkers]]
|A renegade hammer-wielding simian who idolizes Kirby and hopes to be a [[Star Warrior]] himself. He was once transformed into a [[monster]] by [[Night Mare Enterprises]], but was able to recover.
|-
|[[File:E81 Buttercup.png|130px]]
|[[Buttercup]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|The wife of [[Chief Bookem]]. Despite having little dialogue, she is often portrayed as kind and sincere.
|-
|[[File:Anime Captain Waddle Doo Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Captain Waddle Doo]]
|[[Un-Reality TV]]
|Commander of the [[Waddle Dee]]s in [[Castle Dedede]].
|-
|[[File:KRBaY Chef Kawasaki Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Chef Kawasaki (anime character)|Chef Kawasaki]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|A notoriously unskilled chef who runs the [[Kawasaki's|only restaurant]] in Cappy Town.
|-
|[[File:Chef Nagoya.png|130px]]
|[[Chef Nagoya]]
|[[A Chow Challenge]]
|A wandering chef who once attended culinary school with Chef Kawasaki. He is much more skilled than Kawasaki is, but lacks his own restaurant.
|-
|[[File:E34 Chef Shiitake.png|130px]]
|[[Chef Shiitake]]
|[[A Recipe for Disaster]]
|Number one food critic and Kawasaki's teacher. A false version of him appears in [[The Big Taste Test]].
|-
|[[File:Chief Bookem.png|130px]]
|[[Chief Bookem]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|Chief of police in Cappy Town and Tuff's role model.
|-
|[[File:Coo Anime.png|130px]]
|[[Coo]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|A wise owl capable of speech who lives in the [[Eastern Forest]] and can be seen about Dream Land.
|-
|[[File:Doctor Yabui.png|130px]]
|[[Doctor Yabui]]
|[[A Fish Called Kine]]
|Cappy Town's only physician. Notorious for his effective but painful dentistry.
|-
|[[File:Doron.png|130px]]
|[[Doron]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|A silent thief who spends most of his time in Cappy Town's jail cell.
|-
|[[File:E7 Dyna Blade.png|130px]]
|[[Dyna Blade]]
|[[Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]
|An ancient bird who returns to Dream Land every one hundred years to lay a single egg. She is very protective of [[Dyna Chick|her chick]] and will attack whoever has caused it distress. 
|-
|[[File:E7 Chick.png|130px]]
|[[Dyna Chick]]
|[[Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]
|Dyna Blade's chick that newly hatched from her egg. Dyna Chick is known to run into trouble be it King Dedede and Escargoon, or at its own cause. 
|-
|[[File:E25 Escargoon's mother.png|130px]]
|[[Escargoon's mother]]
|[[Escargoon Rules]]
|A kindly elder snail who lives in a country far away from Dream Land. She visits her son who pretends to be the King of Dream Land to please her.
|-
|[[File:E91 Fang.png|130px]]
|[[Fang]]
|[[Born to Be Mild - Part I]]
|A vicious motorcyclist who leads a biker gang and antagonizes [[Cappy Town]]. He later transforms into [[Wheelie]].
|-
|[[File:Lola.png|130px]]
|[[Fololo & Falala]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|Two small flying servants of [[Castle Dedede]]. They are allies of Kirby and Tiff's family, and despise King Dedede.
|-
|[[File:Gengu.png|130px]]
|[[Gangu]]
|[[Un-Reality TV]]
|The kind-hearted but simple-minded Cappy who runs the local toy store.
|-
|[[File:Gus.png|130px]]
|[[Gus]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|A rough-hewn Cappy who runs the local gas station.
|-
|[[File:Hana.png|130px]]
|[[Hana]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|Mayor Len's somewhat reserved but kindly and loving wife.
|-
|[[File:Honey.png|130px]]
|[[Honey]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|One of the three main Cappy children. Honey is kind and reserved, but very inexperienced.
|-
|[[File:Iro.png|130px]]
|[[Iro]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|One of the three main Cappy children. Iro is brave, but often foolhardy and selfish.
|-
|[[File:E74 Island Sisters.png|130px]]
|[[Island Sisters]]
|[[Caterpillar Thriller]]
|Twin fairies who live with [[Mosugaba]] on Embrya Island and can calm the monster with their singing.
|-
|[[File:E1 Kabu.png|130px]]
|[[Kabu (anime character)|Kabu]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|Dream Land's great idol and sage who the Cappies revere. Kabu has the ability to see the future, and also houses Kirby's [[Warp Star]].
|-
|[[File:Kineanime.png|130px]]
|[[Kine]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|One of the intelligent animals of Dream Land. Kine has a crush on Tiff and tries to earn her affection in [[A Fish Called Kine]].
|-
|[[File:Kit Cosmos.png|130px]]
|[[Kit Cosmos]]
|[[Island of the Lost Warrior]]
|A retired [[Star Warrior]] who resides on [[Island of the Lost Warrior (place)|a deserted island]]. He is extremely paranoid, and initially believes Kirby to be a monster.
|-
|[[File:Knux.png|130px]]
|[[Knuckle Joe]]
|[[Here Comes the Son]]
|A young monster hunter and the son of a legendary Star Warrior who fell during the war with N.M.E. He is extremely headstrong, but also a very skilled and cunning fighter.
|-
|[[File:Ladylike.png|130px]]
