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Meta Knight

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Meta Knight
File:Meta Knight Allies.png
Official artwork of Meta Knight from Kirby Star Allies
Details
First appearance Kirby's Adventure
Latest appearance Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn
Super Kirby Clash (cameo)
Other appearance(s) (click to navigate)
Similar Dark Meta Knight
Galacta Knight
Morpho Knight
Parallel Meta Knight
Theme music

Clip of "My Friend and the Sunset" from Kirby Super Star

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This darkness must meet my sword!
— Meta Knight, Kirby Star Allies

Meta Knight (also referred to as Meta-Knight) is a small round blue masked swordsman with wings who serves as a recurring character in the Kirby series; first appearing in Kirby's Adventure. He is a mysterious figure, and his backstory is not clearly shown in any games. The Template:Installments he appears in usually feature him as a boss, though there are instances where he and Kirby team up. Though most of his schemes originate from arguably good intentions, the way he tries to accomplish his goals are often very extreme, and poorly understood by others. Meta Knight is also the leader of a band of warriors, known simply as the Meta-Knights, and his base of operations appears to be a giant warship, named Halberd.

Along with King Dedede and the Waddle Dees, Meta Knight serves as one of the most recognizable characters in the Kirby series. Despite this fame, he was not very prevalent in the early days of the series, making his only major appearances in titles like Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star (He is notably absent from the Dark Matter Trilogy, for instance). However, he would become much more prevalent in the series following his role in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, becoming playable for the first time in the Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Extra Game Meta Knightmare. He would appear more regularly in the series from that point onward, and would often be playable. Meta Knight is famous for his expert swordsmanship, and combined with his unparalleled aerial mobility, he is a force to be reckoned with. He wields the Galaxia sword, which is a powerful mythical blade in the anime series, and carries some of that mystique to the main series as well.

Physical Appearance

Meta Knight appears as a blue, roundish creature, with a physique similar to that of Kirby. His most prominent feature is a heavy silver mask, which was what made his eyes glow a bright yellow in past games. He also wears purple shoes, metal shoulder base plates, and a purple cape, which he can transform into two large bat wings. He is often seen wielding his trademark sword, the Galaxia. This legendary blade has no flanges on the sides in some games, while in others it does. When Meta Knight is defeated, his mask usually splits in two and comes off, revealing a face similar to Kirby's, except blue and without cheek blush. In earlier games, his eyes were white and he did have cheek blush, but this was changed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, and later appeared in Kirby: Planet Robobot and subsequent games. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the mask is shown to give his eyes a yellow tint, as Kirby's blue eyes turn green when he wears it after copying him. The reason behind the color change was addressed on September 7, 2016, during the 3rd and final Ask-a-Thon. There was a limit of number of colors at the time that could be used due to technical limitations. White was chosen because "it stood out more". HAL was concerned about fan reactions but decided to go yellow for design/aesthetic purposes of his 3D model.

In games where he speaks, he is shown to have a deep voice and can talk in full sentences, which makes a sharp contrast to the usual depiction of Kirby.

Personality

Meta Knight is what can be described as a passionate swordsman, and a well-intended extremist. He features a quite combative personality, and is constantly striving to be the best sword fighter in Dream Land. This is shown in Kirby Super Star Ultra, where he wishes to best Galacta Knight, the 'Greatest Warrior in the Galaxy'. He also seems to despise laziness, as shown by his attempt to take over Dream Land in Kirby Super Star. Meta Knight is very well known for following a stern warrior codex, and when he challenges someone, he is usually looking for a fair and equal match. Whenever Kirby has to fight him for different reasons, he provides him with a sword for protection, and insists that Kirby uses it. Meta Knight also has a habit to conceal his face for unknown reasons. Whenever his mask breaks during a fight, he hides his face in his cape, and instantly leaves the battle field.

Meta Knight appears to be quite prideful and relies heavily upon his image as a stern and mysterious swordsman (which would explain why he hides his cute face). Despite his desired image, however, he is often brash and short-tempered. In the spin-off title of Kirby Battle Royale for instance, one of the Channel PPP Crew members remarks that Meta Knight has a tendency to curse when he is stressed out during the games (though obviously the player doesn't hear this happening). Additionally in Kirby Star Allies, Meta Knight will lose his temper if Kirby refuses to pick up the Sword given to him before his boss fight (causing Meta Knight to kick the sword away instead of brandishing his own).

