Sword

"Don a green hat and take sword in hand! Spin Slash! Do a Sword Dive as your finishing strike! It's all about the flourish."

General Information
Sword is one of Kirby's copy abilities, first seen in Kirby's Adventure. Perhaps one of his most iconic powers, Sword Kirby wears a long green hat similar to that of Link from the Legend of Zelda series and wields a sword. Beyond its design, the Sword ability is often easily accessed, as Kirby can get it from a wide array of enemies in each game. Notable sword-yielding enemies include Sword Knight, Blade Knight, and Heavy Knight. Usually Meta Knight offers Kirby a sword before the boss battle and would not start fighting him until it is taken.

In most games, Sword Kirby is limited to a basic horizontal swipe. However, in games when a larger moveset is provided, Sword Kirby is capable of more advanced swordplay, sometimes including Final Cutter, one of Cutter's primary attacks.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the Sword ability can be mixed into Ice Sword, Fire Sword, or Thunder Sword with the correct ability. However, this can only be done if Kirby finds the necessary Ability Scroll.

It is also one of the few abilities that may be used in the water, along with Parasol, Hammer, Spear, and UFO.

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, there is a Sword Challenge that can be accessed after collecting seven Energy Spheres.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Along with Fighter, this is perhaps one of Kirby's most powerful melee abilities in the anime. It uses the same green hat, but the color of the blade itself is yellow-gold instead of silver or blue.

The ability retains several of its previous attacks, such as Spinning Sword, but also adds the powerful Sword Beam. Taught to him by Meta Knight, it is an attack that uses the limits of one's power in a huge blade of energy (if Kirby can clear his mind first). It cannot be blocked except for when Kracko used one his powerful lightning bolts to block it. Sword Kirby can also cause his sword to expand in size, but he only does that in one episode. It's also possible for the sword to be broken.

Similar to Sword is the Galaxia ability, which works the same way only much more powerful (another difference is how the regular Sword Beam is white, but the Galaxia Sword Beam is green-yellow).

In the transformation sequence, Kirby spins and forms his hat, the tip of which then falls on his face. He straightens the hat and takes out his sword.

Appearances
Sword, along with Tornado and Ice, are the fourth most commonly seen copy abilities in the anime, with five appearances each. If Galaxia appearances are also counted, it would have seven appearances, making it the second most common ability in the anime. (for the purposes of this list, Sword and Galaxia are considered separate abilities)


 * Kirby's Duel Role (First Use)
 * Dark and Stormy Knight
 * A Princess in Dis-Dress
 * Crusade for the Blade
 * Teacher's Threat

Super Smash Bros. Series
Sword Kirby appears as a Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The hats Kirby gets when copying Link, Young Link, and Toon Link look just like Sword Kirby's hat (but Kirby gets either a boomerang or a bow & arrow, and not a sword), though this is to be expected since Sword's hat is a reference to Link in the first place. Sword's version of Final Cutter is taken from these games.

Related Quotes
"When Kirby dons a green cap and gets that blade in his hand, watch out! Launch charge attacks, lightning-speed slices, and more."

- Sword's description

Trivia

 * Kirby's hat and the sword are direct references to Link, the main protagonist in the Legend of Zelda series, but he gets the boomerang when he copies Link in Super Smash Bros., and the Bow and Arrow when he copies him in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, since Kirby copies whatever his opponent's standard special is in that series.
 * Kirby can only shoot sword beams when he is at full health. This is also a direct reference to the Legend of Zelda series, as in various games, Link was able to shoot beams from his sword at full health.
 * When using the elemental sword abilities (Fire Sword, Ice Sword and Thunder Sword) in Kirby: Squeak Squad, the pom-pom and the yellow edge of Kirby's hat change colors to match the element.
 * Sword Kirby and the Blade Knight helper cannot normally use the upwards thrust. Meta Knight and Sword Knight can use the thrust, but those characters are only playable in certain sub-games in Kirby Super Star Ultra.
 * In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby gains the ability to charge his blade and perform a spin attack and can also use an uppercut.
 * In the anime, Kirby gets the Sword ability from a sword-wielding Bugzzy, who only gives Backdrop or Suplex in the games, and from Kracko's sword-shaped lightning bolts, even though Kracko's lightning bolts cannot be inhaled in the games.
 * Kirby's yell is reminiscent of Young Link's from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 * The flavor text for Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra calls the sword "the king of blades/weapons". This may be a further reference to the Legend of Zelda games, as Link's sword is called the Master Sword.
 * In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, there is an upgraded version of Sword called Ultra Sword, alongside other super abilities.
 * In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the Sword ability could be used to cut away at foliage, thus altering the landscape around Kirby, and sometimes revealing hidden items.