|[[Lady Like]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|A ditsy noblewoman who lives in [[Castle Dedede]]. She is [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]]'s mother and the wife of [[Sir Ebrum]].
|-
|[[File:Mabel.png|130px]]
|[[Mabel]]
|[[A Dark & Stormy Knight]]
|A Cappy Town resident who counsels the villagers in the guise of reading their fortune. She has a close relationship with Samo.
|-
|[[File:Anime Mayor Len Blustergas Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Mayor Len Blustergas]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|The mayor of Cappy Town who represents the villagers and looks after a flock of sheep.
|-
|[[File:E5 Melman.png|130px]]
|[[Melman]]
|[[Kirby's Duel Role]]
|The town mailman; often seen asleep.
|-
|[[File:E83 Mr. Chip.png|130px]]
|[[Mr. Chip]]
|[[Teacher's Threat]]
|A passionate contract teacher who is sent by Night Mare Enterprises to harass the students at [[Dedede Academy]], but cannot bring himself to harm them.
|-
|[[File:E66 Pengy.png|130px]]
|[[Pengy]]
|[[The Chill Factor]]
|The leader of the Pengy tribe. He has the ability to breathe ice and attempts to take over Dream Land by turning it into a permanent tundra.
|-
|[[File:E21 Princess Rona.png|130px]]
|[[Princess Rona]]
|[[A Princess in Dis-Dress]]
|An alien princess who visits Dream Land disguised as her personal bodyguard. She identifies with the commoners and is skilled with a sword.
|-
|[[File:Curio.png|130px]]
|[[Professor Curio]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|Cappy Town's resident archaeologist. While knowledgeable, he is very meek and insecure.
|-
|[[File:Anime Rick Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Rick]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|One of Dream Land's intelligent animals. He can be seen wandering Dream Land and conversing with the villagers, and lives in the [[Eastern Forest]] in [[Acore]].
|-
|[[File:E38 Rowlin.png|130px]]
|[[Rowlin]]
|[[A Novel Approach]]
|A famous author who wrote the best-selling book "Pappy Pottey and the Fool's Stone". She is impersonated by a monster in [[A Novel Approach]].
|-
|[[File:E72 Samo.png|130px]]
|[[Samo]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]] (Japanese version)
|The bartender of Cappy Town. He gathers gossip from his customers and delivers it to Mabel to help with her fortune telling.
|-
|[[File:Anime Sir Ebrum Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Sir Ebrum]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|King Dedede's cabinet minister, the father of [[Tiff]] and [[Tuff]] and husband of [[Lady Like]]. He is a very timid and nervous man.
|-
|[[File:E54 Sir Gallant.png|130px]]
|[[Sir Gallant]]
|[[One Crazy Knight]]
|A wandering quixotic knight who believes himself to be a comic book hero.
|-
|[[File:E60 Sirica.png|130px]]
|[[Sirica]]
|[[Crusade for the Blade]]
|A young alien warrior who once battled Meta Knight for the Galaxia over a misunderstanding. She is a potent fighter who wields a weapon stolen from N.M.E.
|-
|[[File:Spikehead.png|130px]]
|[[Spikehead]]
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|One of the three main Cappy children. He loves to play games and can be very impatient.
|-
|[[File:Anime Sword Knight Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Sword Knight (anime character)|Sword Knight]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|One of Meta Knight's apprentices, the other being Blade Knight. The two were once roadside bandits until they met Meta Knight, who saved their lives from WolfWrath. Since then, they have become fiercely loyal to Meta Knight and are often seen by his side.   
|-
|[[File:Tokkori Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Tokkori]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|A cantankerous little talking bird who lives with Kirby in his house. He often rubs other characters the wrong way, but is not bad at heart.
|-
|[[File:E7 Tuggle.png|130px]]
|[[Tuggle]]
|[[A Dark & Stormy Knight]]
|A cranky Cappy who runs the grocery store.
|-
|[[File:KRBaY Waddle Dee artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Waddle Dee (anime character)|Waddle Dees]]
|[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
|The tireless servants of [[Castle Dedede]], who number in the thousands. They are usually silent, and obey King Dedede and his subordinates in exchange for living in the castle.
|-
|[[File:E71 Whales.png|130px]]
|[[Whales]]
|[[A Whale of a Tale]]
|A giant sperm whale and calf who visit Dream Land and are harassed by King Dedede.
|-
|[[File:Anime Whispy Woods Artwork.png|130px]]
|[[Whispy Woods]]
|[[Beware: Whispy Woods!]]
|A sentient tree who resides over [[Whispy Woods Forest]]. King Dedede often tries to chop him down in order to destroy the forest and build a golf course.
|-
|[[File:Yamikage.png|130px]]
|[[Yamikage]]
|[[Ninja Binge]]
|A treacherous ninja warrior who used to be a Star Warrior. He is prideful and cruel.
|}
For information on monsters, see [[Monster|this page]]. For information on minor Star Warriors, see [[Star Warrior|this page]]. For information on other minor characters, see [[Minor characters#Minor_characters_in_Kirby:_Right_Back_at_Ya.21|this page]].

