| “ | Swing a mighty hammer!” |
| — Kirby Battle Royale - Kirby's 25th Anniversary Copy Ability Poll |
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 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 the 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 Hammer.
Hammer did not have a hat like the rest of the abilities when they were introduced in Kirby Super Star. 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 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, and Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, 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 severely lacks movement. Flying is impossible with the Hammer Lord, and attempting to do so will only cause Kirby to immediately get tired and descend. Kirby's movement speed is heavily reduced as the Hammer Lord, and the movement made by the Hammer Swing is also decreased. 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, and Bell.
Move Set
Attacks
| Move | Controls | Description | Notes | Element |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer Nail | 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. |  |
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. |  |
None |
| Giant Swing | B or Y / 1 (Midair) | Kirby spins, holding the hammer out, and twirls it completely around his body. | N/A | 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. | |
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. | In all Japanese localizations, this move is known as the 鬼ごろし火炎ハンマー (Oni-Goroshi Kaen Hanmaa), literally, "Oni/Demon-Slayer Fire Flame Hammer". |
Fire |
| 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. | |
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. | |
None |
Damage Values
| Move | Damage[1] 19960321 |
Damage 20111024 |
Damage[2]20161006 |
Damage 20060211 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hammer Nail | 34, 12 (star impact) | 28, 12 (star impact) | 26, 11 (star impact) | 20 |
| Giant Hammer | N/A | N/A | N/A | 50 (hammer only) |
| Hammer Swing | 28 | 26 | 25 | 20 (all hits) |
| Giant Swing | 34 | 26 | 25 | 20 (all hits) |
| Ultra Giant Swing | 16 (all hits) | 16 (1st hit), 14 (2nd hit) | 15 (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) |
76 (hammer) 6-7 (1st flame hit), 2-3 (subsequent hits) |
63 (hammer only) |
| Hammer Throw | 28 (during the Hammer Swing), 80 (thrown Hammer projectile) | 26 (during the Hammer Swing), 80 (thrown Hammer projectile) | 25 (initial hit), 1-2 (later hits), 76 (thrown Hammer projectile) | N/A |
| Triple Hammer | N/A | 16 (first 2 hits), 40 (last hit) | N/A | N/A |
| Hammer Twirl | N/A | 16 (first hit), 14 (2nd, 3rd, and 4th hits) | 15 (first hit), 11 (later hits) | N/A |
Super Smash Bros. series
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's 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 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, his 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 games, but sends opponents skyward. Giant Hammer is simply a bigger and more powerful Hammer Flip move, but it's much slower. This move is similar to the one Kirby obtains with the Hammer Scroll.
Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
Always obtained by inhaling King Dedede's signature mallet, 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.
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-bou. He cycles through them as he poses, before the hammer appears.
Transformation Sequence
| Hammer transformation English version |
|---|
 02E-HMck6x0300px250pxpx010iframe |
| Hammer transformation Japanese version |
|---|
| WimUbIrHR40300250px010iframe |
Appearances
- Dedede's Pet Threat (First Use)
- Goin' Bonkers
- Shell-Shocked
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! |
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.[3]
- 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 solid gray like Moundo EX's body, and changes its hit sound effects to metallic sounds.
- The two localized versions of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / 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 begun in 1990. Harry is known as Gen-san in Japan, as well as in the English localization of the 2008 PSP 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.
Qbby dresses in Kirby's Hammer Ability Hat.
- In BYE-BYE BOYBOY!, 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.
Artwork
Gallery
Sprites
Other Ability Icons
