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Star Rod
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| “ | When Kirby defeats Dedede's friend at the end of each level, he can clear that level by picking up the piece of the Star Rod. He must gather all seven pieces of the Star Rod in order to return peace to Dream Land. | ” | — Description of theStar Rod in theKirby's Adventure Instruction Booklet |
TheStar Rod is a magical scepter that serves as the symbol ofDream Land and acts as the heart of theFountain of Dreams, supplying it with the power to send pleasant and peaceful dreams to all of the residents of the kingdom. WhenKing Dedede shatters the Star Rod into seven pieces, the fountain ceases to function, and it becomesKirby's task to gather all the pieces from King Dedede'sfriends and put it back together again. Once the restored Star Rod is in Kirby's hands, he can swing it to fireStar Bullets at rapid pace or strike close-up with a spinning jump attack; both of which he uses to battle and defeatNightmare.
The Star Rod made its first and most significant appearance inKirby's Adventure, where its seven scattered pieces need to be collected from eachlevel boss in the game before it can be reassembled for Level 8:The Fountain of Dreams, where it is then used as theLast Battle Ability against Nightmare. Since then, its subsequent appearances in theKirby series (outside of theremake ofKirby's Adventure) have been little more than references and cameo appearances. Aside from this, the Star Rod appears as anitem in theSuper Smash Bros. series and also appears in the anime seriesKirby: Right Back at Ya!, where it is used to defeateNeMeE.
According to the North American instruction booklet ofKirby's Adventure, legend states that the large glowing star that forms the tip of the Fountain of Dreams was a fragment from a star that had fallen into Dream Land long ago, and the Star Rod itself created the fountain.[1] The Japanese manual has a similar explanation, but does not mention that the Star Rod created the Fountain of Dreams. InKirby's Return to Dream Land andits remake, after the player has collected all 120Energy Spheres inExtra Mode,Magolor states that some of the artifacts theancients created were "mysterious items that can bring dreams to life...", which appears to be alluding to the Star Rod. In particular, in the Japanese version, he describes these items as "Mysterious items that bring forth dreams" (ユメをうむ ふしぎなアイテムとか).
Moveset[edit]
InKirby's Adventure andKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land,Kirby uses the Star Rod as theLast Battle Ability againstNightmare, both in his "Power Orb" and "Wizard" forms. In each of these fights, the primary move that Kirby can perform with the Star Rod involves him swinging it to fire aStar Bullet forward, which dealsdamage on impact. When Kirby is on the ground fighting Nightmare Wizard, he can also attack by performing a spinning jump from the ground with the Star Rod out to hit more directly, though this does not do as much damage as the Star Bullets. Unlike other abilities inKirby's Adventure andKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby keeps the Star Rod even if he is hit or defeated (granted he has anyextra lives left), only parting with it in the epilogue once Nightmare is defeated.
The Star Rod does not appear as an ability in any otherKirby game, but it does appear as an item in theSuper Smash Bros. games (details in section below).
Game appearances[edit]
Kirby's Adventure /Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[edit]
| “ | As you defeat the biggest baddies of all in the boss rooms, you'll find pieces of this precious item. King DeDeDe stole it and broke it apart into seven pieces—one for each color of the rainbow. Can you find all seven parts? | ” | — Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Instruction Booklet (NA print), page 23 |
The Star Rod serves as the central collectible item in bothKirby's Adventure andKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, as Kirby's main goal is to find each of the seven scattered pieces of the Star Rod from each of the level bosses. The scattered pieces resemble the whole Star Rod, but are monochrome—each displaying only the color representing their corresponding level. Collecting the level's Star Rod piece after defeating the boss is a necessary prerequisite for moving on to the next level, and Kirby is obligated to do avictory dance after picking one up.
Once the Star Rod is fully reassembled, Kirby uses it in place of his usual Copy Ability to battle Nightmare inLevel 8: The Fountain of Dreams. It can fire an unlimited number of Star Bullets at rapid pace in order to deal with this looming threat to Dream Land. Once Nightmare is finally vanquished, Kirby then flies back to the Fountain of Dreams on hisWarp Star and deposits the Star Rod back atop the fountain where it belongs.
Kirby's Dream Course[edit]
In thecredits cutscene forKirby's Dream Course, as Kirby is returning the stars to the sky, he creates a constellation in the shape of the Star Rod.
