| “ | Don a green hat and take sword in hand! Spin Slash! Do a Sword Dive as your finishing strike! It's all about the flourish.” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby's Return to Dream Land |
General Information
Sword is one of Kirby's Copy abilities, first seen in Kirby's Adventure. Perhaps one of his most iconic powers, Sword Kirby wears a long green hat similar to that of Link from the Legend of Zelda series and a sword not unlike Link's trademark Master Sword. Beyond its design, the Sword ability is often praised for being easily accessed, as Kirby can get it from a wide array of enemies in each game. Notable sword-yielding enemies include Sword Knight, Blade Knight, and Heavy Knight. Usually Meta Knight offers Kirby a sword before the boss battle and won't fight him unless it is taken.
In most games, Sword Kirby is limited to a basic horizontal swipe. However, in games when a larger moveset is provided, Sword Kirby is capable of more advanced swordplay, sometimes including Final Cutter, one of Cutter's primary attacks.
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, the Sword ability can be mixed into Ice Sword, Fire Sword, or Thunder Sword with the correct ability. However, this can only be done if Kirby finds the necessary Ability Scroll.
It is also one of the few abilities that may be used in the water, along with Parasol, Hammer, and Spear.
Move Set
| Move | Controls | Description | Element | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead Slash | B/Y/1 | Kirby slashes at the enemy with his sword. |
None | 16 |
| Spin Slash | Hold 1, then Release | Kirby charges up his sword with energy, then twirls with it outstretched damaging enemies in a close range. | None | - |
  |
B/Y + B/Y | Kirby makes a quick slash motion up. It is less accurate than the Sword Slash, but it is more powerful and can hit slightly airborne enemies. | None | 18 |
| Multisword Stab/Multisword Attack | B/Y/1 + B/Y/1 + B/Y/1   B/Y/1 + B/Y/1 |
Kirby attacks with lightning-fast sword slashes that are nearly impossible to see. |
None | 8 |
| Upward Slash | Upward + Button 1 | Kirby slashes with his sword upwards, damaging unfortunate enemies above him (in KRtDL). | None | - |
| Final Cutter | Up + B (cannot be used in midair) | Kirby jumps in the air and does a flip, then he falls, sword outstretched. This move comes from Cutter, but the first two slashes are removed. Not available in |
None | - |
| Sword Spin | Dash + B/Y/1  |
Kirby swings the sword quickly in midair, damaging all enemies that come into contact with it. | None | 12 |
|
B/Y/1 (Midair) | Kirby thrusts the sword at the enemy, doing damage and pushing Kirby back. | None | 22 |
|
B/Y/1 (At full health) | Kirby slashes and a sword beam comes out to damage enemies. | None | 16 |
|
Dash + B/Y/1 | Kirby lunges to stab his enemies. In other games, a similar move replaces the leg sweep. | None | 12 |
|
Down + B (Midair) | Kirby thrusts his sword down to the floor and inflicts damage on any enemy unfortunate enough to be below Kirby. If the hit connects, it will look like he had hit somebody with the Chop and Thrust. In KRtDL, Kirby drops down in a fashion similar to Meta Knight | None | 24 |
 Up Thrust |
Up + B/Y/1 | Meta Knight thrusts his sword upwards, inflicting heavy damage on any enemy unfortunate enough to be above him. This move cannot be used by Kirby without Master. | None | 26 |
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Kirby using Sword Beam in the anime.
Along with Fighter, this is perhaps one of Kirby's most powerful melee abilities in the anime. It uses the same green hat, but the color of the blade itself is yellow-gold instead of silver or blue.
The ability retains several of its previous attacks, such as Spinning Sword, but also adds the powerful Sword Beam. Taught to him by Meta Knight, it is an attack that uses the limits of one's power in a huge blade of energy (if Kirby can clear his mind first). It cannot be blocked except for when Kracko used one his powerful lightning bolts to block it. Sword Kirby can also cause his sword to expand in size, but he only does that in one episode. It's also possible for the sword to be broken.
Similar to Sword is the Galaxia ability, which works the same way only much more powerful (another difference is how the regular Sword Beam is white, but the Galaxia Sword Beam is green-yellow).
In the transformation sequence, Kirby spins and forms his hat, the tip of which then falls on his face. He straightens the hat and takes out his sword.
Transformation Sequence
| Sword transformation |
|---|
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Appearances
Sword, along with Tornado and Ice, is the fourth most commonly seen Copy Abilities in the Anime, with five appearances each. If Galaxia appearances are also counted, it would have seven appearances, making it the second most common ability in the anime. (for the purposes of this list, Sword and Galaxia are considered separate abilities)
- Kirby's Duel Role (First Use)
- Dark and Stormy Knight
- A Princess in Dis-Dress
- Crusade for the Blade
- Teacher's Threat
Super Smash Bros. Series
Sword Kirby appears as a Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The hats Kirby gets when copying Link, Young Link, and Toon Link look just like Sword Kirby's hat (but Kirby gets either a Boomerang or a Bow & Arrow, and not a Sword), though this is to be expected since Sword's hat is a reference to Link in the first place. Sword's version of Final Cutter is taken from these games.
Other Quotes
| “ | You wield the king of blades! At full health, you shoot beams! Show your sword mastery!” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby Super Star Ultra |
| “ | CUT” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby & the Amazing Mirror/Kirby: Squeak Squad |
| “ | I can't lose with this sword! If they zig, I cut 'em! (If they zag, I cut 'em, too!)” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land |
| “ | The King of weapons! Fire beams from the tip of your sword. Become a master by practicing multi-sword attacks.” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby Super Star |
| “ | Use the sword to defeat enemies! If you attack in midair, Kirby will spin and slash!” |
| — Sword's Flavor Text • Kirby's Adventure |
Trivia
- Kirby's hat and the sword are direct references to Link, the main protagonist in the Legend of Zelda series, but he gets the boomerang when he copies Link in Super Smash Bros., and the Bow and Arrow when he copies him in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, since Kirby copies whatever his opponent's standard special is in that series.
- Kirby can only shoot sword beams when he has full health. This is also a direct reference to Legend of Zelda series, as in varius games Link was able to shoot beams from his sword at full health.
- When using the elemental sword abilities (Fire Sword, Ice Sword and Thunder Sword) in Kirby: Squeak Squad, the pom-pom and the yellow edge of Kirby's hat change colors to match the element.
- Sword Kirby and the Blade Knight helper cannot normally use the upwards thrust. Meta Knight and Sword Knight can use the thrust, but those characters are only playable in certain sub-games in Kirby Super Star Ultra.
- In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby gains the ability to charge his blade and perform a spin attack and can also use an uppercut.
- In the anime, Kirby gets the Sword ability from a sword-wielding Bugzzy, who only gives Backdrop or Suplex in the games, and from Kracko's sword-shaped lightning bolts, even though Kracko's lightning bolts cannot be inhaled in the games.
- Kirby's yell is reminiscent of Young Link's from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- The flavor text for Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra calls the sword "the king of blades/weapons". This may be a further reference to the Legend of Zelda games, as Link's sword is called the Master Sword.
- In Kirby's Return to Dream Land. there is an upgraded version of Sword called Ultra Sword, alongside other super abilities.
Artwork
