Kirby's Duel Role

Kirby's Duel Role is the 3rd episode of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. This episode is notable for Kirby's duel with Meta Knight and the first of a few appearances of the Sword Copy Ability.

Synopsis
King Dedede orders Meta Knight to battle with Kirby. Dedede and Escargoon were watching Kirby fail the duel and orders a swords extraordinaire, Bugzzy. To fight the monster, Kirby inhaled his sword and defeated it using sword beam.

Episode Summary
The episode starts off when Tiff and Tuff try to warn Kirby about something, but Melman interrupts, saying he has a letter for Kirby. Tiff opens the letter and realizes that it's from Meta Knight. The letter reads as:
 * "Honorable Kirby,
 * As a fellow Star Warrior you are required to accept my challenge. I hereby request a battle with you."

Torkori tells all the villagers in Cappy Town that Meta Knight wants to battle Kirby. Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby go to Kabu Valley and explain to Kirby that they know why Meta Knight wants to challenge him. They saw him go to King Dedede's throne room. The King told Meta Knight to challenge Kirby to a duel. Meta Knight, knowing King Dedede's secret, asks him why he doesn't order a monster. King Dedede acts like he doesn't know. Meta Knight says that he knows that the NME transporter is also located in the throne room. Enraged, Kind Dedede tells Meta Knight to fight Kirby or he will be accused of treason. Meta Knight accepts the king's orders. King Dedede asks this of Meta Knight to find out Kirby's weakness.Tiff and Tuff tell Kirby to escape, but Meta Knight along with Blade Knight and Sword Knight appears and tells them that there is no way to escape, and said when Kirby came, he thought Kirby had came prepared. Then he tells Kirby,"I'll show you how serious this is!" and pulls out his sword Galaxia and starts slashing at Kirby with it. Tiff tells Kirby to use his suck up power. Kirby does it, but it has no effect on Meta Knight. Meta Knight exclaims that Kirby is powerful but he cannot suck up large or heavy opponents. Tiff tells Meta Knight that he isn't large or heavy, but he says that he has other ways of defending himself.

Meta Knight tells Sword Knight to give Kirby a way to defend himself. Sword throws his sword to Kirby, which is both too big and heavy for Kirby to handle. Meta Knight and Kirby duel, but Kirby is easily walloped by Meta Knight. Meta Knight tells Kirby that the best offense is a good defense. Meta Knight once again pummels Kirby and throws him against the cliff, causing rocks to fall on him.It turns out King Dedede and Escargoon were watching him, and found out Kirby's "weakness". They then left to the castle, where Dedede said he had an idea.



Kirby gets up and continues to fight Meta Knight. Meta Knight then explains to Kirby to focus his energy in the sword. Meta Knight then jumps in the air and creates a giant Sword Beam that cut through the ground, creating a huge crevice. He says that when you focus the energy on the sword, releasing it would create the Sword Beam. He does yet another one, creating another huge crevice in the ground. Meta Knight explains to Kirby that Sword Beam allows the user to use all their power in one concentrated attack. He tells Kirby to try and focus his energy. Kirby falls asleep, which turns out to be his way of focusing his energy. He tries attacking Kirby, who quickly wakes up. He then pushes him out of the way, saving him from a boulder that just fell. Blinded by dust, Meta Knight searches for Kirby who is carried away by Tiff, Tuff, and Lololo and Lalala.



At the castle, Dedede orders Bugzzy, who Customer Service explains, is a swordsbug extrordinare. Meanwhile, Meta Knight looks for Kirby in fear that Dedede has ordered a monster with a mastery in swordsmanship. Tiff and Tuff consult Kabu and asked if Meta Knight was here to talk to him. Kabu tells him that he came here to talk about the threat of the planet. He explains that Nightmare Enterprises created monsters who they sell to costumers like King Dedede, but Nightmare made one mistake. He created a monster that wouldn't obey him and he feared that it would destroy him. Tiff then deduces that the rogue monster must have been Kirby, and Tuff then states that this must have been why Nightmare Enterprises was more than willing to sell demon beasts to Dedede and then asks Kabu how he knows all this. Kabu explains to them that it was Meta Knight that told him this info.



King Dedede finds Kirby under the protection of Tiff, Tuff, and Lololo and Lalala. They run away with Dedede chasing them, but Tiff trips on a rock and Kirby flies off the stretcher he was being carried on. King Dedede then sics Bugzzy on Kirby. Bugzzy tries slashing Kirby with his sword and smashing him with his club. Meta Knight asks why Dedede ordered ordered a monster if he was going to battle Kirby. Escragoon laughs and tells him that they were only using him to find Kirby's weakness. Tiff tells Kirby to suck up Bugzzy, but he proves to be too big and heavy for Kirby to suck up. Tiff tells Kirby to suck up his sword and he, with a little help form Meta Knight, manages to suck it up, transforming into SwordKirby. Bugzzy, seeing Kirby's new form, brings out two large swords. Kirby, too, made his sword larger. Both Kirby and Bugzzy enter in a small skirmish. Meta Knight reminds Kirby to focus his energy. Kirby then focuses his energy, causing him to fall asleep, fooling King Dedede. Bugzzy approaches Kirby and tries to attack him. Before he gets a chance though, Kirby jumps up in the air and does the mighty Sword Beam. Bugzzy is completely split in half and explodes, being destroyed. An enraged King Dedede goes to kill Kirby himself, but Meta Knight blocks the way. He kicks King Dedede's car, causing it to fall backwards and crash.

Changes in the dub

 * This is one of the few episodes with profanity culturally appropriate for a Japanese children's show but inappropriate for the equivalent American audience. For example, Tuff saying a bad word and King Dedede saying a bad word are removed. Here Comes the Son, Sword and Blade, Loyal and True / Hour of the WolfWrath, War of the Woods, Snack Attack - Part II, A Half-Baked Battle, Crusade for the Blade, Fitness Fiend, Masher 2.0 and The School Scam are several other episodes with the same censoring.
 * The scene were Meta Knight slapped Kirby in the beginning of their battle was removed from the dub, because it was too violent to be watched by kids.
 * The dialogue between Meta Knight and King Dedede were changed. In the original, Meta Knight said, "How absurd. I am King Dedede's faithful servant!" whereas in the dub he says "It pains me to do this, but I must do this."

Trivia

 * Though Bugzzy would usually give the Backdrop or Suplex in the games, in the anime he gives the Sword ability. The reason may be that Kirby just inhaled the sword.
 * When Kirby first sees Bugzzy, he appears gloveless. Throughout the rest of the episode however, Bugzzy has a pair of cream-colored gloves on.
 * At one point while Dedede is talking to Meta Knight, the top of Meta Knight's head is blue-green.
 * During the part where Dedede is telling Meta Knight to get rid of Kirby, Escargoon turns his head. After he turns his head, Escargoon has two chins.