Meta Knight: Difference between revisions

|voice= Anonymous HAL Laboratory staff member <small>(''Kirby'' series)</small><br>[[wikipedia:Atsushi Kisaichi|Atsushi Kisaichi]] <small>(''Super Smash Bros.'' series; Japanese)</small><br>Eric Newsome <small>(''Super Smash Bros.'' series; English)

|theme title=[[My Friend and the Sunset]]

=== Changes in design ===

*''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' - Meta Knight's body hue would be adjusted to a deep navy blue, and more details would be added to his mask, sword, and gloves. He would also gain his wings and distinct pauldrons. This design first appeared in ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]'', but likely was designed specifically for ''Kirby Super Star''.

*''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'' - Meta Knight's sword would be formally canonized as the [[Galaxia]] in artwork, based on its appearance in ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'', though it would not be until ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'' that the Galaxia appeared distinctly in-game.

*''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' - Meta Knight would be given armor plating on his gloves, a detail previously seen in official artwork for Meta Knight from ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' and ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. His pauldrons and cape are also given a black color, a detail unique to this version.

*''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'' - Meta Knight's eyes under his mask would be changed from white to yellow.  

[[File:KSSU RoMK Meta Knight Fight.png|thumb|250px|Even when Kirby is otherwise foiling his plans, Meta Knight still requires a fair fight from his pink rival, and offers a sword to him before duels.]]

{{quote|[[Kirby|You]] showed me your true strength... and for that I must thank you. I must train harder... I WILL TRAIN HARDER!|'''Meta Knight''' in ''[[Kirby Battle Royale]]''}}

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 especially 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 [[Revenge of Meta Knight|his attempt to take over Dream Land]] in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' and [[Kirby Super Star Ultra|its remake]]. Meta Knight is very well known for following a stern warrior codex; when he challenges someone, he is usually looking for a fair and equal match. Whenever Kirby has to fight him for different reasons depending on the situation, he provides Kirby with a sword and insists that he use 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 battlefield.

Due to being a boss in so many ''Kirby'' games, Meta Knight has a large number of signature attacks which he uses in most of his fights, and in some games can be used when he is playable. Due to his sword and wings, his move-set is typically portrayed as a combination of [[Sword]] and [[Wing]] Kirby, though he does have a number of attacks unique to himself. The following table lists all of his most notable attacks, in alphabetical order:

|Meta Knight leaps into the air and then flies straight forward, usually after performing a looping turn in mid-air.

| ''[[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 Pinball Land]]''

| Easter egg

| Appears in [[Kracko Land]] after beating the game once and performing a specific set of actions.

| ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''

| Reference

| Appears as one of the five placeholder icons for the default rankings in the game.

| ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''

| Supporting antagonist and boss

| The penultimate opponent of the Competition mode.

| ''[[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 Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|''Kirby's Star Stacker'' for SNES]]

| Supporting antagonist and boss

| ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''

| Supporting antagonist, playable character, and boss

| As this is a remake of ''Kirby's 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

| This is Meta Knight's first physical 3D appearance.

| ''[[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

| Has three health bars like in Meta Knightmare.

| ''[[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 ''Kirby 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, supporting character, and boss

| Controlled by [[Yin-Yarn]] during his fight. Later on, Meta Knight helps Kirby fight Yin-Yarn by giving him a [[Metamortex]] for the [[Tankbot]].

| ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]''

| Secondary antagonist and boss

| Appears only in the [[Sub-Game]]s [[Strato Patrol EOS]] and [[Kirby Quest]].

| ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''

| Supporting protagonist and playable character

| ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]''

| Roles vary between games

| ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''

| Cameo

| Appears as a [[Keychain]]. He is also a part of the audience in the [[Kirby Master]] video.

| ''[[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 of [[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 ''Kirby's 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.

| ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''

| Playable character and boss

| Meta Knight is a playable character and also teams up with [[King Dedede]] as the final boss of Story Mode.

| ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''

| Supporting character and boss

| Meta Knight challenges Kirby to a sparring match in the [[Colosseum]] and appears as a [[figure]], but otherwise has no plot-significant role.

| ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''

| Reference

| Kirby can take on Meta Knight's appearance and color, and Meta Knight also appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.

| ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''

| Cameo

| Appears as a trophy. This is Meta Knight's first 3D appearance.

| ''[[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.

| ''[[mariowiki:Super Mario Maker|Super Mario Maker]]''

| Reference

| Mario can use a special item to take on Meta Knight's 8-bit appearance in courses.

| ''[[mariowiki:Yoshi's Woolly World|Yoshi's Woolly World]]''

| Reference

| Yoshi can take on Meta Knight's appearance by tapping his [[amiibo]].

| ''[[nwiki:Bye-Bye BoxBoy!|BYE-BYE BOXBOY!]]''

| Reference

| Qbby can take on Meta Knight's appearance if the player uses Meta Knight's amiibo.

| ''[[nwiki:Part Time UFO|Part Time UFO]]''

| Reference

| One of the levels features a Meta Knight plush doll.

