Special

Special
Kirby using a Special in a Lesson in Kirby Air Riders.
Details
First game	Kirby Air Riders (2025)
User(s)	Every rider in Kirby Air Riders
Similar	Final Smash

“In the previous game, you used a single button for everything, but this time, we've added a second button. Unfortunately. This is to expand the game's depth.”

— Masahiro Sakurai, Kirby Air Riders Direct

Special is a type of move that Riders in Kirby Air Riders are able to perform after filling up the Special gauge and pressing Y. Each Special is unique to the Rider, and can range from offensive to speed up moves, sometimes both.

Overview

Every rider in Kirby Air Riders has a single, unique special, except Kirby, who has four depending on which alternate color is used. Most Specials either involve giving the rider a speed boost, performing a single powerful attack, performing a multitude of attacks, or a combination of the three. Every Special only last a couple of seconds, though the exact time varies. To perform a Special, the rider must fill up their Special gauge.

The Special gauge will generally fill up over time, and will accumulate more quickly if the rider attacks or gets attacked. They can also grab a Special Up item to fill a large portion of the gauge, or defeat a Gemaine to instantly fill it up. Once the gauge is filled, the player will get a prompt to signalize that the Special is ready to be used, and it will start to deplete slowly: if the player does not activate the Special before the gauge fully depletes, the charge will be lost, and they will need to fill the gauge again from the start. If a machine is switched in City Trial, or a round is cleared in Road Trip, the Special will be lost, but the gauge will remain at the current point and cease depleting.

In Air Ride, the Special gauge will charge up much faster for riders depending on how far behind they are in a race. Additionally, the special enemy Gemaine may appear in front of riders in last place. Air Ride also features a setting called "Special Assist", which will cause the Special gauge of riders to fill up instantly if they are far enough behind.

Specials cannot be used at all in Top Ride.

List of Specials

The following is a complete list of every Special move:

