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Kabu

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Kabu
KNiDL Kabu artwork.jpg
Artwork of Kabu from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
Details
First game Kirby's Dream Land (1992)
Latest game Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)
Other game(s) Kirby's Adventure
Kirby's Pinball Land
Kirby's Dream Course
Kirby's Avalanche
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kirby's Block Ball
Kirby Super Star
Kirby's Dream Land 3
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby Super Star Ultra
Kirby Mass Attack
Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (New Challenge Stages)
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Kirby: Planet Robobot
Kirby's Blowout Blast
Kirby Battle Royale
Kirby Star Allies
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby's Dream Buffet
Copy Ability None
Similar entities Big Kabu, Grumples, Colossal Kabu, Thudd
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Kabu is a reoccurring enemy in the Kirby series, having appeared in many games since its debut in Kirby's Dream Land. It resembles a sculpted stone head, similar to the faces of the moai, with a flat bottom and a rounded top (though sometimes being depicted as cubical), typically beige or brown in color. Its face consists of two holes in place of eyes, a sculpted wedge-like nose, and a perpetually open mouth.

Depending on the game, Kabu may attack in a large amount of ways, including jumping, sliding, flying, and even teleporting. Big Kabu, a larger counterpart of Kabu, can also spit out smaller Kabu. Kirby can inhale and swallow Kabu, but in turn, does not receive a Copy Ability.

Game appearances[edit]

Kabu’s video game appearances  
Game Role Notes
Kirby's Dream Land Enemy
Kirby's Adventure Enemy
Kirby's Pinball Land Enemy
Kirby's Dream Course Enemy
Kirby's Avalanche Opponent
Kirby's Dream Land 2 Enemy
Kirby's Block Ball Enemy
Kirby Super Star Enemy
Kirby's Dream Land 3 Enemy
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble Enemy
Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Enemy As this is a remake of Kirby's Adventure, it has the same role here as it did in that game.
Kirby: Canvas Curse Enemy
Kirby Super Star Ultra Enemy As this is a remake of Kirby Super Star, it has the same role here as it did in that game.
Kirby Mass Attack Enemy Appears in the Strato Patrol EOS Sub-Game.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Enemy
Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Enemy Appears in New Challenge Stages. Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby Super Star, and Kirby's Dream Land 3 are also included, where Kabu has the exact same role.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe Enemy
Kirby: Planet Robobot Enemy
Kirby's Blowout Blast Enemy
Kirby Battle Royale Cameo Appears in the audience in certain modes.
Kirby Star Allies Enemy
Kirby and the Forgotten Land Enemy
Kirby's Dream Buffet Enemy Has the appearance of a chocolate doughnut to match the game's food motif.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Enemy Reprises its role from Kirby's Return to Dream Land

Kirby's Dream Land[edit]

KDL Kabu sprite.png Kabu debuted along with Kirby in Kirby's Dream Land. Here, it can be found in the Float Islands stage, in the caves. It can be found patrolling the walkways as well as nestled inside holes in the walls. It attacks by sliding into Kirby, and dropping down on him from above. It can also fade away, and reappear in different areas. In the Extra Game, it is replaced by Grumples.

Kirby's Adventure / Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]

Kirby spotting two Kabu on the other side of a wall in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.

KA Kabu sprite.png KNiDL Kabu sprite.png In Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kabu appears as an enemy again, with a similar attack pattern. It still has the ability to phase in and out of sight, though it does this less often than in its previous appearance.

In Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby's Adventure & Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land  
Stage Vegetable Valley Ice Cream Island Butter Building Grape Garden Yogurt Yard Orange Ocean Rainbow Resort
Stage 1 No No No No Yes No No
Stage 2 No No No No Yes Yes No
Stage 3 Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes*
Stage 4 Yes No Yes No No No No
Stage 5 N/A Yes No Yes No No No
Stage 6 N/A N/A No Yes No No Yes
*Appears only in Kirby's Adventure.

Kirby's Pinball Land[edit]

KDL Kabu sprite.png In Kirby's Pinball Land, Kabu (known here as Kaboo[1]) appears in the lowermost board of Wispy-Woods Land. Six of them are arranged around the board, with a Big Kaboo in the middle. The side Kaboo are worth 360 points each time they are bumped. When the side Kaboo are bumped, they retreat into the walls of the board, leaving a small nub that is worth 180 points when bumped. Once all six Kaboo have been bumped, the Big Kaboo disappears, leaving a Warp Star behind.

Kirby's Dream Course[edit]

Kirby aiming at some Kabu in Kirby's Dream Course.

