My Friend and the Sunset
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"My Friend and the Sunset",[1] also titled "Revenge of Meta Knight: Ending",[2] is a recurring musical theme in the Kirby series composed by Jun Ishikawa. The track was first used in Kirby Super Star, serving as the ending musical theme of Revenge of Meta Knight which plays during the credits sequence, itself titled "Friends and Sun". It has since been heard in various forms in several other games in the series, generally being associated with Meta Knight as a character. The track has also made appearances outside the video games, notably in the Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert and The Sound of Kirby Café 2.
Composition
This theme is a jazzy blues song in the key of A minor, set at about 75 beats per minute. The song bears a striking resemblance to the traditional folk song "The House of the Rising Sun", particularly the 1964 blues cover by British rock band The Animals. One similarity worth noting is that both songs are set in 6/8 time, with prominent use of guitar arpeggios outlining the rhythm. The main instrument used is a trumpet, with a Hammond organ as accompaniment.
Game appearances
Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra
In the Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra game Revenge of Meta Knight, this theme plays during the ending Theater movie "Friends and Sun": The Halberd is destroyed, Kirby manages to escape with Wheelie, and every Helper in this game is shown on the screen before the duo ride off into the sunset.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
A remix of this theme can be unlocked by collecting one of the Treasure Chests found in the Volcanic Panic stage, to then be played in the game's Music Room (Track 029). Here it is titled "Revenge of Meta Knight: Ending".
Kirby: Planet Robobot
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, this theme is remixed as the level complete theme of Meta Knightmare Returns the Sub-Game. The remix is titled "Brothers in Arms"[3] which refers to the bond between Meta Knight and his Meta-Knights. This version can be found as Track 139 in the game's Jukebox.
This theme and "King Dedede's Theme" are also mashed up into Dedede Clones & D3's theme, "Dedede's Tridimensional Cannon".[3]
Kirby Battle Royale
"Brothers in Arms" from Kirby: Planet Robobot is used in this game during Dedede's Cake Royale. It appears in the Music Collection as "Cake Royale 9" and plays during Meta Knight's dialogue after he is defeated at the end of the Gold League, as he congratulates Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee for their victory. It is not used anywhere else in the game, but can be accessed and purchased in the Collection after hearing it once.
Kirby Star Allies
In Kirby Star Allies, this theme is remixed as the boss battle theme of Meta Knight at the Sacred Square stage. This version is called 友と交わるその剣の音 (Friend and the Sound of Those Crossing Blades) in the Kirby Star Allies: The Original Soundtrack and can be found as Track 035 in the game's Jukebox.
A small portion of the theme also plays whenever Meta Knight appears as a Dream Friend, thus solidifying the association between the theme and Meta Knight as a character. This jingle is called メタナイト見参！ (Meta Knight Spotted!) in the Original Soundtrack and can be found as Track 131 in the game's Jukebox.
A faint whistle of this theme can also be heard before the duel in Meta Knight's boss room, prior to initiating the fight with him. It is not clear if Meta Knight himself is whistling the theme.
The music that plays when battling Parallel Meta Knight and Parallel Dedede also features this theme. It is called 異空をかけた剣王との戦い (Sword King Battle Gambling Over Another World) in the Original Soundtrack and can be found as Track 193 in the game's Jukebox.
Kirby Fighters 2
In Kirby Fighters 2, an extended remix of this theme, incorporating the main theme of the game, plays in the credits that plays after beating Chapter 4 of Story Mode: The Destined Rivals.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Meta Knight's battle theme in this game, titled "Sword of the Surviving Guardian", incorporates a new remix of the theme by Yuuta Ogasawara, though the inclusion of other motifs and variations building up cause the most apparent use of My Friend and the Sunset to be found shortly before the loop point. The most prominent melodic instruments are a bass guitar, saxophone, and trumpet in key of E minor, and the instruments take turns with the melody and harmony throughout the track. Notably, the leitmotif of My Friend and the Sunset itself has been altered and slightly extended, differing greatly from previous usages. The last third has been pitch-altered, and the lone ending chord of prior versions has been replaced with a new series of notes, ending the motif more energetically. Finally, many of the phrases in the track open with a similar arpeggio to the one found as the first three notes in almost every phrase in the parent theme.
Like its parent theme, the track opens with a trio of repeated arpeggios on alternating instruments, with every fourth "arpeggio" altered such that it isn't one. The My Friend and the Sunset motif is sounded by a confident brass, followed by a calm bass chord before the song (and the synced fight) kick in.