Specials in Kirby Air Riders
Special	Rider	Caption	Description	Notes
Ultra Sword	Kirby (Pink)	Unleash a series of slashes with your giant blade!	Kirby summons the Ultra Sword Super Ability and slashes its default sword multiple times around him, hitting any foe in contact for huge damage. After swinging it for a couple seconds, Kirby does a last slash forward and drops the ability.	Based on the Super Ability of the same name. The visuals are also similar to Kirby's Final Smash based on the same ability, Ultra Sword.
Crash	Kirby (Yellow and Green)	Blast any nearby rivals away with a massive explosion!	Kirby is released from the front of his machine like a projectile and causes a large explosion, doing massive damage to anything in contact.	Based on the Copy Ability of the same name, Crash.
Burn	Kirby (Red and Purple)	Burst into flames and charge straight ahead as a fireball!	Kirby abandons his machine and charges forward surrounded by flames at high speed, damaging and burning any foe on the way.	Based on the Burning Copy Ability.
Snow Bowl	Kirby (Blue and Gray)	Turn into a snowball, then grow larger and faster as you roll ahead!	Kirby abandons his machine and transforms into a snowball. The snowball grows in size the more Kirby transverses, as he gains speed. Any foes that hit the snowball suffer damage.	Based on the Super Ability of the same name, Snow Bowl, though Kirby transforms into a simple snowball instead.
Jet Hammer	King Dedede	Activate the jet engine hidden in your hammer and rocket forward!	King Dedede activates the jet engine of his hammer, and uses it to propel him forward at high speed. Using Quick Spin will cause him to swing his hammer to attack.	Based on King Dedede's Jet Hammer move in the Super Smash Bros. games.
Night Wing	Meta Knight	Spread your dark wings and fly forward at incredible speed!	Meta Knight exits his machine and starts flying with his own wings at high speed. He's also able to attack anyone with Drill Rush by using Quick Spin.	During the Special, Meta Knight sports two pairs of wings, much like his Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Darkness Illusion.
Golden Waddle Dee	Waddle Dee	Become golden and shiny as you race ahead with increased speed!	Waddle Dee becomes Gold Waddle Dee, becoming very nimble and charging up at high speed. This also increases Waddle Dee's defense, making it less vulnerable to damage.
Spear Cyclone	Bandana Waddle Dee	Twirl your spear in front of you as a shield or above you as a propeller.	Bandana Waddle Dee twirls his spear above him in high speed, damaging any foes in contact. He's also able to use it to fly higher.	Based on Waddle Copter, a move Bandana Waddle Dee is able to use in most games he is playable in and is often associated with him.
Waddle Doo Barrage	Waddle Doo	Raise your trusty beam rod and fire off a full-power barrage of blasts!	Waddle Doo summons a rod and waves it in front of him as an array of beam blasts is shot, hitting anyone and anything in contact.	The rod is specifically the one used by the Beam ability in most games. Waddle Doo himself only uses the rod in Kirby Star Allies.
Superspicy Cooking	Chef Kawasaki	Serve spicy curries all around you to make rivals spew flames!	Chef Kawasaki throws multiple plates of Superspicy Curry around the course. Any Rider that comes in contact with any is damaged and burned.
Knuckle Rush	Knuckle Joe	Charge up energy, then unleash a powerful uppercut!	Knuckle Joe unleashes a flurry of punches, hitting anyone in contact. If the player Boost Charges, Knuckle Joe charges and unleashes a Rising Break attack.
Rip-Roaring Rick	Rick	Hop off your machine and switch to a full-speed dash on foot!	Rick hops off from his machine and starts running at full speed ahead, damaging anything on contact. He can also jump by using Quick Spin.	This Special likely is inspired by the fact that Rick, out of the three original animal friends, excels on land.
Mock Dark Matter	Gooey	Fire six shadowy bolts, three in front and three behind you!	Gooey transforms into his Mock Matter form and fires bolts of dark lightning, three forward and three backwards, multiple times at set intervals, damaging foes.	"Mock Matter" is a form Gooey is able to transform in all his previous playable appearances.
Booster Cap	Cappy	Use mushroom-cap propulsion to rush ahead in a steady boost!	Cappy puts on a jet engine on his cap, propelling him forward at high speed.
Meteor Rocky	Rocky	Fly up into the air, then crash down as a mighty meteorite and explode!	Rocky jumps in the air, and comes back crashing larger in size, causing massive damage around him.
Scarfy's Losin' It	Scarfy	Let your terrifying rage loose and run wild around the course!	Scarfy transforms into his angry form, gets surrounded by fire, and starts to accelerate, dealing massive damage to anyone in contact. Once the Special ends, he causes a fiery explosion before returning to normal.	While in this form, Scarfy's icon on the Speedometer also changes.
Super Starman	Starman	Soar high in the sky with your rainbow-colored cloak!	Starman leaves his machine behind and starts flying at high speed. While flying, he can jump by using Quick Spin and can freely fly upward or downward when in midair.
Emerald Framer	Lololo & Lalala	Throw around sliding blocks with abandon to slow down rivals!	Lololo & Lalala summon and throw various Emerald Framers in front of them, finishing off by throwing a larger one at the end.	Emerald Framers are the official names of the green blocks Lololo & Lalala summon and use in their boss fights. Much like Lololo & Lalala themselves, Emerald Framers originate from the Eggerland series.
True-Form Marx	Marx	Reveal your true nature and jinx any rivals you touch!	Marx transforms into his true form, and flies without his machine. If he touches any rider, they will get damaged and have vines stuck to them.	Marx's true form is his boss form. While in this form, Marx's icon on the Speedometer also changes. His alternate color does not have a unique true form design, though his icon on the Speedometer does.
Sneaky Dash	Daroach	Vanish, then surprise your rivals with a sneak attack!	Daroach becomes invisible. Approaching any rivals will prompt him to reappear and attack, stealing their Copy Abilities or patches.
Magolor Cannon	Magolor	Rocket forward by firing a beam of light behind you!	Magolor unleashes a Magolor Cannon backwards, giving him a speed boost and hitting any foe behind him that gets caught in the attack. Magolor will only fire the beam for as long as he remains grounded, holding his fire as soon as he goes airborne. The Special gauge also depletes more slowly while he's in the air.	Magolor Cannon is a move that Magolor's boss forms (Traitor Magolor, Magolor's second form, and Magolor Soul) have always been able to use. It was first available to Magolor in his regular form in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, as part of his moveset in Magolor Epilogue.
Spider Shots	Taranza	Slow down rivals by firing balls of sticky spider silk to tangle them up!	Taranza throws various webbed balls in front of him. Any rider in contact with them gets trapped in magic webs.	Based on the magic webs Taranza uses in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, and can later use in his playable appearance in Kirby Star Allies. Specifically, it appears to be based on "Taranza Ball" and "Taranza Web Hold".
Roboboosters	Susie	Ignite your high-tech boosters and rocket forward at high speed!	Susie puts her visor on and summons two rocket boosters that give her a large boost in acceleration and increases flight duration.	The English name of this special is a pun on "Robobot", referencing Susie's origin game, Kirby: Planet Robobot. Using Susie's alternate color will cause the color of the boosters to change to reflect it.
Shadow Ride	Noir Dedede	Slip past rivals like a shadow and leave them trapped in darkness!	Noir Dedede becomes a ball of shadow. Any riders near it have their vision obscured.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スペシャル supesharu	Special
English	Special	-
Chinese	特技 tèjì	Stunt
Dutch	Speciale aanval	Special attack
German	Spezialtechnik	Special Technique
Korean	스페셜 seupesyeol	Special
Portuguese	Especial	Special

