Like most popular franchises,Kirbyreceived an anime spinoff in the early 2000s calledKirby: Right Back at Ya!orKirby of the Starsin Japanese. The anime starred the titular character but included familiar faces such as King Dedede and Meta Knight while introducing anime-exclusive characters Tiff and Tuff. Like theKirbyvideo games, Kirby was incapable of forming complete sentences inRight Back at Ya!. However, his Copy Abilities and gluttonous appetite seemed to carry into the anime.
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Kirby and the Forgotten Landis thesoon-to-release game in theKirbyfranchise. Thus, it’s possible that longtime fans of the series may be exploring previous installments or even visiting (or revisiting) the anime for the first time. Despite being based on the games,Kirby: Right Back at Ya!takes some liberties with theKirbylore.
10Kirby Is A Baby
In the games, it’s unclear how old Kirby truly is. His mannerisms coupled with his cute voice seem to imply that he’s young, but a specific age has yet to be given in mainline canon. InRight Back at Ya!, it’s stated in the pilot episode that Kirby’s still a baby. This could also explain whyRight Back at Ya!’s Kirby is a bit clumsier and, according to some, weaker than his game counterpart in the beginning episodes.
Another thing to note is Kirby’s species.Many fans have theorizedthat Kirby is an incarnation of Void Termina, the final boss ofKirby All Stars. In the anime, Meta Knight explains to Tiff and Tuff that Kirby is a Star Warrior. These Star Warriors fought back againstRight Back at Ya!’s main antagonist, eNeMeE many years ago. The concept of Star Warriors does not exist in theKirbygames.
9The Starship
InKirby Super StarandKirby’s (Extra) Epic Yarn, the Starship was one of Kirby’s many Copy Abilities. Starship was used in the final battle inKirby Super Starand inCloud Palace ofKirby’s Epic Yarn. Gameplay-wise, Starship Kirby moved like UFO Kirby and could fire star beams at his enemies.
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!’s Starship is an actual ship with a control panel and engine. It also functions as a “cradle” for newborn Star Warriors. In episode 1,Kirby Comes to Cappy Town, Kirby crash lands his Starship in Cappy Town on Planet Popstar. For the duration of the episode, the Starship is out of commission and is looted by King Dedede and his right-hand man, Escargoon.
8Kirby Lives In Cappy Town
The main setting inKirbygames changes depending on what the game is about. Normally, they kick off somewhere in Dreamland, and Kirby is stuck saving the day from eldritch abominations or destroying said abominationsbecause they happened to steal his cake.
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Most of Kirby’s adventures inRight Back at Ya!take place in Cappy Town. This is an anime-exclusive location inhabited by Cappies. While Cappies attack Kirby in-game, they warm up to Kirby inRight Back at Ya!and give him a place to stay. Kirby becomes friends with two specific Cappies: Tiff and Tuff.
7Meta Knight Can’t Fly
Meta Knight first appeared inKirby’s Adventure, but his popularity skyrocketed as time went on. Since then, he’s appeared in manyKirbygames and was even given a spot on theSuper Smash Bros.roster sinceSuper Smash Bros. Brawl. Meta Knight’s origins are a mystery, but most fans know that he appears to be the same species as Kirby.
Right Back at Ya!Meta Knight is a Star Warrior, like Kirby. However, the Meta Knight in the games was capable of flying while the Meta Knight in the anime needed the assistance of Lololo and Lalala if he wanted to fly. In the English Dub,Meta Knight is voiced by Eric Stuart, who gives him a Spanish accent. English voice clips for Meta Knight in the games (such asSmash Bros.) lack this accent. Finally, while Meta Knight’s eye colors can change depending on his palette swaps inSmash Bros., his eyes change color based on his mood inRight Back at Ya!.
6Kirby And The Warp Star
If Kirby needed to travel in the games, he would have to jump on a Warp Star and let it take him to a new location. Warp Stars were even included as Items inSmash Bros. that allowed players to crash-land into their opponents.
