Wheelie

Wheelie is a regular enemy in the Kirby series.

Wheelie is a tire-shaped enemy that is currently one of the few sources of the Wheel ability. He resembles a tire with two eyes, and sometimes has bright red covering over his top half. In the games they speed right into Kirby. In Kirby Air Ride, Wheelie appears both as the classic enemy and a souped-up Wheelie Bike version, which Kirby can ride. Wheelie also appears as a scooter like vehicle known as the Wheelie Scooter and a bigger machine called the Rex Wheelie.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Wheelie is a common enemy in this game, and the only regular enemy that gives the Wheel ability. In this game Wheelie often speeds right into Kirby and damages him when he collides with him. If a Wheelie crashes into a wall, he will simply ride off in the opposite direction.

As well as being the second opponent in the Quick Draw sub-game in Nightmare in Dream Land, a mid-boss named Grand Wheelie is also fought at various points in the game.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
See Also: Wheelie Bike

Wheelie is the same as he was in Kirby's Adventure, but now has a completely new design when used as a helper. The enemy Wheelie is just like he was in previous games, plus he occasionally jumps a couple times before approaching. When Kirby has a Wheelie as a helper, he and the Wheelie can fight enemies separately. However, Kirby can get on top of the Wheelie and ride him like a motorcycle. He has the same abilities as Wheelie Bike and can now jump.

Enemy Wheelies play a role in a couple of the sub-games. In Revenge of Meta Knight, when Kirby fights the Halberd Reactor, Wheelies can be seen racing to and fro in the background. Once the Reactor is defeated, the Wheelies escape their generators and are seen racing about the scene, though they do not harm Kirby. However, their escape stirs up a fuss among the crew members. Kirby also escapes the sinking Halberd by jumping on a Wheelie, and riding off.

In Revenge of the King (Kirby Super Star Ultra), Grand Wheelie appears as one of the henchman that Dedede summons to try and stop Kirby. Grand Wheelie also appears in The True Arena, as the second representative of the "True" Mid-boss All-Stars.

In Samurai Kirby, a sub-game, Wheelie appears as the second enemy Kirby faces.

Wheelie is the only helper whose design differs from his enemy version.

Kirby Air Ride
Wheelies are a common enemy as well as a Machine called Wheelie Bike, and is first of three (technically four) Bike-Class Machines to be unlocked. The Wheelie Bikes (as well as the actual enemies) appear the way they did as a helper in Kirby Super Star. King Dedede also uses Wheelie when racing. In addition to the Wheelie Bike, Kirby can also unlock and use other Wheelies. These are known as the Rex Wheelie and the Wheelie Scooter.

Kirby Mass Attack
Wheelie appears in the Kirby Brawlball sub-game as an obstacle in the Heavy Lobster stage.

Other Games
In each of these games, they all act the way they did in Kirby's Adventure. As usual, Wheelie gives the Wheel ability when inhaled.


 * Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
 * Kirby's Block Ball
 * Kirby: Canvas Curse
 * Kirby's Dream Course
 * Kirby: Squeak Squad

In the Anime
Wheelie appears as the main foe in the episode Born to Be Mild - Part II. It looks like a Helper Wheelie but much larger, though it is not to be confused with Grand Wheelie. Wheelie is a transformed state of Fang, the leader of a gang of bikers looking for the legendary biker, Steppenwolf.

When Fang attends King Dedede's second annual Cappy Town Grand Prix, Steppenwolf comes out of nowhere and bests Fang again just like he did last time in the past. Consumed by his rage, Fang transforms into Wheelie in a dire, final attempt to wreak havoc and defeat Steppenwolf. Luckily, Kirby intervenes and swallows a spare tire on the racetrack and became Wheel Kirby, who is easily able to outrun Wheelie. Dedede tries to give Wheelie an upper hand by activating a myriad of traps set inside the racetrack, but the plan backfires and causes Wheelie to lose control. Wheelie eventually crashes and lands on top of the statue in the middle of the stadium, which causes the whole stadium to crumble. Luckily there were no casualties except for Wheelie/ Fang, who's flaming wreckage was spotted a few feet away from the ruins alongside Steppenwolf.

Trivia

 * Wheelie, particularly his helper design, is a likely inspiration for Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Adventure Mode enemy, Roader, an enemy which has the same attack and a similar design.
 * In Kirby Super Star and its remake, Wheelie is the only helper that poses differently than Kirby on its ability icon.
 * In Kirby: Canvas Curse, he is drawn by Paint Roller in Paint Panic.
 * Mace Knight's dismay in the "Wheelies are abandoning ship" line may be from the belief that rats only leave a ship when it is doomed.
 * Strangely, the Wheelies that are spawned by Grand Wheelie don't actually give the Wheel ability, and in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, they use a pink palette.
 * The Pokémon Whirlipede also bears a resemblance to Wheelie.
 * In Kirby Air Ride, the Wheelie Bike and Scooter can be seen blinking if viewed from the side while in motion.