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Morpho Knight
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| “ | On the day of judgment, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Brought into existence by "the greatest warrior in the galaxy" and reborn as a knight of doom through years of adversity—now begins an epic battle with a pure being twisted by a dark past. | ” | — VS Morpho Knight (Kirby Star Allies) |
Morpho Knight, titledReborn Butterfly andFluttering Dream Eater, is aboss who debuted inKirby Star Allies. It is abutterfly of paradise[1] fromanother dimension,[2][3] which transforms into a masked sword wielder after feasting on a powerful being's soul. It appears as the final boss ofGuest Star ???? Star Allies Go! inKirby Star Allies, where it usurpsGalacta Knight, andForgo Dreams inKirby and the Forgotten Land, where it usurpsSoul Forgo. InGuest Star The Three Mage-Sisters andThe Ultimate Choice's Soul Melter EX difficulty, it has a stronger form calledMorpho Knight EX (titledDark-Winged Disaster).
Morpho Knight is an enigmatic character. Little is known about its motives besides its desire to "judge" powerful entities, absorbing their souls in the process. The same can be said about its personality (if it has any), though it is commonly called a "fluttering fiend". Morpho Knight is primarily associated with death, rebirth, and the underworld—its design and flavor text reference many cultures' concepts of life after death, such asbutterflies,Ragnarök,Sukhavati,Yomi, andthe phoenix, among many others. It utilizes fire as its element of choice in combat.
Characteristics[edit]
Butterfly form[edit]
Before absorbing any entity, Morpho Knight displays the same body as various red and orangebutterflies seen across the series. In this form, it is rather small, with its wings being yellow-orange on their insides and red on their edges, though whether the wings smoothly fade from red to orange or have a hard separation between them varies. Its body is mainly orange. It also emits glowing fire sparks—a unique trait not shared with other red and orange butterflies.
Knight form[edit]
After transforming, Morpho Knight gets aKirby-like body shape, similarly to Galacta Knight andMeta Knight, but its body is completely black with white eyes and pauldrons, and yellow gloves and boots. It has no visible arms inKirby Star Allies, similar toSir Kibble andBlade Knight; however, it has arms inKirby and the Forgotten Land. Its red mask and wings have a butterfly motif, and its pauldrons have red symbols reminiscent of those onGigant Edge's armor. It also carries a serrated red sword, which it can split in two or enlarge when necessary. Morpho Knight's sword inKirby Star Allies combines the motifs of butterfly wings (the guard, with an eye on it) and the phoenix (the blade, which looks like a bird feather). Several of its unused designs have the guard part featuring theMaster Crown.[4] The eye in Morpho Knight's blade resembles the eye weaknesses on Void Termina, only blue instead of red. Likewise, Morpho Knight EX's blade has a red eye in the middle.
Etymology[edit]
The origin of Morpho Knight's name has not been concretely confirmed. "Morpho" means "changed" or "modified", referencing how the butterfly transforms into Morpho Knight upon making contact withGalacta Knight orSoul Forgo.Morpho is also a genus of tropical butterflies. Notably,Morpho hecuba or sunset morpho, the largest species in the genus, is orange. However, it should be noted that Morpho butterflies have ocelli (eye spots) and tails, unlike Morpho Knight's butterfly form.
Morpho Knight's Japanese name isバルフレイナイト (Barufurei Naito).Barufurei is a corruption of the English word "butterfly" (バタフライ,batafurai).[5]Baru may be derived from the loanword "valkyrie" (バルキリー,barukirī), referring to the Norse deities who choose warriors to ascend to the afterlife in preparation for Ragnarök (the "day of judgment"). Relating to this, thefurei may be derived from the Japanese name for the Norse goddess and leader of the valkyries,Freyja (フレイヤ,Fureiya); "Valfreyja" (ヴァルフレイヤ,Varufureiya) is an obscure alternate name for the goddess.Naito is the English word "knight".
Lastly, for its English name, it can be noted that the word "morpho" can be paired with "meta" to make the word "metamorphosis", a term also used to describe the development of caterpillars into butterflies in their cocoons. This possibly ties in withMeta Knight's name, though no further connection can be drawn between the two aside from their basic look and status as swordfighters.
Game appearances[edit]
| Morpho Knight's video game appearances | ||
|---|---|---|
| Game | Role | Notes |
| Kirby Star Allies | Surprise boss and final boss | Morpho Knight is the final boss ofGuest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and the Fiery Showdown difficulty inThe Ultimate Choice. It is also fought on the Infernal Crisis and Soul Melter difficulties and is fought in its EX form on Soul Melter EX and Guest Star The Three Mage-Sisters. |
| Super Kirby Clash | Reference | The Morpho Gear forSword Hero is based on it. |
| Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Surprise boss and final boss | Morpho Knight is the secret final boss ofIsolated Isles: Forgo Dreams and is also fought in round 11 ofThe Ultimate Cup Z. The Morpho Knight Sword ability is based on it. |
| Kirby's Dream Buffet | Reference | A costume and a color are based on it. |
| Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe | Reference | Its likeness appears as aDress-Up Mask, and its sword is one of the nine possible sword variationsUltra Sword Kirby can use. |
| Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World | Surprise boss and final boss | Reprises its role fromKirby and the Forgotten Land, and has an altered boss fight inThe Ultimate Cup Z EX. |
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
Overview[edit]
| “ | Come judgement day, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Will it land in a dream world, or a nightmare? It has mastered its new abilities, now all will witness its true power! | ” | — VS Morpho Knight EX |
Morpho Knight debuts inKirby Star Allies. It is primarily faced at the end ofGuest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, where a redbutterfly absorbs Galacta Knight and uses his power to transform into a knight of doom.