==Episodes==
{| class="sortable wikitable"
!JP
!US
!Episode title
!class=unsortable|Copy Abilit(y/ies)
!class=unsortable|Monster(s)
!class=unsortable|Japanese airdate
!class=unsortable|US airdate
|-
| <span class="explain" title="Pilot">0</span> || -
| [[Kirby of the Stars Pilot]]
| Ice, Spark
| Various
| N/A
| N/A
|-
| 1
| 1
| [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
| [[Fire]]
| [[Octacon]]
| October 6, 2001
| September 14, 2002
|-
|2
|2
|[[A Blockbuster Battle]]
|[[Stone]]
|[[Blocky]]
|October 13, 2001
|September 14, 2002
|-
|3
|3
|[[Kirby's Duel Role]]
|[[Sword]]
|[[Bugzzy]]
|October 20, 2001
|September 21, 2002
|-
|4
|4
|[[A Dark & Stormy Knight]]
|Sword
|[[Kracko]]
|October 27, 2001
|September 21, 2002
|-
|5
|5
|[[Beware: Whispy Woods!]]
| -
| -
|November 3, 2001
|September 28, 2002
|-
|6
|6
|[[Un-Reality TV]]
| -
|[[Great Sea Slug Monster]]
|November 10, 2001
|September 28, 2002
|-
|7
|7
|[[Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]
| -
| -
|November 17, 2001
|October 5, 2002
|-
|8
|8
|[[Curio's Curious Discovery]]
|Stone
|[[Dedede Stone]]
|November 24, 2001
|October 5, 2002
|-
|9
|9
|[[The Fofa Factor]]
|[[Cutter]]
|[[Slice n' Splice]], Fofa
|December 1, 2001
|October 12, 2002
|-
|10
|10
|[[Hail to the Chief]]
| -
| -
|December 8, 2001
|October 12, 2002
|-
|11
|11
|[[The Big Taste Test]]
|[[Cook]]
|[[Popon]]
|December 15, 2001
|October 19, 2002
|-
|12
|13
|[[Escargoon Squad]]
| -
|[[Ghost (monster)|Ghost]]
|December 22, 2001
|October 26, 2002
|-
|13
|29
|[[Cappy New Year]]
|Fire, [[Parasol]]
|[[Sasuke]]
|December 29, 2001
|December 28, 2002
|-
|14
|14
|[[The Pillow Case]]
| -
|[[Noddy]]
|January 5, 2002
|October 26, 2002
|-
|15
|12
|[[Kirby's Pet Peeve]]
| -
|[[Electronic Pet]]
|January 12, 2002
|October 19, 2002
|-
|16
|15
|[[A Fish Called Kine]]
|[[Tornado]]
| -
|January 19, 2002
|November 2, 2002
|-
|17
|94
|[[The Thing About the Ring]]
| -
|[[Honker Stomper]]
|January 26, 2002
|September 16, 2006
|-
|18
|16
|[[Flower Power]]
|[[Needle]]
|[[Noddy]], [[Pukey Flower]]
|February 2, 2002
|November 2, 2002
|-
|19
|17
|[[Here Comes the Son]]
|[[Fighter]], Needle
|[[Knuckle Joe|Needle Knuckle Joe]]
|February 9, 2002
|November 9, 2002
|-
|20
|18
|[[Dedede's Snow Job]]
|[[Ice]]
|[[Chilly]], [[Ice Dragon]]
|February 16, 2002
|November 9, 2002
|-
|21
|19
|[[A Princess in Dis-Dress]]
|Sword
|[[Susshi]]
|February 23, 2002
|November 16, 2002
|-
|22
|20
|[[Island of the Lost Warrior]]
|Tornado
|[[Tornadon]]
|March 2, 2002
|November 16, 2002
|-
|23
|21
|[[The Empty Nest Mess]]
| -
|Green Caterpillar Monster
|March 9, 2002
|November 23, 2002
|-
|24
|22
|[[Ninja Binge]] 
|[[Ninja]]
|[[Yamikage]]
|March 16, 2002
|November 23, 2002
|-
|25
|23
|[[Escargoon Rules]]
|Parasol
|[[Floaty the Drifter|Drifters]]
|March 23, 2002
|November 30, 2002
|-
|26
|24
|[[Hour of the WolfWrath]]
|[[Galaxia]]
|[[WolfWrath]]
|March 30, 2002
|November 30, 2002
|-
|27
|25
|[[The Flower Plot]]
|Cutter
|[[Lovely]]
|April 6, 2002
|December 7, 2002
|-
|28
|26
|[[Labor Daze]]
|Ice
|[[Ice Dragon Robot]]
|April 20, 2002
|December 7, 2002
|-
|29
|27
|[[A Spice Odyssey]]
|Cook
|[[Monsieur Goan]]
|April 27, 2002
|December 14, 2002
|-
|30
|28
|[[Hatch Me If You Can]]
|Fire
|[[Galbo]]
|May 4, 2002
|December 14, 2002
|-
|31
|30
|[[Abusement Park]]
|[[Mike]]
|[[Walky]]
|May 11, 2002
|February 1, 2003
|-
|32
|95
|[[A Dental Dilemma]]
|Tornado
|[[Hardy]]
|May 18, 2002
|September 23, 2006
|-
|33
|31
|[[Junk Jam]]
|Fire
|[[Fire Lion]]
|May 25, 2002
|February 1, 2003
|-
|34
|34
|[[A Recipe for Disaster]]
|Cook
|[[Cobgoblin]]
|June 1, 2002
|February 15, 2003
|-
|35
|32
|[[The Kirby Derby - Part I]]
| -
| -
|June 8, 2002
|February 8, 2003
|-
|36
|33
|[[The Kirby Derby - Part II]]
|[[Wheel]]
| -
|June 15, 2002
|February 8, 2003
|-
|37
|35
|[[Watermelon Felon]]
| -
| -
|June 22, 2002
|March 1, 2003
|-
|38
|44
|[[A Novel Approach]]
|[[Cleaning]]
|[[Broom King]]
|June 29, 2002
|June 21, 2003
|-
|39
|36
|[[Escar-Gone]]
| -
|[[Erasem]]
|July 6, 2002
|March 8, 2003
|-
|40
|37
|[[Monster Management]]
|Fighter
|[[Masher]], Mini-monster horde
|July 13, 2002
|March 15, 2003
|-
|41
|38
|[[Prediction Predicament - Part I]]
|Fire
|[[Fridgy]]
|July 20, 2002
|March 22, 2003
|-
|42
|39
|[[Prediction Predicament - Part II]]
| -
| -
|July 27, 2002
|March 29, 2003
|-
|43
|40
|[[Sheepwrecked]]
|Needle
|[[Amon]]
|August 3, 2002
|April 5, 2003
|-
|44
|41
|[[War of the Woods]]
|Cutter
| -
|August 10, 2002
|April 12, 2003
|-
|45
|52
|[[Scare Tactics - Part I]]
| -
|Particle ghost
|August 17, 2002
|October 25, 2003
|-
|46
|53
|[[Scare Tactics - Part II]]
|Fire
|Particle ghost, Shaabon, [[Gabon]]
|August 24, 2002
|November 1, 2003
|-
|47
|42
|[[Pink-Collar Blues]]
|Stone
|[[Domestic Servant Robot]]
|August 31, 2002
|April 19, 2003
|-
|48
|43
|[[Tourist Trap]]
|Fire, Ice
|[[Flame Feeder]]
|September 14, 2002
|April 26, 2003
|-
|49
|47
|[[Cartoon Buffoon]]
| -
| -
|September 21, 2002
|September 20, 2003
|-
|50
|48
|[[Don't Bank on It]]
| -
|[[Dedede Doll]]
|September 28, 2002
|September 27, 2003
|-
|51
|49
|[[Kirby Takes the Cake]]
|[[Bomb]]
|[[Dangerous Bomb]]
|October 5, 2002
|October 4, 2003
|-
|52
|45
|[[Snack Attack - Part I]]
