Hammer

“	A giant hammer inherited from the king himself that can pound pegs flat! You can charge it up for a pulverizing blow, but be careful not to overdo it. Imbue it with a friend's power and use it to fight!”
	— Flavor Text • Kirby Star Allies

Hammer is one of Kirby's special Copy Abilities, first appearing in Kirby's Adventure.

General Information

Hammer is a very powerful weapon, and is the heaviest direct hitter among Kirby's normal abilities; most normal enemies are instantly KO'd in a single hit. It also usually boasts considerable damage potential with all of its moves against mid-bosses and regular bosses, making it very desirable in Boss Endurance events.

Hammer is one of the few abilities that can not be found by inhaling a common enemy. It is most commonly obtained from Bonkers, a mid-boss. Otherwise, it can be obtained via Mix, the Copy Essence behind the golden door in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, or by finding the Copy Essence Deluxe in Kirby Super Star and its remake. Orange Dygclops from Heavy Mole also give the Hammer ability.

Hammer's hat did not debut in Kirby Super Star, which was the first game to feature ability hats, unlike the other abilities featured in the game. Rather, its hat was first seen in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, in which it is shown to be a cord of twisted blue and white fabric. This design has been used in the games since Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, and is based on a Hachimaki headband, a type of traditional headband associated with laborers in Japan (who often use hammers). The hammer itself looks similar to King Dedede's mallet, with a shorter handle.

There are two instances where the design for Hammer Kirby is different. The first is Hammer Kirby's brief appearance in a trailer for the canceled Kirby GCN, where the ability features a hard hat, though this has not yet appeared in the series properly. The other instance is in Kirby: Planet Robobot, where custom Hammer Kirby appears to closely resemble King Dedede; Kirby's skin is blue and he has orange feet, and he dons King Dedede's red cap. This variation of the Hammer ability can only be accessed by scanning the Kirby series King Dedede amiibo.

During Team Kirby Clash, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, and Super Kirby Clash, Hammer (referred to as Hammer Lord) is one of the four roles Kirby can choose from. In this iteration, the Hammer Lord still retains the raw power that the ability gives, but has reduced movement capabilities. The Hammer Lord moves and attacks much slower than normal, and cannot fly; attempting to do so will only cause Kirby to immediately get tired and descend. Hammer Flip is now a chargeable move, and can be charged to up to 3 levels.

In Kirby Air Ride, the Hammer Copy Ability is not present, but is referenced in the form of a power-up in Top Ride. When it is collected, it spins vigorously around the user's Air Ride Machine, knocking anyone who comes in contact with it around.

It is also one of the few abilities that may be used in the water, along with Sword, Parasol, UFO, Master, Spear, Bell, and Staff.

