Copy Ability
| “ | If you swallow a foe who has a special ability... Kirby will copy its special ability! This is Kirby's special move. It's called hisCopy Ability. | ” | — Narrator's dialogue from theBeginner's Room inKirby Super Star Ultra |
Copy Ability is a catch-all term referring toKirby's trademark ability to inherit and utilize the special powers and/or skills of the entities he swallows using hisinhale. First introduced inKirby's Adventure, this ability grants the pink puffball a potentially massive array of different methods of attack and means of traversing the lands he finds himself in. Starting with games likeKirby Super Star, acquiring a Copy Ability also bestows a unique hat, outfit, or other distinguishing feature upon Kirby, which serves as a quick-glance way to determine what kind of power he has obtained.
When Kirby obtains a Copy Ability, he (usually) loses his ability to inhale, instead now relying on the ability's unique attacks to battle his foes. Acquiring an ability often causes Kirby to pose ecstatically or demonstrate the new ability and causes a distinctive chipper sound to play. Kirby'sHUD name and icon are also typically replaced with those signifying the ability in question. When Kirby has an ability, he is often referred specifically with that ability as part of his name (e.g. "Fire Kirby", "Sword Kirby", "Plasma Kirby", etc.). However, these abilities are seldom permanent, as Kirby can easily lose them, either by discarding them willingly, occasionally takingdamage, or simplyusing them too many times in some instances. When an ability is lost in the former two methods, it will bounce away as anAbility Star, which can be re-absorbed with anotherinhale.
In main-seriesKirby games, Copy Abilities tend to play a central role in gameplay, as many enemies are designed with weaknesses to specific abilities, and many stagedevices require certain abilities or combinations thereof to deal with. Several of these games also offer more elaborate mechanics involving these abilities, whether that be by using them to callhelpers, combining them with other entities or with each other to create powerful combo attacks, or imposing game rules restricting the use of certain ability functions. Copy Abilities also tend to play a role in the spin-off games, where it is often the case that Kirby has permanent access to one as a form of character selection, or the ability is heavily modified to cater to the specific type of gameplay.
Lists of Copy Abilities[edit]
The following tables list every Copy Ability featured in games in theKirby series.
Standard Copy Abilities[edit]
Standard Copy Abilities are those which Kirby can get simply by inhaling and swallowing the appropriate enemy (with two exceptions). So far, there are 68 Copy Abilities in theKirby series of video games, with 28 being the most abilities that have appeared in a single game (Kirby Star Allies):
Special Abilities[edit]
In addition to standard abilities, most titles feature special kinds of abilities that differ from regular copy abilities in various ways. While some are much more closely related to copy abilities than others, all of the following are officially grouped into a big category called "Special Ability" in the officialKirby Portal website.[1] Some Special Abilities based on vehicles fall under a sub-category called メカ (Mecha), while all others fall under a sub-category simply called 能力 (Ability). The following is a complete list of every Special Ability:
| Type | Game(s) | Description | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Battle Abilities | All main series games exceptKirby's Dream Land andKirby: Triple Deluxe | Special and unique abilities used at the end of a game to defeat a final boss or late-game boss. | Star Rod,Rainbow Sword,Starship,Love-Love Stick,Ribbon's Crystal,Master,Triple Star,Landia,Halberd Mode,Star Allies Sparkler,Big-Rig Mouth | These abilities sometimes overlap with other types of special abilities: for example, the Star Allies Sparkler is a type of Friend Action as well. |
| Animal Friends | Kirby's Dream Land 2,Kirby's Dream Land 3 | Kirby can pair with one of six different animal buddies to alter the effect of his Copy Ability attacks. Each animal/ability combination is unique, and often resembles other Copy Abilities or attacks not otherwise present in the games alone. Each combination only offers one type of attack, however. | Rick,Kine,Coo,Nago,ChuChu,Pitch | Animal friends are also capable of absorbing copy abilities for Kirby from enemies while he is riding them. Does not includeGooey. |
| Helpers/Friends | Kirby Super Star,Kirby Super Star Ultra,Kirby Star Allies | Friendly versions of copy ability-wielding enemies that venture alongside Kirby and assist him. | Burning Leo,Broom Hatter,Poppy Bros. Jr., etc. | Also includesWheelie Rider. Not to be confused with Friend Abilities, Friend Actions, and Dream Friends fromKirby Star Allies |
