Tuff is a young boy about a head taller than Kirby. His skin is a light yellow-orange color, unlike his family, as is the top of his hair. The tips are jungle green, with the colors separated by a zigzag. His hair goes down over his eyes (which are strangely never seen nor is the absence of visible eyes ever noted by anyone). He only wears a pair of purple shorts held up by a single diagonal red suspender and greenish brown shoes.
Personality[]
Tuff is a rowdy and mischievous young boy who has a good heart but not much in the way of intellect to go with it. He loves to play games like soccer and do other outdoor activities. He also loves to pull pranks, though usually on people like King Dedede so he can easily justify it. However, sometimes his pranks cause trouble for the people of the village as well.
Tuff lives for having fun and doesn't take many things seriously. However, he often falls victim to Dedede's plots like many others in Dream Land thanks to that.
Relationships[]
Tuff is the younger brother of Tiff and the son of the Cabinet Minister Sir Ebrum and Lady Like. Despite how the two are polar opposites in many ways, he and his sister get along well, though she doesn't like when he pulls pranks and causes trouble and often tries to ruin his fun. Tuff also tends to argue with his mother when it comes to things like studying, but his father is more lenient with him. Tuff's best friends, aside from Kirby, are the three Cappy children Honey, Iro, and Spikehead, and they're often seen playing together. He doesn't usually take King Dedede and his tricks very seriously, but he tries to help his sister stop him and makes Dedede's life as difficult as he can.
He and Escargoon do not normally get along, but he once bribed Tuff, Kirby and Fololo and Falala into scaring King Dedede with the reward of candy and getting back at King Dedede in Escargoon Squad. Tuff rarely interacts with Meta Knight and his followers, but when he does, he displays admiration at Meta Knight's status and skill.
Mischievous little bro Tuff is always ready for an adventure with his sister, Tiff, and his new pal, Kirby.”
— Character description • Nintendo Power magazines
“
As his name implies, Tiff's younger brother is always up for an adventure, though King Dedede and his monster minions do their best to put him down. He's almost as fast and feisty as his sister.”
— Character description • Kirby: Right Back at Ya! official English website and Nintendo Power magazines
Etymology[]
Tuff's name appears as a stylized version of the word "tough," indicative not of his physical strength, but of his ability to be strong through other means; "Tuff" is also a one letter difference from his sister's name "Tiff."
Tuff's Japanese name, ブン (Bun), appears to come from the Japanese onomatopoeia for a swinging or shaking sound, which could reference his more energetic personality.
Trivia[]
Tuff appears to have a bad memory as seen in The Kirby Quiz. For example, because he says the monster Kirby defeated when he first turned into Cook Kirby is Blocky (The correct answer is Popon). Blocky is actually the monster Kirby defeated when he first turned into Stone Kirby.
Tuff is one of the characters least often animated with CGI, the only instance being in Hail to the Chief and in the first Japanese opening.
30th anniversary wallpaper, featuring cameos by Tiff and Tuff
On January 12, 2022, Nintendo of America and the Kirby Twitter account released a wallpaper to celebrate the Kirby series's 30th anniversary.[1] One image featured on this wallpaper was of Kirby holding dolls of Tiff and Tuff. This is the first time the characters have been referenced outside of the context of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, as well as their first appearance since Kirby 3D's English dub and Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition’s release in 2012.
On close inspection, the dolls closely resemble those seen in the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! episode Abusement Park.
