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'''Kirby''' ({{ja|カービィ|Kābī}}, ''Kirby'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Like all veterans, he was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Kirby is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #06]]. | '''Kirby''' ({{ja|カービィ|Kābī}}, ''Kirby'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Like all veterans, he was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Kirby is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #06]]. | ||
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Kirby is voiced in all regions once again by Makiko Ōmoto, using a combination of new voice clips and ones recycled from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. | Kirby is voiced in all regions once again by Makiko Ōmoto, using a combination of new voice clips and ones recycled from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. | ||
Kirby is currently ranked | Kirby is currently ranked 65th out of 82 on the ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing him in towards the middle of the C- tier. This is a moderate improvement to his placement in the previous game, where he was ranked 49th out of 54. Kirby possesses fast tilts and low ending lag on his aerials, granting him access to quick and powerful [[combos]], while his back air and dash attack grant him strong KO options. Kirby's relatively small size and low crouch also makes him hard to hit; his crouch especially allows him to avoid most grabs and some attacks. Finally, Kirby's [[Inhale]] grants him access to his opponent's [[neutral special move]], which not only deals more damage than the opponent's, but can also be used to alleviate some of Kirby's weaknesses. | ||
However, Kirby has poor endurance, as his light [[weight]] makes him susceptible to early KOs. His poor air speed and merely average ground mobility, as well as a lack of reliable projectiles and ranged attacks, presents a host of problems in [[Neutral game|neutral]] and offstage, as Kirby has trouble approaching and fighting those that can outrange him. He also has a poor set of [[special moves]] that fails to help with his weaknesses, as they are situational and suffer from high startup and/or ending lag and inconvenient attributes | However, Kirby has poor endurance, as his light [[weight]] makes him susceptible to early KOs. His poor air speed and merely average ground mobility, as well as a lack of reliable projectiles and ranged attacks, presents a host of problems in [[Neutral game|neutral]] and offstage, as Kirby has trouble approaching and fighting those that can outrange him. He also has a poor set of [[special moves]] that fails to help with his weaknesses, as they are situational and suffer from high startup and/or ending lag and inconvenient attributes. Finally, Kirby's recovery, though far-reaching, is rather predictable. Final Cutter grants decent distance, but it can only snap to the ledge at either the start or peak of his ascent and lacks coverage directly above or behind him. To compound this, Kirby's poor air speed and [[floatiness]] make him very vulnerable to edgeguarding, juggling and other forms of pressure. | ||
Overall, Kirby is a | Overall, Kirby is a fighter with many good moves that can rack up impressive damage at close range, but struggles to make use of his strengths due to his unimpressive reach, slow air speed, and lightweight properties. As a result, Kirby is once again a rarity in the metagame. Nevertheless, he has still seen success from dedicated mains such as {{Sm|Guilheww}}, {{Sm|JeJaJeJa}}, and {{Sm|Konokururu}}. | ||
==Attributes== | ==Attributes== | ||
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Kirby's greatest strengths are his quick frame data, high combo potential, and the versatility of his moveset. The majority of Kirby's attacks are characterized by speed, with his tilts being among the fastest in the game, while his slowest moves instead boast high power as a trade-off, while still being quite fast for their power. Neutral attack and forward tilt are fast and have decent range, allowing Kirby to quickly distance opponents, with the latter being used for tech chase setups. Up tilt's low knockback and high speed allow it to combo into multiple moves, such as itself, an aerial attack, or an Inhale. Down tilt's low power is compensated by its very fast speed and it launching opponents at the [[Sakurai angle]], which allows it to [[trip]] most opponents even over 80%. Should he trip his opponents with it, he can follow up with a variety of attacks, such as a dash attack, grab, or forward smash. Dash attack’s early hit is excellent for whiff punishing and scoring a KO, potentially KOing opponents starting at 90%, while the late hit can set up into an Inhale. His [[smash attack]]s have good range, high power, and great speed, making them excellent at scoring a KO. Kirby is also very small, making him hard to hit, and his very low [crouch]] allows him to avoid almost all grabs and several attacks. As a result, Kirby has an excellent ground and defensive game thanks to his quick frame data and evasive crouch, requiring opponents to be careful when approaching him in neutral. | Kirby's greatest strengths are his quick frame data, high combo potential, and the versatility of his moveset. The majority of Kirby's attacks are characterized by speed, with his tilts being among the fastest in the game, while his slowest moves instead boast high power as a trade-off, while still being quite fast for their power. Neutral attack and forward tilt are fast and have decent range, allowing Kirby to quickly distance opponents, with the latter being used for tech chase setups. Up tilt's low knockback and high speed allow it to combo into multiple moves, such as itself, an aerial attack, or an Inhale. Down tilt's low power is compensated by its very fast speed and it launching opponents at the [[Sakurai angle]], which allows it to [[trip]] most opponents even over 80%. Should he trip his opponents with it, he can follow up with a variety of attacks, such as a dash attack, grab, or forward smash. Dash attack’s early hit is excellent for whiff punishing and scoring a KO, potentially KOing opponents starting at 90%, while the late hit can set up into an Inhale. His [[smash attack]]s have good range, high power, and great speed, making them excellent at scoring a KO. Kirby is also very small, making him hard to hit, and his very low [crouch]] allows him to avoid almost all grabs and several attacks. As a result, Kirby has an excellent ground and defensive game thanks to his quick frame data and evasive crouch, requiring opponents to be careful when approaching him in neutral. | ||
