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This article is about Kirby's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For other uses, see Kirby.
Kirby's ability to copy fighters is totally unique! While he is light and can be launched easily, he can also jump up to five times in the air, so he has great recovery. Look for his new Stone transformation, too.
—Description from the Super Smash Blog.

Kirby (カービィ) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, representing the Kirby series. He was revealed during the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct on June 12th, 2018. He is classified as Fighter #06.

Moveset[]

Attributes[]

  • Kirby is one of the smallest fighters in the game, as well as one of the lightest due to his floaty nature. This seemingly makes him fit within the Glass Cannon archetype, as he can excel at combos and possesses strong aerials, but runs the risk of being easy to launch.
  • True to his series, Kirby can:
    • Inhale his opponents and copy their Standard Special for his personal use, making Kirby one of the more famous examples of the Mimic Fighter archetype. He will wear a unique hat after acquiring a Copy Ability.
    • Perform up to five midair jumps, tying with Meta Knight and Jigglypuff for the most amount of jumps in the game.

Strengths[]

  • Fast frame data, giving him access to powerful combos.
  • Has a small hurtbox, especially when crouching, allowing him to dodge most grabs and some attacks.
  • The aforementioned Inhale does x1.2 more damage for copied abilities, and can be used to alleviate some of Kirby's weaknesses.
  • Versatile recovery with his midair jumps and slow falling speed, as well as Final Cutter granting some decent distance; this his gives him good stalling capabilities.
  • All of Kirby's tilts have fair utility.
  • Fast smash attacks, all being excellent KO moves.
  • Useful grab game.
  • His aerial attacks have great utility.
  • Hammer Flip is very powerful when fully charged, KOing most opponents at percentages as low as 50%.
  • Stone can tank up to 25% damage, and is also capable of scoring KOs, especially in the air.

Weaknesses[]

  • Mediocre ground mobility, giving Kirby difficulty approaching.
  • One of the lightest characters in the game, making him susceptible to early KOs.
  • Has poor air speed and slow falling speed, making him easy to edgeguard and juggle.
  • Short range on most attacks.
  • His recovery is predictable despite its far distance.
  • Lacks an effective projectile, giving him problems against characters who can outcamp him.
  • Hammer Flip has high startup and ending lag; the former makes it difficult to land outside of a shield break, while the latter makes it easily punishable.
  • Kirby is vulnerable to grabs when using Stone, and its ending lag makes it dangerous when missed.

General Moveset[]

Note: The gifs used are not accurate representations of their standard knockback settings from 0%
Attack Damage Description
Kirby Jab SSBU
Jab - Punch / Follow-Up Punch / Vulcan Jab
Punch: 1.8%

Follow-Up Punch: 1.6%


Vulcan Jab -
Loop: 0.2%
Smash Punch: 3%

A one-two punch. Holding the button after the second hit will transition Kirby into his Flurry Attack, the Fighter ability's Vulcan Jab - a continuous barrage of punches - which ends with the Smash Punch.
Kirby Grab & Pummel SSBU
Grab & Pummel - Grab Slap
Pummel: 1% Grab: A one-handed grab. The animation resembles the startup of the Suplex ability's Torent Lariat attack from Kirby Super Star.
Pummel: Repeatedly smacks the opponent.
Kirby Edge Attack SSBU
Edge Attack
9% Pokes the edge with his foot as he gets up.
Kirby Front Floor SSBU
Front Floor Attack
7% A forward flip kick.
Kirby Back Floor SSBU
Back Floor Attack
Kicks on either side of him as he gets up.
Kirby Trip Attack SSBU
Trip Attack - Break Spin
5% The Yo-yo ability's Break Spin attack from Super Star.
Kirby Dash Attack SSBU
Dash Attack - Burning
Full hit: 12%
Mid-hit: 8%
Late: 6%
The Burning ability's Burn attack from Kirby's Adventure. Originally his Dash Attack in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Aerials
Kirby Neutral Air SSBU
Neutral Aerial - Twinkle Star
Full hit: 10%

Mid hit: 8%
Mid-to-late hit: 6%


Late hit: 4%

An aerial cartwheel. Its hitbox covers Kirby's entire body. Has combo potential and can be used as a combo finisher.
Kirby Up Air SSBU
Up Aerial - Air Cutter
10% An aerial flip kick. Visually identical to his Up Smash.
Kirby Forward Air SSBU
Forward Aerial - Triple Attack
Total: 14%

