Knuckle Joe
- This article is about Knuckle Joe, an enemy in the Kirby series. For other uses, seeJoe (disambiguation).
| Knuckle Joe | |
|---|---|
  Official artwork of Knuckle Joe fromKirby Super Star Ultra. | |
| Universe | Kirby |
| Debut | Kirby Super Star (1996) |
| Smash Bros. appearances | Brawl SSB4 Ultimate |
| Most recent non-Smash appearance | Kirby Air Riders (2025) |
| Console/platform of origin | Super Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Species | Knuckle Joe |
| Gender | Male |
| Place of origin | Dream Land,Popstar |
| Created by | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Englishvoice actor | Alésia Glidewell |
| Japanesevoice actor | Minami Takayama |
| Article on WiKirby | Knuckle Joe |
Knuckle Joe (ナックルジョー,Knuckle Joe) is an enemy from theKirby universe.
Origin[edit]
Knuckle Joe debuted as an enemy inKirby Super Star (Kirby's Fun Pak in PAL regions). He has a stout, humanoid appearance with spiky hair, wearing a bandanna and a bodysuit. Kirby can copy him to obtain theFighter ability, and can also summon him as the ability'sHelper. InSuper Star, enemy Knuckle Joes appear with red bodysuits and white hair, while friendly Knuckle Joes have blue bodysuits and blonde hair; later games use the Helper design in all instances, which is reflected in theSuper Smash Bros. series.
Knuckle Joe's attacks as an enemy usually consist of moves such as Vulcan Jab (rapid punches), Smash Punch (a wide punch that acts like a projectile), and Rising Break (an uppercut). Kirby can utilize these same attacks with the Fighter ability. InBrawl,SSB4, andUltimate Knuckle Joe appears as an Assist Trophy and performs these same maneuvers, calling out their names as he does so.
Knuckle Joe also appeared as a recurring character in theKirby: Right Back at Ya! anime. Reflecting his in-game appearance, he starts out as a minor antagonist before befriending Kirby and aiding him in later episodes. His Japanese actress in the anime, Minami Takayama, also provides his Japanese voice forSmash.
InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]
Knuckle Joe was mentioned in the Fighter Kirby trophy as "an enemy skilled at physical attacks".
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
As anAssist Trophy[edit]
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Knuckle Joe is one of the supporting characters that spawns from theAssist Trophyitem. When Knuckle Joe is summoned, he uses his "Vulcan Jab" technique, which is a series of rapid punches, on the nearest foe. Afterwards, he finishes the opponent off with one of two "finisher" attacks: the strong, short-ranged "Smash Punch", or the electricity-charged uppercut known as the "Rising Break" technique. The finisher he uses is chosen at random. He will use the finisher either the second or third time he did the Vulcan Jab. He could be considered one of the most powerful Assist Trophy characters, because if he manages to trap an opponent in his initial barrage, he canzero-to-death them.
Knuckle Joe has a spawn chance of30/760.
For this game, Knuckle Joe is voiced by Alesia Glidewell, who also voicedZero Suit Samus andKrystal.
Trophy[edit]
- Knuckle Joe
- A martial artist known for amazing attacks like the Vulcan Jab. With his bandana, he looks and fights the part of a Muay Thai boxer. When Kirby copies Knuckle Joe, he gains the fighting techniques of a hand-to-hand-combat expert. Knuckle Joe also engages in friendly block-breaking competitions with Kirby. His other famous techniques are the Smash Punch and Rising Break.
:Kirby Super Star
- :Kirby's Fun Pak
InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]
As an Assist Trophy[edit]
Knuckle Joe reprises his role as an Assist Trophy inSuper Smash Bros. 4. He is functionally identical to hisBrawl appearance, but the overall power of his Vulcan Jab and Rising Break have been considerably reduced. As a trade-off, he now performs his attack pattern twice (a series of Vulcan Jabs then finishing with a Smash Punch/Rising Break) as opposed to once inBrawl, making him much more effective. He can also be defeated this time around.
