Morpho Knight

Morpho Knight Splash image of Morpho Knight from Kirby and the Forgotten Land Details First game Kirby Star Allies (2018) Latest game Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023, reference) Other game(s) Kirby for Nintendo GameCube (canceled) Super Kirby Clash (reference) Kirby and the Forgotten Land Kirby's Dream Buffet (reference) Relative(s) Butterfly, Galacta Knight, Chaos Elfilis Similar to Meta Knight, Dark Meta Knight, Parallel Meta Knight, Phantom Meta Knight

Theme music "Morpho Knight" Clip of Morpho Knight's theme from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

“

On the day of judgment, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Brought into existence by "the greatest warrior in the galaxy" and reborn as a knight of doom through years of adversity—now begins an epic battle with a pure being twisted by a dark past.

”

— VS Morpho Knight (Kirby Star Allies)

Morpho Knight, titled Reborn Butterfly and Fluttering Dream Eater, is a surprise boss who debuts in Kirby Star Allies, at the end of Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!. It is a butterfly of paradise from another dimension which transforms into a masked sword wielder as a result of feasting upon the soul of a powerful being. In Guest Star The Three Mage-Sisters and The Ultimate Choice's Soul Melter EX difficulty, a stronger form called Morpho Knight EX (titled Dark-Winged Disaster) is fought instead. It also makes a secondary appearance as the final boss of Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams in Kirby and the Forgotten Land after the butterfly casts judgment on Soul Forgo. An early version of Morpho Knight was planned to appear in Kirby for Nintendo GameCube as well.

Morpho Knight is an enigmatic character. Little is known about its motives, other than its desire to "judge" powerful entities, absorbing their souls in the process. The same can be said about its personality (if it even has any), though it is commonly referred to as a "fluttering fiend". Morpho Knight is primarily associated with death, rebirth, and the underworld — its design and flavor text reference many cultures' concepts of life after death, such as Ragnarök, Sukhavati, Yomi, and the phoenix, among many others. It utilizes fire as its element of choice in combat.

Characteristics

Close-up of Morpho Knight from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Butterfly form

Before absorbing any entity, Morpho Knight displays the same body as various red and orange butterflies seen across the series. In this form, it is rather small, with its wings being yellow-orange on their insides and red on their edges, though whether the wings smoothly fade from red to orange or have a hard separation between them varies. Its body is mainly orange. It also emits glowing fire sparks - a unique trait not shared with other red and orange butterflies.

Knight form

After transforming, Morpho Knight gets a Kirby-like body shape, similarly to Galacta Knight and Meta Knight, but its body is completely black with white eyes and pauldrons, and yellow gloves and boots. Despite having gloves and shoulder pads, it has no visible arms in Kirby Star Allies, similar to Sir Kibble and Blade Knight; however, it has arms in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Its red mask and wings have a butterfly motif to them. It also carries a serrated red sword, which it can split in two or enlarge when necessary. Morpho Knight's sword in Kirby Star Allies combines the motifs of butterfly wings (the guard, with an eye on it) and the phoenix (the blade, which looks like a bird feather). Several of its unused designs have the guard part featuring the Master Crown. The eye in Morpho Knight's blade bears a striking resemblance to the eyes on Void Termina that the Star Allies Sparkler needs to hit in order to damage Void Termina. Instead of the eye being red, however, it is blue. Likewise, Morpho Knight EX's blade has a red eye in the middle, possibly being the exact texture of the eyes on Void Termina.

Etymology

The origin of Morpho Knight's name has not been concretely confirmed. "Morpho" means "changed" or "modified", referencing how the butterfly transforms into Morpho Knight upon making contact with Galacta Knight or Soul Forgo. Morpho is also genus of tropical butterflies, although most appear in a blue color instead of Morpho Knight's orange; some of them, though, such as the Morpho hecuba, do appear in an orange color. However, it should be noted that Morpho butterflies have ocelli (eye spots), which Morpho Knight's butterfly form lacks, and Morpho butterfly wings don't have tails, unlike Morpho Knight's.

Morpho Knight's Japanese name is バルフレイナイト (Barufurei Naito). Barufurei is a corruption of the English word "butterfly" (バタフライ, batafurai). Baru appears to be derived from the loanword "valkyrie" (バルキリー, barukirī), referring to the Norse deities who choose warriors to ascend to the afterlife in preparation for Ragnarök (the "day of judgment"). Relating to this, the furei may be derived from the Japanese name for the Norse goddess and leader of the valkyries, Freyja (フレイヤ, Fureiya); "Valfreyja" (ヴァルフレイヤ, Varufureiya) is an obscure alternate name for the goddess. Naito is the English word "knight".

