Mint Leaf
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The Mint Leaf (Sweet Potato in Japanese versions) is an item that appears in Kirby's Dream Land. It lets Kirby use his Air Bullet attack in the air without falling afterwards, essentially allowing him to rapid-fire his enemies. This is a reference to real-life sweet potatoes often being the cause of hiccups, and real-life mint leaves giving better breath. While it appears in a few stages, it is most notably used during the battle against Kaboola in Float Islands.
In later games, it is replaced by the Starship (including Kirby Super Star Ultra's Kaboola battle, now retranslated as Kabula). However, in Kirby: Triple Deluxe's Kirby Fighters Sub-Game, it returns as an offensive item with the same function. It now resembles a sweet potato in the Japanese version and a mint leaf in international versions.
Kirby: Right Back At Ya!
In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, it appears in the episode Dedede's Raw Deal, in its original form as a Sweet Potato. However, its hiccuping powers come as a hindrance rather than a help to Kirby this time around. In the episode, Kirby eats it off of a sushi revolver. He is then attacked by an overgrown Squishy, and his inhaling powers are prevented by the hiccups that result from eating the sweet potato. As such, he starts off on the losing side of the battle. However, Tiff scares his wits out by saying he'll starve if his hiccups don't cease, which makes Kirby (who is known for his gluttonous nature) jump in fear and release his hiccups.