Meta Knight makes his first appearance in ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'', later reappearing in its remake, ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]''. He is one of [[King Dedede]]'s friends who guards one of the seven pieces of the [[Star Rod]] in order to keep [[Nightmare]] sealed away. Before his boss battle, Meta Knight appears in several levels, where he either directs his minions, the [[Meta-Knights]], to fight Kirby, or assists Kirby by throwing an [[Invincibility Candy]] to him. In the boss stage of [[Orange Ocean]], Meta Knight challenges Kirby to a duel, throwing a sword that Kirby must pick up to get the [[Sword]] ability and begin the fight. During the fight, Meta Knight attacks and blocks with his sword. He notably lacks his wings and projectile attacks seen in future battles in the series. Once defeated, his mask splits in two, revealing, for the first time, his appearance similar to Kirby. He then wraps himself in his cape and flees.

In ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land'', Meta Knight receives an updated design similar to his appearance in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''. Like other bosses in this remake, he is larger and his battle is made easier. Additionally, the sequences in which he gives Kirby an Invincibility Candy have been removed.

KA Orange Ocean Stage 7 screenshot 01.png|Kirby is prompted to pick up the [[Sword]] tossed to him by Meta Knight before his boss fight in ''Kirby's Adventure''.

Meta Knight (referred to in the manual as "Metaknight") is the second-to-last opponent in ''[[Kirby's Avalanche]]''. He is more skilled than other opponents at making a comeback when most of his playing field has been covered in Garbage Puyos. His Puyo Puyo equivalent is Rulue.

!colspan=4|Meta Knight's move-set in ''Meta Knightmare Ultra'' &nbsp;

| '''Meta Chop'''

| {{center|B}}

| '''Knight Spin'''

| {{center|Dash + B in air}}

| '''Knight Beam'''

| {{center|B at full health}}

| '''Meta Chop and Thrust'''

| {{center|B in air}}

| '''Meta Upper'''

| {{center|B after Meta Chop}}

| '''Down Thrust'''

| {{center|↓ + B in air}}

| '''Meta Multithrust'''

| {{center|B B B}}

| '''Up Thrust'''

| {{center|↑ + B}}

| '''Lunging Slice'''

| {{center|Dash + B}}

| '''Knight Call / Release'''

| {{center|X}}

| '''Meta Quick'''

| {{center|8 pts.}}

| '''Heal'''

| {{center|10 pts}}

| '''Knight Call'''

| {{center|2 pts.}}

| '''Mach Tornado'''

| {{center|30 pts.}}

Meta Knight appears as one of the opponents that Kirby must battle in the story mode of ''[[Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)|Kirby's Star Stacker]]'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]]. After being defeated, he relinquishes his piece of [[Mr. Star]].

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 there. However, once he reaches the Mirror World, he encounters an evil version of himself, [[Dark Meta Knight]]. Meta Knight and his doppelgänger 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. 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 impostor. 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 Kirbys approach [[Dark Mind]], the final boss of the game, they find Meta Knight's sword 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 Kirbys. On his way, he drops his sword 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 unclear if this Meta Knight is the real one or not.

[[File:KCC Meta Knight Artwork 1.png|thumb|150px|Artwork of Ball Meta Knight from ''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'']]

!colspan=4|Meta Knight's move-set in ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' &nbsp;

In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', Meta Knight's design has been updated to match his appearance from ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'' onward. Additionally, Galactic Counter from ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' and Crescent Shot from ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'' have been added to his move-set, though the former now deals a small amount of chip damage to Meta Knight upon successfully countering a boss attack. He also reprises his role in [[Kirby on the Draw]] as a target. Meta Knight also has his own [[Dress-Up Mask]] that replaces the wearer's voice with his, unlocked by completing card #14 in the [[Stamp Rally]].

Meta Knight appears in the opening scene for ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]'', first appearing in his 8-bit form from ''Kirby's Adventure'', then in his modern (at the time) appearance from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''. In addition to his appearances in the games in the collection that feature him, he also makes a few appearances in some of the episodes of ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'' that are contained in the game's bonus features.

KatRC Meta Knight illustration.png|Elline's illustration of Meta Knight in her [[Secret Diary]]. Note the sunglasses and top hat.

In the opening cutscene of ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', 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 [[Popstar]]. He promptly sends the [[Halberd]] after it to try and deter them, but is shot down before he can even begin the attack.

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 asks Kirby to hop aboard the ship. Kirby instead uses the [[Robobot Armor]] to scan the entire battleship in order to take on the [[Star Dream|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; according to [[Shinya Kumazaki]], the designers felt that white eyes didn't look right when creating the 3D model for this game.<ref>{{cite|In Kirby's Adventure on the Famicom (NES), Meta Knight's eyes are indeed white. At the time, there was a limit to the number of colors you could use, so I think that white was chosen because it stood out more. They were also white in Kirby Super Star (EU: Kirby's Fun Pak), but when we created the 3D model for this game, giving him white eyes somehow didn't feel right. And besides, his eyes have always shone with a yellow glow from behind his mask. We were worried about how old-school fans might react to this, but for the purposes of the design, we settled on yellow eyes.|[[Shinya Kumazaki]]|[[Miiverse]]}}</ref>

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. Brawl'' and ''for 3DS / Wii U'') 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.