Game Appearances

Meta Knight's video game appearances  
Game Role Notes
Kirby series
Kirby's Adventure Supporting antagonist and boss Will sometimes assist Kirby by tossing him an Invincible Candy, but is fought as a boss in Orange Ocean.
Kirby's Avalanche Supporting antagonist and boss
Kirby Super Star Secondary antagonist and boss Main antagonist and final boss of Revenge of Meta Knight, and an opponent in Samurai Kirby.
Kirby's Super Star Stacker Supporting antagonist and boss
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Supporting antagonist, playable character, and boss As this is a remake of Adventure, he has the same role here as he did in that game. Meta Knight is also the protagonist and sole playable character in Meta Knightmare.
Kirby Air Ride Playable character
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Supporting protagonist Dark Meta Knight takes Meta Knight's likeness for the majority of the game.
Kirby: Canvas Curse Playable character
Kirby: Squeak Squad Secondary antagonist and boss While ultimately trying to prevent Kirby from freeing Dark Nebula, he is fought late in the game due to a misunderstanding.
Kirby Super Star Ultra Secondary antagonist, playable character, and boss As this game is a remake of Super Star, his roles from that game are reused. In addition, he serves as the protagonist and sole playable character of Meta Knightmare Ultra.
Kirby's Epic Yarn Secondary antagonist and boss Controlled by Yin-Yarn during his fight.
Kirby Mass Attack Secondary antagonist and boss Appears only in Sub-Games such as Strato Patrol EOS and Kirby Quest.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Supporting protagonist and playable character
Kirby's Dream Collection Roles vary between games
Kirby: Triple Deluxe Cameo Appears as a keychain. Additionally, Dark Meta Knight from Amazing Mirror returns.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Cameo Appears as a collectible figurine, and in one of the Secret Diary pages.
Kirby: Planet Robobot Supporting protagonist, playable character, and boss Controlled by Susie for most of the game under the form Mecha Knight. Additionally, he is the protagonist and sole playable character in Meta Knightmare Returns.
Kirby Battle Royale Secondary antagonist, playable character, and boss
Kirby Star Allies Supporting protagonist, playable character, and boss Initially controlled by the Jamba Heart, but joins Kirby's side as a Dream Friend once defeated.
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn Supporting antagonist, boss, and playable character As this is a port of Epic Yarn, his role from that game is reused. Additionally, he appears as the sole playable character in the sub-game Slash & Bead.
Super Kirby Clash Cameo Meta Knight can be seen in the background of the Port Village after a sufficient amount of progress has been made in the game.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Melee Cameo Appears as a trophy.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Playable character Meta Knight also has a role in the story mode.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U Playable character
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Playable character Meta Knight also has a role in the story mode.
Other appearances
Super Mario Maker Reference Mario can use a special item to take on Meta Knight's 8-bit appearance in courses.
Yoshi's Woolly World Reference Yoshi can take on Meta Knight's appearance by tapping his amiibo.
BYE-BYE BOXBOY! Reference Qbby can take on Meta Knight's appearance if the player uses Meta Knight's amiibo.

Kirby's Adventure / Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land

Meta Knight makes his first appearance in Kirby's Adventure, later reappearing in its remake, Nightmare in Dream Land. During the game, he is one of King Dedede's friends, who guard the seven pieces of the Star Rod in order to seal away Nightmare. He can be seen in several instances before Kirby gets the chance to fight him, though. Meta Knight appears in several levels, where he directs his minions, the Meta-Knights, to fight Kirby. In the boss stage of Orange Ocean, Meta Knight himself decides to challenge Kirby to a duel, throwing a sword that Kirby must pick up, to get the Sword ability. Kirby must make full use of this ability here in order to succeed.

Main article: Meta Knightmare

Meta Knight also appears as a playable character in the Meta Knightmare sub-game of Nightmare in Dream Land. He, as always, uses his sword instead of copy abilities. Interestingly, Meta Knight faces himself in Orange Ocean, instead of being replaced by another character to be the boss for the level.

It is notable that Meta Knight's body hue appears to be black in the original game, as opposed to his usual blue Template:Colour.

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra

File:KSS RevengeOfMetaKnight01.png
Meta Knight as seen in the Revenge Of Meta Knight opening scene.

Meta Knight reappears as an antagonist in the game Kirby Super Star, and its remake, where he has an entire sub-game dedicated to him, called Revenge of Meta Knight. The central point of this game is the warship Halberd, which Meta Knight utiliTemplate:Zes to conquer Dream Land; in order to end the inhabitants' lazy lifestyles. After having been seen during numerous cutscenes, Meta Knight finally engages Kirby in a duel, reminiscent of their duel in Kirby's Adventure. Kirby manages to defeat him, though, and the Halberd is short of being destroyed. While Kirby tries to escape from the descending warship on a Wheelie, Meta Knight makes one last effort to stop Kirby by attacking him in anger. This fails however, and the Halberd plummets into the ocean.

Meta Knight's moves in Revenge of Meta Knight

Meta Knight's boss battle in Revenge of Meta Knight introduced his several trademark moves in the series, including:

  • Mach Tornado - Meta Knight turns himself into a tornado, which cannot be guarded. If Kirby is hit by the tornado, he will be thrown into the air and take damage when crashing onto the ground. This would later become Meta Knight's neutral special move in the Super Smash Bros. series.
  • Tornado Slash/Summon - Sometimes simplied called Tornado. Meta Knight requires charging to use this move. After releasing his charge, he stabs his sword into the ground to summon a giant unguardable tornado. Like Mach Tornado, Kirby will be thrown into the air and take crash damage when hit by the giant tornado. This move has since appeared on various Meta Knight-esque bosses, such as Dark Meta Knight and Galacta Knight.
  • Glide Sword - Meta Knight performs a quick glide to thrust his sword at Kirby. In older games, Meta Knight requires charging to perform this. In modern games, this move, when used by Meta Knight-esque bosses, is in a similar fashion to Shuttle Loop of Wing Kirby. When Meta Knight is a playable character in modern games, he replaces it with Shuttle Loop directly.
  • Crescent Shot - Meta Knight fires a cresent-shaped energy wave from his sword. Meta Knight's Crecent Shot is green-colTemplate:Oured in the original Kirby Super Star but has become yellow-colTemplate:Oured to match the color of his Galaxia sword since its remake Kirby Super Star Ultra (and remains so in Kirby Star Allies). The Crescent Shots from Meta Knight-esque bosses are usually in different colTemplate:Ours instead.