Morpho Knight's Japanese pause screen description is slightly different: rather than describing it as "a pure being twisted by a dark past," it is described as "a being that was never meant to be fought, buried in the darkness of history." This may be a reference to its planned appearance in the canceledKirby for Nintendo GameCube. This is also the case in the Korean and Chinese versions.[6][7]
| “ | 何かが たえ、その しんぱんの日に どこからか 飛らいする、極楽の夢見鳥。銀河最強と言われる 白き騎士が もたらした、長年の生命のさけびに 共めいし、黄泉からの騎士となって こうりんする。 れきしの闇に ほうむられた、決して戦う はずの無い アノそんざいとの、夢の対決の… まくあけだっ！ On the day of judgment when something dies, a butterfly of Sukhavati flies in from parts unknown. Sympathizing with endless cries for life from the white knight said to be the greatest in the galaxy, it turns into a knight of Yomi and descends. A dream battle with a being that was never meant to be fought, buried in the darkness of history... will now begin! | ” | — VS. Morpho Knight (Japanese version) |
InThe Three Mage-Sisters' route,Morpho Knight EX is fought instead. This version has a much darker color scheme compared to its original form, and its eyes are red rather than white. When fought in The Ultimate Choice, Morpho Knight EX's splash screen is the only one that cannot be skipped.
Morpho Knight EX's pause screen description is slightly more elaborate in the Japanese version. It is explained that the power it received from Galacta Knight has grown and fully become its own. This is also the case in the Korean and Chinese versions.[3][8]
| “ | しんぱんの日に、異空間より飛らいする極楽の夢見鳥。 夢の国か、黄泉の国か…次は どの次元を めぐり行くの だろうか。白き騎士から受けついだ パワーを日々ぞうふく させ、ついに その力を わがものにする。真の力をはっきした 黒き極蝶による しんぱんの日が…今、晩刻を むかえる！ On the day of judgment, a butterfly of Sukhavati flies in from another dimension. Which dimension will it land in next... the land of dreams, or the land of Yomi? The power it absorbed from the white knight has grown day by day, and now it has finally made his strength its own. Demonstrating its true strength, the black butterfly's judgment day... now approaches its final hours! | ” | — VS. Morpho Knight EX (Japanese version) |
Both the Japanese and Chinese pause screen descriptions mention "黄泉", the land of the dead in Japanese and Chinese mythology. In Japanese, it is read asYomi (also known as "Yomi-no-kuni", the land of Yomi). In Chinese, 黄泉 (orHuangquan) translates directly to "the Yellow Springs". While both have the same name in hanzi/kanji, they have varying mythologies surrounding them. It can also be translated to refer to the more generic "underworld" or "Hades", which is used in one of Morpho Knight's internal filenames,SecretHades. However, this more likely to be represented with冥王, the Japanese name of the Greek god Hades (which is used in one of Morpho Knight's attack names). Additionally, its descriptions and its attack names both mentionSukhavati (極楽), or the Western Paradise, which refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. In the English localization, this is translated as a more generic "paradise".
Morpho Knight appears in the following game modes:
| Form | Mode | Level | HP (Star Bullet = 52 or 78[note 1]) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morpho Knight | Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! (all butThe Three Mage-Sisters) | Level 5 | 1380 | It appears as the finalboss. |
| The Ultimate Choice | Fiery Showdown Infernal Crisis Soul Melter | 920 | In Fiery Showdown, it appears in the final battle. In Infernal Crisis and Soul Melter, it appears in the 12th battle, right afterHyness is beaten and beforeVoid Termina is fought. | |
| Morpho Knight EX | Guest Star The Three Mage-Sisters | Level 5 | 2070 | It appears as the finalboss. |
| The Ultimate Choice | Soul Melter EX | 1380 | It appears in the 13th battle, afterThe Three Mage-Sisters are beaten and beforeVoid Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds is fought. |
- ↑Increased star bullet damage for Heroes in Another Dimension or Soul Melter EX.
Boss battle[edit]
Morpho Knight fights very similarly toMeta Knight inKirby Star Allies andGalacta Knight from previous titles. Its main repertoire includes sword slashes,guards, teleporting, and flying maneuvers. Morpho Knight's attacks can also release butterfly-shaped waves of fire, which can be difficult to dodge.
Similar to the Meta Knight boss battle inKirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight's sword-based attacks can be interrupted by theSword ability (includingFriends likeBlade Knight,Meta Knight, andDark Meta Knight), which creates a sword clashing effect and stuns it for a while, enabling its other opponents to strike its vulnerable backside.
When itshealth falls below 60%, Morpho Knight enters its second phase, taking 1/5 damage during phase shifting. Now, the boss can split its sword in two, and use a wider variety of upscaled attacks which cover a large portion of the screen. It can also hypnotizeFriends with sound waves, turning them against Kirby and other allies, though their heroic personality is recoverable bythrowing a Friend Heart at them. This form of attack is shared withVoid Termina's Final Core (Phase 4) andVoid Soul.
During the Morpho Knight battle inGuest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and Soul Melter (EX) difficulty ofThe Ultimate Choice, if player 1 is aDream Friend,The Divine Terminus stage in which Morpho Knight is fought will feature a different background. In the case of Morpho Knight EX and Guest Star ????, the background will always be the Version 4.0.0 variant. Morpho Knight's theme will also be replaced bynew music remixes (the music change only happens in The Ultimate Choice if player 1 is a Dream Friend that has completed Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! at least once and is on Soul Melter or Soul Melter EX difficulty).
- If player 1 is a Dream Friend from Version 2.0.0, the center of the floor reflectsHyper Zone fromKirby's Dream Land 3, whereDark Matter andZero are fought.
- If player 1 is a Dream Friend from Version 3.0.0, the center of the floor reflectsDark Star fromKirby 64: The Crystal Shards, where0² is fought.
- If player 1 is a Dream Friend from Version 4.0.0, the center of the floor reflectsAnother Dimension fromKirby's Return to Dream Land, where theLor Starcutter andMagolor are fought.
When Morpho Knight is defeated, it gracefully disintegrates into a cloud of red butterflies and vanishes.
