Kirby (SSBU)

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Kirby in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Kirby
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Ultra Sword

“	Kirby's ability to copy other 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.	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Kirby (カービィ, Kirby) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Kirby is classified as fighter #06.

Makiko Ōmoto once again reprises her role as his voice actor, with most clips re-used from Super Smash Bros. 4.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Kirby has received a mix of buffs and nerfs, being buffed overall. His mobility has improved, which helps him in the more offensive oriented battle strategies of Ultimate. The landing lag reductions on his aerials give Kirby better landing potential, and improves his combo game as his forward air can now reliably combo into other moves. His already solid tilts have been improved further, with down tilt being more reliable for combos, and up tilt comboing into more moves, and having more range in front of him. If he inhales a projectile, he can heal from it or shoot it back out at an opponent.

Kirby did receive nerfs however. His most notable nerf was to his grab game. His grab is slower, forward throw's jump can possibly interrupt his combos on stages with platforms, and his up throw takes longer to KO with. Nonetheless, Kirby has vastly improved from his SSB4 incarnation, but to what extent is currently unknown.

Aesthetics

• As with all veterans returning from Smash 4, Kirby's model features a more subdued color scheme.
• Like many other characters, Kirby is more expressive, both with his face and his movement.
• Some of Kirby's animations, particularly his dash and initial jump, have been tweaked to closer resemble his appearance from Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward.
• Kirby's voice line for taking medium damage has been changed to his alternate KO sound from Smash 4.
  • As a result, he gains a new KO sound, which sounds similar to one of his Melee knockback voice clips.
  • Kirby's light knockback sound effect that went unheard in Smash 4 is now used.
• Kirby's on-screen appearance has a more intense, fiery explosion than in previous games. The large, cartoony stars that appear have been removed, and while the sparkle effects are still present, they have been drastically toned down. All in all, it more closely resembles how it appeared in the original Super Smash Bros.
• Up taunt has been shortened, with Kirby striking the ending pose without dancing first. The pose itself has been tweaked; Kirby now raises one of his feet, resembling the pose he makes when gaining an ability in his games.
• Kirby's victory poses have been modified. Two new dances are used, one with Kirby waving his arms and breakdancing, and another with Kirby moonwalking and sliding, both based off of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and ending in a unique pose. Kirby also splits into three separate Kirbys when not in team battles, referencing his home series. This is the first and only game to have Kirby's victory poses finish differently.
  • Kirby now faces forward instead of away when "wiggling" in one of his victory poses.
• When Kirby gains a new Copy Ability, he briefly poses like he does in his home series. This animation can be canceled.
• Some Copy Ability hats have been changed.
  • His Samus helmet now has a fully opaque visor, as it was in Super Smash Bros.
  • His Captain Falcon helmet now has triangular eyes, and the visor is opaque as in Super Smash Bros.
  • His Zelda cap has been changed from the wimple she wore as a child in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to a hairstyle matching her new A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds-inspired look.
  • His Ganondorf cap is now consistent with Ganondorf's Ocarina of Time appearance, effectively reverting to its design in Melee.
  • His Wolf cap now matches Wolf's Star Fox Zero-based appearance.
  • His Jigglypuff cap now matches his costume color, just like in previous games.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Kirby's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
• Kirby runs faster (1.57 → 1.727).
  • Kirby's initial dash is noticeably faster (1.5 → 1.9).
• Kirby walks faster (0.93 → 0.977).
• Kirby's air speed is slightly faster (0.8 → 0.84).
• The introduction of taunt canceling benefits Kirby more than any other returning veteran as Kirby can act quicker after discarding a Copy Ability.
• Back roll has more startup lag, a shorter duration (frames 4-17 → 5-16) and ending lag when fresh (frame 31 → 36).
• Neutral air dodge has a longer duration when fresh (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
• Neutral air dodge has more ending lag (frame 34 → 61).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first and second hit of neutral attack now have the ability to jab lock.
  • The last hit of neutral attack has less startup (frame 5 → 3) and ending lag (frame 51 → 40), deals slightly more damage (2% → 3%), and has more knockback.
  • Neutral infinite connects more reliably, as it keeps opponents on the ground and thus can't be SDI'd out of.
  • Neutral attack deals less damage overall (2% → 1.8% (hit 1), 3% → 1.6% (hit 2), 1% → 0.2% (loop hits)).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has slightly more range on its front hitbox.
  • The late hit has a longer duration (frames 6-9 → 6-10) which gives up tilt one extra frame of intangibility.
  • Up tilt has slightly more knockback.
    • This makes it easier to combo it into other moves and improves its KO potential.
    • This makes it harder to chain it into itself at higher percents.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt no longer sends opponents at a backwards momentum once tripped, improving its reliability for comboing.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has reverted to its Melee iteration, where Kirby does a tackle identical to the "Burning" copy ability, though unlike in Melee, dash attack doesn't go off ledges.
  • Dash attack has decreased startup lag (frame 12 → 9).
  • Clean dash attack deals more damage (9% → 10%).
  • Dash attack can cross up shields.
  • Since dash attack only consists of one hit, it can't be SDI'd out of improving its reliability.
  • Dash attack has increased knockback, to the point that it KOs at higher percents.
  • Dash attack maintains Kirby's speed and momentum much better.
  • Dash attack has slightly more ending lag (frame 54 → 60).
  • Dash attack no longer has multiple hitboxes, instead having weaker late hitboxes.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has a different start-up animation: Kirby now pulls back before executing a thrust kick instead of performing a spin first, making it resemble Smash Kick, one of Smash Bros. Kirby's attacks in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
  • Forward smash has more range.
  • Forward smash now deals consistent damage when angled. This makes it deal slightly more damage when angled downwards but slightly less damage when angled upwards.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has reduced startup lag (frame 14 → 12) and thus less ending lag (frame 48 → 46).
  • Up smash's late hitbox deals more damage (12% → 13%).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has increased range.
  • Down smash acts similarly to the version in Brawl, but the whole move sends opponents at a horizontal angle, improving its KO potential as well as its edgeguarding potential when near a ledge.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (10 frames → 6 (neutral), 13 frames → 8 (forward), 17 frames → 10 (back), 12 frames → 7 (up), 17 frames → 16 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has much less ending lag (frame 73 → 63).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial's lower landing lag makes it now possible to combo with the first hit of the attack into other moves, albeit much easier and safer than in previous games.
  • The third hit has a longer duration (frames 25-26 → 25-27).
• Back aerial:
  • The clean hit of back aerial has a longer duration (frames 6-7 → 6-8) much like in previous Smash games.
    • It has less knockback.
  • The late hit has a shorter duration (frames 8-14 → 9-12).
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has less ending lag (frame 40 → 38).
• Down aerial:
  • The first five hits of down aerial deal slightly more damage (1% → 1.3%).

