Copy Ability
“ | If you swallow a foe who has a special ability... Kirby will copy its special ability! This is Kirby's special move. It's called his Copy Ability. |
” | — Narrator's dialogue from the Beginner's Room in Kirby Super Star Ultra |
Copy Ability is a catch-all term referring to Kirby's trademark ability to inherit and utilize the special powers and/or skills of the entities he swallows using his inhale. First introduced in Kirby's Adventure, this ability grants the pink puffball a potentially massive array of different methods of attack and means of traversing the lands he finds himself in. Starting with games like Kirby Super Star, acquiring a Copy Ability also bestows a unique hat, outfit, or other distinguishing feature upon Kirby, which serves as a quick-glance way to determine what kind of power he has obtained.
When Kirby obtains a Copy Ability, he (usually) loses his ability to inhale, instead now relying on the ability's unique attacks to battle his foes. Acquiring an ability often causes Kirby to pose ecstatically or demonstrate the new ability and causes a distinctive chipper sound to play. Kirby's HUD name and icon are also typically replaced with those signifying the ability in question. When Kirby has an ability, he is often referred specifically with that ability as part of his name (e.g. "Fire Kirby", "Sword Kirby", "Plasma Kirby", etc.). However, these abilities are seldom permanent, as Kirby can easily lose them, either by discarding them willingly, occasionally taking damage, or simply using them too many times in some instances. When an ability is lost in the former two methods, it will bounce away as an Ability Star, which can be re-absorbed with another inhale.
In main-series Kirby games, Copy Abilities tend to play a central role in gameplay, as many enemies are designed with weaknesses to specific abilities, and many stage devices require certain abilities or combinations thereof to deal with. Several of these games also offer more elaborate mechanics involving these abilities, whether that be by using them to call helpers, combining them with other entities or with each other to create powerful combo attacks, or imposing game rules restricting the use of certain ability functions. Copy Abilities also tend to play a role in the spin-off games, where it is often the case that Kirby has permanent access to one as a form of character selection, or the ability is heavily modified to cater to the specific type of gameplay.
Lists of Copy Abilities[edit]
The following tables list every Copy Ability featured in games in the Kirby series.
Standard Copy Abilities[edit]
Standard Copy Abilities are those which Kirby can get simply by inhaling and swallowing the appropriate enemy (with two exceptions). So far, there are 68 Copy Abilities in the Kirby series of video games, with 28 being the most abilities that have appeared in a single game (Kirby Star Allies):
Special Abilities[edit]
In addition to standard abilities, most titles feature special kinds of abilities that differ from regular copy abilities in various ways. While some are much more closely related to copy abilities than others, all of the following are officially grouped into a big category called "Special Ability" in the official Kirby Portal website.[1] Some Special Abilities based on vehicles fall under a sub-category called メカ (Mecha), while all others fall under a sub-category simply called 能力 (Ability). The following is a complete list of every Special Ability:
Type | Game(s) | Description | Examples | Notes |
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All main series games except Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby: Triple Deluxe | Special and unique abilities used at the end of a game to defeat a final boss or late-game boss. | Star Rod, Rainbow Sword, Starship, Love-Love Stick, Ribbon's Crystal, Master, Triple Star, Landia, Halberd Mode, Star Allies Sparkler, Big-Rig Mouth | These abilities sometimes overlap with other types of special abilities: for example, the Star Allies Sparkler is a type of Friend Action as well. | |
Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby's Dream Land 3 | Kirby can pair with one of six different animal buddies to alter the effect of his Copy Ability attacks. Each animal/ability combination is unique, and often resembles other Copy Abilities or attacks not otherwise present in the games alone. Each combination only offers one type of attack, however. | Rick, Kine, Coo, Nago, ChuChu, Pitch | Animal friends are also capable of absorbing copy abilities for Kirby from enemies while he is riding them. Does not include Gooey. | |
Kirby Super Star, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby Star Allies | Friendly versions of copy ability-wielding enemies that venture alongside Kirby and assist him. | Burning Leo, Broom Hatter, Poppy Bros. Jr., etc. | Also includes Wheelie Rider. Not to be confused with Friend Abilities, Friend Actions, and Dream Friends from Kirby Star Allies | |
