Gordo

"He has a spiky body but soft eyes. It's just better to avoid him."

- Gordo's Cast Description

Gordo (Gordow in Kirby's Pinball Land) is an obstacle and sometimes a weapon in the Kirby series.

Gordo is an enemy, but he doesn't really hunt the player. He can't be defeated by anything, and Kirby can't inhale him; all he can do is avoid this foe or force him down to a pit or out of play. Gordos are also used as weapons by certain bosses.

Gordo is a small, blue, metal ball with two big eyes, and he has 8 spikes on him that move in and out in unison. Gordos normally float in patterns in the air, either stationary, moving in a pattern back and forth, or sometimes up and down. They also bounce around fast, but rarely.

Gordos change very little from game to game, and almost always have the same look and form of attacking.

Kirby's Dream Land
This is Gordo's first appearance. He appears in every level except Green Greens on normal difficulty. If Kirby is hit by Gordo in this game it will cost him dearly as Gordo takes away three HP, which is half of his maximum health. Gordo can even be found underwater. The only way they can be defeated is when the player is at Mt. Dedede and touches the imposter Kirby.

Gordo is not replaced in Extra Mode, however the Gordos that were already there now move faster and more erratically. Also, many of the bosses and mid-bosses now incorporate Gordo into their attacks such as Whispy Woods dropping them from his branches or Lololo kicking them along with his boxes.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Gordo's behavior hasn't changed from Kirby's Dream Land, except he no longer takes away three HP, making him less of a threat. This behavior is used in all other Kirby games following.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
Gordo makes an appearance in almost every sub-game of the original and its remake. They retained their basic styles of either remaining in one spot or moving in a set pattern and flash yellow intermediately with their standard color to denote their invincibility. They are usually in locations that are inconvenient to the player, such as a windy area or a path the player needs to take, thus making it more likely for them to hit and damage Kirby. Gordos also feature as attacks used by Whispy Woods and Twin Woods, and also prominently used by bosses in Revenge of the King from the remake, most noticeably Kabula, who uses them as projectiles shot from her cannon. Lololo and Lalala use boxes and Gordos to hurt Kirby by pushing them.

Kirby's Dream Land 3
Gordo actually appears in a variety of sub-games that Kirby must complete to get Heart Stars. In this version, Gordo comes in a variety of different colors and expressions. For most of the games, Kirby must correctly identify the right Gordo from a group of others. Also, there is a Gordo mid-boss named Captain Stitch, who, although he is a Gordo, can be damaged.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Gordo appears in a few levels in the game, retaining his characteristics from previous games; he's invincible and moves back and forth, up and down, or remains still, serving as an obstacle. Although Gordo appears rarely in the game, (only about 2-3 levels contain Gordos) mixing the Needle and Bomb Copy Abilities allows Kirby to transform into a replica of Captain Stitch, a boss from Kirby's Dream Land 3 who greatly resembles Gordo, but with a mean expression in his eyes (while Gordo's is docile). Gordo can be defeated in the fight with Acro, by beating Acro while there is a Gordo on screen; Acro will occasionally spit out Gordos at Kirby along with other scraps like Bonehead and skulls. Gordo will "pop" the same way any other enemy does when defeated. Gordo's card is #14 on page 2/9.

Kirby Air Ride
Gordo appears as an item in this game that can be obtained from Green Boxes, however, there was a mistranslation and he was called 'Golden Spikes.' The item allows Kirby to throw three massive, building-sized Gordos at his enemies. These cause massive damage if a another racer hits them. But if the person is hit by something while holding them, he drops the item and said item stays the size as he was carrying it, and not building-sized, which is about 1/5th the size. He also appears as an obstacle in Air Ride courses, especially in Time Trial Mode.

Kirby Mass Attack
Gordo appears as an enemy in the main game, Field Frenzy, and Strato Patrol EOS. If a Kirby touches him, that Kirby will be instantly KO'd. Gordos rarely move, and giant versions of them exist. Examining the game's coding reveals that three Gordos went unused: A finished sprite of a Gordo in a bubble, beta sprites of a Gordo-Blipper creature, and beta sprites of a Gordo that would have been an opponent in Kirby Quest.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition
Gordo acts like he does in most games. Gordo appears in the Sword, Hi-Jump, Bomb, Water, Wing, and Item Challenges of Kirby's Return to Dream Land. He appears in the New Challenge Stages in Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition as well. He appears in the Wing Challenge, the Smash Combat Chamber EX, and Magolor Race 1, 2, and EX.

In Other Games
In Kirby: Canvas Curse, it is drawn in Paint Panic.

Similar enemies called Sea Urchins appear in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Toronbo Shores, but Sea Urchins are not invincible. They also appear in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins in certain places.



Gordos later appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as part of one of King Dedede's attacks. He will occasionally throw a Gordo instead of Waddle Dee or Waddle Doo. These Gordos are much more powerful and deal much more damage but are much more rare than the other two enemies. Gordos are known to home in on opponents. Gordos also appear in his Final Smash, the Waddle Dee Army, along with Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos.

Gordo also appears as a Trophy and a Sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The sticker uses his design from Kirby: Squeak Squad.

Gordo may also be the inspiration for the enemy Jyk in Super Smash Bros Brawl's Subspace Emissary as they share the same purpose; indestructible enemy that floats around, usually in a set pattern.

Trivia

 * "Gordo" means "Fat" in Spanish and Portuguese.
 * Gordo's name could also come from the word "gore," which means to pierce or stab. This is appropriate since Gordo is covered in sharp spikes.
 * Captain Stitch, who appears to be a Gordo, isn't invincible if he doesn't have his spikes. This might mean if a Gordo gets rid of his spikes, then Kirby could defeat it. This can't be proven, however.
 * Gordo's attack pattern is very similar to that of a Spark from Super Mario Bros. 2.
 * Gordos can be destroyed in a few games in the series. In Kirby Mass Attack, Freezy Rex can destroy Gordos by touching them; in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Magolor's third form and Magolor Soul conjure and throw Gordos and Giant Gordos, which explode when they hit the ground. Also, in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, some Gordos can be knocked off the stage by a Super Ability.
 * Blado, an enemy from Kirby: Canvas Curse, bears a striking resemblance to Gordo from Kirby's Block Ball.
 * Although Gordos are usually shown without a mouth, Kirby's Dream Land's box art depicts one as having a small mouth.