Ninja Artwork of Ninja Kirby from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Details First game Kirby Super Star (1996) Latest game Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023) Other game(s) Kirby: Squeak Squad Kirby Super Star Ultra Kirby's Return to Dream Land Kirby: Triple Deluxe Kirby Fighters Deluxe Kirby: Planet Robobot Kirby Battle Royale Kirby Star Allies Kirby Fighters 2 Kirby's Dream Buffet (reference) Usage type Unlimited use Obtained from Bio Spark, Moonja, amiibo (Kirby: Planet Robobot): Sheik, Greninja Obtained by projectiles from Spinni Power(s) Wall Climbing, Throws, Attacks with Ninja weaponry Helper Bio Spark

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Ninja is a Copy Ability characterized by its large array of weapons and techniques inspired by the stereotypical Japanese ninja warrior. Kirby can gain this ability primarily by inhaling either Bio Spark or Moonja, and gains access to a wide array of attacks, such as slashing foes with a katana, throwing knives, using a vanishing act to retaliate against attackers, or using various martial-arts strikes, like the lightning-fast Ninja Kick or the devastating Air Drop attack. Ninja Kirby also typically has the ability to cling to walls or, in Kirby: Squeak Squad, walk on the surface of water.

The Ninja ability first appeared in Kirby Super Star, and gave Kirby a distinctive red cap with a large ponytail attached. From Kirby's Return to Dream Land and onward, the Ninja hat would resemble a purple cowl with a studded headband. Some earlier games would cause Kirby to take on a purple hue when using this ability.

Overview[edit]

The Ninja ability is among the most elaborate and complex in Kirby's arsenal, rivaling abilities like Fighter and Sword in that regard. Unlike many other abilities, Ninja Kirby is very versatile, having many different options for both close-quarters and distant combat, as well as being able to solve any puzzles that have to do with slicing things. In later games, Ninja Kirby is ideal for solving highly specific puzzles, such as throwing a knife though a small gap high above the floor (assisted by a Wall Cling) or putting out fire blocks above the surface of the water (using Ninja's special "Stealth Water Gun" technique).

Ninja Kirby's most basic techniques revolve around the use of his throwing knives and his sword, both of which he can employ very rapidly. Most of his other techniques are arguably more situational, and it can often be difficult for Ninja Kirby to rack up large amounts of damage on stronger opponents as quickly as Fighter or Hammer Kirby can. Despite this, Ninja Kirby's versatility and varied moves allow for a very diverse playstyle if the player is willing to experiment with his other attacks.

Appearance[edit]

In Kirby Super Star, Ninja gives Kirby a hat identical to Stone's, just with different colors: a red helmet with a purple ponytail on its top. Its front features a golden plate with three stars, and the helmet also extends on Kirby's back as some sort of cape but still hard. This hat design was reused in Kirby: Squeak Squad and Kirby Super Star Ultra. Kirby: Right Back at Ya! features a similar design but, just like Stone's, the hat's plate on the front is simplified, and only has a single green star. Similarly, the artwork of the ability from Kirby: Squeak Squad also only has one star in the plate, although golden. In the latter two appearances, the back of Kirby's helmet is also changed to a striped red and green cape.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land introduced a completely new hat for Ninja: a purple cowl that extends on Kirby's back like the previous hat. It also has a dark blue headband that ties with a knot on the back, with a silver plate with a star in the front's middle. From around the edges of the plate, two bands with a yellow and orange triangular pattern go out and extend downwards. Attached to the hat's back is also a dark gray sword sheath with some silver stripes, plus a silver star; this sheath is for Ninja's katana.

Before the redesign in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Ninja only attacked with kunais (and with shurikens in Kirby: Squeak Squad only), and never had a weapon ready constantly like abilities such as Sword and Hammer. Kirby: Right Back at Ya! was the first to give Ninja a katana, which is even given in its transformation sequence. This version of the katana is fairly simple, with a yellow crossguard and a turquoise hilt. In the games, Kirby's Return to Dream Land introduced a katana with a similar design, but with a more elaborate hilt, with a brown lined pattern with some orange diamonds.

In Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby's body turns a shade of purple when he has the ability.

Game appearances[edit]

Ninja Kirby's video game appearances
Game	Role	Notes
Kirby series
Kirby Super Star	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Bio Spark. Can be used to create a Bio Spark helper.
Kirby: Squeak Squad	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Bio Spark and Spinni's dropped shurikens. Can be upgraded using an Ability Scroll.
Kirby Super Star Ultra	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Bio Spark. Can be used to create a Bio Spark helper.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Moonja.
Kirby: Triple Deluxe	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Moonja. Also available in Kirby Fighters.
Kirby Fighters Deluxe	Playable characters	Selectable in all game modes. Has an unlockable costume.
Kirby: Planet Robobot	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Moonja.
Kirby Battle Royale	Playable character	Available from the start, but needs to be unlocked separately for use in Dedede's Cake Royale. Has three unlockable costumes.
Kirby Star Allies	Copy Ability	Obtainable from Bio Spark. Can be used to create a Bio Spark ally. Can be infused with an elemental Power Effect.
Kirby Fighters 2	Playable characters	Selectable in all game modes after reaching Fighters Rank 33. Has two unlockable costumes.
Kirby's Dream Buffet	Reference	Appears on a Character Treat.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	Copy Ability	Has the same properties and sources as in the original Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U	Reference	Ninja Kirby appears as a trophy.

Kirby Super Star / Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

Ninja debuted as a Copy Ability in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra. Here, Kirby can obtain the ability from Bio Spark, who also serves as the ability's helper. With Ninja equipped, Kirby turns purple (a lighter shade in the remake compared to the original), and wears a hat similar to that of the Stone ability.

Ninja moveset in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
Skill	Button Execution	Skill	Button Execution
Knife Throw	B	Quad Shock	Hold B
Dash Attack	Dash + B	Ninja Kick	↓ + B in air
Air Drop	(any direction) + B near foe	Hide Guard	Take damage + B
Wall Cling	Push on wall in air	Wall Jump	Wall Cling + A/Y

Kirby: Squeak Squad[edit]

In Kirby: Squeak Squad, Ninja is obtainable from Bio Spark and Spinni's throwing stars. The moveset is very different from its previous appearance and even future appearances, in that Kirby notably throws shurikens instead of kunai and the gimmick of holding the attack button rather than tapping to use certain moves is completely missing. In addition to this, Kirby does not have a counter move, but he can charge energy and release it in a big wave if he has the Ability Scroll for Ninja. He is also able to walk on the surface of water.

When Kirby has the Ninja ability in this game, he gains a unique idle animation where he has a dour look and a battle-ready stance. This stance is not seen in any other Kirby game.

Ninja's moveset in Kirby: Squeak Squad
Skill	Button Execution	Description	Skill	Button Execution	Description
手裏剣投げ Throw Shuriken	B	Kirby throws a single shuriken forward.	はたき斬り Slicing Strike Shock	→ + B	Kirby dashes forward attacking with a knife.
ニンジャキック Ninja Kick	↓ + B in the air	Kirby rapidly drops diagonally while in a kicking position.	いずなおとし Izuna Drop Air Drop	→ + B near an enemy	Kirby grabs a foe, jumps with it, and comes down crashing.
Wall Shuriken*	B cling to walls	Kirby throws a single shuriken forward while clung to a wall.	爆炎／爆水の術 Flame / Water Burst Technique Pyrotechnics	Press and hold B then release	Kirby charges then releases many fire waves around him. Notably, if used while standing on water, the waves will instead be water waves. Requires the Ninja Ability Scroll.
Facing right. Attack names are taken from the Kirby: Squeak Squad Nintendo Official Guidebook; those marked with * are conjectural. Applicable equivalent adapted English names from other games are listed in bold.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land / Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

Ninja returns as an ability in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and its remake, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, acquirable by swallowing a Moonja. Many new techniques are available in this iteration, as well as a new hat. This appearance of Ninja would set the standard for the remainder of Ninja's appearances in the main series, adding moves such as "Stealth Slash", "Smoke Screen", "Blossom Storm", and the "Stealth Water Gun".