| -
|Figure Monsters, [[Martial Arts All-Stars]]
|October 12, 2002
|September 6, 2003
|-
|53
|46
|[[Snack Attack - Part II]]
|Fighter
|Figure Monsters, [[Martial Arts All-Stars]]
|October 19, 2002
|September 13, 2003
|-
|54
|54
|[[One Crazy Knight]]
|[[Mirror]]
|[[Windwhipper]]
|October 26, 2002
|November 8, 2003
|-
|55
|55
|[[Sweet and Sour Puss]]
|Needle
|[[Togeira]]
|November 2, 2002
|November 15, 2003
|-
|56
|56
|[[Dedede's Pet Threat]]
|[[Hammer]]
|[[Scarfy]]
|November 9, 2002
|November 22, 2003
|-
|57
|57
|[[A Half-Baked Battle]]
|Bomb
|[[Belly Buster]]
|November 16, 2002
|November 29, 2003
|-
|58
|58
|[[eNeMeE Elementary]]
|Fighter
|[[Teacher Creature]]
|November 23, 2002
|December 6, 2003
|-
|59
|59
|[[The Meal Moocher]]
|Cook
|[[Garnie]]
|November 30, 2002
|December 13, 2003
|-
|60
|60
|[[Crusade for the Blade]]
|Sword, Galaxia
|[[Kirisakin]]
|December 7, 2002
|February 7, 2004
|-
|61
|61
|[[Fitness Fiend]]
|Mike
|[[Max Flexer]]
|December 14, 2002
|February 14, 2004
|-
|62
|62
|[[Mabel Turns the Tables]]
|Tornado
| -
|December 21, 2002
|February 21, 2004
|-
|63
|63
|[[Something to Sneeze At]]
| -
|[[Head Cold Monsters]]
|December 28, 2002
|February 28, 2004
|-
|64
|64
|[[The Kirby Quiz]]
| -
| -
|January 4, 2003
|March 6, 2004
|-
|65
|65
|[[Masher 2.0 (episode)|Masher 2.0]]
|Fighter
|[[Masher 2.0 (monster)|Masher 2.0]]
|January 11, 2003
|March 13, 2004
|-
|66
|66
|[[The Chill Factor]]
|Ice
| -
|January 18, 2003
|March 20, 2004
|-
|67
|67
|[[The School Scam]]
|Fighter
|[[Dirk, Kirk, and Smirk]]
|January 25, 2003
|March 27, 2004
|-
|68
|68
|[[Delivery Dilemma]]
|[[Jet]]
|[[Delivery Man]]
|February 1, 2003
|April 3, 2004
|-
|69
|69
|[[Trick or Trek]]
|Tornado
| -
|February 8, 2003
|April 10, 2004
|-
|70
|70
|[[Buccaneer Birdy]]
|Mirror
|[[Moggy (monster)|Moggy]]
|February 15, 2003
|April 17, 2004
|-
|71
|71
|[[A Whale of a Tale]]
| -
| -
|February 22, 2003
|April 24, 2004
|-
|72
|72
|[[Waddle While You Work]]
| -
| -
|March 1, 2003
|September 18, 2004
|-
|73
|73
|[[Dedede's Raw Deal]]
|[[Spark]]
|[[Squishy]]
|March 8, 2003
|September 25, 2004
|-
|74
|74
|[[Caterpillar Thriller]]
| -
|[[Mosugaba]]
|March 15, 2003
|October 2, 2004
|-
|75
|75
|[[Fossil Fools - Part I]]
| -
|[[Doctor Moro]], [[Chimera Dinosaurs|D-Rex]]
|March 22, 2003
|October 9, 2004
|-
|76
|76
|[[Fossil Fools - Part II]]
|[[Crash]]
|[[Doctor Moro]], [[Chimera Dinosaurs]], Syringe Mosquitoes
|March 29, 2003
|October 16, 2004
|-
|77
|77
|[[Dedede's Monsterpiece]]
|[[Paint]]
|[[Paint Roller]]
|April 5, 2003
|October 23, 2004
|-
|78
|78
|[[Right Hand Robot]]
|Bomb
|[[Escar-droid]]
|April 19, 2003
|October 30, 2004
|-
|79
|79
|[[Goin' Bonkers]]
|Hammer
|[[Bonkers|Monster Bonkers]]
|April 26, 2003
|November 6, 2004
|-
|80
|80
|[[Power Ploy]]
|Stone
|[[Red Viper]]
|May 3, 2003
|November 13, 2004
|-
|81
|81
|[[A Trashy Tale]]
|Cleaning
|[[Trash Basher]]
|May 10, 2003
|November 20, 2004
|-
|82
|82
|[[Cooking Up Trouble]]
|Spark
|[[SlicerDicer]]
|May 17, 2003
|November 27, 2004
|-
|83
|83
|[[Teacher's Threat]]
|Sword
|[[Rekketsu]]
|May 24, 2003
|December 4, 2004
|-
|84
|84
|[[Mumbies Madness]]
|Bomb
|[[Mumbies]]
|May 31, 2003
|December 11, 2004
|-
|85
|85
|[[A Sunsational Puzzle]]
|Jet, Bomb
|[[Ozomashii]]
|June 7, 2003
|December 18, 2004
|-
|86
|86
|[[A Chow Challenge]]
|Cook
|[[Ebifryer]]
|June 14, 2003
|May 28, 2005
|-
|87
|87
|[[Waste Management]]
|[[Wing]]
|[[Crowemon]]
|June 21, 2003
|June 4, 2005
|-
|88
|88
|[[Shell-Shocked]]
|Hammer
|[[Maimaigon]]
|June 28, 2003
|June 11, 2005
|-
|89
|89
|[[Tooned Out]]
|Spark
|[[Anige]]
|July 5, 2003
|June 18, 2005
|-
|90
|90
|[[Born to Be Mild - Part I]]
| -
| -
|July 12, 2003
|June 25, 2005
|-
|91
|91
|[[Born to Be Mild - Part II]]
|Wheel
|[[Wheelie]]
|July 19, 2003
|July 2, 2005
|-
|92
|92
|[[Hunger Struck]]
|Cook
|[[Fryclops]]
|July 26, 2003
|July 30, 2005
|-
|93
|93
|[[D'Preciation Day]]
|Parasol
|[[Chuckie]]
|August 2, 2003
|August 6, 2005
|-
|94
|96
|[[Cowardly Creature]]
|[[Throw]]
|[[Phan Phan]], Young Monsters of the Future, [[Whippy (monster)|Whippy]]
|August 9, 2003
|October 28, 2006
|-
|95
|97
|[[Frog Wild]]
|Fire
|[[Demon Frog]], [[Heavy Anaconda]]
|August 16, 2003
|November 4, 2006
|-
|96
|<span class="explain" title="Movie">50</span>
|[[Air-Ride-in-Style - Part I]]
| -
| -
|August 23, 2003
|October 11, 2003
|-
|97
|<span class="explain" title="Movie">51</span>
|[[Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II]]
|[[Baton]], [[Water]], [[Iron]], [[Top]], Crash
| -
|August 30, 2003
|October 18, 2003
|-
|98
|<span class="explain" title="Movie">98</span>
|[[Cappy Town Down]]
| Crash
| -
|September 13, 2003
|November 25, 2006
|-
|99
|<span class="explain" title="Movie">99</span>
|[[Combat Kirby]]
|Cook, Ice
|[[Heavy Lobster]]
|September 20, 2003
|December 2, 2006
|-
|100
|<span class="explain" title="Movie">100</span>
|[[Fright to the Finish]]
|Bomb, Fire, [[Star Rod]]
|[[eNeMeE]]
|September 27, 2003
|December 9, 2006
|-
|<span class="explain" title="Special">101</span>
|<span class="explain" title="Special">101</span>
|[[Kirby 3D]]
|Fire, [[Kabuki]]
|[[Lobzilla]]
|August 9, 2009
|January 14, 2012 (Volume 1)<br>January 24, 2012 (Volume 2)
|}

