Invincible Candy[1][2][3] (alternatively Invincibility Candy[4][5] or most often just Candy,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]Lollipop in the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS[14]) are recurring items in the Kirby series. When collected, Kirby becomes invincible for a short time, and almost any enemy he touches will be instantly defeated, or at least damaged. However, it will not render Kirby impervious to falls or certain hazards that cause instant KOs.
Invincibility Candy is white with a red spiral in the middle. They are usually found just before an area with many enemies or hazards or in one of the first levels in several games, and may also be obtained through several item roulettes, such as Magic Kirby's roulette move.
In Kirby's Adventure, Meta Knight appears on certain levels and throws it upward for Kirby to catch. In the remake, however, Meta Knight does not throw the Candy to Kirby. The Candy can be found on the ground, similar to the other games.
In Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby can share the Candy with his helper (and vice-versa) in the same way they can share food items for health recovery. In Milky Way Wishes, Candy found on the planet Hotbeat is offered in order to travel through a nearby pond of lava and claim the FireCopy Essence Deluxe (however, Kirby is not required to do so and instead may take damage on purpose, attempting to quickly travel through it using invincibility frames, although the player often has no choice but to get hit twice).
In Kirby's Dream Land 3, the Invincible Candy can now break through Star Blocks, something that carried over to Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. Kirby also does not flash, but rather has a set of stars rotating around his body.
In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the Invincibility Candy is slightly different than it is in other Kirby games. For one, during its effects, Kirby does not flash rapidly, but instead has a coating of stars floating around him similar to the Kirby's Dream Land 3 version. This variation is able to destroy Star Blocks simply by touching them, again similar to its Kirby's Dream Land 3 version. The invincibility theme that plays is also different from the regular invincibility theme that usually plays in every other Kirby game.
In Kirby Mass Attack, there is a new variety of Candy called Jumbo Candy. When grabbed, this makes the Kirbys invincible while simultaneously making them grow larger. While under the effects of the Jumbo Candy, the Kirbys can automatically break Star Blocks without having to be flicked at them, as well as metal blocks and enemies, some of which cannot be defeated normally.
The normal Candy also appears after failing an uncompleted stage three times in a row. A special overworld sign displaying the Candy will appear and an icon that also features the Candy will be in the top right corner. Depending on the length of the level, up to three Invincibility Candies will appear.
In these games, the Invincibility Candy not only gives Kirby invincibility, but it also increases his speed. It deals 80 units of damage (only testable in Kirby: Planet Robobot) on contact.
In Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, the Invincibility Lollipop enables Kirby to destroy blocks and enemies like in previous games. Like in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Triple Deluxe, it increases his speed. It also allows Kirby to use a Star Dash at any time while under its effects.
In Kirby Star Allies, Invincibility Candy serves an additional purpose. If the player collects it while on a Friend Star, the Shooting Star move will be activated; in this form, the Friend Star is faster than usual, is invincible to all attacks, and can ram into enemies to defeat them. This effect lasts significantly longer than the usual Invincibility Candy effect.
Although Invincible Candy does not truly appear in the anime series, characters are sometimes seen holding large lollipops with a swirl design. They look nearly identical to Invincible Candy, aside from the lack of an attached star. The similarity suggests that this was an intentional reference.
The traditional invincibility theme also makes frequent appearances throughout the Japanese version of the anime, albeit slightly slower than it is in the games. It does not play when Kirby is invincible, however. There are two versions of the song: one that plays in positive or happy-going scenes, and one that plays in slightly worrying or uneasy scenes.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl contains a sticker of Candy with its design from Kirby: Squeak Squad. For some reason, only R.O.B. can equip the sticker, despite the fact that Candy and R.O.B. have no relation whatsoever. This sticker increases Direct Attack by 4.
While Candy does not physically appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, an image of it is used as an icon for some of Kirby's custom parts for Attack. The Attack pieces that use this image include Yummy Lollipop, Delicious Lollipop, Decadent Lollipop, etc.
When I grab this lollipop, I can flatten as many enemies as I like without getting hurt. Unfortunately this lasts only a short while and if I fall down a cliff, I won't come out alive!”