Meta Knightmare Ultra

Main article: Meta Knightmare Ultra

Exclusively in Kirby Super Star Ultra is a game mode called Meta Knightmare Ultra, where rather than playing Kirby, Meta Knight is played through a run-through of the stages of Spring Breeze, The Great Cave Offensive, Revenge of Meta Knight, and Milky Way Wishes.

Meta Knight's Moveset in Meta Knightmare Ultra  
Standard moveset
Skill Button Execution Skill Button Execution
Meta Chop
B
Knight Spin
Dash + B in air
Knight Beam
B at full health
Meta Chop and Thrust
B in air
Meta Upper
B after Meta Chop
Down Thrust
↓ + B in air
Meta Multithrust
B B B
Up Thrust
↑ + B
Lunging Slice
Dash + B
Shuttle Loop
↓ + ↑ + 1
Knight Spin
Dash + 1 in midair
Knight Call / Release
X
Touch screen moves
Skill Cost Skill Cost
Meta Quick
8 pts.
Heal
10 pts
Knight Call
2 pts.
Mach Tornado
30 pts.

Kirby Air Ride

Main article: Meta Knight (Kirby Air Ride)

Meta Knight makes a relatively minor appearance in Kirby Air Ride as an unlockable character who can be selected as a machine in the game's Air Ride mode. Unlike Kirby, he cannot inhale enemies, nor copy their abilities, and cannot boost. However, he effectively always has the Sword and Wing abilities, gaining all their benefits, and drawbacks at all times.

Aside from his role as a playable character, Meta Knight makes a momentary appearance confronting Kirby during the game's opening sequence.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror

See also: Dark Meta Knight

Meta Knight appears again in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, where he has arguably one of his most major roles in the Kirby series to date. In the intro, he is seen flying into the Mirror World after sensing danger in there. However, once he reaches the Mirror World, he encounters an evil version of himself, Dark Meta Knight. Meta Knight and his doppleganger briefly have a duel, but Dark Meta Knight ends up triumphing due to his fighting prowess, and throws Meta Knight into a giant mirror, leading him into Dark Meta Knight's world. He then slashes the mirror into several fragments, which then get scattered across the Mirror World, and changes his appearance so that he appears exactly like Meta Knight. When Kirby and his clones reach the penultimate level, they appear to encounter Meta Knight (who is commonly found as the boss of penultimate levels in other Kirby games), and defeat him. However, when his mask falls off, it reveals a dark version of Meta Knight's true form (regularly a blue Kirby). Later in the game, when Kirby and his clones find all the mirror shards, and enter the mirror, they again see Meta Knight, ready to battle. However, the real Meta Knight emerges, and reveals the other to be a dark version. Kirby and his clones battle, and eventually defeat, Dark Meta Knight, then get sucked into a portal, which Meta Knight then proceeds to throw his sword into before it disappears. When the Kirbies approach Dark Mind, the final boss of the game, they find Galaxia plunged into the ground nearby. Touching it grants the user the Master ability, the most powerful in the game. Unlike other final battle abilities in the Kirby series, however, it is not necessary. After Dark Mind is defeated, Meta Knight is seen flying back home with the other Kirbies. On his way, he drops Galaxia (or possibly a copy of it) down into the Mirror World so that its inhabitants can use it in times of need.

Meta Knight also appears, possibly non-canonically, when Kirby gets the Magic ability. There is a slight chance that Kirby will land on Galaxia, which then summons Meta Knight to destroy all the enemies in the room. However, because Meta Knight is trapped in the mirror throughout the entire game, it is possible that this is a copy or a clone.

Kirby: Canvas Curse

While not formally appearing during the game, Meta Knight can be an unlockable Character Ball. He is the fastest and bounciest character, but also with the lowest health, only having three "bars". He, like Waddle Dee and King Dedede, can use only the dash attack, instead of Copy Abilities, in a similar way to how he was playable in Nightmare in Dream Land. When he collides with a stunned enemy or while dashing, a sword sound effect is heard.

Kirby: Squeak Squad

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Meta Knight makes a surprise appearance, taking the treasure chest Kirby got from defeating Daroach. Kirby can only reach the level he is found in by finding the five Star Seals. He is fought as the boss of the Secret Sea, with many moves from previous games with more attacks on his arsenal, such as unleashing a fire blast. After he is defeated, his mask once again falls off, revealing his face underneath. It is later revealed he took the treasure chest to prevent Dark Nebula, the lord of the underworld and final boss of the game, from being released.

Kirby's Epic Yarn/Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn

Main article: Meta Knight (Kirby's Epic Yarn)
File:KEYMetaKnight.png
Artwork of Yarn Meta Knight.
This space guardian fell under Yin-Yarn's spell! Luckily, it all worked out!
— Patch Plaza description

Meta Knight once again appears, this time in Kirby's Epic Yarn (and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn). He isn't seen until late in the game, where he is found on the battleship Halberd, wondering why Dream Land is starting to look like Patch Land. Yin-Yarn suddenly appears, and sucks up Meta Knight with his sock. He is not seen after that until he is revealed to be the boss of Space Land, under Yin-Yarn's control. His fighting style is similar to his previous appearances, attacking with various sword techniques and using tornadoes. None of any of the four swords he wields are Galaxia, but the final sword (the red one) seems to be an equivalent. Later, after he is defeated, Yin-Yarn's spell is broken. Meta Knight then returns home to Dream Land via Fluff's sock, along with Kirby, Fluff, and King Dedede.

