History Franchise / Kirby

* [[http://www.gamezone.com/products/kirby-s-dream-collection/news/kirby-s-dream-collection-includes-six-classic-kirby-games-and-more Kirby's Dream Collection]] (2012, Wii; an anthology in celebration of Kirby's 20th anniversary. The bundle contains 6 Kirby games[[note]]''Dream Land, Dream Land 2, Adventure, Super Star, Dream Land 3'' and ''The Crystal Shards''[[/note]], 3 episodes from the KirbyOfTheStars anime, several new challenge stages a la ''Return to Dream Land'', a soundtrack CD, a gallery walk of Kirby's history, some pages from the various Kirby manga, and an artbook.)

** It's even worse in ''Squeak Squad''. Every player would expect A to use Kirby's powers and B to jump, but the game inverts the controls. It's not difficult to play like that, but it's very jarring when you first play the game.
* DarkIsEvil: '''Dark''' Matter. ''Amazing Mirror'' later brings us [[EvilTwin Dark Meta Knight]] and [[BigBad Dark Mind]], while ''Squeak Squad'' gives us Dark Nebula and Dark Daroach (the latter being [[DemonicPossession possessed by the former]]).
* DarkIsNotEvil: Gooey. Despite being made of and by Dark Matter, he's just a good-natured goof ball. Also, Shadow Kirby from ''Kirby & the Amazing Mirror.''
** Meta Knight.
* DeathFromAbove: Kirby's Stone ability.
* DefeatByModesty: Meta Knight just can't keep fighting once his mask is broken.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: In ''Kirby Super Star'', you can relinquish Kirby's powers and reform them into an enemy that uses those powers, who can then be controlled by a second player. This is extremely helpful in getting HundredPercentCompletion, but the AI is marginally intelligent enough to do the job.
** Your ''entire party'' (sans Ribbon) in ''Kirby 64'' is also gained this way through mini-boss battles while on Pop Star.
* DemonicPossession: Dark Matter really likes doing this. Yin-Yarn pulls it off twice in ‘’VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn’’.
* DetonationMoon: At the end of ''Kirby's Adventure''.
* DevelopmentGag: VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack takes place on the Popopo Islands in southern Dream Land. Popopo was Kirby's planned name.
* DifficultButAwesome: Using Kirby's throwing attacks (Circus Throw, Yo-Yo grab, Ice Suction) is overkill against enemies that are defeated in one hit anyway, and hard to pull off against most bosses, since the objects you can shoot back at them are often too fast, small, or erratic to grab. Manage to pull them off, though, and it can shave huge chunks off of any boss's health in one hit.
* DigitalDestruction: The Virtual Console release of ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' changes the background colors in Dark Matter/0's BossRush stage from yellow, red, and blue to a less-pleasant yellow, orange, and green. Most other games with noticeable graphics edits (i.e. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'') had this done because of increased seizure awareness, but this doesn't seem to have been done for any particular reason.
* DirectionallySolidPlatforms: They're present and throughout the whole series, more so in some levels than others. Some you can drop back through again, others you can't.
* DishingOutDirt: Wham Bam Rock in ''Kirby Super Star'' [[spoiler:and Wham Bam Jewel in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'']].
* DisproportionateRetribution: ''Squeak Squad'' starts with Kirby's slice of cake being stolen. Cue him going on a rampage through the entire country, killing (or at least maiming) everything on his path to retrieve it. Starting with Dedede's castle, just because Kirby thinks Dedede ''might'' have taken it.
* DoorToBefore: After beating the final boss of the Great Cave Offensive segment in ''Kirby Super Star'', one ends up running from the cave up to the original entrance.
* TheDragon: Dark Matter, to [[BigBad 0]]. Also, Meta Knight played this role to Dedede in ‘’Kirby's Adventure’’; he reprised this role in the anime, becoming a definitive example of a DragonWithAnAgenda.
** As 0 is the core organism of Dark Matter, and all other Dark Matter entities are spawned from it, and all but Gooey are controlled by it, its Dragon is essentially a physical extension of it with a limited degree of free will to operate outside of its direct control. This has interesting implications.
* DramaticUnmask: Meta Knight tends to lose his mask upon defeat. [[spoiler:He's so cute! And he looks exactly like Kirby, only with white (sometimes gold) eyes, purple feet, and blue skin.]]
* DreadfulMusician: Kirby is such an awful singer that he ''kills'' with his voice.
* DreamLand: It's named for being home of the fountain where dreams come from. A nightmare tries to come through the fountain in ''Kirby's Adventure'', but King Dedede removes the fountain's power source, the Star Rod, to stop it. As a consequence, no one can dream until Kirby puts the Star Rod back.
* DropTheHammer: Dedede and Bonkers the gorilla, the latter of which Kirby can inhale for (what else?) the Hammer ability. Hammer is used as one of Kirby's B-button moves in the various ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games.
* DualBoss: Mr. Shine and Mr. Bright.
** Lololo and Lalala from ''Dream Land'' too, of course. Also, Pon and Con from ''[[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 Dream Land 3]]''.
** [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Master Hand and Crazy Hand]] from ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror''.
** You have to fight twin Doomers in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''.
* DubNameChange:
** Mark to Marx
** Galactic Knight to Galacta Knight
** Dark Zero to Dark Nebula
** Mahoroa to Magolor
* DuelBoss: Meta Knight, of course. With few exceptions, he even gives you a sword if you don't already have one. He refuses to start the fight until you pick it up, in every game except Revenge of Meta Knight. And even then, he'll wait for half a minute, which is very chivalrous of him considering ''[[HonorBeforeReason you're both on an airship currently plummeting towards the ocean.]]''
** In ''Kirby & the Amazing Mirror'', [[spoiler:the way you can tell you're not fighting the real Meta Knight is because the impostor doesn't throw you a sword.]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The original Kirby's Dream Land was very different from the later games -- Kirby couldn't [[VideoGameDashing dash]] or [[SlideAttack slide]], and while he could suck up, then swallow or spit out enemies, he wasn't able to copy abilities. It also included some bizarre enemies that have not been seen since. That, and the North American cover art for the game shows him being white[[note]]The Japanese cover art portrays him as being pink, indicating he was always meant to be that way[[/note]]. He would take on his trademark pink colouring (in-game) by the second game, Kirby's Adventure.
* EasyLevelsHardBosses: The bosses are much harder than the levels. In fact, the Kirby series was once the TropeNamer for this variety of BossDissonance.
* EatTheBomb: What Kirby can do to disarm just about any bomb outside of minigames. And he can probably use it against whoever was throwing explosives around to begin with.
* EldritchAbomination: Many final bosses, especially Dark Matter. In a SugarBowl setting, it's as odd and jarring as it sounds.
** Dark Matter is notable in that its core, 0, is essentially an already EldritchAbomination's OneWingedAngel form. That's in ''Kirby[='s=] Dream Land 3'', whereas in ''Kirby 64'', you skip fighting Dark Matter and go straight to 0's own new form -- you'll see it written on parts of this site as 02 or Zero Two. This is a mistake -- that 2 is actually a superscript: 0^2[[note]]This cannot be properly displayed on this site, by the way[[/note]]. In other words, you're fighting Zero Squared, or the embodiment of nothingness given an extra dimension. It's white, has blood red wings and gives you a fantastic little moment of MoodWhiplash when you first see the smiley face it aims at you and then watch the mouth open into a blood red eye. Have fun!
** Kirby himself can be considered one, albeit a small scale and rare heroic one.
* ElementalPowers[=/=]WeaponOfChoice: Here's a good list of the powers Kirby has copied.
** AnIcePerson: Ice and Freeze
** HumanSnowball: Snow Bowl and Ice + Ice
** AttackReflector: Mirror
** BattleBoomerang: Cutter. Pitch's Fire power also behaves much like a boomerang, only with a bird turning into a fireball.
** BattleTops: Top
** TheBeastmaster: The animal friends.
** BeTheBall: Ball
** BladeOnAStick: Spear
** ArtAttacker: Paint
** BlowYouAway: [[GameBreaker Tornado]], and he can blow puffs of air at enemies without a power.
** CoolBike: Being a Wheelie Rider in ''Super Star''.
** CoolSword[=/=]HeroesPreferSwords: Sword
*** {{BFS}}: Ultra Sword
*** FlamingSword: Fire + Sword from ''Squeak Squad'' and Fire + Cutter from ''64''
*** SwordBeam: [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Only at full health]] in the games, but as a finisher in the anime.
** ChefOfIron: Cook. Ice + Electric turns Kirby into a refrigerator [[EdibleAmmunition that shoots food at enemies]], [[HyperactiveMetabolism which he can then pick up and eat for health.]]
** DropTheHammer: Hammer
** ExtraOreDinary[=/=]MadeOfIron[=/=]ElementalShapeshifter: Metal and Iron
** FlyingSaucer: UFO
** FrickinLaserBeams: Laser, UFO, Spark, and Plasma
** FunctionalMagic[=/=]DeathDealer[=/=]TheBeastmaster: Magic[[note]]The beasts in question are doves[[/note]]
** GreenThumb: Leaf
** GroundPound[=/=]ElementalShapeshifter: Stone
** HolyHandGrenade[=/=]ThePowerOfLove: [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angel]] and Cupid, and the [[EleventhHourSuperPower Love-Love Stick]] from ''Dream Land 3''.
** InASingleBound: Hi-Jump
** InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja: [[CaptainObvious Ninja]], complete with StockNinjaWeaponry and a [[PetalPower cherry blossom attack]]. And Bomb + Cutter is an ''exploding shuriken''.
** JetPack: Jet
** KillerYoyo[=/=]DanceBattler: Yo-yo
** SonicStunner: Balloon
** KungFuFighting[=/=]KiAttacks: Fighter
** LightEmUp: Light, although it doesn't actually damage enemies and is instead used to light up dark rooms. Interesting variations are Bomb + Spark from ''64'' and Kine's Spark power. The former turns Kirby into an exploding light bulb and the latter has Kine hold out a light bulb that damages enemies that touch it, with the option to shoot it at them. Both of these can also be used to see in the dark.
** MakeMeWannaShout: Mike
** MakingASplash: Water, Bubble, Kirby's default water gun that he usually uses underwater and clean with Pitch
** MindControl: Baton and Ghost
** ParasolOfPain: Parasol (natch)
** PlayingWithFire: Burning and Fire
*** OurDragonsAreDifferent: Monster Flame
** PowerGivesYouWings[=/=]FeatherFlechettes[=/=]UseYourHead: Wing
** DishingOutDirt: Clean sends out dust
** RollingAttack: Wheel and Rick's Rock power.
** ShockAndAwe: Beam, Spark, UFO, and Plasma
** SimpleStaff: Baton
** SoulPower: Ghost
** SpikesOfDoom[=/=]SpikeShooter: Needle, and Cutter + Cutter is a spiky boomerang.
** StuffBlowingUp: Bomb, Crash, and Missile
** TakenForGranite[=/=]ElementalShapeshifter: Stone. Whether he can move or not depends on the game, as well as the specific power you have.
** ThisIsADrill: Animal (specifically, a mole), and Rock + Needle.
** WhipItGood: Beam, Whip, and UFO
** WrestlerInAllOfUs: Backdrop, Throw, Suplex, and Fighter
** In addition, ''Kirby 64'' allows you to combine powers, resulting in things like snowman bombs (Ice + Bomb); ''Dream Land 2/3'' give you animal helpers that each put their own spins on whatever power you have when you use them; ''Squeak Squad'' has a few ability combos like [[FlamingSword Fire + Sword]]; and ''Return to Dream Land'' has super abilities: powered-up versions of regular abilities that can be used to kill enemies in one hit, destroy scenery, and solve puzzles. As well as...
* EleventhHourSuperPower: If the game features a nightmarish true final boss, Kirby usually manages to acquire a special weapon just in time to face it. An exception happens in ''Canvas Curse'', where it doesn't show up until ''after'' Kirby couldn't stop the mysterious evil of the month from cursing Dream Land. And then you get to use it for the entire game.
* EternalEngine: Mecheye/Mekkai, the Halberd, NOVA, the final levels of Shiver Star, and Egg Engines.
* EvilLaugh: In ''Super Star'''s Revenge of Meta Knight:
--->'''Ax Knight''': ''Kirby is getting close to the twin cannon.''
--->'''Captain Vul''': ''Kirby will be torched! Wahahahahahaha!''
--->'''Sailor Dee''': ''Hahahahahaha!''
--->'''Captain Vul''': ''Wahahahahahaha! Gahahahahahahaha! Hum.''
** [[VideoGameRemake Alternatively...]]
--->'''Ax Knight''': ''Kirby is now approaching Main Cannon #2.''
--->'''Captain Vul''': ''He'll be burnt to a crisp. Hahahaha!''
--->'''Sailor Dee''': ''Ahahaha!''
--->'''Captain Vul''': ''Bwahahaha! Gahaha! ...Hm.''
** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''
--->[[spoiler:'''Magolor''']]: Anyway...MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
* {{Expy}}: Lololo and Lalala are either distant cousins or younger versions of Lolo and Lala from the ''Eggerland''/''AdventuresOfLolo'' series, another popular series created by HAL Laboratory in the NES days. Gooey from ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' and ''3'' is an expy of Hurly and Chuckie from ''Kirby's Dream Land'' and ''Kirby's Pinball Land''.