| Power Combos | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards | Exclusively inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby is able to combine twoAbility Stars together to form aPower Combo. This creates an all-new ability that combines elements from the two base abilities into a single attack. Some of the combinations are more powerful than others, and some create quite odd results. | Stone-Ice,Stone-Stone,Spark-Cutter,Ice-Spark, etc. | Not to be confused with Friend Abilities fromKirby Star Allies. |
| Air Ride Machines | Kirby Air Ride | Special transportation machines that are ridden by Kirbys inKirby Air Ride. They all have unique stats and properties. Two of them are called "Legendary Air Ride Machines",Dragoon andHydra. | Warp Star,Slick Star,Wagon Star,Dragoon, etc. | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. |
| Metamortex Transformations | Kirby's Epic Yarn,Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Throughout the regular stages ofKirby's Epic Yarn andKirby's Extra Epic Yarn areMetamortexes which transformKirby andPrince Fluff into special forms with unique abilities. | Digger,Dolphin,Fire Engine,Off-Roader,Rocket,Saucer,Spin Boarder,Star Shooter,Tankbot,Train | One in particular, theTankbot, is used to battleYin-Yarn at the end of the game. |
| Super Abilities | Kirby's Return to Dream Land,Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe | Five super-powerful variants of standard Copy Abilities which can be absorbed from special variants of enemies and used to clear away large obstacles and defeat certain bosses. | Ultra Sword,Monster Flame,Flare Beam,Snow Bowl,Grand Hammer | |
| Hypernova | Kirby: Triple Deluxe | After eating aMiracle Fruit, Kirby'sInhale becomes massively more powerful, able to suck in giant objects and spit them back out again. This ability is used to defeatFlowered Sectonia at the end of the game. | N/A | |
| Transformations | Kirby and the Rainbow Curse | At specific points in stages,Elline can transform Kirby into one of three different forms to tackle various obstacles. | Kirby Tank,Kirby Submarine,Kirby Rocket | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. Kirby Rocket is used to battleDark Crafter at the end of the game. |
| Robobot Armor | Kirby: Planet Robobot | InKirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby gains access to the Robobot Armor, a powerful robotic suit which Kirby pilots to dispose of large threats on his adventure. The Robobot Armor is compatible with certain Copy Abilities, and can absorb them from enemies to gain new attacks and functions. Unlike Kirby, however, only some abilities are compatible. | Fire Mode,Sword Mode,Spark Mode,Jet Mode, etc. | One of the "Mecha" Special Abilities. Much like Wheelie Rider, Kirby's currently equipped regular ability does not affect the Robobot Armor, and Kirby does not lose his ability when using it. |
| Roles | Team Kirby Clash,Team Kirby Clash Deluxe,Super Kirby Clash | Essentially theDream Kingdom's version of Copy Abilities in theTeam Kirby Clash series games. They are simply obtained by equippinggear, and the type of gear worn by the Kirby also affects the various stats of said role. | Sword Hero,Hammer Lord,Doctor Healmore,Beam Mage | |
| Friend Abilities | Kirby Star Allies | InKirby Star Allies, Kirby and hisallies can combine their attacks together to create new combination moves. There are two distinct forms this can take;Power Effects and friend attacks. The former adds a permanent elemental boost to a weapon, and the latter acts as a one-time special move that will need to be repeated to use again. | Sizzle,Bluster,Icicle Lance,Still Life,Geokinesis,Fatal Chorus, etc. | Power Effects are similar to the fusion abilities inKirby: Squeak Squad, and friend attacks are similar to the Power Combos inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards. |
| Friend Actions | Kirby Star Allies | Five special actions which are used at intermittent points in stages to cross certain obstacles. They all require four Friends and they are activated by standing on aFriend Platform. | Friend Circle,Friend Bridge,Friend Star,Friend Train,Star Allies Sparkler | |
| Ravel Abilities | Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Six special powers inKirby's Extra Epic Yarn which function almost identically to Copy Abilities in the main series. | Bobbin,Button,Knitting Needles,Marking Pins,Nylon,Wire | |
| Mouthful Mode | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Mouthful Mode is a mysterious new ability that Kirby gains when he arrives in thenew world. This ability allows him to inhale objects that are much larger than himself and use their properties to his advantage. This ability functions separately from Copy Abilities and can only be used in pre-determined locations in each stage. | Car Mouth,Cone Mouth,Water-Balloon Mouth,Coaster Mouth,Vending Mouth, etc. | One particular Mouthful Mode,Big-Rig Mouth, also serves as this game's Last Battle Ability. |