The usefulness of Kirby's ground game also extends to his [[grab]] game. His grabs have short range but are among the fastest in ''Ultimate'', while his pummel's meager damage output is counterbalanced by its very fast speed. His [[forward throw]], unlike most other forward throws in the game, has combo potential, leading into aerial attacks from low to mid percentages. [[Back throw]] can be followed up by a back aerial at | The usefulness of Kirby's ground game also extends to his [[grab]] game. His grabs have short range but are among the fastest in ''Ultimate'', while his pummel's meager damage output is counterbalanced by its very fast speed. His [[forward throw]], unlike most other forward throws in the game, has combo potential, leading into aerial attacks from low to mid percentages. [[Back throw]] can be followed up by a back aerial at very low percentages on certain characters, can KO at high percents, and can send opponents offstage. [[Up throw]] is his strongest throw and is able to KO almost all characters around 170%, or even earlier if it lands on a platform. Lastly, while [[down throw]] has no combo potential, it is reliable for damage-racking when no other throw can yield better results. | ||
Kirby's aerial game is also notable. Despite his poor [[air speed]], his [[air acceleration]] is high and his aerial attacks also have great versatility. [[Neutral aerial]] has a long-lasting hitbox, the clean hit is disjointed and relatively strong, very low landing lag, and good coverage, making it a safe landing option. The weak hit of neutral air can combo into his tilts, grab, or even a smash attack | Kirby's aerial game is also notable. Despite his poor [[air speed]], his [[air acceleration]] is high and his aerial attacks also have great versatility. [[Neutral aerial]] has a long-lasting hitbox, the clean hit is disjointed and relatively strong, very low landing lag, and good coverage, making it a safe landing option. The weak hit of neutral air can combo into his tilts, grab, or even a smash attack, while the strong hit doubles as a combo finisher and a KO move at high percents. Due to the move lasting longer compared to his other aerials, it can safely pressure shields. [[Forward aerial]] is Kirby’s most reliable approaching tool. Despite its moderately slow startup, it has disjointed hitboxes on Kirby’s feet, has a long lasting hitbox that can lead to a wall of pain at low percents, the final hit can lead to a KO at high percents, and has very little landing lag, which makes it very safe on shield and hard to punish. [[Up aerial]] has good vertical knockback, low landing lag and a fairly quick [[auto-cancel]] window, allowing for several potential follow-ups and even opportunities to KO when near the upper blast line. [[Back aerial]] has decent range, high knockback on the clean hit, and is Kirby's fastest aerial, making it one of his strongest options overall. Lastly, [[down aerial]] has considerable startup, but has multiple hits that drag opponents downward before the final hit [[meteor smash]]es them and has low ending lag, making it a deceptively powerful [[edgeguarding]] tool as well as a reliable combo starter with follow-ups on grounded opponents. | ||
Kirby's [[special move]]s can provide some unique strengths. {{B|Inhale|Kirby}} is his most notable example; it allows him to either [[List of Copy Abilities|copy]] the [[neutral special move]] of any character he inhales, or spit them out as a weight-dependent [[projectile]]. Depending on what character he inhales, the copy ability can give Kirby a move that helps him in matchups to various degrees, such as useful projectiles to counter-camp his opponent ([[Needle Storm]], [[Charge Shot]], {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s {{b|Blaster|Wolf}}), powerful punish options ([[Giant Punch]], [[Homing Attack]]), a reflector ([[Nayru's Love]]), or other benefits ([[Monado Arts]]). In addition, Kirby's version of the opponent's neutral special has a 1.2× damage multiplier. Kirby can also inhale projectiles; smaller projectiles will be swallowed, allowing him to heal himself, while larger ones (such as a fully-charged Charge Shot) can be stored in his mouth and spat out, essentially giving Kirby a reflector. The spat projectiles can be used to punish opponents at mid-range and can launch them away with high knockback. Inhale can also be used to [[Kirbycide]] or spit the opponent out offstage, although the opponent can escape by [[mashing]]. [[Hammer Flip]] is very powerful, especially when fully charged, and Kirby can move and jump while charging. However, its high startup and endlag, along with its short range and Kirby's already-sluggish movement being further slowed when charging, makes it difficult to land outside of a [[shield break]], covering ledge options, or after a jab lock. Outside his jumps, Final Cutter is his primary means of [[recovery]], granting good vertical distance, as well as a disjoint in front of him during his ascent and descent. It also emits a shockwave projectile upon landing, making it difficult to [[punish]] if the opponent is not behind Kirby. Lastly, [[Stone]] causes Kirby to turn into an object and ignore up to 25% damage. It is also a strong attack, especially in the air, and can be canceled shortly after Kirby begins his descent, although these benefits are limited by its slow startup and ending lag, and Kirby is still vulnerable to grabs while transformed. It can also be used on the ground, where it has faster startup due to creating a shockwave and it launches at a semi-spike angle. | Kirby's [[special move]]s can provide some unique strengths. {{B|Inhale|Kirby}} is his most notable example; it allows him to either [[List of Copy Abilities|copy]] the [[neutral special move]] of any character he inhales, or spit them out as a weight-dependent [[projectile]]. Depending on what character he inhales, the copy ability can give Kirby a move that helps him in matchups to various degrees, such as useful projectiles to counter-camp his opponent ([[Needle Storm]], [[Charge Shot]], {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s {{b|Blaster|Wolf}}), powerful