Guard Artwork of Kirby guarding from Kirby Super Star Ultra. Details First game Kirby Super Star (1996) Latest game Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World (2025 Other game(s) Kirby Super Star Ultra Kirby's Return to Dream Land Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition (New Challenge Stages) Kirby: Triple Deluxe Kirby Fighters Deluxe Kirby: Planet Robobot Team Kirby Clash Deluxe Kirby Star Allies Super Kirby Clash Kirby Fighters 2 Kirby and the Forgotten Land User(s) Every playable character in every game featuring guarding, as well as Shadow Kirby as a boss in Kirby Fighters and Kirby Fighters 2 Related Dodge, Crouch

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This article is about the technique. For the enemy from Kirby Star Allies, see Guard (enemy).

“

To guard...Push L or R. It can reduce the enemy's attack power.

”

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

Guard is Kirby's primary defensive action that appeared in many games. By holding down the appropriate button, Kirby assumes a defensive posture until the button is released. While guarding, Kirby takes no damage from weak attacks and reduced damage from most stronger attacks, in addition to retaining his ability and not getting knocked off the ground. Enemies that contact a guarding Kirby also take minimal damage.

Generally, guarding is ineffective against attacks which involve grabbing. Guarding also has no effect on environmental elements such as wind or lava, and will typically not defend against the strongest boss attacks. Kirby can only guard while standing still. However, in Kirby: Triple Deluxe and beyond, if Kirby guards in midair or moves to the side while guarding, he will Dodge.

In Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, guard does 1 damage to enemies including bosses. Starting with Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the default guard does 4 damage to enemies excluding bosses.

In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, guarding is merged with crouching, and as such is named Crouch Guard. As such, all actions that would normally be taken by crouching (such as sliding and swallowing) are now taken by guarding.

Appearances[edit]

Guarding first appeared in Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra, but did not become a commonly recurring move until Kirby's Return to Dream Land brought it back. It has since returned in most other Kirby games, including every main-series game. Starting with Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby also gained the ability to dodge by trying to move while guarding or guard in midair.

Guarding in the Kirby Fighters and Kirby Clash games/sub-games[edit]

The Kirby Fighters and Team Kirby Clash games use a special version of Guard which more closely resembles the shield in the Super Smash Bros. games. In particular, with this guard, the player cannot hold it indefinitely, since the Guard Gauge will decrease over time. When the gauge is empty, the guarding character gets launched up into the air and then becomes dizzy after landing on the ground and getting back up, leaving them open to attacks from enemies or opponents while they're dazed. Actions like button-mashing or a Feed Me action from a teammate can recover any affected players without consequence.

Additionally, if a player hits the Guard button just before an enemy attack hits them, then no damage will be dealt and the guarding player won't be pushed back from the attack. This attribute is called Perfect Guard and also prevents taking damage while guarding against boss attacks. In the Kirby Fighters series specifically, automatic Perfect Guards can sometimes happen if a player takes a hit while their Handicap setting is set to Easy or Very Easy in Multiplayer or Training modes. In Kirby Fighters 2's Story Mode, if obtained between floors, the Auto-Guard I and Auto-Guard II Story Items can also automatically Perfect Guard attacks when struck sometimes.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

The shield mechanic in the Super Smash Bros. series is heavily based on the guard mechanic from the Kirby series, with the energy bubble very reminiscent of the Mirror ability's Reflect Guard. The primary difference is that shields shrink as they are held or take damage and will eventually break if not deactivated, stunning the user.

Eventually, this concept went full circle in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, when the ability to dodge after guarding, developed in Super Smash Bros., made its way into this game.

Special guard techniques[edit]

Copy Abilities[edit]

These Copy Abilities (and/or their respective Helpers) have their own special guards that often provide additional features. As a result of these particular guarding techniques, the user may be unable to dodge on the ground (or at all) when employing some of them.