Knuckle Joe has a spawn chance of30/1254. He cannot be summoned on the following stages in a standard versus match (applies to both games and only the base form unless noted otherwise):
Trophy[edit]
Knuckle Joe's trophy is one of the very few (along withShadow the Hedgehog, Timmy & Tommy,Master Hand, andCrazy Hand) to be aChallenge unlock in both versions ofSSB4. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS it is obtained by playing 10 collective hours (total gameplay x participants) ofSmash. InSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U it is obtained by clearingClassic Mode at intensity 9.0 without anycustomizations.
- Knuckle Joe
- A martial-arts master, Knuckle Joe can be inhaled by Kirby and his Fighter ability copied. If you summon him, he'll leap toward the enemy nearest you and unleash his powerful Vulcan Jab attack. He'll then finish off his target with a devastating Smash Punch or Rising Break.
- :Kirby Super Star (08/1996)
:Kirby's Return to Dream Land (10/2011)- When Kirby copies this expert in all martial arts, he becomes a pro at hand-to-hand combat. Release Knuckle Joe in this game, and he'll jump towards the enemy nearest to you and unleash his mighty Vulcan Jab, then finish them off with a devastating Smash Punch or Rising Break!
- :Kirby's Fun Pak (01/1997)
- :Kirby's Adventure Wii (11/2011)
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
As an Assist Trophy[edit]
Knuckle Joe reprises his role as an Assist Trophy, however the knockback of his Smash Punch and Rising Break have been considerably reduced, making his KO potential much weaker overall. Additionally, KOing him now earns a point. Knuckle Joe now faces the screen regardless of direction he turns towards.Training Mode describes his Assist Trophy:Opens with a Vulcan Jab, and then unleashes Smash Punch or Rising Break.
Knuckle Joe has a spawn chance of30/2086. He cannot be summoned on the following stages in a standard versus match (applies only to the base form unless noted otherwise):
Spirit[edit]
Knuckle Joe also appears as aprimary spirit. InAdventure Mode: World of Light, his spirit is located in theDracula's Castle sub-dungeon ofThe Dark Realm.
His Spirit Battle uses a blueRyu puppet fighter and is fought on theΩ form ofFind Mii. Ryu's physical attacks have increased power, referencing Knuckle Joe's proficiency in martial arts. Knuckle Joe also appears as a hostile Assist Trophy for the fight.
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Slots | Base | Max | Base | Max | Base | Max | Ability | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 379 | | Knuckle Joe |  | ★★★ | 1 | 2810 | 8472 | 1581 | 4766 | 1121 | 3381 | Fist Attack ↑ | Kirby Series |
Gallery[edit]
Official render fromBrawl.
Knuckle Joe inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
3DS challenge board unlock image.
Wii U challenge board unlock image.
WithRyu inUltimate.
Official render fromUltimate.
.png)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | ナックルジョー,Knuckle Joe | — |
 English | Knuckle Joe | — |
 French | Knuckle Joe | — |
 German | Knuckle Joe | — |
 Spanish | Knuckle Joe | — |
 Italian | Knuckle Joe | — |
 Chinese (Simplified) | 格斗家乔 | Fighter Joe |
 Chinese (Traditional) | 格鬥家喬 | Fighter Joe |
 Korean | 넉클 죠,Knuckle Joe | — |
 Dutch | Knuckle Joe | — |
 Russian | Накл Джо Nakl Joe | — |
 Portuguese | Knuckle Joe | — |
Trivia[edit]
- Knuckle Joe, Gray Fox,Lyn andShadow the Hedgehog are the only Assist Trophies inBrawl to say a complete phrase.
- InBrawl, Knuckle Joe's official artwork has his mouth wide open, while his trophy has his mouth shut.
- Knuckle Joe is one of twoKirby characters to be voiced in the Japanese version of the series by the actor who played them in theKirby: Right Back at Ya! anime, the other beingMeta Knight. Both of them are also voiced by different actors in the English version of the series than they were in the anime.
- Rising Break has an electricity effect inSmash, but not in theKirby series. This is in reference to how its name in Japanese sounds like "Raijin Break" (Raijin is the god of thunder in Japanese mythology).
- Knuckle Joe is the onlyAssist Trophy inSSB4 who is a common enemy in hishome universe that is not an enemy inSmash Run.