punish options ([[Giant Punch]], [[Homing Attack]]), a reflector ([[Nayru's Love]]), or other benefits ([[Monado Arts]]). In addition, Kirby's version of the opponent's neutral special has a 1.2× damage multiplier. Kirby can also inhale projectiles; smaller projectiles will be swallowed, allowing him to heal himself, while larger ones (such as a fully-charged Charge Shot) can be stored in his mouth and spat out, essentially giving Kirby a reflector. The spat projectiles can be used to punish opponents at mid-range and can launch them away with high knockback. Inhale can also be used to [[Kirbycide]] or spit the opponent out offstage, although the opponent can escape by [[mashing]]. [[Hammer Flip]] is very powerful, especially when fully charged, and Kirby can move and jump while charging. However, its high startup and endlag, along with its short range and Kirby's already-sluggish movement being further slowed when charging, makes it difficult to land outside of a [[shield break]], covering ledge options, or after a jab lock. Outside his jumps, Final Cutter is his primary means of [[recovery]], granting good vertical distance, as well as a disjoint in front of him during his ascent and descent. It also emits a shockwave projectile upon landing, making it difficult to [[punish]] if the opponent is not behind Kirby. Lastly, [[Stone]] causes Kirby to turn into an object and ignore up to 25% damage. It is also a strong attack, especially in the air, and can be canceled shortly after Kirby begins his descent, although these benefits are limited by its slow startup and ending lag, and Kirby is still vulnerable to grabs while transformed. It can also be used on the ground, where it has faster startup due to creating a shockwave and it launches at a semi-spike angle. | ||
Kirby's most notable flaw, however, is his poor approach. Characters who have high mobility or who can camp with projectiles can wall out Kirby, such as {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Samus}}. Kirby's lack of reliable burst options makes his approach in these matchups problematic and sometimes predictable. In addition, characters with long [[disjointed hitbox]]es such as {{SSBU|Cloud}} can outrange and wall out Kirby since his range is short relative to the cast. Final Cutter's projectile has decent range and moves quickly, but | Kirby's most notable flaw, however, is his poor approach. Characters who have high mobility or who can camp with projectiles can wall out Kirby, such as {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Samus}}. Kirby's lack of reliable burst options makes his approach in these matchups problematic and sometimes predictable. In addition, characters with long [[disjointed hitbox]]es such as {{SSBU|Cloud}} can outrange and wall out Kirby since his range is short relative to the cast. Final Cutter's projectile has decent range and moves quickly, but Kirby cannot use it until he falls back to the ground, and he lacks other projectiles outside of spitting inhaled projectiles/opponents, or from a copy ability. This requires conscientious use to avoid punishment. Kirby's great acceleration is undermined by his poor air speed, hindering his aerial approach and recovery despite possessing five midair jumps. While Kirby has several KO moves, some can be hard to land without a setup or correct reads due to their short range. | ||
In addition, Kirby also has poor endurance. While being light and floaty can help him escape combos from other characters, this also means he risks getting KOed earlier. He is also vulnerable to [[juggling]], due to his aforementioned slow falling and air speeds. This imposes as a risk in approaching opponents in the air, while also preventing Kirby's aerials from being used effectively when in a disadvantage state, often forcing him to rely on his jumps, Stone, or neutral aerial to escape and return to the ground or ledge. | In addition, Kirby also has poor endurance. While being light and floaty can help him escape combos from other characters, this also means he risks getting KOed earlier. [[Rage]] further compounds these issues, as Kirby will be launched even further by a high-damage opponent, and his low weight means he will sometimes not survive long enough to take advantage of his own rage. He is also vulnerable to [[juggling]], due to his aforementioned slow falling and air speeds. This imposes as a risk in approaching opponents in the air, while also preventing Kirby's aerials from being used effectively when in a disadvantage state, often forcing him to rely on the timing of his jumps, Stone, or neutral aerial to escape and return to the ground or ledge. | ||
Kirby's weaknesses are also pronounced by his special moves, as their high start-up and ending lag and inconvenient combinations of attributes result in situational moves that have poor synergy with the rest of his moveset. Inhale gives Kirby access to his opponent's neutral special, but it has noticeable ending lag, the utility of the move he gains access to depends on the character, recovering health by eating small projectiles has extreme ending lag and gives him minimal healing, spitting out larger projectiles to reflect them is situational and Kirby has a random chance of losing his Copy Ability if he gets hit after the first 20 seconds after he obtained it, losing out on tools to take on opponents. Hammer Flip has poor range for a disjointed hitbox, stops Kirby's horizontal momentum in the air and is too laggy to use effectively. Stone protects Kirby from attacks below 25% and has good power, but it has noticeable start-up and ending lag, especially in the air, and grabs will force him out of the transformation as if he's shielding; and Final Cutter covers a decent distance but it's linear and predictable, as it only snaps to the ledge at the start and at the end and it suffers from slow start-up, which makes it a poor out-of-shield option. | |||
Overall, Kirby tends to run hot and cold. He can inflict an impressive amount of damage if he gets close to his opponent thanks to his excellent frame data and potent combo game, but doing so is challenging for him due to his poor approach. As such, Kirby functions well with a bait-and-punish playstyle, although being unprepared for an opponent's approach can be hazardous due to his low survivability. | Overall, Kirby tends to run hot and cold. He can inflict an impressive amount of damage if he gets close to his opponent thanks to his excellent frame data and potent combo game, but doing so is challenging for him due to his poor approach. As such, Kirby functions well with a bait-and-punish playstyle, although being unprepared for an opponent's approach can be hazardous due to his low survivability. | ||
