This article is about friendly versions of enemies that Kirby can summon or recruit. For the animal helpers debuting in Kirby's Dream Land 2, see Animal Friend. For other helpful characters, see Category:Allies.

“

This character is called a helper. He'll be a big help to Kirby.

”

— Tutorial from The Beginner's Show, in Kirby Super Star

Helpers (also called Allies and Friends) are friendly counterparts of enemies that assist Kirby in Kirby Super Star, Kirby Super Star Ultra and Kirby Star Allies. They are considered a type of Special Ability.

Game appearances[edit]

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

“

When Kirby has copied an ability, he can produce a helper. The helper becomes Kirby's ally and will help him defeat any enemy that stands in his way.

”

— Kirby Super Star manual

When Kirby possesses a Copy Ability, he may create a helper, but loses the ability in the process. However, in want of a Copy Ability, Kirby can use the Normal Beam to transform the helper into an item yielding the ability that was used in its creation, allowing Kirby to regain it. If Kirby attempts to call forth a Helper when there is already one in existence, he instead tosses his ability away in item form, allowing the current Helper to transform into a new one when it touches the item. In Kirby Super Star, creating a Helper is the only way for Kirby to manually remove his ability, while in Kirby Super Star Ultra he can also remove it by creating an Ability Star, evading the creation of a Helper.

Helpers follow the player around and attack any enemies which they encounter. They are usually able to use the same attacks as Kirby can when he possesses their ability, but can use them underwater and are capable of jumping in midair or teleporting in order to keep up with him. Although usually controlled by an AI, Helpers can alternatively be controlled by a second player. They will always have one reoccurring color scheme to differentiate them from the enemy variants.

Kirby's current Helper possesses its own, separate health bar. The health bar can be refilled by having the Helper pick up food or touching it shortly after Kirby himself does so. When a Helper's health runs out, it flashes and begins to explode. During this period, touching any enemy that yields an ability transforms the Helper into a new one that possesses the respective Copy Ability, instantly restoring all its health and keeping it from exploding. Alternatively, tossing a different Copy Ability at a Helper to transform it also heals it completely. A Helper controlled by a second player can also be forced to explode if the A button is pressed repeatedly.

Helpers can be stolen by a Tac just like Copy Abilities. If it does, the helper disappears unless Kirby defeats the Tac in time.

Kirby Super Star Ultra introduces two additional modes where Helpers feature outside the context of being summoned to help Kirby:

• Meta Knightmare Ultra gives Meta Knight the Knight Call move, which summons Blade Knight or Sword Knight, effectively providing helpers but for Meta Knight.
• Helper to Hero is a Boss Endurance mode with only helpers as playable characters. Notably this mode also includes Sword Knight, featuring a slightly modified Sword moveset.

List of Helpers[edit]

Helpers in Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra
Name	Icon	Appearance		Copy Ability
		Kirby Super Star	Kirby Super Star Ultra
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 W. Dee				Parasol
Plasma Wisp				Plasma
Poppy Bros. Jr.				Bomb
Rocky				Stone
Simirror				Mirror
Sir Kibble				Cutter
Tac				Copy
Waddle Doo				Beam
Wheelie				Wheel
Starship Helper				Starship*
Sword Knight (Ultra only)		N/A		Sword**
Notes
* The Starship Helper can only be summoned to help Kirby in co-op mode, and only in the battles against the Galactic Nova and Kabula. ** Sword Knight cannot help Kirby, only featuring as a possible helper in Meta Knightmare Ultra (in response to Knight Call) and in Helper to Hero. The playable Sword Knight in Helper to Hero also has a modified Sword moveset including Meta Knight's upwards thrust attack.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

Helpers return in Kirby Star Allies (which are known as Friends). Instead of needing to give up Kirby's Copy Ability like in Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby uses a special item known as a Friend Heart to make friends and up to three can be recruited at any time. As Friends, they will be color coded by player order, and use the same headgear that Kirby does. In addition, they can combine their powers together and with Kirby to perform a Friend Ability, and can be controlled by up to 3 extra players. While CPU friends are following Kirby, he can jump onto their backs and control them directly if need be. If Kirby has an ability and no CPU Friends with him, an extra player joining will force Kirby to give up his ability and turn it into a Friend.

It is possible for Kirby to inhale his friends and use them as projectiles, or swallow them to gain their ability.

Friends who are KO'd will lie on the ground until revived, unless they fall to a hazard or go off-screen, in which case they will be removed from the stage shortly thereafter (or instantaneously if crushed). To revive a friend, the player can press and hold X (or the Up button when holding the Joy-Con sideways). After a few seconds, the friend gets revived by whichever character the player was using at that time with half their stamina.

If a friend is left KO'd when going through a doorway, that friend will be revived in the next area, though with minimal Stamina. This can be used in certain situations to save a friend that has been felled by a hazard or while underwater to save them before they are removed. KO'd allies will also be revived with minimal Stamina if sent flying by certain Boss moves, such as Whispy Woods' jump mid-fight.

In addition, specific attacks from Morpho Knight and Void Termina's Final Core / Void Soul can turn friends into enemies. This can be undone by either tossing a Friend Heart at the affected ally or by depleting all of their HP and then reviving them.

List of Friends[edit]

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

Videos[edit]

See also[edit]

• Dream Friend

Names in other languages[edit]

Helper[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ヘルパー Herupā	Helper
Dutch	Bondgenoot	Ally
French	Acolyte	Sidekick
German	Helfer	Helper
Italian	Aiutante	Helper
Korean	헬퍼 Helpeo	Helper
Portuguese	Ajudante[1][2] Assistente[3]	Helper
Russian	Помощник Pomoshchnik	Helper
Spanish	Ayudante	Helper

Friend[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	フレンズヘルパー Furenzu Herupā	Friends Helper
Dutch	Vriend	Friend
French	Ami	Friend
German	Freund	Friend
Italian	Amico	Friend
Korean	프렌즈 Peurenjeu	Friends
Spanish	Amigo	Friend

References