Attacks[edit]
The following lists all of Morpho Knight's attacks. Attack names are conjectural unless otherwise noted.
| Morpho Knight's attacks inKirby Star Allies | |
|---|---|
| Attack | Description |
| Teleport | Morpho Knight may teleport at any time. When it teleports as Morpho Knight EX, it will create a damaging shockwave. |
| Backhand Slash | Morpho Knight performs a backhand slash. |
| Backhand Slash - Triple Slash | Morpho Knight performs a backhand slash followed by Triple Slash. |
| Hyper Rush - Crescent Shot | Morpho Knight performs a multithrust and then fires a crescent-shaped energy wave. The Crescent Shot can be reflected by certain attacks fromDark Meta Knight. |
| Triple Crescent Shot | Morpho Knight fires 3 Crescent Shots in a row. Morpho Knight EX's Crescent Shots have slight homing properties compared to its original form. |
| Aerial Crescent Shot | Morpho Knight jumps and fires two Crescent Shots at the same time. Morpho Knight EX fires three shots instead and may perform the attack twice in a row; teleporting to a different location before doing the attack again. |
| Glide Sword | Morpho Knight glides while thrusting its sword, similar to Meta Knight's same attack as a boss. |
| Down Thrust | Morpho Knight jumps and thrusts down its sword, leaving two stars on impact. |
| 極楽冥獣[9] Sukhavati Underworld Beast | Morpho Knight charges up for a few seconds and then summons red, butterfly-shaped ghosts that travel slowly in various patterns. This leaves three stars in front of it. |
| Upper Calibur | Morpho Knight charges up for a few seconds before dashing and performing an upper slash (it may teleport before dashing.) If the upper slash connects to any allies, it will then perform a multi-slash combo to them in midair. If the allies avoid the upper slash, the attack ends early. The upper can only beguarded by special guards (prior to Version 4.0.0, it could not be guarded by any means). Like with Parallel Meta Knight's version, all slashes of the attack from Morpho Knight EX deal damage instead of just the final one. |
| 極楽鱗波[9] Sukhavati Scale Wave | Morpho Knight releases sound waves with its wings. Each sound wave drops two stars. If any ally is hit by the sound wave, they will be turned against other allies. This can be undone by either tossing aFriend Heart at the affected ally or by depleting all of its HP and then reviving it. In the first phase, it releases one sound wave after a brief charge-up period. In the second phase, it releases seven sound waves in a row with no charge-up time, teleporting to different locations of the stage. The sound waves Morpho Knight EX produces cover a larger distance, except for those done after a Counter. |
| Infernal Wind | Morpho Knight charges up for a brief second and then stabs its sword into the ground to summon giant red tornadoes that travel across the stage. If a player gets hit by a tornado, they will be thrown into the air and take damage when crashing onto the ground. In the first phase, one tornado is summoned. In the second phase, multiple tornadoes are summoned, and their number depends on how many allies are in the battle. Said tornadoes aim for a specific ally location before charging forward. Morpho Knight EX will always summon 5 tornadoes at once in the second phase, which all target specific locations of the Divine Terminus. The tornadoes cannot beguarded since their attack is technically considered to be a "throw". The tornadoes ignore the allies' invincibility frames, soStone and attacks likeSword's Drill Stab will fail to dodge the tornadoes. The only exception is when Kirby gains an ability from swallowing something. Morpho Knight takes 0.4× damage during this attack. |
| Second phase only | |
| 極楽冥王斬閃[9] Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash | Morpho Knight always begins with this attack in the second phase. It teleports to the center of the stage and splits its sword in two, taking 0.4× damage during this process. First, it teleports to one end of the stage and swings its now-enlarged sword. Then, it teleports to the other end and performs another giant slash. Finally, it teleports back to the center and slashes to both sides with dual swords. After that, the swords merge back into one sword. Morpho Knight EX will create black holes to draw the allies into its sword's range. Every slash leaves four stars on impact. The area directly underneath Morpho Knight is a safe zone where its swords' slashes cannot hit allies. |
| Morpho Knight EX only | |
| Knight Spin | Morpho Knight EX performs a vertical spinning slash after jumping. |
| Counter | Morpho Knight EX enters a counter pose, like Meta Knight's Galactic Counter. Any attacks that happen to hit Morpho Knight EX during this time deal no damage. If it is attacked near the end of this pose, it will counterattack with either Upper Calibur or a Sukhavati Scale Wave. |
| Sukhavati (極楽), or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. | |
Attack order[edit]
Unlike most other bosses in the game, Morpho Knight doesn't attack in a set order every time it's fought. Specific attacks will always be performed at set intervals while all the others are performed randomly. Click "Expand" on the right to see the lists.
These attacks are always performed randomly:
- Teleport
- Backhand Slash
- Backhand Slash ~ Triple Slash
- Hyper Rush ~ Crescent Shot
- Triple Crescent Shot
- Aerial Crescent Shot
- Glide Sword
- Down Thrust
- Knight Spin
- Counter
For phase 1, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:
- six random attacks
- Sukhavati Underworld Beast
- four random attacks
- Upper Calibur
- four random attacks
- Sukhavati Scale Wave
- five random attacks
- Infernal Wind
Upon entering phase 2, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:
- Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash
- one, two, or no random attacks
- Sukhavati Scale Wave x7
- one random attack
- Upper Calibur
- Sukhavati Underworld Beast [x2 for the regular variant, x1 for the EX variant]
- two, four or five random attacks
- Infernal Wind
- three random attacks
A butterfly approaches Galacta Knight inKirby Star Allies, intent on absorbing his power.
