Inhale Artwork ofKirbyinhaling fromKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Details First game Kirby's Dream Land (1992) Latest game Kirby Air Riders (2025) Other game(s) All main-series games Kirby Air Ride Kirby's Epic Yarn Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (New Challenge Stages) Kirby's Blowout Blast Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn Kirby Fighters 2 (Gobble) User(s) Kirby,various others Related Star Bullet,Copy Ability

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Inhale (sometimes calledVacuum orSwallow) is one ofKirby's main abilities, debuting in the first game,Kirby's Dream Land. It is his primary form of attack, and he is able to use it in all of the mainlineKirby games. Kirby performs this ability by opening his mouth wide and sucking in air, which creates a vortex, dragging nearby enemies or other objects toward him and into his mouth. From there, Kirby can either swallow them (which removes them from the playing field) or shoot them back out as aStar Bullet which shatters on impact. In the majority of appearances, Kirby obtains aCopy Ability after swallowing an enemy or object with an applicable ability.

Details[edit]

Assuming he is not interrupted by another action, Kirby can inhale indefinitely as long as the player holds the attack button. Any enemy or object in front of Kirby will then be drawn toward him until it reaches his mouth, at which point Kirby will stop inhaling automatically. When Kirby has something in his mouth, he becomes larger than usual, and he cannothover orswim. The player can then press the attack button again to exhale a Star Bullet, orcrouch to swallow, obtaining a Copy Ability if applicable.

In most games in the series, Kirby's Inhale can work through walls, allowing him to nab enemies through them (and even items likefood andkeys, in some cases). Oftentimes, doing this is necessary to solve certain puzzles. Kirby can also inhale multiple enemies and objects at once. If he spits them out, it creates a more powerful star projectile known as a Blaster Bullet, which can pass through multiple targets. In some games, the Blaster Bullet grows proportionally to the number of objects inhaled.

The main caveat to inhaling is that Kirby generally has to hold still. He usually cannot walk around while inhaling; onlyKirby 64: The Crystal Shards andKirby and the Forgotten Land let him do this without a power-up. He also cannot jump while inhaling (though he can inhale in midair), and he can never inhale whilehovering. As a result, it is usually difficult to inhale airborne or highly mobile enemies. Kirby also cannot inhale while underwater in most cases —Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is the only game where he can do so withoutKine's assistance — with his main form of underwater attack instead being theWater Gun.

According to series directorShinya Kumazaki, enemies are not killed when Kirby swallows them; instead, they "poof" and are teleported elsewhere in the world.^[1] In certain games, Kirby can inhale his allies and use them as projectiles, though this does not "poof" them like it does the enemies. While carried inside Kirby's mouth, allies automatically share consumableitems. Swallowing an ally has different effects depending on which character they are: ability-bearing Kirbys will have their ability stolen,friends will have their ability copied, and other characters simply reappear nearby with no effect.

Inhale works on most enemies in theKirby series, but some enemies are immune to this technique. The most common examples areGordos,Shotzos,Scarfies, andMumbies. While there may be a large number of reasons as to why Kirby cannot inhale these entities, the English manual forKirby's Dream Land states that such enemies are simply "too nasty" for Kirby to swallow.^[2] Additionally,mid-bosses must be defeated first before they can be inhaled, and mostbosses simply cannot be inhaled at all.

Super Inhale[edit]

InKirby & The Amazing Mirror onwards, Kirby can perform a stronger variant known asSuper Inhale. This technique is often necessary to swallow large objects or move around heavyblocks. InKirby & The Amazing Mirror andKirby: Squeak Squad, a Super Inhale can be performed by inhaling for a short time, but Kirby will get tired and stop inhaling if he uses it for too long.

InKirby's Return to Dream Land, Super Inhale's functionality was tweaked; instead of being performed automatically after inhaling for a while, the player must either shake the controller or input several different directions on the + Control Pad while inhaling to perform this technique. Kirby no longer grows tired, so a Super Inhale can be held for as long as the player wishes. When using Super Inhale, Kirby does not stop inhaling until the button is released, so large groups of objects can be inhaled simultaneously.

The tweaks to Super Inhale remain in all mainline titles starting withKirby: Triple Deluxe; however, it instead occurs simply by inhaling for a short time. This action is not referred to as Super Inhale inKirby: Triple Deluxe orKirby: Planet Robobot, but it is inKirby Star Allies onward.

InKirby and the Forgotten Land, Super Inhale functions similar to how it does in 2D games, but it also activates if Kirby inhales immediately after a successfuldodge, in a similar manner to how some Copy Abilities receive a boosted attack if used after dodging.

InKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Super Inhale functions much the same as the original game, but it can also be activated simply by inhaling for a short time (akin toKirby: Triple Deluxe onward), in addition to shaking the controller or pressing different directions on the + Control Pad or Control Stick.