KDCKabu.png Kabu appears as one of the four basic grounded enemy types in Kirby's Dream Course, with the others being Broomhatter, Waddle Dee and Squishy. Kabu continuously spins, but do not move at all. When hit, it does not grant any special abilities.

In Kirby's Dream Course, Kabu can be found in the following courses:

Kabu locations in Kirby's Dream Course (Main Game) 
1P Mode
Course Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 Course 4 Course 5 Course 6 Course 7 Course 8
Hole 1 Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hole 2 Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hole 3 Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Hole 4 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Hole 5 Yes Yes No No No Yes No No
Hole 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Hole 7 Yes No Yes Yes No No No No
Hole 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
2P Mode
Course Whispy Woods Course Mr. Shine & Mr. Bright Course Kracko Course Gordo Course
Hole 1 Yes No No Yes
Hole 2 No Yes Yes No
Hole 3 Yes Yes No Yes
Hole 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hole 5 Yes Yes Yes No
Hole 6 Yes Yes No Yes
Hole 7 Yes Yes No Yes
Hole 8 Yes No No No
Kabu locations in Kirby's Dream Course (Extra Game) 
1P Mode
Course Course 1 Course 2 Course 3 Course 4 Course 5 Course 6 Course 7 Course 8
Hole 1 No No No No No Yes No No
Hole 2 Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No
Hole 3 Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No
Hole 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes
Hole 5 No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes
Hole 6 No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Hole 7 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes
Hole 8 Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
2P Mode
Course Whispy Woods Course Mr. Shine & Mr. Bright Course Kracko Course Gordo Course
Hole 1 No Yes Yes Yes
Hole 2 No No No Yes
Hole 3 Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hole 4 No No Yes Yes
Hole 5 No No No No
Hole 6 No Yes No No
Hole 7 No Yes No No
Hole 8 No Yes No No

Kirby's Avalanche[edit]

KAv Kabu sprite.png
Kirby's Avalanche "Face" picture.
Kabu, the immovable object, will attempt to block Kirby, the irresistible force.
— Kirby's Avalanche Instruction Booklet (North American print), page 22

In Kirby's Avalanche, Kabu is the sixth challenger Kirby must face. Despite its disadvantages, it acts cocky before the match begins.[2] This game marks the only time that Kabu has ever had dialogue, outside of its appearance in the anime series. His Puyo Puyo equivalent is Sukiya Podes.

Kirby's Dream Land 2[edit]

KDL2 Kabu sprite.png Kabu makes an appearance in Kirby's Dream Land 2, behaving in much the same way as it did in Kirby's Dream Land.

Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby's Dream Land 2  
Stage Grass Land Big Forest Ripple Field Iceberg Red Canyon Cloudy Park Dark Castle
Stage 1 No No No No No No No
Stage 2 No No No Yes Yes No No
Stage 3 No Yes No No No No Yes
Stage 4 N/A N/A N/A No Yes Yes No
Stage 5 N/A N/A N/A N/A No No No
Stage 6 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A No No
Stage 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A No

Kirby's Block Ball[edit]

KBBa Kabu sprite.png KBBa Mini Kabu sprite.png In Kirby's Block Ball, Kabu appears as a pre-boss enemy in Stage 3 and is worth 5000 points when defeated. It then appears alongside a Big Kabu in the boss room of the same stage with a slightly different appearance.

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

Wheelie Rider Kirby jumping toward a Kabu in Kirby Super Star.

KSS Kabu.png KSSU Kabu Sprite.png Kabu makes an appearance in Kirby Super Star and its remake; Kirby Super Star Ultra. In this game, Kabu may be seen warping in and out of visibility, and they may also occasionally launch like a rocket, leaving the area. Despite this odd behavior, they are as easy to defeat as any other common enemy, and do not have a lot of health. In Revenge of the King, Kabu is once again replaced by Grumples.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kabu also appears on a card in Kirby Card Swipe.

Kabu can be found in the following places in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra:

Kabu locations in Kirby Super Star & Kirby Super Star Ultra  
Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance?
Green Greens No RoMK Chapter 4 No
Float Islands Yes RoMK Chapter 5 No
Bubbly Clouds No RoMK Chapter 6 No
Mt. Dedede No RoMK Chapter 7 No
Peanut Plains Yes Floria Yes
Mallow Castle No Aquarius No
Cocoa Cave Yes Skyhigh No
Candy Mountain No Hotbeat No
Trial Room 1 No Cavius Yes
Trial Room 2 No Mekkai No
Sub-Tree Yes Halfmoon No
Crystal No ??? No
Old Tower Yes Purple Plants No
Garden No Illusion Islands No
RoMK Chapter 1 No Crash Clouds No
RoMK Chapter 2 No The Revenge No
RoMK Chapter 3 Yes

Kirby's Dream Land 3[edit]

KDL3 Kabu Sprite.png Kabu returns as a standard enemy in Kirby's Dream Land 3. Its abilities have been greatly toned down for this appearance, save for its tendency to spin around. Kabu is often seen being spat out by Dekabu.

