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Halberd
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- This article is about the battleship in the general context. For the stage inKirby's Epic Yarn andKirby's Extra Epic Yarn, seeBattleship Halberd (stage). For theRobobot Armor mode, seeHalberd Mode.
TheBattleship Halberd (often referred to in short as simplyHalberd) is a giant flying warship whichMeta Knight commands and uses as his main base of operations. With the help of a motley crew ofPopstar's residents — most notably theMeta-Knights,Captain Vul, andSailor Waddle Dee — Meta Knight uses the ship as a display of his power, authority, and leadership. The Halberd is equipped with two large and four small bat-like wings, a series of powerful engines fueled by theReactor (which is powered byWheelies), and a large array of guns, the most notable of which being the mightyCombo Cannon. Among its remarkable arsenal, the Halberd is also equipped with a giant robot known asHeavy Lobster. At the bow of the ship is a giant replica of Meta Knight's mask, making it hard to mistake who the ship belongs to. The Halberd is capable of operating in the air, underwater, and even in deep space.
The Halberd was first introduced inKirby Super Star, where it is the primary setting of the gameRevenge of Meta Knight, wherein Kirby infiltrates the ship and gradually blows it to pieces in order to stop Meta Knight from using it to take overDream Land. Since then, the Halberd has made a number of notable reappearances in theKirby series. For instance, it is repaired and made operational again inKirby: Squeak Squad, with some stages ofSecret Sea andGamble Galaxy taking place upon it. Additionally, inKirby's Epic Yarn, the Halberd isa stage inDream Land. Furthermore, inKirby: Planet Robobot, Kirby and Meta Knight team up and fuse theRobobot Armor with the Halberd into the mightyHalberd Mode in order to take onStar Dream.
The Halberd appears as a prominent stage and setting in theSuper Smash Bros. series, starting withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. It also appears in the anime seriesKirby: Right Back at Ya!, where it is used byMeta Knight and the Dream Landers to take oneNeMeE by assaulting hisspace fortress.
Design[edit]
The Battleship Halberd has gone through many notable design changes. In its first appearance inKirby Super Star, the Halberd featured rotund proportions with a bulbous bow and a layered dome-shaped superstructure.Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and, later,Kirby: Squeak Squad featured a design with similar proportions but had larger cannons, a different color palette, and added rocket engines to the wings. The Halberd underwent a major redesign inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. This new design removed the bulbous bow, slimmed the proportions of the ship, and adopted a superstructure and armament more accurate to real-world battleships.Kirby: Planet Robobot streamlined theSuper Smash Bros. Brawl design, scaling back its armament, enlarging the Combo Cannon, employing bolder colors, and adding a new flame pattern to the ship's mask.
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby Super Star /Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]
- Main article:Revenge of Meta Knight
The Halberd makes its debut appearance inKirby Super Star (also appearing inKirby Super Star Ultra) where it is the principal setting and central plot point ofRevenge of Meta Knight. In this first appearance, Meta Knight and his crew prepare the ship for take off, intending to use its might to subjugate all ofDream Land (presumably wrestling control away fromKing Dedede). Seeing this as a threat, Kirby rides in on theWarp Star and attempts to board the ship multiple times, being repulsed all but the third time by the crew. Once Kirby manages to get on board, Meta Knight's crew panic and frantically try to get rid of Kirby as he worms his way through the ship destroying critical components. He starts by destroying theCombo Cannon, then demolishes the left and right wings while defeatingHeavy Lobster, and finally strikes a critical blow by disabling theReactor and freeing theWheelies powering the ship. From here, Kirby makes his way to the bridge as most of the crew evacuate and battles Meta Knight directly, defeating him in an honorable sword duel. After this, Kirby rushes to escape the collapsing ship byriding one of the freed Wheelies while Meta Knight tries his best to take Kirby down with the ship. Ultimately, Kirby is able to hop off the ship as it crashes into the ocean, riding off into the sunset, having saved Dream Land from another threat to the peace.
In addition to its appearance in Revenge of Meta Knight, the Halberd is also briefly a setting in theKirby Super Star Ultra-exclusive modeMeta Knightmare Ultra, where Meta Knight (for some reason) destroys his own ship.
Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]
InKirby: Squeak Squad, the Halberd is seen laying at the bottom of the ocean in the levelSecret Sea, which is a nod to its fate after the events of Revenge of Meta Knight.[1] Several stages take place inside the ship, including the boss fight withMeta Knight. During this fight, the Halberd takes off again, serving as a transition to the final level,Gamble Galaxy. Here, the first stage takes place on the deck of the Halberd, though now in space, showing off the ship's ability to achieve escape velocity. It uses its design fromKirby: Right Back at Ya!.
Kirby's Epic Yarn /Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn[edit]
- Main article:Battleship Halberd (stage)
The battleship serves as the final stage inKirby's Epic Yarn andKirby's Extra Epic Yarn. Here, Kirby uses theStar Shooter transformation in a horizontal-scrolling shooter level to take on the many enemies of the battleship. He also combats theCombo Cannon and theReactor. The background music for this level is an acoustic, jazzy rendition of the exterior Halberd background music fromKirby Super Star (though the in-game description for the song's CD in the American version incorrectly states it as being fromKirby's Dream Land). A similar acoustic rendition of the same theme can be heard in a stage medley on the soundtrack forKirby Super Star Ultra.
Prior to the stage itself, the Halberd is briefly featured in one of thecutscenes, namely, the one where Meta Knight is captured byYin-Yarn.
InKirby's Extra Epic Yarn'sSub-GameSlash & Bead, Battleship Halberd is the setting of Stage 4, once again featuring both Halberd cannons and the Reactor. Additionally, one of theFuse Bead Mats for Slash & Bead depicts the Halberd.
Kirby Mass Attack[edit]
InKirby Mass Attack, although absent from the main story, the Halberd appears as Stage 5 of the Sub-GameStrato Patrol EOS, appearing out in deep space past an asteroid belt. The Kirbys approach it from the side at the end of Stage 4 and, after a battle with the Meta-Knights, enter and fly through a central metal hallway full of enemies and traps before battling Meta Knight as the boss of the stage.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
- See also:Halberd Mode
The Halberd also appears inKirby: Planet Robobot under its current design. In the introductory cutscene forKirby: Planet Robobot, Meta Knight orders the Halberd to attack theplanet-sized spaceship sent down by theHaltmann Works Company to take overPopstar. The battleship does not make it very far before it is shot down by a powerful laser from the colossal spaceship. Meta Knight is then captured by the Haltmann Works Company, though not before entrusting the Halberd to his crew for repairs.[2]
Just before the final battle withStar Dream, Meta Knight returns with the fully-repaired Halberd, and asks Kirby to hop on board the ship. Kirby instead uses theRobobot Armor to scan it, forming the Robobot Armor'sHalberd Mode. Using this new weapon, they battle Star Dream and its many forms in space above Popstar. Towards the end of the battle, Meta Knight ejects Kirby and the Robobot Armor from the ship, returning the Halberd to normal. It is seen again in the ending cutscene, where Kirby waves at it before chasing it.
The Halberd Mode is also used to engageStar Dream Soul OS inThe True Arena. InMeta Knightmare Returns, the Halberd can be seen in the background of everyRest Area.
Kirby Air Riders[edit]
The Halberd appears inKirby Air Riders as a part of aCity TrialField Event, where it rides high aboveSkyah, requiring a machine with significant gliding capabilities to reach. Riders can board it to collect numerouspatches. Many are strewn about the main deck and wings, and an All Up patch is placed on the tip of the Halberd's tower, which must be collected to clear aChecklist task. There may also be a Legendary Air Ride Machine found at the center deck. A few challenges in theRoad Trip mode also require the rider to land on it from afar, with one in particular providing the player aFlame Wingsitem. If one of these challenges is attempted with a machine with little gliding prowess, a hint will appear encouraging the player to try again with a machine better suited for flight.