Morpho Knight teleporting around during the fight
Morpho Knight using "Sukhavati Underworld-King Slash Flash"
Morpho Knight is defeated
Super Kirby Clash[edit]
| “ | A sword that resembles a butterfly of paradise. Legend says it strikes a bright flash. | ” | — Morpho Doomblade description |
| “ | Defensive gear inspired by "the knight of doom." This helmet appeared in response to the screams of the most powerful warrior in the galaxy. | ” | — Morpho Doomhelm description |
One of the strongest gear sets forSword Hero, called theMorpho Gear, is available for purchase inMagolor's Shoppe inSuper Kirby Clash. This gear gives Sword Hero Kirby a replica of Morpho Knight's helmet and sword. The gear offers a very large bonus to Revival Speed and Recovery, with an appreciable bonus to Charge Speed as well.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]
| “ | The fluttering fiend that casts judgment upon final battles is drawn toward the isolated isles of Forgo Dreams. There, it feasts upon the most powerful soul it can find and takes the fearsome form of a scarlet-clad knight... Let the most challenging battle of this new world begin! | ” | — Figure description |
Morpho Knight returns inKirby and the Forgotten Land, as a surprise final boss of theisolated isles of Forgo Dreams. Similar toKirby Star Allies and just like with Galacta Knight, it first appears fluttering atSoul Forgo and making contact with it, absorbing its power and bringing forth the scarlet-clad knight. While it fights with most of the same attacks as in its debut, it is much stronger, being able to use many fire-based attacks and summon multiple tornados at once to cover the arena. Upon defeat, Morpho Knight rises into the air and disappears in a burst of light; however, after it vanishes, a silhouette of Fecto Forgo immediately swoops away from the screen, foreshadowing its eventual return: thefigure description forChaos Elfilis states that it was created from the fusion of Fecto Forgo, Morpho Knight and many absorbed souls. After Morpho Knight's defeat, Kirby can acquire theblueprint for the very lastEvolved Copy Ability:Morpho Knight Sword. This ability borrows many of Morpho Knight's powers, including teleporting, summoning spirits resembling Soul Forgo, and creating fiery tornadoes.
While other mid-boss battles or enemy gauntlets inKirby and the Forgotten Land usually feature a purple or blue border showing where Kirby's boundaries are, Morpho Knight, uniquely, has an orange border around its arena.
Its English flavor text is more accurate to the original Japanese text than inKirby Star Allies, and refers back to the pause screen description for Morpho Knight EX, which describes how it may land in "a dream world".
| “ | 決戦の間に 審判を下すという 一頭の夢見鳥は、誘われるように 忘れられし 絶島へと流れつく。それで 最も強い ソウルをすすり、紅き騎士となって降り立つ。ついに、この新世界での 最凶の闘いが… 晩刻を むかえる！ A butterfly said to cast judgment on final battles arrives, as if lured, in the forgotten isolated isles. There, it sips upon the most powerful soul, and descends as a crimson knight. At last, the deadliest battle of this new world will begin... the final hour has arrived! | ” | — Figure description (Japanese) |
Notably, it uses the term "一頭の夢見鳥", which translates as "a butterfly" or "one of the butterflies". It also describes this butterfly arriving "as if lured". The English localization translates this as "drawn toward".
Attacks[edit]
Morpho Knight has 2000 HP (Star Bullet=80) inForgo Land, and 1500 HP in The Ultimate Cup Z of theColosseum. It transitions to the second phase upon losing 50% of its health, takes 0.7x damage during its intro animation and takes 0.2x damage during the phase transition.[10]
The following lists all of Morpho Knight's attacks (attack names are from theKirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide).
| Morpho Knight's attacks inKirby and the Forgotten Land | |
|---|---|
| Attack | Description |
| 瞬間移動 Teleportation | Morpho Knight may teleport at any time. It may teleport twice and then, after a 2.5 second delay, use either "Continuous Slash" or "Crescent Moon Slash". |
| 横ぎり Slash | Morpho Knight performs a single sword slash. |
| 連続ぎり Continuous Slash | Morpho Knight slashes up to four times in a row. It may stop prematurely to follow up with a different attack. |
| 弦月斬 Crescent Moon Slash | Morpho Knight fires three crescent-shaped energy beams in a row which move at different speeds. Morpho Knight may instead fire two of these and then teleport and use a different attack. It may also only use one of these quickly at close range. |
| 空中弦月斬 Aerial Crescent Moon Slash | Morpho Knight jumps and fires two Crescent Moon Slashes at the same time, usually after doing a Slash or a Continuous Slash twice or three times. |
| 極炎弦月斬 Superior Flame Crescent Moon Slash 極炎 (gokuen, "superior flame") can also be interpreted as a contraction of極楽炎 (gokuraku-en, "Sukhavati fire" or "heavenly fire"), to contrast with獄炎 (gokuen, "hellfire") | Morpho Knight throws out a big wave of fire that travels outward. Part of the wave is shorter, allowing Kirby to jump over. Morpho Knight can throw out two of these in the second phase. |
| 極楽念獣 Sukhavati Psychic Beast | After a few seconds of charge-up, Morpho Knight summons a red ghost resemblingSoul Forgo that travels slowly and homes in on Kirby, leaving Dropped Stars on occasion. In the second phase, two of these are summoned, both in different locations - the second Soul Forgo ghost is immediately summoned shortly after Morpho Knight teleports to a different location. It takes 0.7x damage during the attack. |
| 獄炎風 Infernal Wind | Morpho Knight stabs its sword into the ground to summon giant red tornadoes that travel across the stage. In the first phase, six tornadoes travel outward in a wave. In the second phase, the tornadoes move to the back of the arena, and then fly across in two straight waves, or in a perpendicular pattern. They may also move outward in a spinning pattern clockwise. The tornadoes cannot be guarded or dodged through. It takes 0.7x damage during the attack. |
| 極楽鱗波 Sukhavati Scale Wave | Morpho Knight charges up and then releases a sound wave with its wings. Each sound wave drops two stars. If Kirby is hit by the wave specifically, he will be disoriented (the screen will tilt 90 degrees and blur and the background music will be muffled) for a while. In the second phase, Morpho Knight releases two, three, four or six waves in succession, before charging up to unleash a larger sound wave. If doing multiple in a row, the attack will end prematurely if Kirby gets hit. It takes 0.7x damage during the attack. |
| Second phase only | |
| 極楽新界斬閃 Sukhavati New World Slash Flash | Morpho Knight always begins with this attack in the second phase. It teleports to a random location in Forgo Land and splits its sword in two (during this process, it takes 0.5x damage). From there, it teleports and then strikes at Kirby with one sword, then the other, creating lots of stars on impact. From there, it swipes on each side with both swords, creating waves of fire that move in toward the center and then leave stars behind as they dissipate. |
| Sukhavati (極楽), or the Western Paradise, refers to the western pure land of Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. | |
Attack order[edit]
Much like inKirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight doesn't attack in a set order every time it's fought. Specific attacks will always be performed at set intervals while all the others are performed randomly. Click "Expand" on the right to see the lists.