In Kirby's Dream Land 3, Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby's Dream Land 3  
Stage Grass Land Ripple Field Sand Canyon Cloudy Park Iceberg
Stage 1 No No No No No
Stage 2 No No No No No
Stage 3 No No No No No
Stage 4 Yes No No Yes Yes
Stage 5 No No Yes No No
Stage 6 Yes No No No No

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble[edit]

Kirby coming across two Kabu in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble.

KTnT Kabu.png Kabu makes an appearance in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble. Unlike some of its other appearances, Kabu is relatively tame here, opting to only sit in place and act as a roadblock which harms Kirby on impact. Kabu can be defeated by popping up the Game Boy Color to flip the Kabu and turn it into a Star Piece.

In Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble, Kabu can be found only in Lvl 2-2, ironically appearing less often than its bigger counterpart.

Kirby: Canvas Curse[edit]

Kirby running into a Kabu in Kirby: Canvas Curse.

KCC Kabu sprite.png Kabu appears in Kirby: Canvas Curse, appearing in a few stages. Here, it spins along the ground, and has its signature ability to vanish and reappear elsewhere.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kabu appears in the following locations:

Kabu locations in Kirby: Canvas Curse  
Reddy Land Arange Gorge Iello Adventure Neo Greo Bloo Hills Omarine Zone Wonder Lilane
No
No
No
No
No
No

Kabu are also conjured by Drawcia Sorceress in her boss fight, though these Kabu are a dark blue color.

Kirby Mass Attack[edit]

KMA Kabu Sprite.png In Kirby Mass Attack, Kabu appears in the Sub-Game Strato Patrol EOS as one of the opponents which the Kirbys can gun down. Four of them are split from a Big Kabu when it is defeated.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

Kabu in Kirby's Return to Dream Land

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and its remake, Kabu returns as a common enemy with attack patterns similar to previous games. It most often appears in Raisin Ruins, fitting the ruined architecture of those stages. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Kabu also appears as a book pattern in the sub-game Magolor's Tome Trackers.

In these games, Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe  
Stage Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5
Cookie Country No No No No No
Raisin Ruins Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Onion Ocean No No No No N/A
White Wafers No No No No No
Nutty Noon No No Yes Yes No
Egg Engines No No No No No
Dangerous Dinner No No Yes N/A N/A
Kabu locations in Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler  
Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance?
Opening Stage No 4-3 No
1-1 No 4-4 No
1-2 No 4-EX No
1-3 No Sphere No
1-BOSS No Levitation No
2-1 No Health No
2-2 No Surge No
2-3 No Bomb No
2-4 No Upward No
2-BOSS No Needles No
3-1 No Barrier No
3-2 No Vanish No
3-3 No Cannon No
3-4 No Black Hole No
3-BOSS No Trickery No
4-1 No Secret Stage No
4-2 Yes Final Boss No

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[edit]

Kabu appears as a common enemy in the New Challenge Stages in Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, unchanged in form and function from its appearance in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Kabu appears in Kirby: Triple Deluxe just like it did in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It has the ability to move between the foreground and background by teleportation or by rolling back and forth between the planes.

In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby: Triple Deluxe  
Stage Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 EX Stage 7 EX Stage 8 EX
Fine Fields No Yes No No N/A No N/A N/A
Lollipop Land No No Yes Yes N/A No N/A N/A
Old Odyssey No Yes Yes Yes No N/A Yes N/A
Wild World No No Yes No Yes N/A No N/A
Endless Explosions No No Yes No Yes N/A Yes N/A
Royal Road No No No No No N/A No No

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

Kabu returns in Kirby: Planet Robobot unmechanized and the same as in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

In Kirby: Planet Robobot Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby: Planet Robobot  
Stage Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Stage 6 EX Stage 7 EX Stage 8 EX
Patched Plains No Yes Yes No N/A Yes N/A N/A
Resolution Road No No No No N/A Yes N/A N/A
Overload Ocean No No No No No N/A No N/A
Gigabyte Grounds No No No No Yes N/A Yes N/A
Rhythm Route No No No No No N/A No N/A
Access Ark No Yes Yes No No N/A No Yes

Kirby's Blowout Blast[edit]

Kabu makes an appearance as a common enemy in Kirby's Blowout Blast, spinning around various patrol paths before being bested by Kirby, worth 100 base points when defeated.