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased ending lag (frame 28 → 34 (standing), 39 → 42 (dash), 33 → 37 (pivot)).
  • Dash grab has slightly more start up lag (frame 8 → 9) and pivot grab has a shorter duration (frames 10-12 → 10-11).
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals slightly less damage (1.55% → 1%).
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw now has Kirby jump much higher during the animation, able to reach the height of Battlefield's lower platform.
  • This improves forward throw's combo potential at higher percents.
  • Because of this, this can possibly interrupt many of his combos when under a soft platform. This also hinders forward throw's combo potential at lower percents.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has slightly less knockback, hindering its KO potential.
  • Up throw's landing hitbox now damages and launches other fighters, similar to Meta Knight's up throw.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special Moves

• Inhale:
  • Inhale has more range.
  • Inhale has reduced ending lag (frame 73 → 68).
  • Inhale can catch some projectiles like a fully charged Charge Shot. Kirby can then choose to spit it out as a star that deals damage or swallow it to heal himself.
  • Spitting out inhaled opponents as a star deals more damage.
  • When swallowing an opponent and gaining their Copy Ability, Kirby now receives a 1.2x damage multiplier for his copied neutral special when compared to the copied opponent.
  • Inhale has a more opaque visual effect.
• Hammer:
  • Hammer deals more knockback when fully charged.
  • Aerial Hammer deals more damage (15%-27% → 16%-28%).
  • Hammer deals slightly less shield damage, making it less safe when hitting shielded opponents.
  • Hammer has intangibility frames when used both in midair and on the ground.
  • Kirby may use his uncharged or fully-charged voice lines from Smash 4 when swinging an uncharged Hammer.
  • A fully charged Hammer triggers Special Zoom.
• Final Cutter:
  • Final Cutter has less landing lag (frame 35 → 31).
  • Final Cutter's projectile travels slightly further.
  • Final Cutter's landing hitbox deals more knockback.
  • Final Cutter's spike hitbox is much stronger and deals more knockback, heavily improving its reliability.
• Stone:
  • Stone now only hits opponents once instead of twice when grounded, significantly decreasing its shield damage.
  • Stone can transform into a Treasure Chest found in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's shrines.
  • If Kirby is metal when using Stone, the transformation will also be metal.
  • Kirby doesn't change back to normal if he lands underwater.
• Ultra Sword:
  • It now features a special background effect upon usage, in a similar fashion to the use of Super Abilities in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

Update History

1.1.0

• Up aerial has less ending lag (frame 40 → 38).
• Final Cutter has some animations updated.

1.2.0

• After copying Pac-Man's Bonus Fruit, Key will no longer be discarded when it is recycled.

2.0.0

• Kirby's Dash attack has increased power range and attack power while maintaining launch distance.
• Side tilt has slightly reduced vulnerability and extended undamaged launch distance.
• Stone has adjusted super armor frames after using the move.