* ExcusePlot: ''Squeak Squad.'' Your reason for playing the whole game? [[IWasToldThereWouldBeCake To get your cake back.]] Even after [[spoiler: Daroach lets Dark Nebula out of its prison,]] this is still Kirby's primary motivation.
* ExtremeOmnivore: Kirby, Gooey, Rick the Hamster, and King Dedede (the latter without PowerCopying).
* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: Bonkers
** Arguably subverted, as he is a miniboss.
*** [[DoubleSubversion Yet, he's also a pretty kickass helper.]]
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Dedede
** Also arguably subverted, as he's a recurring boss.
*** [[RunningGag Again, when he does help you, he's invaluable.]]
* EverythingsBetterWithRainbows: The [[EleventhHourSuperpower Rainbow Sword]].
** One of [[MakingASplash Water's]] attacks from ''Return to Dream Land'' (hold down, then press up + 1) produces a rainbow.
* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Even a knocked-out miniboss can hurt you if you touch him.
* EyeScream: [[spoiler: 0 in Kirby's Dream Land 3 rips out its iris to attack you.]]
* FacelessEye: Kracko. BigBad Dark Matter, Dark Mind, Dark Nebula (I'm sensing a pattern here), and Drawcia all also apply.
** Miracle Matter in ''Kirby 64'' cranks this UpToEleven, being a twenty-sided dice with eyes on every side. 0 also qualifies.
*** 0/0^2 is pretty much the ''core'' of Dark Matter. The controller. The eye of the eye.
** Waddle Doos have this as well.
* {{Faceship}}: The Halberd, which has Meta Knight's mask at the bow.
* AFatherToHisMen: Meta Knight.
* FeatherFlechettes: Kirby's Wing ability in ''Kirby Super Star'', as well as its remake.
* FinalBoss [[VillainOfTheWeek of the Week]]: Nightmare, [[spoiler:Marx]] [[spoiler:[[OneWingedAngel Soul]]]], Dark Mind, Drawcia, Darouche, [[spoiler:Dark Nebula]], Yin-Yarn, Necrodeus and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Dark Matter/0 is a subversion, being the main antagonist for an entire trilogy of games.
* FireBreathingDiner: Kirby's Dream Land, as well as a episode of the anime.
* FlamingSword: ''Kirby 64''[='s=] Fire + Cutter ability. It's also a {{BFS}} that's about thrice Kirby's size.
** And ''Squeak Squad's'' Fire + Sword. Do ''not'' use Final Cutter with it in Cushy Cloud, or you'll burn the ground you're falling on ([[BottomlessPits with]] [[DeathThrows predictable]] [[YetAnotherStupidDeath results]].
* FlunkyBoss: Whispy Woods in ''Kirby 64'', and Kracko in most others.
* FrickinLaserBeams: Laser, UFO, and the Chuchu + Spark combination in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Instead of the usual Dark Matter-esque EldritchAbomination, [[spoiler:Marx]], the final boss of ''Kirby Super Star'', is just [[spoiler:one of the tiny, marshmallow-like denizens of Dream Land, who manages to gain ultimate power with an EvilPlan involving Kirby and the wish-granting comet Nova.]]
** There's also [[spoiler:Magolor]] from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'', [[spoiler: a seemingly hapless but friendly alien whose ship crash lands on Pop Star--which turns out to have been part of his plan to control the universe.]]
* GameplayRoulette: ''[[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Super Star]]''.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar : [[http://didyouknowgaming.com/post/31292419848/kirbys-dreamland-2 This level layout]] from Kirby's Dream Land 2, Level 5-5. The blocks and enemies in the level are placed to resemble a crudely drawn naked woman. It is very similar to a similary shaped level layout in YoshisIsland, Level 4-1. Maybe the same pervert/bored programmer?
** The TrueFinalBoss 0, in Kirby Dream Land 3 (Who reappears in Kirby 64) is basically a giant eye attacking you with [[BloodyMurder bloody gibs]] from its limbs, then later explode in a gory fashion (It took 15 years for the ESRB to catch on!). All the other [[FinalBoss final bosses]] have some sort of horror, for that matter.
** The Camel Pillow description in KirbysEpicYarn is a bit suggestive; considering Prince Fluff's appearance in the CoOpMultiplayer mode.
--> This camel pillow has two humps. One for you and [[AmbiguouslyGay one for a friend]]!
* GigglingVillain: [[spoiler:Marx]], Drawcia, and Necrodius.
* GoKartingWithBowser: Kirby and Dedede.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Played with and subverted. Meta Knight's cape doubles as your typical evil [[CapeWings bat wings]], but Meta Knight [[DarkIsNotEvil isn't evil,]] just the WorthyOpponent. On the other hand, 0^2. has feathered angel wings. He's a very clearly evil EldritchAbomination. So does [[EvilCounterpart Galacta Knight]], presumably also evil.
** [[spoiler: Marx]] has weird, colorful bat wings that possibly inspired those of [[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Flandre Scarlet.]] Not only is he evil and the game's closest equivalent to the BigBad, he's also [[spoiler:the TrueFinalBoss.]].
* TheGoomba: Any Waddle Dee that isn't an ally of Kirby, such as the ones in ''Kirby 64'' and ''Return to Dream Land''. In the former, the friendly Waddle Dee is the only one in the game as opposed to also being enemies in the latter; in it the Goomba is a different creature called N-Z.
* GoombaStomp: Although, unlike in ''[[SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' games, Kirby has to fall from a ''very'' great height to do this.
* GottaCatchThemAll: The Crystal Shards, Rainbow Drops, treasures...
* GuideDangIt: Collecting some of the shards in ''Kirby 64'' are a bit unintuitive the first time around, even though the game itself does try to give you some hints.
** One particularly unintuitive shard to retrieve involves using a skill combination that transforms you into [[TheCameo stone versions of the Animal Friends from Dream Land 3]], keep using it until it transforms you into Rick the hamster, and then ''climb'' a wall up towards the shard that is too high to reach it via regular flight. Not something easy to figure, since nothing tells you that said form can climb walls that are rare to begin with. GuideDangIt indeed.
*** Perhaps it's a bonus for people who played Kirby's Dream Land 3... the hamster, Rick, could climb walls in that game, too, and upon playing around with Rock + Cutter, they would probably reckon that the Rick statue could do the same thing. And they'd be right.
** The location of the secret planet ??? in Milky Way Wishes could pretty much be found only if you look it up, or just fly around aimlessly for no particular reason.
* GustyGlade: The series has quite a few places with this, especially in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''.
* HailfirePeaks: Halfmoon in ‘’Super Star’’'s Milky Way Wishes is JungleJapes ''in space''. Also, Hotbeat is UndergroundLevel mixed with LethalLavaLand.
** A level in ''Dream Land 3'' takes you through an apparently [[SlippySlideyIceWorld arctic]] [[LethalLavaLand volcano]].
** The fourth world of ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' starts as a LethalLavaLand, followed by a few graveyard-themed levels, then two levels that ultimately take the Kirbys to [[RecycledInSpace Outer Space]], then back to the graveyards, and finally to the volcano for the boss.
** Most of the Orange Ocean zone in ''Adventure'' is a mix of tropical islands and underwater levels. The last few levels, however, are cold and have lots of mystical-looking crystals, probably as a prelude to the next zone, Rainbow Resort.
* HairTriggerTemper: If Kirby tries to inhale a Scarfy, they get angry and turn into their OneWingedAngel forms to chase him.
* HappyDance: Where Kirby often gains an ability to [[SummonBackupDancers clone himself.]]
** Not only that, but [[http://kirby.wikia.com/wiki/Kirby_Dance it has its own page]] on the [[WikiRule Kirby Wiki]]. It's also [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Vukon4YRs catchy]] [[EarWorm as]] [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic hell]].
* HarderThanHard: "Insane!/Ouch!" difficulty in ''Star Stacker''.
** The True Arena from ‘’Super Star Ultra’’.
* HeelFaceTurn: Kirby's allies in ''Kirby 64'' are an ex-enemy, an ex-boss, and King Dedede himself. They were all just possessed by Dark Matter though, and returned to normal after they were defeated.
* HelpfulMook: Zebon in ''Dream Land 3'' (and later ''Kirby 64'') is classified as an enemy, but all he does is blast you up to reach places you normally wouldn't be able to.
* HeroAntagonist: Meta Knight. Considering that his motives for opposing Kirby are almost always to stop a NiceJobBreakingItHero scenario[[note]]"Revenge of Meta Knight" is an exception, and it's really the only time he has committed an evil act -- and even there, he was really just trying to conquer Dream Land (seriously, [[HistoricalVillainUpgrade why the hell are conquerors invariably seen as villains?]]), and ''that'' wasn't actually a power grab, but a WellIntentionedExtremist attempt to change it for the better[[/note]]. Since the skittishness is highly justified on Meta Knight's part, seeing as Kirby does that sort of thing a ''lot'', this trope is a more accurate description of Meta Knight than AntiVillain.
* HumanCannonball: In large part of the games, Kirby can enter cannons to be shot away.
* HumanSnowball: ''Kirby 64''[='s=] Ice + Ice ability.
* HyperactiveMetabolism: All of Kirby's healing power-ups appear as food.
* IdiotHero: In ''Kirby's Adventure'' (and its remake ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''), Kirby thinks that King Dedede is responsible for Dream Land's lack of dreams, but doesn't know that Nightmare was behind all the problems in the land.
** In ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'', Kirby thinks the treasure chest the Squeaks stole contained his strawberry shortcake, but he didn't know [[spoiler:(although Meta Knight did) that the chest was actually the prison of Dark Nebula.]]
** This is as much a case of Idiot Hero Antagonist as Idiot Hero. People have a problem with telling Kirby exactly what's going on, instead deciding that it would be better to pick a fight to prevent his passage. Meta Knight at least can be argued to be training Kirby for the inevitable Final Boss; King Dedede, not so much[[note]]Kirby's Adventure: Seal an EldritchAbomination in the Fountain of Dreams by removing its power source? Not a bad idea. Entrusting that broken pieces of that Star Rod to people who have problems with Kirby? Not so much. Not telling anyone what you were up to in order to point out that they shouldn't worry, in turn risking that Kirby might think you're up to something bad? Yeah, uh, definitely not a good idea. Using the Fountain of Dreams as your own personal swimming pool for the duration? Okay, Big Guy, we need to have a little chat about how this works[[/note]].
* ImprobableUseOfAWeapon: Bandana Dee along with Kirby with the Spear Copy Ability can spin their spears above their heads and hover in the air like a helicopter (with the spear acting as the helicopter blades), hurting any enemies that hit the part of the blade overhead (like a helicopter, going sideways changes the position of the blade as well).
** Less improbable, but in ''Super Star'' and other newer games (except ''The Amazing Mirror'') the Cutter ability, which is typically used as a ranged attack since it uses what are essentially bladed boomerangs, can also be used melee-style to slice up enemies multiple times while tapping the attack button repeatedly while next to it, with the last blow involving jumping into the air and slamming the blade on the enemy. (The jumping slash ability still appears in ''Amazing Mirror'' even though Cutter only has its basic attack in that game; it is the Sword and Smash abilities' up+A move.)
** The modes where you play as Meta Knight in ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' and ''Super Star Ultra'' let you trigger switches that Kirby can only press with Hammer or Stone. [[SubvertedTrope You can also light fuses with it, which seems improbable,]] [[JustifiedTrope until you remember the fire and lightning based attacks he sometimes uses as a boss.]]
* IndyEscape: In a few parts of ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', you have to outrun several rocks going downhill, although it's one of the slowest examples of this trope.
* InvincibilityPowerUp: The "hyper candy" or "invincibility lollipop" item.
* InvincibleMinorMinion: The Shotzo cannons could be destroyed in the first game by colliding with them after eating a [[SuperStar Lolipop]] but in every game afterwards they simply do not hurt Kirby but remain intact. Gordos are an odd example as they could be destroyed in the first game but the method for doing so has been left out of every sequel since. Gordos will explode if they are onscreen when [[NoOntologicalInertia the boss that tossed them out was defeated]] though.
* ItsAllUpstairsFromHere: The third stage of ''Kirby's Adventure'', the Butter Building.
** Single-level example: the last stage of Ripple Star from ''Kirby 64''.
** Another single-level example: the miniboss towers in ''Adventure''/''Nightmare in Dream Land'' in Rainbow Resort and a ContinuityNod and CallBack to it in ''Return to Dream Land'' in Nutty Noon.
* {{Jerkass}}: Dedede is this, rather than outright evil.
* JokeWeapon: Sleep Kirby. The "ability" freezes you in place for four seconds with no way to defend yourself, and you lose the ability afterwards. The only reason to even consider getting it is to see Kirby's sleeping face, which is pretty darn adorable.
* {{Kappa}}: There's an enemy based on them. They're Cutter-type.
* {{Kawaisa}}: ...until the MoodWhiplash kicks in!