• Bell - While guarding with Bell, Kirby hides inside of his bell helmet, and cannot be harmed. Releasing the Guard or being hit will cause the bell to reverberate, damaging nearby foes.
• ESP - If a foe hits Kirby shortly after the guard is activated, Kirby will vanish, then reappear and counter with a shock wave that deals a small amount of damage (PK Evade). When timed perfectly, the counterattack is more powerful, thus dealing massive damage to nearby enemies in the process (PK Insight).
• Gigant Sword - Kirby holds a spiked shield that fully absorbs damage.
• Ice - While guarding with Ice, Kirby produces a spherical ice formation around himself which blocks more damage than a regular guard.
  • Blizzard Ice - Same as Ice, but deals damage to enemies on contact.
• Leaf - While guarding with Leaf, Kirby is intangible instead of invincible; attacks will simply pass through him regardless of their power. This guard also makes Kirby immune to grabs. Releasing the guard causes minor damage to nearby foes.
• Mecha - This ability has a unique counterattack, Shock Counter, activated if the attack button is pressed right after Kirby is attacked while guarding.
• Mirror - While guarding with Mirror, Kirby forms a shining bubble of energy around him. This bubble negates damage from even strong attacks and can reflect projectiles. In Kirby: Planet Robobot, the shield will eventually vanish if held too long.
• Ninja - Starting with Kirby: Triple Deluxe, guarding with Ninja right before being hit by an attack will cause Kirby to use Clone Technique, which transforms him into a log that damages the attacking foe(s). However, it can only be used for a brief moment.
• Sand - While guarding with Sand, Kirby is intangible instead of invincible; attacks will simply pass through him regardless of their power. This guard also makes Kirby immune to grabs. Releasing the guard causes minor damage to nearby foes. He can also press the attack button to use Sand Geyser while guarding, attacking nearby foes but also losing his guard in the process.
• Smash Bros. - In Kirby: Planet Robobot, while guarding with the Smash Bros. ability, Kirby produces a bubble shield resembling the one from the Super Smash Bros. series. This shield protects him from more damage than the standard guard, and can't break, unlike the Super Smash Bros. equivalent.
• Spider - While guarding with Spider, Kirby encases himself in a string pod, preventing more damage than a standard guard. The pod also shoots out small spikes when hit, dealing more damage than normal collision.
• Staff - If a foe hits Kirby shortly after the guard is activated, Kirby will perform a counterattack simply called Staff Counter.
• Sword Hero - In all three Team Kirby Clash games, guarding as Sword Hero will create a large bubble shield which other Kirbys can take cover under to protect them from damage as well.
• Tac - Tac, as a helper for Copy, becomes intangible while guarding.

There are some Copy Ability actions that provide similar functions, but are not true guards.

• Crouching with Archer causes Kirby to become intangible as long as he remains still, acting as a pseudo-guard. In this state, he can fire arrows or crawl along the ground, but doing either will make him vulnerable.
• Trying to crouch with Parasol in Kirby's Dream Land 3 makes Kirby or Gooey put their parasols in front of them similar to a guard, which deals damage to enemies and provides cover from any incoming projectile. Their backs aren't covered, however, so any attack coming from behind will hurt them as usual.

Dream Friends[edit]

Some Dream Friends in Kirby Star Allies also have their own special version of guarding.

• Rick & Kine & Coo and Gooey take cover in a burlap sack called the Protective Bag when guarding. This is a reference to Kirby's Dream Land 2, where they are found in bags after defeating a mid-boss.
• Adeleine & Ribbon hide behind a canvas and become intangible like Tac and the Leaf ability do. The canvas shows illustrations from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - either an illustration of a level as shown in the stage select menu or Adeleine's self-portrait from the staff credits. When releasing the guard, paint sprays out, which damages nearby enemies.
• Dark Meta Knight hides in a mirror when guarding, similarly to his Kirby: Triple Deluxe boss fight. It absorbs strong attacks and reflects projectiles, the same as the Mirror ability.
• Magolor uses his 5-piece star-shaped Magic Barrier when guarding, which absorbs all damage, but can break. Every time a piece breaks, it does damage to nearby enemies. In Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler, he starts out with a standard guard, but can upgrade to the Magic Barrier as the mode progresses.
• Taranza has Magic Guard which absorbs all damage and shoots out spikes like the Spider ability does.

Special guard properties[edit]

The following summarizes properties of the above-mentioned special guards.