Hypernova[edit]

Kirby: Triple Deluxe introducesHypernova, an ability that functions as a souped-up version of Kirby's inhale, which can be acquired by eating aMiracle Fruit. Using Hypernova, Kirby can inhale massive objects in large numbers, and he can also walk forward and backward while inhaling, which allows him to move around large objects and activatedevices that he otherwise could not. In addition, he can even swallow some bosses whole, which is impossible to do with the normal Inhale.

Notable game appearances[edit]

Kirby's Dream Land[edit]

InKirby's Dream Land, inhaling is Kirby's primary method of dispatching enemies, either in swallowing them, or spitting them back out. Against bosses, the usual strategy was to inhale any projectiles thrown his way and spit them back. Kirby cannot gain aCopy Ability from inhaling an enemy, as this feature only appears in laterKirby titles.

Kirby's Adventure /Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]

Starting withKirby's Adventure, Kirby can obtain a Copy Ability from inhaling then swallowing an enemy. Additionally, theThrow andBackdrop abilities utilize Kirby's inhale to allow him to grab enemies before tossing them (inKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Backdrop instead utilizes a lunging grab).

Kirby Super Star /Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

InKirby Super Star andKirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby can swallow in midair by pressing theHelper button with something in his mouth.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[edit]

InKirby 64: The Crystal Shards alone, Kirby is able to use his inhaleunderwater without assistance from another character likeKine. This is also the first game where he cancombine two Copy Abilities together, allowing for combinations likeCutter-Cutter,Bomb-Cutter, andBurn-Needle. This game is also the first instance where Kirby can move forward or backward while inhaling, an ability which would not be seen again until the introduction ofHypernova.

Strangely enough, in this game alone, it is possible for enemies to get 'stuck' on platforms when Kirby is attempting to inhale them. In this case, they will stay in place, spinning around for a moment before being 'defeated' and vanishing.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[edit]

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror is the first game in the series where Kirby can Super Inhale. Often, he needs to team up with the other three Kirbys to move large objects.

Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]

InKirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can store up to five objects that he has swallowed in hisCopy Palette for later use. Kirby is also able to combine certain abilities he has stored away, like combiningSword withSpark to create an electric sword, or two otherwise incompatible abilities to get arandom new ability. The Copy Palette feature did not return in later games, though similar features would appear through theAssist Star inKirby: Triple Deluxe andKirby: Planet Robobot andStock Items inKirby and the Forgotten Land andKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land /Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

InKirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby is able to inhale his friends and spit them out as part of his projectiles. This does not hurt them, making it sometimes a useful strategy to use Kirby's friends as ammunition. If a Kirby swallows another Kirby with a Copy Ability orSuper Ability, he can steal that ability for himself and take it away from the other.

InKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the option to turn on Auto Swallow returns fromKirby and the Forgotten Land, but it is turned off by default.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is where theHypernova ability made its debut. Atone point near the end of the game, Kirby uses it to inhalean entire boss, defeating it in one fell swoop. He also uses it to defeat thefinal boss ofStory Mode.

Kirby's Blowout Blast[edit]

Kirby gets particularly big when he inhales a bunch of enemies inKirby's Blowout Blast. When he releases them, the star that results is referred to as aBlaster Bullet, and can wipe out enemies in a huge area.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land /Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]

InKirby and the Forgotten Land and itsNintendo Switch 2 Edition, Kirby is once again able to move around while inhaling, this time in all directions. He's also able to inhale while swimming above water. An option forAuto Swallow is available so Kirby will automatically swallow anenemy or a hat that gives aCopy Ability, which is on by default.

When near an object that can be used forMouthful Mode, Kirby can inhale it even with an active copy ability.Elfilin will point this out to Kirby if he repeatedly discards his abilities near a "mouthful" object.

Kirby Air Riders[edit]

InKirby Air Riders, while Kirby uses inhale as normal, most other riders instead use a variation of the move calledCapture. It works essentially the same as inhale, and riders are able to capture and throw enemies as Star Bullets, or capture ability-granting enemies to copy abilities. Most riders simply gesture their hands forward as a vortex similar to Kirby's own inhale appears when performing Capture, though other riders such as Gooey have other means of capturing enemies.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere.

Kirby uses Inhale as his neutral special move in all of theSuper Smash Bros. titles. This allows him to copy his opponents' neutral special attacks when swallowing them. Naturally, Kirby does not destroy his opponent when he does this, though it does deal damage. He can also spit his opponent out as a Star Bullet by pressing the special attack button - said Star Bullet travels a short distance before the opponent returns back to normal; how far it travels depends on Kirby's and the opponent's damage percentages.

Two custom moves can be used in place of the original once unlocked inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. The first,Ice Breath, functions similarly to theIce ability's attack of the same name and can temporarily freeze opponents solid for a time. In return, Kirby cannot swallow opponents or spit them out. The second,Jumping Inhale, lets Kirby leap forward a ways while inhaling, but any Star Bullets he spits out won't deal any damage.