* KidHero: Kirby in [[KirbyOfTheStars the anime]] is pretty much a baby. His age in the games is rather unclear, [[AllThereInTheManual but is referred to as a "little boy" in some manuals.]]
* KillerRabbit: Scarfies, they go OneWingedAngel on you after you try to inhale them.
** Plus Kirby himself, as an extent.
* KillerYoyo: Some enemies in some games have them. It's also one of the many things Kirby [[PowerCopying can use for himself]].
* KnightOfCerebus: ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' introduced us to the first (and so far only) EldritchAbomination that came close to completely killing Kirby (at the beginning of the game, of course), Necrodeus.
* KooshBomb: Almost all explosions are drawn this way.
* LaserBlade: In ''Kirby 64'', Kirby's Electric + Cutter power is a bright yellow double lightsaber.
* LaughablyEvil: Dedede.
* LeaveHimToMe: In ''Super Star'', Meta Knight makes everyone abandon ship so he could take on Kirby alone, in one of the hardest boss battles in the series. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome Then, after he escapes, he comes back after you in a last-ditch attempt to stop Kirby from taking down his ship.]]
* LevelsTakeFlight: The Halberd.
* LightIsNotGood: Galacta Knight might count, if we actually knew whether he was good or evil.
** 0^2 is pure white, and in ''The Crystal Shards'', he goes as far as to have angelic wings ''and'' a halo. That's because 0^2 is the spirit of 0, back from the dead to antagonize Kirby once more, [[spoiler:a fact enforced by the Band-aid marking where 0's eye used to be before it ''[[FamilyUnfriendlyViolence tore itself out of 0's body,]] [[OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank spraying blood everywhere.]]'']]
* LostForever: In ''Kirby 64'', you're only allowed to fight the Waddle Doo, the possessed Adeleine, and the possessed King Dedede once and only once. After you beat them, these battles do not reappear when revisiting their levels. The only way to fight them again is to start a new file.
** Thankfully the the same game subverts it in another case. You can miss collecting the bad ending cutscene in the theater by collecting all the crystal shards before fighting the first final boss, but the cutscene will be added to the theater anyway after beating the TrueFinalBoss.
* ManipulativeBastard: Given that Kirby has the mind of a child, it's not very surprising that several villains would try to take advantage of him.
* MaskPower: Masked Dedede in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. Rocket-fueled hammer sold separately.
* MegaNeko: Nago, the [[strike:obese]] large calico cat.
* {{Metroidvania}}: ''Kirby & the Amazing Mirror'', and the "Great Cave Offensive" game in ''Kirby Super Star''.
* MiniBoss (Try naming a Kirby platformer that doesn't have at least one.)
* MiniGameCredits: A very odd example in ''Kirby and the Amazing Mirror''. When you give Dark Mind the final hit in his third and final phase, do you expect him to blow up and the ending to play? No. Instead, the credits roll while you continue to shoot at the boss, and the game keeps track of how many hits you give him. After the credits finish, Dark Mind finally explodes and the epilogue kicks in.
* MoodWhiplash: Kirby is cute. The world is cute. Even the enemies are cute. And then you run into a final boss that's ''a giant eyeball''. That ''[[BloodyMurder shoots its own blood at you]]''. And then it tears out its own iris and launches said iris at you like a kamikaze pilot on crack in a last-ditch attempt to take you down. That's just the worst of the Kirby end bosses who look a lot more, well, evil than the rest of the game...
** Meta Knight's very existence in Dream Land seems to be a perfect example. Then there's his airship that has more weapons than the Death Star.
** Speaking of Nightmare Fuel, [[spoiler:Marx Soul. The scream. Good lord.]]
** ''Kirby Canvas Curse's'' final level looks like a mixture of something Salvador Dali would puke up and something Picasso would have a nightmare about, rather than the cute, interesting levels expected of a Kirby game. Oh, and the final boss turns into [[spoiler:a five eyed ''screaming'' ball of paint that can ''tear pieces off of itself'' to attack you.]]
** Speaking of the other type of Mood Whiplash, you'll get one for beating masked Dedede in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''.
** ''The Crystal Shards'' has a notable example; the first level of Ripple Star basically mimics the first level of Pop Star. However, as soon as you begin the second stage, you'll be greeted by the darkness-shrouded palace and that [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=029GLL15qig creepy music...]]
* MonsterIsAMommy: Dyna Blade.
* MoralityPet: King Dedede may be greedy and jerkish, but in spite of it all, he seems to genuinely care about his Waddle Dee servants.
---> [[VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn "Hey! You can't be mean to my Waddle Dees!]] [[HypocriticalHeartwarming Only I can be mean to my Waddle Dees!"]]
* MusicalAssassin: One of the regular enemies and one of the minibosses. Their powers can be taken.
* NewGamePlus: ''Kirby's Dream Land'' has an extra game mode after beating the regular game once, that turns the game NintendoHard by making enemies deadlier, adding a whole lot of new ones, and cutting your health to three hits.
** ''Kirby's Adventure'' also had an extra mode where you couldn't save, and you only had three life max. The rest of the game was unchanged. In the remake, ''Nightmare in Dream Land'', you can play through the game as Meta Knight, again with a 3-hit life bar and the inability to save. This is made up for by Meta Knight being an awesome {{Badass}}.
** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturntoDreamLand'' has an EX mode that is unlocked after beating the main mode of the game. While the levels remain largely unchanged, the bosses have been made considerably more difficult. Kirby's health is also reduced by one-third.
* NiceHat: Kirby's current ability is often denoted by one of these, ranging from a crown of flames to a pointed hat very similar to [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda another famous swordsman]].
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Kirby has a bad habit of letting the final boss out by stopping the one before it.
** Which is not, strictly speaking, a character flaw in Kirby so much as it's a character flaw in ''everyone else''. Meta Knight, who ''really should know better'', often declines to tell Kirby what's up so they can rematch instead (which may suggest a corollary: he's afraid Kirby would give up or not fight him if he knew too much) and often scampers after the fight. King Dedede will often skewer his credibility in these matters; even his noble actions (sealing Nightmare away in the Fountain of Dreams and breaking the Star Rod to make it last) are colored by his vices (lounging around in the Fountain as though it were his private pool).
* NintendoHard: Think the original ''Kirby's Dream Land'' is too easy? Then try playing Hard Mode on it -- even the most seasoned gamers will be given a run for their money. That's ''still'' too easy for you? [[HarderThanHard Try changing the options to giving you no lives]] [[OneHitKill and a max of one point of vitality.]] If you get hit even once, you'll have to redo ''the entire level'' over again. ''Kirby's Adventure'' followed suit by having an extra mode which cut Kirby's health down to three hit points and took out the save feature -- although its remake ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' gave you a save feature in its extra mode, it compensates with Meta Knightmare mode, which ''does not'' have a save feature. That said, neither of them can touch the original game's hard mode in terms of just how insanely frustrating it is. Also, The Arena from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and The True Arena from ''Super Star Ultra'' -- the latter is almost as hard as the original ''Kirby's Dream Land''[='s=] hard mode, even with the [[GameBreaker trusty hammer]] at your side! Helper to Hero in that game can also get downright nightmarish to play with the weaker characters.
** Believe it or not, minigames can be like this. Take "Super NES MG5", for instance. You have to go through all five of the memory-based minigames consecutively. If you ''get'' '''''one''''' ''wrong'', then you have to do '''''all five''''' completely over again if you want to get OneHundredPercentCompletion.
** Shockingly, the majority of Canvas Curse can be classified as this as the environmental hazards turn UpToEleven by Level 4, and God help your soul if you are going for 100%...getting all of those medals is just as bad (if not worse) than the True Arena.
* NonstandardCharacterDesign: Wham Bam Rock in ''Kirby Super Star'' is claymation-style, unlike other characters. His design is more conventional in the remake.
* NoPronunciationGuide: Is King Dedede's name pronounced "Dee-dee-dee", "Day-day-day?" or "Deh-deh-deh"?
** [[SuperSmashBrothers Dee-dee-dee! Day-day-day? Dee-dee-dee! Day-day-day?]]
** The reason for this is that it's supposed to sound like "DDD" -- the letter D is pronounced as "dee" in English but as "day" in Japanese.
** Also, 0^2. There are at least three different variations. [[spoiler:"Zero Two" (Zero Tsū)]] is the official pronunciation, however.
* NostalgiaLevel: ''Kirby's Adventure''[='=]s penultimate level reminisces about ''Kirby's Dream Land''.
** Also, ''Kirby 64'' intentionally has a ''lot'' of things in common with ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''.
** The entire "Spring Breeze" sub-game of ''Super Star'' is a cut-down version of ''Dream Land''. ''Revenge of the King'' from ''Super Star [[VideoGameRemake Ultra]]'' is a slightly less-stripped down version of ''Dream Land''[='=]s Extra Mode.
** The final world of ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' is [[spoiler: Dream Land transformed by [[BigBad Yin-Yarn]]]], featuring arts-and-crafts versions of classic Kirby game elements such as star blocks and Shotzos.
** The final non-boss level of Nutty Noon in ''Return to Dream Land'' is a tower filled with minibosses much like the one in Rainbow Resort in ''Adventure'' and its remake ''Nightmare in Dream Land''. Both towers have a hidden entrance above the main one and the expanded soundtrack in ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' made King Dedede's theme from ''Dream Land'' the level music instead of simply the miniboss theme as in the original version, and this carried over in ''Return to Dream Land.
* NoSell: Kirby can't inhale Scarfies. If you try, the results can be [[NightmareFuel/{{Kirby}} horrendous]].
* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: In ''Nightmare in Dream Land'', [[spoiler: [[NotMeThisTime Dedede]] propels Kirby sky-high to chase after [[TrueFinalBoss Nightmare]].]] Kirby won't stay up there forever, and if [[TimedMission you're not fast enough]], you will actually [[OhCrap see the ground rise into view]]...
* NotMeThisTime: Kirby often goes after King Dedede for whatever evil plot is going on, whether or not he had anything to do with it. Most notable in Squeak Squad (granted, stealing a cake ''is'' the sort of thing that Dedede would do - and ''has'' done in the past - so Kirby can't really be blamed for blaming Dedede in that case.)
* NotUsingTheZWord: Dedede is generally considered a penguin by the fandom, and looks a lot like one, but this has never actually been confirmed.
** "HE'S AN ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rxAXiRcI4w EAGLE!]]''"
** "[[Franchise/MetalGear Are you sure]] [[SuperSmashBros he's not a penguin?]]"
** One of the instruction manuals states that Dedede is a condor.
* {{Oculothorax}}: A lot of the bosses in the series follow this pattern. There's Kracko, Dark Matter, Dark Nebula, 0, [[spoiler: 0^2, Drawcia Soul, and Dark Mind's second form.]]
** Waddle Doos.
* OneHitPointWonder: In the original ''Kirby's Dream Land,'' it's possible to turn Kirby into this via the hidden Configuration Menu. For added "fun," you can also give him one life as well, so that a single hit sends him back to the beginning of the game, and activate Extra Mode.
* OneHundredPercentCompletion: Required in ''Kirby[='s=] Dream Land 2'' (Rainbow Drops), ''Kirby[='s=] Dream Land 3'' (hearts) and ''Kirby 64'' (crystal shards) to unlock the [[TrueFinalBoss true last boss]] and the best ending[[note]]And while the best endings for these games ''are'' happy in their own right, the alternative endings are basically just plain terrifying, ''especially'' in ''Kirby 64''[[/note]].
* OnlyOneName: Every single character!
* OnlySaneMan: Arguably Meta Knight, for (usually) being one of the only people who isn't either an idiot or incompetent (or both).
* OxygenMeter: In Mass Attack, the Kirbys do not have their normal scuba masks and the game makes use of this.
* PaletteSwap: The Spray Paint cans and [[spoiler: Dark Meta Knight.]]
** ''Milky Way Wishes'' and ''Nightmare in Dream Land''.
* PaperThinDisguise: Whispy Woods in ''Dream Land 2.''
* PinballSpinoff: ''Kirby's Pinball Land''
* {{Platformer}}: Most of the games, though they break from traditional platforming in that Kirby can usually fly.
* PlayerMooks: In ''Squeak Squad''.
* PlayingTennisWithTheBoss: Dark Matter's first form in ''Dream Land 2.'' Also Drawcia in Kirby Canvas Curse.
* PointOfNoReturn: In ''The Amazing Mirror'', when you first started a file, there was a series of rooms that contained a few treasure chests and a giant chest that contained the world map. The door that brings you to the main area is a one-way door, and once you enter it, you can't go back again.
