ESP

“	Disappear with mind powers, just like magic, and revel in the effects when you use to tap into your powers! Also, use PK Insight to guard yourself, and release a psychokinetic charge with PK Electroshift! It's an ESPecially good time!”
	— Flavor text • Kirby Star Allies

ESP is a Copy Ability in the Kirby series, debuting in Kirby: Planet Robobot.

Games[]

Kirby: Planet Robobot[]

ESP focuses on using telekinetic abilities to deal damage and evade attacks. ESP can create an electric projectile that can be freely moved around, turn invisible, and has a special guard that can initiate one of two counterattacks depending on when the guard was initiated. Its electricity allows it to power wires to solve certain puzzles. ESP can be used by Robobot Armor to generate giant spheres of electricity. ESP can be obtained from the NESP enemy, the Telepathos mid-boss, and the Ness, Lucas, Mewtwo, and Shulk amiibo.

Techniques[]

Move	Controls	Description	Element	Damage
Psychokinesis	Press and release	Kirby creates an electric field that explodes immediately.	Zap	16
PK Shift	Hold +	Kirby creates an electric field that can be controlled. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly, causing him to be in the air if originally on the ground; this move only elevates Kirby twice until he touches the ground again, preventing him from being able to gain infinite height from this move (albeit slowly).	Zap	16 (all hits)
PK Electroshift	Hold for a long time before moving	Kirby's PK Shift becomes larger and more powerful. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly; this move only elevates Kirby if he hasn't released PK Shift beforehand, and only happens once.	Zap	24 (held hits), 32 (explosion)
Vanish	Dash + hold	Kirby disappears into psychic energy. While vanished, Kirby's position can be influenced. His maximum horizontal distance is eight tiles (halfway across the screen normally) and his maximum vertical distance is two tiles. Kirby can gain some height from repeated usage, but its ability to travel vertically decays with use until it cannot any longer. Kirby cannot move through solid objects and terrain during this attack, as he is simply invisible. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24
Reappear	Vanish, then release	Kirby reappears in a burst of psychic energy after releasing the B button or after 2.5 seconds. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24, 18 (if just after Vanish)
PK Evade	/ right before getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a small bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	18 (all hits)
PK Insight	/ when getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a large, powerful bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	80 (all hits)

Robobot Armor[]

Move	Controls	Description	Element
Psithunder	Press and release	The Robobot Armor's hands turn palms up, each forming a orb of electricity. While holding them, they can damage enemies and objects; the Robobot Armor can also move and jump while holding them. When released, the orbs of electricity are sent upward with an arcing trajectory.	Zap
Psithunder Flash	Hold longer, and then release	The Robobot Armor's Psithunder balls become larger and purple. While holding them, they can damage enemies and objects; the Robobot Armor can also move and jump while holding them. When released, four orbs of electricity are sent upward with an arcing trajectory.	Zap
Psistorm	+	The Robobot Armor raises its hands, forming four balls of electricity above that rain down at the same time, each with random lateral variance.	Zap

Kirby Star Allies[]

ESP can now use its Zap element to enhance other Copy Abilities. It can also once again power wires, in addition to electrifying the surface of water and powering lights. It has a Friend Ability that allows it to lift stones and drop them to destroy Durable Blocks and pound Stake Batteries. In addition to being obtained from NESP, which is its Friend, ESP can also be obtained from Void Termina's/Void Soul's/Void's attacks that create purple stars.

Techniques[]

Move	Controls		Description	Element	Damage
Move			Description	Element	Damage
Psychokinesis	Press and release	Press and release	Kirby creates an electric field that explodes immediately.	Zap	16
PK Shift	Hold + move	Hold + move	Kirby creates an electric field that can be controlled. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly, causing him to be in the air if originally on the ground.	Zap	16 (all hits)
PK Electroshift	Hold for a long time + move	Hold for a long time + move	Kirby's PK Shift becomes larger and more powerful. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly.	Zap	24 (held hits), 32 (explosion)
Vanish	Dash + press and hold	Dash + press and hold	Kirby disappears into psychic energy. While vanished, Kirby's position can be influenced. His maximum horizontal distance is eight tiles (halfway across the screen normally) and his maximum vertical distance is two tiles. Kirby can gain some height from repeated usage, but its ability to travel vertically decays with use until it cannot any longer. Kirby cannot move through solid objects and terrain during this attack, as he is simply invisible. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24
Reappear	Vanish, then release	Vanish, then release	Kirby reappears in a burst of psychic energy after releasing the B button or after 2.5 seconds. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24
PK Evade	/ right before getting hit	/ right before getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a small bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	18 (all hits)
PK Insight	/ when getting hit	/ when getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a large, powerful bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	80 (all hits)
Geokinesis	ESP + Stone		Kirby uses his psychic powers to lift a stone and carry it around in an electric field. Once the electric field explodes, the stone will drop. Upon landing, a bolt of lightning will strike and electricity will surge through the ground. This move can be used on any character that has a stone transformation, e.g. Rick & Kine & Coo's Stone Rick and Gooey's Stone Gooey; Rick's and Gooey's stones are always the same, whereas Stone's and Rocky's have multiple variants.	Zap	16 (electric field), 65 (stone drop), 16 (landing)