==Development==
===Outline===
As the ''Kirby'' series was still struggling in the West, it was decided that a ''Kirby'' animated series would be a good way to bring in new fans. ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was made as a joint project between HAL and Nintendo, using a newly-created company named "Warpstar, Inc." (which still exists and manages the ''Kirby'' brand in the present day). The main director and head writer was a veteran of animation, Sōji Yoshikawa. Kirby's creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]] drafted the original proposal and set many of the guidelines for the show,<ref name="staff"/> and also regularly reviewed the scripts to give his approval.<ref>{{cite book|quote=アニメ「星のカービィ』制作中のできごと（週刊ファミ通2003年9月12日号、9月19日号揭載）|book=桜井政博のゲームについて思うこと Think about the Video Games|publisher=エンターブレイン|page=65}}</ref> Many of the difficulties in creating an anime for Kirby were detailed in early interviews with Nintendo.

Sakurai set some requirements for the creators of the show: Kirby was not allowed to speak, and no humans were to appear in the show. Many people involved, including Sakurai, admitted that not having Kirby speak was quite a challenge. In addition, without humans, they had to come up with unique species and characters. Yoshikawa found the series unique among Japanese anime in this aspect, comparing it to works like ''[[wikipedia:Moomins|The Moomins]]'', a Finnish children's book series whose fantasy setting and characters gained great popularity in Japan following [[wikipedia:Moomin (1990 TV series)|a Dutch–Japanese anime adaptation]] that ran from 1990 to 1991.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20221111120837/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0110/kantoku/ Nintendo JP page containing the interview with Sōji Yoshikawa]</ref>