Hits 1 and 2 each: 4%
Hit 3: 6%

An aerial triple axle kick that all combo into each other. Can be used as a reliable approaching tool.
Kirby Back Air SSBU
Back Aerial - Drop Kick
Full hit: 13%
Late hit: 8%
An aerial reverse drop kick. Functions similarly to a Sex Kick.
Kirby Down Air SSBU
Down Aerial - Screwdriver
Hits 1-5: 1.3%
Hit 6: 2%
Hit 7: 2%
A multi-hit downward corkscrew kick. The final hit is a weak Meteor Smash. Can be used for Edge-guarding.
Tilts
Kirby Up Tilt SSBU
Up Tilt - Kirby Tail
Full hit: 5%
Late hit: 4%
A scorpion kick. It gives Kirby's foot intangibility and can be used as a combo starter.
Kirby Side Tilt SSBU
Forward Tilt - Spinning Kick
Foot base: 8%
Tip: 7%
A quick roundhouse kick.
Kirby Down Tilt SSBU
Down Tilt - Squish Kick
6% Squishes himself flat and performs a very low shin kick. It can trip opponents even over 80%.
Throws
Kirby Up Throw SSBU
Up Throw - Air Drop
Throw: 10%
Explosion: 7%
The Ninja ability's Air Drop attack from Kirby Super Star. It can KO at high percentages and even earlier on platforms. The landing explosion can harm other fighters.
Kirby Forward Throw SSBU
Forward Throw - Power Bomb
5% Resembles the Suplex ability's Rock Drop attack from Super Star. Can be used as a combo starter due to its rather low launch power.
Kirby Back Throw SSBU
Back Throw - Brain Buster
8% Resembles the Backdrop ability's backwards dive attack from Kirby's Adventure. Can be followed up by most moves at 0%.
Kirby Down Throw SSBU
Down Throw - Fury Stomp
Total: 12%

Hits 1-10: 1%
Hit 11: 2%

The Suplex ability's Fury Stomp attack from Super Star. It can also damage any other characters nearby.
Smash Attacks
Kirby Up Smash SSBU
Up Smash - Somersault Kick
Full hit -
Foot: 15%
Tip: 14%

Mid hit -
Foot: 14%
Tip: 13%


Late hit -
Foot: 13%
Tip: 12%

A bicycle kick that can hit on either side of Kirby. His foot is split into three hitboxes; two at the base and middle of it sharing the same damage output, and a third at the tip. It also makes his foot intangible.
Kirby Forward Smash SSBU
Side Smash - Smash Kick
Full hit: 15%
Late hit: 11%
The Fighter ability's Spin Kick attack from Kirby Super Star. It will move Kirby forward and the kick can be angled.
Kirby Down Smash SSBU
Down Smash - Propeller Kick
Full hit: 14%
Late hit: 10%
A spinning split kick that hits on either side of Kirby. It can Semi-spike.

Special Moves[]

Kirby's Special Moves
64 Melee Brawl 3DS/Wii U Ultimate
Standard Special Inhale
Side Special Hammer Hammer Flip
Up Special Final Cutter
Down Special Stone
Final Smash Cook Kirby Ultra Sword
Fighter Ability Copy Abilities

On-screen appearance[]

Kirby will crash land onto the stage with his Warp Star, similar to his entrances in the beginning of most levels in his games.

Idle Poses[]

Taunts[]

  • All Taunts will remove Kirby's active Copy Ability.
  • Kirby's Side Taunt recreates an animation from the original Super Smash Bros. that he performs when he's selected in the Character Select Screen.
  • Kirby will say "Hi!" to the player in his Down Taunt.

Victory Screens[]

  • All of Kirby's victory screens feature the Kirby Dance, a recurring element in his home series where Kirby will perform a small dance to a song after finishing a level and completing the Goal Game. Outside of Team Battles, Kirby will always dance alongside two clones of himself, which is another aspect from his Dance where he will split himself into multiple clones after completing the Goal Game under certain conditions. All three dances he performs in Ultimate are taken from other games:
    • The Kirby Dance in the first and third screens are taken from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
    • The Dance in the second screen is taken from Kirby's Adventure.

