Medal

Medals are special items that can be collected and can also be used to unlock new items in-game that can't be unlocked otherwise. In many cases, they are awarded to the player after a stage or sub-game is completed based on his/her score.

Kirby: Canvas Curse
Medals first appear in Kirby: Canvas Curse, where they are scattered around all the levels in the game. There are nine in each level and three per stage, with the exception of The World of Drawcia, which has two medals in its one stage. Once Kirby has collected enough medals, they can then be exchanged for various items in Medal Swap, like a new course, a Health boost, a new line color or certain music for the Sound Player. In Rainbow Run, eighteen can be obtained in each level, six in each stage: three for Time Trial and Line Trial. The World of Drawcia is not included in Rainbow Run due to the fact that it only has one stage, and is replaced by the special course. The special course boasts 48 medals, six for each of its eight stages (which have to be bought with medals). Sub-games, on their hardest difficulty, can also give a medal, but these are very hard to obtain. There are a total of 250 medals to be collected.

Kirby Mass Attack
The medals make another appearance in Kirby Mass Attack, having the same purpose as they did in Kirby: Canvas Curse. They can be found in all stages (except for boss stages), with each stage having either three or five medals that can be found. Items are now unlocked automatically in the Extras, which can be accessed in any level on the upper left part of the touch screen. Based on how many medals the player has, different unlockables can be unlocked such as sub-games and the common Sound Player.

Medals come in a normal yellow-brown color, while there are some that are bright rainbow colors. These are known as rainbow medals, which are said to contain incredible energy. Rainbow medals are important to collect, as they are necessary to unlock the island of Necro Nebula. If the Kirbys miss a medal in a stage, they can visit Daroach's Airship to get a hint from Daroach about its location.

Because Kirby obtains physical medals in stages, the player is awarded stars for reaching exit doors; as such, they serve as rewards rather than collectible items. He/she earns a gold star by completing the stage without taking damage, a silver star by completing the stage without letting any Kirbys be KO'd, and a bronze star by completing the stage without losing a Kirby completely. If the player loses a Kirby, uses a Shortcut Door, or fails the stage, he/she is awarded nothing. Various Checklist tasks require the player to achieve gold or silver stars.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition, and Kirby: Triple Deluxe
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition, medals are awarded after Kirby completes a Challenge stage. He can earn a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum medal depending on his score. King Dedede can win his own medals in Kirby: Triple Deluxe ' s Dedede's Drum Dash sub-game (as well as the downloadable Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe).

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
Medals reappear in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. They are awarded after a stage is completed based on the number of stars Kirby collected. The possible medal types are bronze, silver, and gold. Kirby can unlock Challenges by collecting a certain number of gold medals. When he collects them all, he unlocks the Drawcia figurine.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot
Medals are obtained like in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition, though Challenge stages do not return. King Dedede can win his own medals in Kirby: Triple Deluxe ' s Dedede's Drum Dash sub-game (as well as the downloadable Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe). Kirby can win medals in Kirby: Planet Robobot ' s Team Kirby Clash sub-game. If the player earns a platinum medal on all quests in the latter sub-game, he/she receives the message: "Platinum on All Quests!"

Trivia

 * An early screenshot of Kirby: Canvas Curse suggests that medals were intended to be gold rather than bronze.

Related Quotes
"Legend has it that rainbows hold mysterious power. But maybe it's more than just a legend..."

- Daroach

"I've caught wind of special medals that shine like a rainbow. Those medals must be full of rainbow power, I'd guess. No doubt something special will happen if you collect enough rainbow medals."

- Daroach