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''== | ||
Near the end of ''SSB4''{{'}}s metagame, Kirby had been considered a low-tier character due to a combination of lackluster attributes and underwhelming | Near the end of ''SSB4''{{'}}s metagame, Kirby had been considered a low-tier character due to a combination of lackluster attributes and underwhelming specials. Likely owing to this, Kirby has been buffed overall in the transition to ''Ultimate''. | ||
Kirby's buffs lie in the increased utility of his moveset as a whole, with overall improved frame | Most of Kirby's buffs lie in the increased utility of his moveset as a whole, with overall improved frame data and KO power on many of his moves. The first two hits of his [[neutral attack]] can now [[jab lock]] and connect better into the looping hits (albeit at the cost of reduced damage output), while [[forward tilt]] is a stronger poke and KO option due to its reduced endlag and its increased knockback. His [[dash attack]] has been mostly reverted back to its ''Melee'' iteration, however, it is significantly faster, stronger, has less startup, far longer duration compared to his previous dash attack in ''SSB4'', can cross-up on shields, covers more ground, and is more reliable for catching opponents thanks to only consisting of a single, long-lasting hitbox—these changes make it a stronger punish tool and a much more versatile move overall. His [[smash attack]]s are now stronger punish options, with [[forward smash]] having much more range, [[up smash]] having faster start-up, and [[down smash]] regaining its semi-spike angle, restoring its utility at edgeguarding. His smash attacks also have improved KO power, with forward and up smash dealing more knockback, and down smash's altered angle KOing earlier at the edge despite its reduced knockback. Several of Kirby's attacks, such as up tilt and all his aerials (except for up aerial) also have more range, partially alleviating one of his weaknesses from ''SSB4''. | ||
The universal reduction to [[landing lag]] has also greatly benefited his aerials, which already had among the lowest landing lag in ''SSB4''; his aerials are not only safer, but now capable of leading into followups, with [[forward aerial]]'s first two hits now being able to follow up into a grab or forward smash. His neutral aerial (being one of his most situational attacks) is now faster, has more range, has less endlag, and deals more knockback (the clean hit being one of the strongest neutral aerials in ''Ultimate''). Up aerial received many of the same buffs as neutral aerial and both it and forward aerial deal more damage, regaining some of their lost KO power from ''Melee''. | The universal reduction to [[landing lag]] has also greatly benefited his aerials, which already had among the lowest landing lag in ''SSB4''; his aerials are not only safer, but now capable of leading into followups, with [[forward aerial]]'s first two hits now being able to follow up into a grab or forward smash. His neutral aerial (being one of his most situational attacks) is now faster, has more range, has less endlag, and deals more knockback (the clean hit being one of the strongest neutral aerials in ''Ultimate''). Up aerial received many of the same buffs as neutral aerial and both it and forward aerial deal more damage, regaining some of their lost KO power from ''Melee''. | ||
For Kirby's special moves, [[Inhale]] has been significantly buffed with faster startup, less ending lag, a much longer grace period in which Kirby cannot lose his Copy Ability, a lower probability of losing said ability after this period has ended, and a new 1.2× multiplier to his copied [[neutral special]] compared to his opponent (albeit without a corresponding increase to knockback), giving him a greater incentive and a higher reward from inhaling opponents. Furthermore, he can now eat the projectiles he swallows to heal himself (and store certain ones in his mouth as well, enabling him to spit them out as stars). [[Hammer Flip]] now renders Kirby nigh-impossible to stop for a longer time as long as he's grounded. [[Final Cutter]] is faster, snaps to the ledge slightly sooner, and its landing hit is much more powerful, which improves its utility. | For Kirby's special moves, [[Inhale]] has been significantly buffed with faster startup, less ending lag, a much longer grace period in which Kirby cannot lose his Copy Ability, a lower probability of losing said ability after this period has ended, and a new 1.2× multiplier to his copied [[neutral special]] compared to his opponent (albeit without a corresponding increase to knockback), giving him a greater incentive and a higher reward from inhaling opponents. Furthermore, he can now eat the projectiles he swallows to heal himself (and store certain ones in his mouth as well, enabling him to spit them out as stars). [[Hammer Flip]] now renders Kirby nigh-impossible to stop for a longer time as long as he's grounded. [[Final Cutter]] is faster, snaps to the ledge slightly sooner, and its landing hit is much more powerful, which improves its utility. [[Stone]]'s aerial variant now has super armor during its startup, making it more difficult to interrupt Kirby out of the attack, as in previous ''Smash'' games he could be interrupted even when he fully transformed. | ||
