Meta Knight Artwork ofMeta Knight fromKirby: Right Back at Ya!. Details First episode Kirby Comes to Cappy Town Last episode Kirby 3D Main role Major supporting character Other appearance(s) his video game counterpart his novel counterpart Similar characters Kirby Voice actor(s) Eric Stuart (English) Atsushi Kisaichi (Japanese)

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This article is about Meta Knight as he appears inKirby: Right Back at Ya!. For Meta Knight as he appears in the games, seeMeta Knight.

Sir Meta Knight is a major supporting character inKirby: Right Back at Ya!. He is a veteranStar Warrior who has settled inKing Dedede's court, feigning to serve the king in order to protectDream Land from themonsters which are summoned on the regular throughNight Mare Enterprises. AfterKirby crash-lands in Dream Land, Meta Knight tasks himself with guiding and training the young pink puffball in the art of fighting monsters, though his methods are often extreme, putting Kirby in harm's way. Meta Knight wields the sacred bladeGalaxia, though he rarely uses it directly.

Appearance[edit]

Meta Knight has a similar body structure to Kirby, but is deep blue in color and is somewhat more modest; wearing a mask, boots, gloves, shoulder pauldrons, and a cape, which he wraps around himself when not in combat. Despite being roughly the same size as Kirby in the video games, Meta Knight is noticeably larger than him here, which helps to demonstrate that at least in the anime, Kirby is still a child. Unlike his video game counterpart, Meta Knight does not have wings in the anime, and is thus not capable of flight without assistance.

Personality[edit]

Unlike Kirby, Meta Knight has a full speaking role. He takes on the role of a mysterious but dedicated swordsman and mentor, helping both Kirby andTiff when they are in need. In all versions of the show, his presence is announced through the soundtrack with a flamenco guitar sting, and this is complemented in a few foreign dubs, including English, with a Spanish accent for the masked swordsman (which appears to be based uponAntonio Banderas' performance in the 1998 filmThe Mask of Zorro). In both Spanish dubs of the anime, he speaks with anAndalusian accent.

Meta Knight is demonstrated to be very wise and experienced, having survived a war againstNight Mare Enterprises which defeated nearly every Star Warrior in the universe. He is cautious, extreme, and takes on the attitude of a survivalist, though despite his demeanor, he still cares for the people he has sworn to protect. Despite his usual stoic demeanor, Meta Knight does display a wide range of emotions. His eyes will change color depending on his mood. If he is happy or calm, they are blue. If he is thoughtful, they are green. If he is angry, they are red. If he is amused, they are pink. If he is confused, they are orange. If he is serious, shocked, or fearful for the lives of others, they are white, as seen in the first episode.

Relationships[edit]

Meta Knight has a unique set of relationships compared to most of the rest of the cast. While he does not interact much with the residents ofCappy Town, the few relationships he does have are very strong, often rooted in repeated hardships which were overcome either in the backstory, or throughout the series proper.

• Kirby - While Meta Knight did not know Kirby personally prior to the first episode of the show, the two of them are of the same order and origin. As such, Meta Knight knows a good deal about Kirby's potential and his temperament. Meta Knight acts as a secret guardian to Kirby, though he is not particularly involved in Kirby's life, only appearing on the scene when the pink puffball is in trouble. Likewise, Kirby does not know Meta Knight very well, but will tend to follow his instruction.
• Tiff - Following Kirby's crash-landing in Dream Land, Meta Knight places primary responsibility for Kirby in the hands of Tiff, and instructs her whenever she needs help with Kirby or his safety. This slowly grows into a full mentor and pupil relationship between the two, as Tiff begins to see herself as a knight-in-training.
• Sword Knight &Blade Knight - These two knights are Meta Knight's formal apprentices. In flashbacks, it is revealed that these two used to be roadside bandits until an encounter with Meta Knight resulted in the two dedicating themselves to him. They are often seen at his side and will follow his orders without question, though their intemperance sometimes leads to problems.
• King Dedede - Meta Knight has no respect for King Dedede, but feigns to be his loyal servant in order to keep the people of Dream Land safe. As such, this ruse leads King Dedede to believe that Meta Knight is an incompetent soldier and to disregard him, allowing Meta Knight to act with the freedom he needs, with little responsibilities to the court.

