Kracko

"KRRR-RACKK!!!! Dance to my deadly music, or fry like a moth! HA HA!!"

- Kracko

Kracko is a recurring boss character from the Kirby series. It first appeared as a boss in Kirby's Dream Land and has appeared in almost every game since then. Kracko is most often fought in its full form, but is sometimes fought in its premature form, known as Kracko Jr., before Kracko in its full form is encountered. Kracko appears to have legions of monsters, usually one-eyed creatures, supporting it, such as Waddle Doo and Flamer, both of which it summons to its side in various fights. Kracko is often fought high up the the clouds. The manual from Kirby's Dream Land describes Kracko as a "lightning fast foe".

Physical appearance
Kracko is a puffy cloud-like monster. It has a large single eye located in the center of its soft, cloudy body. In almost all depictions of Kracko, the top of its cloud is a light blue, and its bottom is a light pink. The midsection of Kracko's body is white. Surrounding the perimeter of the cloud are 10-16 golden spikes (usually 12). This design remains constant in its anime appearance.

Kracko Jr. is Kracko's premature form. Kracko rarely fights in this form, and is mainly shown whenever Kracko enters the arena, only to be replaced by its adult form shortly after. In the rare instances when he actually battles, Kracko Jr. is usually a miniboss. In this form it has the same blue eye as its regular form, except it doesn't have the cloud surrounding it. Instead, four round blobs orbit around its eye. Sometimes these globules have a slight pink or blue tint on them. In most cases, its only attacks are moving around like crazy and producing Waddle Doos.

Kirby's Dream Land
Kirby's Dream Land was Kracko's first appearance. Kracko is fought twice in Bubbly Clouds, once as a miniboss, and then again as the level's boss. The first battle takes place in the middle of the level and Kracko is in its premature form. The second time Kracko fights in its full form. Kracko Jr. attacks by summoning Waddle Doos, crashing into Kirby, and shooting up four bullet-like projectiles into the air which descend to the ground, and usually into Kirby. Once defeated, Kracko Jr.'s eye rolls off the screen and is not encountered until the end of the level. As the full Kracko, its attacks range from summoning Waddle Doos, crashing into Kirby, and emitting a blast of twinkling stars from its body. Beating Kracko gives Kirby access to the final level, Mt. Dedede.

In the Extra Game, the two fights become much harder. Kracko Jr. follows a very distinct pattern which is extremely hard to avoid, while Kracko is just the opposite. Kracko's attacks are easy to avoid but are very unpredictable. Kracko Jr. first attacks by shooting out bullets, then follows up by bouncing around the arena, and then finishes the pattern by dropping bombs. the second fight is almost the same, but is now unpredictable and the Waddle Doos are replaced with bombs.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Kracko is the boss of Grape Garden.

Before the actual fight ensues, Kirby starts off on a long cloud with a Starman approaching him, and Kracko Jr. looming overhead. Kirby must go up a series of clouds to reach the actual arena (Hi-Jump is recommended), and Kracko Jr. destroys the platforms that Kirby stands on, which could cause him to fall to his demise far below. After reaching the top cloud, Kracko Jr. transforms into it full form, and Kirby is now forced to actually fight. It has the same attacks it had in Kirby's Dream Land, but now summons Starmen (instead of Waddle Doos) and doesn't use its bullet move or its star attack.

This was the first game that Kracko Jr. is fought during the same battle as Kracko. This also marks one of the few games that it appears in and does not serve as a mini-boss.

Kirby's Dream Land 2
Kracko is the boss of Level 6, Cloudy Park.

Perhaps the most unorthodox Kracko fight in the series, Kracko is first fought as an eyeball sticking out of the cloud Kirby is standing on. In this form it attacks by shooting a small beam from its eye and advances towards Kirby. occasionally, Kracko floats up from the platform in the form of Kracko Jr. and flies about the arena shooting out Co-Krackos (simply small versions of Kracko with only four spikes). It can also shoot the four round blobs surrounding its body at Kirby in the form of a huge blast. When the blast lands on the floor a cataclysmic explosion occurs. After Kirby lands enough hits, Kracko Jr. explodes and its eye rolls across the cloud. Then, Kracko Jr. files back up and builds itself up to its full form. In its full form, Kracko retains its star attack, yet it is now concentrated in the form of a thin laser which is aimed at Kirby.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
In Kirby Super Star, Kracko appears in both forms in the sub-game Spring Breeze, a remake of Kirby's Dreamland. In Spring Breeze, Kracko once again appears in Bubbly Clouds. In Milky Way Wishes, Kracko serves as the boss of Skyhigh. Kracko has all of its attacks from Kirby's Dreamland but now has a new rainstorm attack, where it showers Kirby with heavy raindrops. Kracko also appears in The Arena in its full form in this game.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kracko now displays anger when attacking. Kracko and Kracko Jr. both make an appearance in Revenge of the King and The True Arena as Kracko's Revenge and Kracko Jr.'s Revenge, respectively. In Milky Way Wishes and Helper to Hero (where he serves as the third boss), Kracko gets an alternate color palette with his body now darker and his spikes orange. Kracko also gets a new defeat animation, where it starts to disappear, leaving only its eye, which promptly explodes.