A series of short, brioso blasts on the brass acts as a bridge. After this, the first section is composed of three very similar variations of the motif, loosely based on the start of My Friend and the Sunset's altered leitmotif. This trio is always followed by either a variant of the last portion of the same motif or a direct usage of it to end the phrase. The latter case is primarily used as a cadence at the very end of the song, just prior to the loop. In the first set, the guitar dominates, followed by a duet of the same notes by the brass, and a flute also. In the former, the brass accentuates the space between melodic phrases, and in the latter, the guitar mostly intensifies the brass's work as a woodwind drops in to perform accents.
The second portion opens on a pair of rising arpeggios, and the melody rises and falls twice, courtesy of the guitar. A heavily altered version of that phrase is started by the brass, interrupted by the guitar, and then all three instruments transition with seven quick blasts from the brass and drums. The third and final section is far more heavily based on the original version of My Friend and the Sunset, but retains a sense of flair and bravado as the track enters its climax. A key change opens the first phrase, and it and the following three phrases are most faithful to the original as the following three phrases deviate again. The next phrase is again similar to the first part of the section, but the second phrase wildly flies off to bring the tension to its highest possible point, and a small bridge delays the resolution just a bit longer.
The resolution uses the modified My Friend and the Sunset to its fullest, with the trumpet pushing the melody in an elegant fashion as the guitar harmonizes and the brass accents the space between phrases again. The third phrase of the motif is followed by a sudden volume increase as the final phrase blasts out with grand emotion and concludes the melody. A calmer, quieter version of the blasts heard in the bridge to the loop point and lightly expanded on before a tiny drum solo brings in the loop point.
Kirby's Dream Buffet
The arrangement from Kirby and the Forgotten Land can be unlocked as a Race music titled Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Bonus Song 1 if the game detects save data for Kirby and the Forgotten Land on the user's Switch. It can also play randomly during Free Rolling mode.
Other appearances
The original version of "My Friend and the Sunset" was included in the compilation album The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks, where it is titled メタナイトの逆襲：エンディング (Revenge of Meta Knight: Ending).
A short remix of "My Friend and the Sunset" appears in the Japanese version of Kirby: Right Back at Ya! in the episode Escar-Gone, shortly before Escargoon bumps into Kirby in a countryside. This theme also was included in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror Sound Plus as track 36, where it is titled after the Japanese name of the episode in question.
Covers of "My Friend and the Sunset" have been performed in the Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert (Track 3: King Dedede & Meta Knight Medley), as well as in The Sound of Kirby Café 2 CD (Track 5: Coffee Shop of Twilight and Starry Skies). In both performances, the track is played in a medley with other musical themes.
On Kirby 30th Anniversary Site, the Kirby Super Star Ultra arrangement plays when viewing Kirby number 18 ("Friend, Sunset, and...").
"My Friend and the Sunset" is the last song featured in the "Revenge of Meta Knight Medley" in Taiko no Tatsujin. Unlike the other songs, it is not playable, and instead begins after the medley is cleared — fitting its original appearance.
Trivia
- The ending of Revenge of the King, another main game of Kirby Super Star Ultra, is a parody of Revenge of Meta Knight itself, including its ending movie "The King and the Sun" and an alternate version of "King Dedede's Theme" styled after "My Friend and the Sunset".
- Both Kirby Super Star and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse renditions actually use the same "Rock Organ" instrument sample from the Roland sound library. In Kirby Super Star, Jun Ishikawa sampled the instrument from the Roland U-220 sound module, while in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Shogo Sakai arranged the song using his Roland SOUND Canvas SK-88 Pro keyboard, which includes the same instrument.
Video gallery
Video of the "Revenge of Meta Knight Medley" in Taiko no Tatsujin Yellow Ver.
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Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 友と夕陽と…[4] Tomo to Yūhi to… メタナイトの逆襲:END[2] Metanaito no gyakushū: Endo |
Friend, Sunset, and… Meta Knight Strikes Back: END "Meta Knight Strikes Back" is the Japanese name of Revenge of Meta Knight. |
| French | La Vengeance de Meta Knight: Fin[2] | The Revenge of Meta Knight: End |
| German | Meta-Knights Rache: Ende[2] | Meta Knight's Revenge: End |
| Italian | La vendetta di Meta Knight: fine[2] | The revenge of Meta Knight: end |
| Latin American Spanish | Meta Knight vengador[2] | Avenger Meta Knight |
| European Spanish | La venganza de Meta Knight: Fin[2] | The Revenge of Meta Knight: End |
References
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- Featured pages
- Music in Kirby Super Star
- Music in Kirby Super Star Ultra
- Music in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
- Music in Kirby: Planet Robobot
- Music in Kirby Battle Royale
- Music in Kirby Star Allies
- Music in Kirby Fighters 2
- Music in Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Music in Kirby's Dream Buffet
- Music in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
- Music from Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert
- Music in Kirby Café