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards | Exclusively in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby is able to combine two Ability Stars together to form a Power Combo. This creates an all-new ability that combines elements from the two base abilities into a single attack. Some of the combinations are more powerful than others, and some create quite odd results. | Stone-Ice, Stone-Stone, Spark-Cutter, Ice-Spark, etc. | Not to be confused with Friend Abilities from Kirby Star Allies. | |
Kirby Air Ride | Special transportation machines that are ridden by Kirbys in Kirby Air Ride. They all have unique stats and properties. Two of them are called "Legendary Air Ride Machines", Dragoon and Hydra. | Warp Star, Slick Star, Wagon Star, Dragoon, etc. | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. | |
Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Throughout the regular stages of Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn are Metamortexes which transform Kirby and Prince Fluff into special forms with unique abilities. | Digger, Dolphin, Fire Engine, Off-Roader, Rocket, Saucer, Spin Boarder, Star Shooter, Tankbot, Train | One in particular, the Tankbot, is used to battle Yin-Yarn at the end of the game. | |
Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe | Five super-powerful variants of standard Copy Abilities which can be absorbed from special variants of enemies and used to clear away large obstacles and defeat certain bosses. | Ultra Sword, Monster Flame, Flare Beam, Snow Bowl, Grand Hammer | ||
Kirby: Triple Deluxe | After eating a Miracle Fruit, Kirby's Inhale becomes massively more powerful, able to suck in giant objects and spit them back out again. This ability is used to defeat Flowered Sectonia at the end of the game. | N/A | ||
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse | At specific points in stages, Elline can transform Kirby into one of three different forms to tackle various obstacles. | Kirby Tank, Kirby Submarine, Kirby Rocket | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. Kirby Rocket is used to battle Dark Crafter at the end of the game. | |
Kirby: Planet Robobot | In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby gains access to the Robobot Armor, a powerful robotic suit which Kirby pilots to dispose of large threats on his adventure. The Robobot Armor is compatible with certain Copy Abilities, and can absorb them from enemies to gain new attacks and functions. Unlike Kirby, however, only some abilities are compatible. | Fire Mode, Sword Mode, Spark Mode, Jet Mode, etc. | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. Much like Wheelie Rider, Kirby's currently equipped regular ability does not affect the Robobot Armor, and Kirby does not lose his ability when using it. | |
Team Kirby Clash, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, Super Kirby Clash | Essentially the Dream Kingdom's version of Copy Abilities in the Team Kirby Clash series games. They are simply obtained by equipping gear, and the type of gear worn by the Kirby also affects the various stats of said role. | Sword Hero, Hammer Lord, Doctor Healmore, Beam Mage | ||
Kirby Star Allies | In Kirby Star Allies, Kirby and his allies can combine their attacks together to create new combination moves. There are two distinct forms this can take; Power Effects and friend attacks. The former adds a permanent elemental boost to a weapon, and the latter acts as a one-time special move that will need to be repeated to use again. | Sizzle, Bluster, Icicle Lance, Still Life, Geokinesis, Fatal Chorus, etc. | Power Effects are similar to the fusion abilities in Kirby: Squeak Squad, and friend attacks are similar to the Power Combos in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. | |
Kirby Star Allies | Five special actions which are used at intermittent points in stages to cross certain obstacles. They all require four Friends and they are activated by standing on a Friend Platform. | Friend Circle, Friend Bridge, Friend Star, Friend Train, Star Allies Sparkler | ||
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Six special powers in Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn which function almost identically to Copy Abilities in the main series. | Bobbin, Button, Knitting Needles, Marking Pins, Nylon, Wire | ||
Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Mouthful Mode is a mysterious new ability that Kirby gains when he arrives in the new world. This ability allows him to inhale objects that are much larger than himself and use their properties to his advantage. This ability functions separately from Copy Abilities and can only be used in pre-determined locations in each stage. | Car Mouth, Cone Mouth, Water-Balloon Mouth, Coaster Mouth, Vending Mouth, etc. | One particular Mouthful Mode, Big-Rig Mouth, also serves as this game's Last Battle Ability. | |