TheNintendo Today! post describing the Halberd's City Trial event is entitled "Field Event: The Battleship Halberd's on the attack!", with this very description also appearing in-game when the Halberd arrives. However, the Halberd simply flies above Skyah and does not pose a threat to riders.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
 | SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
The Halberd has a prominent position in theSuper Smash Bros. series starting withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. In this game, it was introduced as a stage, which has the fighters tour around the ship using a separate floating platform which occasionally docks on the main deck of the ship itself, where the fighters then have to avoid attacks from the Combo Cannon. This stage would reappear inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Role in The Subspace Emissary[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, the Halberd plays a prominent role in the Adventure Mode:The Subspace Emissary. Here, the ship is stolen from Meta Knight and used by the Subspace Army to deliver Shadow Bugs and Subspace Bombs across the world. While under the enemy's control, the Halberd engages with theGreat Fox and itsArwings, ultimately bringing them all down, while the other characters try to chase after the ship. Eventually, a group of heroes along with Meta Knight himself manages to get back on board and wrestle control of the ship away from the Subspace Army. Later on, Meta Knight sacrifices the Halberd to a blast from the Subspace Gunship in order to buy the others some time to launch an assault using their smaller and nimbler vessels.
According to a post on the Smash Bros DOJO!! website, at some point prior to the events of Subspace Emissary, Tabuu launches an attack with the Subspace Army to steal the Halberd for his own.King Dedede engages Meta Knight during the attack, unknowingly making it impossible for Meta Knight to repel the Subspace Army. This event is not seen in the game.[3]
Other appearances[edit]
The Halberd also appears as atrophy in bothSuper Smash Bros. Brawl andSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Halberd appears as asupport spirit, with a ★★★★ Legendary class and granting the "Armor Knight" bonus when equipped. It can only be purchased at Funky Kong's Shack.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Appears in | American English Description | British English Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halberd |  | SNESKirby Super Star | "Meta Knight's battleship, built to help Meta Knight take control of Dream Land. It's crewed by Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights and is equipped with the Combo Cannon and a shrimplike robot called the Heavy Lobster. In The Subspace Emissary, the Halberd appears and releases a massive horde of shadow bugs. These creatures form Primids and cause our heroes a lot of trouble." | "Meta Knight's battleship, built to help Meta Knight take control of Dream Land. It's crewed by Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights and is equipped with the Combo Cannon and a shrimp-like robot called the Heavy Lobster. In The Subspace Emissary, the Halberd appears and releases a massive horde of shadow bugs. These creatures form Primids and cause our heroes a lot of trouble." |
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | American English description | British English description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halberd |  | Kirby's rival, the masked warrior Meta Knight, constructed this ship to conquer Dream Land. Just in case you forget who owns it, the ship's bow is designed to look like his mask. How is a small guy like Kirby supposed to defeat a battleship?! Maybe he'll find a way inside... | Kirby's rival, the masked swordsman Meta Knight, built this airship to take over Dream Land. Just so you don't forget who owns it, the ship's bow was designed to look like his mask. How's a little guy like Kirby supposed to take on such a giant battleship?! Guess he'll just have to find a way inside... |
InKirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]
| “ | I have been working on this since my arrival here in Dream Land! Sword Knight and Blade Knight helped me a great deal! They were sworn to secrecy of course. It is called...Battleship Halberd! | ” | — Meta Knight, inCappy Town Down |
The Halberd features prominently in the last three episodes ofKirby: Right Back at Ya!. Here, it was constructed in secret underneathCastle Dedede byMeta Knight and his apprenticesSword Knight andBlade Knight, who have been working on it ever since they first arrived inDream Land. The purpose of this project was to construct a weapon powerful enough to take oneNeMeE andhis massive space station. Its existence is not revealed to the rest of the Dream Landers untilCappy Town Down, right afterCappy Town is destroyed by an invadingDestroya sent byNight Mare Enterprises. TheCappies are reluctant to help man the ship at first, but when even more Destroyas come to pulverize Dream Land,Kit Cosmos arrives and persuades them to join in.