Click "Expand" on the right to see individual names.

Ultra Sword

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ウルトラソード urutora sōdo	Ultra Sword
Traditional Chinese	究極劍 jiū jí jiàn	Ultra Sword
Simplified Chinese	究极剑 jiū jí jiàn
Dutch	Ultrazwaard	Ultra sword
German	Ultra-Schwert	Ultra Sword
Korean	울트라 스워드 ulteura seuweodeu	Ultra Sword
Portuguese	Ultraespada	Ultra Sword

Crash

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	クラッシュ kurasshu	Crash
Chinese	爆裂 Bàoliè	Crash The same name of the Crash ability in Chinese.
Dutch	Kaboem	Kaboom
German	Kugelblitz	Ball Lightning The same name of the Crash ability in German.
Korean	크래시 keuraesi	Crash
Portuguese	Cabum	Kaboom The same name of the Crash ability in Portuguese.

Burn

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	バーニング bāningu	Burning
Traditional Chinese	燃燒 Ránshāo	Combustion
Simplified Chinese	燃烧 Ránshāo
Dutch	Vuurkomeet	Fire comet
German	Flugbrand	Flying Burn
Korean	버닝 beoning	Burning
Portuguese	Bola de Fogo	Fire Ball

Snow Bowl

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スノーボウル sunō bouru	Snow Bowl
Chinese	冰晶雪球 Bīngjīng Xuěqiú	Ice Crystal Snowball
Dutch	Sneeuwbowling	Snow bowling
German	Schneeball	Snowball The same name of Snow Bowl in German.
Korean	스노 볼 seuno bol	Snow Bowl The same name of Snow Bowl in Korean from Kirby's Dream Buffet.
Portuguese	Sorvete	Ice Cream The same name of Snow Bowl in Portuguese.

Jet Hammer

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ジェットハンマー jetto hanmā	Jet Hammer
Traditional Chinese	火箭錘 huǒjiàn chuí	Rocket Hammer
Simplified Chinese	火箭锤 huǒjiàn chuí
Dutch	Jethamer	Jet hammer
German	Düsenhammer	Jet Hammer
Korean	제트 해머 jeteu haemeo	Jet Hammer
Portuguese	Martelo a Jato	Jet Hammer

Night Wing

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ナイトウィング naito wingu	Night Wing
Traditional Chinese	騎士之翼 qíshì zhīyì	Knight's Wings
Simplified Chinese	骑士之翼 qíshì zhīyì
Dutch	Vleugelvlucht	Wing flight
German	Nachtschwinge	Night Wing
Korean	나이트 윙 naiteu wing	Night Wing
Portuguese	Asas Noturnas	Night Wings

Golden Waddle Dee

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ゴールデンワドルディ gōruden wadoru di	Golden Waddle Dee
Traditional Chinese	黃金瓦豆魯迪 huángjīn wǎdòulǔdí	Golden Waddle Dee
Simplified Chinese	黄金瓦豆鲁迪 huángjīn wǎdòulǔdí
Dutch	Gouden Waddle Dee	Golden Waddle Dee
German	Goldener Waddle Dee	Golden Waddle Dee
Korean	골든 웨이들 디 goldeun weideul di	Golden Waddle Dee
Portuguese	Waddle Dee Dourado	Golden Waddle Dee

Spear Cyclone

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スピアサイクロン supia saikuron	Spear Cyclone
Traditional Chinese	暴風之槍 bàofēng zhī qiāng	Storm Spear
Simplified Chinese	暴风之枪 bàofēng zhī qiāng
Dutch	Speercycloon	Spear cyclone
German	Speerwirbel	Spear Whirlwind
Korean	스피어 사이클론 seupieo saikeulon	Spear Cyclone
Portuguese	Lança Ciclonal	Cyclone Spear