However, Kirby has also received several noteworthy nerfs. The most notable were to his [[grab]] game: his already mediocre grab range has been worsened (most notably on his pivot grab), and [[forward throw]] has him jump up higher after the throw, which runs the risk of possibly landing on top of a soft platform, negating | However, Kirby has also received several noteworthy nerfs. The most notable were to his [[grab]] game: his already mediocre grab range has been worsened (most notably on his pivot grab), and [[forward throw]] has him jump up higher after the throw, which runs the risk of possibly landing on top of a soft platform, potentially negating follow-ups when executed incorrectly, while [[back throw]] has lost most of its combo setups due to changes to the animation. Altogether, this grants Kirby a less effective neutral game off of his grabs overall. Other nerfs include Stone no longer hitting shielding opponents twice, reducing its shield pressure considerably; [[back aerial]] deals less knockback (although it has more range and the clean hit now lasts for slightly longer to compensate); and [[down aerial]], one of his most reliable combo starters in ''SSB4'', has more range on the looping hits, but slightly less on the final hit and is less advantageous on landing due to the removal of [[frame cancel]]ing, reducing the effectiveness of its follow-ups since its landing lag was not reduced enough to compensate properly. Furthermore, Kirby still retains many of the same issues that plagued him in ''SSB4'', with the aforementioned mediocre range, sluggish aerial mobility and a high susceptibility to being camped. | ||
Universal changes to the game's mechanics both benefit and hinder Kirby. The revamped [[air dodging]] mechanics have significantly improved his innate ability to [[edgeguard]] opponents more effectively, and directional air dodges have also given him a secondary recovery option, but this also makes him more susceptible to juggling and edgeguarding as well, due to his short-ranged aerials, predictable landing options, and his air dodges being among the slowest in the game. The changes to downwards velocity KOing opponents faster from the bottom [[blast line]] now render Final Cutter as a significantly more deadly edgeguarding and [[sacrificial KO]] option, further improving its utility. The increased [[shieldstun]] and increased startup on shield grabbing notably benefits Kirby's safety on hit, due to his moveset's naturally high damage and low ending lag, making him harder to shrug off and punish accordingly. Conversely, the changes to grabs' ending lag make Kirby's own grab riskier to throw out, as their ending lag can prove more punishable. The increase in mobility is a mixed bag for Kirby, as while his mobility has improved overall relative to the cast (most notably his aerial mobility), his problems with camping from the previous incarnation remain, exhibited with the increased prevalence of zoners. Overall, his edgeguarding and defensive options have been improved at the cost of his range issues becoming even more prevalent than in ''SSB4''. | Universal changes to the game's mechanics both benefit and hinder Kirby. The revamped [[air dodging]] mechanics have significantly improved his innate ability to [[edgeguard]] opponents more effectively, and directional air dodges have also given him a secondary recovery option, but this also makes him more susceptible to juggling and edgeguarding as well, due to his short-ranged aerials, predictable landing options, and his air dodges being among the slowest in the game. The changes to downwards velocity KOing opponents faster from the bottom [[blast line]] now render Final Cutter as a significantly more deadly edgeguarding and [[sacrificial KO]] option, further improving its utility. The increased [[shieldstun]] and increased startup on shield grabbing notably benefits Kirby's safety on hit, due to his moveset's naturally high damage and low ending lag, making him harder to shrug off and punish accordingly. Conversely, the changes to grabs' ending lag make Kirby's own grab riskier to throw out, as their ending lag can prove more punishable. The increase in mobility is a mixed bag for Kirby, as while his mobility has improved overall relative to the cast (most notably his aerial mobility), his problems with camping from the previous incarnation remain, exhibited with the increased prevalence of zoners. Overall, his edgeguarding and defensive options have been improved at the cost of his range issues becoming even more prevalent than in ''SSB4''. | ||
In the end, Kirby's changes now render his punish game much more deadly, make him much harder to shake off once he gains the advantage, and allow him to seal stocks at much more varied percentages, but the universal changes to the game's engine have made it slightly easier for opponents to | In the end, Kirby's changes now render his punish game much more deadly, make him much harder to shake off once he gains the advantage, and allow him to seal stocks at much more varied percentages, but the universal changes to the game's engine have made it slightly easier for certain opponents to stay away from him or wall him, rendering his punish game slightly more inconsistent. Kirby has also received a myriad of buffs through game updates, which have further helped his punish game, though updates have also introduced strong DLC competition as well as also buffing other characters. As a result, Kirby performs better in ''Ultimate'' than in ''SSB4'', albeit not enough to significantly improve compared to the cast. | ||
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Kirby}} | {{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Kirby}} | ||
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Kirby has been buffed once more in update 8.0.0, strengthening a handful of his finishers such as down smash, back aerial, and [[Stone]], with the former having decreased start-up, alleviating the nerfs they initially received in the transition to ''Ultimate''. Dash attack had its clean hit's knockback increased and its previously high endlag reduced, with cross-ups now being much safer and as well as giving the late hit follow-up potential. Although forward aerial's increased damage output and knockback on the final hit makes it harder for him to follow up with his combos at low percents, it is an overall benefit since it renders his finishers to be more potent, while indirectly giving his other combo tools more flexibility. Update 13.0.1 added a minor buff/bug fix of Kirby's version of [[Lightning Buster]] less ending lag to match {{SSBU|Mythra}}. | Kirby has been buffed once more in update 8.0.0, strengthening a handful of his finishers such as down smash, back aerial, and [[Stone]], with the former having decreased start-up, alleviating the nerfs they initially received in the transition to ''Ultimate''. Dash attack had its clean hit's knockback increased and its previously high endlag reduced, with cross-ups now being much safer and as well as giving the late hit follow-up potential. Although forward aerial's increased damage output and knockback on the final hit makes it harder for him to follow up with his combos at low percents, it is an overall benefit since it renders his finishers to be more potent, while indirectly giving his other combo tools more flexibility. Update 13.0.1 added a minor buff/bug fix of Kirby's version of [[Lightning Buster]] less ending lag to match {{SSBU|Mythra}}. | ||