These attacks are almost always performed randomly:
- Teleportation
- Slash
- Continuous Slash
- Crescent Moon Slash
- Aerial Crescent Moon Slash
For phase 1, Morpho Knight attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:
- one random attack
- Superior Flame Crescent Moon Slash
- two random attacks
- Sukhavati Psychic Beast
- two random attacks
- Infernal Wind
- two random attacks
- Sukhavati Scale Wave
- 2.5-second teleport attack or 1 random attack
Morpho Knight begins phase 2 with these attacks:
- Sukhavati New World Slash Flash
- one random attack
- Sukhavati Scale Wave [x7 in Forgo Land, x5 in The Ultimate Cup Z]
- 2.5-second teleport attack
- one random attack
- Infernal Wind
- one random attack
- Sukhavati Psychic Beast
- two random attacks
- Superior Flame Crescent Moon Slash [x2]
- one random attack
Morpho Knight throwing out a wave of fire
Throwing out flame tornadoes
Slashing with a giant sword
Using "Sukhavati Scale Wave"
Kirby disoriented after being hit by Sukhavati Scale Wave
Throwing two waves of fire that converge in the middle
Morpho Knight dissipating upon its defeat
Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]
Morpho Knight does not appear directly inKirby's Dream Buffet. However, Kirby can take on its appearance using acostume and acolor based on it. They can be unlocked upon reaching aGourmet Rank of 99 and 100, respectively.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
Morpho Knight does not appear directly inKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, but its likeness appears as aDress-Up Mask, which is unlocked upon completing card #49 of theStamp Rally. An enlarged variation of its sword is also used as a possible variant for theUltra Sword Super Ability.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World[edit]
| “ | It's the last warrior, the fluttering foe, full of the power he[sic] gained in this world! | ” | — Commentator Waddle Dee before the Morpho Knight Battle in The Ultimate Cup Z EX. |
Morpho Knight reprises its role inForgo Dreams and The Ultimate Cup Z inKirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, but also receives a stronger version of its battle in The Ultimate Cup Z EX, with upgrades of its various attacks. "Suite: The Star-Conquering Traveler - Movement 4: The Birth of Hope" plays during this specific battle. In the English localization,Commentator Waddle Dee uses masculine "he/him" pronouns to refer to Morpho Knight before its battle in The Ultimate Cup Z EX, despite "it" being used in the rest of the game.
Attacks[edit]
The following lists all of Morpho Knight's attacks in The Ultimate Cup Z EX (attack names are derived from theKirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide documenting its battles in Forgo Land and The Ultimate Cup Z unless otherwise stated).
| Morpho Knight's attacks in The Ultimate Cup Z EX | |
|---|---|
| Attack | Description |
| 極楽念獣 Sukhavati Psychic Beast | After a few seconds of charge-up, Morpho Knight summons red ghosts resemblingSoul Forgo that travel slowly and home in on Kirby, leaving Dropped Stars on occasion. Morpho Knight often teleports to another location just before summoning the psychic beasts. If extra-large Soul Forgo ghosts are summoned, they also perform the "Sukhavati Scale Wave" attack three times before disappearing. Morpho Knight may also summon medium or smaller Soul Forgo ghosts at once instead. In the first phase, Morpho Knight can summon one extra-large Soul Forgo ghost or three smaller Soul Forgo ghosts. In the second phase, Morpho Knight can summon two pairs of medium-sized Soul Forgo ghosts, teleporting before each pair is summoned, six smaller Soul Forgo ghosts or two extra-large Soul Forgo ghosts. This attack is always used at the start of both phase 1 and phase 2. |
| 瞬間移動 Teleportation | Morpho Knight may teleport at any time. It may teleport twice and then, after a 1.5 second delay, use either "Continuous Slash" or "Crescent Moon Slash". |
| 横ぎり Slash | Morpho Knight performs a single sword slash. |
| 連続ぎり Continuous Slash | Morpho Knight slashes up to four times in a row. It may stop prematurely to follow up with a different attack. |
| 弦月斬 Crescent Moon Slash | Morpho Knight fires three crescent-shaped energy beams in a row which move at different speeds. Morpho Knight may instead fire two of these and then use a different attack. It may also only use one of these quickly at close range. |
| 空中弦月斬 Aerial Crescent Moon Slash | Morpho Knight jumps and fires two Crescent Moon Slashes at the same time, usually after doing a Slash or a Continuous Slash twice or three times. |
| 獄炎風 Infernal Wind | Morpho Knight stabs its sword into the ground to summon giant red tornadoes that travel across the stage. In the first phase or second phase, six tornadoes travel outward in a wave and may also move to the back before flying across in a perpendicular pattern. In the second phase, it may summon seven tornadoes that instead move to the back of the arena, and then fly across in two straight waves. The tornadoes may also move outward in a spinning pattern clockwise. The tornadoes cannot be guarded or dodged through. It takes 0.7x damage during the attack. |
| 極炎弦月斬 Superior Flame Crescent Moon Slash | Morpho Knight throws out a big wave of fire that travels outward. Part of the wave is shorter, allowing Kirby to jump over. Morpho Knight can throw out two of these in the second phase. |
| 極楽鱗波 Sukhavati Scale Wave | Morpho Knight charges up and then releases a sound wave with its wings. Each sound wave drops two stars. If Kirby is hit by the wave specifically, he will be disoriented (the screen will tilt 90 degrees and blur and the background music will be muffled) for a while. In the second phase, Morpho Knight may release a series of two, three, four or six waves in succession, before charging up to unleash a larger sound wave. If doing multiple in a row, the attack will end prematurely if Kirby gets hit. It takes 0.7x damage during the attack. |
| Second phase only | |
| 極楽新界斬閃 Sukhavati New World Slash Flash | Morpho Knight teleports to a random location in Forgo Land and splits its sword in two (during this process, it takes 0.5x damage). From there, it teleports and then strikes at Kirby with one sword, then the other, creating lots of stars on impact. From there, it swipes on each side with both swords, creating waves of fire that move in toward the center and then leave stars behind as they dissipate. |
In theKirby novel series[edit]
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| “ | A terrifyingly strong warrior formed from a butterfly from Yomi. | ” | — Unofficial translation of Morpho Knight's description fromKirby: Meta Knight and the Knight of Yomi |
In theKirby novel series, Morpho Knight appears as the titular antagonist ofKirby: Meta Knight and the Knight of Yomi. Morpho Knight is formed from a redbutterfly absorbing the power of a powerful warrior when the latter releases a scream of final agony. Morpho Knight is known and feared as the knight of butterflies among other butterflies. The red butterfly being a resident ofYomi, the land of the dead, Morpho Knight does not experience living needs, physical pain, or a fighting spirit.
