Ninja

"Use stealthy skills learned from secret techniques known from ancient times."

- Collectible description

Ninja is one of Kirby's Copy Abilities that first appears in Kirby Super Star.

General Information
It is best known for being one of the fastest abilities, meaning it is able to deal steady damage in a short amount of time. It is also one of the rarest abilities, as only two regular enemies in the Kirby series yield it when inhaled.

In order to do sufficient damage, Kirby must execute many attacks at a time. This is because Ninja is predominantly projectile-based. Because these projectiles are weak on their own, Kirby must remain at a safe distance and throw tons of them at the enemy. This is where Ninja Kirby's quick reflexes come in handy. This ability also allows to cling to walls and jump-climb them.

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Ninja was given more properties based off the stereotypical ninja rather than the traditional kind demonstrated in Kirby Super Star. These properties entail walking on water and harnessing "jutsu" (simply Japanese for method or technique).

The Ninja hat originally had the same design as the Stone hat, only with different colors, along with a different skin tone for Kirby in Kirby Super Star Ultra. As of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby wears a skullcap with a metal forehead piece imprinted with a star insignia. He wields a katana like he does in the anime, which replaces his kunai from previous games.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Ninja appears in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! in episode 24, Ninja Binge, which is its only appearance in the series. In the anime, Kirby shows moves that can't be performed in the games. In the transformation sequence, an energy shuriken forms from a flash of light. Autumn leaves blowing in the wind surround Kirby. The shuriken and leaves vanish, forming his hat. He then pulls out a ninjato.

In the Super Smash Bros. series
Air Drop is used as Kirby's up throw in the Super Smash Bros. series (forward throw in Super Smash Bros.). Ninja Kirby appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The trophy uses his design from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

Related Quotes
"Making his debut in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. If you copy its ability, Kirby can become a master of the ninja arts! With a variety of useful skills like Knife Throw and Blossom Storm, you might want to remain a ninja forever!"

- Trophy description

"Use ninja attacks to take down foes!"

- Kirby Battle Royale - Kirby's 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll

Trivia

 * In the Super Smash Bros. series, Kirby could use a similar move to Ninja's Kunai Throw by inhaling Sheik.
 * His upwards throw in these games is the Air Drop attack.
 * The hanzi/kanji used for Kirby: Squeak Squad ' s flavor text (忍) means "do by stealth, endure".
 * In the Ninja ability's Kirby Super Star artwork, Kirby's skin is pink, however, in the game, Kirby's skin is purple. This was corrected in promotional artwork of Kirby Super Star Ultra.
 * In one piece of Kirby: Squeak Squad artwork, Ninja Kirby appears to be wearing a short mantle on his back, similar to the one worn in the anime. This is not seen in-game, in which it is still a palette swap of Stone (from the Game Boy Advance games).
 * In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and many games that followed it, if Kirby is swimming on the surface of a bed of water with this ability, he will dive right on the surface and breath through a bamboo straw instead of wearing an inner-tube. When he uses his Water Gun attack, water shoots upward out of the bamboo, damaging enemies next to or above him.
 * In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Ninja Kirby can walk on water. On water, he can jump and use all of his attacks, but can't wall cling.
 * Kirby's Ninja Scroll attack switches its element to water instead of fire when walking on water.
 * In Kirby: Squeak Squad, if Ninja Kirby is standing still, he will be in a fighting stance.
 * Ninja Kirby attacks using kunai; however, they are meant for stabbing rather than being used as a throwing weapon in real life.
 * Despite the fact that the current icon for Ninja Kirby depicts a shuriken, he hasn't been able to use shurikens since Kirby: Squeak Squad.
 * Kirby's appearance and abilities in Kirby Super Star seems to be inspired by the character Takamaru from The Mysterious Murasame Castle.
 * In the game Kirby Battle Royale, Ninja Kirby has a new attack where he throws out a clockwork mechanical bomb on treads with a wind-up key in its back, which moves forward on its own. Resembling a wooden doll of Kirby, it appears to be inspired by Karakuri puppets.
 * Also in Kirby Battle Royale, Ninja Kirby has been shown to possess a new variation on Elemental Jutsu, Pyrotechnics, where he creates a flaming tornado a short distance ahead of himself.

Other Ability Icons
Ninja Ninja Ninja Ninja ニンジャ Ninja 忍者