Lastly, for its English name, it can be noted that the word "morpho" can be paired with "meta" to make the word "metamorphosis", a term also used to describe the development of caterpillars into butterflies in their cocoons. This possibly ties in with Meta Knight's name, though no further connection can be drawn between the two aside from their basic look and status as swordfighters.

Game appearances

Morpho Knight's video game appearances
Game	Role	Notes
Kirby Star Allies	Surprise boss and final boss	Morpho Knight is the final boss of Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!
Super Kirby Clash	Reference	Morpho Gear is based on it.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land	Surprise boss and final boss	Morpho Knight is the secret final boss of Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams. The Morpho Knight Sword ability is based on it.
Kirby's Dream Buffet	Reference	A costume and a color are based on it.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	Reference	Its likeness appears as a Dress-Up Mask, and its sword is one of the nine possible sword variations of the Super Ability Ultra Sword.

Kirby Star Allies

Overview

Morpho Knight's splash screen in Kirby Star Allies.

“

Come judgement day, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Will it land in a dream world, or a nightmare? It has mastered its new abilities, now all will witness its true power!

”

— VS Morpho Knight EX

Morpho Knight debuts in Kirby Star Allies. It is primarily faced at the end of Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, where it absorbs Galacta Knight and uses his power to transform into a knight of doom.

Morpho Knight's Japanese pause screen description is slightly different: rather than describing it as "a pure being twisted by a dark past," it is described as "an unknown entity, never meant to be fought, lost in the darkness of history." This may be a reference to its planned appearance in the canceled Kirby for Nintendo GameCube. This is also the case in the Korean and Chinese versions.

“

何かが たえ、その しんぱんの日に どこからか飛らいする、極楽の夢見鳥。 銀河最強と 言われる白き騎士が もたらした、長年の 生命のさけびに共めいし、黄泉からの騎士となって こうりんする。れきしの闇に ほうむられた、決して戦う はずの無いアノそんざいとの、夢の対決の… まくあけだっ！ A butterfly of paradise who flies in from parts unknown on the day of judgment. The white knight, said to be the greatest warrior in the galaxy, cries out for life, and is reborn as a knight from the underworld. The dream battle with an unknown entity, never meant to be fought, lost in the darkness of history... will now begin!

”

— VS. Morpho Knight (Japanese version)

In The Three Mage-Sisters' route, Morpho Knight EX is fought instead. Morpho Knight EX has a much darker color scheme compared to its original form, and its eyes are red rather than white. When fought in The Ultimate Choice, Morpho Knight EX's splash screen is the only one that cannot be skipped.

Morpho Knight EX's pause screen description is slightly more elaborate in the Japanese version. It is explained that the power it received from Galacta Knight has grown and fully become its own. This is also the case in the Korean and Chinese versions.

“

しんぱんの日に、異空間アナザーディメンションより 飛らいする 極楽の夢見鳥。夢の国か、黄泉の国か… 次は どの次元を めぐり行くのだろうか。白き騎士から 受けついだ パワーを 日々ぞうふくさせ、ついに その力を わがものにする。真の力をはっきした黒き極蝶による しんぱんの日が… 今、晩刻を むかえる！ A butterfly of paradise who flies in from another dimension on the day of judgment. Which dimension will it land in next... the dream world, or the underworld? After absorbing the white knight, it has finally made his power its own. The judgment day of the fully-powered black butterfly has arrived... this is the final hour!

”

— VS. Morpho Knight EX (Japanese version)

Both of the Japanese and Chinese pause screen descriptions mention "黄泉". In Japanese, it is read as Yomi (also known as Yomi-no-kuni), the land of the dead in Shinto mythology. In Chinese, 黄泉 translates directly to "the Yellow Springs", the underworld in Chinese mythology. It can also be translated to refer to the more generic "underworld" or "Hades," which is used in Morpho Knight's internal filename (SecretHades).

Morpho Knight appears in the following game modes:

Form	Mode	Level	HP (Star Bullet=52)	Notes
Morpho Knight	Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! (all but The Three Mage-Sisters)	Level 5	1380	It appears as the final boss.
	The Ultimate Choice	Fiery Showdown Infernal Crisis Soul Melter	920	In Fiery Showdown, it appears in the final battle. In Infernal Crisis and Soul Melter, it appears in the 12th battle, right after Hyness is beaten and before Void Termina is fought.
Morpho Knight EX	Guest Star The Three Mage-Sisters	Level 5	2070	It appears as the final boss.
	The Ultimate Choice	Soul Melter EX	1380	It appears in the 13th battle, after The Three Mage-Sisters are beaten and before Void Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds is fought.