Kirby's Block Ball[edit]
InKirby's Block Ball, Kirby can be seen holding the Star Rod in thecutscene shown if the player passes the Border Line in a stage. The Star Rod is also seen being held by Kirby on the file select screen upon achieving100% completion.
Kirby Super Star /Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]
InKirby Super Star andKirby Super Star Ultra, at the end of each level inMilky Way Wishes, as well as in the opening cutscene, the Star Rod can be seen in the background on theFountain of Dreams. It is not interacted with directly at any point.
Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)[edit]
InKirby's Star Stacker forGame Boy, Kirby can be seen holding the Star Rod in an alternate version of the title screen that is unlocked upon achieving100% completion.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land /Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]
InKirby's Return to Dream Land and itsremake, the Star Rod reappears as aStone transformation, alongside theMagical Paintbrush and theTriple Star.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]
InKirby: Triple Deluxe, the Star Rod appears inkeychain form, using itssprite fromKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. It is a rare keychain, and can be found inFine Fields - Stage 1 (making it the first rare keychain in the game).
Kirby Fighters Deluxe &Kirby Fighters 2[edit]
InKirby Fighters Deluxe andKirby Fighters 2, the Star Rod makes a cameo appearance in theFountain of Dreams stage, appearing in the background. Additionally, during the battle withTeam DDD inKirby Fighters Deluxe, when King Dedede energizes himself with the Fountain of Dreams, he gains a new hammer called "Star Rod Hammer Dedede Custom" which he uses to battle Kirby. This hammer resembles a cross between the Star Rod and Dedede's standard hammer, having a blocky, golden, star-emblazoned mallet with a swirling white-and-pink handle.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]
InKirby: Planet Robobot, twostickers of the Star Rod can be collected: with one depicting Kirby with the Star Rod using the artwork fromKirby's Adventure, and the other depicting the Star Rod by itself using the artwork fromKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. Both of these are rare stickers, with the former being located inPatched Plains - Stage 1, and the latter being found inGigabyte Grounds - Stage 4.
Kirby Star Allies[edit]
InKirby Star Allies, the Star Rod cameos in multipleCelebration Pictures, namely "A Dream Above The Clouds" and "Friends' Getaway".
Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]
InKirby's Dream Buffet, artwork depicting Kirby with the Star Rod fromKirby's Adventure is used for one of theCharacter Treats.
Kirby Air Riders[edit]
The Star Rod makes a brief appearance in the "Ch. 3: A Wish for Freedom" cutscene ofRoad Trip inKirby Air Riders. Here, it once again appears on top of theFountain of Dreams, and allowsZorah's wish to freely roam around to reachGalactic Nova.
The Star Rod is also depicted as aLicense Sticker, and itsKirby's Adventure sprite is used for aMy Machine Sticker.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
 | SmashWiki has more information about this subjecthere. |
| “ | Side smash attacks and side tilt attacks will make this item fire star-shaped projectiles. | ” | — In-game description for the Star Rod fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate |
In all installments of theSuper Smash Bros. series, the Star Rod appears as an item which fighters can use in battle. Here, it can be used either to hit the opponent directly, or to shoot stars at the opponent by using a side tilt or side smash. In contrast to the Star Rod's infinite power in theKirby games, it only has enough power in it to fire 16 stars here. After all 16 stars are used, the item can still be swung at close quarters to strike opponents, and will immediately vanish when it hits the ground after being tossed or dropped. InSuper Smash Bros. Melee exclusively, when the item is used byCaptain Falcon, the Star Rod releases five stars at once, and if used bySheik, it fires two.
Additionally, representations of the Star Rod appear in collectable material throughout the series, as follows:
- A Star Rod Trophy appears inSuper Smash Bros. Melee,Super Smash Bros. Brawl, andSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.
- A Star Rod Support Spirit appears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
InKirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]
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| “ | How did Kirby discover the secret?! That pitiful little Star Warrior has found my only weakness! I am helpless against the power of the Star Rod! | ” | — eNeMeE, inFright to the Finish |
The Star Rod makes an appearance as the finalCopy Ability thatKirby uses in the main anime seriesKirby: Right Back at Ya!, appearing in the episodeFright to the Finish. Kirby obtains this ability byinhaling hisWarp Star when it is tossed to him byTiff while in a dream thateNeMeE is haunting. Using this ability, Kirby is able to conjure a wave of star-shaped projectiles that envelop eNeMeE and destroy him; the ability described by eNeMeE himself as his only weakness.