Overall, Kirby fares significantly better than he did at the launch of ''Ultimate'', with his combo potential and mobility being greatly improved, as well as | Overall, Kirby fares significantly better than he did at the launch of ''Ultimate'', with his combo potential and mobility being greatly improved, as well as his combos doing more damage, which makes his neutral game more viable and leaves him less reliant on correct reads to consistently close stocks. | ||
'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|1.1.0}}''' | '''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|1.1.0}}''' | ||
| Line 100: | Line 103: | ||
|neutralcount=2 | |neutralcount=2 | ||
|neutralinf=y | |neutralinf=y | ||
|neutralname=Punch ({{ja|パンチ|Panchi}}) | |neutralname=Punch ({{ja|パンチ|Panchi}})<br>Chase Punch ({{ja|追いパンチ|Oi Panchi}})<br>Vulcan Jab ({{ja|バルカンジャブ|Barukan Jabu}})<br>Vulcan Finish ({{ja|バルカンフィニッシュ|Barukan Finisshu}}) | ||
|neutral1dmg=1.8% | |neutral1dmg=1.8% | ||
|neutral2dmg=1.6% | |neutral2dmg=1.6% | ||
| Line 116: | Line 119: | ||
|dashname=Burning ({{ja|バーニング|Bāningu}}) | |dashname=Burning ({{ja|バーニング|Bāningu}}) | ||
|dashdmg=12% (clean), 9% (mid), 6% (late) | |dashdmg=12% (clean), 9% (mid), 6% (late) | ||
|dashdesc=The Burn attack from the {{s|wikirby|Burning}} ability from ''Kirby's Adventure''. It has decent startup at frame 9 with a long-lasting hitbox that grows weaker over time. Its clean hitbox is one of the strongest dash attacks in the game, KOing middleweights at around 100% from the edge of Final Destination, though it is extremely punishable on shield due to its endlag. Unlike ''Melee'', it does not slide off of edges. | |dashdesc=The Burn/Burning Attack attack from the {{s|wikirby|Burning}} ability from ''Kirby's Adventure'' or from the Fire ability in other ''Kirby'' games. It has decent startup at frame 9 with a long-lasting hitbox that grows weaker over time. Its clean hitbox is one of the strongest dash attacks in the game, KOing middleweights at around 100% from the edge of Final Destination, though it is extremely punishable on shield due to its endlag. Unlike ''Melee'', it does not slide off of edges. | ||
|fsmashname=Smash Kick ({{ja|スマッシュキック|Sumasshu Kikku}}) | |fsmashname=Smash Kick ({{ja|スマッシュキック|Sumasshu Kikku}}) | ||
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|15}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (late) | |fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|15}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (late) | ||
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|bthrowname=Brain Buster ({{ja|ブレーンバスター|Burēn Basutā}}) | |bthrowname=Brain Buster ({{ja|ブレーンバスター|Burēn Basutā}}) | ||
|bthrowdmg=8% | |bthrowdmg=8% | ||
|bthrowdesc=A back throw resembling the backwards dive from the Backdrop ability from ''Kirby's Adventure''. Despite | |bthrowdesc=A back throw resembling the backwards dive from the Backdrop ability from ''Kirby's Adventure''. Despite having an average damage output and very low base knockback, it has very high knockback growth. As a result, it has decent KO potential. While near the edge of Final Destination, it KOs middleweights at around 140%. | ||
|uthrowname=Air Drop ({{ja|いずな落とし|Izuna Otoshi}}, ''Izuna | |uthrowname=Air Drop ({{ja|いずな落とし|Izuna Otoshi}}, ''Izuna Dropper'') | ||
|uthrowdmg=10% (throw), 7% (landing) | |uthrowdmg=10% (throw), 7% (landing) | ||
|uthrowdesc=The Air Drop from the Ninja ability from ''Kirby Super Star''. Like {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}'s up throw, it can damage and launch bystanders upon landing. It is weaker than his back throw when used at the edge, but it is consistently strong regardless of where it is used on the stage. Great knockback, KOing middleweights at around 160% from anywhere on Final Destination without rage, though it is extremely susceptible to [[DI]] due to the long duration. Because Kirby jumps up to perform it, he can land onto platforms above him upon descending, which enables it to KO even earlier. | |uthrowdesc=The Air Drop from the Ninja ability from ''Kirby Super Star''. Like {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}'s up throw, it can damage and launch bystanders upon landing. It is weaker than his back throw when used at the edge, but it is consistently strong regardless of where it is used on the stage. Great knockback, KOing middleweights at around 160% from anywhere on Final Destination without rage, though it is extremely susceptible to [[DI]] due to the long duration. Because Kirby jumps up to perform it, he can land onto platforms above him upon descending, which enables it to KO even earlier. | ||
|dthrowname=Fury Stomp ({{ja|もうれつストンピング|Mōretsu Sutonpingu}}, '' | |dthrowname=Fury Stomp ({{ja|もうれつストンピング|Mōretsu Sutonpingu}}, ''Vehement Stomping'') | ||
|dthrowdmg=1% (hits 1-10), 2% (throw) | |dthrowdmg=1% (hits 1-10), 2% (throw) | ||
|dthrowdesc=The Fury Stomp from the Suplex ability from ''Kirby Super Star''. It is Kirby's most damaging throw at 12%, which makes it useful for damage-racking when his other throws cannot do so. It can also damage nearby opponents. Due to its high knockback and unfavorable angle in comparison to other down throws, it launches too high for followups, so it is his most situational throw. However, it has enough knockback to KO middleweights at around 200% on Final Destination if Kirby has no rage, so it can be used as a situational KO option, but only on certain high platforms. On the top platform of Battlefield, it will KO middleweights at around 170-175% without rage. | |dthrowdesc=The Fury Stomp from the Suplex ability from ''Kirby Super Star''. It is Kirby's most damaging throw at 12%, which makes it useful for damage-racking when his other throws cannot do so. It can also damage nearby opponents. Due to its high knockback and unfavorable angle in comparison to other down throws, it launches too high for followups, so it is his most situational throw. However, it has enough knockback to KO middleweights at around 200% on Final Destination if Kirby has no rage, so it can be used as a situational KO option, but only on certain high platforms. On the top platform of Battlefield, it will KO middleweights at around 170-175% without rage. | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Cheer | ! scope="row"|Cheer | ||