Kirby Battle Royale[edit]

In Kirby Battle Royale, Kabu does not appear as an enemy, instead appearing in the audience for Apple Scramble, Robo Bonkers, and Slam Hockey.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

Kabu in Kirby Star Allies

Kabu returns in Kirby Star Allies with the same general look and behavior as it had in previous titles.

In Kirby Star Allies, Kabu can be found in the following levels and stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby Star Allies  
Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance?
Green Gardens No Falluna Moon No
Donut Dome Yes Planet Misteen No
Honey Hill No Mareen Moon No
Fruity Forest No Planet Caverna Yes
Clash at Castle Dedede No Grott Moon No
Extra Eclair No Planet Frostak No
Friendly Field No Blizzno Moon No
Reef Resort No Planet Towara No
Echo's Edge No Gabbel Moon No
Nature's Navel Yes Star Lavadom Yes
Sacred Square Yes Sizzlai Moon No
Inside Islands No Jambandra Base No
Duplex Dream No The Divine Terminus No
Gatehouse Road No Extra Planet α Yes
Eastern Wall No Extra Planet β No
Longview Corridor Yes Extra Planet γ Yes
Western Outer Wall Yes Extra Planet δ Yes
Inner Sanctum No Ability Planet No
Heavenly Hall Yes Dimension I Yes
Sector A Yes Dimension II No
Sector B Yes Dimension III Yes
Sector C No Dimension IV No
Planet Earthfall No

Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]

Kabu in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Kabu returns as an enemy in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. It can usually be seen spinning along a set path. When attacked, but not defeated, it will vanish and then reappear somewhere else, then pursue Kirby. Kabu can also be spat out by Big Kabu, and will continue in a straight line until it vanishes, similar to projectiles thrown by other enemies like Gabon or Mookie.

In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Kabu can be found in the following stages:

Kabu locations in Kirby and the Forgotten Land  
Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance? Stage Appearance?
Point of Arrival Yes The Tropical Terror No An Unexpected Beast King No The Beast Pack's Final Stand Yes
Downtown Grassland Yes Welcome to Wondaria No The Wastes Where Life Began Yes In the Presence of the King No
Through the Tunnel Yes Circuit Speedway Yes Searching the Oasis Yes Lab Discovera No
Rocky Rollin' Road Yes Invasion at the House of Horrors No Alivel Mall (Staff Side) No Forgo Plains Yes
A Trip to Alivel Mall Yes The Wondaria Dream Parade No Moonlight Canyon No Forgo Bay No
The Brawl at the Mall No Danger under the Big Top No Collector in the Sleepless Valley No Forgo Park Yes
Abandoned Beach No Northeast Frost Street Yes Enter the Fiery Forbidden Lands No Forgo Horns Yes
Concrete Isles No Metro on Ice No Conquer the Inferno Road Yes Forgo Wasteland No
Scale the Cement Summit Yes Windy, Freezing Seas Yes Burning, Churning Power Plant Yes Forgo Zone No
Fast-Flowing Waterworks Yes The Battle of Blizzard Bridge Yes Gathering of the Beast Council Yes Forgo Land No

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

Kabu returns as an enemy in Kirby's Dream Buffet, here styled to resemble a chocolate-covered pastry with sprinkles on top. It appears as an obstacle on race courses, and can also be seen carrying strawberries in the Minigame mode.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]

Kabu's appearance in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!.
Main article: Kabu (anime character)

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Kabu is a giant immobile stone statue located within a canyon named after him and is a deity to the public. The citizens of Cappy Town often ask him for guidance during times of peril, and see him as a more legitimate protector than their king. Kabu shelters the Warp Star, and the Star Warriors, as that was his original purpose.

Gallery[edit]

Artwork[edit]

Sprites[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

Other[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese カブー
Kabū
Possibly from「かぶり」(kaburi, head)
Chinese 石像怪
Shíxiàngguài
Stone Monster
From「石像鬼」(shíxiàngguǐ, stone gargoyle statue) and「怪物」(guàiwu, monster)
Dutch Kabu -
French Kabu -
German Kabu -
Italian Kabu -
Korean 카부
Kabu
Kabu
Spanish Kabu -


References

  1. Name taken from Kirby's Pinball Land Instruction Booklet (American release), Page 9
  2. "Your road to glory ends here." - Kabu