| Meta Knight | |
|---|---|
| Kirby character | |
 Meta Knight inKirby Super Star | |
| First game | Kirby's Adventure (1993) |
| Created by | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Voiced by | Various
|
| In-universe information | |
| Weapon | Galaxia |
Meta Knight (Japanese:メタナイト,Hepburn:Meta Naito) is a majorcharacter inHAL Laboratory'sKirby franchise. He debuted in 1993'sKirby's Adventure and he has since appeared in many subsequent entries as either aboss orplayable character. Meta Knight also appears in severalKirbymanga, theanimeKirby: Right Back at Ya! and as a playable character in theSuper Smash Bros series sinceSuper Smash Bros Brawl.
In the games, Meta Knight serves as one of Kirby’s most important foes. Following a strict code of honor, his boss fights feature him offering a sword to Kirby before battle, though he will proceed regardless of the player’s choice. Initially portrayed as antagonistic, he becomes an ally to Kirby in later games and, like King Dedede, becomes a victim of brainwashing by much more sinister forces.
Meta Knight is an experienced swordsman who wields a legendary sword called “Galaxia” and can transform his cape into a set of bat-like wings that allow him to fly. He commands an army called the “Meta-Knights” to accomplish his goals. He also serves as the owner of an airship called the “Halberd”, which was originally built to take over Dream Land and later used to defend Planet Popstar from foreign invaders.
The character has become one of the franchise’s most prominent characters and has been a subject of numerous theories, particularly regarding his resemblance to Kirby outside of his mask. His role as a player character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl became controversial due to his high attack speed and versatility overpowering much of the roster, leading to bans from the competitive scene.
Meta Knight is an enigmatic yet honorable swordsman who follows achivalric code,[1] exemplified when he givesKirby a sword to fight with before starting battle.[2] Meta Knight himself wields a sacred, golden sword called Galaxia (ギャラクシア,Gyarakushia).[3] He is always seen wearing a silver mask, but in the event that he is unmasked, he looks identical to Kirby,[4][a] albeit with a dark blue body[3][b] and yellow eyes (previously, they were white underneath his mask; beginning inKirby: Planet Robobot, they are yellow without his mask on as well). He also sports a navy bluemantle[b] called the Dimensional Cape (ディメンションマント,Dimenshon Manto),[3] which can change into a pair of wings[7] and allows him to teleport.[3] However, these wings appear directly attached to his body inKirby's Return to Dream Land andKirby: Planet Robobot. Initially one of Kirby's enemies, he has since developed into Kirby's rival,[1][8] and has been described as anantihero.[9] However, he has benign intentions,[10] as he will often fight alongside or assist Kirby when necessary for his survival or for the sake of the world.[2]
Meta Knight first appeared in the NES gameKirby's Adventure[11] as an ally ofKing Dedede and boss of the Orange Oceanlevel, where he fightsKirby to stop him from taking a piece of the Star Rod and to keep it out ofNightmare's hands. Meta Knight also trains Kirby throughout the game with his army, the Meta-Knights. He is the main villain of theRevenge of Meta Knight mode inKirby Super Star,[12] in which he tries to take over Dream Land to end the inhabitants' lazy lifestyle by invading in his signature airship, the Battleship Halberd.[13] Meta Knight is a playable character in theMeta Knightmare mode ofKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land,Kirby Super Star Ultra and inKirby Planet Robobot.[2] InKirby & the Amazing Mirror,Dark Meta Knight—an evil, Mirror World counterpart—traps Meta Knight in the dimension mirror splits Kirby into four, differently colored copies of himself.[14] Dark Meta Knight is nothing like Meta Knight. After Kirby defeats Dark Meta Knight, Meta Knight himself helps Kirby defeat Dark Mind.