Aesthetic[]

  • To match with the general aesthetic of Ultimate, Kirby's overall color scheme is much more muted. Some of his animations and positioning have also been altered compared to past Smash games to make him face the screen more, as well as making him more expressive in general.
  • If Kirby inhales an opponent, not only will he gain their Neutral Special, but also wear a hat modeled after who he inhaled (e.g. wear Mario's hat, gain fur like Donkey Kong, etc.) Some may even correspond to his palette swap.
  • Whenever Kirby lands on the ground on his feet or discards a Copy Ability, a little star will pop out from him.
  • Certain sound effects that play in certain moves, particularly when he is Inhaling, are taken straight from the Kirby games.

Classic Mode: Gourmet Clash[]

KirbySSBUCongrats

Kirby's congratulatory picture

As Kirby is often known for his voracious appetite, all opponents in his route are characters also known for their gluttony, or at least eating a lot of one particular snack item. At the start of each battle, both fighters start at 35% damage and several Food items will spawn as a callback to the Gourmet Race subgame from Kirby Super Star. Other food items, like Banana Peels and the Superspicy Curry, will also have a higher spawn rate during the route. The song "Staff Credits - Kirby's Dream Land" will play during the end credits.

Clearing Kirby's route allows him to unlock any of the following in order: Ness, Jigglypuff, Pac-Man, Zelda, Robin, Corrin, Lucas, and Palutena.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 SSBU Pac-Man Stock Icon (0 Default)Pac-Man Pac-Land "PAC-MAN" References Pac-Man's constant need to eat Pac-Dots and Bonus Fruit in most Pac-Man games.
2 SSBU Yoshi Stock Icon (0 Default)Giant Yoshi Yoshi's Island "Ground Theme - Super Mario World" References Yoshi's ability to lay eggs by eating enemies, as well as his love of fruits as shown in games such as Yoshi's Story, Super Mario World, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
3 SSBU Donkey Kong Stock Icon (0 Default)Donkey Kong Jungle Japes "Jungle Hijinxs" References his diet of bananas, as well as the Kongs' large banana hoard that Donkey Kong keeps beneath his treehouse.
4 SSBU Wario Stock Icon (0 Default)Giant Wario Gamer "WarioWare, Inc." References Wario's constant snacking on garlic cloves, as well as his neutral special.
5 SSBU King K. Rool Stock Icon (0 Default)King K. Rool Kongo Jungle "Mangrove Cove" References King K. Rool's constant theft of the Kongs' banana hoard, as he and the Kremlings like eating it.
6 SSBU King Dedede Stock Icon (0 Default)Giant King Dedede Fountain of Dreams "Gourmet Race (64)" A direct callback to the Gourmet Race subgame from Kirby Super Star and its remake.
7 Bonus Stage
Final Marx The Dark Realm "Vs. Marx"

Role in World of Light[]

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Kirby seeing the aftermath of Galeem's attack

Kirby can be considered the main protagonist of the story mode.

He was among the fighters summoned to help battle the Master Hand army. However, Galeem launches a universe-wide assault of light, which captures all of the characters; during all of this, Kirby flees on his Warp Star, using it to briefly escape to another dimension, making him the sole survivor. Eventually after the dust settles, Kirby returns to the main dimension and, seeing what's become of the area, begins his journey to save the cast. He is later seen alongside the others before the mode's true final boss battle against Galeem and Dharkon.

As he is the mode's first playable character, he does not have his own Fighter Battle and does not need to be unlocked. Despite this, Kirby still appears as a Puppet fighter in certain Spirit Battles. Masahiro Sakurai would later explain that Galeem had analyzed Kirby at some point during the story and was able to make puppet fighters in his image without needing Kirby himself.

Palette Swaps[]

Kirby Palette (SSBU)
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (0 Default)
Pink
In his design since Kirby Air Ride.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 1)
Yellow
Based on Keeby from Kirby's Dream Course, as well as Beam Kirby from Kirby Super Star.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 2)
Blue
Uses the Ocean Spray Paint color from Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad. It's also based on Ice Kirby from Super Star.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 3)
Red
Uses the Red Spray Paint from The Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad. It's also based on Fire Kirby from Super Star.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 4)
Green
Uses the Green Spray Paint from The Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad. It's also based on Plasma Kirby from Super Star. The version of this Kirby with green feet (which would be the basis for Green Kirby in Kirby Air Ride and wouldn't return until Kirby's Return to Dream Land) is officially named "Kusamochi Kirby".
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 5)
White
Based on Kirby's monochrome appearance from the original Kirby's Dream Land, as well as its North American box art & White Kirby from Kirby Air Ride. Also references the Chalk Spray Paint from The Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 6)
Orange
Uses the Orange Spray Paint from The Amazing Mirror and Squeak Squad.
SSBU Kirby Stock Icon (Alt 7)
Purple
Resembles Meta Knight without his armor and mask in the recent games.

