Kirby inhaling.
Inhale is Kirby's signature technique. It involves Kirby sucking objects into his mouth like a vacuum, which stretches to fit large objects. Kirby can then swallow the object or enemy that is in his mouth to eat it, or spit it out as a star to attack. In most games, stars will sink in water (though in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Kirby: Squeak Squad, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land they will travel straight through water without sinking).
Many enemy characters have special powers that Kirby is able to copy once he's eaten them known as copy abilities.
Inhaling has no effect on excessively large or heavy objects, such as a boss.
The main difference between the games and the anime is that Kirby's regular inhale in the anime is equivalent to Kirby's super inhale in the games. Kirby's super inhale was absent from the anime. Also in the anime, before he inhales he holds his breath, screws up his face, does an "on the spot" run up, charges at the enemy, starts inhaling and steps backwards.
If Kirby inhales for extended periods of time in the show, he becomes exhausted, resulting in panting and moaning. This also happens in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad.
Inhale is a great defense as well as an attack, although it's impossible for Kirby to use while in yarn form in Kirby's Epic Yarn as the air inhaled goes right through his body.
Kirby cannot usually inhale underwater, although he can in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. He can also move while inhaling in that game. However, in Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3,
he can inhale underwater with Kine's help.
Other users
Other members of Kirby's species have been shown to use this move as well.
- King Dedede has seemingly mastered this move as well, though he can't gain copy abilities.
- Rick the Hamster can both inhale and copy powers just like Kirby in Kirby's Dream Land 2, but in Kirby's Dream Land 3 he grabs objects and shoves them into his mouth.
- Gooey does not have Kirby's special inhaling powers, but uses his tongue in the same way that Kirby inhales.
- Whispy Woods also can inhale and tries to do so to Kirby and the other playable characters in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition.
- If Kirby tries to inhale a Scarfy, it will turn itself into a cyclops-like ball. Mumbies and Gordos (to name just a few) cannot be inhaled.
Super Inhale
Instructions for super inhaling
In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby can only inhale for a certain amount of time- but after inhaling for a while, it becomes a super inhale, which has slightly more range and strength, allowing him to inhale Large Enemies, Large Star Blocks, and Heave Ho Blocks.
In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Super Inhale becomes even more powerful. Kirby performs it if the player shakes the Wii Remote while holding button 1 or pressing the buttons on the Wii Remote's D-Pad. It has further range, and allows Kirby to inhale the Heave Ho Blocks instead of moving them, as well as all enemies, 1UPs, food, and even other players, and spit them out as a Star; How large the star is depends on how many objects Kirby inhaled. Very large stars roll through enemies and only stop when they hit a wall.
Super Smash Bros. series
Kirby inhaling Mario in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Inhale is Kirby's Standard Special Move in the Super Smash Bros. Series, working much the same as it does in his own games. Kirby sucks up his foes, after which he can then spit out or swallow them. If he spits out an enemy, he/she will turn into a star (temporarily) that can be used to hurt others.
Though he can't defeat other characters directly by swallowing them, he can still copy their abilities and gains the use of that enemy's Standard Special Move, along with a hat that makes him look like that character (for example: inhaling Mario allows Kirby to use his fireball attack and has him wear Mario's hat). Any ability that Kirby copies will be weaker in magnitude from the original move however. For more information on what powers Kirby gets, see Super Smash Bros. Abilities. However, in the Subspace Emissary, standard enemies cannot be inhaled.
Kirby is immobile with an enemy in his mouth in the original Super Smash Bros. (aside from changing direction), but in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl Kirby can slowly walk around and even jump with a victim in his mouth, and may fall off of the stage and take his opponent with him.