Another of Sakurai's intentions was that Kirby would seem "like a pet" until he gains a Copy Ability and can battle, after which not only do his powers change, but his personality does as well.<ref>[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/great/chara/ CBC page discussing Sakurai's vision of Kirby in the anime]</ref> His view for Kirby seems to be one of "hidden strength". Yoshikawa, meanwhile, had great visions for making the series widely accessible, using not only facets of the games, but references to culture and events from outside of the ''Kirby'' series. Examples can be seen in episodes that homage and parody popular media, from ''[[One Crazy Knight|Don Quixote]]'' to ''[[Caterpillar Thriller|Mothra]]'' to ''[[A Novel Approach|Harry Potter]]''.

===Animation===
[[File:KRBaY E001 Dedede finding star screenshot.png|thumb|200px|In order to save time on the animation process, many characters are often rendered in 3D rather than the traditional 2D methods that would be employed otherwise. In this scene, both King Dedede and Escargoon are portrayed using cel-shaded 3D models.]]
A particular emphasis was placed on the show's animation. Yoshikawa spoke of how the Japanese animation industry had reduced itself to shortcuts and cutting corners. He wanted to have animation where things could "be moved as much as we pleased". As such, they made the decision to use a mixture of traditional hand-drawn animation and 3D computer-generated animation. The use of 3D animation allowed the staff to save time and budget when animating complex designs, and in particular allowed them to give Kirby a smooth and "squishy" feeling to his movements and expressions, tying in to his appearance in the video games and increasing his cutesy appeal.<ref>[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/great/action/ Nintendo JP page discussing Kirby's animation and rendering in the anime]</ref><ref>[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/great/anime/ Nintendo JP page discussing the animation techniques and software]</ref>

Because of this, they were able to focus far more on creating lively, smooth animation for the characters. The frame rate of the show is two to three times greater than most contemporary anime (about 10,000 frames are used in each episode, compared to the 4,000–5,000 used by most anime on TV).<ref>[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/great/kantoku/ Nintendo JP page discussing the animation discussing the frame count]</ref> Even with the length of the series, the animation improves noticeably as it goes on, likely due to the animators refining their techniques. Cost-cutting 3D renders of characters like King Dedede and Escargoon are gradually used less often, while other renders of characters such as [[Dyna Blade]] become more detailed and fluid.

Notably, certain episodes serve to satirize the animation industry, and resort to [[fourth wall]]-breaking jokes and references in order to do so. In [[Cartoon Buffoon]], the main cast of the show are essentially tasked with re-creating the first episode with limited time and experience, lampooning the often cutthroat nature of the industry; in [[Tooned Out]], issues relating to the use of CGI to supplant traditional animation techniques as well as ''[[Wikipedia:Moe (slang)|moe]]'' and ''[[Wikipedia:Otaku|otaku]]'' culture are explored.

===Music===
[[File:KAR Checker Knights Sample.oga|thumb|Sample of one of the tracks composed for the anime in the Japanese version, titled [[Air Ride: Checker Knights|"Strong Star Warrior"]]. This song would later be used in ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''.]]
The music used for the anime in the Japanese version was largely composed and arranged by [[Akira Miyagawa]], best known for working on the ''[[wikipedia:Space Battleship Yamato|Space Battleship Yamato]]'' franchise alongside his father, Hiroshi Miyagawa. Additional arrangements of music from the ''Kirby'' series were provided by [[HAL Laboratory]] sound staff [[Jun Ishikawa]], [[Hirokazu Ando]], and [[Shogo Sakai]].

Miyagawa's contributions to the soundtrack were mostly recorded with a live orchestra, and select tracks can be heard on the album release ''[[TV Anime Kirby of the Stars Original Soundtrack]]''. His compositions are generally original pieces, which use their own distinctive motifs associated with the characters and the setting.

Ishikawa, Ando, and Sakai's  contributions to the soundtrack were mostly synthesized, and select tracks can be heard on the album release ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sound Plus]]''. Their compositions are less tied to creating a distinctive sound palette for the animation, and instead serve to tie its musical identity back to the ''Kirby'' games, such as ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'', and ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''.

Because the anime was still airing during the development of ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'', many songs composed for the game are also used in the anime, and vice versa. Later games still occasionally use songs from the anime, with an example being [[Mosugaba]]'s theme appearing in ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''.

In addition, there were several distinct theme songs composed for the anime. In the Japanese version, the songs "[[Kirby ★ March]]" and "[[Kihon wa Maru]]" were used as the opening and closing theme for episodes 1–71, and the songs "[[Kirby! (opening theme)|Kirby!]]" and "[[Kirby ☆ Step!]]" were used as the opening and closing themes for episodes 72–100. In the English 4Kids version, the [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (song)|"Kirby: Right Back at Ya!" song]] is used throughout the whole series for the intro and outro, which is also the case in most other foreign dubs of the series. The Chinese dub used the same songs as the Japanese version, while the Italian dub had [[Kirby (Italian opening theme)|its own theme song]] during the first half of its broadcast.

===English dub===
{{multiple image
|align=right
|width=150
|direction=horizontal
|footer=There were several changes made to the show when it was localized by 4Kids Entertainment into English. One of the more noteworthy examples was changing the paint job of King Dedede's [[Armored Vehicle]] from a military-style camo (left) to a more toy-like orange and red (right).
|image1 = KRBaY Armored Vehicle Japanese.png
|image2 = KRBaY Armored Vehicle 4Kids.png
}}
The English dub of ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was produced by 4Kids Entertainment.

Several visual edits were made to the English version, including changing the color of King Dedede's [[Armored Vehicle]], removing Japanese and most English text from signs and other objects, turning King Dedede's chainsaw into a laser chainsaw, and removing scenes where guns are fired. Additionally, scenes featuring references to alcohol consumption would commonly be cut from the English airing, as well as many scenes where the child characters are subjected to harm. Further, several otherwise non-notable scenes are often cut presumably to shorten the run-time, which tends to cut some incidental characters out of episodes altogether.

Dialogue changes include rewording and altering the Japanese script, and changing the names of several characters and meanings, such as "Fumu" to "Tiff". Notably, Kirby's lines are often left unaltered, but much of his dialogue where he says real words are replaced with more utterances of "poyo". This is particularly notable during battles, as he no longer shouts the names of [[Copy Ability]] attacks as he uses them.

Lastly, the English dub uses a completely different musical soundtrack than the original Japanese, of which a lot less is known. Generally speaking, music in the English dub is much more omnipresent — often playing in moments that had no music in the original version — while at the same time being less distinct, and in particular, lacking references to the music of the games.

Almost all further dubs of the show — such as the Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Korean dubs — use the 4Kids English dub as the base for both visuals and audio, and as such feature the same changes from said dub. The sole exception to this is the Chinese dub, which uses the Japanese visuals and audio as the base.

==Distribution==
[[File:Nintendo Power 158 July 2002 32.jpg|thumb|200px|''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was a main focus of the official Kirby "megasite" kirbygames.com (renamed kirbykirbykirby.com when it launched).]]
''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was initially aired on CBC TV in Japan from 2001 to 2003. The English 4Kids version was aired in North America on Fox Box from 2002 to 2006. Over the course of its initial run-time in Japan, the United States and Canada, several collections of episodes were released on VHS, DVD, or both. In Japan, all 100 episodes were released on VHS across 34 volumes, with the first 36 and episode 49 also available on DVD. In North America, only 23 select episodes were released on DVD with 9 of them seeing VHS releases.