|[[File:Kirby Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Kirby Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Kirby Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]] | |[[File:Kirby Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Kirby Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Kirby Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Description | ! scope="row"|Description | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Cheer | ! scope="row"|Cheer | ||
|[[File:Kirby Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Kirby Cheer Spanish NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Kirby Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]] | |[[File:Kirby Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Kirby Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Kirby Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Kirby Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
! scope="row"|Description | ! scope="row"|Description | ||
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<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines --> | <!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines --> | ||
:''See also: [[:Category:Kirby players (SSBU)]]'' | :''See also: [[:Category:Kirby players (SSBU)]]'' | ||
*{{Sm|Guilheww|Mexico}} - One of the two best | *{{Sm|Guilheww|Mexico}} - One of the two greatest Kirby players of all time and one of the best Mexican players in 2024. He was the first and only solo-Kirby player to rank in the top 100 on a global ranking, ranking 93rd on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]]. He was also the first Kirby player to win a superregional, doing so at {{Trn|Trick or Fortune}}. In addition, he notably placed 13th at {{Trn|S Factor 11}}, defeating {{Sm|Asimo}}, and has also defeated several of Mexico's greatest players, including double-eliminating {{Sm|MkLeo}} at {{Trn|Warlock's Dark Renewal}} and {{Sm|Maister}} at several events, such as at {{Trn|Hooters Ultimate Tournament}}. | ||
*{{Sm|JeJaJeJa|USA}} - One of the two greatest Kirby players of all time. He is the second-highest ranking Kirby player, having ranked 115th on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]]. Though successful prior, his performances were first recognized in 2024, where he became the first Kirby player to win a ranked event, doing so at the C-tier {{Trn|Afterburner 2024}}. He has since been recognized for winning the superregional {{Trn|Ring Out}} and for placing 9th at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes BIG Moves 2025}}, where he also defeated {{Sm|Kola}}, {{Sm|BeastModePaul}}, and {{Sm|Jakal}}; the latter event was the first and only time a Kirby player placed single-digits at a major. | |||
*{{Sm|Jesuischoq|France}} - | *{{Sm|Jesuischoq|France}} - The best Kirby player in the early metagame. He is best known for placing 2nd at {{Trn|Smash4Glory - Ultimate Edition}} defeating {{Sm|Glutonny}} along the way, which was the best Kirby performance at a tournament for several years. In addition, he found success at several of Europe's largest events in the early metagame, including placing 13th at {{Trn|VCA 2019}}, 25th at {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 2}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Albion 4}}. He saw respectable performances in the post-pandemic metagame but was never able to achieve the same results he saw prior. | ||
*{{Sm|Konokururu|Japan}} - | *{{Sm|Konokururu|Japan}} - The best Kirby player in Japan in the post-pandemic metagame. He is best known for a series of notable performances at smaller events in the [[OrionRank 2022]] season, including placing 3rd at {{Trn|DAWN 3}} defeating {{Sm|Noi}} and 13th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 10}} defeating {{Sm|Huto}}. Alongside his 17th-place finish at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, these performances made him a contender for the best Kirby player in the early years of this metagame. Though incredibly inconsistent since then, he has achieved several other notable placements and wins, such as placing 9th at {{Trn|WAVE Champions 6}} defeating {{Sm|Akakikusu}} and {{Sm|Munekin}}, placing 25th at {{Trn|Kowloon 12 with Kagaribi}} defeating {{Sm|Eik}}, and placing 49th at {{Trn|KOWLOON 9 with Sumabato}} defeating {{Sm|M0tsunabE}}. | ||
===Tier placement and history=== | ===Tier placement and history=== | ||
Upon the release of ''Ultimate'', several professionals immediately noticed Kirby's significant flaws from the previous installment had been retained, in spite of the buffs he received and the new mechanics suiting him better in comparison to ''SSB4''. In addition, players notified his vulnerability to being camped, poor range, slow air speed, as well as platforms potentially negating all follow-ups should he start a combo with a forward throw. Some early performances received recognition, such as {{Sm|Jesuischoq}}'s win over {{Sm|Glutonny}} at {{Trn|Smash4Glory - Ultimate Edition}} and {{Sm|Ferretkuma}}'s 17th-place finish at {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}}, which became the best placement for a Kirby player at a major for many years, but in spite of these moments of success, most of the community considered Kirby to be one of the worst characters in the game. | |||
Kirby later received many significant buffs in balance patches, more than almost every other character, especially in patches 6.0.0 and 8.0.0. These patches greatly improved his overall frame data, KO power and versatility to many of his attacks, allowing him to be more consistent in closing stocks and starting combos. Though Kirby's representation remained rather small and was often in the bottom 10, he gradually began gathering several notable performances from dedicated mains such as {{Sm|Guilheww}}, {{Sm|Konokururu}} and {{Sm|JeJaJeJa}}. In spite of Kirby having little impact on the metagame at that time, these small positives were enough to slightly improve Kirby's viability among the community, and as such many no longer considered the character to be one of the worst in the game. This is reflected in Kirby's placement on the first two tier lists, where he was ranked 76th as a low-tier character and rose a spot to 75th on the second tier list. | |||
