Kirby: Right Back at Ya! Season One

KIRBY: RIGHT BACK AT YA!

Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, it's the name you should know. Kirby, Kirby, he's the star of the show. He's got more than you think, he's got maximum pink. Kirby, Kirby, Kirby's the one!

Kirby: Right Back at Ya! is an anime series that aired in 2001, loosely based on the games and starring the adorable pink puffball himself. The general premise is that decades before, a group of heroes called the Star Warriors warred against the evil Nightmare Enterprises, ultimately losing. In the present, Kirby, a baby star warrior, crashlands on a planet called Dream Land, making his home in Cappy Town, ruled over by King Dedede, a selfish manbaby who regularly buys monsters from Nightmare Enterprises to terrorize his citizens for fun.

Kirby is our main character, and can generally do all that his game counterpart can, with his copy abilities Fire, Stone, Sword, Cutter, Cook, Parasol, Tornado, Needle, Fighter, Ice, and Ninja all appearing in the first season. He becomes fast friends with Tiff and Tuff, the children of King Dedede's chamberlain who live in the castle with him. Across the series both help him out a lot, Tiff being the main person to call in his warp star, studying up on random subjects relating to each episode's plot, doing a lot of random odd jobs around town, and occasionally losing her temper and beating people with a hammer. Tuff is the more rambunctious and active of the duo, regularly playing soccer with his friends, and pulling pranks with things like slingshots and clubs.

Meta Knight also plays a major supporting role in the story, being a retired Star Warrior who made his home on the planet to keep an eye on King Dedede's dealings with N.M.E. He is often accompanied by his two apprentices: Blade Knight and Sword Knight. Knuckle Joe also appears as the son of one of Meta Knight's fallen comrades, believing Meta Knight responsible for his death. Kit Cosmos is another star warrior marooned on an island far out to sea, setting up a number of survivalist traps around the island and using spears, arrows, and a training sword to defend himself. Not a Star Warrior, but worth mentioning is the alien princess Rona and her bodyguard Vee. While disguised as Vee, Rona uses a sword, flies a spaceship, fishes, eats cotton candy, and slices a monster into sushi.

Cappy Town has a large number of recurring characters. It is mainly made up of Cappies, who aren't quite the bouncing mushrooms from the game, but grayish blobs that stand-in for generic NPCs. The most notable of these include Mayor Len Blustergast and his wife Hana, Police chief Bookem and his wife Buttercup, the archaeologist Professor Curio, restaurant owner Chef Kawasaki, fortune teller Mabel, bartender Samo, mechanic Gus, grocery store owner Tuggle, toy shop owner Gengu, local doctor Yabui, elderly postal worker Melman, and Tiff and Tuff's friends Iro, Honey, and Spikehead. Though there is enough generally to make a "Cappy" moveset, Curio, Bookem, and Yabui all do more than enough to warrant their own movesets in respective episodes starring them this season.

There is also Tiff and Tuff's parents, Sir Ebrum and Lady Like, who might be able to be echoes of their children, but I'm not totally certain (it's hard to see Ebrum or Like kicking around a soccer ball and firing a slingshot the way their son would, basically). Lololo and Lalala, or I guess Fololo and Falala for some reason, appear as Tiff and Tuff's adopted siblings, a former monster split in two. They regularly help out and probably have enough to work with. Rick, Coo, and Kine make regular appearances, as does Tokkori, a yellow bird with a nasty attitude who becomes Kirby's roommate. Kawasaki's mentor Chef Shiitake appears at one point, as does Escargoon's mama. Three major fixtures of Dream Land include Kabu, who gives sage wisdom; Whispy Woods, who protects the local forest; and Dynablade, a veritable force of nature fiercely protective of her chick.