The most notable North American home video release is ''[[Kirby: Fright to the Finish]]'', which combines the last five episodes of the show into a feature-length production and includes [[Hour of the WolfWrath]] as a bonus feature. In addition, 4Kids Entertainment published three volumes of the series with three episodes each on VHS and DVD in North America: ''[[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]'' (episodes 1-[[Kirby's Duel Role|3]]), ''[[A Dark & Stormy Knight]]'' (episodes 4-[[Un-Reality TV|6]]), and ''[[Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure]]'' (episodes 7-[[The Fofa Factor|9]]).<ref name="fandomrml">[https://retromedialibrary.fandom.com/wiki/Kirby:_Right_Back_at_Ya!_DVDs_and_Videos Twilight Sparkle's Retro Media Library (FANDOM)]. Retrieved 21 November 2023.</ref> Other North American DVDs released include ''Kirby's Adventures in Cappy Town'' (episodes 1-7), ''[[Cappy New Year]] & Other Kirby Adventures'' (episodes [[Curio's Curious Discovery|8]]-[[The Pillow Case|14]]), ''[[Cook|Cook Kirby]]'' (episodes [[A Spice Odyssey|29]] and [[The Big Taste Test|11]]) and ''[[Ice|Ice Kirby]]'' (episodes [[The Chill Factor|66]] and [[Dedede's Snow Job|20]]).<ref name="fandomrml" />

The official 4Kids Entertainment website at 4kids.tv (formerly at foxbox.tv) and the official North American ''Kirby'' series website at kirbykirbykirby.com both featured ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' content prominently during the show's run.<ref>The earliest Wayback Machine screenshots of [https://web.archive.org/web/20021001083803/http://www.kirbykirbykirby.com/nonflash.html kirbykirbykirby.com], [https://web.archive.org/web/20020927043202/http://www.foxbox.tv/ foxbox.tv], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20050131033323/http://4kids.tv/kirby/ 4kids.tv] prominently use the show's branding. [https://web.archive.org/web/20030724115648/http://www.foxbox.tv/kirby/ The Fox Box's ''Kirby'' subpage] redirected to kirbykirbykirby.com until it moved to 4kids.tv in 2005.</ref> ''Kirby'' content appears to have been removed from 4kids.tv in 2010.<ref>While [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202040642/http://www.4kids.tv/show/kirby captures from 2008] are more complete, 4kids.tv retained ''Kirby'' content [https://web.archive.org/web/20090930145215/http://4kids.tv/show/kirby as late as 2009.] The site was redesigned in 2010 according to Wayback Machine screenshots, and captures of its ''Kirby'' section from this period [https://web.archive.org/web/20100301194525/http://www.4kids.tv/show/kirby lead to a 404 page]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20101103063754/http://www.4kids.tv/ the redesigned home page] no longer lists ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' as one of its shows.</ref> The official ''Kirby'' website remained at kirbykirbykirby.com, from the lyrics to the dub's [[Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (song)|theme song]], even after the show ended and the website rebranded to promote other games in the series (i.e. ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]'' and ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'').<ref>For example, [https://web.archive.org/web/20081102074517/http://www.kirbykirbykirby.com/ the official Flash site for ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''] remains on the Wayback Machine archive as kirbykirbykirby.com.</ref> kirbykirbykirby.com became a redirect to kirby.nintendo.com in 2011, and Nintendo let the original domain lapse in 2022; kirbykirbykirby.com currently redirects to an unofficial website featuring ''Kirby'' wallpapers.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110828034418/http://kirbykirbykirby.com/ According to the Wayback Machine,] kirbykirbykirby.com became a redirect in August of 2011, which aligns with the creation of the official ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' website. [https://web.archive.org/web/20220501000000*/kirbykirbykirby.com The Wayback Machine's timeline of kirbykirbykirby.com in 2022] shows a lapse in activity between May (where the site redirects to the official ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'' website) and September (where the site redirects to wallpapers.com/kirby), suggesting that the domain expired by June and was subsequently purchased by wallpapers.com by September.</ref>

After the show's initial airing, a special [[Wii]] channel was made for Europe and Australia called the [[Kirby TV Channel]], which streamed episodes of the show on a weekly rotation. Through the channel's English run, 50 of the show's 100 episodes were made available up to [[Kirby Takes the Cake]], while [[A Novel Approach]] was left out. From Summer 2009 to April 2012, the Japanese Wii no Ma channel aired all 100 episodes in addition to the bonus [[Kirby 3D]] episode, each available for 100 Wii Points.

Three episodes from the show are available to watch in the extra features of ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]''. These episodes are [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]], [[Crusade for the Blade]], and [[Waddle While You Work]], which prominently feature Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede and his Waddle Dees.

Several episodes from the show were also available to watch on the Nintendo Anime Channel on European and Australian [[Nintendo 3DS]] systems from February 13, 2015 to October 31, 2018.<ref>[https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Nintendo-3DS-Family/Download-Content/Nintendo-Anime-Channel/Nintendo-Anime-Channel-947961.html Nintendo Anime Channel page on Nintendo of Europe website]</ref>