Also, during the final boss, after Yin-Yarn is turned into Mega Yin-Yarn, Meta Knight flies in and drops a Metamortex, turning Kirby into the Tankbot to fight Mega Yin-Yarn.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land

Meta Knight appears as a playable character in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, along with Kirby, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee. He is seen in the introductory cut scene reading a book in the grass under a knoll, while King Dedede and Waddle Dee chase Kirby, carrying a piece of cake. A mysterious ship, the Lor Starcutter exits a wormhole, and crashes, leading to the four of them investigating. Upon entering the ship, they meet an alien, Magolor, who apparently needs help finding its missing ship parts. Kirby volunteers to help, and the rest, including Meta Knight, assist Kirby in finding the ship parts.

After they find the ship parts, Magolor brings the four to his homeworld Halcandra, where he requests that Landia be defeated; however, after Landia is defeated Magolor is revealed to be evil and escapes to the Another Dimension. In a cut scene depicting this event, Meta Knight is shown using his skills with his sword to attempt to fend off Magolor's attacks while pursuing him, but eventually falls to the battlefield to fight him instead.

Gameplay-wise, Meta Knight uses his sword to fight. His fighting style is almost identical to Sword Kirby's abilities, and appears to be similar to his techniques in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Meta Knight also uses his wings to fly similar in fashion to Wing Kirby.

Meta Knight's Moveset in Kirby's Return to Dream Land  
Skill Button Execution Skill Button Execution
Overhead Slash
1
Down Thrust
↓ + 1 in midair
Knight Beam
1 with full health
Up Thrust
↑ + 1
Meta Triple Slash
1 twice after Overhead Slash
Meta Spin Slash
Hold 1, release
Meta Multithrust
1 after Meta Triple Slash
Meta Condor Dive
Dash + ↓ + 1 in midair
Piercing Slash
Dash + 1
Shuttle Loop
↓ + ↑ + 1
Knight Spin
Dash + 1 in midair
Underwater Spin
1 underwater
Meta Chop
1 in midair

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Meta Knight himself does not appear in this game, but his likeness can be found in one of Kirby's Stone transformations, along with King Dedede and Bandana Waddle Dee. Additionally, many varying Keychains of him can be collected. Finally, his dark alternate dimension doppelganger, Dark Meta Knight, appears as the final boss of DededeTour!, as Dark Meta Knight's Revenge.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

While Meta Knight himself does not appear in this game, there is a collectible Figurine depicting him. His absence is explained in the Play Nintendo comic In the Name of Fashion, where he and King Dedede are revealed to have lost their colors at the beginning of the game.[1]

Kirby: Planet Robobot

File:Robobot MK Opening.jpg
Meta Knight takes heed of the approaching invasion.

In the opening cutscene, Meta Knight, standing silently and wrapped in his cloak up to that point, notices as a giant spaceship piloted by the Haltmann Works Company approaches Pop Star. He promptly sends the Halberd after it to try and deter them, but is shot down before he can even begin the attack.

Main article: Mecha Knight
Main article: Mecha Knight+

Later, it is revealed that Meta Knight was captured by the company, and mechanized by them, becoming Mecha Knight. He is then forced to fight Kirby at the end of the Gigabyte Grounds level on their behalf, and again at the end of Access Ark as the upgraded version Mecha Knight+. After being freed by Kirby, he then brings the Halberd back around, and has Kirby use the Robobot Armor to fuse with the entire warship in order to take on the final boss of the game.

This iteration of Meta Knight takes heavy cues from his appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, as his cloak transforms directly into his wings, and he is wearing armored gloves and boots. In addition, his mask looks much heavier, with the visor protruding a fair distance off his face. As a final touch, when his mask breaks, his eyes are now yellow, as opposed to white as they had been prior, and he does not possess blush, matching the 'maskless Meta Knight' palette swap of Kirby in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Main article: Meta Knightmare Returns

Meta Knight is playable in the Sub-Game Meta Knightmare Returns, where he battles through the main world in a long time attack run and fights tougher versions of the bosses therein. He can use Galaxia Darkness (his Final Smash from Super Smash Bros. series) and Meta Knightmares as his Meta Point special moves, both of which can damage all enemies on screen. At the end, instead of facing Star Dream, he battles three different bosses in succession.

Kirby Battle Royale

Meta Knight is a participant in Dedede's Cake Royale. He can be seen observing the games at first, but then ends up taking part in the tournament himself, challenging Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee at the end of the Gold League. He is partnered up with an Axe Knight.

A save file from the demo version of Battle Royale can be transferred to the full version of the game if save data of the full version is detected on the 3DS. This makes him playable from the start of the full game. Otherwise, he can be unlocked after beating him in the story mode. He plays similarly to Sword Kirby, though he is capable of winged flight, and has some unique moves, like his dimensional cape.

Meta Knight's Moveset in Kirby Battle Royale  
Skill Button Execution Skill Button Execution
Horizontal Slash
B
Knight Spin
B during jump
Meta Multithrust
BB
Dimensional Stirke
Hold/release B
Decisive Slash
BBB
Piercing Slash
Y

Kirby Star Allies

File:Meta Knight Allies.jpg
"This is getting tiresome..."