Both games also feature a Sub-Game known as Ninja Dojo, which is centered around Ninja Kirby and his friends (also dressed up as ninjas) throwing ninja stars at moving targets.

Ninja's moveset in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Skill	Button Execution (KRtDL)	Button Execution (KRtDLD, facing right)	Description	Skill	Button Execution (KRtDL)	Button Execution (KRtDLD, facing right)	Description
Knife Throw	1	B/Y	Kirby throws a small yet fast kunai.	Air Drop	↑ or → next to foe + 1 (if facing right)	Either ↑→ + B/Y near an enemy	Kirby does a flying suplex after grabbing a foe, sending them flying on impact.
Shock	Hold 1	Press and hold B/Y	Kirby does a short range slash with a katana.	Wall Cling	Hold ← or → against wall in midair	Hold ← or → against a wall in midair	Kirby grabs on to a wall.
Stealth Slash	Dash + 1	Dash + B/Y	Kirby dashes through enemies with a katana. Any enemies in Kirby's way are struck with a multi-hit slash.	Wall Strike	1 during Wall Cling	B/Y during Wall Cling	Kirby throws a kunai away from the wall.
Ninja Kick	↓ + 1 in midair	↓ + B/Y in midair	Much like Fighter's "Sky Kick" attack, Kirby rapidly drops while doing a single kick.	Wall Jump	2 during Wall Cling	A/B during Wall Cling	Kirby jumps from the wall at a diagonal trajectory.
Smoke Screen	↓ + 1	↓ + B/Y	Kirby throws a smoke bomb on the ground damaging enemies around him.	Hide Guard	1 right after being attacked	B/Y right after being attacked	Kirby vanishes leaving a log in his place.
Blossom Storm	↑, then ↓ + 1	↑, then ↓ + B/Y	Kirby holds a bunch of cherry blossoms over his head and slams them into the ground.	Smoke Counter	1 right after being attacked while guarding	B/Y right after being attacked while guarding	Kirby counters by attacking while reappearing.
Quad Shock	Hold 1 next to foe	Press and hold B/Y near an enemy	Continuing "Shock" - Kirby does an underhand slash making a short range energy wave.	Stealth Water Gun	1 on surface of water	B/Y while floating on the water's surface	Kirby blasts enemies from below with a short range spray of water.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Ninja returns as an ability in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, with some slight differences from its appearance in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. In particular, Smoke Counter has been removed, Hide Guard has been reworked into a new move called Clone Technique, Quad Shock can no longer be used in the air, and knives can be thrown in quicker succession when using Wall Strike. It is still obtained from Moonja. It is also one of the abilities available in Kirby Fighters.

Ninja moveset in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby Fighters Deluxe, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and Kirby Star Allies   While facing right
Skill	Image	Button Execution	Description
Knife Throw		Press and release B	Kirby throws a small yet fast kunai.
Shock		Press and hold B	Kirby does a short range slash with a katana.
Stealth Slash		Dash + B	Kirby dashes through enemies with a katana. Any enemies in Kirby's way are struck with a multi-hit slash.
Ninja Kick		Press ↓ + B in midair	Much like Fighter's "Sky Kick" attack, Kirby rapidly drops while doing a single kick.
Smoke Screen		↓ + B	Kirby throws a smoke bomb on the ground damaging enemies around him.
Blossom Storm		↑, and then ↓ + B	Kirby holds a bunch of cherry blossoms over his head and slams them into the ground.
Quad Shock		Press and hold B near an enemy	Continuing "Shock" - Kirby does a underhand slash making a short range energy wave.
Air Drop		Either of ↑→ + B near an enemy	Kirby does a flying suplex after grabbing a foe, sending them flying on impact.
Wall Cling		Hold ←→ against a wall in midair	Kirby grabs on to a wall.
Wall Strike		B during Wall Cling	Kirby throws a kunai away from the wall.
Wall Jump		A during Wall Cling	Kirby jumps from the wall at a diagonal trajectory.
Clone Technique		L/R right before being attacked	Kirby vanishes leaving a log in his place.
Stealth Water Gun		B while floating on water's surface	Kirby blasts enemies from above with a short range spray of water. This move is not available in Kirby Fighters Deluxe.