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Kirby: Right Back at Ya!features the Warp Star, but it has quite a few glaring differences from its game counterpart. In the first episode, Meta Knight tells Tiff and Tuff that the Warp Star is the source of Kirby’s power. As long as Kirby can “see” the Warp Star,he’ll be able to use his Copy Ability. The Warp Star is also significantly smaller when it’s not being used. It expands to its original size when Kirby decides to ride it into battle. The Kirby in the games didn’t need to rely on Warp Stars to be able to inhale and copy his enemies. In fact, the game shows no correlation between Kirby’s powers and the Warp Stars.
5King Dedede Is More Antagonistic
King Dedede is the self-proclaimed ruler of Dreamland and tends to butt heads a lot with Kirby. However, he’s not as malevolent as enemies like Dark Nebula or Sectonia. He has the qualities of a villain in that he’s greedy and selfish, but when push comes to shove, he’ll help Kirby save the day. While not a genius, King Dedede is shown to be pretty smart. InKirby: Nightmare in Dreamland,Dedede breaks the Star Rod to imprison Nightmarein the Fountain of Dreams. In the non-canonSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Dedede created special Brooches that were capable of reviving fighters.
The King Dedede inRight Back at Ya!is crueler and always out to harm Kirby. Some of his motivations in the anime include deforestation just so he could have his own golf course. He also orders his monsters from Nightmare Enterprises, which is a company that doesn’t exist in the game. While Dedede in the game cares for his kingdom, Dedede in the anime is more than willing to imprison children if they try to get in the way of his plans.
4Dedede & Escargoon
Escargoon does not have a game counterpart and is an anime-exclusive character.Dedede has Bandana Dee, Waddle Dees, and Waddle Doos among other enemies at his beck-and-call in the game, but he doesn’t have someone like Escargoon.
In the anime, Escargoon is Dedede’s right-hand man who gets saddled with all the hard work. Since the Dedede in the anime isn’t as smart as his game counterpart, Escargoon functions as the “brains” of the duo when it comes to scheming.
3Chef Kawasaki Works In Cappy Town
Fans will recognize Chef Kawasaki as a mini-boss from theKirbygames. If Kirby inhales Kawasaki after defeating him, he can get the Cook Copy Ability. Cook Kirby only has one attack that is useful if there are plenty of enemies on the screen.
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In the anime, Chef Kawasaki is the local cook of Cappy Town’s only restaurant. One episode involves Kawasaki directing Kirby to wait tables for his customers - including Dedede and Escargoon. Chef Kawasaki is infamous for being a terrible cook, which isn’t really explored in mainline canon. However, Kawasaki’s poor culinary skills could be a callback tohis role as a bad guy in the games.
2Whispy Woods Is Kirby’s Ally
Whispy Woods isa fairly easy bossof the first realm of mostKirbygames. He’ll attack by dropping apples from his branches or firing puffs of air. Like most Kirby villains, he doesn’t get much characterization in-game. However, his reputation has earned him a cameo in theSmash Bros.stage: Whispy Woods.
Whispy Woods debuts in episode 5 ofKirby: Right Back at Ya!.Whispy initially attacks Kirby, believing he’s come to the forest to destroy him and his friends. By the middle of the episode, he realizes King Dedede is the true culprit and allies himself with Kirby.
1eNeMeE Is The Main Villain
eNeMeE is the anime’s version of Nightmare. In the beginning episodes, he’s usually seen speaking with Dedede via customer service for Nightmare Enterprises. It isn’t until later seasons that he finally attacks Kirby and threatens Planet Popstar.
In the games, Nightmare does not go by eNeMeE. While eNeMeE serves as the overarching bad guy ofRight Back at Ya!,he’s only the final boss inKirby’s AdventureandKirby: Nightmare in Dreamland. Most of his appearances in other games have been cameos.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landis set to release worldwide for Nintendo Switch on Aug 04, 2025.