Moveset

Move	Controls	Description	Notes	Element
Hammer Nail/Hammer	B or Y / 1	A basic vertical smash where the hammer pounds the ground. It can also pound in stakes, among other things.		None
Giant Hammer	B (Hold)	Kirby charges the hammer, powering it up. It then grows massively, and flattens any enemy under it when released.	This move is exclusive to Squeak Squad, and is only usable after Kirby gets the Hammer Ability Scroll.	None
Hammer Swing	Dash + B or Y / 1	Kirby spins several times with his hammer outstretched.	Kirby is invincible while doing this attack, and hits everything around him. This attack debuted in Kirby Super Star, and has been present since in all Kirby platformers where Hammer Kirby has a moveset. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and subsequent games, this move can deflect projectiles.	None
Giant Swing	B or Y / 1 (Midair)	Kirby spins, holding the hammer out, and twirls it completely around his body.	King Dedede cannot perform Giant Swing, so he will perform Hammer in midair as well.	None
Ultra Giant Swing	Dash + B or Y / 1 (Midair)	Kirby somersaults midair, and twirls the hammer around his body twice. Kirby is invincible during the attack.	This attack debuted in Kirby Super Star, and has been present in all Kirby platformers since Kirby's Return to Dream Land. King Dedede cannot perform Ultra Giant Swing, so he will perform Hammer in midair as well.	None
Hammer Flip	↑ + B or Y / 1	Kirby charges up his hammer. After it lights on fire, he pulverizes enemies with a powerful upward swing. This is one of the most damaging moves Kirby can perform. Although Bonkers is capable of using Hammer Flip as well, he brings his hammer down instead of pulling it up.	This attack debuted in Kirby Super Star, and has been present since in all Kirby platformers where Hammer Kirby has a moveset. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and subsequent games, Kirby can perform this move while facing away from the boss, and every part of the Hammer Flip will hit them. This could not have been done in earlier games; only the flame would hit the boss, and the strike would completely miss. This move functions like the Smash Bros. version, but it's no longer on fire (unless using Sizzle Hammer), similarly to the Dedede Hammer Flip in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and cannot do repeated damage as a result (unless given an element). If the user charges for too long, the hammer head explodes, causing the user to attack with the stick and deal minimal damage.	Sizzle None ( )
Hammer Throw	Dash + X / -	Kirby sacrifices his weapon and ability for one last (powerful) attack. After doing a Hammer Swing, he throws the hammer full force, doing instant massive damage to any enemy & mid-bosses in his path.	This attack debuted in Kirby Super Star, and has been present in all Kirby platformers since Kirby's Return to Dream Land. In The Ultimate Choice, the ability will not be sacrificed if used when Hammer is picked. As Bonkers in normal gameplay, this move can also be done indefinitely.	None
Triple Hammer	Hold 1, release	Replacing the Giant Hammer from Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby (or King Dedede) charges up and then swings the hammer three times in succession, with the final blow more powerful than the first two. This move will fail if the hammer does not connect with the ground.		None
Hammer Twirl	↓ + 1	Kirby (or Dedede) holds the hammer's head below him and twirls it to perform rapid damage. This move can be used in the air and on the ground. Kirby is invincible during this attack, and touching him will damage enemies just as much as the hammer itself.	This move debuted in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and has been in all subsequent platformers. It is based on Dedede's down aerial in Super Smash Bros. Brawl (though the Ice Climbers in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl have hammer twirls as well).	None

Damage Values

Move	Damage ^[1]	Damage	Damage ^[2]	Damage ^[3]	Damage
Hammer Nail	34 12 (star impact)	28 12 (star impact)	28 12 (star impact)	28 12 (star impact)	20
Giant Hammer	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	50
Hammer Swing	28	26	26, 2 (multihit)	26 (all hits)	20 (all hits)
Giant Swing	34	26	26	26	20 (all hits)
Ultra Giant Swing	16 (all hits)	16 (1st hit) 14 (2nd hit)	16 (all hits)	16 (all hits)	N/A
Hammer Flip	80 (hammer) 16 (two flame hits) 4 (hammer, no fire)	80 (hammer only) 8 (1st flame hit) 7 (2nd, 3rd, 4th flame hits) 70 (hammer after flame hits)	80 (hammer) 7 (1st flame hit) 3 (subsequent hits)	40 (1 lvl.) 60 (2 lvl.) 80 (3 lvl.) 8 (Stick)	63 (hammer only)
Hammer Throw	28 (Hammer Swing) 80 (thrown Hammer projectile)	26 (Hammer Swing) 80 (thrown Hammer projectile)	26 (initial hit) 2 (multihit) 80 (thrown Hammer projectile)	26 (Hammer Swing) 60 (thrown Hammer projectile)	N/A
Triple Hammer	N/A	16 (first 2 hits) 40 (last hit) 12 (first 2 star impacts) 28 (last star impact)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hammer Twirl	N/A	16 (first hit) 14 (2nd, 3rd, and 4th hits)	16 (first hit) 12 (later hits)	16 (all hits)	N/A

Kirby Battle Royale Moveset

Move	Controls	Description	Damage (Robo Bonkers)
Hammer	B	Kirby strikes the ground in front of him with his hammer.	200
Hammer Twirl	B during jump	Kirby holds the hammer below him and twirls it around.	55x2 (initial hits) 70 (final hit)
Hammer Flip	Hold/release B (2 lvl.)	Kirby charges up his hammer until it is on fire, and then swings it upward.	550 (1 lvl.) 950 (2 lvl.)
Big Hammer Drop	Hold B, jump and release (2 lvl.)	Kirby slams his hammer into the ground, creating a large shockwave that knocks opponents down.	400 (1 lvl.) 600 (2 lvl.)
Hammer Swing	Y	Kirby swings his hammer around him in a yaw movement.	20x3 (swinging) 60 (last swing)