InKirby: Meta Knight and the Knight of Yomi, Morpho Knight is formed when the red butterfly absorbsGalacta Knight's power, who released the final scream of death after being defeated byKirby andKing Dedede. The rift from Yomi that was created by the butterfly allowsMeta Knight to return to the world of the living, and he duels against Morpho Knight. Although initially overwhelmed by Morpho Knight's relentless attacks, Meta Knight emerges victorious with a Galactic Counter, and Morpho Knight dissipates in a flurry of light and butterflies.
Morpho Knight appears.
Meta Knight defeats Morpho Knight with a Galactic Counter.
Development[edit]
It is acommon misconception among theKirby fandom that Morpho Knight is based on an early design for Meta Knight—this is not true. Morpho Knight was originally a boss for the canceled titleKirby for Nintendo GameCube.[5] Its concept art can be found onMeta Knight's page in the booklet fromKirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, which might be the source of this misinformation (though from where the "early design" part came from is unknown). Given this connection to Meta Knight, Morpho Knight's English name can be seen as a pun, as both names fit into the word "meta-morpho-sis" and follow each other. In its original design forKirby for Nintendo GameCube, Morpho Knight wields a straight sword, which was changed to a serrated sword in its final design.
Morpho Knight was brought back as a surprise boss forKirby Star Allies. Series directorShinya Kumazaki didn't want to take the easy way out and haveGalacta Knight as the secret boss again, as he thought that it would no longer be a surprise to players. Morpho Knight was given abutterfly form to enter the battlefield, to contrast butterflies normally being seen as "a symbol of peace" during the happy, peaceful endings ofKirby games. In addition, it is also a reference to ancient Japanese mythology, where it was believed that souls could take the form of butterflies and guide the dying to the afterlife.[5]
Music[edit]
- Main article:Butterfly of Judgment: Morpho Knight
Morpho Knight's theme is called"Butterfly of Judgment: Morpho Knight" inKirby Star Allies, and simply"Morpho Knight" inKirby and the Forgotten Land. The original version features a bass guitar and a keyboard, whileKirby and the Forgotten Land uses an electric guitar and trumpet, and includes excerpts from "Welcome to the New World!"
Dream Friend music change[edit]
InKirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight is unique in that its battle music can change depending on whichDream Friend player 1 controls.
Flavor text[edit]
| Image | Game | Flavor text |
|---|---|---|
 | Kirby Star Allies | VS Morpho Knight: On the day of judgment, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Brought into existence by "the greatest warrior in the galaxy" and reborn as a knight of doom through years of adversity—now begins an epic battle with a pure being twisted by a dark past. VS Morpho Knight EX: Come judgement day, this fluttery fiend will fly into action. Will it land in a dream world, or a nightmare? It has mastered its new abilities, now all will witness its true power! |
 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | The fluttering fiend that casts judgment upon final battles is drawn toward the isolated isles of Forgo Dreams. There, it feasts upon the most powerful soul it can find and takes the fearsome form of a scarlet-clad knight... Let the most challenging battle of this new world begin! |
Trivia[edit]
- Morpho Knight's internal filename inStar Allies is called
Bknight(B comes from the first letter of its Japanese name) orSecretHades. - Morpho Knight's dual sword attack shares the last two kanji of Galacta Knight's "dimensional rift laser" attack fromKirby: Planet Robobot.
- Galacta Knight:時界大斬閃Time-Border GreatSlash Flash
- Morpho Knight:極楽冥王斬閃Sukhavati Underworld-KingSlash Flash
- In addition, this attack uses the same wind-up sound effect asUltra Sword inKirby's Return to Dream Land.
- Morpho Knight is interchangeably referred to in Japanese as極鳥 and極蝶. Both of these roughly translate to "superior butterfly" when translated literally; the kanji極 derives from極楽 (the Japanese name of Sukhavati), while蝶 means "butterfly".鳥 means "bird", but butterflies have historically been referred to as birds in Japanese (such as in the term夢見鳥), so they fundamentally mean the same thing. Because of this, it can also be translated as "butterfly of Sukhavati" or less literally as "butterfly of paradise". This might also be a pun on "bird-of-paradise" (極楽鳥).
- InKirby and the Forgotten Land, Morpho Knight's Japanese title is inconsistently written as極鳥 in the "Fluttering Foe on an Isolated Isle" cutscene, and極蝶 in its figure description. When asked about this,HAL Laboratory's response was that極蝶 is the intended spelling, and極鳥 was used by mistake.[12] The title was fixed inKirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World.