Games where Kirby does not inhale[edit]

The following are games where Kirby either cannot or does not use his inhale, with further explanations given where appropriate:

• Kirby's Pinball Land
• Kirby's Dream Course - Kirby gains Copy Abilities by colliding with the appropriate enemies.
• Kirby's Avalanche
• Kirby's Block Ball - Kirby gains Copy Abilities by colliding with the appropriate enemies.
• Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)
• Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)
• Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
• Kirby: Canvas Curse - Kirby gains Copy Abilities by colliding with the appropriate enemies.
• Kirby's Epic Yarn /Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn - Kirby tries to inhale theMetamato in the openingcutscene. After turning into yarn, he tries to inhale again, but it is ineffective as the air just passes through him.
• Kirby Mass Attack
• Kirby Fighters Deluxe
• Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
• Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
• Kirby Battle Royale
• Super Kirby Clash
• Kirby Fighters 2 - Kirby has a technique called "Gobble" instead (details in the "Gobble" section below).
• Kirby's Dream Buffet - Kirby gains Copy Abilities by collectingCopy Foods fromFood Boxes.

Other entities that can Inhale[edit]

Kirby is not the only one who can Inhale. The following is a list of other entities that use an Inhale to attack, though most of them cannot Copy abilities or even swallow:

• Other Kirbys
  • Kirby-saurus
• King Dedede /Masked Dedede
  • Shadow Dedede
  • Dedede Clone
  • Giant King Dedede / Giant King Dedede's Revenge / Giant Masked Dedede
  • Parallel Dedede
  • Waning Crescent Masked Dedede
  • Forgo Dedede /Phantom Forgo Dedede
• Rick (Kirby's Dream Land 2 only)
• Danglerfish
• Banishback
• Barbar
• Star Dream /Star Dream Soul OS
• Whispy Woods (Kirby's Return to Dream Land &Kirby Star Allies)
  • Yggy Woods
  • Parallel Woods
• Void Termina /Void Soul

Gobble[edit]

InKirby Fighters 2, Kirby does not have the ability to inhale (due to utilizing Copy Abilities). However, he can use a different technique calledGobble which allows him to eat his opponents and then spit them back out to deal damage. The only functional difference between this and a regular Inhale is that Kirby does not use suction (meaning he has to be up close to catch someone), and he cannot swallow.Gooey and King Dedede also make use of Gobble in this game.

Trivia[edit]

• Initially, Kirby was intended to use his tongue instead of inhaling inKirby's Dream Land, but the idea was scrapped.^[3]Masahiro Sakurai explains that this was not due to the similarity toYoshi, since Yoshi did not exist at the time. Ironically, this idea would later be applied toGooey inKirby's Dream Land 3.
• In earlier games such asKirby 64: The Crystal Shards andKirby & The Amazing Mirror, if Kirby gets interrupted (such as taking damage) while inhaling things, the item or enemy he is inhaling gets destroyed. In the later games, the entity itself gets instantly inhaled.
• InKirby and the Forgotten Land, Kirby can inhale Copy Abilities from pedestals inWaddle Dee's Weapons Shop without going through the upgrade menu.

Gallery[edit]

FromKirby: Planet Robobot

FromKirby: Planet Robobot

Artwork[edit]

• 
  Kirby's Dream Land
• 
  Kirby Super Star
• 
  Kirby's Dream Land 3
• 
  Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• 
  Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
• 
  Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
• 
  Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
• 
  Kirby Air Ride
• 
  Kirby & The Amazing Mirror (Super Inhale)
• 
  Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
• 
  Kirby: Squeak Squad
• 
  Kirby: Squeak Squad
• 
  Kirby: Squeak Squad (Super Inhale)
• 
  Kirby: Squeak Squad
• 
  Kirby Super Star Ultra
• 
  Kirby Super Star Ultra
• 
  Kirby Super Star Ultra
• 
  Kirby's Return to Dream Land
• 
  Kirby: Triple Deluxe
• 
  Larger but cropped version of previous artwork
• 
  Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• 
  Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• 
  Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
• 
  Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
• 
  Kirby no Copy-toru!
• 
  Kirby no Copy-toru!
• 
  Kirby no Copy-toru! (Super Inhale)
• 
  Kirby #22 from theKirby 30th Anniversary site

Other[edit]

• 
  Tip image of Kirby inhaling aBlade Knight fromKirby Star Allies
• 
  Tip image of Kirby inhaling analliedWaddle Doo fromKirby Star Allies
• 
  Screenshot ofKirby inhaling inKirby: Right Back at Ya!
• 
  LINE animated sticker from "Kirby's Puffball Sticker Set"
• 
  "Inhale" Card stand from the "Kirby Desktop Figure" merchandise line, manufactured by Re-ment
• 
  "Waddle Dee & Kirby" figure from the "Swing Kirby" merchandise line, manufactured by Re-ment
• 
  Set 11 of the Kirby hanafuda cards, featuring Kirby inhaling.

Names in other languages[edit]

Inhale[edit]

Super Inhale[edit]

Swallow[edit]

Gobble[edit]

References

• Moves
• Attacks
• Methods of gaining abilities

• 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