Boss battle

A still from the battle with Morpho Knight.

Morpho Knight fights very similarly to Meta Knight in Kirby Star Allies and Galacta Knight from previous titles. Its main repertoire includes sword slashes, guards, teleporting, and flying maneuvers. Morpho Knight's attacks can also release butterfly-shaped waves of fire, which can be difficult to dodge.

Similar to the Meta Knight boss battle in Kirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight's sword-based attacks can be interrupted by the Sword ability (including Friends like Blade Knight, Meta Knight, and Dark Meta Knight), which creates a sword clashing effect and stuns it for a while, enabling its other opponents to strike its vulnerable backside.

When its Health falls below 60%, Morpho Knight enters its second phase, taking 1/5 damage during phase shifting. Now, the boss can split its sword in two, and use a wider variety of upscaled attacks which cover a large portion of the screen. It can also hypnotize Friends with sound waves, turning them against Kirby and other allies, though their heroic personality is recoverable. This form of attack is shared with Void Termina's Final Core (Phase 4) and Void Soul.

During the Morpho Knight battle in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and Soul Melter (EX) difficulty of The Ultimate Choice, if 1P is a Dream Friend, The Divine Terminus stage in which Morpho Knight is fought will feature a different background. In the case of Morpho Knight EX and Guest Star ????, the background will always be the Version 4.0.0 variant. Morpho Knight's theme will also be replaced by new music remixes (the music change only happens in The Ultimate Choice if 1P is a Dream Friend that has completed Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! at least once and is on Soul Melter or Soul Melter EX difficulty).

• If 1P is a Dream Friend from Version 2.0.0, the center of the floor reflects Hyper Zone from Kirby's Dream Land 3, where Dark Matter and Zero are fought.
• If 1P is a Dream Friend from Version 3.0.0, the center of the floor reflects Dark Star from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, where 0² is fought.
• If 1P is a Dream Friend from Version 4.0.0, the center of the floor reflects Another Dimension from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, where the Lor Starcutter and Magolor are fought.

When Morpho Knight is defeated, it gracefully disintegrates into a cloud of red butterflies and vanishes.

Attacks

The following lists all of Morpho Knight's attacks. Attack names are conjectural unless otherwise noted. Attacks in red are used during the second phase only.