* PoorCommunicationKills: C'mon, guys -- especially you two, Meta Knight and Triple-D. If you want to stop the Eldritch Abomination, you really ought to know better than to not tell Kirby and then ''pick fights with him''.
** In ''Kirby's Adventure'', [[AllThereInTheManual at least in the manual]], it's mentioned that Dedede had tried to tell Kirby why he broke the Star Rod into pieces, but Kirby wouldn't listen to him due to 1) Dedede having caused trouble before in the first game, and 2) Dedede lounging around in ''sacred waters'' as if it were his private bath. The fact that Dedede was also answering Kirby in a very nonchalant manner led Kirby to believe the King was just being selfish again.[[note]]The manual (which includes the 3DS version's manual) is presented in a short story format, so all this is laid out. The game proper has an intro that tells the same essential story, but only says that Dedede was messing around in the Star Fountain's waters and broke the Star Rod into pieces without giving any more information to Kirby, setting the hero off on his adventure.[[/note]]
* PowerCopying: He didn't start with this power like [[VideoGame/MegaMan the former Trope Namer did]], and some games drop it from his arsenal, but he certainly gets a lot of mileage out of it when he does have it. He even gets it in ''SuperSmashBros'' (although in that series, Kirby usually has to inhale ''characters'' rather than items to acquire their power).
* PowerUpFood: Lollipops make Kirby invincible.
** The original ''Kirby's Dream Land'' also had "Spicy Food," which lets him spit fireballs.
*** And it had the Mint, which showed up only once and allowed him to shoot an infinite number of air-puff-blasts while still flying. Which turned that boss into a shmup.
* PowerpuffGirlHands: Kirby has them.
* PowerupMount: Rick the hamster, Kine the fish, and Coo the owl in ''Dream Land 2''; joined by Nago the cat, Pitch the bird, and Chuchu the octopus in ''Dream Land 3''. Also, the helper Wheelie in ''Super Star''.
** Also, '''Dedede''' in ''64''.
** Also, all of your co-op partners in ''Return to Dream Land''.
* PrecisionGuidedBoomerang: ''Kirby 64''[='s=] Cutter ability.
** In ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', having the Fire ability and Pitch as a partner allows you to use him as a boomerang ''[[{{Fireballs}} fireball]]''!
* PrepareToDie: Meta Knight says this to Kirby in the English version of the original ''Kirby Super Star'' before their duel, which was replaced with "Come meet your doom!" in its Nintendo DS remake.
* PsychoticSmirk: During the [[spoiler:fake]] Ending of ''Kirby 64''; by the ruler of Ripple star, behind Ribbon's back.
* PunnyName: Planets Pop Star and Rock Star. Plot mover [[VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn Yin-Yarn.]]
** Rick, Coo, and Kine's names are plays on the Japanese characters for their respective terrains: 陸 (''riku''; land), 空 (''kuu''; sky), and 海 (''kai''; sea).
* PuzzleBoss: The Halberd's Reactor in the ''Revenge of Meta Knight'' segment in ''Kirby Super Star''.
** Not ''too'' much of a puzzle - the dialogue boxes tell you [[TemptingFate "as long as he doesn't do this...".]]
*** [[LampshadeHanging "Shhh! That's a SECRET!"]]
*** [[VideoGameRemake "Eeeyah! Don't even say things like that!"]]
** The [[spoiler:fake]] FinalBoss of ''Kirby 64''. You must hit it with the same element it's using. Kudos if you figured it out right away instead of thinking to [[ElementalRockPaperScissors hit it with the opposite element.]] And God help you if you got yourself stuck by trying to rely on one of the game's GameBreaker combos *coughrefridgeratorcough*.
* QuirkyMinibossSquad: The [[http://kirby.wikia.com/wiki/Meta-Knights Meta-Knights]].
* [[RealMenWearPink Real Men Are Pink]]
* RecurringBoss: Many.
** King Dedede and Meta Knight are the most well known, being major characters, and appearing in nearly every game since their debut, including spinoffs. They are in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl]]'' for a reason.
** Whispy Woods and Kracko, who were two of the five bosses in the original game, are right behind those two in number of appearances. Even when the characters themselves don't appear, an {{Expy}} probably will, such as King Golem and Mecha-Kracko (duh), respectively.
* RecurringBossTemplate: Half of the bosses in ''Amazing Mirror'' are blatantly AlternateUniverse counterparts to previous bosses. King Golem is Whispy Woods, Dark Meta Knight is obvious, and the final boss starts off as an {{expy}} of Nightmare before ending up as an expy of 0.
* RecurringRiff: Gourmet Race and Green Greens.
* ReflectingLaser: "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. (And it bounces off walls, too!)". Also, the Halberd's Reactor Core. (You may have to take advantage of this to get the laser to strike the Reactor itself, which is [[PuzzleBoss the only way you can damage it]].)
** In ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', Kirby gains a [[ChargedAttack chargable beam]] that bounces off walls when he has both the Spark ability and Chuchu as his partner.
* RemilitarizedZone: The Halberd and Mecheye/Mekkai.
* RespawningEnemies: Usually the scrolled-offscreen varation. It's useful for grabbing an ability that you want if you accidentally kill an enemy who has that ability.
* RetCanon: Happens several times with material that showed up in the anime. For example, Plasma Kirby (from ''Super Star'') was originally pink, a la Spark Kirby; the anime portrayed Plasma Kirby as having green skin, so when the time came for ''Super Star Ultra'' (and ''Air Ride'' before it), Plasma Kirby was given green skin.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Kirby and just about everything else that isn't a final boss. Subverted by minor enemy Scarfy, which turns OneWingedAngel when provoked. Defied by Meta Knight, who hides his cute face with a mask and {{Badass}} attitude.
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Kirby after sinking the Halberd. In Revenge of the King, Dedede does his walk-of-shame into the sunset [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments accompanied by his still-loyal Waddle Dee subjects]].
* RPGElements: Parodied in ''Kirby Super Star'' with the Computer Virus boss.
* RogerRabbitEffect: Featured in these ads for ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozPkEBhFzuw Kirby's Adventure]]'' and ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqVVG4FCq7w Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''.
* RuleThirtyFour: Sadly, not even Kirby is immune to it.
* RunningGag:
** A minor one, but still one nonetheless. Kirby has a knack for chasing/interacting with butterflies (or [[CallARabbitASmeerp Flutters]], according to ''Kirby 64''), and being interrupted by something.
*** In ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'', the Green Greens intro shows Kirby chasing butterflies but then being carried of into the wind. Same with ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar''.
*** In ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'', Kirby and Ribbon are chasing a butterfly before noticing the possessed Waddle Dee.
*** In ''VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad'', Kirby is eating his cake (with butterflies in the background) before it gets stolen.
*** In the epilogue of ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', a butterfly lands on Kirby before he notices [[spoiler:King Dedede is stuck in a hole in the ground]].
*** In ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', playing with a butterfly is one of the things Kirby does the morning before the Dreamstalk grows.
*** Heck, this even made its way into [[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa the]] ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa anime]]''. In episode 95, Kirby is chasing a butterfly before he's attacked by the Demon/Devil Frog.
** In the original ''Kirby's Dream Land'', there was an easter egg at the end of Bubbly Clouds where you could enter the moon, where the following room would be a long fall filled with goodies. Games would often have a moon with these same properties near the end of the game. A lot of the time, its surrounding environment would even be Bubbly Clouds.
* SamusIsAGirl: Inverted from the trope namer in that rather than the manual hiding the trope and the game giving it away, the trope is AllThereInTheManual instead of in the game, and the game doesn't make it obvious. Unless you read the manual (or the 3DS VirtualConsole release's digital manual), it's more or less impossible to know that Kaboola is female. However, in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'''s Revenge of the King game, she has a face with feminine eyes (as well as a fanged smile).
* SavageSetpiece: Scarfy, though in some games they will chase you like any other enemy if you get too close to them.
* SceneryPorn: Kirby games, which are often produced late into a system's lifespan, will try to use the color palette at its greatest, [[http://www.google.it/search?q=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&hl=it&gbv=2&rlz=1R2ACAW_it&um=1&tbm=isch&tab=wi&oq=kirby+backgrounds+site%3Aspriters-resource.com&gs_l=img.3...7438.14844.0.15156.35.31.4.0.0.0.250.4562.0j24j2.26.0...0.0...1c.1.tmFD6QmhYqU resulting in some very impressive-looking backgrounds.]]
* SdrawkcabName: TAC.
* SealedEvilInACan: Besides the previous mention of Dark Matter, there's [[spoiler:Dark Nebula]] from ''Kirby Squeak Squad'', and Nightmare from ''Adventure'' and ''Nightmare in Dream Land''.
** [[spoiler: Galacta Knight]] from the Meta Knightmare Ultra mode in ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Ultra''.
* SelfImposedChallenge: Doing a single ability run of any game's BossRush is popular among fans. Although doing one on ''Squeak Squad's'' Boss Rush is almost impossible because the game actually ''forces'' the EleventhHourSuperPower on you, destroying your current ability! You can keep the ability by quickly spitting it out, getting the triple star ability, spitting ''that'' out, and sucking the old ability back while it's bouncing around but it can fail and/or you may not think of it.
* SequentialBoss: The worst offender is the final boss in ''Kirby and the Amazing Mirror'', which has you fight against the second-last level's boss again but with more attacks, then the same Warlock-ish form of Dark Mind ''four times'', with the only reason being to have a different area to fight him in and some power-ups, then a giant eye form of Dark Mind, ''and then'' a smaller version of that eye flying away, with you trying to finish it off ''during the credits''. Although, once the credits start, you've already won, and are just playing a scored game of NoKillLikeOverkill.
* {{Shotoclone}}: The Fighter ability turns Kirby into one.
* ShoutOut: Kirby's Sword ability has him donning Link's cap, with a puffball on the tip. And he can shoot beams with it at full health, in a further ShoutOut to ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. In some games, the sword that comes with it looks almost exactly like the Master Sword.
** In ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDream Land'', both Kirby and Meta Knight can perform the SpinAttack Link uses from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' onwards.
** In some installments, Meta Knight's sword is named "Master", though it doesn't look like the Master Sword.
** Fighter Kirby has been able to use [[Franchise/StreetFighter Hadoken and Shoryuken,]] called Force Blast and Rising Break respectively.
*** ''Amazing Mirror'' adds the ability to use a [[Franchise/StreetFighter Flash Kick, the Tenma Kuujinkyaku, and a spinning kick that ''vaguely'' resembles the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]]. Probably not coincidentally, as said game was developed by Capcom.
*** Also from ''Amazing Mirror'' is the [[CanonImmigrant "Smash" ability]], gained from swallowing the mini-boss forms of Master Hand, which gives Kirby all of his special attacks from ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''.
** Yo-yo Kirby seems to be based off of [[VideoGame/{{Earthbound}} Ness.]] The background for this ability even has the same background as ''Earthbound''[='s=] first menu screen. This is because ''Kirby'' and ''Earthbound'' were both made by HAL Laboratories.
*** In one of the ghost levels in ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' of World 4, one of the pieces of background music played is very reminiscent of the Threed section in ''Earthbound''.
** Dedede makes a shout out to another in-game character (Meta Knight) in the Revenge of The King arc in ''Super Star Ultra''. He gets an intimidating mask and lets Kirby take a hammer at the beginning of the fight (as opposed to Meta Knight letting you have a sword), and his weapon is also significantly better than yours.
---> '''King Dedede''': Now, Kirby! Arm yourself!