Kirby's Dream Land 3
Though Kracko himself doesn't really appear, a painting of him is drawn by Ado at the end of Cloudy Park. This painting attacks in the same manner as the real deal, and even spawns Co-Krackos much like the real thing did in Kirby's Dream Land 2.

Kracko is the last drawing made by Ado, and thus has the most amount of health and is arguably the hardest to defeat. After this drawing is defeated, Ado steps onto the battlefield to fight Kirby himself.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
Kracko is the boss of worlds 3-4 and 6-4. He attacks with side-to-side movements, advancing when it reaches a side. He leaves a trail of Gordos behind him while he moves. When facing him in world 6-4, he will attack with a new move; a lightning blast which has surprising accuracy that travels downwards. To defeat Kracko, you must grab a G-Balloon, and shoot puffs of air at him. He moves faster after each hit, which means you need to have very good aim.

Kirby and the Amazing Mirror
Kracko is, surprisingly, the boss of Mustard Mountain and serves as the third boss in the game. This is currently the only time Kracko isn't fought in a cloudy environment. Beating it gives Kirby the third Mirror Shard. Although Krakco's sprite comes directly from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, its attacks are almost completely different.

Kracko has the same attacks as it did in Kirby Super Star, including its rainstorm attack. In addition to summoning Waddle Doos, Kracko may also summon Twisters and Flamers during the battle. These can be swallowed for abilities or used as ammo against Kracko.

Kracko Jr. also appears in the game, but is only as a design-element, and is not a component of the battle in any way. Kracko Jr. comes onto the screen for a brief second or two and then morphs directly into the regular Kracko.

Kirby Air Ride
Kracko appears as an item in Top Ride mode. When picked up, it will fly around until it locks onto a player. Upon doing so, it stops and attack the player with lightning. Upon attacking the other players up to three times with lightning barrages, it flies off the screen. The item, before being picked up, resembles an eye surrounded by eight golden spikes.

Kirby: Squeak Squad
Main article: Mecha Kracko

Although Kracko doesn't truly appear in Kirby: Squeak Squad, Doc appears as the boss of Cushy Clouds, and uses a mech that is made in the likeness of Kracko himself. During the fight, he will do the ground sweep, summon Waddle Doos, Starmen, and Waddle Dees, create an electric field, and lastly destroy and recreate the cloudy platforms.

This machine has four large, copper spikes protruding from each corner of its body, a green eye, and a cloak of gray, stormy clouds.

In the Anime
"Sorry, your majesty, but our contract says that Kracko can't be sent backo! HA HA!!"

- NME Sales guy

Kracko is one of the first few monsters ordered by King Dedede. It stars in the episode Dark and Stormy Knight, where it invades Cappy Town and makes the sky dark and cloudy, and the weather all stormy.

Because of its immense size, Kracko couldn't be sent to the King via the transporter in his castle. Instead, Kracko appeared in Cappy Town along a violent storm front. Kracko spends most of its time surrounded by the stormy gray clouds over Cappy Town sending down powerful green lighting bolts. Using his Warp Star and by inhaling the clouds surrounding Kracko, Kirby is able to face the monster. Kracko attacks with lightning bolts generated from its spikes, and even combines several lightning bolts to form a lightning sword. Kirby inhales the sword and gains the Sword ability, then cuts Kracko in half using Sword Beam, destroying the monster and putting an end to the short-lived storm plaguing Dream Land.

Kracko was one of the few full-scale bosses in the series, except Nightmare himself, to make an appearance as a Demon Beast in the anime. The next would be sixteen episodes later, when Ice Dragon was introduced. The only other two bosses to appear were Paint Roller and Heavy Lobster, both of which were encountered in the later half of the series.