Morpho Knight's attacks in Kirby Star Allies
Attack	Description
Teleport	Morpho Knight may teleport at any time. When it teleports as Morpho Knight EX, it will create a damaging shockwave.
Backhand Slash	Morpho Knight performs a backhand slash.
Backhand Slash - Triple Slash	Morpho Knight performs a backhand slash followed by Triple Slash.
Hyper Rush - Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight performs a multithrust and then fires a crescent-shaped energy wave. Crescent Shot can be reflected by Dark Meta Knight's specific attacks.
Triple Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight fires 3 Crescent Shots in a row. Morpho Knight EX's Crescent Shots have slight homing properties compared to its original form.
Aerial Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight jumps and fires 2 Crescent Shots at the same time. Morpho Knight EX fires 3 shots instead and may perform the attack twice in a row; teleporting to a different location before doing the attack again.
Glide Sword	Morpho Knight glides while thrusting its sword, similar to Meta Knight's same attack as a boss.
Down Thrust	Morpho Knight jumps and thrusts down its sword, leaving two stars on impact.
極楽ごくらく冥獣めいじゅう Sukhavati Underworld Beast	Morpho Knight requires charging to use this attack. After releasing its charge, Morpho Knight summons red, butterfly-shaped ghosts that travel slowly in various patterns. This leaves three stars in front of it.
Upper Calibur	Morpho Knight requires charging to use this attack. After releasing its charge, Morpho Knight dashes and performs an upper slash (it may teleport before dashing.) If the upper slash connects to any allies, it will then perform a multi-slash combo to them in midair. If the allies avoid the upper slash, Morpho Knight will end this attack. The upper can only be guarded by special guards. (Prior to Version 4.0.0, it could not be guarded by any means.) Like with Parallel Meta Knight's version, all slashes of the attack from Morpho Knight EX deal damage instead of just the final one.
極楽ごくらく鱗波りんぱ Sukhavati Scale Wave	Morpho Knight releases sound waves with its wings. Each sound wave drop two stars. If any ally is hit by the sound wave, they will be turned against other allies. This can be undone by either tossing a Friend Heart at the affected ally or by depleting all of its HP and then reviving it. In the first phase, it releases one sound wave after a brief charge-up period. In the second phase, it releases seven sound waves in a row with no charge-up time, teleporting to different locations of the stage. The sound waves Morpho Knight EX produces cover a larger distance.
Infernal Wind	Morpho Knight requires charging to use this attack, similar to Meta Knight's same attack as a boss. Morpho Knight takes 0.4× damage during the Infernal Wind attack. After releasing its charge, Morpho Knight stabs its sword into the ground to summon giant red tornado(es) that travel across the stage. In the first phase, one tornado is summoned. In the second phase, multiple tornadoes are summoned, and their number depends on how many allies are in the battle. Said tornadoes aim for a specific ally location before charging forward. Morpho Knight EX will always summon 5 tornadoes at once, which all target specific locations of the Divine Terminus. If the allies are hit by the tornado, they will be thrown into the air and take damage when crashing onto the ground. The tornadoes cannot be guarded since their attack is a "throw". The tornadoes ignore the allies' invincibility frames, so Stone and attacks like Sword's Drill Stab will fail to dodge the tornadoes. The only exception is when Kirby gains an ability from swallowing something.
極楽ごくらく冥王めいおう斬閃ざんせん Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash	Morpho Knight always begins with this attack in the second phase. It teleports to the center of the stage and splits its sword into two. It takes 0.4× damage when splitting its swords. First, it teleports to one end of the stage and swings its now-enlarged sword. Then, it teleports to the other end and performs another giant slash. Finally, it teleports back to the center and slashes to both sides with dual swords. After that, the swords merge back into one sword. Morpho Knight EX will create black holes to draw the allies into its sword's range. Every slash leaves four stars on impact. The area directly underneath Morpho Knight is a safe zone where its swords' slashes cannot hit allies. The slash pattern is similar to Magolor Soul's version of Ultra Sword.
Knight Spin	Morpho Knight can only use this as Morpho Knight EX. Morpho Knight EX performs a vertical spinnning slash after jumping.
Counter	Morpho Knight can only use this as Morpho Knight EX. Morpho Knight EX enters a counter pose, like Meta Knight's Galactic Counter. Any attacks that happen to hit Morpho Knight EX during this time deal no damage. If it is attacked near the end of this pose, it will counterattack with a random move of the following: Slash(es) Upper Calibur Scale Wave
Sukhavati (極楽), or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism.

Attack order

Unlike most other bosses in the game, Morpho Knight doesn't attack in a set order every time it's fought. Specific attacks will always be performed at set intervals while all the others are performed randomly. Click "Expand" on the right to see the lists.

These attacks are always performed randomly:

1. Teleport
2. Backhand Slash
3. Backhand Slash ~ Triple Slash
4. Hyper Rush ~ Crescent Shot
5. Triple Crescent Shot
6. Aerial Crescent Shot
7. Glide Sword
8. Down Thrust
9. Knight Spin
10. Counter

For phase 1, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:

1. six random attacks
2. Sukhavati Underworld Beast
3. four random attacks
4. Upper Calibur
5. four random attacks
6. Sukhavati Scale Wave
7. five random attacks
8. Infernal Wind

Upon entering phase 2, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:

1. Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash
2. one, two, or no random attacks
3. Sukhavati Scale Wave x7
4. one random attack
5. Upper Calibur
6. Sukhavati Underworld Beast [x2 for the regular variant, x1 for the EX variant]
7. two, four or five random attacks
8. Infernal Wind
9. three random attacks

• 

  A butterfly approaches Galacta Knight in Kirby Star Allies, intent on absorbing his power.

• 

  Morpho Knight teleporting around during the fight

• 

  Morpho Knight using "Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash"

• 

  Morpho Knight is defeated

Super Kirby Clash

Morpho Gear, which includes Morpho Doomblade (left) and Morpho Doomhelm (right).

“

A sword that resembles a butterfly of paradise. Legend says it strikes a bright flash.

”

— Morpho Doomblade description

“

Defensive gear inspired by "the knight of doom." This helmet appeared in response to the screams of the most powerful warrior in the galaxy.

”

— Morpho Doomhelm description

One of the strongest gear sets for Sword Hero (called the Morpho Gear) is available for purchase in Magolor's Shoppe in Super Kirby Clash. This gear gives Sword Hero Kirby a replica of Morpho Knight's helmet and sword. The gear offers a very large bonus to Revival Speed and Recovery, with an appreciable bonus to Charge Speed as well.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Morpho Knight conjuring a phantasmal Soul Forgo to chase Kirby in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

“

The fluttering fiend that casts judgment upon final battles is drawn toward the isolated isles of Forgo Dreams. There, it feasts upon the most powerful soul it can find and takes the fearsome form of a scarlet-clad knight... Let the most challenging battle of this new world begin!