*** Said weapon, a jet-propelled hammer, was first seen in ''Smash Bros. Brawl''.
*** In ''Revenge of the King'', Kabula fires what seems to be Bullet Bills from the ''SuperMarioBros'' series at you during your boss fight with it.
** In ''[[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards Kirby 64]]'', Spark + Cutter = [[StarWars Darth Maul's double-lightsaber.]]
** In ''The Great Cave Offensive'' game from ''Kirby Super Star'', some of the treasures Kirby collects are items from other Nintendo series. This is including (but not limited to): ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'', ''{{Metroid}}'', and ''FireEmblem''.
*** Also from ''Super Star'' (and ''Ultra''), you can see Mario characters in the audience of King Dedede's wrestling ring.
*** Plus, occasionally when using the stone power, Kirby will turn into a gold statue of another Nintendo character. He also sometimes turns into a statue of one of the animal helpers from ''Dream Land 3'', a reference to the Rock + Cutter ability from ''64''.
** A mission in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'' has some Franchise/{{Metroid}}s show up. At the end of the stage, Samus Aran is there waiting for you. Another stage involves collecting the pieces of a R.O.B.
*** More obscure examples include Donbe and Hikari from ''Shin Onigashima'' and Goku and Chao from ''Yuuyuuki'', both being adventure games for the Famicom Disk System.
** There's an enemy in several ''Kirby'' games that is a witch with a hair ribbon riding around on a broom. Her name is Keke, a reference to ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService''.
** Kirby has a new Whip ability in the Wii game ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', complete with [[Franchise/IndianaJones a fedora]].
** "Kirby Master" is a sub-game in ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' featuring a logo and menu design similar to that of [[VideoGame/{{Arcana}} a certain RPG]] produced by HAL, featuring music from the ''Kirby'' series' two senior sound composers.
** There is a gorilla/yeti-based boss in ''Return to Dream Land'' named Goriath whose hair [[Franchise/DragonBall turns golden]] once it TurnsRed. Furthermore, he starts to use what looks like [[KamehameHadoken Kamehameha waves]], and even does a Spirit Bomb in Extra Mode.
* ShowdownAtHighNoon: The Quick Draw minigame from ''Adventure''.
* SingleStrokeBattle: Parodied in the "Samurai Kirby" minigame in ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and the Quick Draw minigame in ''Adventure'' and ''Nightmare in Dream Land''.
* SlippySlideyIceWorld: Nearly every single game has one.
* {{Snowlems}}: Chilly.
* SociopathicHero: Kirby has shades of this. As an example, look at what happens when his cake gets stolen. Instead of asking around, he just devours/beats the shit out of everything in his path just because he wants his goddamn cake.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Kaboola/Kabula, Mr. Frosty/Mr. Flosty, Combo Cannon/Main Cannon #2, Aqualiss/Aquarius, Cavios/Cavius, Mecheye/Mekkai, Iron Mam/Iron Mom. There's also some confusion on whether or not Ado and Adeleine are supposed to be the same person.
** Is it Meta Knight, Meta-Knight or [=MetaKnight=]? The most-often-used spelling in the games is Meta Knight, but his trophy in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' calls him Meta-Knight. And of course, it's written as one word (Metanaito) in Japanese, since the Japanese language doesn't use spaces.
*** [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Smashboards]] [[TakeAThirdOption just calls him "MK" and also has a Meta Knight emoticon.]]
** There's a myriad of spelling variations for "Zero Two". The most common variation is "0^2".
** The name of the minor enemy Foley was obviously a mistransliteration of "Fallie" or "Fally" from English to Japanese and back because said enemies, you know, ''fall'' on Kirby.
*** But it still makes sense since it's a type of foliage.
* SpikeShooter: The Needle ability.
* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Kirby & the Amazing Mirror'' to ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar''[='s=] Great Cave Offensive segment.
** And ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' to ''that'' game.
** ''Kirby: Mass Attack'' to ''Kirby: Canvas Curse''.
** The story mode of ''[[SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' plays a lot like ''Super Star'' and ''64'' - which makes sense, as they were all designed by the same team.
* SpikeBallsOfDoom: Gordo is a lively example of it.
* SpikesOfDoom: They make appearances here and there.
* StalactiteSpite: Explosive coconut variety.
** Some icy areas (Kirby's Dream Land 2 & 3) also have falling ice stalactites.
** Played straight in ''Return to Dream Land'' with actual stalactites.
* StealthPun: ''Bubbly'' Clouds, located just above the (ice cream) ''Float'' Islands.
* StoryArc: Kirby Dream Land 2, 3, and VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards make up "The Dark Matter Trilogy" which spans 3 console ports
* SugarBowl: Pop Star and the other stars in its general area.
-->'''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn Narrator''': It's the perfect little land... [[LampshadeHanging if you like that sort of thing]].
** SugarApocalypse: Most of the final bosses try to bring this on to Pop Star.
* SuperDrowningSkills: A large part of the enemies cannot stand water, since it makes them die almost instantly.
* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Kirby. In later games, he gains a scuba mask when he is under water.
* SurpriseCreepy: In a series where almost everything is cutesy, the final bosses will catch you off guard.
** Scarfies.
* SuspiciousVideogameGenerosity: In many modes in ''Kirby Super Star'', you'll know you're about to hit a boss room when you reach a single room with nothing but Copy abilities and a Maximum Tomato (Convenient, isn't it?).
* TearsOfBlood: ''0 and 0^2.'' Enough said.
* TeleportSpam: Some final bosses tend to do this.
* ThiefBag: TAC enemies have these.
* ThisCannotBe: Captain Vul says this in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'' when he reacts to his fellow crew members reporting that Kirby destroyed Main Cannon #2. In the original ''Super Star'', his reaction? "Holy cow! What happened?"
-->'''Mace Knight''': The main cannon has been destroyed!\\
'''Captain Vul''': Holy cow! What happened?
** Then, in the [[VideoGameRemake remake]] itself...
-->'''Axe Knight''': Ahh! Main Cannon #2 was destroyed!\\
'''Mace Knight''': The cannon's a wreck! We can't use it!\\
'''Captain Vul''': What?! How could this be?
* ThisMeansWar: King Dedede says this at the beginning of the Normal mode in Kirby's Star Stacker.
* ThrowTheMookAtThem: For obvious reasons, the games frequently feature bosses that spawn mooks for the player to hurl back at them using Kirby's default powers, most notably Kracko. Some of the games where Kirby [[MegaManning steals enemies' abilities]] use a variant in which some bosses that spawn enemies with especially suitable powers. However, there are plenty of {{subver|tedTrope}}sions featuring bosses who spawn mooks that give the player [[PoisonMushroom useless powers like Sleep]] or powers that are [[PowerUpLetDown utterly ineffective]] in that particular battle.
** Kirby's bread and butter abilities include inhaling an enemy and spitting it to another (when he doesn't [[PowerCopying copy that enemy]]).
* TooDumbToLive: Kirby. ''Kirby''. Think for a second... '''Why''' would freakin' [[{{Badass}} Meta Knight]] steal a chest containing ''cake''!?
** Meta Knight counts too, mostly for deciding to fight Kirby instead of bothering to let him know that the chest [[SealedEvilInACan contained the]] MonsterOfTheWeek.
*** That goes for Dedede ''and'' Meta Knight in ''Kirby's Adventure''. And Meta Knight doubly so, [[DuelBoss for throwing Kirby a sword]] [[HonorBeforeReason when the fate of the universe is on the line]] [[SubvertedTrope (although it’s implied that he's trying to help prepare Kirby for a fight with Nightmare)]].
** Meta Knight again in his version of Milky Way Wishes, for wishing to unleash the most powerful warrior in the universe, locked away specifically because people were afraid of it, just so he can kick its ass to prove he's stronger. Then again, if he weren't such an overconfident, arrogant badass, he wouldn't be Meta Knight. And he ''did'' win.
** Kirby [[spoiler:falls for the "help me take over the world!" scheme ''again'']] in ''Return to Dream Land''.
* TookALevelInBadass: King Dedede in his "Masked Dedede" incarnation in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''. It shows in the difficulty level of the fight as well.
** ''Everything'' about the normal King Dedede fight took a level in badass. His appearance, his weapon, his attacks...
* TornadoMove: A recurring [[PowerCopying Copy Ability]] in the series is one called "Tornado", which allows Kirby to turn into a tornado for a short while. Meta Knight also has a attack called "Mach Tornado", which allows him to create a huge tornado from his sword.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Maxim Tomatoes. Watermelons in the anime.
* TransformationSequence: Every time Kirby absorbs a monster with a special power. Averted in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''. More elaborate in the anime.
* TrashTalk: In ''Kirby's Avalanche'', where he is shown to speak full sentences, Kirby loves insulting whatever opponent he is facing, sometimes throwing [[IncrediblyLamePun incredibly lame puns]] in the mix.
-->'''Kirby''': You couldn't even hit a barn-sized lightning rod, Kracko!
* UndergroundLevel
* UnexpectedShmupLevel: A recurring pattern for the final bosses in the series.
** The last normal stage of Milky Way Wishes (from ''Super Star'' and ''Ultra'') is a side-scrolling shooter, as are the boss fights against Kabula in ''Kirby's Dream Land'' (and the ''Revenge of the King'' segment of ''Super Star Ultra''), the first form of Nightmare in ''Adventure'', Dark Matter and 0 in ''Dream Land 3'', and 0^2 in ''Crystal Shards''.
** The final boss of ''Amazing Mirror'' is fought in a vertical Shmup style during the credits.
** VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn features two levels that are partly shmups, and two levels that are fully shmup.
** ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' features a sub-game called SHMUP. Guess what the gameplay format is?
** ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' gives us the [[spoiler: Landia]] segments.
* UpdatedRerelease: ''3D Classics: Kirby's Adventure'' in the Nintendo3DS.
* VictoryCake: Kirby can be seen snacking on foods in celebration at the end of some games (and at the end of ''every stage'' in others).
** Literal VictoryCake [[spoiler: at the very end of ''Squeak Squad'', as a gift[=/=]apology from the Squeaks.]]
* VideoGame3DLeap: ''Kirby 64'' was a presentation upgrade; [[TwoAndAHalfD the game still played on a 2D plane]].
* VideoGameFlight: Kirby is one of the few characters who can generally fly anywhere, any time. Don't think you can just fly over everything, though - there are enemies in the skies, and some levels are pretty tight. A few games also have a time limit on how long you can fly, namely ''Crystal Shards'' and the ''Smash Bros.'' games.
* VideoGameRemake: ''[[VideoGame/KirbySuperStar Super Star Ultra]]''. Also, the ''Spring Breeze'' mode of ''Super Star'' is a condensed remake of the original ''Kirby's Dream Land'', while ''Revenge of the King'' in ''Super Star Ultra'' is a somewhat more faithful remake of the original game's ''hard mode''.
** ''Nightmare in Dream Land'', which is a remake of ''Kirby's Adventure''.
*** Not to mention the Super Famicom version of ''Kirby no KiraKira Kizzu'' (better known as ''Kirby's Star Stacker'').
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: This series uses this trope all the time.
* VillainousGlutton: King Dedede.
* VisibleSigh: Whenever Kirby's flight ability is canceled, either manually or automatically by touching the ground. You can hurt enemies with the puff it makes.
* VisualPun: Tacs are cats with the ability to steal your current power-up. [[spoiler:They're ''cat burglars''.]]
** In Kirby's Dream Collection, there's nothing but a bright light after the latest entry at the end of the timeline's hallway. ''Kirby's future is looking bright!''
* WalkingHead: Kirby, Meta Knight, and most of the enemies are nothing more than heads with feet and arms attached.
* WallMaster: Fake doors in ''Kirby's Dream Land 3''.
** Inverted with the Mirra from ''Amazing Mirror'': it resembles a mirror (which are functionally identical to doors in the game), but won't attack when you draw near it, and in fact will actually escape if you don't kill it quickly enough -- which you ''don't'' want it to do, since it will not leave an actual mirror behind unless you defeat it before it escapes.
* WarmUpBoss: Whispy Woods in every game, with the exception of ''Amazing Mirror'' which has an expy in King Golem.
** He and those in his likeness manage to put up a surprisingly good fight in a few games.
* WeirdMoon
* WeirdnessMagnet: Dream Land, in its entirety.
* WhenTreesAttack: Whispy Woods.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: The Dark Matter can't feel positive emotions and is jealous of Dream Land's happiness, reasoning that if it can't be happy, nothing will be.
* TheWorfEffect: Galacta Knight loses the title of [[WorldsStrongestMan the most powerful being in the universe]] to Meta Knight during his first appearance. Later, he loses that title again, [[BossRush to Kirby]]. [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand And later]], [[RunningGag to]] [[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand both]] [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Meta Knight and Kirby]].
* WorthyOpponent: Meta Knight.
* YourSizeMayVary: King Dedede in ''Kirby Air Ride''. He's ''huge'' when you first encounter him as a boss in the Event Mode, but when you unlock him as a playable character he's barely taller than Kirby!
----

