Kirby! (animated series)

Kirby!, also known in Japan as Kirby of the Stars, is an animated action-adventure comedy series that first aired on Cartoon Network on March 6, 2021. It is based off of the Kirby franchise and a successor to Kirby: Right Back at Ya!.
== Synopsis ==
The series takes place three years after the events of Right Back at Ya!'s series finale, where Planet Popstar remained its peaceful self besides a few troublemakers and King Dedede being irresponsible as always. However, there have been recent rumors of a large, evil organization known as The Dark Matters that manipulates Dedede and his troops to join them, thus leading Kirby to once again stop their evil schemes by stopping their soldiers and even travelling beyond his planet to save the universe from corruption.
== Cast ==
=== Main ===
* Kirby - The titular pink puff and main protagonist of the series. He is a legendary star warrior who resides in Green Greens and promises to protect Cappy Town and sometimes Dreamland from any dangers that cause terror in the land.
** Tokkori - A selfish and sour green bird who is Kirby's neighbor and lives in what was his purposed house, rarely letting him in and only using him for defense.
* Tiff - The daughter of Sir Ebrum and Lady Like who is a friend of Kirby and has the ability to call upon the Warp Star when needed, due to caring for Kirby the most.
** Tuff - Tiff's brother who, unlike her, is rowdier and more mischievous and likes to pull pranks which usually end in trouble, but they still get along pretty well.
** Sir Ebrum - The father of Tiff and Tuff, as well as the Cabinet Minister of Cappy Town. 
*** Lady Like - Sir Ebrum's wife and the mother of Tiff and Tuff.
=== Supporting ===
* B.W. "Bandee" Dee - A bandana-wearing Waddle Dee who used to serve King Dedede but now lives in the Cappy Town Inn after being fired. He now sometimes aids Kirby in his adventures and even looks up to him.
* Lololo & Lalala - A former monster of Nightmare Enterprises split into two spherical entities. Later on in the series, they learn how to fuse back in Fofa.
* Meta Knight - One of the few surviving Star Warriors who acts as King Dedede's servant, alongside Sword and Blade Knight, and also a mentor of Kirby in combat and occasional assistant of Chief Atlas' guild.
**Sword Knight & Blade Knight - Meta Knight's followers who are both expert mechanics, able to fix broken machinery at their disposal. They also work as servants of King Dedede.
* Cappies - A species of sentient haniwa-like statues that are the main inhabitants of Cappy Town, living under Dedede's rule.
* Adeleine - An aspiring human artist who has settled into Cappy Town on Planet Popstar to study art, sometimes aiding Kirby in his adventures. 
** Ribbon - A tiny fairy who is usually Adeleine's companion, roommate, and assistant, but still tends to help Kirby slightly more, regardless.
* Chef Kawasaki - One of the few non-Cappies living in Cappy Town who runs the only restaurant in the village. Despite his profession, he tends to have poor cooking but is still visited often.
* Rick/ Kine/Coo - A friendly animal trio consisting of a hamster, a blue sunfish, and a purple owl who are the main members of the Animal Friends and are friends of Kirby. Rick and Coo live in Whispy Woods Forest, while Kine resides in the ocean.
** Chu-Chu / Nago / Pitch - A pink octopus with a bow, a calico-like cat, and a green bird that would sometimes join Kirby on adventures, but mostly when the original Animal trio is involved.
** Gooey - A blue blob and former member of the Dark Matters who betrayed the group and accidentally sent himself to Popstar in a pod.
*Chief Atlas - A brownish-red alien Star Warrior who hides his true identity as the manager of the Dreamland Alliance, clearly having much more knowledge than most residents in Cappy Town and even being familiarized by Meta Knight.
*Keeby - A yellow puffball similar in body shape to Kirby that lived on Planet Reef as an assistant of a travelling magician, unaware of his status as a Star Warrior until meeting Kirby.
*Kaibi - A green puffball who lives on Planet Meadow and partakes in a career of both a gardener and teacher. She also enjoys exploring, and uses her experience during her teachings.
=== Antagonists ===
* King Dedede - A royal and rich blue penguin who, despite his role, has a more despicable nature and mean demeanor. Later in Season 1, he joins the Dark matters and occasionally gets corrupted by them since.
**Escargoon - A purple snail who is Dedede's right hand man and one of his servants. Despite his loyalty towards the boss, he isn't as intimidating and even has a genuinely softer side to him.
** Waddle Doo - The main commander of the Waddle Dees who can translate their language and cares about them the most.
*** Waddle Dees - A carefree species on Planet Popstar who are the main servants of King Dedede, simply just for his wealthy castle and stacks of food.
** Pon & Con - Two animals, a fox (kitsune) and raccoon (tanuki) who guard the entrance to King Dedede's castle. They both live in Acore's roots during their spare time.
* Squeak Squad - Mouse-like thieves that try to steal treasure for hopes of gold or something more valuable, striving attention from the Dark Matters. Notable members include: 
**Daroach - The mischievous leader of the Squeak Squad. He leads with an iron fist and a strange, greedy desire to steal valuable treasures from others, which eventually leads him victim to corruption later in the series.
**Spinni - A small yellow mouse and is the speediest one of the group, who attacks using a shuriken and metal claw, as well as being the only notable member who can swim.
**Storo - A bulky blue mouse who is considered the muscle of the group, due to his large size and immense strength. Despite this, he walks at slow speeds and has a quite clear obsession with food.
**Doc - A small cyan mouse who mainly controls a flying and is considered the inventive genius of the group, constantly tinkering with machinery and using them as attacks, despite being the average size of a normal Squeaker.
**Squeakers - The tiny henchmen of Daroach and are lowest class of the Squeak Squad. 
*Kabi - A red puffball who is the captain of a group of sky pirates partnered with the Dark Matters for redemption, though they eventually move to Kirby's side after learning the truth.
*Madame Kira - The second-in-command at Dark Matters, as well as the community service manager for the organization. She replaces the NME Enterprises Salesman in terms of role, but eventually stands up and fights the four Puffball Warriors.
== Episodes ==
See Kirby!/List of episodes.
== Tropes ==
See Kirby!/Tropes.
== Trivia ==
* Unlike its predecessor, Kirby! relies less on CGI and more on hand-drawn 2D animation, which now leans toward a more "modern anime" art style.