Kirby and the Forgotten Land | In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby can find Blueprints and take them to Waddle Dee's Weapons Shop to have his Copy Abilities "evolved", making them more powerful and giving them new properties (as well as giving them a new look). These various forms can be swapped between, and also individually powered-up. | Chakram Cutter, Dragon Fire, Noble Ranger, Deep Sleep, etc. | ||
Kirby's Dream Buffet | Kirby obtains abilities in Kirby's Dream Buffet through Copy Food given from Food Boxes. When used, in addition to gaining an ability for a limited time, Kirby takes the form of a food representing the ability. | Burning, Tornado, Stone, Jelly, etc. | Unlike all other Special Abilities, Copy Food Abilities share names with their regular Copy Ability counterparts. |
Other[edit]
The following are miscellaneous abilities or game mechanics which are not officially categorized in the other categories, but are either closely related to Copy Abilities and/or similar to other Special Abilities:
Other Copy Ability categories | |||||||||||
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Type | Game(s) | Description | Examples | Notes | |||||||
All main series games, plus Kirby's Dream Course, Kirby's Block Ball, Kirby Air Ride, Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, Kirby's Blowout Blast, Kirby's Dream Buffet | Kirby's default state when he has no ability equipped, and can either copy one or inhale enemies and split them out as Star Bullets. Not every appearance of Normal allows Kirby to do both of these actions: for example, in Kirby's Dream Land, Normal Kirby cannot Copy Abilities, and in Kirby: Canvas Curse, Normal Kirby cannot inhale enemies. | N/A | Normal is sometimes classified as a regular Copy Ability (in particular, it is one in the Kirby Portal website), but most of the time it's not treated as one. For instance, Kirby's Adventure is treated as the game that debuted copy abilities, even though Normal is said to have appeared in Kirby's Dream Land; moreover, it's never counted in ability counts of games (for example, the Japanese website of Kirby Star Allies says the game has 28 Copy Abilities, which does not include Normal). | ||||||||
Most games that allow Kirby to copy abilities | A Mix occurs whenever Kirby swallows multiple enemies which provide abilities, and grants him a new ability from a roulette. Different games have different mechanics on how said roulette works and is triggered. | N/A | |||||||||
Kirby: Squeak Squad | In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can find scrolls which grant new moves or properties to his existing Copy Abilities, making them more effective. | Firing three arrows with Cupid, recovering HP with Sleep, turning into a ball with Metal, etc. | |||||||||
Kirby: Squeak Squad | In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can gain the ability to fuse certain abilities together once he obtains the appropriate Ability Scrolls. He can do this by combining two compatible Copy Essences together in the Copy Palette. | Fire Sword, Ice Sword, Thunder Sword, Ice Bomb, Thunder Bomb | Only a small handful of abilities can be combined in this manner. | ||||||||
Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Transformations that Kirby and Prince Fluff can undergo without the need of a Metamortex. They are simply part of their moveset. | Car, Parachute, Pendulum, Roll Up, Snake, etc. | |||||||||
Kirby Star Allies | Special playable characters in Kirby Star Allies based on major characters of the franchise. They share many similarities with Friends from that game, but are not based on Copy Abilities. | Gooey, Dark Meta Knight, Magolor, The Three Mage-Sisters, etc. | It should be noted that the characters that are Dream Friends are only treated as such in Kirby Star Allies, even if they are playable in other games (like King Dedede in Kirby's Return to Dream Land). |
Copy Ability utilities[edit]
While each ability is unique in its own right, there are multiple abilities which can be used for the same sort of task in-game. A few abilities are multi-purpose, able to clear many different types of hazards or puzzles. The following table shows various obstacles and which Copy Abilities can be used to clear them in the main series:
Can break metal blocks | Can pound Stakes | Can break Ice Blocks and light Fuses | Can cool down Flame Blocks | Can cut Ropes | Can clear away foliage | Can strike objects through walls | Can electrify Wires | Can light up dark places | Can be used underwater | Can grab enemies and/or objects | |||||||||||
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[A] Only in Kirby: Squeak Squad after obtaining the appropriate Ability Scroll.