From there, the Halberd takes off and shows off its power by destroying every Destroya with a single shot from its mighty cannons. The Halberd then flies into outer space and initiates warp speed to travel to eNeMeE's Fortress. On the way, it is attacked byHeavy Lobster, butKirby and the crew manage to destroy it before it damages the main engine. Once the Halberd arrives at the fortress, it is set upon by the defensive turrets and Destroya armada. These prove to be too much for the Halberd to handle on its own, but backup comes in the form of three rogue Destroyas piloted by Kirby's allies. The Halberd manages to make it into the fortress and deliver its crew intact to the interior chamber, but it is eventually destroyed when more turret fire and Destroyas eventually do it in. The explosion from the ship does manage to take out the last of the defenses inside the fortress, however.
Differences from the games[edit]
The design of the Halberd is similar to its original design inKirby Super Star, featuring a similar keel and a rounded bridge superstructure, but it has a smoother silver appearance, larger weapons, and wings equipped with rocket engines. Unlike the games, it is not powered byWheelies or theReactor, but instead features a singular main engine that is powered by an unknown fuel source. Also unlike the games, this Halberd is equipped with energy shielding and a warp drive that allows the ship to enter warp speed. In place of theCombo Cannon is the Gravity Disruptor, a powerful twin-barrel plasma beam turret capable of taking out Destroyas in a single hit.
King Dedede andEscargoon manage to catch a glimpse of the Halberd underneath their castle.
The Halberd crew prepares to enter warp speed.
The Halberd travels through a wormhole.
The crew gathers on the bridge of the Halberd.
The crew inspects the main engine of the ship.
The Halberd enters a tunnel inside eNeMeE's Fortress.
In theKirby novel series[edit]
In theKirby novel series, the Battleship Halberd is a high-tech spaceship owned byMeta Knight, first appearing inKirby: Meta Knight and the Puppet Princess. He and his crew live there, and use it to travel across the universe. The Halberd is capable of using warp navigation, allowing it to travel to extremely far destinations in a short time. The ship also has weaponry that is powerful enough to be considered the strongest in the universe. Its most powerful weapon is theCombo Cannon, which can blow anything to smithereens.
The Halberd is home to Meta Knight,Captain Vul,Sword Knight,Blade Knight, and theMeta-Knights. When they are not onPopstar, Meta Knight and his crew are typically found travelling through space in the Halberd. Captain Vul is the commander in charge of the Halberd, andAxe Knight's job is to manage communications with the ship. Meta Knight is sometimes dragged intoKirby andKing Dedede's matters after receiving a transmission from them. When Meta Knight is with Kirby and his friends, the Halberd is their choice of transportation whenever they need to travel to a far-off location.
In the first novel,Kirby and the Dangerous Gourmet Mansion?!, Meta Knight travels in a small blimp instead of the Halberd for unknown reasons.
InKirby's Labyrinth Rescue!, Meta Knight andWaddle Dee chase theLor Starcutter with the Halberd, to keep an eye onMagolor.
Although the Halberd never appears inKirby and the Search for the Dreamy Gears!, Meta Knight's airplane is named after it.
InKirby: Meta Knight and the Knight of Yomi, Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights protect the Halberd from a pirate raid. Later, Kirby, King Dedede and Waddle Dee board the Halberd to meet with Meta Knight and share with him their story about the imposter Meta Knight.Beryl, disguised as Captain Vul, contacts the Halberd and tells them to come toPlanet Magnus. With everyone still on it, Meta Knight flies the Halberd to Planet Magnus. After Kirby rescues Meta Knight from the Magnus Hellhole, he brings him back to the Halberd, where he is taken care of by doctors. When Meta Knight comes out ofYomi to fightMorpho Knight, his body disappears from the Halberd. By the end of the story, a tea party is hosted in the Halberd between Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights.
Trivia[edit]
- The Halberd likely takes inspiration from theSpace Battleship Yamato, a similar-looking space warship from the anime series of the same name. Notably, the bulbous bow from its original design is very similar to the one found on theYamato.
- InKirby Super Star Ultra, several smaller aircraft are visible within the Halberd, suggesting the Halberd is capable of deploying aircraft.
- The Halberd is likely named aftera medieval weapon incorporating aspects of both an axe and a spear, thoughits first three letters also allude toHAL Laboratory.