'''Kirby''' is a [[BuffySpeak pink puffy blobby thing]] created by Creator/MasahiroSakurai for Creator/{{Nintendo}} subsidiary HAL Laboratory and the star of his own series of games. He can fly, jump, suck enemies into his mouth, spit them out, or, starting with the second game, ''KirbysAdventure'', devour them and [[PowerCopying absorb their powers]] -- he takes the old maxim "you are what you eat" quite literally. Throughout most of his adventures, he journeys across the land of Dream Land on the planet Pop Star, squaring off against foes such as the dream-crushing [[CardCarryingVillain Nightmare]], an ominous BodySnatcher called [[MadeOfEvil Dark Matter]], or the greedy penguin [[AntiVillain King Dedede]].

* ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble'' (2000, Game Boy Color; a puzzle-platformer that involves tilting using a sensor built into the cartridge similar to the later Nintendo game ''WarioWare Twisted!'')

* RespawningEnemies: Usually the scrolled-offscreen varation.

* FinalBoss [[VillainOfTheWeek of the Week]]: Nightmare, [[spoiler:Marx]] [[spoiler:[[OneWingedAngel Soul]]]], Dark Mind, Drawcia, Darouche, [[spoiler:Dark Nebula]], Yin-Yarn, Necrodeus and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Dark Matter/0 is a subversion.