”

— Figure description

Morpho Knight returns in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, as a surprise final boss of Isolated Isles: Forgo Dreams. Similar to Kirby Star Allies and just like with Galacta Knight, it first appears fluttering at Soul Forgo and making contact with it, absorbing its power and bringing forth the scarlet-clad knight.

Its flavor text is more accurate to the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean versions than in Kirby Star Allies, and all refer back to the pause screen description for Morpho Knight EX, which describes how it may land in "a dream world".

“

決戦の間に 審判を下すという 一頭の夢見鳥は、誘われるように 忘れられし 絶島へと流れつく。それで 最も強い ソウルをすすり、紅き騎士となって降り立つ。ついに、この新世界での 最凶の闘いが… 晩刻を むかえる！ A butterfly said to cast judgment on final battles arrives, as if lured, in the forgotten isolated isles. There, it feasts upon the most powerful soul it can find, and is reborn as a crimson knight. At last, the deadliest battle of this new world will begin... the final hour has arrived!

”

— Figure description (Japanese)

Notably, it uses the term "一頭の夢見鳥", which translates as "a butterfly" or "one of the butterflies". It also describes this butterfly arriving "as if lured". The English localization translates this as "drawn toward".

The figure description for Chaos Elfilis states that this final boss of the Colosseum was created from the fusion of Fecto Forgo and Morpho Knight.

The very last Evolved Copy Ability, Morpho Knight Sword, is based off its armor and blade.

Attacks

Morpho Knight has 2000 HP (Star Bullet=80) in Forgo Land, and 1500 HP in The Ultimate Cup Z of the Colosseum.

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

Morpho Knight's Attacks in Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Attack	Description
瞬間移動しゅんかんいどう Teleportation	Morpho Knight may teleport at any time. It may teleport twice and then, after a 2.5 second delay, use either "Continuous Slash" or "Crescent Shot."
横よこぎり Slash	Morpho Knight performs a single sword slash.
連続れんぞくぎり Continuous Slash	Morpho Knight slashes up to four times in a row.
弦月げんげつ斬ざん Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight fires three Crescent Shots in a row which move at different speeds. Morpho Knight may only fire two of these and then teleport and use a different attack. It may also only use one of these quickly at close range.
空中くうちゅう弦月げんげつ斬ざん Aerial Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight jumps and fires two Crescent Shots at the same time.
獄炎ごくえん弦月げんげつ斬ざん Infernal Crescent Shot	Morpho Knight throws out a big wave of fire that travels outward. Part of the wave is shorter, allowing Kirby to jump over. Morpho Knight can throw out two of these in the second phase.
極楽ごくらく念獣ねんじゅう Sukhavati Psychic Beast	After a few seconds of charge-up, Morpho Knight summons a red ghost resembling Soul Forgo that travels slowly and homes in on Kirby, leaving Drop Stars on occasion. In the second phase, two of these are summoned, both in different locations.
極楽ごくらく鱗波りんぱ Sukhavati Scale Wave	Morpho Knight releases sound waves with its wings. Each sound wave drops two stars. If Kirby is hit by the wave, he will be disoriented (the screen will tilt and blur and the audio will be muffled) for a while. In the second phase, Morpho Knight releases five or seven waves in succession, with the last one being quite large. This attack will end early if Kirby is hit. Both the very first and very last instances of the attack require a brief charge-up time.
獄炎ごくえん風ふう Infernal Wind	After a very quick charge-up, Morpho Knight stabs its sword into the ground to summon giant red tornadoes that travel across the stage. In the first phase, six tornadoes travel outward in a wave. In the second phase, the tornadoes move to the back of the arena, and then fly across in two straight waves, or in a perpendicular pattern. They may also move outward in a spinning pattern clockwise. The tornadoes cannot be guarded.
極楽ごくらく新界しんかい斬閃ざんせん Sukhavati New World Slash Flash	Morpho Knight always begins with this attack in the second phase. It teleports to an edge of the stage and splits its sword into two. From there, it teleports and then strikes at Kirby with one sword, then the other, creating lots of stars on impact. From there, it swipes on each side with both swords, creating waves of fire that move in toward the center and then leave stars behind as they dissipate.
Sukhavati (極楽), or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism.