Video

Kirby Battle Royale Hammer and Fighter Showcase

Elemental Attributes in Kirby Star Allies

Move	Blizzard	Bluster	Sizzle	Splash	Zap
Hammer Twirl	Wherever standing or in midair, Kirby creates four icicles, two to either side of him.	Kirby floats into the air, creating a whirlwind beneath him.	Kirby creates a brief fiery explosion around himself.	Kirby shoots out two droplets, one to either side of him.	Kirby summons down a bolt of lightning onto himself as he twirls his hammer.
Hammer Swing	Kirby creates a trail of crystalline ice along the ground.	Kirby floats into the air as he spins, creating a small whirlwind.	Kirby creates a trail of fire as he travels along the ground.	Kirby creates a trail of water as he travels along the ground.	Kirby leaves a trail of sparks as he travels along the ground.
Giant Swing, Ultra-Giant Swing	N/A	Kirby's aerial descent slows as he performs this move.	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hammer Flip	Kirby creates a series of increasingly-large icicles in front of him, the more the longer the move is charged.	Kirby's jumps are floatier while charging this move. For the first two levels of charge, he jumps up into the air and slams his hammer onto the ground, creating a whirlwind, while for the third level of charge he performs the move as normal. However, in update 3.0.0, it is fixed to act like the first two levels of charge, with Kirby jumping and slamming the hammer on the ground, creating more of a windy impact.	Kirby shoots out fireballs as he swings, the number of which depending on how long he charges up, and the fireballs explode on contact.	Kirby shoots droplets forward as he swings, the more the longer he charges.	Kirby summons down a bolt of lightning onto himself as he swings, and the lightning creates electrical explosions above him, the more the longer he charges.

In the Super Smash Bros. series

SmashHammer — Hammer, as seen in *Super Smash Bros. Brawl*

Kirby uses Hammer as his side special move in the Super Smash Bros. series, starting with Super Smash Bros. Melee. Rather than swinging it vertically like he does in most games, Kirby swings the hammer horizontally, similar to what he does with the Hammer Flip move (but without the fire). It is slower than Kirby's other attacks but can K.O. characters with an already high damage percentage. However, it has a notable sourspot that makes the move very difficult to land.

When used in the air, Kirby swings the hammer around him, like he does in most games. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he spins vertically once, but in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he spins horizontally twice, similar to Hammer Swing. While the move in Super Smash Bros. Melee is closer to what he does in the games (which also provides good combo potential and damage racking), in Super Smash Bros. Brawl the move is a bit stronger and beneficial, having no need for a precise sweet spot to launch foes out of the arena.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, King Dedede uses an attack called Jet Hammer, which is similar to the Hammer Flip attack, but instead of the hammer bursting into flames, it opens to reveal a jet engine within. This move does more damage depending on how long Dedede charges it up before releasing. If held down too long, though, it will rapidly damage the king.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Kirby's side special can now be charged up and its fully charged version is referred to as Hammer Flip. Kirby can now not only charge up his hammer, but can also move around at a slower speed and jump mid-charge much like the aforementioned Jet Hammer.

Upon charging it enough, it will set fire. Charging too long will start damaging Kirby, similarly to King Dedede's Jet Hammer (but just like it, damage will also stop racking up when Kirby is at 100%). Unleashing it when Kirby has brought his hammer further behind himself will initiate the aforementioned Hammer Flip move (where it is instead an upwards swing, which even has enough power to nearly break shields and gives Kirby super armor/launch resistance just as he unleashes it).

If released at any other stage of the charging period, it will swing just like previous games (though this version is much weaker than in previous installments). While used in midair, the move works similar to Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s version and he can still charge it like so, only the attack is weaker in midair if not fully charged. The midair version also no longer halts momentum, losing much of its effectiveness from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Kirby can change his Hammer Flip using Custom Moves. Kirby can now also use Hammer Bash or Giant Hammer. Hammer Bash acts like it did in the previous Smash Bros. installments, but sends opponents skyward. Giant Hammer is simply a bigger and more powerful Hammer Flip move, but it is much slower. This move is similar to the one Kirby obtains with the Hammer Scroll.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Obtained by inhaling King Dedede's signature mallet or Bonkers's hammer, Hammer Kirby in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! retains all of its game characteristics—most notably the ability to dish out a lot of damage very fast. The hammer's ends have a red star on a green background instead of yellow on pink as in the games, and the headband is completely white instead of alternating white and blue. Kirby has all the same attacks from Kirby Super Star including the most powerful, Hammer Throw, which also causes Kirby to lose the ability.