Waddle Doo Barrage

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ワドルドゥビーム wadoru du bīmu	Waddle Doo Beam
Traditional Chinese	瓦豆魯篤光束 wǎdòu ludǔ guāngshù	Waddle Doo Beam
Simplified Chinese	瓦豆鲁笃光束 wǎdòu ludǔ guāngshù
Dutch	Waddle Doo-spervuur	Waddle Doo barrage
German	Waddle-Doo-Salve	Waddle Doo Salute
Korean	웨이들 두 빔 weideul du bim	Waddle Doo Beam
Portuguese	Rajada Waddle Doo	Waddle Doo Barrage

Superspicy Cooking

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	激辛クッキング gekikara kukkingu	Superspicy Cooking
Chinese	超辣料理 chāolà liàolǐ	Superspicy Cuisine
Dutch	Superscherp eten	Superspicy food
German	Extraschärfe	Extra Spicyness
Korean	불맛 쿠킹 bulmat kuking	Fiery Taste Cooking
Portuguese	Culinária Superpicante	Superspicy Cooking

Knuckle Rush

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ナックルラッシュ nakkuru rasshu	Knuckle Rush
Traditional Chinese	格鬥家突襲 gédòujiā tūxí	Fighter Surprise Attack
Simplified Chinese	格斗家突袭 gédòujiā tūxí
Dutch	Stootsprint	Impact sprint
German	Fauststurm	Fist Storm
Korean	넉클 러시 neokeul reosi	Knuckle Rush
Portuguese	Arremetida Knuckle	Knuckle Rush

Rip-Roaring Rick

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	リックだいばくそう rikku daibakusou	Rick Huge Rampage だいばくそう is the purely hiragana reading of 大爆走. 爆走 (bakusou) is a colloquial term used to describe a vehicle roaring noisily, or idiomically to refer to someone or something going on a rampage; 大 (dai, "huge") is used to intensify it.
Traditional Chinese	陸庫大暴衝 lùkù dàbào chōng	Rick's Great Rampage
Simplified Chinese	陆库大暴冲 lùkù dàbào chōng
Dutch	Roekeloze Rick	Reckless Rick
German	Rick-Rabatz	Rick Commotion
Korean	릭 대폭주 rik daepokju	Rick Huge Rampage
Portuguese	Rick Ruidoso	Rampageous Rick

Mock Dark Matter

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ダークマターもどき dāku matā modoki	Dark Matter Imitation The Japanese name for Mock Matter is マターもどき ("Matter Imitation").
Traditional Chinese	擬態暗物質 nǐtài àn wùzhi	Simulated Dark Matter
Simplified Chinese	拟态暗物质 nǐtài àn wùzhi
Dutch	Schijn-Dark Matter	Semblance-Dark Matter
German	Pseudo-Dark-Matter	-
Korean	다크 매터 흉내 dakeu maeteo hyungnae	Dark Matter Imitation
Portuguese	Réplica de Matéria Escura	Dark Matter Replica

Booster Cap

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ブースターキャップ būsutā kyappu	Booster Cap
Traditional Chinese	推進器之帽 tuījìnqì zhīmào	Propulsion Cap
Simplified Chinese	推进器之帽 tuījìnqì zhīmào
Dutch	Boosterhoed	Booster hat
German	Turbo-Kappe	Turbo Cap
Korean	부스터 캡 buseuteo kap	Booster Cap
Portuguese	Chapéu Turbo	Turbo Hat "Turbo" is the name in Portuguese for "Boost" in Kirby Air Riders.

Meteor Rocky

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	メテオロッキー meteorokkī	Meteorocky
Traditional Chinese	隕石硬石 yǔnshí yìngshí	Meteorite Rocky
Simplified Chinese	陨石硬石 yǔnshí yìngshí
Dutch	Meteoor-Rocky	Meteor Rocky
German	Feinstein-Meteor	Rocky Meteor "Feinstein" is the German name of Rocky.
Korean	메테오 록키 meteo rokki	Meteor Rocky
Portuguese	Pedroso Meteórico	Meteoric Rocky "Pedroso" is the Portuguese name of Rocky.