* ArtAttacker: Many bosses; the most well-known is Paint Roller in ''Kirby's Adventure''.

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:0]], [[spoiler:Marx]], [[spoiler:Drawcia]], [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia]], and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Only the last one seems to have stuck outside of 100%Completion cut-scenes..

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:0]], [[spoiler:Marx]], [[spoiler:Drawcia]], [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia]], and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Only the last one seems to have stuck.

* AffablyEvil: King Dedede. When he isn't trying to [[KirbyRightBackAtYa clobbah that there Kirby]], he is actually helping Kirby to protect Dreamland from a bigger threat (''Kirby 64'', ''Kirby's Adventure''/''Nightmare in Dreamland'', and ''Return to Dream Land'' are excellent examples of this). And sometimes he's just a bystander, too.

* BreathWeapon: Spitting out air puffs and spitting out enemies and objects into stars since ''Kirby's Dreamland''. Since ''Kirby's Adventure'', fire and ice powers are that.

** In ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'', there is no collision damage to enemies and other things unless it's sharp, made out of fire, or they're projectiles.

* CutScene: ''Adventure'' along with Dreamland 2&3 have one introducing each level. After defeating King Dedede in the first, a much longer one depicts King Dedede desperately trying to prevent Kirby from putting the Star Rod back [[spoiler:because doing so would unleash Nightmare]].

* {{Expy}}: Lololo and Lalala are either distant cousins or younger versions of Lolo and Lala from the ''Eggerland''/''AdventuresOfLolo'' series, another popular series created by HAL Laboratory in the NES days. Gooey from ''Kirby's Dreamland 2'' and ''3'' is an expy of Hurly and Chuckie from ''Kirby's Dreamland'' and ''Kirby's Pinball Land''.

* FireBreathingDiner: Kirby's Dreamland, as well as a episode of the anime.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Instead of the usual Dark Matter-esque EldritchAbomination, [[spoiler:Marx]], the final boss of ''Kirby Superstar'', is just [[spoiler:one of the tiny, marshmallow-like denizens of Dream Land, who manages to gain ultimate power with an EvilPlan involving Kirby and the wish-granting comet Nova.]]

** One particularly unintuitive shard to retrieve involves using a skill combination that transforms you into [[TheCameo stone versions of the Animal Friends from Dreamland 3]], keep using it until it transforms you into Rick the hamster, and then ''climb'' a wall up towards the shard that is too high to reach it via regular flight. Not something easy to figure, since nothing tells you that said form can climb walls that are rare to begin with. GuideDangIt indeed.

* IdiotHero: In ''Kirby's Adventure'' (and its remake ''Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land''), Kirby thinks that King Dedede is responsible for Dreamland's lack of dreams, but doesn't know that Nightmare was behind all the problems in the land.

** ''Kirby's Adventure'' also had an extra mode where you couldn't save, and you only had three life max. The rest of the game was unchanged. In the remake, ''Nightmare in Dreamland'', you can play through the game as Meta Knight, again with a 3-hit life bar and the inability to save. This is made up for by Meta Knight being an awesome {{Badass}}.

* NintendoHard: Think the original ''Kirby's Dream Land'' is too easy? Then try playing Hard Mode on it -- even the most seasoned gamers will be given a run for their money. That's ''still'' too easy for you? [[HarderThanHard Try changing the options to giving you no lives]] [[OneHitKill and a max of one point of vitality.]] If you get hit even once, you'll have to redo ''the entire level'' over again. ''Kirby's Adventure'' followed suit by having an extra mode which cut Kirby's health down to three hit points and took out the save feature -- although its remake ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' gave you a save feature in its extra mode, it compensates with Meta Knightmare mode, which ''does not'' have a save feature. That said, neither of them can touch the original game's hard mode in terms of just how insanely frustrating it is. Also, The Arena from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and The True Arena from ''Super Star Ultra'' -- the latter is almost as hard as the original ''Kirby's Dreamland''[='s=] hard mode, even with the [[GameBreaker trusty hammer]] at your side! Helper to Hero in that game can also get downright nightmarish to play with the weaker characters.

* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: In ''Nightmare in Dreamland'', [[spoiler: [[NotMeThisTime Dedede]] propels Kirby sky-high to chase after [[TrueFinalBoss Nightmare]].]] Kirby won't stay up there forever, and if [[TimedMission you're not fast enough]], you will actually [[OhCrap see the ground rise into view]]...

** In ''Kirby's Dreamland 3'', having the Fire ability and Pitch as a partner allows you to use him as a boomerang ''[[{{Fireballs}} fireball]]''!

** In ''Kirby's Dreamland 3'', Kirby gains a [[ChargedAttack chargable beam]] that bounces off walls when he has both the Spark ability and Chuchu as his partner.

** In the original ''Kirby's Dreamland'', there was an easter egg at the end of Bubbly Clouds where you could enter the moon, where the following room would be a long fall filled with goodies. Games would often have a moon with these same properties near the end of the game. A lot of the time, its surrounding environment would even be Bubbly Clouds.

** In ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamland'', both Kirby and Meta Knight can perform the SpinAttack Link uses from ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast A Link to the Past]]'' onwards.

* StoryArc: Kirby Dreamland 2, 3, and VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards make up "The Dark Matter Trilogy" which spans 3 console ports

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: The Dark Matter can't feel positive emotions and is jealous of Dreamland's happiness, reasoning that if it can't be happy, nothing will be.

** Every world in ''[[VideoGame/KirbysAdventure Adventure]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror The Amazing Mirror]]'', ''[[VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad Squeak Squad]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand Return to Dream Land]]''.

** In ''Kirby's Adventure'', [[AllThereInTheManual at least in the manual]], it's mentioned that Dedede had tried to tell Kirby why he broke the Star Rod into pieces, but Kirby wouldn't listen to him due to 1) Dedede having cause trouble before in the first game, and 2) Dedede lounging around in ''sacred waters'' as if it were his private bath. The fact that Dedede was also answering Kirby in a very nonchalant manner led Kirby to believe the King was just being selfish again.[[note]]The manual (which includes the 3DS version's manual) is presented in a short story format, so all this is laid out. The game proper has an intro that tells the same essential story, but only says that Dedede was messing around in the Star Fountain's waters and broke the Star Rod into pieces without giving any more information to Kirby, setting the hero off on his adventure.[[/note]]

** To be fair to Dedede, he ''tried'' to tell Kirby in ''Adventure'', but he wouldn't listen to him.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Rumor has it that Masahiro Sakurai left HAL because this happened during the development of ''Air Ride''.
** And he also didn't like the sequelization of the gaming industry.

* FanNickname: King Dedede is sometimes referred to as "DDD", "Triple-D", or "3D".

* NoExportForYou: ''Dream Collection'' never saw release in Europe or Australia.

* ThrowItIn: Kirby's appearance was originally intended to be a placeholder.

* {{Vaporware}}: Kirby, with the addition of a pink, curly hair on his head, was originally supposed to star in a SpinoffBabies game, ''Kid Kirby'', for the SNES; it was never finished, and all that remains of the game now are a few sprites and one stage layout.
** ''Air Ride'' began on the Nintendo 64 and was scheduled for a late 1996 release. It went through years of delays until it was quietly cancelled in 1998. It caught the public by surprise when a GameCube version was announced in 2003.
** When the Nintendo 64 was in development and still called the Ultra 64, one title in development was ''Kirby Bowl 64'' -- ''Kirby Bowl'' being the Japanese name for ''Kirby's Dream Course''. The snowboarding mode it featured likely led to ''Kirby's Air Ride'' as described above.
** Also, ''Kirby's Tilt 'n' Tumble 2'' for the GameCube, using the GameBoyAdvance and cable to control the same way as the original title.
** There were several attempts to make a console Kirby game for the GameCube and later the {{Wii}}. The first of such attempts was shown in an E3 trailer, but this one fell through. The fourth attempt was finally released on the Wii as ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''.

** The location of the secret planet ??? in Milky Way Wishes could pretty much be found only if you look it up, or just [[OnlyIdiotsMayPass fly around aimlessly for no particular reason]].

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:0]], [[spoiler:Marx]], [[spoiler:Drawcia]], ][spoiler:Queen Sectonia]], and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Only the last one seems to have stuck.

* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:0]], [[spoiler:Marx]], [[spoiler:Drawcia]], and [[spoiler:Magolor]]. Only the last one seems to have stuck.

'''Kirby''' is a [[BuffySpeak pink fluffy blobby thing]] created by Creator/MasahiroSakurai for Creator/{{Nintendo}} subsidiary HAL Laboratory and the star of his own series of games. He can fly, jump, suck enemies into his mouth, spit them out, or, starting with the second game, ''KirbysAdventure'', devour them and [[PowerCopying absorb their powers]] -- he takes the old maxim "you are what you eat" quite literally. Throughout most of his adventures, he journeys across the land of Dream Land on the planet Pop Star, squaring off against foes such as the dream-crushing [[CardCarryingVillain Nightmare]], an ominous BodySnatcher called [[MadeOfEvil Dark Matter]], or the greedy penguin [[AntiVillain King Dedede]].

* RunningGag: A minor one, but still one nonetheless. Kirby has a knack for chasing/interacting with butterflies (or [[CallARabbitASmeerp Flutters]], according to ''Kirby 64''), and being interrupted by something.
** In ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'', the Green Greens intro shows Kirby chasing butterflies but then being carried of into the wind. Same with ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar''.
** In ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'', Kirby and Ribbon are chasing a butterfly before noticing the possessed Waddle Dee.
** In ''VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad'', Kirby is eating his cake (with butterflies in the background) before it gets stolen.
** In the epilogue of ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', a butterfly lands on Kirby before he notices [[spoiler:King Dedede is stuck in a hole in the ground]].
** In ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', playing with a butterfly is one of the things Kirby does the morning before the Dreamstalk grows.
** Heck, this even made its way into [[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa the]] ''[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa anime]]''. In episode 95, Kirby is chasing a butterfly before he's attacked by the Demon/Devil Frog.

* BattleshipRaid: The Revenge of Meta-Knight subgame from ''Super Star'' and its remake, as well as the penultimate stage from Milky Way Wishes.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Kirby, at one point, had a large supporting cast, including his sidekick Gooey and his many animal buddies: Rick, Coo, Kine, Chuchu, Nago, and Pitch. Almost all of them have gone missing from any significant part of the series and are now relegated to minor cameos, and the series is focusing almost entirely on Kirby, Meta-Knight, and Dedede. Conversely, Meta-Knight is suspiciously absent in the games said characters were introduced. Having a different producer likely has something to with it.

* NintendoHard: Think the original ''Kirby's Dream Land'' is too easy? Then try playing Hard Mode on it -- even the most seasoned gamers will be given a run for their money. That's ''still'' too easy for you? [[HarderThanHard Try changing the options to giving you no lives]] [[OneHitKill and a max of one point of vitality.]] If you get hit even once, you'll have to redo ''the entire level'' over again. ''Kirby's Adventure'' followed suit by having an extra mode which cut Kirby's health down to three hit points and took out the save feature -- although its remake ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' gave you a save feature in its extra mode, it compensates with Meta-Knightmare mode, which ''does not'' have a save feature. That said, neither of them can touch the original game's hard mode in terms of just how insanely frustrating it is. Also, The Arena from ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' and The True Arena from ''Super Star Ultra'' -- the latter is almost as hard as the original ''Kirby's Dreamland''[='s=] hard mode, even with the [[GameBreaker trusty hammer]] at your side! Helper to Hero in that game can also get downright nightmarish to play with the weaker characters.

** King Dedede and Meta Knight are the most well known, being major characters, and appearing in nearly every game since their debut, including spinoffs. They are in ''[[SuperSmashBros Brawl]]'' for a reason.

** Is it Meta Knight, Meta-Knight or [=MetaKnight=]? The most-often-used spelling in the games is Meta Knight, but his trophy in SuperSmashBrosBrawl calls him Meta-Knight. And of course, it's written as one word (Metanaito) in Japanese, since the Japanese language doesn't use spaces.
*** [[SuperSmashBros Smashboards]] [[TakeAThirdOption just calls him "MK" and also has a Meta Knight emoticon.]]

* OneHitPointWonder: In the original ''Kirby's Dream Land,'' it's possible to turn Kirby into this via the hidden Configuration Menu. For added "fun," you can also give him one life as well, so that a single hit sends him back to the beginning of the game.

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Kirby, at one point, had a large supporting cast, including his sidekick Gooey and his many animal buddies: Rick, Coo, Kine, Chuchu, Nago, and Pitch. Almost all of them have gone missing from any significant part of the series and are now relegated to minor cameos, and the series is focusing almost entirely on Kirby, Meta-Knight, and Dedede.
** The animal buddies get a ShoutOut in ''Kirby 64'' as Kirby's various Rock + Blade forms, and in ''Return to Dream Land'' as one of his Stone forms.
** As noted above, ''Dream Land 2/3'' were made by a different producer, which is why Rick, Coo, Kine, etc., haven't appeared in other games.

* KidHero: Kirby in [[KirbyOfTheStars the anime]] is pretty much a baby. His age in the games is rather unclear.

* DevelopmentHell: Since ''Kirby's Air Ride'', HAL Laboratories have made repeated attempts to create a home console game for the ''Kirby'' series. The most known attempt was the GameCube game, announced in 2004, and widely believed to be reincarnated as ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand''. However, [[http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/interview/sukj/vol1/index.html a recent interview]] has revealed that the GameCube game was the first of ''four'' attempts at a home console game, the final being ''Return to Dream Land''.
** ''Kirby Air Ride'' itself was trapped in DevelopmentHell for quite some time. It was originally intended as a {{Nintendo 64}} game, but after spending many years in production, it was quietly canceled. It finally showed up as a GameCube title at E3 2003.