| Evolved Copy Abilities | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | InKirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby can findBlueprints and take them toWaddle Dee's Weapons Shop to have his Copy Abilities "evolved", making them more powerful and giving them new properties (as well as giving them a new look). These various forms can be swapped between, and also individually powered-up. | Chakram Cutter,Dragon Fire,Noble Ranger,Deep Sleep, etc. | |
| Copy Food Abilities | Kirby's Dream Buffet | Kirby obtains abilities inKirby's Dream Buffet through Copy Food given fromFood Boxes. When used, in addition to gaining an ability for a limited time, Kirby takes the form of a food representing the ability. | Burning,Tornado,Stone,Jelly, etc. | Unlike all other Special Abilities, Copy Food Abilities share names with their regular Copy Ability counterparts. |
Other[edit]
The following are miscellaneous abilities or game mechanics which are not officially categorized in the other categories, but are either closely related to Copy Abilities and/or similar to other Special Abilities:
| Other Copy Ability categories | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Game(s) | Description | Examples | Notes | |||||||
| All main series games, plusKirby's Dream Course,Kirby's Block Ball,Kirby Air Ride,Kirby: Canvas Curse,Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition,Kirby's Blowout Blast,Kirby's Dream Buffet | Kirby's default state when he has no ability equipped, and can either copy one or inhale enemies and split them out as Star Bullets. Not every appearance of Normal allows Kirby to do both of these actions: for example, inKirby's Dream Land, Normal Kirby cannot Copy Abilities, and inKirby: Canvas Curse, Normal Kirby cannot inhale enemies. | N/A | Normal is sometimes classified as a regular Copy Ability (in particular,it is one in the Kirby Portal website), but most of the time it's not treated as one. For instance,Kirby's Adventure is treated as the game that debuted copy abilities, even though Normal is said to have appeared inKirby's Dream Land; moreover, it's never counted in ability counts of games (for example,the Japanese website ofKirby Star Allies says the game has 28 Copy Abilities, which does not include Normal). | ||||||||
| Most games that allow Kirby to copy abilities | A Mix occurs whenever Kirby swallows multiple enemies which provide abilities, and grants him a new ability from a roulette. Different games have different mechanics on how said roulette works and is triggered. | N/A | |||||||||
| Kirby: Squeak Squad | InKirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can find scrolls which grant new moves or properties to his existing Copy Abilities, making them more effective. | Firing three arrows withCupid, recoveringHP withSleep, turning into a ball withMetal, etc. | |||||||||
| [2] | Kirby: Squeak Squad | InKirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can gain the ability to fuse certain abilities together once he obtains the appropriateAbility Scrolls. He can do this by combining two compatibleCopy Essences together in theCopy Palette. | FireSword, Ice Sword, Thunder Sword, IceBomb, ThunderBomb | Only a small handful of abilities can be combined in this manner. | |||||||
| Kirby's Epic Yarn,Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn | Transformations that Kirby and Prince Fluff can undergo without the need of aMetamortex. They are simply part of their moveset. | Car,Parachute,Pendulum,Roll Up,Snake, etc. | |||||||||
| Kirby Star Allies | Special playable characters inKirby Star Allies based on major characters of the franchise. They share many similarities with Friends from that game, but are not based on Copy Abilities. | Gooey,Dark Meta Knight,Magolor,The Three Mage-Sisters, etc. | It should be noted that the characters that are Dream Friends are only treated as such inKirby Star Allies, even if they are playable in other games (likeKing Dedede inKirby's Return to Dream Land). | ||||||||
Copy Ability utilities[edit]
 | Notice: It has been suggested that this page or section be split into List of Copy Ability utilities. |
|---|---|
| Please discuss this on the talk page. Reason: This section is currently a mess (both to read and maintain), is missing content and has wrong information, probably better to just split it to an ability utility page where we can detail more than just make it a clunky table with a lot of notes |
While each ability is unique in its own right, there are multiple abilities which can be used for the same sort of task in-game. A few abilities are multi-purpose, able to clear many different types of hazards or puzzles. The following table shows various obstacles and which Copy Abilities can be used to clear them in the main series:
| Can breakmetal blocks | Can poundStakes | Can breakIce Blocks and lightFuses | Can cool downFlame Blocks | Can cutRopes | Can clear away foliage | Can strike objects through walls | Can electrifyWires | Can light up dark places | Can be usedunderwater | Can grab enemies and/or objects | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
[A] Only inKirby: Squeak Squad after obtaining the appropriateAbility Scroll.
