| “ | Dig and burrow with sharp claws!” |
| — Kirby Battle Royale - Kirby's 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll |
Animal is one of Kirby's Copy Abilities, debuting in Kirby: Squeak Squad.
General Information
Animal is an ability that debuted in Kirby: Squeak Squad, and has only appeared in that game to date. It is very powerful but it comes at a loss of speed. Its main feature is its ability to dig through dirt, some snow, or clouds, unique to the Animal ability itself and Triple Star, an ability which is only obtainable at the end of the game. Many of its moves revolve around this gimmick, and focus being able to dig while still simultaneously taking out foes at the same time. Its attacks are based on primal and animalistic characteristics, such as mauling foes with his sharp, broad claws.
The power is scarcely found without dirt around, but by the same token there is hardly any dirt without a Gaw Gaw around. This power does not work underwater.
Moveset
| Move | Controls | Description | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claw Swipe | B | A basic slash. It has a very small range but is fairly powerful. If Kirby is next to a diggable material, it will be destroyed, and Kirby will move forward. | None |
| Maul | →→ B | Kirby jumps forward. If he collides with an enemy, he will grab the enemy, slash it three times, and jump off. As with all grab attacks, it doesn't affect bosses and mid-bosses (not even when they're defeated), and is an instant KO. | None |
| Cling | Go onto a diggable ceiling and press ↑. | Kirby clings to a dirt ceiling. | None |
| Cling Dig | ↑ + B (while clinging) | Kirby will slash upwards, destroying dirt, and he will move upwards. | None |
| Dig | ↓ + B (When on top of dirt) | Kirby will slash downwards, destroying dirt, and he will crawl down. | None |
| Drill Dig | →/↓+ B (Midair) | Only after getting the Animal Scroll can Kirby use this move. Kirby will spin like a drill and charge through, depending on the direction the player chose. This will plow through dirt. Kirby cannot be hurt while performing this move. | None |
Flavor Texts
| Game | Flavor text |
|---|---|
 | You love dirt! DIG! Sweet dirt! DIG! DIG! DIG! DIG!! Can't dig everywhere... |
In Other Languages
The Animal ability's name varies throughout different languages. In Japanese, it is アニマル (Animaru), meaning Animal, and in German, it is Tier, meaning Animal. In Spanish, however, it is Salvaje, meaning Wild. In French, it is again Animal, and similarly, in Italian, it is Animale. The Chinese name is 鼹鼠 (Yǎn shǔ), meaning Mole; this refers to Animal Kirby's ability to dig.
Trivia
- If Kirby doesn't move for a few seconds while he has this ability, he'll scratch his right "ear" with his foot.
- This is one of the few abilities to change the appearance of Kirby's hands. Others include Ghost, where Kirby's hands become ghost-like, UFO, where his hands disappear entirely, Burning, where his hands catch flame, and ESP, where his hands hold psychic energy.
- Animal, along with Cutter, Circus and Spider, are the only Copy Abilities to include eyes as part of their design.
- In a 1993 interview, Satoru Iwata mentioned that the Animal ability was originally planned to appear in Kirby's Adventure.[1]
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