Scarfy's Losin' It

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ブチ切れスカーフィ buchigire sukāfi	Flipping-Out Scarfy ブチ切れ is an informal term used to describe someone losing their cool or "flipping out".
Chinese	抓狂尖耳怪 zhuā kuángjiān ěrguài	Scarfy's Goin' Crazy
Dutch	Scarfy draait door	Scarfy goes crazy
German	Scarfy außer Kontrolle	Scarfy out of control
Korean	격분 스카피 gyeokbun seukapi	Furious Scarfy
Portuguese	Scarfy Enfurecido	Furious Scarfy

Super Starman

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スーパースターマン sūpā sutāman	Super Starman
Traditional Chinese	超級星人 chāojí xīngrén	Super Starman
Simplified Chinese	超级星人 chāojí xīngrén
Dutch	Super-Starman	-
German	Super-Starman	-
Korean	슈퍼 스타맨 syupeo seutamaen	Super Starman
Portuguese	Superstarman	-

Emerald Framer

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	エメラルドフレーマー emerarudo furēmā	Emerald Framer
Traditional Chinese	綠寶石構成物 lùbǎoshí gòuchéng wù	Emerald Components
Simplified Chinese	绿宝石构成物 lùbǎoshí gòuchéng wù
Dutch	Smaragdblok	Emerald block
German	Smaragdblöcke	Emerald Blocks
Korean	에메랄드 블록 emeraldeu beulok	Emerald Block
Portuguese	Bloco Esmeralda	Emerald Block

True-Form Marx

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	本性マルク honshō maruku	True-Nature Marx
Traditional Chinese	魔嚕酷本色 mólū kù běnsè	Marx's Authenticity
Simplified Chinese	魔噜酷本色 mólū kù běnsè
Dutch	Maximale Marx	Maximum Marx
German	Wahrer Max	True Max
Korean	본모습 마르크 bonmoseup mareukeu	True-Form Marx
Portuguese	Marx Autêntico	Authentic Marx

Sneaky Dash

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	インビジブルダッシュ inbijiburu dasshu	Invisible Dash
Traditional Chinese	隱形衝刺 yǐnxíng chōngcì	Invisible Sprint
Simplified Chinese	隐形冲刺 yǐnxíng chōngcì
Dutch	Sluipsprint	Sneak sprint
German	Heimlicher Sprint	Sneaky Sprint
Korean	인비저블 대시 inbijeobeul daesi	Invisible Dash
Portuguese	Disparada Furtiva	Stealthy Sprint "Furtiva" comes from "furto", which means stealing, though specifically stealing in a stealthy way.

Magolor Cannon

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	マホロア砲 mahoroa-hō	Magolor Cannon
Traditional Chinese	魔法洛亞炮 mófǎluòyàpào	Magolor Cannon
Simplified Chinese	魔法洛亚炮 mófǎluòyàpào
Dutch	Magolor-kanon	Magolor cannon
German	Magolor-Kanone	Magolor Cannon
Korean	마버로아 캐넌 mabeoroa kaeneon	Magolor Cannon
Portuguese	Canhão Magolor	Magolor Cannon

Spider Shots

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スパイダーボール supaidā bōru	Spider Ball This aligns with the name of Taranza's "Taranza Ball" (タランザボウル) attack; note the spelling difference in "Ball", however.
Traditional Chinese	蜘蛛絲團 zhīzhūsī tuán	Spider Silk Ball
Simplified Chinese	蜘蛛丝团 zhīzhūsī tuán
Dutch	Spinnenkogels	Spider bullets
German	Spinnenschüsse	Spider Shots
Korean	스파이더 볼 seupaideo bol	Spider Ball
Portuguese	Esferas Aracnídeas	Arachnid Spheres

Roboboosters

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	アフターバーナー afutābānā	Afterburner An afterburner is a component used on jets to achieve supersonic flight. After Burner is also the name of an arcade game published by SEGA.
Traditional Chinese	後燃器 hòu ránqì	Afterburner
Simplified Chinese	后燃器 hòu ránqì
Dutch	Roboboosters	-
German	Robodüsen	Robo Jets
Korean	애프터 버너 aepeuteo beoneo	Afterburner
Portuguese	Robopropulsores	Robopropellers

Shadow Ride

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	シャドウラン shadou ran	Shadow Run
Chinese	黑影疾奔 hēiyǐng jíbēn	Black Shadow Rushing
Dutch	Schaduwrit	Shadow ride
German	Nachtfahrt	Night Drive
Korean	섀도 런 shedo reon	Shadow Run
Portuguese	Pilotagem Umbrosa	Noir Piloting Noir Dedede in Portuguese is called "Dedede Umbroso".