[B] Only in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
[C] Can only light fuses prior to Kirby's Return to Dream Land and cannot break Ice Blocks onward.
[D] Only from Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
[E] Only in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad.
[F] Only in Kirby Super Star, its remake and Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
[G] Only in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
[H] Only in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
[I] Cannot light fuses in Kirby's Adventure, its remake, or Kirby Star Allies.
[J] Only in Kirby Star Allies.
[K] Only in Kirby: Squeak Squad, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
This chart does not account for more specific scenarios, or Special Abilities.
Non-series Copy Abilities[edit]
These Copy Abilities are from games and other media that Kirby has appeared in, but which may not be considered as an actual Kirby game.
Kirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]
Anime-exclusive Copy Abilities | |||
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Ability | Image | Episode | Description |
Baton | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby synchronizes the opponent with a baton, causing any action with the baton (such as throwing it) to also be performed on the opponent. | |
Iron | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby transforms into a giant iron statue of himself. | |
Top | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby gains a top that can cut through metal. | |
Kabuki | Kirby 3D | Allows Kirby to transform into a human using the techniques of kabuki theatre. |
Water also appeared in the anime prior to appearing in the games.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- Main article: Copy Ability/Super Smash Bros.
In the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby is able to copy the neutral special move of any other character and use it against them (with only some moves differing in function based on circumstance). There are a total of 91 unique abilities that Kirby can utilize in the series when he copies an opponent, though only a maximum of 89 can be used in a single game (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being that game). Like in the Kirby series, Kirby gains a costume based on the character inhaled. Kirby can discard abilities willingly by taunting, but it might be forced out of him if he takes a certain amount of damage.
Trivia[edit]
- As of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the abilities with the most appearances are Parasol and Cutter, with 18 each.
- However, if Sword Hero is counted as a Sword appearance, then it has the most, at 19.
- Of all the abilities that have shown up more than once in the series, the ability that has waited the longest in between playable appearances is Cleaning, which had a 21 year gap between its appearances in Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby Star Allies.
Gallery[edit]
- Main article: Copy Ability/gallery
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name | Meaning |
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Japanese | コピー能力 Kopī Nōryoku |
Copy Ability |
Traditional Chinese | 複製能力 fù zhì néng lì |
Copy Ability |
Simplified Chinese | 复制能力 fù zhì néng lì | |
Dutch | Kopieervaardigheid | Copy ability |
French | Pouvoir Don d'imitation |
Ability Imitation skill |
German | Spezial-Power[2] Kopierfähigkeit[2] Spezial-Fähigkeit[2] Spezialfähigkeit[2] |
Special-Power Copy ability Special-Ability Special ability |
Italian | Abilità di copia | Copy ability |
Korean | 카피 능력 Kapi Neungnyeok |
Copy Ability |
Polish | Zdolność[3] Zdolność kopiowania[4] Copy Ability[5] |
Ability Copy Ability - |
Portuguese | Habilidade de cópia[6]
Habilidade[6] |
Copy ability Ability |
Russian | Способность[7] Sposobnost' Способность копирования[7] Sposobnost' kopirovaniya Способность к копированию[8] Sposobnost' k kopirovaniyu |
Ability Copy ability Ability to copy |
Spanish | Habilidad de copia Habilidad copiada |
Copy ability Copied skill |
Thai | Copy Ability |
- |
References
- ↑ Kirby Portal page on Copy Abilities
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Nintendo Germany - Kirby Planet Robobot
- ↑ Nintendo Polska - Nintendo Selects: Kirby: Triple Deluxe
- ↑ Nintendo Polska - Kirby: Planet Robobot
- ↑ Nintendo Polska - Kirby Star Allies
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nintendo Portugal - Kirby Battle Royale
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Nintendo Russia - Kirby: Planet Robobot (archive)
- ↑ Nintendo Russia - Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (archive)
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