Spark

"Mash on the +Control Pad, charge up your power, and create an energy barrier! With the Spark ability, you can even fire plasma shots through the terrain!"

Spark is one of Kirby's copy abilities that allows him to surround himself in sparks of electricity, shocking any enemy that comes near.

General Information
Plasma and Spark are sometimes seen as interchangeable, as Spark had later begun exhibiting properties previously seen only in Plasma. In the anime series, Spark Kirby uses long distance attacks like Plasma's energy blasts. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the upgraded Spark allows Kirby to charge up and fire a long-range attack. Spark is considered to be Plasma's answer to more defensive abilities like Needle or Freeze. Their own ability caps also had very similar designs, implying a larger connection. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Plasma's moves from Kirby Super Star were fully integrated into Spark, effectively merging the two abilities.

In earlier appearances, this ability didn't create a field of electricity but rather shot small, exploding blasts of electricity from Kirby (or Sparky). Since Kirby's Dream Land 3, it was changed into a shocking force field, sometimes with sparks trailing across the ground.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
In the anime, Kirby has green skin. The crown is changed slightly to just a round blue orb in a simple circlet. It also becomes more of a long-distance defense move like Plasma, with Kirby launching orbs of crackling energy and shooting electric beams at his foes. He also retains the ability to sprout electricity from his body exactly like in the games. In the transformation sequence, the orb slams onto Kirby's forehead. The top of his head catches on blue fire. The blue fire disappears as soon as the blue sparks appear and Kirby turns green. Spark is one of two abilities in the anime to successfully defeat a threat every time Kirby uses it (the other being Crash).

Trivia

 * In its artwork from Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, it appears to have a design later seen in the anime. This was corrected in later artwork.
 * Curiously, the Spark ability was not used in the anime until the end of the show's run. By that time, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land was over a year old. It is likely that Spark Kirby's anime design was finalized before the game was released and long before it was featured in any episodes.
 * In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, the electricity on Spark's hat solidifies.
 * More enemies yield the Spark ability than any other Copy Ability in the series, with a total of 18 (12 enemies carry the ability themselves, six shoot projectiles that carry the ability).
 * The flavor text for Spark in Kirby: Triple Deluxe references the fact that its moveset has been merged with Plasma's.

Other Ability Icons
スパーク