KO'd Kirby

"If a blue Kirby takes even more damage, he gets knocked out and sprouts angel wings. If you leave a KO'd Kirby alone, he will fly off the top of the screen and disappear."

- Instruction manual description

A KO'd Kirby is a form Kirby takes in the Kirby series. Though its role and appearance change between games, it always denotes the same meaning: Kirby has been defeated and needs help if it is available. KO'd Kirby debuts and features most prominently in Kirby Mass Attack.

Physical Appearance
KO'd Kirby consistently takes the form of an angel with Kirby's likeness. In Kirby Mass Attack, he is white with light gray feet and blush. His eyes are closed and his mouth is barely open. He has a pair of angel wings connected to his back.

In all other appearances, KO'd Kirby looks roughly the same with only minor differences. He has a halo in place of wings and his feet are black rather than gray.

Kirby Mass Attack
The Kirbys do not have traditional health in this game. If an attack makes contact with a Kirby, he turns blue. If he is hit a second time, he is KO'd. He turns into an angel, slowly drifts upward, and disappears off the top of the screen, resulting in the player losing him permanently. If another Kirby touches the KO'd one before he escapes, the angel is dragged to the ground and converted back into a blue Kirby. Being KO'd is not the worst fate that can befall the heroes; Kirbys that are incinerated, devoured, zombified, or abducted by the Skull Gang are lost with no way to recover them, aside from eating enough fruit to create replacements.

Many enemy attacks, hazards, and dangerous situations can KO one or more Kirbys instantly. Some instances, such as Gondolus' plunge in Sandy Canyon or the Teetering Tree's collapse in Dedede Resort, guarantee the player an immediate game over if he/she does not prevent or escape them.

At the end of a stage, the player is awarded a bronze star if a Kirby is KO'd but does not escape. A silver star is awarded if the player takes damage but avoids letting any Kirbys get KO'd. The Bronze Avoider task requires the player to clear ever stage with a silver star or better.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe
KO'd Kirby appears as a collectible keychain. When a Kirby is KO'd in the Kirby Fighters sub-game, an angel rises from his body and quickly vanishes. This is also the case in the downloadable Kirby Fighters Deluxe.

Kirby: Planet Robobot
Like in Kirby Fighters, Kirbys who are KO'd in the Team Kirby Clash sub-game release angels. This detail is also present in the downloadable Team Kirby Clash Deluxe.

Related Quotes
"When a Kirby gets KO'd and flies off, if other Kirbys grab him before he leaves the screen, he will be restored to a blue Kirby."

- Instruction manual description

Trivia

 * The concept of Kirby turning into an angel upon being KO'd was first used in Kirby's Toy Box - Ball Rally. This may have served as inspiration for the KO'd Kirby mechanic.
 * In Kirby: Triple Deluxe and onward, before an angel rises, the Kirby that was KO'd spins around and slumps over backward. This is similar to Kirby's KO animation in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
 * Kirby Mass Attack ' s game over screen depicts a single KO'd Kirby floating under a shaft of light, surrounded by darkness. This may be a reference to the game over screen in EarthBound, another game produced by HAL Laboratory.