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Knucklejoe&kirby

Knuckle Joe and Kirby fighting side by side.

Helpers (sometimes referred to as Friend Helpers or just Friends) are mechanics introduced in Kirby Super Star.

General Information[]

Helpers physically appear to be regular enemies (and occasionally mid-bosses) that have different color palettes than their enemy equivalents and are summoned by Kirby to help him instead of hurt him.

In Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby can only create a helper by sacrificing his ability; however, in Kirby Star Allies, Kirby instead will throw a Friend Heart at an enemy to create a friend. Helpers are normally CPU-controlled, but can also be controlled by another player. Each Copy Ability has a corresponding Helper, excluding limited-use abilities (with the exception of Cook in Kirby Star Allies).

If the player wants to change out the Helper for another one, an Ability Item representing Kirby's current ability can be thrown to it. Upon touching the item, the Helper will change to the character that corresponds to the ability represented by the item. Using the Normal Beam on a Helper will call it back, transforming it into its respective Ability Item.

If a Helper is far behind Kirby, said Helper will use a Space Jump to teleport to Kirby. This phenomenon can also be triggered manually. This mechanic can also be used in other games like Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Unlike Kirby, Helpers can repeatedly jump in midair, and so do not have to inflate themselves to fly. Some Helpers, such as Birdon and Capsule J/Capsule J2, have an improved ability to fly. This allows Helpers to attack in midair, as they do not have to spit out air beforehand.

Some items, such as food and Invincible Candy, can be shared with and between helpers for a short period after they collected.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, Helpers have a significant role in Helper to Hero, a sub-game where both the first and second players can play as a Helper with the goal of defeating a series of bosses, thus proving the Helper to be a true hero rather than just a side character. Kirby Star Allies has a similar mode called Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! where players can control Friends and Dream Friends, but instead of battling a series of bosses, players have to traverse all five worlds as a Friend.

Games[]

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra[]

Kirby-waddledoo-helper

Kirby sacrifices his Beam ability to generate Waddle Doo as his Helper.

The roster of Helpers is identical in both Kirby Super Star and its remake, with the exception of Capsule J, who was replaced by Capsule J2 in the remake, and Sword Knight, who was added in Meta Knightmare Ultra. When a helper is present, boss HP is increased by 30%. Helpers with alternate colors appear in Helper to Hero as well. 

Enemy / Helper Copy Ability
Bio Spark Ninja
Birdon Wing
Blade Knight Sword
Bonkers Hammer
Bugzzy Suplex
Burning Leo Fire
Capsule J/Capsule J2 Jet
Chilly Ice
Gim Yo-Yo
Knuckle Joe Fighter
Parasol Waddle Dee Parasol
Plasma Wisp Plasma
Poppy Bros. Jr. Bomb
Rocky Stone
Simirror Mirror
Sir Kibble Cutter
Starship (Helper) Starship
Sword Knight Also Sword, but with Meta Knight's Upward Thrust (Helper to Hero and Meta Knightmare Ultra Exclusive)
Tac Copy
Waddle Doo Beam
Wheelie Wheel

Kirby GCN[]

KKCancelled This section is about an unreleased or cancelled game
KGCN Helpers

Heat Phanphan, Bonkers, and Golem, all helpers in Kirby GCN

Helpers were slated to appear in the cancelled Kirby GCN. In this game, up to three Helpers could be created at once. They could then be controlled by up to three players or by the computer. A stacking system had been revealed in which Kirby and his Helpers could ride on each other's backs (possibly creating new attacks). Looking at screenshots, it is discernible that the Helpers created by the player would have been pink, yellow, green, or blue color variations of their respective enemies. These color variations would have denoted different players. Presumably, yellow denoted Player 2, blue denoted Player 3, green denoted Player 4, and pink denoted CPU-controlled helpers. These exact colors, minus pink, were later used to denote the respective Helpers in Kirby Star Allies. New Helpers which do not have confirmed names due to the game's cancellation would have appeared as well.

