Wonderwing
| Wonderwing | |
|---|---|
 Banjo & Kazooie using Wonderwing in Ultimate. | |
| User | Banjo & Kazooie |
| Universe | Banjo-Kazooie |
Wonderwing (ワンダーウイング, Wonderwing) is Banjo & Kazooie's side special move.
Overview[edit]
The move involves Kazooie protecting Banjo with her magic-infused wings as he charges forward, which deals large damage and knockback if it connects with an opponent. Each attempt of this moves uses a Gold Feather displayed above them during the startup. However, the duo only have five feathers at a time, and thus can only use the move five times. The only way to refresh these feathers is to lose a stock, where the duo respawn with five feathers again. If the side special input is performed without any feathers available, the duo simply stumbles; if used in the air too close to the ground, they hit the floor in a downed state, which cannot be teched. Feathers are only spent once the dash initiates; if the duo is interrupted in any way during the move's startup, the move is aborted but a feather will not be spent.
From frames 18-53 - as long as its hitboxes are out - Banjo & Kazooie will gain a special form of invincibility. This invincibility is specially designed to lose to grab trades, through a specific hurtbox on the front. This includes grabbing special moves, meaning moves like Counter Throw, Flame Choke, and Buster Wolf will beat out Wonderwing every time. In addition, grabbing the duo out of the move causes it to only deal 0.25x damage to the grabber [1]. Some Final Smashes that mechanically involve grabs may interact oddly with Wonderwing, such as Dark Pit Staff stopping the move without dealing damage.
The duo does not get the full five Gold Feathers to begin a stock in certain situations:
- In Sudden Death and Super Sudden Death, they only get one.
- In stamina battles, the number of feathers is based on the duo's starting HP:
- 150 HP or higher: 5
- 100-149 HP: 4
- 80-99 HP: 3
- 30-79 HP: 2
- 10-29 HP: 1
Instructional quotes[edit]
 Move List |
 |
Uses a golden feather to become invincible and charge forward. Used feathers will not be replenished until you are KO'd. |
Origin[edit]
The Wonderwing is a move taught to Banjo and Kazooie by Bottles at Clanker's Cavern in Banjo-Kazooie as one of the duo's utility moves begun from a crouch. It renders the duo invulnerable to all damage, including fall damage and terrain damage (as long as such terrain is shallow enough to walk in), and kills any enemy on contact in one hit (even undead enemies, which are otherwise indestructible). It can be activated anywhere Banjo can crouch, but requires a stock of rare Gold Feathers; the move begins by expending one Gold Feather and continues to use one every two seconds. The duo can hold up to 10 Gold Feathers, though Cheato can double this limit. Unlike most moves in the game, it is almost completely optional; its main purpose is for breaking through challenges the player finds too difficult on their own, and it also provides protection from the homing attack used in the final battle, which is an otherwise unavoidable drain on health.
The move returns in Banjo-Tooie with minimal changes itself, though the ways the game has changed around it makes it less useful. Enemies now run from the duo when Wonderwing is active, so it is harder to hit them with it, and as enemies now respawn after a time, it is unlikely to be worth the effort. The move requires the duo to be together and untransformed, which makes it inaccessible for a much larger portion of the game. Most dangerous terrain (but inconsistently, not all) now applies its damage via Dragundas, large creatures that grab the duo through the move and spit them out, rather than the move protecting against the terrain itself. Certain crushing hazards (again, inconsistently) also play a cutscene before activating that shuts off the player's controls and thus the use of the move before its protection can be used. The move also provides a faint light that can be enough to skip some dark room puzzles. While it is easier to use due to the game featuring regenerating ammo pickups, it remains very situational, with nothing requiring it aside from a single Jinjo behind a boiling waterfall. Using the NESTKING cheat gives the player infinite Gold Feathers (as well as Red Feathers and Eggs), thus allowing the duo to use the Wonderwing indefinitely.
Gallery[edit]
Using the attack against King K. Rool on Spiral Mountain.
Wonderwing as shown by the Move List in Ultimate.
In other languages[edit]
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 Japanese |
ワンダーウイング, Wonderwing |
 English |
Wonderwing |
 French |
Bouclier miracle |
 German |
Wunderflügel |
 Spanish |
Ala de las Maravillas |
 Italian |
Scudo alare |
 Chinese (Simplified) |
惊奇羽翼 |
 Chinese (Traditional) |
驚奇羽翼 |
 Korean |
원더 윙, Wonderwing |
 Dutch |
Wondervleugel |
 Russian |
Чудo-крылья |
Trivia[edit]
- Wonderwing is one of only two special moves that have a limited use and cannot be replenished before respawning, with the other being Hero's Heal spell from his Command Selection.