Kirby Fighters Deluxe[edit]

Ninja returns as one of the selectable abilities in Kirby Fighters Deluxe, retaining its look and properties from the original Kirby Fighters. Ninja also has a Rare Outfit in this game, which gives Kirby a white hood with a different-style headband.

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

Ninja returns, along with Moonja, in Kirby: Planet Robobot. It is still unchanged from its previous appearance in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

Kirby Battle Royale[edit]

“

When you use your Ninja ability, you'll have lots of fierce moves! With those, you can unleash quick attacks for a decisive win.

”

— Knuckle Joe's comment in Kirby Battle Royale

Ninja is one of the abilities on offer in Kirby Battle Royale. In this title, Ninja Kirby is able to create a decoy of himself, which will explode on contact with a foe, and he can also create a huge fiery explosion using a stealth bomb. Unlike other abilities, Ninja has a total of three charge-up moves.

Ninja Kirby has three different pieces of headgear in this game, those being the Bio Spark Helmet, the Topknot (a reference to Samurai Kirby), and the Samurai Helmet.

Ninja moveset in Kirby Battle Royale
Skill	Button Execution
Shock	B/Y
Flurry Swipe	BB/YY
Stealth Slash	BBB/YYY
Ninja Kick	B/Y during jump
Pyrotechnics	Hold/release B/Y
Knife Throw	Y/A
Wind-Up Trick	Hold/release Y/A
Ninja Jump	Jump while holding B/Y or Y/A

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  The Bio Spark Helmet from Kirby Battle Royale

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  The Topknot

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  The Samurai Helmet

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

Ninja returns in Kirby Star Allies, though this time it is once more provided by Bio Spark, who also represents the ability as a Friend. Ninja can be augmented by Power Effects such as Blizzard, Bluster, and Zap. In particular, this results in Blossom Storm showing different types of flowers and accompanying leaves.

Blossom Storm flowers seen in Kirby Star Allies
Element	Image	Internal name	Description
Normal		sakura	The standard cherry blossom.
Blizzard		tubaki	A cultivar of Camellia japonica, specifically of the Kamo-honnami variety.
Bluster		cloverflower	A cultivar of white clover, notably of the four-leaf type.
Sizzle		botan	One of the tree peony cultivars in the group Paeonia × suffruticosa. Cultivars in this group are fairly common in East Asia, called ボタン (botan) in Japanese, 牡丹 in Chinese (mǔdān in Standard Mandarin), and 모란 (moran) in Korean.
Splash		ajisai	A purple cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla. Native to Japan, H. macrophylla is the most representative species of hydrangea or hortensia in East Asia.
Zap		ran	An orchid species bearing many uncanny similarities with the cattleya porphyroglossa variety.

Aside from this, its moveset is identical to that of its previous appearances.

Kirby Fighters 2[edit]

Ninja appears in Kirby Fighters 2 as a selectable ability for Kirby. Its moveset is largely the same as in Kirby Star Allies, but the Stealth Water Gun move is omitted due to the lack of bodies of water in all the game's Battle Stages. It is unlocked after attaining a Fighters Rank of 33. Ninja comes with two unlockable Rare Hats: the first is the Shinobi Hood from Kirby Fighters Deluxe, and the second is the Samurai Helmet from Kirby Battle Royale.