Meta Knight appears in the intro cutscene for Kirby Star Allies, watching as yet another invading force approaches Pop Star. At some point, he is possessed by the villains' magic, and forced to fight Kirby as a Boss. Upon his defeat, Meta Knight reforms and becomes an ally.

As a Boss

Meta Knight duplicates himself into four during his second phase while Artist Kirby and three Vividrias each sketch a Meta Knight from the Painter attack.
Corrupted by the power of a dark heart, Meta Knight’s dedication to the purity of combat has been eclipsed by a secret wild streak that always lurked within him. This once-hidden fury is now unleashed with every stab and thrust of his sword!
— Flavor text of Meta Knight boss battle in Kirby Star Allies

Meta Knight is fought at the end of Planet Popstar, in the Sacred Square stage.

Kirby will be forced to pick up the Sword ability before fighting Meta Knight, like in the older games in the series. In the following two situations, however, Meta Knight will become irritated and kick away the sword, featuring a different splash screen:

  • If Kirby doesn't take the sword and wait for a certain amount of time;
  • If any player steps onto or attacks the platform where Meta Knight stands.

Meta Knight often guards so that he takes no damage at all. However, his sword-based attacks can be interrupted by the Sword ability (including Friends like Blade Knight), which creates a sword clashing effect and stuns him for a while.

When his health is below half, Meta Knight surrounds himself with purple force aura under the influence of the dark heart (he takes 0.2× damage during phase shifting). In this phase, he begins with duplicating himself into up to 4 Meta Knights, depending on how many allies there are. The duplicated Meta Knights can also make boulders rain from the sky using the purple force.

The following lists all of Meta Knight's attacks in the boss battle. Attacks in italics are used during the second phase only.

Meta Knight's Boss Attacks in Kirby Star Allies  
Attack Description
Backhand Slash Meta Knight performs a backhand slash.
Backhand Slash - Triple Slash Meta Knight performs a backhand slash followed by Triple Slash.
Hyper Rush - Crescent Shot Meta Knight performs a multithrust and then fires a crescent-shaped energy wave.
Aerial Crescent Shot Meta Knight jumps and fires 2 Crescent Shots at the same time.
Glide Sword Meta Knight glides while thrusting his sword.
Down Thrust Meta Knight jumps and thrusts down his sword, leaving two stars on impact.
Tornado
Meta Knight requires charging to use this attack.
  • Meta Knigh takes 0.4× damage during the Tornado attack.

After releasing his charge, he stabs his sword into the ground to summon giant tornado(es) that travel across the stage.

  • In the first phase, one tornado is summoned.
  • In the second phase, multiple tornadoes are summoned, the number of which depends on how many allies are in the battle.

If the allies are hit by the tornado, they will be thrown into the air and take damage when crashing onto the ground.

  • The tornadoes cannot be guarded.
  • The tornadoes ignore the allies' invincibility frames, e.g. Stone and attacks like Sword's Drill Stab will fail to dodge the tornadoes.
Upper Calibur
Meta Knight requires charging to use this attack.

After releasing his charge, he dashes and performs an upper slash.
If the upper slash connects to any player(s), he will then perform a multi-slash combo to them in midair.
If the allies avoid the upper slash, Meta Knight will end this attack.

  • The upper can only be guarded by special guards. (Prior to Version 4.0.0, it could not be guarded by any means.)
Duplicate Meta Knight always begin with this attack in the second phase.

Meta Knight duplicates himself. The number of Meta Knights in play depends on how many allies there are:

  • 2 Meta Knights if there is none or 1 ally;
  • 3 Meta Knights if there are 2 allies;
  • 4 Meta Knights if there are 3 allies;
  • Each Meta Knight's defense increases during Force Force.

Every Meta Knight takes damage. Each of them attacks on their own pattern.

Force Force The duplicated Meta Knights fly to the background. Using the purple force, they summon large boulders to hurl at the allies. The boulders stack into pillars, the number of which matches the number of Meta Knights. Then, every Meta Knight cuts down a pillar in a flash, creating smaller rocks on his both sides which can be inhaled.
  • Each pillar has 1000 HP.
  • If any pillar is destroyed beforehand, that Meta Knight will get stuck into the ground and become vulnerable.

After the pillar slashes, the duplicates will merge back into the only one Meta Knight.

Force Holdings Meta Knight fires a purple force beam in an attempt to catch the allies, which cannot be guarded.
If successful, he will swing and slam the trapped allies with the purple force. Trapped allies can escape by mashing direction buttons rapidly.
  • Meta Knight takes 1.5× damage during Force Holdings.

Upon defeat, Meta Knight is freed from the dark heart's influence...but his mask still breaks.

Later, it is revealed in Heroes in Another Dimension that prior to the events of Story Mode, Meta Knight was at Sacred Square to protect its residents from the raining Jamba Hearts. After Meta Knight was saved by Kirby and co., his thoughts and the Jamba Heart possessing him went to Another Dimension and created Parallel Meta Knight.

Main article: Parallel Meta Knight

As a Dream Friend

First introduced way back in Kirby's Adventure, this warrior takes the spirit of chivalry to heart. He has set out on a journey of training, but he would never forget his connection to his friends. May new friend powers awaken and imbue his blade!
— Flavor text of Meta Knight as a Dream Friend in Story Mode and The Ultimate Choice
The knight that dates back to Kirby's Adventure joins the fray! This mysterious figure occasionally shows up in his massive ship to stir things up. Now, into darkness!
— Flavor text of Meta Knight as a Dream Friend in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!