Speaking of, King Dedede is our main villain, often accompanied by his personal sycophant Escargoon, forming a comedic villain duo. Escargoon regularly takes part in all of King Dedede's schemes, his actions including driving a tank, using a laser chainsaw, sucking up various things, inventing a monster formula, inventing a spy cricket, distributing Dedede dolls, and getting turned into a monster when King Dedede destroys his shell. The pair regularly interact with a salesman representing N.M.E., who appears on a monitor and delivers various monsters and items to them. He works for Nightmare, but Nightmare really doesn't make any notable appearances until the end of the series, so we'll wait until then. Waddle Dees make up the bulk of King Dedede's minions, led by a Waddle Doo who acts as their leader and voice when addressing someone else.

King Dedede's monster ordered from NME this season have included, from the games: Blocky, Bugzzy, Kracko, Popon (the things from Kirby's Avalanche), Sasuke (who uses rockets, bombs, fireworks, and exploding rings against Kirby), Noddy, Chilly, and Ice Dragon; alongside anime originals like: Octacon, an octopus who sprouts smaller octopi made of fire; a statue piloted by King Dedede; Slice 'n' Splice, the monster that created Fololo and Falala; Urameshiya, a ghost; a Robot Dog that becomes Kirby's pet and can use a drill, claws, spray pineapple juice, protect itself with electricity, and ultimately explode; Honker Stomper, a vacuum monster; the Pukey Flower that spawns Noddies; Susshi, a giant fish monster; Tornadon, a wind monster; Benikage and Yamikage, a pair of ninja enemies who use various martial arts; and Wolfwrath, a powerful monster with a vendetta against Meta Knight, who can breathe fire, swipe with its claws, and paralyze a person with its horn.

The anime generally takes place in Cappy Town and King Dedede's castle, and some of the surrounding areas, such as Whispy Woods' forest, Dynablade's nest, and the seaside.

Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Kirby: Fire, Stone, Sword, Cutter, Cook, Parasol, Tornado, Needle, Fighter, Ice, Ninja

Tiff: call warp star, books, odd jobs, hammer

Tuff: soccer, pranks, slingshot, club

Meta Knight

Blade Knight

Sword Knight: Possible echo? Gigant Edge could become a semi-clone.

Knuckle Joe

Knuckle Joe's father?

Kit Cosmos: traps, spears, arrows, training sword

Princess Rona: sword, ship, fish, cotton candy, sushi slice

Commander Vee: likely echo

Chief Bookem: net, repel, handcuffs, ranger rifle, traffic flags

Professor Curio: dig, pickaxe, pit, fake items, Dedede Stone, Mumbies sealing spell, relics

Chef Kawasaki

Chef Shiitake: echo?

Doctor Yabui: pain reliever, drill, bondage chair, medical implements

Cappies: Mayor Len Blustergast, Hana, Buttercup, Mabel, Samo, Gus, Tuggle, Gengu, Melman, Iro, Honey, Spikehead

Sir Ebrum

Lady Like

Lololo and Lalala: jump rope, fly, Fofa, splicing rod

Rick

Coo

Kine

Tokkori: fly, peck

Kabu

Whispy Woods

Dynablade

King Dedede

Escargoon: tank, laser chainsaw, suction, monster formula, spy cricket, Dedede dolls, monster

Escargoon's Mama: echo? She's kinda the same boat as Ebrum and Like, I can't see her driving a tank or using monster formula, you know?

N.M.E. Salesman

Waddle Dees

Waddle Doo

Blocky

Bugzzy

Kracko

Popon

Sasuke: rockets, bombs, fireworks, exploding rings

Noddy

Chilly

Ice Dragon

Octacon: fire octopi

Dedede: statue

Slice 'n' Splice: slice, splice

Urameshiya

Robot Dog: drill, claws, spray pineapple juice, electricity, explode

Honker Stomper

Pukey Flower

Susshi

Tornadon

Benikage: ninja arts

Yamikage: ninja arts

Wolfwrath: fire, claws, rampage, paralyzing horn

Stages:

Cappy Town

King Dedede's castle

Whispy Woods' forest

Dynablade's nest

Seaside

Thanks for reading! Next up, Kirby and the crew will be right back at ya a second time!