Gallery[edit]
The Halberd in the process of being destroyed inKirby Super Star
The sunken Halberd seen in the background ofKirby: Squeak Squad
The bow of the Halberd, as seen inKirby's Epic Yarn
The Halberd appearing in the background inStrato Patrol EOS fromKirby Mass Attack
Artwork forKirby: Planet Robobot featuringKirby andMeta Knight battlingStar Dream, with the Halberd andSusie in the background
Original sketch of the previous artwork, where the Halberd is drawn very simply, behind Meta Knight
Kirby merging theRobobot Armor with the Halberd to create the Halberd Mode inKirby: Planet Robobot
Kirby and Meta Knight battling Star Dream using the Halberd Mode
Meta Knightmare Returns credits picture fromKirby: Planet Robobot, featuring the Halberd in aRest Area
Meta Knightmare Returns credits picture fromKirby: Planet Robobot, featuring Meta Knight standing on the Halberd
Model used for itstrophy fromSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
TheHalberd stage inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
Zoomed out view of the Halberd stage inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
The Halberd stage inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U
The Halberd stage inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
Concept art for the Halberd inKirby Super Star, from20th Anniversary Kirby Pupupu Encyclopedia
Scan of a page from the official JapaneseKirby Super Star guidebook showing the 3D rendered background of one of Halberd's decks
Artwork of Meta Knight fromKirby no Copy-toru!, including the Halberd down below
Higher quality but cropped version of previousKirby no Copy-toru! artwork
Halberd Travel Sticker from the "Kirby Pupupu Train" 2016 events
Artwork forKirby's 25th Anniversary
Alternate artwork for Kirby's 25th Anniversary
Commemorative artwork fromKirby Art & Style Collection featuring Kirby charging at Susie, where the Halberd is with him in the background
"Shooting Gallery" miniature set from the "Kirby Pupupu Japanese Festival" merchandise line, featuring a package of a Halberd ship model
Meta Knight miniature set from the "Kirby's Dreamy Gear" merchandise line, featuring a Halberd figurine
A Halberd toy in a box, from the bookFind Kirby!! Full of Kirby
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 戦艦ハルバード Senkan Harubādo | Battleship Halberd Sometimes romanized as"Halbird". |
| Traditional Chinese | Halberd[4] 戰艦神戟[5] Zhànjiàn Shénjǐ | - Battleship Divine Halberd |
| Simplified Chinese | Halberd[4] 战舰神戟[5] Zhànjiàn Shénjǐ | |
| Dutch | Halberd | - |
| French | Halberd | - |
| German | Halberd | - |
| Italian | Halberd | - |
| Korean | 전함 할버드 jeonham halbeodeu | Battleship Halberd |
| Portuguese | Halberd[6][5] | - |
| Russian | Алебарда[7] Alebarda | Halberd |
| Spanish | Hal Abarda | From HAL andalabarda (halberd) |
References
- ↑熊崎 メタナイトの持つ戦艦ハルバードがありますけど、『星のカービィ スーパーデラックス』の「メタナイトの逆襲」で一度水没しているんですよね。ただ、その後に出た『星のカービィ 参上！ドロッチェ団』では戦艦ハルバードは過去に水没したという事実を活かし、海底に存在しています。(Kumazaki: Meta Knight’s battleship Halberd was once submerged in Revenge of Meta Knight of “Kirby Super Star”. However, later in “Kirby: Squeak Squad”, the battleship Halberd is found at the bottom of the sea, taking advantage of the fact that it has been submerged in the past.),Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe interview from the June 2023 edition of Nintendo Dream,translation source
- ↑https://kirbydevpostarchive.tumblr.com/post/164955084671/hal-laboratory-%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B7%E3%83%80-hallaboratory-08252016-957
- ↑https://www.smashbros.com/wii/en_us/gamemode/modea/modea17.html
- ↑4.04.1Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- ↑5.05.15.2Kirby Air Riders
- ↑Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
- ↑Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
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- Articles which list Japanese names
- Articles which list Chinese names
- Articles which list Dutch names
- Articles which list French names
- Articles which list German names
- Articles which list Italian names
- Articles which list Korean names
- Articles which list Portuguese names
- Articles which list Russian names
- Articles which list Spanish names