The ''[[Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box]]'', an HD remaster box set of the series on Blu-ray, was announced at the [[Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival]], and released on March 14th, 2023.<ref name="HD remaster release date">https://twitter.com/HAL_Laboratory/status/1603587202591911936</ref> All episodes have been remastered in HD for the box set, but have not been modified otherwise (i.e. they are still presented in full screen).<ref>[https://twitter.com/Kirby_JP/status/1557674125149491200 Kirby JP Twitter announcement]</ref> Pre-orders opened on December 15th and ended on January 23rd, 2023. The first print run sold out so quickly that a second print run began during the pre-order period, set to ship in late April 2023. The box set includes all 100 episodes spread across 10 Blu-ray discs, a 100-page booklet filled with anecdotes about the anime's production, all of the storyboards for episode 1, the English version of episode 1, the original [[Kirby of the Stars Pilot]], textless versions of both sets of opening and closing animations, the [[Kirby 3D]] episode, 17 of the "Pupupu Tsushin" segments aired during the original broadcast, and an acrylic ''Kirby'' series calendar as a purchase bonus.<ref>https://www.valuemall.jp/SHOP/KBXI-00015-24.html</ref>

<gallery>
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box main box.jpg|Main box from the ''[[Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box]]'', which holds the smaller disc boxes
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box disc box 1.jpg|First disc box from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box'', which holds discs 1 through 5
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box disc box 2.jpg|Second disc box from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box'', which holds discs 6 through 10
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box disc set 1.jpg|First disc set (discs 1 - 5) from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box''
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box disc set 2.jpg|Second disc set (discs 6 - 10) from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box''
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box special booklet.jpg|"Special Booklet" from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box''
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box storyboard book.jpg|Storyboard book from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box'', containing all the storyboards for [[Kirby Comes to Cappy Town]]
KRBaY Kirby of the Stars HD Remaster Version Whole Complete Box acrylic calendar.jpg|Acrylic calendar from the ''Kirby of the Stars HD Remastered Edition All-Round Complete Box'', included as a purchase bonus
</gallery>

==Legacy==
[[File:Kirby Quest KMA Chapter 2 7.png|thumb|150px|Characters and other elements from the anime are known to occasionally pop up in games. Shown is the monster [[Max Flexer]] making a cameo appearance in the ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' [[Sub-Game]] [[Kirby Quest]].]]
Elements from the anime series would go on to influence the main video game series, in addition to some smaller references. The more notable of these are as follows:
*Music from the Japanese version of the anime would later be used in ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' and would appear to a lesser extent in later games, including ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'' and ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]''.
*Kirby's modern design is heavily influenced by the anime, and he has also been heard saying "poyo" in ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', ''Kirby Mass Attack'' and ''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''.
*[[Meta Knight]]'s signature sword, [[Galaxia]], was introduced in the anime, though it has been re-designed somewhat since then.
*Castle Dedede would appear with its anime design in ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]'', ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn]]'', and ''Kirby Mass Attack''.
**The [[Monster Delivery System]] appears in the background during the fight with King Dedede in ''Kirby: Squeak Squad''.
*[[Escargoon]], the [[N.M.E. Sales Guy]], [[Chef Shiitake]], [[Captain Waddle Doo]], and [[Max Flexer]] cameo in some of the ''Kirby Mass Attack'' [[Sub-Game]]s.
*The [[Halberd]] owes some of its modern look to its portrayal in the anime.
*King Dedede acts similarly to his anime incarnation in ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''.
*[[Octacon]] would cameo as a painting drawn by [[Adeleine]] in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''.
*[[Demon Frog|Devil Kirby]] makes a cameo appearance in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' if the Soul Melter difficulty is selected in [[The Ultimate Choice]].
*Banjō Ginga, who voices [[eNeMeE]] in the Japanese version of the anime, would go on to voice [[Parallel Nightmare]] in ''[[Super Kirby Clash]]''. Likewise, Meta Knight and [[Knuckle Joe]] retain their Japanese voice actors from the anime in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]].

==Trivia==
*''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' were released during the time the anime was originally on the air. As such, the two games share many aspects with the anime.
**Much of the official artwork for ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'' is inspired by the anime, including the game's box art, as well as a commercial animated in the same style.
**''Kirby Air Ride'' uses some music tracks from the Japanese version of the anime (such as the theme for [[Checker Knights]]), and in return, three of the episodes from the anime's series finale include [[Air Ride Machine]]s from the game.
*''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was planned for release on [[Game Boy Advance]] through [[wikipedia:Game Boy Advance Video|Game Boy Advance Video]], but it never materialized, with press releases being the only evidence of its existence.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060614222659/http://www.4kidsentertainment.com/docs/news/2003-0513.pdf 4Kids press release for GBA-TV]; [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EXWJD3EUEAAxFxU?format=jpg&name=4096x4096 Licensing Show 2003 promotional flyer]</ref>
*A trailer for ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' was included on the bonus disc that came with preorders for ''[[mariowiki:Mario Kart: Double Dash!!#Bonus disc|Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' The trailer starts off with ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'' before transitioning to footage of ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''.
*Of the main cast of the show, there are only five characters who have perfect attendance through every episode (not counting the Pilot). These characters are [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]], [[Tiff]], [[Tuff]], [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]], and [[Escargoon]].
*Over the course of the show, many characters and enemies from the main ''Kirby'' games show up in the anime to varying degrees. Notably, despite the game's release prior to the show's production, no characters or enemies specific to ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'' show up in the anime.

==Gallery==
{{Main|Kirby: Right Back at Ya!/gallery}}

==Names in other languages==
{{Names
|ja={{furi|星|ほし}}のカービィ
|jaR=Hoshi no Kābyi
|jaM=Kirby of the Stars
|ko=별의 커비
|koR=byeol-ui keobi
|koM=Kirby of the Stars
|de=Kirby
|deM=-
|fr=Kirby
|frM=-
|it=Kirby
|itM=-
|pt=Kirby
|ptM=-
|es=Kirby
|esM=-
|zh=星之卡比
|zhR=Xīngzhī Kǎbǐ
|zhM=Kirby of the Stars
}}

==External links==
*[https://hicbc.com/tv/kirby/ Official CBC website] (Japanese)
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050304061238/http://4kids.tv/kirby/ Official 4KidsTV webpage] (archived)
*[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0110/index.html Nintendo Online Magazine - Issue 039, October 2001], production report

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