- Morpho Knight EX's Japanese caption,災来する黒き極蝶, can be literally translated as "Disaster Bringer Black Superior Butterfly Returns" (災来 being a pun of 災disaster and 再来return). This format is shared byFrancisca,Flamberge andZan Partizanne in their Story Mode 2nd battle captions, in which災来する— (lit. "Disaster Bringer XXX Returns") is localized as "Bringer of XXX" in the English version.
- Some of Morpho Knight's attack animations inKirby and the Forgotten Land, namely the ones that fire crescent shots, mistakenly reuse the model of Meta Knight'sGalaxia rather than Morpho Knight's own sword.
Gallery[edit]
Morpho Knight EX's splash screen inKirby Star Allies
The Ultimate Choice icon for Morpho Knight
The Ultimate Choice icon for Morpho Knight EX
Credits image of Morpho Knight in its butterfly form approaching Galacta Knight
Credits image of Morpho Knight slashing with its sword
Credits image of Morpho Knight's defeat
Concept art of Morpho Knight's sword forKirby Star Allies
Artwork of the Morpho Doomhelm fromSuper Kirby Clash
Artwork of the Morpho Doomblade fromSuper Kirby Clash
Concept art featuring Morpho Gear forSuper Kirby Clash
Morpho Knight in its butterfly form fluttering into Forgo Land inKirby and the Forgotten Land
Morpho Knight in its butterfly form landing onSoul Forgo inKirby and the Forgotten Land
Credits image of Morpho Knight absorbing Soul Forgo inKirby and the Forgotten Land
The scarlet-clad knight is reborn once again inKirby and the Forgotten Land
Morpho Knight dissipating upon its defeat inKirby and the Forgotten Land
Figure of Morpho Knight fromKirby and the Forgotten Land
Data render of Morpho Knight's model fromKirby and the Forgotten Land
Artwork of theMorpho Knight SwordEvolved Copy Ability based on Morpho Knight fromKirby and the Forgotten Land
Render of "Morpho Knight" costume fromKirby's Dream Buffet
Render of "Morpho Midnight" color fromKirby's Dream Buffet
Kirby wearing the Morpho Knight Dress-Up Mask inKirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Artwork of Morpho Knight from theFind Kirby!! book
Morpho Knight inFind Kirby!!
Videos[edit]
Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data.Privacy Policy Battle with Morpho Knight inKirby Star Allies (The Ultimate Choice). |
Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data.Privacy Policy Battle with Morpho Knight EX inKirby Star Allies (The Ultimate Choice). |
Load video YouTube YouTube might collect personal data.Privacy Policy Video playthrough of Kirby battling Morpho Knight inKirby and the Forgotten Land (The Ultimate Cup Z). |
Names in other languages[edit]
Morpho Knight[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バルフレイナイト Barufurei Naito | Can be transliterated as "Burfley Knight", "Valfrey Knight", etc. See#Etymology. |
| English | Morpho Knight | See#Etymology. |
| Traditional Chinese | 冥蝶騎士 Míngdiéqíshì | lit. "Underworld Butterfly Knight" |
| Simplified Chinese | 冥蝶骑士 Míngdiéqíshì | |
| Dutch | Morpho Knight | - |
| French | Morpho Knight | - |
| German | Morpho-Knight | Morpho Knight |
| Italian | Morpho Knight | - |
| Korean | 몰포 나이트 Molpo Naiteu | Morpho Knight |
| Portuguese | Morpho Knight | - |
| Spanish | Morpho Knight | - |
Reborn Butterfly, Morpho Knight[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 黄泉返る極鳥 バルフレイナイト Yomigaeru gokuchō Barufurei Naito | Superior Butterfly Returning from Yomi, Barufurei Knight 黄泉返る (yomigaeru) is literally read as "returning from Yomi", but is also a pun on蘇る (yomigaeru), "reborn". |
| English | Reborn Butterfly, Morpho Knight | - |
| Traditional Chinese | 復活的極蝶 冥蝶騎士 Fùhuó de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì | Reborn Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight |
| Simplified Chinese | 复活的极蝶 冥蝶骑士 Fùhuó de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì | |
| Dutch | Ontwaakte vlinder, Morpho Knight | Awakened butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| French | Papillon réincarné, Morpho Knight | Reincarnated butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| German | Erweckter Falter, Morpho-Knight | Awakened Butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| Italian | Farfalla rinata, Morpho Knight | Reborn butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| Korean | 환생한 나비 몰포 나이트 Hwansaenghan Nabi Molpo Naiteu | Reborn Butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| Spanish | Mariposa renacida, Morpho Knight | Reborn butterfly, Morpho Knight |
Dark-Winged Disaster, Morpho Knight EX[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 災来する黒き極蝶 バルフレイナイトＥＸ Sairai-suru kuroki gokuchō Barufurei Naito Īekkusu | Disaster Bringer Black Superior Butterfly Returns, Barufurei Knight EX Explained in#Trivia. |
| English | Dark-Winged Disaster, Morpho Knight EX | - |
| Traditional Chinese | 災厄再來的黑極蝶 冥蝶騎士EX Zāi'è Zàilái de Hēijídié Míngdiéqíshì EX | Returning Disaster Bringer Black Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight EX |