User	Guard	Description	Immune to damage?	Ground dodge?	Air dodge?	Counterattack?
Adeleine & Ribbon	Canvas Cover	Hides behind a canvas and becomes intangible. Releasing the guard causes paint to spray out.	(Also immune to grab attacks)			When released
Bell	Bell Block	Hides into the bell hat, which can reverberate to damage enemies in contact.				Contact (No effect to bosses or mid-bosses)
Dark Meta Knight	Reflector Shield	Guards with an reflective shield that reflects projectiles.				Reflects projectile
ESP	PK Evade PK Insight	Performs a special counter attack before/when getting hit.	Only during PK Evade/Insight
Gigant Sword	Spike Shield	Guards with a riot shield that negates all damage. Kirby can move while the shield is up, but can't dodge.			N/A	Contact
Ice	Ice Block	Guards with an ice shield. Releasing the guard (known as the move Ice Scatter) scatters the ice shield which deals minor damage and freezes nearby foes.	(Kirby's Return to Dream Land onward)		(except in Kirby and the Forgotten Land)	When released
Leaf	Leaf Hide	Hides into a pile of leaves and becomes intangible. Releasing the guard causes a burst of leaves that deal minor damage to nearby foes.	(Also immune to grab attacks)			When released
Magolor	Magic Barrier	Guards with a five-piece star shield, which deals damage when a piece breaks.	(With durability)			When a piece breaks
Mecha	Shock Counter	Performs a special counterattack after getting hit.	Only during Shock Counter
Mirror	Reflect Guard	Guards with an reflective shield that deflects projectiles.	(Limited duration in Kirby: Planet Robobot)			Reflects projectile
Ninja	Clone Technique	Performs a special counter attack before getting hit (Kirby: Triple Deluxe onward).	Only during Clone Technique
Rick & Kine & Coo Gooey	Protective Bag	Hides into a bag that resembles the one they are trapped inside from Kirby's Dream Land 2.
Sand	Sand Hide Sand Geyser	Hides into a pile of sand and becomes intangible. Releasing the guard or pressing the attack button causes a burst of sand that deals minor damage to nearby foes.	(Also immune to grab attacks)			When releasing/pressing the attack button
Smash Bros.	Shield	Guards with the shield from the Super Smash Bros. series. (Kirby: Planet Robobot only)
Spider	Pod Guard	Hides into a string pod, which can spike out to damage foes in contact.				Contact (No effect to bosses or mid-bosses)
Staff	Staff Counter	Performs a special counter attack before getting hit.	Only during Staff Counter
Sword Hero	Hero Shield	Guards with the shield equipment to create a barrier that also protects teammates inside.
Tac	Tac Hide	Becomes intangible.
Taranza	Magic Guard	Guards with a magic shield, which can spike out to damage enemies in contact.	(Also immune to grab attacks)			Contact (No effect to bosses or mid-bosses)

Trivia[edit]

• In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, guarding does not protect from attacks from Gnawcodile, Sssnacker, poison and lava puddles, getting crushed, getting eaten by Wild Frosty, Fleurina's Hurricane attack, getting grabbed by Gorimondo, Meta Knight's Force Falls and Upper Calibur attacks (the latter only when Sword Kirby isn't facing Meta Knight), getting caged by Sillydillo, getting inhaled by Forgo Dedede, Morpho Knight's Infernal Wind attack, Soul Forgo's Soul Crash attack and Chaos Elfilis' "And Here We Are" and "Deadly Sun Grazer" attacks.^[1]

Gallery[edit]

Sprites[edit]

• 

• 

Screenshots[edit]

• 

  From Kirby: Triple Deluxe

• 

  "Leaf Hide", Leaf's special guard, in Kirby: Triple Deluxe

• 

  Kirby using PK Insight in Kirby Star Allies

• 

  Jammerjab using Staff Counter against a Blado

• 

  Spider, Taranza, Magolor, and Dark Meta Knight

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  Ice, Gooey/Rick & Kine & Coo, and Adeleine & Ribbon

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  All four Super Kirby Clash classes guarding, including the Sword Hero and its shield ability

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  From Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Ice Kirby using Ice Block from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Blizzard Ice Kirby using Ice Block from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  From Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

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  Ice Kirby using the Ice Block from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

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  Sand Kirby using the Sand Hide from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

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  Leaf Kirby using the Leaf Hide from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

• 

  Magolor using the Magic Barrier from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Names in other languages[edit]

Guard[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ガード Gādo	Guard
Dutch	Verdedigen	Defend
Canadian French	Protection	-
European French	Se protéger	Guard
Portuguese	Defender-se Defesa[2]	Guard (yourself) Defense
Spanish	Cubrirse	Guard

Perfect Guard[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Korean	섀도우 가드[3] syaedou gadeu 퍼펙트 가드 peopegteu gadeu	Shadow Guard Perfect Guard

Crouch Guard[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	しゃがみガード shagami gādo	Crouching Guard

References