!colspan=4|Meta Knight's move-set in ''Kirby Battle Royale'' &nbsp;

The following lists all of Meta Knight's attacks in the boss battle. Attacks in ''italics'' are used during the second phase only. Most attack names are from the ''Kirby Star Allies Perfect Support Guide'' or from the ''Kirby Star Allies Official Setting Document Collection'', while others are conjectural.

| '''''四身'''''<br>''Four Bodies''

| '''''フォースフォース'''''<br>''Force Force''

| '''''フォースホールディングス'''''<br>''Force Holdings''

| '''''Simultaneous Glide Sword'''''{{title}}

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

!colspan=4| Meta Knight's Dream Friend move-set in ''Kirby Star Allies'' &nbsp;

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|Added in version 4.0.0.

Meta Knight features prominently in ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', both as a playable character and as a boss, where he is [[King Dedede & Meta Knight|partnered up with]] [[King Dedede]]. He is unlocked as a playable fighter upon completing Chapter 4 of [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals]]. His move-set is largely the same as it was in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'', though he has a new move: Crescent Shot, which works in a similar manner to Sky Knight Sword from ''Kirby: Planet Robobot''.

====Move-set====

!colspan=4|Meta Knight's move-set in ''Kirby Fighters 2'' &nbsp;

It is revealed through Meta Knight's collectible [[figure]] descriptions that Meta Knight arrived in the new world before Kirby. During his early scouting, he ventured as far as [[Winter Horns]] searching for a way back to Popstar. However, his exploration was interrupted when the Beast Pack attacked Waddle Dee Town, prompting him to commit himself to the town's defense. He is mentioned as having beaten [[Gorimondo]] 30 times in battle.

==== Attacks ====

The following are all of Meta Knight's attacks in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' (attack names are from the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide''). Attacks in ''italics'' are used in the second phase only:

|Meta Knight slashes three times toward Kirby, leaving behind a [[Drop Star]] with each slash.

|Meta Knight charges his sword and then releases three crescent shots toward Kirby which leave Drop Stars upon dissipating.

|'''''フォースフォールズ'''''<br>''Force Falls''

|'''''下づき波動ショット'''''<br>''Downward Wave Shot''

|Meta Knight points his sword down in midair and then slams the ground, creating four blue pillars of energy that seek Kirby for a moment before vanishing and leaving Drop Stars. These pillars dissipate early if they hit the edge of the arena.

|'''''百れつムーンラッシュ'''''<br>''100-Slashes Crescent Rush''

|Meta Knight charges energy into his sword while flying and then releases a flurry of continuous crescent shots at Kirby, leaving behind Drop Stars on impact at regular intervals.

|'''''ナイトヴァンパイアムーン'''''<br>''Knight Vampire Crescent''

|Meta Knight charges his sword and then releases two extra large crescent shots toward Kirby which leave lots of Drop Stars in their wake.

Meta Knight himself does not appear in ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''. However, Kirby can take on his likeness using the appropriate [[Costumes|costume]] and [[Colors|color]]. Additionally, Meta Knight appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.

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 five mid-air jumps, excellent airspeed, 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.

Throughout the story of [[smashwiki:Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary|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. He attempted to defend his ship, but was preoccupied with an attack from King Dedede. 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 [[smashwiki:Galleom|Galleom]] which Meta Knight fights. After Galleom transforms following a different battle, he takes [[smashwiki:Lucas|Lucas]] and the [[smashwiki:Pokémon Trainer|Pokémon Trainer]] as hostages with it, activating a Subspace Bomb within his chest. Lucas breaks them loose, and Meta Knight catches them in mid-air while they fall.

Meta Knight appears in ''[[Kirby: Right Back at Ya!]]'' as a major supporting character with [[Sword Knight (anime character)|Sword Knight]] and [[Blade Knight (anime character)|Blade Knight]] as his loyal followers. Near the beginning of the series, he acts somewhat mysterious, seemingly serving [[King Dedede (anime character)|King Dedede]], but also sometimes helping [[Kirby (anime character)|Kirby]] when he needs it. Later in the series, his role becomes that of a mentor to Kirby. Most of the time, he 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 [[wikipedia:Zorro|Zorro]].

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.

!colspan=4|Meta Knight's Trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' &nbsp;

!colspan=5|Meta Knight's Trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' &nbsp;

!colspan=6|Meta Knight's Trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' &nbsp;

<tab name="Kirby's Avalanche">

<tab name="Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom) (unofficial translation)">

<tab name="Kirby's (Extra) Epic Yarn">