Meta Knight also appears as a Dream Friend, unlocked after defeated as a boss in Story Mode. He is recruitable by the Dream Rod from either the Dream Palace in Story Mode or certain Big Switches in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!.

In this form, he can help Kirby, and travel with him using a moveset similar to the one he had in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Meta Knight can also be recruited as an ally right after his defeat as a Boss if a Friend Heart is tossed at him before his mask breaks in Story Mode and Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, similar to King Dedede at the end of the Clash at Castle Dedede stage.

The English version of his Dream Friend pause flavor text is missing several details. According the Japanese and Chinese versions, he is still in the service of King Dedede and the phrase "stir things up" originally refers to a "revolution", i.e. the event of Revenge of Meta Knight.

Meta Knight as the playable Dream Friend can deal more damage than Sword Kirby and Blade Knight when using the same moves,[2] not to mention his access to even more moves. Meta Knight is one of the fastest characters to beat The Ultimate Choice, either solo or with Friends.

Meta Knight's Dream Friend Moveset in Kirby Star Allies  
Skill Button Execution Description Damage
Overhead Slash
B
240
Knight Beam
B with full health
210
Meta Triple Slash
Dash + B
240×2
Meta Multithrust
B after Meta Triple Slash
Multithrust: 110+44+18+11
Final slash: 320
Piercing Slash
Dash + B
150+75+38×3
Knight Spin
Dash + B in midair
280+140
Meta Chop
B in midair
Chop: 280
Hold: 210
Down Thrust
↓ + B in midair
Airborne: 110
Thrust: 360
Land: 210
Up Thrust
↑ + B
280
Meta Spin Slash
Press and hold B, and then release
Spin: 180+90×4
Final slash: 360
Total: 900
Mach Tornado
Press and hold B, and then release + ↑
Spin: 150+60×4
Final slash: 250
Total: 640
Meta Condor Dive
Dash and press ↓ + B in midair
Dive: 300
Shockwave: 200
Shuttle Loop
↓↑ + B
240→20 (2nd hit onward)
Hover
A in midair
40
  • Not buffed by elemental power.
Underwater Spin
B underwater
Underwater version of Knight Spin. N/A
Galactic Counter
↓ + B
Added in v4.0.0 update. N/A
Reference: A Star Bullet deals 520 damage.

Notably, when Meta Knight is enchanted an elemental power, his Shuttle Loop will have additional effects:

  • Blizzard Sword: Meta Knight fires 3-way icicles from his sword while gliding.
  • Bluster Sword: Meta Knight does a long-distance swoop instead of gliding.
  • Sizzle Sword: Meta Knight's gliding speed is greatly increased, and he glides horizontally without falling down. When it ends, he breaks in the air and creates an explosion in a similar fashion to the Searing Burn move of the Fire ability.
  • Splash Sword: Meta Knight fires water balls from his sword in succession while gliding.
  • Zap Sword: Meta Knight drops a lightning on himself to surround himself with electricity before gliding.

With Sizzle Shuttle Loop, Meta Knight has one of the fastest movements among all playable characters, making him a popular choice in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! speedrun, either as the main character or Piggybacked.

Super Smash Bros. Series

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Meta Knight appears as a collectible trophy.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a Playable Character
SmashWiki has more information about this subject here.
File:Metaknightbrawl.jpg
Meta Knight using Shuttle Loop in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Meta Knight is featured for the first time as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His main attributes are his excellent aerial mobility, with 5 mid-air jumps, excellent air speed, and special moves which can all assist further with recovery (most notoriously his glide following his up-special), as well as his quick and powerful sword swipes, many of which can beat out moves from other characters. All of these attributes put together make for a fearsome fighter when in the right hands, so much so that he is widely considered the best character in the game and is often banned from tournaments.

Unlike Kirby and King Dedede, Meta Knight speaks in full sentences, with lines such as "Know my power!" when using his Final Smash; Galaxia Darkness and "You've much yet to learn." in one of his victory poses. This is in stark contrast to the Kirby series proper, where his only dialogue outside of the occasional grunt is entirely text-based. His association in the Story Mode with Marth and Ike, along with his own unique version of the series victory jingle, help to further separate him from his cuter compatriots.

Role In The Subspace Emissary

Throughout the story of 'The Subspace Emissary', Meta Knight is chasing down the Subspace Army, as they had seen fit to steal his flagship Halberd and use it to spread shadow bugs across the realm. Along the way, he joins up with the two Fire Emblem swordsmen of Marth and Ike in pursuit of the Ancient Minister and his subspace bombs. One of these bombs resides in a giant transformable robot called Galleom which Meta Knight fights.

Later on, Meta Knight catches up to the Halberd as it engages in an aerial battle with the Great Fox by jumping up a mountainside along with the Ice Climbers (who believe it to be a race). At the top, he battles and then allies with Lucario before boarding the ship. From there, he encounters Snake and the two princesses Peach and Zelda as he liberates his ship from Subspace control.