Attack order

Much like in Kirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight doesn't attack in a set order every time it's fought. Specific attacks will always be performed at set intervals while all the others are performed randomly. Click "Expand" on the right to see the lists.

These attacks are almost always performed randomly:

• Teleportation
• Slash
• Continuous Slash
• Crescent Shot
• Aerial Crescent Shot

For phase 1, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:

1. one random attack
2. Infernal Crescent Shot
3. two random attacks
4. Sukhavati Psychic Beast
5. two random attacks
6. Infernal Wind
7. two random attacks
8. Sukhavati Scale Wave
9. 2.5-second teleport attack or 1 random attack

Upon entering phase 2, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:

1. Sukhavati New World Slash Flash
2. one random attack
3. Sukhavati Scale Wave [x7 in Forgo Land, x5 in The Ultimate Cup Z]
4. 2.5-second teleport attack
5. one random attack
6. Infernal Wind
7. one random attack
8. Sukhavati Psychic Beast
9. two random attacks
10. Infernal Crescent Shot
11. one random attack

• 

  Morpho Knight throwing out a wave of fire

• 

  Throwing out flame tornadoes

• 

  Slashing with a giant sword

• 

  Using "Sukhavati Scale Wave"

• 

  Kirby disoriented after being hit by Sukhavati Scale Wave

• 

  Throwing two waves of fire that converge in the middle

• 

  Morpho Knight dissipating upon its defeat

Kirby's Dream Buffet

Morpho Knight does not appear directly in Kirby's Dream Buffet. However, Kirby can take on its appearance using a costume and a color based on it. They can be unlocked upon reaching a Gourmet Rank of 99 and 100, respectively.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Morpho Knight does not appear directly in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, but its likeness appears as a Dress-Up Mask, which is unlocked upon completing card #49 of the Stamp Rally. An enlarged variation of its sword is also used as a possible variant for the Ultra Sword Super Ability.

Development

Morpho Knight's concept art for Kirby for Nintendo GameCube. Note that the sword differs in design compared to the final version.

It is a common misconception among the Kirby fandom that Morpho Knight is based on an early design for Meta Knight — this is not true. Morpho Knight was originally a boss for the canceled title Kirby for Nintendo GameCube. Its concept art can be found on Meta Knight's page in the booklet from Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, which might be the source of this misinformation (though from where the "early design" part came from is unknown). Given this connection to Meta Knight, Morpho Knight's English name can be seen as a pun, as both names fit into the word "meta-morpho-sis" and follow each other. In its original design for Kirby for Nintendo GameCube, Morpho Knight wields a straight sword, which was changed to a serrated sword in its final design.

Morpho Knight was brought back as a surprise boss for Kirby Star Allies. Series director Shinya Kumazaki didn't want to take the easy way out and have Galacta Knight as the secret boss again, as he thought that it would no longer be a surprise to players. Morpho Knight was given a butterfly form to enter the battlefield, to contrast butterflies normally being seen as "a symbol of peace" during the happy, peaceful endings of Kirby games. In addition, it is also a reference to ancient Japanese mythology, where it was believed that souls could take the form of butterflies and guide the dying to the afterlife.

Music

Main article: Butterfly of Judgment: Morpho Knight

Morpho Knight's theme is called 審判しんぱんの夢見鳥ゆめみどり：バルフレイナイト (Butterfly of Judgment: Morpho Knight) in Kirby Star Allies, and simply "Morpho Knight" in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. The original version features a bass guitar and a keyboard, while Kirby and the Forgotten Land uses an electric guitar and trumpet, and includes excerpts from "Welcome to the New World!"

Dream Friend music change

In Kirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight is unique in that its battle music can change depending on its opponent.