Role inKirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]

Meta Knight's role in the series is as a distant mentor for Kirby and his closest friends, and provides them with important expository information as well as protecting them in their times of greatest need. His main reason for keeping aloof is twofold--to avoid drawing too much suspicion from King Dedede (who believes Meta Knight to be his loyal servant) and to remain hidden from Night Mare Enterprises, who are actively trying to hunt him down as one of the last surviving veterans from the galactic war between theStar Warriors and eNeMeE. Another reason lays in his philosophy as a mentor, believing that he needs to allow Kirby and his friends space to fail so they can learn - the hard way if necessary - how to protect each-other and their home. As such, he only steps in to assist them when they are well and truly in over their heads, otherwise just showing up to offer hints. Even given this largely lopsided relationship, Meta Knight does occasionally participate in the more light-hearted moments in the show, and also takes a few opportunities to learn from his own apprentices and receive aid from them. One of Meta Knight's more specific roles is that he provides exposition to Tiff and Tuff (and the audience by proxy) about Kirby's abilities, particularly when he is in combat. In nearly every case where Kirby has acquired a newCopy Ability, Meta Knight is there to reveal the ability's name and comment on it.

Meta Knight takes a much more active role in the series' finale, when he reveals to the Dream Landers that he had been working in secret on a space-faringbattleship which he intends to use to launch an attack on eNeMeE andhis fortress. To this end, he receives help from Kirby and his friends, and also manages to draw in some of the bolder Cappies from the village. Along the way, he also receives assistance from some old friends from his days in the Galaxy Soldier Army, and together, they all manage to bring eNeMeE and his galactic empire down for good.

Filmography[edit]

Main article:Meta Knight (anime character)/filmography

Meta Knight appears in a majority of episodes inKirby: Right Back at Ya!, though his role is often brief. For a full list of Meta Knight's episode appearances along with details of his role in each one, seehis filmography page.

Trivia[edit]

• One of Meta Knight's recurring shticks is to toss a torch at Kirby to give him theFireCopy Ability or to throw one at a monster to defeat it.
• In storyboards forKirby Comes to Cappy Town included with the Japanese Blu-ray box set, Meta Knight is notably taller than how he is depicted in the final series, having a distinct head and torso similar to other characters likeSirica. In the final show, he uses his typical design from the games, though his resemblance to Kirby is never relevant (he is never even seen without his mask, unlike the games).^[1]

Gallery[edit]

Artwork[edit]

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  Alternate artwork of Meta Knight
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  Meta Knight preparing to strike with his sword
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  Meta Knight raising his sword defiantly
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  Meta Knight pointing with his sword
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  Meta Knight in his racecar fromThe Kirby Derby
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  Promotional poster showing the main cast of the anime
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  Promotional poster showing various characters
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  Japanese promotional poster featuring the main cast in Dream Land
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  Promotional artwork featuring Meta Knight
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  Promotional artwork featuring Meta Knight
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  Promotional artwork featuring Meta Knight
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  Promotional artwork featuring Meta Knight
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  Promotional artwork featuring Meta Knight
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  Japanese promotional poster featuring Meta Knight

Character sheets[edit]

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  Animator sheet showing front and side views
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  Animator sheet showing back view
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  Animator sheet showing front view with sword out
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  Animator sheet showing side view with sword out
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  Animator sheet showing back view with sword out
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  Animator sheet showing details on Galaxia
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  Animator sheet showing a more detailed front view
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  Height comparison of principal characters (Kirby alongside the court ofCastle Dedede)

Screenshots[edit]

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  Meta Knight brandishing the Galaxia
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  Meta Knight dueling withKnuckle Joe
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  Meta Knight's pocket knife, which he gave toTuff
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  Meta Knight in action, fromAbusement Park.
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  Meta Knight operating an electronic torture device inEscar-Gone
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  Meta Knight throwing a torch to Kirby, as he often does in episodes
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  Figurine of Meta Knight fromSnack Attack - Part I

Other[edit]

• 
  Plushie based off his anime appearance

Names in other languages[edit]

References

• Kirby: Right Back at Ya! characters

• Articles which list Japanese names
• Articles which list Chinese names
• Articles which list Korean names
• Articles which list Portuguese names
• Articles which list Spanish names