After the heroes defeat the giant robot Duon aboard the Halberd and free Mr. Game & Watch, Meta Knight regains control of the ship. From there, they fly against the massive Subspace gunship which blows the Halberd to smithereens, though the heroes survive by splitting off on smaller ships to take down the gunship and enter Subspace. At this point, Meta Knight has no further unique role to play in the story.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

Meta Knight SSB4.png
Meta Knight in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.


SmashWiki has more information about this subject here.

Following his uncontested status as the best fighter in Brawl, Meta Knight suffered from several serious downgrades to his fighting ability, including taking away his ability to glide and giving most of his standard attacks less priority, power and range. Despite this, several of his moves, notably his special abilities, were strengthened to compensate, thus changing the strategies needed to play as him. Despite his reduced dominance, Meta Knight still ranks high compared to the rest of the cast in terms of competitive play, striking fear into his opponents with his dreaded up-air chain to Shuttle Loop finisher.

Unlike Kirby and King Dedede, Meta Knight retained his old voice clips and Final Smash from Brawl, but he was given an additional piece of armTemplate:Our in that his gloves are now gauntleted. This makes this incarnation of Meta Knight the most heavily armTemplate:Oured to date.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Meta Knight SSBU.png
Meta Knight in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.


SmashWiki has more information about this subject here.

Meta Knight returns along with every other fighter in the series in this Nintendo Switch title. Unlike previous appearances, Meta Knight must be unlocked before he can be used. Overall, he has become more polarized in Ultimate when compared to his Smash 4 version, with his mobility, range, and attack power becoming greater, but at the same time becoming more open to counterattacks if he misses his mark or overextends. His most notable changes come to his neutral special 'Mach Tornado' which now only hits once and travels quicker instead of catching opponents and his new Final Smash known as 'Darkness Illusion', which is a trapping flurry attack similar to Ike's 'Great Aether' where Meta Knight sprouts an additional pair of wings and barrages his victim(s) before sending them flying.

Taiko no Tatsujin Series

Meta Knight Taiko.png
Meta Knight costume in the Taiko no Tatsujin series

Meta Knight appears as an unlockable costume in two arcade titles of the Taiko no Tatsujin series:

  • Taiko no Tatsujin: Yellow Ver.
  • Taiko no Tatsujin: Blue Ver.

This costume is unlocked by clearing "Revenge of Meta Knight Medley" in the aforementioned two games.

Role in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Main article: Meta Knight (anime)
File:Meta Knight Anime.jpg
Meta Knight in the Kirby: Right Back At Ya! anime series.

Meta Knight appears in the Kirby anime, Kirby: Right Back at Ya! as a main character. Near the beginning of the series, Meta Knight acts somewhat mysterious. He seems to sometimes help King Dedede, but also at the same time help Kirby. Later in the series, his role becomes that of a mentor to Kirby. Most of the time, Meta Knight does not outright help Kirby, but sometimes gives him tips about how to defeat whatever opponent he is facing. In the rare occasions where he does fight Kirby, it is for training purposes. Meta Knight also has a Hispanic accent in the English dub and a direct Spanish accent in the Latin America and Spain dubs, possibly because he slightly resembles Zorro.

In the series, Meta Knight is said to be a Star Warrior, a protector of the galaxy against Nightmare Enterprises. However, all of the Star Warriors ended up being killed, leaving Meta Knight as the last one, training Kirby to become one too. Due to this, Meta Knight displays very skilled swordplay. He is also very stealthy, being able to appear at scenes without people noticing until he speaks up. He wields the same sword from his games, but it has been given a name: Galaxia. Galaxia is a legendary sword, and only those who are destined to wield it can (the only ones being Meta Knight and Kirby, possibly implying that only Star Warriors can wield it). When Meta Knight first encounters Galaxia, it is being guarded by a fierce demon beast. His partner resorts to sacrificing herself, but gets the sword to Meta Knight.

It should be noted that Meta Knight's eyes change color according to his mood. If he is happy or calm, they are blue. If he is thoughtful, they are green. If he is angry, they are red. If he is amused, they are pink.

Profiles

Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy

Meta Knight's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee  
Name Image Appears In Description
Meta Knight MetaKnightMeleeTrophy.png Kirby Super Star (09/96) The mysterious head of the Meta-Knights, he wields his sword with dignity. He delivered his sword to Kirby and demanded single combat in a show of knightly honor; his strict adherence to his code of ethics makes him a rarity in Dream Land. Sometimes he throws off his cape in battle. It occasionally transforms into wings.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy

Meta Knight's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl  
Name Image Appears In Description
Meta Knight MetaKnightTrophyBrawl.png NES Kirby's Adventure
SNES Kirby's Super Star (NTSC), Kirby's Fun Pak (PAL)
The head of the Meta-Knights, and something of a rival to Kirby. He's quite an accomplished swordsman. Following his code of knightly ethics, he once delivered a sword to Kirby and demanded single combat. His giant cape transforms into wings, giving him the power of flight. He's shown his face briefly before, but his relationship to Kirby is still a mystery.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophies

Meta Knight's Trophies in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U  
Name 3DS Image Wii U Image Appears In / Related Games American English description British English description
Meta Knight
MetaKnightTrophy3DS.png
MetaKnightTrophyWiiU.png NES Kirby's Adventure (5/1993)
SNES Kirby's Super Star (American English), Kirby's Fun Pak (British English) (8/1996)
Kirby's mysterious rival, this masked swordsman appears in several Kirby games. His cape transforms into wings to grant him flight. In Smash Bros., his quick sword skills and aerial agility set him apart. He can jump up to five times in a row, and he has a special move to soar higher. A mysterious masked swordsman from the Kirby series. His cape can turn into wings, which gives him the ability to fly. His swift swordplay and ability to stay in the air give him an edge in this game. He can combine five mid-air jumps with a special move to make recovering a cinch. If you use him, try to keep battle airborne!
Meta Knight (Alt.)
MetaKnightAltTrophy3DS.png
MetaKnightAltTrophyWiiU.png NES Kirby's Adventure (5/1993)
SNES Kirby's Super Star (American English), Kirby's Fun Pak (British English) (8/1996)
Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport, changing where you'll reappear with directional inputs and attacking by holding the button! His Mach Tornado special can draw in and attack multiple opponents. Rise by pressing the button repeatedly, and press left or right to move. Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport. After vanishing, you can move to reappear somewhere else. You can also keep holding the button to turn it into an attack! His Mach Tornado special can mix up multiple opponents in the fray. Press the button repeatedly to rise up, and move left and right to create extra havoc.

Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.

Play Nintendo

Just who is Meta Knight? We’re not sure, since he usually wears a silver mask.
Sometimes Meta Knight shows up to help Kirby, but he usually prefers to fight. What better way to show off his awesome moves? He’s round, fast, and good with a sword!

Kirby Portal

  • The mysterious swordsman is rarely seen without his iconic mask—and when he does lose it in battle, he runs away! He likes to test his sword techniques out on Kirby, but sometimes serves as an ally.

Music

Meta Knight is often associated with the following musical themes:

Trivia

  • Meta Knight was originally portrayed without wings in his debut appearance in Kirby's Adventure. His first winged appearance was in Kirby Super Star, and he does not reveal them until the escape sequence at the end of Revenge of Meta Knight.
  • Early games have Meta Knight hold his sword in his his left hand while later games had him hold his sword in his right hand though Kirby & The Amazing Mirror had Meta Knight hold his sword in his left hand. This may be a mistake on Nintendo's part or he is ambidextrous. Various Kirby games lead to him being ambidextrous because when he faces left, his sword is in his left hand and vice versa. However, the sprites for Meta Knight is simply flipped, much as how Sword Kirby "switches" hands when he turns around, which is mainly the reason he can hold his sword in both hands.
  • In the Japanese version of Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Super Smash Bros. series, Meta Knight is voiced by Atsushi Kisaichi.
    • In Kirby main-series since Return to Dream Land, however, Meta Knight, while having no actual words to speak in general, is voiced by anonymous staff from HAL Laboratory with a similar voice to that of Kisaichi.
  • According to Kirby official website, Meta Knight actually loves sweet food.[3]
  • Meta Knight became the "Nagoya Station Master", the icon for the Nagoya fair of Japan's Pupupu Train merchandise event during July 24-30, 2018.[4]

Gallery

Main article: Meta Knight/gallery

Quotes

Quotes from Meta Knight in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra  
  • "The time has come. The time to show our power!"
  • "Dream Land's lazy lifestyle will end! I will rule!"
  • "Soldiers near the deck, assume combat mode!"
  • "Prepare to take off! Blow Kirby away!"
  • "Our first target... Grape Garden!"
  • "Remain calm. Let's come up with a plan."
  • "Kirby! Got ya!"
  • "Lower the sail! Increase right wing power!"
  • "................"
  • "(We've failed... it's over.)"
  • "Attention all crew! Evacuate ship!!"
  • "Now, it's your turn to evacuate."
  • "Hmmm....."
  • "..... It's dangerous, but it's worth a try!"
  • "Thank you, guys."
  • "Kirby, this is it! Prepare to die!"
  • "You'll never escape!"

Revenge of Meta Knight

  • "The time has come. The time to show our power!"
  • "Dream Land's lazy lifestyle will end! I will rule!"
  • "All on deck prepare for battle! All others prepare for takeoff!"
  • "Initiate takeoff! We'll blow Kirby away!"
  • "But first a little test. Off to Grape Gardens!"
  • "Relax. We must handle this calmly."
  • "That's far enough, Kirby!"
  • "Retract the sails! Give more lift to the left wing!"
  • "... ... ... ..."
  • "(We've failed...but there's nothing we can do.)"
  • "Attention to all crew! Evacuate ship immediately!"
  • "So... Now it's time for the rest of you to escape as well."
  • "...You are all about to perish. Do as you please."
  • "(...I'm sorry.)"
  • "This is the end! Kirby! Come meet your doom!!"
  • "I won't let you escape!"

Meta Knightmare Ultra

  • "My one wish is to become stronger..."
  • "So I wish to fight..."
  • "the greatest warrior in the galaxy!"

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese メタナイト
Meta Naito
Meta Knight
Traditional Chinese 魅塔騎士
mèi tǎ qí shì
Meta Knight
  • 魅塔 is the transliteration of Meta.
  • The character 魅 means "a kind of legendary evil spirit" or "charm" in different contexts.[5]
Simplified Chinese 魅塔骑士
mèi tǎ qí shì
Dutch Meta Knight -
French Meta Knight -
German Meta-Knight -
Italian Meta Knight -
Korean 메타 나이트
Meta Naiteu
Meta Knight
Russian Метанайт
Metanayt
Meta Knight
Spanish Meta Knight -


References

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