For more precise competitive-oriented information on the Ninja ability in Kirby Fighters 2, see Mizuumi Wiki's page.

Moveset[edit]

Ninja moveset in Kirby Fighters 2
Skill	Button Execution	Description	Damage (unmodified)
Knife Throw	Press and release B	Kirby tosses a small throwing knife horizontally forward. These knives do not cause enemies to flinch.	3
Shock	Press and hold B	Kirby pulls out his katana and slices his opponent.	25
Quad Shock	Press and hold B near an enemy	Kirby pulls out his katana and slices his opponent, then follows up with a shockwave.	39 (if both hits connect)
Stealth Slash	Dash + B	Kirby pulls out his katana and dashes quickly forward, leaving a delayed series of slashes behind him. This move is best used to cross up an opponent, as there is no forward attack.	24 (if all hits connect)
Ninja Kick	↓ + B in midair	Kirby performs a diving kick diagonally downward, bouncing off his enemy upon collision.	20
Smoke Screen	↓ + B	Kirby throws a smoke bomb at his feet, knocking away nearby foes.	16
Blossom Storm	↑, then ↓ + B	Kirby jumps up and releases a large blossom field around himself, damaging enemies in a wide radius.	30 (if both hits connect)
Air Drop	Either ↑/→ + B near an enemy	Kirby grabs his opponent, then leaps up into the air with them before crashing down and launching the foe away.	20 14 (to different foe hit by launched foe)
Wall Cling	Hold ↔ against a wall in midair	Kirby holds on to a wall and can stay there as long as the direction against the wall is held.	N/A
Wall Strike	B during Wall Cling	Kirby uses Knife Throw while hanging onto a wall.	3
Wall Jump	A during Wall Cling	Kirby jumps from the wall he is hanging from, gaining additional height.	N/A
Clone Technique	↓ + L/R right before getting hit	Kirby holds a special stance. If an enemy hits him during this stance, he will take no damage and vanish in a cloud of smoke, then retaliate with a swift strike.	26

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Buffet, Ninja Kirby appears on one of the Character Treats, using his artwork from Kirby Super Star Ultra. Ninja is not an ability in the game proper.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya![edit]

Ninja Artwork from Kirby: Right Back at Ya! Details First episode Ninja Binge Obtained from Inhaling kunai Power(s) Teleportation, Air Drop

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The Ninja Copy Ability makes only one appearance in the anime series Kirby: Right Back at Ya!; that being the episode Ninja Binge. Kirby gains this ability when he inhales one of Yamikage's knives after he throws it at Benikage. Using the Ninja ability, Kirby gains the power to instantly teleport to different locations, and then finishes Yamikage off with the Air Drop technique.

Based on the events of Ninja Binge, it is probable that Ninja Kirby was planned to make at least one more appearance in a future episode where Yamikage would return for his revenge, but this never came to pass.

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  Ninja Kirby beset by the black shadow Yamikage

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  Ninja Kirby using Air Drop on Yamikage

In the Kirby novel series[edit]

Ninja Ninja Kirby throwing knives in Kirby's Decisive Battle! Battle Royale!! Details First volume Kirby's Decisive Battle! Battle Royale!! Obtained from Moonja Power(s) Wielding a katana, knife throwing, pyrotechnics

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In the Kirby novel series, the Ninja ability makes an appearance in Kirby's Decisive Battle! Battle Royale!!.

In this novel, during the finals of Dedede's Cake Royale, Moonja lets Kirby inhale him so he could get the Ninja ability that will help him defeat King Dedede. King Dedede knocks Kirby's katana, but Kirby responds by throwing knives at him. Kirby defeats Dedede with a blast of pyrotechnics that knocks him out. At the battle against the Dededestroyer Z, Kirby tries to fight with the Ninja ability against the waves of Kirby copies and continues to lose his stamina. After launching enough Kirby copies at the Dededestroyer Z using the cannon he got, Kirby finishes the fight off with firing pyrotechnics at the mech, surrounding it with fire and collapsing it. Later, when Kirby tries to destroy the Kirby Printer, he tries all the Ninja ability's tools, but to no avail. Eventually, he drops the copy ability to try and use Hammer instead.