Dream Friend music for Morpho Knight's battle
1P Dream Friend	Jukebox Track No.	Title	Arrangement	From	Arranged by
King Dedede Meta Knight Bandana Waddle Dee	174	ナイトメアーズバトル Nightmare's Battle	Final Boss This did not appear until Version 4.0.0.	Kirby's Adventure	Jun Ishikawa
Rick & Kine & Coo	175	ダーククラウディ Dark Cloudy	Medley: Real Dark Matter Cloudy Park	Kirby's Dream Land 2	Hirokazu Ando
Marx	176	VS. マルク／スターアライズ ドリーム ver. VS. Marx / Star Allies Dream ver.	Vs. Marx	Kirby Super Star	Jun Ishikawa
Gooey	177	ダークマター イン ザ ハイパーゾーン Dark Matter in the Hyper Zone	VS. Dark Matter	Kirby's Dream Land 3	Hirokazu Ando
Adeleine & Ribbon	178	おとめたちのやみとのたたかい Maidens' Battle With Darkness	Medley: 0² Battle Miracle Matter Ripple Star: Stage Select	Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards	Hirokazu Ando
Dark Meta Knight	179	ダークミラージュ Dark Mirage	Medley: Boss Battle Theme Last Boss / Second Form	Kirby & The Amazing Mirror	Yuuta Ogasawara
Daroach	180	真！ドロッチェ団のテーマ True! Squeak Squad Theme	Squeak Squad Appears!	Kirby: Squeak Squad	Jun Ishikawa
Magolor	181	Supreme Ruler's Coronation - OVERLORD	Medley: C-R-O-W-N-E-D (intro) Dangerous Dinner Fly, Kirby! Limitless Power C-R-O-W-N-E-D (main theme) Road to Victory / Sky Tower (both have the same motif) C-R-O-W-N-E-D (Green Greens section)	Kirby's Return to Dream Land	Hirokazu Ando
Taranza	182	月魄のファントム Phantom of the Moon's Spirit	Medley: Sullied Grace mixed with Green Greens The World to Win Fatal Blooms in Moonlight	Kirby: Triple Deluxe	Hirokazu Ando
Susie	183	幼き日に視たデウス・エクス・マキナ Deus ex machina Seen in Childhood	Medley: Vagrant Counting Song of Retrospection VS. Star Dream	Kirby: Planet Robobot	Hirokazu Ando
The Three Mage-Sisters	195	三叉一閃の巫の熱情 Passion of the Tridental-Flashing Mages	VS. The Three Mage-Sisters (Second Phase; original track) Remix of Twinkle☆Traveler, with some hints of "Song of Supplication". First appeared in Heroes in Another Dimension.	Kirby Star Allies	Hirokazu Ando
Track title translations are conjectural unless noted.

Flavor text

Image	Game	Flavor text
	Kirby Star Allies	VS Morpho Knight: On the day of judgment, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Brought into existence by "the greatest warrior in the galaxy" and reborn as a knight of doom through years of adversity—now begins an epic battle with a pure being twisted by a dark past. VS Morpho Knight EX: Come judgement day, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Will it land in a dream world, or a nightmare? It has mastered its new abilities, now all will witness its true power!
	Kirby and the Forgotten Land	The fluttering fiend that casts judgment upon final battles is drawn toward the isolated isles of Forgo Dreams. There, it feasts upon the most powerful soul it can find and takes the fearsome form of a scarlet-clad knight... Let the most challenging battle of this new world begin!

Trivia

• Morpho Knight's internal filename in Star Allies is called "Bknight" (B comes from the first letter of its Japanese name) or "SecretHades".
• Morpho Knight's dual sword attack shares the last two kanji of Galacta Knight's "dimensional rift laser" attack from Kirby: Planet Robobot.
  • Galacta Knight: 時界大斬閃 Time-Border Great Slash Flash
  • Morpho Knight: 極楽冥王斬閃 Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash
  • In addition, this attack uses the same wind-up sound effect as Ultra Sword in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
• Morpho Knight EX's Japanese caption, 災来する黒き極蝶, can be literally translated as "Disaster Bringer Black Butterfly Returns" (災来 being a pun of 災 disaster and 再来 return). This format is shared by Francisca, Flamberge and Zan Partizanne in their Story Mode 2nd battle captions, in which 災来する— (lit. "Disaster Bringer XXX Returns") is localized as "Bringer of XXX" in the English version. Additionally, 極蝶, which literally means "extreme butterfly", is a pun on 極鳥 (butterfly of paradise, used in Morpho Knight's standard caption); both are read as ごくちょう.
• Some of Morpho Knight's attack animations in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, namely the ones that fire crescent shots, mistakenly reuse the model of Meta Knight's Galaxia rather than Morpho Knight's own sword.

Gallery

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  Morpho Knight EX's splash screen in Kirby Star Allies

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  Credits image of Morpho Knight in its butterfly form approaching Galacta Knight

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  Credits image of Morpho Knight slashing with its sword

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  Credits image of Morpho Knight's defeat

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  Morpho Knight in its butterfly form fluttering into Forgo Land in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Morpho Knight in its butterfly form landing on Soul Forgo in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Credits image of Morpho Knight absorbing Soul Forgo in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  The scarlet-clad knight is reborn once again in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Morpho Knight dissipating upon its defeat in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Figure of Morpho Knight from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  The Morpho Knight Sword Evolved Copy Ability based on Morpho Knight from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Render of "Morpho Knight" costume from Kirby's Dream Buffet

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  Render of "Morpho Midnight" color from Kirby's Dream Buffet

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  Dress-Up Mask from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

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  Kirby wearing the Morpho Knight Dress-Up Mask in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

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  Concept art of Morpho Knight's sword for Kirby Star Allies

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  Artwork of Morpho Knight from the Find Kirby!! book

Videos

Click to load content Battle with Morpho Knight in Kirby Star Allies (The Ultimate Choice).