Kirby | Following the second tier list, Kirby's representation improved thanks to Guilheww and JeJaJeJa. This sudden improvement began with JeJaJeJa's win at {{Trn|Afterburner 2024}}, which was Kirby's first ranked tournament win, and since then both players have won a few other ranked events. In addition, both players made noticeable impacts at majors, starting with Guilheww, whose 13th-place finish at {{Trn|S Factor 11}} marked the first time a Kirby player outplaced Ferretkuma's placement at Umebura SP 7. Though it took several years to break this milestone, it only took half a year for someone else to surpass Guilheww, as JeJaJeJa placed 9th at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes BIG Moves 2025}}. Finally, both Kirby players were ranked or mentioned on the two [[LumiRank]] rankings of 2024, with Guilheww notably becoming the first Kirby player to rank in the top 100. While Kirby's impact on the overall metagame weren't significant, his representation was nevertheless better than many characters ranked around him, and were especially good for a character ranked in the bottom ten. With these positive developments, Kirby rose by ten placements in the third tier list, ranking 65th in the C- tier, a notable improvement from the early metagame. | ||
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Gourmet Clash== | =={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Gourmet Clash== | ||
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Kirby.png|thumb|Kirby's congratulations screen.]] | [[File:SSBU Congratulations Kirby.png|thumb|Kirby's [[congratulations screen]].]] | ||
Kirby's opponents are characters who, like him, are known for their gluttonous appetites in their respective series. For each battle, Kirby and his opponent each spawn with 35% damage and several food items appear on the stage as the match begins. | Kirby's opponents are characters who, like him, are known for their gluttonous appetites in their respective series. For each battle, Kirby and his opponent each spawn with 35% damage and several food items appear on the stage as the match begins. | ||
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==[[Spirit]]s== | ==[[Spirit]]s== | ||
Kirby's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold. Starting World of Light and playing as Kirby allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''. | Kirby's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Kirby. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold. Starting World of Light and playing as Kirby allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''. | ||
Additionally, Kirby makes an appearance in various support spirits. | Additionally, Kirby makes an appearance in various support spirits. | ||
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|rowspan="2"|Moogle | |rowspan="2"|Moogle | ||
|- | |- | ||
| | |{{bg|#EEE|#3C3C3C}}|•{{SSBU|Mii Brawler}} {{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Moveset [[Exploding Side Kick|3]][[Onslaught|1]][[Helicopter Kick|2]][[Feint Jump|2]], Chocobo Hat, Yellow Tracksuit)<ref group="SB" name="DLC"/><br>•{{SSBU|Kirby}} {{Head|Kirby|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
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*As a result of not being captured, Kirby is one of the few characters that doesn't have copies of him produced by Dharkon or Galeem during their boss fights. | *As a result of not being captured, Kirby is one of the few characters that doesn't have copies of him produced by Dharkon or Galeem during their boss fights. | ||
*Kirby's neutral item swing when using battering items has 2 fewer frames of ending lag, with an FAF of 24 as opposed to 26 for the rest of the cast. | *Kirby's neutral item swing when using battering items has 2 fewer frames of ending lag, with an FAF of 24 as opposed to 26 for the rest of the cast. | ||
*Since Kirby was never possessed by Galeem like everyone else, his presence in many spirit battles went unclear for some time, until Masahiro Sakurai addressed this in an interview; stating that Galeem managed to analyze Kirby halfway through the story, making it possible to create puppets of him.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1098252915532165120 | *Since Kirby was never possessed by Galeem like everyone else, his presence in many spirit battles went unclear for some time, until Masahiro Sakurai addressed this in an interview; stating that Galeem managed to analyze Kirby halfway through the story, making it possible to create puppets of him.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1098252915532165120</ref> | ||
**Ironically, Kirby has the most spirit battle appearances of all characters, with 64 total. | **Ironically, Kirby has the most spirit battle appearances of all characters, with 64 total. | ||
*Kirby is one of the five veterans from ''Smash 4'' to have their [[Boxing Ring]] alias changed in ''Ultimate'', the others being Link, King Dedede, {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, and {{SSBU|Ryu}}. | *Kirby is one of the five veterans from ''Smash 4'' to have their [[Boxing Ring]] alias changed in ''Ultimate'', the others being Link, King Dedede, {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, and {{SSBU|Ryu}}. | ||
*If the spirits in the collection are in numerical order, Kirby is the last character to be in a spirit battle as the main opponent, which is Wonder Flower & Talking Flower. | *If the spirits in the collection are in numerical order, Kirby is the last character to be in a spirit battle as the main opponent, which is Wonder Flower & Talking Flower. | ||
**It is also the last character to be in a spirit battle as a minion, which is Peach & Stella. | **It is also the last character to be in a spirit battle as a minion, which is Peach & Stella. | ||
*Masahiro Sakurai revealed in a [[YouTube]] video that Kirby's [[Sora]] copy ability initially had hair that clipped into his eyes, and this was adjusted before the final release.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqjXBzWX3_A | *Masahiro Sakurai revealed in a [[YouTube]] video that Kirby's [[Sora]] copy ability initially had hair that clipped into his eyes, and this was adjusted before the final release.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqjXBzWX3_A Odds and Ends of Supervising: Sora Edition <nowiki>[Graphics]</nowiki>]</ref> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||