[B] Only inKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
[C] Can only light fuses prior toKirby's Return to Dream Land and cannot break Ice Blocks onward.
[D] Only fromKirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
[E] Only inKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land,Kirby & The Amazing Mirror andKirby: Squeak Squad.
[F] Only inKirby Super Star,its remake andKirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
[G] Only inKirby: Planet Robobot.
[H] Only inKirby and the Forgotten Land.
[I] Cannot light fuses inKirby's Adventure,its remake, orKirby Star Allies.
[J] Only inKirby Star Allies.
[K] Only inKirby: Squeak Squad, andKirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
This chart does not account for more specific scenarios, or Special Abilities.
Non-series Copy Abilities[edit]
These Copy Abilities are from games and other media that Kirby has appeared in, but which may not be considered as an actualKirby game.
Kirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]
| Anime-exclusive Copy Abilities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability | Image | Episode | Description |
| Baton |  | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby synchronizes the opponent with a baton, causing any action with the baton (such as throwing it) to also be performed on the opponent. |
| Iron |  | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby transforms into a giant iron statue of himself. |
| Top |  | Air-Ride-in-Style - Part II | Kirby gains a top that can cut through metal. |
| Kabuki |  | Kirby 3D | Allows Kirby to transform into a human using the techniques of kabuki theatre. |
Water also appeared in the anime prior to appearing in the games.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- Main article:Copy Ability/Super Smash Bros.
In theSuper Smash Bros. series, Kirby is able to copy the neutral special move of any other character and use it against them (with only some moves differing in function based on circumstance). There are a total of 91 unique abilities that Kirby can utilize in the series when he copies an opponent, though only a maximum of 89 can be used in a single game (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being that game). Like in theKirby series, Kirby gains a costume based on the character inhaled. Kirby can discard abilities willingly bytaunting, but it might be forced out of him if he takes a certain amount of damage.
Trivia[edit]
- As ofKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the abilities with the most appearances areParasol andCutter, with 18 each.
- However, ifSword Hero is counted as aSword appearance, then it has the most, at 19.
- Of all the abilities that have shown up more than once in the series, the ability that has waited the longest in between playable appearances isCleaning, which had a 21 year gap between its appearances inKirby's Dream Land 3 andKirby Star Allies.
Gallery[edit]
- Main article:Copy Ability/gallery
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | コピー能力 Kopī Nōryoku | Copy Ability |
| Traditional Chinese | 複製能力 fù zhì néng lì | Copy Ability |
| Simplified Chinese | 复制能力 fù zhì néng lì | |
| Dutch | Kopieerkracht Kopieervaardigheid | Copy power Copy ability |
| French | Pouvoir Don d'imitation | Ability Imitation skill |
| German | Spezial-Power[3] Kopierfähigkeit[3] Spezial-Fähigkeit[3] Spezialfähigkeit[3] | Special-Power Copy ability Special-Ability Special ability |
| Italian | Abilità di copia | Copy ability |
| Korean | 카피 능력 Kapi Neungnyeok | Copy Ability |
| Polish | Zdolność[4] Zdolność kopiowania[5] Copy Ability[6] | Ability Copy Ability - |
| Portuguese | Habilidade de cópia[7] Habilidade[7] | Copy ability Ability |
| Russian | Способность[8] Sposobnost' Способность копирования[8] Sposobnost' kopirovaniya Способность к копированию[9] Sposobnost' k kopirovaniyu | Ability Copy ability Ability to copy |
| Spanish | Habilidad de copia Habilidad copiada | Copy ability Copied skill |
| Thai | Copy Ability | - |
References
- ↑Kirby Portal page on Copy Abilities
- ↑20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia, page 140; translated from Japanese, 属性ミックス
- ↑3.03.13.23.3Nintendo Germany -Kirby Planet Robobot
- ↑Nintendo Polska - Nintendo Selects:Kirby: Triple Deluxe
- ↑Nintendo Polska -Kirby: Planet Robobot
- ↑Nintendo Polska -Kirby Star Allies
- ↑7.07.1Nintendo Portugal -Kirby Battle Royale
- ↑8.08.1Nintendo Russia -Kirby: Planet Robobot (archive)
- ↑Nintendo Russia -Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (archive)
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- Articles which list Portuguese names
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