Click to load content Battle with Morpho Knight EX in Kirby Star Allies (The Ultimate Choice).

Click to load content Video playthrough of Kirby battling Morpho Knight in Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Colosseum).

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	バルフレイナイト Barufurei Naito	Valfrey Knight See #Etymology.
Traditional Chinese	冥蝶騎士 Míngdiéqíshì	Underworld Butterfly Knight
Simplified Chinese	冥蝶骑士 Míngdiéqíshì
Dutch	Morpho Knight	—
French	Morpho Knight	—
German	Morpho-Knight	—
Italian	Morpho Knight	—
Korean	몰포 나이트 Molpo Naiteu	Morpho Knight
Portuguese	Morpho Knight	—
Spanish	Morpho Knight	—

Kirby Star Allies

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	黄泉返よみがえる極鳥ごくちょう バルフレイナイト Yomigaeru gokuchō Barufurei Naito 災来さいらいする黒くろき極蝶ごくちょう バルフレイナイトEXイーエックス Sairai-suru kuroki gokuchō Barufurei Naito Īekkusu	Reborn Butterfly of Paradise, Valfrey Knight Disaster Bringer Black Butterfly Returns, Valfrey Knight EX
Traditional Chinese	復活的極蝶 冥蝶騎士 災厄再來的黑極蝶 冥蝶騎士EX Fùhuó de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì Zāi'è Zàilái de Hēijídié Míngdiéqíshì	Reborn Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight Returning Disaster Bringer Black Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight EX
Simplified Chinese	复活的极蝶 冥蝶骑士 灾厄再来的黑极蝶 冥蝶骑士EX Fùhuó de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì Zāi'è Zàilái de Hēijídié Míngdiéqíshì
Dutch	Morpho Knight Morpho Knight+	-
French	Morpho Knight Morpho Knight EX	-
German	Erweckter Falter, Morpho-Knight Dunkelflügeliges Unheil, Morpho-Knight X	Awakened Butterfly, Morpho-Knight Dark-winged Disaster, Morpho-Knight X
Italian	Farfalla rinata, Morpho Knight Sciagura dalle ali nere, Morpho Knight X	Reborn butterfly, Morpho Knight Dark-winged wretch, Morpho Knight X
Korean	환생한 나비 몰포 나이트 Hwansaenghan Nabi Molpo Naiteu 다가오는 검은 나비 몰포 나이트EX Dagaoneun Geom-eun Nabi Molpo Naiteu EX	Reborn Butterfly, Morpho Knight Oncoming Black Butterfly, Morpho Knight EX
Latin American Spanish	Morpho Knight Morpho Knight EX	-
European Spanish	Morpho Knight Morpho Knight+	-

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	夢ゆめ啜すする極鳥ごくちょう[sic] バルフレイナイト 夢ゆめ啜すする極蝶ごくちょう バルフレイナイト Yume susuru gokuchō Barufurei Naito	Dream-Eating Bird of Paradise, Valfrey Knight Referred to as such in the cutscene "Fluttering Foe on an Isolated Isle." Dream-Eating Butterfly of Paradise, Valfrey Knight Referred to as such in its figure description.
Traditional Chinese	啜夢的極蝶 冥蝶騎士 Chuòmèng de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì	Dream-Drinking Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight
Simplified Chinese	啜梦的极蝶 冥蝶骑士 Chuòmèng de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì
Dutch	Fladderende droomvreter, Morpho Knight	Fluttering dream eater, Morpho Knight
French	Somnivore papillonant, Morpho Knight	Fluttering dream eater, Morpho Knight
German	Flatter-Traumfresser, Morpho-Knight	Flutter-Dream eater, Morpho-Knight
Italian	Granfarfalla divorasogni, Morpho Knight	Great dream-eating butterfly, Morpho Knight
Korean	꿈을 마시는 극락의 나비 몰포 나이트 Kkum-eul Masineun Geuglag-ui Nabi Molpo Naiteu	Dream-Eating Butterfly of Paradise, Morpho Knight
Spanish	Mariposa devorasueños, Morpho Knight	Dream-eating butterfly, Morpho Knight