Move	Controls		Description	Element	Damage
Move			Description	Element	Damage
Psychokinesis	Press and release	Press and release	Kirby creates an electric field that explodes immediately.	Zap	16
PK Shift	Hold + move	Hold + move	Kirby creates an electric field that can be controlled. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly, causing him to be in the air if originally on the ground.	Zap	16 (all hits)
PK Electroshift	Hold for a long time + move	Hold for a long time + move	Kirby's PK Shift becomes larger and more powerful. The electric field explodes when B is released, after hitting an enemy or destructible object three times, or upon reaching the edge of the screen. When this move is performed, Kirby's position is elevated slightly.	Zap	24 (held hits), 32 (explosion)
Vanish	Dash + press and hold	Dash + press and hold	Kirby disappears into psychic energy. While vanished, Kirby's position can be influenced. His maximum horizontal distance is eight tiles (halfway across the screen normally) and his maximum vertical distance is two tiles. Kirby can gain some height from repeated usage, but its ability to travel vertically decays with use until it cannot any longer. Kirby cannot move through solid objects and terrain during this attack, as he is simply invisible. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24
Reappear	Vanish, then release	Vanish, then release	Kirby reappears in a burst of psychic energy after releasing the B button or after 2.5 seconds. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	24
PK Evade	/ right before getting hit	/ right before getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a small bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	18 (all hits)
PK Insight	/ when getting hit	/ when getting hit	Kirby vanishes to dodge an attack, then creates a large, powerful bubble of psychic energy to damage enemies around him. Kirby is invincible during this move.	Zap	80 (all hits)
Geokinesis	ESP + Stone		Kirby uses his psychic powers to lift a stone and carry it around in an electric field. Once the electric field explodes, the stone will drop. Upon landing, a bolt of lightning will strike and electricity will surge through the ground. This move can be used on any character that has a stone transformation, e.g. Rick & Kine & Coo's Stone Rick and Gooey's Stone Gooey; Rick's and Gooey's stones are always the same, whereas Stone's and Rocky's have multiple variants.	Zap	16 (electric field), 65 (stone drop), 16 (landing)

Flavor texts[]

Game	Flavor text
	This psychokinetic ability allows you to turn invisible and produce shocking electric fields, just like a certain boy with PSI. This field of science is still largely unexplored.
	Disappear with mind powers, just like magic, and revel in the effects when you use to tap into your powers! Also, use PK Insight to guard yourself, and release a psychokinetic charge with PK Electroshift! It's an ESPecially good time!

Related Quotes[]

“	The mind is the ultimate weapon! Psithunder Flash!”
	— In-game description for the ESP Mode of Robobot Armor • Kirby: Planet Robobot

“	Use psychic powers to teleport!”
	— Kirby Battle Royale - Kirby's 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll

In Other Languages[]

Names, etymology and in other regions
Language	Name	Definition, etymology and notes
	エスパー	Translates to Esper.
	ESP	Acronym for ExtraSensory Perception.
	超能力	Translates to Superpower.
	Psycho	Psycho
	PSY	Abbreviation for "Psychique," which translates to Psychic.
	Sensitivo	Translates to Sensitive.
	Psicopoder	Translates to Psychopower.

Trivia[]

The ESP ability appears to be a reference to Ness, a character from EarthBound. The ability references Ness's psychic powers, particularly PK Shift and PK Electroshift referencing the "PK" prefix found in nearly all of EarthBound's psychokinetic attacks. The ability hat itself is the same as Ness's baseball hat, although it has the colors swapped. The in-game description in Kirby: Planet Robobot supports this relation mentioning "a certain boy with PSI". The Copy Ability can also be gained instantly if scanning the Ness or Lucas amiibo.
- This is one of two abilities that reference EarthBound; the other is the Yo-Yo ability from Kirby Super Star.
ESP is one of only a few regular Copy Abilities whose English name differs from its Japanese name. A speculated reason that this name was changed could be due to the fact that not many associate the word 'Esper' with psychic abilities despite its meaning, but the term 'ESP' is more recognizably related to psychic ability, as well as being a term more resembling something from the EarthBound / Mother series.
This is the only new Copy Ability being introduced in Kirby: Planet Robobot to also have a Robobot Armor Mode.
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 Animal, where his hands have claws.
ESP is the only Copy Ability to debut in Kirby: Planet Robobot to appear in Kirby Star Allies.