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  Ninja Kirby facing the Dededestroyer Z.

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  Ninja Kirby defeats the mech with pyrotechnics.

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  Ninja Kirby meeting Cron.

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  A Ninja Kirby copy portrayed in the table of contents of Kirby Fighters: The Destined Rivals!!.

Profiles[edit]

Flavor text[edit]

Image	Game	Flavor text
	Kirby Super Star	Copy the famous Japanese Ninja to hide in shadows and vanish into the darkness!
	Kirby: Squeak Squad	忍
	Kirby Super Star Ultra	Hide in shadows and darkness. Use ninja skills on your mission. You're a ninja! A NINJA! Cool...
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land	Hide in shadows and fade into the darkness. Become a master Ninja and no one will expect your Blossom Storm!
	Kirby: Triple Deluxe	Reinforcements have been called in from a nearby ninja village! Slide into the shadows, and vanish in the darkness. When the time is right, unleash the Blossom Storm technique!
	Kirby: Planet Robobot	Excelling in the art of covert combat, this ability contains various moves found in ancient documents from foreign lands. Science cannot explain this ability.
	Kirby Battle Royale	Use stealthy skills learned from secret techniques known from ancient times.
	Kirby Star Allies	Some battle backup from the village of ninjas! Add a friend's power to the sword and knives to slash with wind, fire, and other attributes. Has a ninja ever been seen wielding such elemental blades? Impressive!
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	Hide in shadows and fade into the darkness. Become a master Ninja, and no one will expect your Blossom Storm!

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy[edit]

Image	American English description	British English description	Appears In
	"Making his debut in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. If you copy its ability, Kirby can become a master of the ninja arts! With a variety of useful skills like Knife Throw and Blossom Storm, you might want to remain a ninja forever!"	"Making its debut in Kirby's Adventure Wii, the Moonja enemy looks about as ninja as you can get. Swallow one, and Kirby will become a master of the ninja arts too! Knife Throw, Wall Cling, Smoke Screen and Blossom Storm - with such a variety of useful skills, you might never want to let this Copy Ability go!"	SNES: Kirby Super Star (08/1996) Wii: Kirby's Return to Dream Land (10/2011)

Nintendo Today![edit]

• Hide in shadows and fade into the darkness. No one will expect your Blossom Storm!

Trivia[edit]

• In Kirby Super Star and its remake, Kirby Super Star Ultra, Ninja Kirby's 'Ninja Kick' can be canceled by hovering. By doing the loop of Ninja Kick-Hover-Air Bullet, Kirby can save his horizontal momentum from Ninja Kick and move very fast in the air, his action of continuously spitting Air Bullets somehow resembling the effect from the Mint Leaf. This game mechanic of saving momentum, while useful on tool-assisted speedruns on those games, is not present in games following Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
• The pause screen description of Ninja in Kirby: Squeak Squad is simply 忍, which is the first kanji of the word "ninja" in Japanese, 忍者.
• Ninja is Shinya Kumazaki's favorite Copy Ability in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.^[1]

Gallery[edit]

Main article: Ninja/gallery

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  Icon from Kirby Super Star

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  Pause screen icon from Kirby Super Star Ultra

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  Ninja Kirby plushie, manufactured by San-ei

Videos[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ニンジャ Ninja	Ninja
Chinese	忍者 Rén zhě	Ninja 忍者 is also how it's written in kanji.
Dutch	Ninja	-
French	Ninja	-
German	Ninja	-
Italian	Ninja	-
Korean	닌자 Ninja	Ninja
Polish	Ninja[2]	-
Portuguese	Ninja	-
Russian	Ниндзя[3][4] Nindzya	Ninja
Spanish	Ninja	-

References