Kirby after just obtaining the Star Rod
Kirby inhaling his Warp Star to gain the Star Rod ability
Kirby brandishing the Star Rod in front of eNeMeE
eNeMeE surrounded by star-shaped projectiles from the Star Rod
Profiles[edit]
Flavor text[edit]
| Image | Game | Flavor text |
|---|---|---|
 | Kirby's Adventure | Make the final effort! Shoot the star to defeat the final enemy! |
 | Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land | This suddenly appeared at the Fountain of Dreams. Use it in your final battle against the Nightmares! |
Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Rod |  | Kirby's Adventure (5/93) | This magic wand holds 16 star shots and sends foes flying at a low angle when thrown. It's most powerful when Captain Falcon or Sheik performs a Smash Attack while holding it. In Kirby's Adventure, the Star Rod is the secret power behind the Fountain of Dreams. King Dedede steals the Star Rod in order to seal away the nasty Cloaked Nightmare. |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy[edit]
| Name | Image | Game | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Rod |  | NESKirby's Adventure SNESKirby Super Star | A magic wand. Perform a standard attack with it, and it's a battering weapon. Perform a strong or smash attack, and it fires a barrage of star shots. Throw it at a foe, and that opponent will get sent flying sideways. In the Kirby series, the Star Rod is the power source of the Fountain of Dreams. King Dedede once stole it to imprison the Cloaked Nightmare. |
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophy[edit]
| Name | Image (3DS) | Image (Wii U) | Appears In | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Rod |  |  | NESKirby's Adventure (05/1993) GBAKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (12/2002) | American English –Swung normally, this item will deal a regular physical attack. But if you charge up the blow, it becomes a magic wand that launches stars! The Star Rod is the source of power for the Fountain of Dreams in Kirby's Adventure. Using the rod, Kirby was able to defeat Nightmare. British English –Attack normally and you may as well just be swinging any old stick around, but if you deliver a hefty blow with it, this magic wand will launch a shooting star! The Star Rod powers the Fountain of Dreams, and Kirby once used it to defeat the evil Nightmare when he appeared from the fountain in Kirby's Adventure. |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Spirit[edit]
| Name | Image | Game | Rank | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Rod |  | Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land | ★3 Ace | First-Strike Advantage |
Trivia[edit]
- InPaper Mario andMario Party 8, two differentStar Rods exist. They do not appear to be precisely the same object as the one from theKirby series, though they bear a similar design and in some cases have similar powers.
- When used in a normal stage using a cheating device such as Gameshark, the Star Bullets it shoots will be glitched and cannot destroy Star Blocks.
Gallery[edit]
- Main article:Star Rod/gallery
Artwork fromKirby's Adventure
Icon fromKirby's Adventure
Artwork fromKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Icon fromKirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Model fromSuper Smash Bros.
Model fromSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
Model fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
Doodle drawn by Kirby from theKirby Art & Style Collection
Kirby #10 from the Kirby 30th Anniversary site
Two plushies of Kirby holding the Star Rod
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スターロッド Sutāroddo | Star Rod |
| Chinese | Star Rod[2][3] 星星神杖 Xīngxīng shén zhàng | - Star Scepter |
| Dutch | Sterrenstaf | Star rod |
| French | Sceptre Etoilé(Kirby's Adventure) Bâton étoile | Star Scepter Star rod |
| German | Sternenzepter | Star scepter |
| Italian | Scettro Stella | Star Rod |
| Korean | 스타로드 SeutaRodeu | Star Rod |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Estrela Vara(Kirby: Right Back at Ya!) Varinha estrela(Kirby's Dream BuffetCharacter Treat) | Star Rod |
| European Portuguese | Varinha Estelar[4] | Star Rod |
| Russian | Звездный жезл[5] Zvezdnyy zhezl | Star rod |
| Spanish | Varita estelar | Star rod |
References
- ↑Kirby's Adventure Instruction Booklet (NA print), page 6
- ↑Family ComputerNintendo Switch Online
- ↑Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- ↑Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / 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