| Simplified Chinese | 灾厄再来的黑极蝶 冥蝶骑士EX Zāi'è Zàilái de Hēijídié Míngdiéqíshì EX | |
| Dutch | Onheil met donkere vleugels, Morpho Knight+ | Disaster with dark wings, Morpho Knight+ |
| French | Fléau aux ailes noires, Morpho Knight EX | Scourge of black wings, Morpho Knight EX |
| German | Dunkelflügeliges Unheil, Morpho-Knight X | Dark-winged Disaster, Morpho-Knight X |
| Italian | Sciagura dalle ali nere, Morpho Knight X | Dark-winged wretch, Morpho Knight X |
| Korean | 다가오는 검은 나비 몰포 나이트EX Dagaoneun Geom-eun Nabi Molpo Naiteu EX | Oncoming Black Butterfly, Morpho Knight EX |
| Latin American Spanish | Ruina de alas oscuras, Morpho Knight EX | Ruin of dark wings, Morpho Knight EX |
| European Spanish | Ruina de alas oscuras, Morpho Knight + | Ruin of dark wings, Morpho Knight + |
Fluttering Dream Eater, Morpho Knight[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 夢啜る極鳥[sic] バルフレイナイト 夢啜る極蝶 バルフレイナイト Yume susuru gokuchō Barufurei Naito | Dream-Sipping Superior Butterfly, Barufurei Knight |
| English | Fluttering Dream Eater, Morpho Knight | - |
| Traditional Chinese | 啜夢的極蝶 冥蝶騎士 Chuòmèng de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì | Dream-Drinking Superior Butterfly, Underworld Butterfly Knight |
| Simplified Chinese | 啜梦的极蝶 冥蝶骑士 Chuòmèng de Jídié Míngdiéqíshì | |
| Dutch | Fladderende droomvreter, Morpho Knight | Fluttering dream eater, Morpho Knight |
| French | Somnivore papillonant, Morpho Knight | Fluttering dream eater, Morpho Knight |
| German | Flatter-Traumfresser, Morpho-Knight | Flutter-Dream eater, Morpho-Knight |
| Italian | Granfarfalla divorasogni, Morpho Knight | Great dream-eating butterfly, Morpho Knight |
| Korean | 꿈을 마시는 극락의 나비 몰포 나이트 Kkum-eul Masineun Geuglag-ui Nabi Molpo Naiteu | Dream-Drinking Butterfly of Paradise, Morpho Knight |
| Spanish | Mariposa devorasueños, Morpho Knight | Dream-eating butterfly, Morpho Knight |
References
- ↑"A sword that resembles a butterfly of paradise." –Morpho Doomblade description (Super Kirby Clash)
- ↑"何かが たえ、その しんぱんの日に どこからか
飛らいする、極楽の夢見鳥。銀河最強と言われる
白き騎士が もたらした、長年の生命のさけびに
共めいし、黄泉からの騎士となって こうりんする。
れきしの闇に ほうむられた、決して戦う はずの無い
アノそんざいとの、夢の対決の… まくあけだっ！
On the day of judgment, a butterfly of Sukhavati flies in from another dimension. Which dimension will it land in next... the land of dreams, or the land of Yomi? The power it absorbed from the white knight has grown day by day, and now it has finally made his strength its own. Demonstrating its true strength, the black butterfly's judgment day... now approaches its final hours!" –VS. Morpho Knight EX (Japanese version) - ↑3.03.1"심판의 어느 날, 또 하나의 세계에서 날아든 극락의 나비. 꿈의 나라인가, 황천의 나라인가⋯ 백색 기사에게 받은 파워를 증폭시켜, 진정한 힘을 발휘하게된 검은 극락의 나비에 의한 심판의 날이⋯ 지금 시작되려 하고 있다!" –VS Morpho Knight EX (Korean version)
- ↑Nintendo Switch News Channel -Kirby Star Allies Channel #22
- ↑5.05.15.2Nintendo DREAM July 2018 Issue Part 4 (unofficial translation)
- ↑"심판의 어느 날, 어딘가에서 날아오는 극락의 나비. 오랜 세월 동안 우주 최강이라 불리는 백색 기사의 생명을 향한 외침에 화답하듯 황천의 기사가 되어 눈앞에 나타났다. 역사의 어둠에 묻혀 결코 마주할 일이 없었던 그 존재와의 꿈의 대결이⋯지금 시작된다!!" –VS Morpho Knight (Korean version)
- ↑"默默忍耐着的极乐梦蝶于审判之日飞临。带它来此的据说是银河最强的白色骑士。与漫长的生命呼喊产生共鸣。化身黄泉骑士降临于世。本已被埋葬在历史的黑暗中，绝无可能战。但现在，与它的梦幻对决……即将拉开帷幕! !"
Translation: "The silently waiting dream butterfly of paradise flew in on the day of judgement. It supposedly came for the galaxy's strongest white knight. His endless howls for life resonated with it and gave rise to a sympathetic response. It reincarnated as the underworld knight arriving from another world. Buried in the darkness of history, this battle was never meant to be fought. But now, because of its illusory confrontation…pull the curtains back for the final battle!!" –VS Morpho Knight (Simplified Chinese version) - ↑"在审判之日由异次元空间飞来的极乐梦蝶。是梦之国，还是黄泉之国……接下来要去哪个次元呢。获得自白色骑士的力量日益增强，终于将那力量据为己有。发挥出真正力量的黑色极蝶的审判之日……就是现在，直面黄昏!"
Translation: "The dream butterfly of paradise flew in from another dimension on the day of judgement. The dream world, or the underworld…which dimension will it go next. The power stolen from the white knight has grown day by day, and the power has finally become its own. The fully-powered black butterfly displays true power on judgement day…which is now, face the nightfall!" –VS Morpho Knight EX (Simplified Chinese version) - ↑9.09.19.2星のカービィ スターアライズ かんぺきサポートガイド (Kirby Star Allies Perfect Support Guide) (Famitsu), p.91
- ↑Kirby and the Forgotten Land damage and health spreadsheet (Japanese)
- ↑Nintendo Music
- ↑Twitter link
Translation:Regarding your inquiry aboutKirby and the Forgotten Land, we have inquired with the relevant department and found that the「夢啜る極鳥」 displayed in the movie during Morpho Knight's battle is incorrect, and「夢啜る極蝶」 is the correct description. We are still considering how to handle this issue. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we ask that you please continue to use this software while we continue to monitor the situation. Thank you very much for your cooperation.
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