Classic Mode: Gourmet Clash

Kirby's opponents are characters who, like Kirby, are known for their large appetites. For each battle, Kirby and his opponent each spawn with 35% damage and several food items appear on the stage as the match begins

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music
1	Pac-Man	Pac-Land	PAC-MAN
2	Giant Yoshi	Yoshi's Island	Ground Theme - Super Mario World
3	Donkey Kong	Jungle Japes	Jungle Hijinxs
4	Giant Wario	Gamer	WarioWare, Inc.
5	King K. Rool	Kongo Jungle	Mangrove Cove
6	King Dedede	Fountain of Dreams	Gourmet Race (64)
Bonus Stage
Final	Marx	?	Vs. Marx

Character unlock tree

Kirby's Classic Mode character unlock tree includes the following characters in order:

• Ness
• Jigglypuff
• Pac-Man
• Zelda
• Robin
• Corrin
• Lucas
• Palutena

Each character can be unlocked by clearing Kirby's Classic Mode, or the Classic Mode of any preceding character, if all preceding characters have been unlocked. Once all the above characters are unlocked, clearing Classic Mode with any of them will default to Mario's character unlock tree, starting with Sonic.

Role in World of Light

Kirby facing the World of Light, from the mode's opening cutscene.

Kirby was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to assist in defeating an army of Master Hands.

After Galeem absorbed all of the Master Hands during the opening cutscene, he began to unleash beams of light that vaporized all of the fighters and later imprisoned all of them. Kirby was the sole survivor after escaping on his Warp Star, barely warping away from the beams before they could engulf him. Despite being the sole survivor, Kirby is still seen as a puppet in a few areas of the mode, it’s unknown why this is the case.

Kirby crash-lands in a canyon area, and begins his quest to save the other fighters as the initial starting protagonist.

He is later seen alongside several other fighters, as they make their final stand against Galeem and Dharkon.

Spirits

Kirby's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Starting World of Light and play 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. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, Kirby makes an appearance in various Support Spirits.

• 

  323. Kirby

• 

  326. Warp Star

• 

  327. Star Rod

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  328. Ultra Sword

• 

  329. Robobot Armor

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Kirby artwork, as posted by Kirby's official Twitter account.

• 

  Link, Kirby, Mario, and Cloud artwork, as posted by Tetsuya Nomura's official Twitter account.

• 

  Kirby's fighter card.

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  "Mario Kirby" tossing a Fireball on Battlefield.

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  "Jigglypuff Kirby" using Rollout with Jigglypuff on Onett.

• 

  Using his Hammer on Little Mac in the Boxing Ring.

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  "Fox Kirby" using a Blaster with Fox on Mario Galaxy.

• 

  Performing Final Cutter on Tomodachi Life.

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  Inhaling an Ice Shot on Summit with the Ice Kirby-inspired costume.

• 

  Getting kicked by Diddy Kong on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Inhaling Donkey Kong's grapes on Gaur Plain.

• 

  With King Dedede on Green Greens.

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  Kirby’s “unmasked Meta Knight” costume standing next to the real Meta Knight on Skyworld.

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  Kirby in his new Stone transformation below an aerial Mii Brawler on Skyworld.

• 

  Struck by Rosalina on Temple.

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  About to be eaten by Yoshi on Gaur Plain.

• 

  Kirby standing next to a Bomber on Green Greens.

• 

  Kirby struck by Knuckles's uppercut on The Great Cave Offensive.

• 

  Three Kirbys watching the Squid Sisters' concert on New Pork City.

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  With Meta Knight and King Dedede on Green Greens.

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  With Mario, Link, Inkling, Marth, Pit, Ridley and Villager on Battlefield.

Trivia

• Kirby's stock icon is one of four to show eyes (the others being Meta Knight, R.O.B., and Sonic), likely due to it being a simplistic pink circle otherwise.
  • It also greatly resembles his stock icon in the original Super Smash Bros.
• Kirby's pose resembles his character artwork in Kirby Super Star, but rotated to slightly face the screen. Coincidentally, this was also used for his character select artwork in the original Super Smash Bros.
• Kirby is the only Kirby series character to keep his Final Smash between Smash 4 and Ultimate.
• Since Kirby is the starter character of World of Light and part of the starter roster, it means he's the only character that isn't unlockable in the game for any mode.
  • This also makes Kirby the only character in the entire series that is never unlocked in any mode.
    • This means you will never be able to see the screen where "Kirby joins the battle!"
• Kirby has the highest amount of voice clips for any character in the game, with 95 clips.
• Kirby is the only starter character in Ultimate whose universe has more than one character to not include any characters in their Classic Mode unlock table, as Meta Knight is in Link's, and King Dedede is in Donkey Kong's. Namely:
  • Mario's unlock table includes Luigi and Dr. Mario.
  • Donkey Kong's unlock table includes Diddy Kong.
  • Link's unlock table includes Young Link and Toon Link.
  • Samus's unlock table includes Dark Samus.
  • Fox's unlock table includes Falco and Wolf
  • Pikachu's unlock table includes Pichu.
• Unlike other characters, Kirby can actually taunt online when playing outside of arenas, but only to discard his copy ability.
• If Kirby in a part of a winning team in Team Battles, the landing effects of Kirby's doubles are still present, despite not appearing themselves.