Transformation Sequence

Hammer Kirby Transformation (English)

Hammer Kirby - Transformation

During the transformation sequence, Kirby first ties the band around his forehead, and then a variety of different old fashioned tools appear in his hands, including a cleaver, a sodegarami, an ax, a rake, a sasumata, and a yubi-bo. He cycles through them as he poses, before the hammer appears.

Appearances

Flavor Texts

Game	Flavor text
	This weapon is very powerful. Use it on stubborn bad guys to clear your path!
	Break through solid obstacles and pound in stakes to take Kirby to hidden areas.
	Pound 'em to the ground! Pound pegs and break open new areas!
	Flatten your foes with these superspecial moves: → → + B ↑ + B
	INSTANT K.O. It's almost unfair.
	This hammer packs a wallop! Punish stakes and blocks! When it's on fire, foes beware!
	Wield the hammer of kings! Pulverize hard objects! Drive down stakes! Light it on fire and you've got the Hammer Flip technique!
	A giant hammer on loan from the king himself. Pound boulders into dust, or knock stakes flat into the ground. Send out a fiery burst with a special technique--the decisive Hammer Flip!
	A giant hammer on loan from the king himself. Pound boulders into the dust, or knock stakes flat into the ground. Send out a fiery burst with the decisive Hammer Flip!
	Leaves you exposed when attacking, but it's incredibly powerful.

Related Quotes

“	Swing a mighty hammer!”
	— Kirby Battle Royale - Kirby's 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll

“	A big hammer and a headband. That look really suits you! If you've got a hammer, take a swing! Not at me, though!”
	— Knuckle Joe • Kirby Battle Royale

“	This weapon is slow, but when it hits, it HITS HARD. Charge up for a really powerful attack.”
	— Official Kirby Battle Royale Website

In Other Languages

Names, etymology and in other regions
Language	Name	Definition, etymology and notes
Japanese	ハンマー	Officially romanized as Hammer.
Traditional Chinese	鎚子	Translates to Hammer.
Simplified Chinese	锤子	Translates to Hammer.
German	Hammer	Same as English.
French	Marteau	Translates to Hammer.
Italian	Martello	Translates to Hammer.
Spanish	Martillo	Translates to Hammer.

Trivia

This is one of the only four abilities in Kirby: Triple Deluxe to be able to break ice blocks, the others are Fire, Fighter, and Circus.
According to director Shinya Kumazaki, the Hammer ability was inspired by King Dedede's own hammer from Kirby's Dream Land.^[4]
The flavor text from Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot seems to imply the hammer that Kirby uses is from King Dedede. This may be a reference to the Hammer ability being inspired by King Dedede's hammer.
Hammer's alternate costume in Kirby Fighters Deluxe lets Kirby wear Moundo EX's headband. It also turns his hammer from wooden to metal, and changes its hit sound effects to metallic sounds.
The two localized versions of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U have a different way of referring to Kirby's side special move. The North American version refers to the overall move as "Hammer Flip." While in the European version, the overall move in general is instead called "Hammer" like in previous Super Smash Bros. games, and only the fully charged version is known as "Hammer Flip".
Hammer is the only Copy Ability in the series to have a Super Ability in Kirby's Return in Dream Land, but not have a Robobot Armor mode in Kirby: Planet Robobot.
The combination of a braided Japanese headband and a comically oversized wooden mallet is strongly reminiscent of Hammerin' Harry, the main character of a video game and pachinko series by Irem that began in 1990. Harry is known as Gen-san in Japan, as well as in the English localization of the 2008 game Hammerin' Hero.
Triple Hammer still exists in the code of Kirby: Planet Robobot. However, the move cannot be performed through means other than hacking. This is also true of Revolution Beam and Spinning Fire Breath.
One of Hammer's Headgear in Kirby Battle Royale is based on the Grand Hammer hat and the Super Hammer Plus.

BBBB Hammer — Qbby dresses in Kirby's Hammer Ability Hat.

In BYE-BYE BOXBOY!, the comic So Close, Yet... depicts Qbby trying on Kirby's Hammer Ability Hat and carrying the hammer itself. The comic ends with him turning around to find Kirby watching him."