InKirby: Squeak Squad, after the chest containing Kirby's strawberry shortcake is mixed up with the chest sealingDark Nebula, Meta Knight appears as a boss who tries to keep the latter chest out ofKirby's hands.[2][15] Meta Knight also appears inKirby's Return to Dream Land and its2023 remake as one of the four playable protagonists, alongside Kirby, King Dedede andBandana Waddle Dee,[16] and as a playable character inmulti-player mode.[9] After not appearing inKirby: Triple Deluxe orKirby and the Rainbow Curse,[5][c] Meta Knight made an active return to the series inKirby: Planet Robobot. In addition to being captured and transformed into the hostile "Mecha Knight" in the game's story mode,[18] he is rescued by Kirby and helps him to defeatStar Dream by letting Kirby pilot the Halberd.[19] Meta Knight appears as a boss and Dream Friend inKirby Star Allies.[20] Meta Knight returns inKirby Fighters 2 alongsideKing Dedede as the main villain of the Story Mode, The Destined Rivals. He also appears as a playable character.[21] Meta Knight appears in the colosseum inKirby and the Forgotten Land, but does not encounter Kirby in the main storyline.[22]
Meta Knight also appears in several spin-off games in the series. He makes brief appearances inKirby's Pinball Land andKirby's Avalanche. In the latter, he is the penultimate challenger,[23] and his name was revealed in-game for the first time.[2] He is an unlockable character inKirby Air Ride[24][25] and a playable character in the sequel,Kirby Air Riders.[citation needed]
Meta Knight also appears in four installments of theSuper Smash Bros. video game series; inSuper Smash Bros. Melee, he appears in the form of a trophy,[26] and inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, he is a playable character.[27] However, Meta Knight was temporarily removed from someprofessional gaming competitions in theUnited States andCanada as he was considered to be too powerful.[28] He also plays a major role in the game’s story mode, The Subspace Emissary, in which he seeks to reclaim his ship from the Subspace Army, teaming up with Marth, Ike, Ice Climbers, Lucario, and Solid Snake in the process. Meta Knight returned as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U after the series' director,Masahiro Sakurai, assured some changes to re-add him; among the changes, Meta Knight lost his ability to glide, and his unrivaled attack speed was toned down.[29] He reappears as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Meta Knight's unmasked appearance is also available as an alternate skin forKirby in that game.[30]
Meta Knight has made several appearances outside of theKirby video game series, including the 1994–2006mangaHoshi no Kirby: Dedede de Pupupu na Monogatari written by Hirokazu Hikawa and published byShogakukan inCoroCoro Comic.[31] In the animeKirby: Right Back at Ya!, he is the last surviving member of the Galaxy Soldier Army, made up of "Star Warriors". He also makes various appearances in therestaurant chain known asKirby Café.[32]
Various types of merchandising have been released based on Meta Knight's character. These includeamiibo,[33]nendoroid,[34]nanoblock,[35] andplush.[36]
He was referred to byShacknews as "arguably Nintendo's most recognizable anti-hero".[37]Inside Games writer Sushi praised the scene of Meta Knight ordering his troops to evacuate, particularly Meta Knight murmuring an apology to them when they stay behind, saying that this scene helped make Meta Knight cool and a popular character.[38]Jeux Video staff felt that their mysterious nature helped make him a more popular character. They speculated that Meta Knight's shift from being an opponent to being an ally was due to Meta Knight's appearance in theKirby: Right Back at Ya! anime, as well as the departure of series creatorMasahiro Sakurai.[39]Official Nintendo Magazine writer Chris Scullion felt excited to see him appear inKirby's Epic Yarn, identifying himself as a Meta Knight fan and attributing his appreciation for Meta Knight to Meta Knight's mysterious nature, discussing how his alignment was unclear. He also argued that Meta Knight was previously not one of Nintendo's bigger characters, only to become a "cult hero" due to his appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.[40]
Meta Knight is a particularly strong, "high-tier" player character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, which made him the subject of commentary by fans and critics alike. AtApex 2012, Meta Knight was used by half of the top eight competitors, and 21 of the top 64 used him as well, the latter being three times as common as the next most-used character,Captain Olimar. This led to the director of Apex, Chris Brown, to announce that he would be banned from the tournament the following year. Brown believed that, with Meta Knight banned, the game would become more balanced. Apex 2012 was the last major tournament to feature Meta Knight before he was banned. He had been banned for use in prior tournaments, though such a ban was not required by the Unity Ruleset, the guidelines most tournaments in the US and Canada follow. The process of approving the ban involved both an agreement by the Unity Ruleset Committee and player consensus, polling members of the forums ofSmashboards, AllisBrawl, and the Brawl Back Room, the latter being a secret forum for the "best and brightest"Smash players. They also polled the top 100 players on Smashboards, who voted in favor of a ban 60–40. However, the ban took years before it was implemented, due in part to some professional players relying on Meta Knight to win tournaments, as well as the logistics of getting many tournaments on board. People were also concerned that tournament players from outside the US and Canada may avoid Unity Ruleset tournaments if such a ban went through.[41]
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