Star KO

A Star Knock-Out, abbreviated as Star KO is a type of KO. When a character falls off the top of the screen (save for a few exceptions, see below), they fly through the background, yell/scream/etc, and eventually disappear as a star. Rarely, the character will fall in front of the stage. In Super Smash Bros., they simply fall past, but in Super Smash Bros. Melee, they will bump against the screen. The second method takes far less time than the first, which occasionally makes a difference in situations where two people with one stock are killed off the top at once, or when trying to KO someone with little time left. This may not happen as hitting the front of the screen is faster.

Exceptions

Members of a computer team (ie the Fighting Wire Frames) don't experience Star KO's, instead undergoing the usual colorful explosion. Though it can happen in Event Match 37. Also, in the beginning the second trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Kirby uses his Up smash to knock Mario and Link off the top of the screen, but the usual colored explosion occurs, instead of a Star KO. The star KO is still in this game.

Trivia

• The concept of a Star KO is from a very common anime trope, where a character or characters is struck or blasted high into the air, eventually disappearing as a twinkle in the sky. It was made famous in anime like Pokémon (where this fate befalls Team Rocket every now and then) and Love Hina (whenever Keitaro Urashima is struck fiercely enough).
• If you throw a Freezie at an opponent and they get Star KO'd, they will still be frozen as they disappear into the background. However, in Flat Zone 2, the ice block will not be aligned on the character. Any conditions on the character are seen in the Star KO.
• If you are Kirby and have inhaled someone's abilites and you get Star KOd, you will just be normal Kirby as you disappear into the background.