Gallery[]

Video[]

06_Kirby_–_Super_Smash_Bros._Ultimate

06 Kirby – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate


Trivia[]

  • As Kirby is the sole starter character of World of Light, it makes him the only character in both the mode and in the entire Super Smash Bros. series to never be unlockable in any capacity.
    • This makes it impossible for him to have an unlock notice ("Kirby Joins the Battle!"), as a text string for it does not exist within the game's files.
  • Due to his Copy Abilities, Kirby has the most:
    • Voice clips, at 95 (121 with DLC)
    • Unique character models, at 81 (648 if palette swaps are counted)
  • Kirby is the only character that can use his Taunts online, as he needs it to easily discard his Copy Abilities.
  • Kirby is the only Kirby series fighter to keep his Final Smash in the transition from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
  • Kirby's stock icon is one of six others to feature eyes; the other five are Meta Knight, R.O.B., Sonic, Zombie, and Enderman.
  • Kirby is one of five fighters to have their title changed in Boxing Ring from 3DS/Wii U; the other four are Link, King Dedede, Mega Man, and Ryu.

Navigation[]

Smash Ultimate logo glow  · Fighters
Veterans Bayonetta  · Bowser  · Bowser Jr.  · Captain Falcon  · Cloud  · Corrin  · Dark Pit  · Diddy Kong  · Donkey Kong  · Dr. Mario  · Duck Hunt  · Falco  · Fox  · Ganondorf  · Greninja  · Ice Climbers  · Ike  · Jigglypuff  · King Dedede  · Kirby  · Link  · Little Mac  · Lucas  · Lucario  · Lucina  · Luigi  · Mario  · Marth  · Mega Man  · Meta Knight  · Mewtwo  · Mii Fighters (Mii Brawler  · Mii Gunner  · Mii Swordfighter)  · Mr. Game & Watch  · Ness  · Olimar  · Pac-Man  · Palutena  · Peach  · Pichu  · Pikachu  · Pit  · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard  · Ivysaur  · Squirtle)  · R.O.B.  · Robin  · Rosalina & Luma  · Roy  · Ryu  · Samus  · Sheik  · Shulk  · Snake  · Sonic  · Toon Link  · Villager  · Wario  · Wii Fit Trainer  · Wolf  · Yoshi  · Young Link  · Zelda  · Zero Suit Samus
Newcomers Banjo & Kazooie  · Byleth  · Chrom  · Daisy  · Dark Samus  · Hero  · Incineroar  · Inkling  · Isabelle  · Joker  · Kazuya  · Ken  · King K. Rool  · Min Min  · Piranha Plant  · Pyra/Mythra  · Richter  · Ridley  · Sephiroth  · Simon  · Sora  · Steve  · Terry
KirbySymbol Kirby universe
Characters Kirby (64  · Melee  · Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
Meta Knight (Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
King Dedede (Brawl  · 3DS/Wii U  · Ultimate)
Side Characters Boss Marx
Assist Trophies Knuckle Joe  · Nightmare  · Chef Kawasaki
Mii Fighter Costumes Meta Knight  · Marx
Background characters King Dedede
Stage Hazards Whispy Woods
Enemies Bonkers  · Bronto Burt  · Gordo  · Parasol Waddle Dee  · Plasma Wisp  · Shotzo  · Tac  · Waddle Dee  · Waddle Doo
Stages Dream Land  · Fountain of Dreams  · Green Greens  · Halberd  · Dream Land GB  · The Great Cave Offensive
Items Bomber  · Dragoon  · Maxim Tomato  · Parasol  · Star Rod  · Superspicy Curry  · Warp Star
Music List List of Music (Kirby series)
Song "Gourmet Race"
Collectibles Trophies Melee Trophies  · Brawl Trophies  · 3DS Trophies  · Wii U Trophies
Stickers List of Stickers (Kirby series)
Spirits List of spirits (Kirby series)
Masterpieces Kirby's Dream Land  · Kirby's Adventure  · Kirby Super Star
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