Enemy Copy Ability
Blade Knight Sword
Broom Hatter Cleaning
Bonkers Hammer
Chilly Ice
Flappy Wing
Golem Stone
Heat Phanphan Fire
Knuckle Joe Fighter
Parasol Waddle Dee Parasol
Sir Kibble Cutter
Waddle Doo Beam
Wheelie Bike Wheel
Plasma Wisp Plasma
Unknown Bomb enemy Bomb
Unknown Tornado enemy Tornado
Pluid-like enemy Water/Bubble

Kirby Star Allies[]

Friend Abilities

Kirby with Poppy Bros. Jr., Blade Knight and Bonkers.

Helpers make a reappearance in Kirby Star Allies, where they are referred to as friends. Unlike in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby can summon up to three friends instead of one. This is done by having Kirby throw a heart at an enemy that grants a Copy Ability, as opposed to forfeiting his current ability in favor of creating the friend; friends also now wear Kirby's Copy Ability hats and use the weapons associated with their Copy Ability. They also take on different color schemes to represent which player they are: Yellow for Player 2, Blue for Player 3, and Green for Player 4. If Kirby wants to be rid of a friend, Kirby can either unfriend them or inhale and swallow them, gaining their respective ability.

Certain doors, marked with friend icons in the game can only be accessed with a certain number of friends.

Special friends, known as Dream Friends, can be accessed by visiting Dream Palaces throughout the game. These include Bandana Waddle Dee, King Dedede, Meta Knight, Rick & Kine & Coo, Marx, Gooey, Daroach, Dark Meta Knight, Adeleine & Ribbon, Magolor, Taranza, Susie, and The Three Mage-Sisters. Rick & Kine & Coo, Marx, and Gooey were available after a free update on March 28, 2018. Daroach, Dark Meta Knight, and Adeleine & Ribbon were added in a second free update which released on July 27, 2018. Magolor, Taranza, Susie and The Three Mage-Sisters were added in a third free update which released on November 30, 2018.

Enemy Copy Ability
Beetley Beetle
Bio Spark Ninja
Birdon Wing
Blade Knight Sword
Bonkers Hammer
Broom Hatter Cleaning
Bugzzy Suplex
Burning Leo Fire
Chef Kawasaki Cook
Chilly Ice
Como Spider
Driblee Water
Gim Yo-Yo
Jammerjab Staff
Knuckle Joe Fighter
NESP ESP
Parasol Waddle Dee Parasol
Plugg Plasma
Poppy Bros. Jr. Bomb
Rocky Stone
Sir Kibble Cutter
Vividria Artist
Waddle Doo Beam
Wester Whip

Related Quotes[]

The icons in the picture on the right indicate the number of friends that you need.
— Get the right number of friends! • Kirby Star Allies loading screen
Press L + Y to select which friend to say good-bye to.
— How to say good-bye to a friend: • Kirby Star Allies loading screen
Inhale friends with B, and then use ↓ to swallow them and get their Copy Abilities!
— Get abilities from friends! • Kirby Star Allies loading screen

Trivia[]

  • Although the Hi-Jump ability is not available in Kirby Super Star or its remake, if Kirby jumps on top of a helper and presses up on the +Control Pad, he will use the helper like a trampoline and jump up, similarly to Hi-Jump in the sense that he is invincible until he starts falling.
  • Although Kirby GCN was initially revised as Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the latter replaced the Helper system with King Dedede, Meta Knight, Bandana Waddle Dee, and Kirbys of various colors. The Helper system would then be prominently featured in Kirby Star Allies.
  • In Kirby Super Star and its remake, if a helper loses all health, It will catch on fire and it will no longer attack. If there is a Copy Essence or an enemy with a Copy Ability nearby, the helper can touch them in order to transform into the ability and regain health. If the helper doesn’t touch anything, it will explode. Unlike the aforementioned two games, friends in Kirby Star Allies, when their health is depleted, will instead be knocked out and fall to the ground. Any player can then go to the knocked out friend and hold X, reviving them and filling half of their health back up. If the friend isn’t revived in time, they will flash red before exploding.
  • In Kirby Super Star, its remake, and Kirby Star Allies, when using the Normal Beam on a Helper, they will display a pained expression, implying that it hurts the Helper.
  • When a Helper is present during a boss battle, the boss' health is slightly higher than normal.
    • In Kirby Star Allies, the damage will be decreased by 25%, 40%, or 50%.
  • The Space Jump is also used in the Subspace Emissary, even bearing the same name.

Videos[]

Concept Artwork[]

Gallery[]

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