Meta Knight

Meta Knight
is a fictional character and antihero in Nintendo's Kirby video game series created by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by HAL Laboratory. He first appeared in the 1993 video game Kirby's Adventure as a nameless character, remaining unnamed until the game Kirby's Avalanche. The character also appears in several Kirby comic books, in the 2001 anime series, and as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Meta Knight is a mysterious but honorable knight. Due to this attitude, he has played the roles of both friend and foe in the Kirby series. He has received mainly positive critical reception since his introduction; his development within the series, from a nameless enemy to one of Kirby's main allies and rivals, was praised. He remains one of the most controversial characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and has been banned from several tournaments due to his overwhelming dominance in competitive play.
Characteristics
Meta Knight is an enigmatic yet honorable swordsman who follows a chivalric code, exemplified when he gives Kirby a sword to fight with before starting battle. Meta Knight himself wields a sacred, golden sword called . He is always seen wearing a silver mask, but in the event that he is unmasked, he looks identical to Kirby, albeit with a dark blue body and yellow (originally white) eyes which were originally portrayed as yellow only when he was wearing his mask (from Kirby: Planet Robobot onward however he has yellow eyes even with his mask off). He also sports a navy blue mantle called the , which can change into a pair of wings and allows him to teleport. However, these wings appear directly attached to his body in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Planet Robobot. Initially one of Kirby's enemies, he has since developed into Kirby's rival, and has been described as an antihero. However, he has benign intentions, as he will often fight alongside or assist Kirby when necessary for his survival or for the sake of the world. This attitude has led to debate about his allegiances and has earned him the label of "frenemy".
Appearances
In the Kirby video game series
Meta Knight first appeared in the NES game Kirby's Adventure as an ally of King Dedede and boss of the Orange Ocean level, where he fights Kirby to stop him from taking a piece of the Star Rod and to keep it out of Nightmare's hands. He is the main antagonist of the Revenge of Meta Knight mode in Kirby Super Star, in which he tries to take over Dream Land to end the inhabitants' lazy lifestyle by invading in his signature airship, the . Meta Knight is a playable character in the Meta Knightmare mode of Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. In Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Dark Meta Knight—an evil, Mirror World counterpart—traps Meta Knight in the Mirror World and splits Kirby into four, differently colored copies of himself. After Kirby defeats Dark Meta Knight, Meta Knight himself helps Kirby defeat Dark Mind.
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, after the chest containing Kirby's strawberry shortcake is mixed up with the chest sealing Dark Nebula, Meta Knight appears as a boss who tries to keep the latter chest out of Kirby's hands. In Kirby Super Star Ultra, he appears as a playable character in the Meta Knightmare Ultra mode. Meta Knight also appears in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and its 2023 remake as one of the four playable protagonists, alongside Kirby, King Dedede and Bandana Waddle Dee, and as a playable character in multi-player mode. After not appearing in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Meta Knight made an active return to the series in Kirby: Planet Robobot. In addition to being captured and transformed into the hostile "Mecha Knight" in the game's story mode, he is rescued by Kirby and helps him to defeat Star Dream by letting Kirby pilot the Halberd. He is also given his own adventure once again, as the main playable character of the Meta Knightmare Returns mode. Meta Knight appears as a boss and Dream Friend in Kirby Star Allies. Meta Knight returns in Kirby Fighters 2 alongside King Dedede as the main antagonist of the Story Mode, The Destined Rivals. He also appears as a playable character. Meta Knight appears in the colosseum in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, but does not encounter Kirby in the main storyline.
Meta Knight also appears in several spin-off games in the series. He makes brief appearances in Kirby's Pinball Land and Kirby's Avalanche. In the latter, his name was revealed for the first time, where he is the penultimate challenger. He is an unlockable character in Kirby Air Ride and Kirby: Canvas Curse. Meta Knight is a boss in Kirby's Epic Yarn and appears as a boss in two sub-games in Kirby Mass Attack. Though he is absent from Kirby and the Rainbow Curses story mode, Meta Knight appears as a collectible figurine. The game is also compatible with the Meta Knight Amiibo, which Kirby can use for a temporary increase in attack power.
Other appearances
Meta Knight has made several appearances outside of the Kirby video game series, including the 1994–2006 manga Hoshi no Kirby: Dedede de Pupupu na Monogatari written by Hirokazu Hikawa and published by Shogakukan in CoroCoro Comic. He also appears in the ongoing Enterbrain's Hoshi no Kirby: Kirby to Dedede no Pupupu Nikki manga written by Noboru Matsuyama and published in Famitsu DS+Wii (originally called Famitsu DS+Cube+Advance), and in the Asami Taniguchi manga Hoshi no Kirby: Moretsu Pupupuawā! published in Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic, where he is a main character. He is also featured in the 2012 Yuki Kawakami manga by Shogakukan, Hoshi no Kirby: Pack to Daibaku Show. In the 2001–2003 anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya! he is a main character. In the series he is the last surviving member of the Galaxy Soldier Army, made up of "Star Warriors". He also makes various appearances in the restaurant chain known as Kirby Café, where he is featured in various food dishes.
Meta Knight also appears in four installments of the Super Smash Bros. video game series; in Super Smash Bros. Melee, he appears in the form of a trophy, and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is a playable character. However, Meta Knight was temporarily removed from some professional gaming competitions in the United States and Canada as he was considered to be too powerful. Meta Knight returned as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U after the series' director, Masahiro Sakurai, assured some changes to re-add him; among the changes, Meta Knight lost his ability to glide, and his unrivaled attack speed was toned down. He reappears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Merchandise
Various types of merchandising have been released based on Meta Knight's character. These include amiibo, nendoroid, nanoblock, and plush.
Reception
Meta Knight garnered positive reception. IGN described Meta Knight as "one of the most enigmatic characters" in the Kirby series, with IGN also stating that his "cool appearance" helped him stand out. GameDaily wanted Meta Knight as a Nintendo character they'd like to see get his own game, a sentiment shared by Complex. He was referred to by Shacknews as "arguably Nintendo's most recognizable anti-hero".
Meta Knight is particularly notorious for his role in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and was one of the first characters to be banned from several tournaments in Super Smash Bros. history. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Smash pro players immediately discovered that the Meta Knight was immensely overpowered, since he had a winning matchup against every character in the game, and he was the first character to be constantly and completely banned from several tournaments.
Notes
References
Extraterrestrial characters in video games
Fictional swordfighters in video games
Kirby (series) characters
Fictional extraterrestrial humanoids
Fictional knights in video games
Male characters in video games
Video game characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Nintendo antagonists
Nintendo protagonists
Super Smash Bros. fighters
Video game bosses
Video game characters introduced in 1993